THERE’S A small body « of water north of Ottawa that for now is the most fameus in all of Canada. Some say in- famous. I refer of course to Meech Lake, and the Meech 9 - Wednesday, April 4, 1990 - IT’S AMATTER OF LIFE AND BREATH DON’T SMOKE + Fl INISHED PRODU 1CT ces. . ac ie British Columbia Lung Association 2443 Marne Drive. West Vanceuser L. ___. 922-9247 Bemen 947-9745. growth. There are many things wrong with the Accord, but the one that North Shore News Lake Accord. It will take decades for this little lake to slop back into obscurity and once again simply become 2 peaceful, pastoral setting. Some might say it never will. Who would have guessed a few years ago that this rural backwater would become Canada’s new bat- tleground, a reincarnated Plains of Abraham that now threatens to unravel the nation? We’ve been festaging this English and French farce ever since that battle, with the same inconclusive and equally unsatisfying curtain. Will the play never end? As I write this I am wondering how many men have stood on the bank of Meech since the Accord entered the public domaia, unzip- ped their fly and relieved themselves, crying out: ‘‘Pis on Meech!?* The demise of the Meech Lake Accord is a done dinner, as the Tiger (Williams) would tastefully say. The goose is cooked and burnt beyond the eating, and Brian Mulroney must bear a good por- tion of the blame for the burning. For it was the prime rainister who leapt to Robert Bourassa’s side in the kitchen to declare his unwaver- ing support for the Quebec premier’s ultimatum that the Ac- cord, with Quebec’s five demands, be eaten as is, with no additional seasoning, without question, without discussion or negotiation, and without any changes or altera- tions. Period! Mulroney remained adamant that the accord was a non- debatable item, trying to bully it through when two provinces showed they had no appetite for it without additional seasoning. The P.M. turned the oven down for a slow bake to give the dissi- dents time to come to the table, but his stomach filled with bile when a third dissident arose to pull back his chair. The smell of burnt goose waf- Pieter Vanden Bos Branch Manager Mon-Fri. ting past Mulroney’s nostrils has now caused him to do a 180-degree turn and press the panic button on the stove, announcing that maybe an extra veggie or two might be added to the menu after all. Mulroney loudly and joyously welcomed the New Brunswick fid- die-head greens of Premier Frank McKenna’s parallel or companion resolution with the same look of relief that the rescued passengers of the sinking Titanic must have shown to the Cunard crew of the Carpathia. "M. cKenna’s companion resolution is doomed to fail because it does not address the Distinct Society Clause.’’ The very next day, however, Mulrony squelched any suggestions he was opting out for a second course. If Bourassa was going to stay at the table as the honored guest, the meat course must remain the same, and as is, burnt or not. 1, for one, will be glad to see the burnt goose of the Meech Lake Accord pulled from the oven and dumped into history’s ashcan. The Accord as it stands is a bum deal for Canadians. It threatens to tear this aation apart if adopted or rejected. If we don’t accept it, Quebec says it will leave and split Canada in two. If we do accept it, we could be facing a Quebec City chainsaw massacre. Some choice! Our only hope is to bury it deep under good Canadian soil and look to the better plant that, with pro- per care and cultivation, will spr- ing forth from Meech’s fetid fertil- ization. Good manure really is the best compost for mature and healthy We've got IN CELLULAR SEE WHAT WE HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU €:Dollards 1830 MARINE DRIVE, NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. 983-3335 8-5, Sat: 10-4 (located at North Shore Tire Centre) CANTE stands out in my opinion is the odious Distinct Society Clause. Too many accord opponents have shied away from attacking this for fear of being called bigots and racists. : They even give their support to it to appease French sensitivities, but this is not ony patronizing, it is also dangerously wrong. To label opposition to this clause as bigotry or sacism is sim- ply a smokescreen to mask the real issues, and therein lies our greatest danger and the greatest threat to Canada’s future. McKenna’s companion resolu- tion is doomed to fail because it does not address the Distinct Society Clause. Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells and Manitoba Premier Gary Filmon have made it very clear they cannot and will not accept the Accord with any clause that gives Quebec special legislative status in Canada. But is anyone listening? B.C. Premier Bill Vander Zalm isn’t. He says the Accord’s major flaw is that it doesn’t deal with senate reform. As important as that is, senate reform can come later, and every premier knows this. The real problem is the Distinct Society Clause. Once that becomes part of our Canadian constitu- tional law we'll be stuck with it, and subservient to it. Vander Zalm was gutless in first approving the Accord with this cause, gutless in continuing to support it as is, and he remains gutless in refusing to face up to it now. He'd rather play a pretend Pontius Pilate, standing with a smile on the sidelines and washing his hands as the Accord dies, cry- ing out: ‘‘Hey, it wasn’t my fault! Don’t blame me!”’ Make no mistake about this. A people might be a distinct society, but if we establish a province in law as distinct and separate from the rest, we're in for a whole lot of trouble. THE NORTH SHORE TALKING Shirl calle Constant ® AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR a and Florist iro. Corner of Keith-Bewicke-Marine, NVan. 988-6535 or 988-8082 DWARF JAPANESE EVERGREEN AZALEAS 1 GAL. SIZE 6.99 ea. Nursenylard| STEER MANURE AND MUSHROOM MANURE Use to build up your soil, as a transplanting aid, and as mulch! Your choice: & HEATHER Bloom for years) . ea. *Best for your patio pots & flower beds *Fertilized “Weed free BIG 20 L BAGS CAMELLIAS LARGE BUSHY PLANTS in bud & bloom 1 GAL. SIZE reg. 9.99 5 GAL SIZE reg. 29¢ NOW Te NURSERYLAND 20-20-20 BEDDING PLANT FOOD * WITH MICRONUTRIENTS Excellent for use on bed- " \ ding plants, perennials, = . P “ : 0. 8 8 8 ' >. heather, trees & shrubs Fast results Store Hours: 9am-6pm, Mon. thru Friday Sat. 9-6 pm; Sundays & Holidays 9am-5pm Big 750 gm box reg. 6.49 Sale Ends Aprit9/90 — While Quantities Last [amine ale En “