4 - Sunday, January 5, 1992 - Nerth Shore News Marooned in a media void at Happy Hour ON THE surface, everything seemed OK. My travelling companion, Ron George, president of the Native Council of Canada, a.k.a. Tsaskiy, meaning Grizzly Bear Tracks, a hereditary chief of the Wet’suwet’en wolf clan, and myself had settled onto bamboo stools at an outdoor bar at beachside on the island of Provinciales in the Turks and Caicos chain of Caribbean islands. Ron was casually chatting away to his office in Ottawa, negotiating the Constitution, over his cellular, every inch the modern post-McLuhan warrior-chieftain. Meanwhile, with a Pauli Girl beer in one hand, I could talk over a VHF sideband radio right at the bar to the Sea Shepherd 11, which was now bobbing about a mile of- fshore, preparing to dispatch a Zodiac to come and pick Ron and me up. The other guests at the bar, bored after a week of walking up and down the gorgeous white beaches, soon had ‘heir binoculars out, examining the 200-foot ex- trawler, painted all black. _ “A conservation ship,”’ [ told them vaguely. ‘‘Gonna take some pictures of dolphins.”’ There didn’t seem to be any point in revealing our true missicn: to in- tercept the replicas of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, demand- ing that they either turn back or apclogize to native people for 500 years of oppression, etc. Or, at least, Ron George was going to do . all this. Me, I was just a reporter. Over the VHF, Ron got an urgent message from the Sea Shepherd I. It was from his fellow militant Indian collegues on board. There he was, ceflular in one hand, sideband radio mike in the other, trying to negotiate the Constitution and talking to his buddies on the ship at the same Bob Hunter STRICTLY PERSONAL time, with the poor assistant in Ottawa not knowing why the chief kept saying ‘‘over.”’ _ The message from the boat was simple: ‘‘Hey Ron, we're sur- rounded by herbivores. Some of the boys are really sick. Bring meat!”’ Oh yes, I explained to Ron. The Sea Shepherd’s crew were mostly militant vegetarians, see? Vegans, in fact. They figure meat-eaters are mass murderers. Militant natives, meet militant veggies. Oh boy. Ron remembered how it had _ been on the various road blockades he'd taken part in over the years, from Mount Currie to the Queen Charlottes. Food was vital. Whenever the troops got worn down in the rain and the cold, a good moosemeat stew wouid do wonders to stiffen resolve. Or some fresh-killed venison. So he took off to go find a taxi to take him to a grocery. This caused me a certain amount of anxiety because I was sure the Zodiac would show up any minute to pick us up. In the meantime, my fellow patrons were starting to give ad- vice. So was the bartender. See that line of waves over there? See how it stretches from horizon to horizon? That’s the ultimate Turks and Caicos killer reef. If your friends try to come through there in a Zodiac, they'll be slash- ed to death. Not an eyeball will get through in one piece. Notice how high the waves are today? I took a deep unhappy breath and got back on the VHF. “Hello Sea Shepherd, hello Sea Shepherd, I have some bad news. Do you copy?”’ Fizzle. Crackle. ‘‘We have some ” bad news too.’ It turned out the two pieces of bad news cancelled each other out. While trying to hoist the Zodiac over the side of the boat in rather choppy seas, something had gone wrong. The Zodiac had been pounded against the Sea Shepherd’s steel hull until it popped. Only a shredded grey balloon remained. Chief Ron returned to the bar, staggering under the burden of probably 100 pounds of frozen steaks, hamburger, weiners, chicken, pork chops and sausages, and another 50 pounds of canned ham, Spam, shrimp, and sardines, A truly true British Columbian, he MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS “AGENDAS North Vancouver City Council, Monday, Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m.: Recommendations: Landscape de- posit of $6,000 for nine-unit pro- ject at 232 E. Sixth be veturned; overhead mounted school crosswalk at 1900 Grand Boule- vare installed; Asian Gypsy moth eradication program endorsement continued. Bylaws: Zoning amendment at 622 E. 8th St.; North & West Van Emergency Program bylaw amendment. North Vancouver District Council, Monday, Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m.: Delegations: performing-animal ban; Indian Arm taxes & access. Bylaws: prohibition animal per- formances. Public works: resur- facing Handsworth track; in- terceptors at Pemberton, Philips and Orwell. Notices of Motion: Canadian constitution; multiculturalism and racism, en- vironmental impacts of bulk water exports, extension of rapid transit to North Shore. West Vancouver District Council, Monday, Jan. 6 at 7:45 p.m.: Bylaws: endowment reserve fund; lands sales reserve fund transfer; sign bylaw amendment at 235 15th it. DEVELOPMENT PERMITS North Van _District:development permits: 1695 Marine Drive, 415 Montroyal Blvd. Variance permit: 941 Lynn Valley Rd. Agenda items are restricted by space. For a complete listing of West Vancouver agenda items, call 922-1211 after business hours for recorded information. Com- prehensive agendas for North Yancouver City and District are posted at the respective halls and are also available at the public libraries. 44 See that line of waves over there? See how it stretches from horizon to horizon? That's the ultimate Turks - and Caicos killer reef. 99 lamented: ‘‘Wish I'd brought some smoked salmon, eh?’’ I explained quickly about the Zodiac accident. We both looked at the stack of frozen meat, then at the distant — suddenly inaccessible — Sea Shepherd, bobbing on the waves a mile away, and then, as one, we looked at the bartender, both of us suddenly smiling. Being a saint of a human being, and us starting to look like paying customers for the rest of the day and night at least, he agreed to Jet us stash the frozen meat in his - restaurant kitchen freezer while we figured out what to do next. A short time later, the Sea Shepherd’s captain, Paul Watson, got on the marine sideband and informed me, along with the now nearly-full Happy Hour crowd at the bar listening over the VHF: **We're gonna have to head out to open water for the night. We, ah, can't anchor. We lost the anchor a couple of days ago. Little acci-.: dent. So we'll try again to get you in the morning. Over.” Trapped in the Turks and Caicos — with our ship disappear- |... ing over the horizon. Maybe it was mere coincidence, but Ron George’s cellular battery decided . . to die just then. Suddenly-1 felt... marooned in a media void. “‘Another round, I guess,’’ J said resignedly to the bartender. STUDY SKILLS PROGRAM The program that helps students reach their full potential in school or out. © Time Management « Time Power / Goal Setting e Listening » Note taking « Outlining - * Reading » Study strategies e Test taking strategies . « 30 hrs. of individual Instruction _. Rorth Shore While some dream about snow on the slopes — others prepare for snow on the streets A North Vancouver winter is bound to bring with it at least a couple of snow storms to challenge even the most avid snow-lover. But, while hazardous driving conditions can’t be eliminated, with and safe. ‘The District of North Vancouver preparations for winter call for: * early treatment of icy street conditions; * during heavy snow conditions, around-the-clock plowing and salting by priority snow routes. Priorities: #1 - Major public transportation and school routes. During heavy snowfall, all equipment is dedicated to these vital roads; #2 - Roads feeding from the major routes into residential areas. Clearing begins once the intensity of storm is passed. #8 - Residential roads. Once the snowfall is finished, it takes approximately 36 hours to complete plowing operations throughout the District. You can help by: * Considering using public transit; % Having your vehicle winterized; * Allowing extra driving time according to the conditions; * Driving safely; %* Keeping parked vehicles clear of plowing operations ~ preparation and cooperation, we can help keep our streets passable ¥ ®