6 - Friday, November 29, 1985 - North Shore News

Editorial Page

THE VOICE OF MOWTH AND WEST VANCOUVER

News Viewpoint

Safety first

Ferry’s Queen of Cowichar and .a

pleasure craft in which three people died
proves the ocean is a deadly place. What isn’t
se clear is how such tragic mishaps can be
avoided. . .

After a coroner’s inquest a five-member
jury returned 15 recommendations designed
to prevent the reoccurrance of such a crash.
The key, and most controversial, recom-
mendation was to licence pleasure boaters.

The suggestion was immediately dismissed
by the Canadian Coast Guard, the Canadian
Power Squadrons and many experienced
boaters as unworkable, expensive and inef-
fective. ‘They suggested education — not
licensing — to-be the ansvver.

However, the fact that only five per cent
of Canada’s 1.5 million boaters have any

] ast summer’s collision between the B.C.

formal training indicates most Canadians

don’t seek training on their own.

Licensing pleasure boaters — for that
matter all boaters — and educating them are
compatable goals.

Furthermore, the mechanisms to achieve
this are already in place.

Pleasurz boats over. a. certain length or
horsepower require licensing. Good quality
instruction is available through such
organizations as. the Canadian Power
Squadrops and is available at a low cost.

By. requiring new boat owners to present
certification from an established marine
educator before granting future vessel
licences could ensure safer boating for the
future and help promote the need for educa-
tion among existing boat owners.

Holiday cheer

t’s almost Christmas time again. That
wonderful season of Peace on Earth and

‘Goodwill toward Men when the stores are .

full: of jostling hoards of greedy, grasping,
grabbing shoppers fighting over a mind-

boggling array of merchandise, half of which

will be returned after Boxing Day. It’s the time
of year when police are busier than usual with
roadblocks as they attempt to kept the season’s

drunks from killing each other. The suicide rate.

will rise as the lonely end desperate become
unable to cope with the Christmas cheer around
them. Looking back on the first Christmas, it
almost makes you wonder if we’re missing the

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North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban
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GEE. IF THE ROADS

TAY THIS ICY, WELL
BE STUCK WITH NO
GARBAGE PICKUP.

Stop abuse of B.C. parents

Dear Editor: ~

Child abuse, unfortu-
nately, is on the increase. So
is parent abuse. The State,
focusing purposely on one,
is aggravating the other.
Many parents in B.C. now
find themselves accused,
punished, helpless in a con-
frontation with Human
Resources not of their own
making. °

The Provincial Gov-
ernment, in a determined at-
tempt to curb ‘child abuse,
has armed itself with powers
of Orwellian ' proportions.
Human Resources can move

’ first, ask questions later.

Parents’ traditional rights
are out of the window. Reg-
ulations are‘ enforced which
treat law-abiding citizens
and criminals alike.

Did you know that, under
B.C.’s new Family and Child
Services Act: (1) social
workers can enter your home
and remove your child on
suspicion alone; (2) in-
formers, well-meaning or
simply malicious, don’t have
to reveal their identity; (3)
parents are guilty in our .
child care courts until they
prove themselves innocent;
(4) hearsay testimony is ac-
cepted as legitimate; (5) the
Ministry has a large budget
for lawyers, cic.; and (6)
parents, even if they prove
nothing is wrong, must bear
their court and legal costs
themselves.

Children, unhappy with
their parents, can call the
Ministry’s Help Line. Dial-
ing Operator and asking for
ZENITH 1234 at a schooi,
friend’s home, whatever,
they are told what their
‘‘rights’’ are. Parental
discipline, according to of-
ficial ministry policy, must
avoid slapping or spanking
or confinement. A child’s
self-image is all important...
Admission by a parent as
having committed any of
these “abuses”? leads to a

guilty verdict insofar as the
administration is concerned.

Pity the single mother or
father. Pity parents with
bright, energetic children
feeling their oats and seeking
independence for the first

time. The State is competing.

for their child's allegiance,
affection, commitment. In a
group or foster home they

are told things will be. dif-

ferent. Discipline will ‘be
relaxed. Goals will be drop-
ped. Deadlines will. disap-
pear, an

With sympathetic
counsellors in schools and a

Help Line within reach it is’

little wonder that ministerial
reports of child abuse are on
the increase. Many are. ge-
nuine. Others are a product
of the system. I hear increas-
ingly from distraught
parents saying that the State

is weaning their child away;
that neighbor’s allegations
are untrue, that the cards are
stacked against the family
unit. oo

-We must strike a proper
balance in this sensitive,
human rights area. Begin by
revising our heavy-handed
Family and Child Welfare

Services’ Act. In it define:

abuse. Say what manner of
discipline is acceptable to
society. Remove the cloak of
anonymity from... accusers.
Drop the presumption of

parent guilt in our special,
‘child: care courts. Require

social workers to get a doc-
tor’s or psychiatrist’s opi-
nion before apprehending a
child. Insist that parents,
cleared by the court, are no
longer black-listed by the
Ministry.

Fundamental rights are at

issue here. Today’s legisla--
tion. conflicts. with parents’

freedoms under our Charter:
of Rights and Freedoms. .-
The latter says ‘‘any person:
charged with an offence has

the right. to be presumed in-.

-nocent until proven guilty in:

a fair and public hearing by:.
an independent and impar-.
tial tribunal’, This isn’t
happening ‘in our’ family:
courtsnow.” | - oy:
In trying to deal with one
evil, child abuse, we have in-
troduced another, namely.
parent abuse.’ The’ latter:
cannot be excused Because it.
is committed by the. State.
And a sensitive government,
responding to the pleas of
heart-sick parents, , will do
something about it. -

Hon. Juck Davis, M.L.A.-
North Vancouver-Seymour

Dear Editor:

This is a plea to joggers,
cyclists and people who walk
their unleashed dogs at
Ambieside.

Seriously injured ducks
and geese are being found in
the Ambleside duck pond
due to people and dogs using
the path around the pond.

Many people enjoy
feeding the ducks, geese and
swans - knowing their great
need for food, especially
through the winter months.
These birds, eating the grain
thrown on the path, when
frightened by the ~ sudden

approach of joggers, cyclists
or dogs, frantically fly into
the water in large groups hit-
ting one another damaging
wings, legs and eyes.

These birds that rescuers
are unable to catch die from
starvation or their injuries.
Birds with broken wings or
legs do not stand a chance
against hundreds of healthy
and aggressive ones.

I am sure if joggers,
cyclists and owners of
unleashed dogs knew of the
suffering and death caused
by this action they would do
the responsible thing.

The Ambleside bird sanc-
tuary is off limits to dogs on
or off leash and signs are
posted. This area should be
off limits also to joggers and
cyclists for this humane
reason.

Perhaps if the West Van-.
couver Parks Board would
allow a few more signs to be
placed around the pond; this
increasing problem would be
lessened.

Rosemarie McGavin

Care Supervisor

Wildlife Rescue Association
North Vancouver |