30 — Sunday, November 29, 1998 -— North Shore News

$120,

Liam Lahey
Contributing Writer

IF the North Shore
wants to celebrate the
new. millennium it’ll
come with a price tag.

A$120,000 price tag to be
precise.

North Vancouver City
council voted unanimously to
allocate the necessary funds to
the Yester and Future Society
(YFS) — the body responsible
for planning the North
Shore’s millennium celebra-
tions — so that they can hire

* an event coordinator.

“Now is the time to solidi-
fy an arrangement and to cre-
ate an everlasting legacy for
the community,” said YFS
chairman Ed Barnes.

“The arts is a vehicle to
celebrate and challenge people

Coun. Perrault... Will
West Van be approached
for funding?

to think creatively ... we’re in
the process of hiring an event
coordinator.”

Barnes told council that
the event coordinator’s role
will be, among other things,

to oversee the soliciting and
securing of corporate sponsor
ship to fund the city’s “TNT
Festival: An Explosion of the
Arts’ celebration.

Barnes, along with other
members of the YES, will be
responsible for the hiring.

Barnes will also seek an
additional $80,000 — from
North Vancouver District.
The total bill of $120,060 will
cover the costs of paying an
event coordinator’s salary and
office space and supplies.

When — questioned — by
Coun. Barbara Perrault if he
had = approached West
Vancouver District council for
funding, Barnes said he had
not but intended to do so
soon.

“The thought is thar in
appearing before evo councils
(North Vancouver City and
the District) that we could ini-

0 millennium funding si

tiate some support.

We will) ask West
Vancouver for a similar
amount, but if they say ne,
thar wouldn't strike out the
involvement of West
Vancouver businesses.”

The PNT Festival is a part-
nership beeween North Shore
councils to celebrate the arts,
the coming of the new millen-
nium, and the future.

Barnes said the celebra-
tions can last for more than
just one night.

“Once we get a coordina-
tor in place we can do a call
for projects, the problem has
never been finding the artists;
it’s finding the money,” he
told council.

“We do have a sculpture
symposium that could starr at
Year 2090 and last six months
involving the city’s sculptors.
Our position so far has been

ught

that we'll advertise for other
people’s projects... we can
advertise and promote this all
over the Lower Mainland.”

Barnes said there will be a
host of events, including five
theatre, live music of all gen-
res, public art, street pertor-
mances, all timed to take place
in late 1999,

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Constituency Report

It is now official. BC is in a recession.
Our province is forecast to have the
worst economic growth rate in Canada *
through to the year 2000. The projected
real economic growth for years 1996-
2000 show that BC will be experiencing
the worst half-decade of growth since
GDP was first recorded nearly 40 years
ago. In order to tackle the problems that
are driving investments and people away,
the Government recently created an
inner cabinet committee to address all
economic priorities! The Government
also announced a soon-to-be-released
new economic strategy. Leaked planning
documents, however, told a different
Story. It seems the new economic strategy
is going to be more about an advertising
campaign to communicate the old
economic initiatives rather than any real
change in policy.

Economy - Given the choice, most
people would rather live here than in
Alberta. Yet British Columbians are

- packing up and moving there en masse.
In 1997 alone, a record 7,100 people
and over 107 businesses moved to
Alberta from BC. We lost the tax
revenues and the jobs these businesses
would have generated. Some argue that
provincial governments cannot affect
global economic factors such as
commodity prices or interest rates. While
these two factors are indeed beyond our
control, policy changes that would make

': @ province attractive to investors are well
within the reach of any government. To
illustrate, iet’s look at the forestry. This,
as you know, is the biggest sector in our
resource-based economy. it is also the
one in greatest need of deregulation. You

. need two wheelbarrows to haul around
the pages that contain BC’s Forest

- Practices Code! That alone is enough to

' strangle a business. Alberta’s Code fills

two binders with room to-spare. On top
of that. we have a Capital Equipment Tax
that penalizes anyone wanting to invest
in newer or better equipment. Add to
these the stumpage rates of almost twice
as high us Alberta's and what you end up
with is a forestry sector in crisis.
Granted, we can't do a whole lot with
the stumpage rates without triggering
some retaliatory measure by the U.S. But
we can and should fix the first two
problems. An yes, we do have healthy
business sectors. High-tech is doing
relatively well. Tourism and film
industries are doing very well. While the
tax incentives to the film industry have
helped (another good reason to re-visit
our punitive taxes), the main credit goes
to our low Canadian dollar.

Tacklin: hs ~ The first step

towards solving any problem is
acknowledging you have one, and then
objectively identifying the reasons. We
are told that the Asian flu is the cause of
our malaise. Yet Washington and Oregon,
two other Pacific Rim jurisdictions, are
enjoying positive economic growth.
Why? Because they, over the years, have
shifted to more stable-based economies
as well as created a business
environment that encourages
investments. Though a factor, the Asian
flu didn’t make us sick. Red tape,
over-regulation, and borrow-tax-spend
policies did. During the past 7 years,
the Government has passed over 3,000
regulations filling almost 10,000 page
of paper. There is no question in my
mind that we are in a homemade
recession. Tuming things around and
regaining a forward momentum, after so
much damage has been done, i: not
going to be easy. For starters, we need
to introduce balanced-budget legislation
and follow it by a no-nonsense
streamlining of the regulations. Forest
Practices code, WCB, and our antiquated
Liquor Licensing Act can really use an
overhaul.

Nisga’a Treaty - By now, you have
probably seen the propaganda style ads
on the Nisga’a treaty. The ads appeal to
our emotions and sense of fairness
without addressing problematic issues of
concern. They are so one-sided that the
Government pulled the TV and radio
spots for fear of contravening the
Elections Act during the by-election

. campaign in Parksvilie-Qualicum. A lot

of good and positive work has been done
in negotiating this agreement and that is
commendable. I am, however, greatly
troubled by one pariicular aspect of the
treaty; the creation of a third level of
government. We keep hearing that the
Nisga'a will have a municipal-style
government. Yet the Treaty allows for
several areas of jurisdiction where.
Nisga‘a law will be legally superior to

federal and provincial laws meaning that
in the event of a conflict or
inconsistency, Nisga‘a law will prevail.
A municipal government does not have
this kind of power. Also, it is the Nisga’a
“citizenship”, not residency, that will
determine who is allowed to vote. This,
again, is unlike any municipal
government. Creating a third level of
government means amending the
Constitution, which the Government
cannot do unilaterally. The courts will
now decide whether the Nisga’a Treaty.
in effect, amends the Constitution. If it
does, under BC law, it must be put to a
referendum. If you would like to reccive
the “Alternative Guide to the Proposed
Nisga’a Treaty” produced by the
Official Opposition call my office and
Til mail one to you.

The Government's Treaty information
line number is 1-800-880-1022.

Bits and Pieces

Ministry of Public Service - This brand
new entity was created last month.
Though the powers of the minister
responsible seem rather unlimited, I am
still not quite clear what this ministry
will do. What I am clear about is that

- you can’t reduce bureaucracy by adding

to it!

Budget Report - As of the date of this
writing, the Auditor-General’s report of
the inquiry into the two balanced budgets
that weren't is expected to be released
soon. :

Who said it? - “Jf we don't come up
with a Kootenay-specific solution, we're
going to get another big Jobs and Timber
Accord, or something.”

in the Constituency

1 get many calls from constituents who
ask; “Why does the Government have
money for. and not for. r
Different items fiil the blanks. The only
answer to this question is “misplaced
priorities". A good example of wasteful
spending is the $5 mil. Nisga’a ad
campaign. The $300 mil. Skeena-bailout
is another. And let's not forget the
$400,000 photo-radar manuals that
would insult any novice photographer.
The advertising campaign planned for
the soon-to-be-released, new (old)
economic strategy is probably next.
Meanwhile, the Government is yet to pay
back the money it ilegally took from
charities.

Town Hall Meeting
A Reminder

Dec. 2, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at the Hotel
Avalon. My special guest will be Gary
Farrell-Collins, Official Opposition’s
House leader and Finance Critic.

REMEMBER SHOPPING STONG’S
ON THE NORTH SHORE?
WELL, YOU CAN AGAIN!

Starting the week of October 11th we will be
delivering to the North Shore one day a week.
Detivery day will be Thursday, so orders must be
received by 17:00 a.m. Thursday of each week.

PHONE, FAX, EMAIL yor ordot....
PHONE: 266-5191 ¢ FAX: 266-5199
EMAIL: ww. stongs.com

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