Tha Morth Shore Hawa is pllshad by Korth Shore Free Press Ltd., Publisher Peter Speck, from 1139 Lonsdale Avenue Worth Vancouver, B.C., V7 2h4 PETER SPECK Publisher S os Romane * eae org ____ lewaarerre | TAT TE 1 BEAST HE a BOR PMS te Land treaties la new version of apartheid — WHY ALL this Reform party fuss over the Nisga’a land claim Noel treaty? Don’t they know that vot- ers’ top concerns today are jobs, medicare, education —- and jo&s? 985-2131 (107) | North Shore citizens will soon be receiving a mailing from MPs Ted White and Herb Grubel devoted solely to the “benchmark” agreement in principle ini- tialled with the northwest B.C. Indian ; band in February. And yes, it has indeed . and much to do with jobs, medicare wand edu- : yon | cation. The key is that word “benchmark.” The Nisga’a treaty — now: into arat- ° ification process that could take up to two years —~ is touted by Victoria F and Ottawa as a model for 47 other B.C. Indian Jand claims still to be nege- tiated. Repeated on that scale, such a deal could very directly affect ture employment and social services. We are talking big bucks. In addition to the 1,930 square kilometres of: land passed to their jurisdiction, the 5,400 Nisga’a are to get $190 million, equivalent to more than $35,000 each. Apply that figure to the 87,000 Indians represented in ail the current claims and you have a total of-over $3 billion...“ The eventual cost may be way higher. Metro Vancouver, for‘ example, has hardly any land left to hand over to its 6,700 native claimants: And“: overall, the initial land claims, which ‘add . up to an absurd 111% of the total B.C. _ land mass, will clearly have ‘to be ‘slashed. How high the compensatory. asi ‘og Fat / bes Dail | 965-2181 (a) SB5-2181 | am . Theothy Managing Editor setuen Director 965-2151 (116) 960-0511 did quctes of the | “It was worth it. It was worth getting fired.” . Fired North Vancouver Schoo! District 44 trustee Guy Heywood, | on news that the district will now get more money from the provin- cial government next year and that its $5-million debt will be retired. (From an April 12 News story.) . Q00 a “Dersn’t this sound like an : April Wooi’s joke to you? I'd be ‘in hysterics if not for the fact. ’ that I, as a taxpayer, am paying ‘this Joker over $72,000 a year to preduce a report that is sup- " posed to reflect the impact such ’ development will haye on the community. I feel i’m being il!- ’ served, and you can tell Mr. (Doug) Allan I want my money back.” | : Seymeer-area resident Dave Sadler, opposing more develop- ment east of Seymour River, on staff planning reports. (From an April 10 News story.) 000 “All we are really going to be negotiating ... is how to fit into the system that’s presently here.” Burrard Band chief Leonard George, on what his band is seek- ing in land claims negotiations. (From an April 10 News story.) . aoa “In the view of a number of - us, it’s the complete antithesis of what education’s about.” Collingwood private school headmaster Graham Baldwin, on the import afforded provincial exams. (From an April 10 News : story.) : && Forget any | thought that these “independent” mini-nations can ever mee? the basic : definition of a~ nation — to be self- ' supporting. 99 however, two tings are crystal cle First, the money can only come om the . non-native taxpayer — regardless of: whether the feds or the Province, out of him. ° Sobers | : Second, it will create, at leas! economic sense, native “homelands” tiny self-governing, self-administering * mini-nations spotted over the map : Canada. Le , Forget any thought that these “inde- pendent” mini-nations can ever meet the basic definition of a nation'’— to be self- supporting. How can the 3,000 Nisga'a residing on theif. less than 2, 000 ) sq km ever hope to provide solely from their own resources the i income-gener ating jobs and social services available to them as mainstream Canadians? _ , So even after huge treaty pay-outs.the economy; of the new. “mini-nations = plus health, education and welfare there — will still have to be'subsi-: : dized by non-aboriginal society. In practice, the former|will remain almost : as much in economic “bondage” to Canada as reserve populations we ' under the phased-out Indian Affairs Department. | Today's multicultural Canada is an outstanding example of ‘widely dif- : ferent cultures sharing common benefits. By joining its economic main=: stream native Indians — like Chinese, Sikh or Iranian Canadians — can’ still fully maintain their ancestral and spiritual traditions. ; .. But while governments are slashing costs to cope with accumulated debt, any muiti-billion-dollar handouts should go to creating jobs, sustain- ing medicare and guaranteeing education for ail Canadians. : : NOT for institutionalizing racism through | economic apartheid. A 90-CANDLE birthday salute today, April 14, to North Van's retired Lt. oS tax tales EVERY YEAR millions of tax dol- Minister Lloyd Axworthy took this’ lars are funnelled to political inter- cosy relationship a step further and’ est groups (we call them PiGs) that actuaily paid 161 special interest can’t get enough voluntary support .groups to appear before a parlia- to pay their own way. Politicians mentary committee set up to exem- subsidize political interest groups io ine federal spending on social Pro: . curry their favor. The P!Gs then use their handouts to stridently push for bigger government. min ‘otal, the 161 different groups. associations/and unions were ‘given & bral Ofiice Fa! North Share New, foueded in 1969 as ta independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 122, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesdsy, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Pree Press Ld. and distriouted to every door on the North oc Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mai! Sales Product Agreement, No. 6087238, , Mailing ales available cn request. eke ares El et tte ANN ape 2 at EnOneer: ©” Entire contents © 1996 North Shore . “< "Free Press Ltd, All of this, meanwhile, is abetted and supported by the bureaucracy ‘because it means bigger depart- ments for them to run. grants totalling $4,059,235 to attend these public consultations. — From Tales: from the Tax Trougit HI, « National : Citizens’ In i994, Huindn Resources mews viewpoint One track Ennai thinking is worth precious littie to local ‘commuters, |. The repair job will create a traffic’. game were just raised by the provincial government. Players faint of heart will soon be watching the whole affair from the side- lines, or, more accurately, from traffic lineups. According to a story in the April 5 North Shore News, the Second Narrows Bridge will be partially shut down this simmer during 2 $9 million overhaul Te STAKES in the: local ‘pridge that will close two lanes of the six-lane | ridge from June to August. ‘Optimistic highways ministry ‘repre- sentatives hope delays for commuters will not be too long. But such wishful wae Coalition publication, . Cmdr. Rowland Astbury ... And many happy returns of this same ay to. retired West Van: alderman Don Griffiths. WRIGHT OR WRONG: The oarsman rarely has time to rock the boat. nightmare on the North Shore that will be a single stall or accident away from total transportation system gridlock.: {t will also underline again the need for some real rapid transit: relief for North Shore commuters. __, . Highways minister’ Corky. Evans recently decreed that no such relief is in - Sight for the North Shore. Not pressing enough, says Mr. Evans. Think alterna- tive transit measures, ie counsels. But the North Shore bridges are two of the most heavily used in the iene Lower Mainland. — - - ” And while the provincial governinent - is understandably reluctant to approve © expensive and complicated transporta- é tion alternatives for the North Shore, there is a ready-made alternative that need be neither. a A rail link that runs along the entire North Shore waterfront,and ‘across ' Burrard Inlet is already. in’ place. _ It could provide a viable rapid rai link to and from the North Shore: now vat £ little initial investment. . | It is a trump’ card” in the : Current : i bridge game that. no oné has® “had: the , courage or common sense to play. :