a second opinion WHO killed Social Credit? it would be too easy to lay the blame at the feet of Bill Vander Zalm. After all, up until his time the Socreds had been one of the most success- ful political parties in Canadian history and should have been able to withstand a single bad leader, even one as disruptive as Vander Zalm. - In order to explain Social Credit’s apparent demise, which was far from inevitable, it is necessary to look deeper. A large part of ’. the blame for the virtual dis- appearance of this once-proud political institution must be accepted by the hangers-on, influence-pediars and political . Mercenaries who helped drive _ the Socred vehicle over the : cliff, ‘. fronically, the great major- ; ity of these backroom boys * are today working for Gordon | a ‘Campbell’ s. Liberals. © They slithered over to the Grits back when a Liberal victory scemed assured and have since assumed positions of prominence in Campbell's hierarchy. What will these born-again ’ politicos do if their efforts serve only to drive another vehicle over the cliff? Not to worry, the backroom boys will be back, bom yet again. But if Mark Twain was a Socred, he might protest that the rumors of his death have been somewhat exaggerated. And there might be more than a little local interest in the following fact: if the grand old party of the Bennetts of Kelowna has any life left, it won't be decided in the Social Credit heartland of the Okanagan. Instead, its final fate will be settled right here on the North Shore. That's because the Socred leader, Larry Gillanders, is running in the provincial elec- tion in the riding of West Vancouver-Capilano. While his party will be fielding candidates in the majority of constituencies throughout the province, and may even help decide some close contests, the only realis- tic chance for Social Credit to make a breakthrough in this campaign is for their leader to get himself elected. And that’s why some North Shore voters _ will have an historic decision to make on May 28. Who is Larry Gillanders? He’s the sixth leader of the B.C. Social Credit Party. And a good trivia question to stump your friends with is to ask them to name the other five: W.A.C. Bennett, Bill Bennett, Bitl Vander Zalm, Rita Johnston and Grace McCarthy. Gillanders is personable and a genuinely nice guy. He's a successful business- man, in his early 40s, and clearly committed to his young family. Almost single-handedly he’s trying to perform mouth- to-mouth resuscitation on what many believe is a cold, political corpse. But Gillanders is an idealist — and there's plenty of room for idcalism in provincial politics. Although he’s running in a riding that may find it easy to vole Liberal again, Gillanders may have a couple of factors on his side. First, the incumbent MLA in West Vancouver-Capilano is Jeremy Daiton, a harmless politician who has surprised many observers by seeking re-election. Gillanders brandishes a survey of the riding showing that more than 80% of the residents of West Vancouver- Capilano are unable to identi- fy Dalton as their MLA. This creates a real oppor- tunity for the energetic Socred leader, who would undoubt- edly be a fighter for con- stituents and an outspoken representative. More important, Gillanders’ election to the House might prove to be very significant in the aftermath of THE %s£ D- BADGE or QUALITY ‘The Rolex® Oyster® Chronometer. Symbol and substance of the highest, standards in the Swisstradition’ 4 of quality: watchmaking. the election. In fact, if the NDP govern- ment is re-elected, it could be seen as an insurance policy for the impending chaos on the opposition side of the House. If the Liberals lose the election, they would almost certainly implode, never to emerge as a viable provincial option for another half centu- Ty. SOCRED . boas Larry Gilianders..,’could have a huge impact on shap- ing the transformation of party politics in B.C. The provincial Reformers may not be seen as the alter- native to the NDP either. The PDA? Who knows? But Larry Gillanders as leader of the Sociai Credit Party could have a huge impact on shaping the trans- formation of party politics in B.C. Maybe British Columbians will once again want to embrace a made-in-B.C. party with no ties, direct or indirect, to any federal counterpart. And even if it wouldn't be called Social Credit, Gillanders would have some real influence in charting the course. Sure, it’s a long shot. But the voters of West Vancouver- Capilano have.an important choice to make. Social Credit is dead; long live Social Credit.: Environmental Protection Program Help the City as a | Community olunteer (6a Council invites you to volu teer as at andidate for membership. onthe City’s proposed “Environmensal: Protection ‘Program. Committee”. You Can Make A Difference The purpose of this committee is‘to provide an | Jadvocacy role: for the development, of an Environmental Protection Program. The Commitee | will be appointed for a two year term to complete i | the following tasks: 8 provide advice to Council Tegarding the :. development of an Environmental Protection Program; * prepare a preliminary long term vision for an _ Environmental Protection Program; * assist staff in the identification, collection and preparation of environmental data;, * act as an advisory body for the review of program items prepared by city staff and consultants. «, The Red Seal and the “Chronometer” title are con- farrad exclusively bythe . independant Swiss Institute “tev Chronometer Testing. Cniy after & timepiece has endured iF days of extensive, exhausting ; Jats with unimpaired accuracy may this officiai title be earned. All Rolex Shronometers _ Quality for tha institute's highest ‘ accolade: “Especially good results." Thus, the Rolex Chronometer bears cn its dial the inscription: "S “SUPERLATIVE OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED". it is your guarantee ‘of our commitment to craftsmanship, precision and performance. Official Rolex Jewelers are chosen just as carefully: they are the professionals who honor this dedication, and your source for the Rolex Red -Seal Chronometer—watchmaking’s badge of quality. Only at your Official Rolex Jeweler. . W ROLEX SWEDISH JEWELER Park Royal South 922-2255 Pacific Centre Atrium/Upper Level 682-6711 ¥ The Rolex Lady Datejust’ chronometer. Available i in 18kt. gold; with matching President bracelet. Self-winding and pressure-proof down to 330 feet in its seamless Oyster case. We Are Seeking Seven Volunteers | seven community volunteers will be appointed by 1 Mayor and Council. Preference will be given to City | residents. If you would like to be considered as a candidate, please forward a one or two page letter outlining: oe, * Why you are interested in this topic? * What contribution you feel you could make? * What organization or community group, if any, you represent? * Please provide us with ways to contact you: Address, home/work/fax and phone: numbers and E-rnail address. Please forward your letter no later than Friday, § May 31, 1996 to: { Tony Barber, Assistant City Engineer City of North Vancouver 1141 West 14th Street, North Vancouver, B.C. V7M LH9 | Fax: 985 8439 E-mail: tbarber@city.north-van.be.ca if you would like further information on this initiative, please call Tony Barber at 985-7761.