fon AND FUTURE! mea 5 AMR | 42 GH THAT A ee RAT OU HUST BE WARE! & _ Big sister “he Women’s Monument Committee ‘is proving once again that hypocrisy and unbridled conceit thrive on the fringes of the women’s rights movement. As the committee, Media Watch and other elements of Big Sister rail ad nauseam against’ sexual stereotyping and discrimina- tien, they do not seem to think these same rights should apply to non-feminists; namely, those estrogenically challenged, carbon- based life ferms commonly known as “men.” “Murdered by men,” said one of the pro- ponents, is the most important phrase in the monument’s dedication to murdered women everywhere, This is a telling point. The monument sub- ordinates the murdered women to a blanket expression of anger against men. A parallel monument to men murdered by men would likely be out of the question. Not only are men said to exploit women, so too can these feminists exploit them in aid of their own narrow, androphobic hysteria. Do the committee and Media Watch have the right to speak for these women? Despite repeated denials that the monu- ment is anti-male, the committee’s own rhetoric belies a vindictive zeal. Social issues like sex and violence are diffi- cult enough to discuss without letting emo- tions impede reasoned thought. Erecting a carbuncle in Thornton Park will do nothing but incite resentment — not only from men and women, but from all taxpayers should the coramittee obtain a federal grant. It may be argued that the monument Serves as an insult to women: it perpetuates the stereotype of woman-as-victim, and does nothing constructive to combat violence. We don’t need a monument to bigotry. North Shore definitely no bowl of cherries Dear Editor: As our year in North Vancouver draws to a close, we wish to thank all those who’ve inspired us to develop a new industry in our rural home. Yes, my friends, I refer to all of you who leave those shiny silver and gold shopping buggies on each street comer, and in every alley, ravine and créek-bed. Yes, indeed, we expect our self- destructing, biodegradable shopping carts to begin rolling off our new Buggies-R-Us assembly line early next spring. And while we can’t do Publisher Managing Editor Associate Editor... much about the cost to business, and the higher food prices to you (not to mention the bad karma), at least we can take pride in contributing to the ecclogy of the area. But seriously, folks, there are many things we'll miss about your town. We'll miss the trees that bloom in January (but not the high gasoline prices). We'll miss the walk-in clinics and the garage sales (but not the noise, and the high cost of insur- ance). Display Advertising Classified Advertising 986-6222 Fax 980-0512 Distribution Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Subscriptions We'll miss my hair stylist (but not the high rent). We'll iniss the fresh-cut flowers, and the great outdoor-equipment shops (but not the chlorinated water). We'll miss the Starbucks! (But we won't miss the traffic and the unsafe biking.) So good-bye, and thank you, North Vancouver. We survived our year here. Good thing we’ve got our new business to go to, though — we've never been so broke! Vicki Hilger North Vancouver 986-1337 986-1337 985-3227 Newsroom North Shore News, foundad in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schadute 11, Paragraph 411 of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid. and distributed to avery door on the North Shore, Canada Post Canadian Publications Mait Sales Product Agreement No, 0087238. Mailing rates available on request. Submissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited material 1 including manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. V7M 2H4 1 139 Lonsdate ‘Avenue North Vancouver 8.C. North Shore Managed - this newSpaper contains 985-2131 Administration recycted fibre 985-2131 MEMBER cn. SIN. TN eanaowves snaa aoe =e Sa == =— SDA on 1,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) Entire contents © 1994 North Shore Free Press Ltd. Ail rights reserved. anada: that pleasant and derivative land SOME YEARS aga, examin- ing a government advertise- ment in an American maga- zine aimed at wooing tourists to Canada, it occurred to me that I have never read a sin- gle such ad for our country that would make me want to see the damn place. Canada is a wonderful place to live, but | wouldn't want to visit if. I am being only half facetious, which, mathematically, ! suppose proves that fam also lialf serious in spite of myself. Day-to-day life in Canada, ignoring the plight of the unem- ployed and impoverished minority — and, whife not quite ignoring it, I confess | have trouble keeping my focus on it 24 hours a day while laboring to keep my own children within the shrinking middle class -— is outstanding. Best in the world, as that oft-quoted United Nations survey asserts, Pleasant. But pleasant is as near as damn to boring (two profanities, and I’ve hardly started). So what can we offer the visitor from abroad? This is a matter of some impor- tance. Tourism is a hotly competi- tive business, and a lucrative one: The Financial Post recently pointed 66 We look like a somewhat cleaner and socially nicer United States... 99 out that travel-tourism is the world’s biggest industry, worth $3.4 trillion gross. And Canada is losing it. Since 1980 we've slipped from sixth to tenth place as a tourist destination and currently are running a huge travel deficit of $7.7 billion. Australia is whipping us in imagi- native tourist marketing. And what’s there to do once tourists get here? Weil, there's an attraction ¢ or two. The Rockies are a perennial draw — a reliable source (word of mouth) tells me that Jasper is packed and accommodation scarce. Niagara Falls may seem like a cliché, but even though | grew up 45 miles away and saw the falls dozens of times, the physica! fea- ture itself is always fascinating and the crowds always excited. Nearby is Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Shaw Festival, which, like the Stratford Festival, is having an outstanding season both artistically and financially. This happens to be my favorite part of the world to visit. - Foreigners must be numbed by the shcer size of the country, and most Canadians are resigned never to see all of their nation's major Tegions. Trever Lautens GARDEN OF BIASES _ How big is Canada? One Ontario wornan i know — a former wife of mine, in tact —- was yar- ing with a-girl friend over a few bottles of wine, and they talked themselves into driving to the east coast there and then. They left at 9 p.m. on a Monday, arrived in New Brunswick (18 hours away), played a round of golf, the next day went to Prince Edward Island, played another round, saw (what else?) the Anne of Green Gables house, and were back in beautiful downtown Hamilton Saturday night. Loved it. The prairies have an underrated charm (and the nearby Dakotas, I can attest, are impressively tourist friendly, and innovative‘even in such matters as their roadside rests —1take note, B.C.! — and inexpen- sive). Canada's big cities? Far better than most, on a world scale.. But it's hard to sell only safety and good restaurants. There are good restau- rants everywhere nowadays — and ours are far from cheap. Same goes for our hotels and motels. The harsh fact is that to the tourist’s eye, Canada has a look- alike and derivative culture. With few exceptions, and excluding such natural attractions as the mountains and superior fish- ing and hunting, there isn’t enough to distinguish Canada from other places. We look like a somewhat clean- er and socially nicer United States without such major attractions as New York’s theatres, Washington’s’ grandeur and public buildings including great museums (compare Ottawa), Disneyland, the charm of New Orleans. Nor do we have the (craftily marketed) quaintness of Olde Engiande, with its expensive vide inns, its ancient churches that in fact few Englishmen attend, and its churchyards full of dead Englishmen. You can get a little tired of touristy Englande, and I have. It happens that 40 years ago this month, as a lad of 19, I set out for my first and probably last grand tour of Europe. It cost, for 3% months, $1,000, including trans- portation —- would you believe J came back for $160 on the Queen Mary? 1 doubt if ll return — not at current prices. Not with ripoffs and thefts from tourists rampant. Not when I enjoy life in the lower left-hand corner of British Columbia, the location of Vancouver and Victoria. / Notice I haven't mentioned them. Why hype perfection?