Wednesday, September 30, 1998 — North Shore News - 9

-€ em Capilano
‘Cam College

AT CAP

horth shore news

__MAIL Box

advertorial, September 30/1998

Conlin’s

bovine

Dear Editor:

Re: Bovine sightings on
the Low Road (Sept, 25
News).

T may bea bit overweight
and definitely slower than in
my youth, but I object to
being referred to as “bovine.”

Yes, I am one of those
patient drivers who has wait-
ed ar the red light at the very
confusing. intersection of
[st/2nd/3rd streets. If it all
makes such obvious sense to
Shaun Conlin, why are there
two traffic lights at that cross-
ing?

I realize that there is no

“fio-right-turn-on-red” sign
is at the next inter-

3° 3rd/ Mahon, but:

: ; people are merrily dri-
ving right through without
g or even. slowing

“he other day I was first in
eht-hand lane with va

huge truck behind and an
even huger BC Rail transport
truck behind him, when the
truck driver started honking,
and the BC Rail driver started
pulling on his air horn; it was
a totally intimidating experi-
ence.

1 do not enjoy being
pushed into a potentially fife-
threatening position! I even
phoned the RCMP to get a
clarification of the intersec-
tion.

If I am confused and local
residents are inundating the
city with calls, please DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT,
NORTH VAN CITY!

Take away the extra stop
light and put up a sign
explaining the traffic rules.
Shaun Conlin should stop
being such a bull(y)!
Elizabeth A. Austin
liebes@nvdpl.north-
van.be.ca.. .

No host full course dinner at a cost of $15.00
- per person. All party members and interested
individuals welcome! Talk with Ted about
current affairs and bring your questions.
Please confirm your attendance by
-. calling 980-5300, or facsimile 980-5301.

Te ae,
Our. popular fund raising Mh
he ksgiving turkeylfood voucher will be

available at the Dinner. Do not hesitate

Rieter ny

to call the above telephone number
for information. Sa

F primary objective
I. protection of society through the timely
1 integration of offenders as law-abiding

: 4: ted white, m.p.
il

In late August, Sue and |! took a
break on a ten day Mediterranean
cruise. Two of the ports of call were in
Turkey, but the weather was a little too
hot for us to venture into a genuine
Turkish steam bath. Not to worry
though - an August 27th news fax to
our hotel from my office informed me
that a new $40,000 Turkish steam bath
was being bullt into the gym for MPs
located in Confederation Siock on
Parliament Hill. +

In my five years on the Hill | have never
utilized the gym or sauna, so | decided to
get to the bottom of the story (no pun
intended). My investigation reveated that
the original, and very old, sauna, which
was located directly above the seventh
floor office of Reform MP Lee Morrison,
began leaking into Lee’s office several
months ago. Several attempts to repair the
rotting plumbing were unsuccessful, so
the decision was made to construct a
completely new wet sauna at the back of
the gym.

When | visited the location, finishing
touches were just being put on the
tilework, and while it has been nicely
finished, it is definitely NOT anything
luxurious. The gym itself is -nicely
appointed, but not large, and { doubt
whether more than a dozen members
could use it at one time. In addition, MPs
wishing to utilize the gym and sauna pay a
$100 annual fee, so while the ovarall
operation would still be subsidized by
taxpayers, the facility is probably not much
different to that provided for employews in
some larger private corporations.

Whether or not there should be an
exercise area provided for the exclusive
use of MPs is a topic for a completely
separate debate, but even as a non-user |
have to admit that my inspection failed tc
turn up anything extravagant in terms of
either the equipment or space allocation.
Ask me to take you to see it next time you
are in Ottawa.

THOUSANDS OF OFFENCES

Another interesting news release, on a
totally unrelated matter, also passed
across my desk In the past month or so. It

B was Issued by Reform MP Myron
- Thompson, who is well known for his work

in demanding accountability from the
justice system, particularly with respect to
those released on parole. Myron, in what
for him could be called a restrained
reaciion, stated that he was “totally
unsatisfied with the National Parole
Board's responses’ to his questions during
a committee hearing about dangerous
offenders who go on to commit murder
while on parole.

According to the Board’s own statistics,
in the ten year period from 1986/87 to
1996/97, more than 2,290 people have

} been murdered, assaulted, taken hostage,
- forcibly confined, or robbed, by offenders

on parole. If the National Parole Board's
is the fong term

citizens, its record is open to question, and
Myron has made it clear that he will be

TURKISH BATHS, AND MORE

watching the Board even more closely
than he has in the past. A more detailed
summary of the NPB's statistics for
offences committed by parolees over the
ten year period is as follows:

* 266 murders

* 162 attempted murders

* 429 sexual assaults

* 278 major assaults

* 29 hostage takings

* 93 forcible confinements

* 723 armed robberies

* 177 other sensationats

There appears to have been a

downward trend in murders committed by
those on conditional release since
1991/92. Thirty murders that year have
dropped into the 15-17 range annually
over the last 5 years. Sexual assaults and
major assaults also appear to have
dropped, although armed robberies
jumped from 64 in 1991/92 to 113 in
1994/95 making it impossible to say with
certainty that offences committed by
parolees are generally trending
downwards. f¢ is certainly interesting
though, if not coincidental, to note
that from 1993/94, when Reform
began making its presence felt on
the national stage, total annual
offences by parolees has dropped
from 240 that year to 165 in
1995/96. Could it be that the Parole
Board is actually getting tougher in
response to lobbying by Reform MPs and
the public?

GHOSTS OF SENATORS PAST
Late last year, in one of these weekly
reports, | revealed that the Liberal
Government had provided Jean Charest
with a ministerial style suite of offices in
the House of Commons after the 1993
election, even trough he was one of only
two PC MPs elected. This information was
uncovered when Reform became the
Official Opposition and gained full access
for the first time to the office pians for the
Housa. ;
In recent months however, the Liberal
Government

Block for retired senator Allan
MacEachan, saying that he is a “valuable
resource” to Canada, and his “non-
partisan” knowledge is indispensable to
Parliament. It turns out that the
Senator, aged 77, has had the use
of the offices, computers, and free
government phones ever since he
retired, almost two years ago! Tory
Senator Marjorie LeBreton said the office
deal was never approved by the Senate’s
budget committee, and that “It's an
absolute insult for the Grits to say we
should be grateful to have Allan
MacEachan grace the doorsteps.” Very
few senators or MPs even knew that the
“MacEachan Suite” existed, so. it is

stretching things a bit to claim tivat he is -
“indispensable to Parliament’. He must -

be costing us at least four times as
much every year as the new sauna
for MPs, and is just another
example of wasted taxpayers’
money in my opinion.

HE GOES OUT WITH
ALL THE TOP MODELS

Test Drive with Greg Wilson: new car
reviews every Friday in the auto section of
your North Shore News.

#
~
rt

has also admitted to.
maintaining a suite of offices in the East

> Scuthern Calitornia
Natural History Lecture

Join us for a free natural
history lecture on Souther
California by omithologist
and naturalist Dr. Nancy
Ricker. The lecture
precedes a trip to Southern
California led by Dr. Ricker
from February 23 to 28,
1999, The lecture is at 7:30
to9 p.m. on Thursday,
October § in the Birch
building, room 321.

> Survival tips on doing
business in the
Pacific Basin
A free Pacific Basin
briefing at Capilano
College will cover the

social 2 and cultural

aspects of living,
travelling, and working
in a number of countries
in Asia and South
America. Short
presentations on social
and business culture and
customs a be
provi
intemational business
managers who are
currently attending the
Capilano College
CANASEAN program.
They will also provide
sone tips on surviving.
and doing business in
their home countries,
which include:
Philippines, Indonesia,
Vietnam, Cambodia,
China, Brunei,
Colombia, Mexico, and
Ecuador. The event
takes place on Thursday, ° .
October 8 at 7 p.m. in
the Cedar building,
room 148. Light
refreshments will be:

nary 1999. For more.
intormation, call 6°
984-4960.

b Logo design
conipetition -
Capilano College First’ a

. Nations Sedenr
Services is holding a,
logo design contest to -
use with
communications and ~~
Promotional mat materials.

ie Squamish Nat
and Capilano College
are offering a total of
$1,000 in prize money
to the winnin; design. a
The art sh should
incorporate First’ .
Nations’ art with:, -) °
education and student ,
services. For detailed
submission inquiries,
call Darel! Gaddie at
986-2911, local 3067,
or Peggy Shannon at
984-1762.

CAPILANO |
COLLEGE |

2055 Purcell Way:
North Vancouver.

36-1911