Bob Hunter @ strictly personal ® 1 NOTICE thai even Charles Lynch, the dean of colum- nists in Canada, war veteran, patriot, monarchist and staunch NATO supporter, is beginning to question the wisdom of building a dozen nuclear submarines to pro- tect Canada. Lynch naw sees the possibility looming of the most colossal boondoggle in Canadian history. “What is the story of government spending if not political largesse? Forget swect bottom-line reason. Will there be over-runs? Is there a Coquihalla? Noting that a great deal of the work will be done in Canada, even though we’ll be purchasing a British or French design, Lynch predicts that the handing-out of submarine-building contracts to eater novice Canadian firms will involve patronage on an awesome scale, to say nothing of waste that would make even a hardened auditor general reel. Assembling a nuclear sub- marine is like assembling Bat- tlestar Galactica. I{ involves a very expensive mobilization of a country’s resources — in this case a minimum of $8 billion, and I’ll bet the price tag doubles at least. Everybody knows it will. ‘ Politically, it makes zero sense. If the intention really is, as | stated, to defend the Northwest ' Passage from transgression by Soviets or Americans — although the French or British or Chinese might try to slip through as well, I suppose, if we're not vigilant — we'd better have our lawyers on standby. Nobody except the above- named countries are going to bother us much in Arctic waters, incidentally, since nobody else has the prerequisite nuclear subs. The Americans contend that Canada no more controls the Nerthwest Passage than Kadafi controls the Gulf of Sidra or Russia the Black Sea. If we are going to squander $8 billion on weapons to back up our policy objectives. why pick an issue where we are on thin ice to begin with? We have been claiming the Northwest Passage for over a century, sure, but we have also signed the pivotal 1982 Interna- tional Convention on the Law of the Sea, which specifically for- bids any country from asserting a claim that would deny pre-ex- isting navigational rights through “international straits.’’ We can’t have it two ways. Either we honor the international agreements we sign, or we don’t. And even if we don't, does it make sense to build a fleet of nu- clear attack submarines just to defend a highly dubious claim? Isn't that a bit...pushy? Why get so excited? How many of us worry about getting caught in a traffic jam in the Northwest Passage? Is it really a pziority? What great principle are we defending here? If we as Canadians are going to play nuclear brinkmanship games on the geopolitical scrim- mage line of the Northwest Passage, we're global village idiots. | mean this. That's our very weakest claim! The passage is part of the high seas in everybody’s eyes except ours. Try to tell someone in another country that Canada is building a flect of nuclear sub- marines to keep the Northwest Passage to itself, and they roll their eyes and groan. . Not Canada! Have they gone crazy up there? Were stocked to the ceiling with records, books, games, puzzles, puppets, Brio trains, wagons, art supplies for your child, ages 0-99! } Everybody knows that what the world doesn't need now is another nuclear submariste fleet, thank you very much. At a time when the super- powers are making serious efforts to defuse —- however slightly — the nuclear powderkeg that has been threatening all our lives for a generation, Canada suddenly springs into action and -an- nounces plans to get into the nu- clear weapons game itself. This would be peculiar under any circumstances, what with prominent Canadian repre- sentatives having made so many passionate speeches at disarma- ment forums. But at this moment in history, it is positively lurid. it is hard to get used to the idea of modern Canada being a hawkish, militaristic state, but if we actually do build a 12-sub fleet of nukes, that’s exactly what we will have become. I suppose it is a stirring, patri- otic thought: Cauada, the world’s sixth greatest nuclear submarine power! Just think, we'll be able to project Canadian maritime might to any ocean in the world. It means giving up the re- building we were just starting to do on our pathetic excuse of a traditional surface-ship navy, with its handful of surveillance planes and choppers. But at least we'll be in the exclusive nuclear submarine club. Whoopee! It is beyond me to explain such madness as Canada arming herself with nuclear weapons, unless this is purely and simply a plot to keep Ontario’s dying nu- clear power industry alive. While some countries are holding referendums on whether to phase out nuclear reactors, ours is charging off in the op- posite direction, joining the nu- clear arms race. This is beyond lunacy. This is sick! LGH FACILITY Heliport protested MORE THAN 100 residents neighboring Ninth and Grand Boulevard have signed a petition protesting a recent deci- sion by North Vancouver City Council to approve minor upgrading of the emergency heliport on the boulevard in front of their homes. On behalf of the petitioners, res- ident Norman Scott told council Monday the upgrading means the emergency landing facility has become a permanent fixture “practically in my front yard."’ He asked council to reconsider their decision or ‘failing this undertake a comparative study of potential Medivac sites.’” He said until council began con- sidering the improvements last week, he had assumed the fairly recent Emergency Services practice of landing at Ninth would stop when renovations at the former site in Boulevard Park at 15th Street were complete. Council’s involvement in the issue indicated Avallable at: ~ By KAREN GRAM Contributing Writer the opposite, Scott said. He added the helicopter landings feel like earthquakes in his house and shake the crystals off his din- ing room chandelier. Although the former site is also surrounded by residents, Scott said it is ‘a perfectly good site’ that should be used instead, Ald. Ralph Hall called Scott's request ‘‘disgusting.’’ He said council had approved the upgrading to ease rescue opera- See Landing Page 114 “UNICEF cards are known for their beauty and the development projects they support. Join me in helping UNICEF by sending UNICEF cards this Holiday Season.” Harry Belafonte UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador —Capilano Community Services, 600 West Queens, North Van. - ~Participating Purdy’s Ghacolates, Safeways, SuperValu & Stong’s Markets. West Vancouver Memorial Library, 1950 Marine Drive. ~Woodward's Card Dept., Park Royal North. To order or for information contact: UNICEF B.C. 439 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1L4 Telegrnne (604) 687-9096 OR 24 hour information (604) 643-8196. are you confused about which electronic keyboard is for you? : Do you understand MIDI and its applications? How can Sequencers, and Drum Machines add to your musical dreams? 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