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HERE’S A trade secret. |
‘Columnists operate largely
on instinct: My immediate .
“jnstinct on meeting John
Laxton was to like him |
‘ immensely — quite apart

from knowing his reputation
-as'a top lawyer with verve :

and derring-do, and -
notwithstanding that he goes
“way, back as a socialist, usu- :
ally high only on my list of
the pitiable. a

In fact my fi first whimsical
“words when we met.a year or two
‘ago were: “Mr, Laxton, you're my..
kind of socialist.” o: ;

So he is, He is down-to-earth,
indeed down-intu-earth — as befits

“a one-time coal-miner’s son. He's a:

risk-taker, He was bor poor. He is

"now wealthy. And recently he grew
wealthier when he fought and won -
on'a contingency basis (no win, no

! dough) a nine-year suit on behalf
of pensioners of the former Bank

~ of British Columbia, now BC.

*, Bancorp.

‘The delighted pensioners won
$60 million in a surplus pension
account thi BC Bancorp wanted _

“° to disburse to its shareholders.

“. » Laxton gambled that his clients \'

Were in the right — and that if they.

: “Weren't, his wouldn't get a. dime *

¢ for. his efforts....- +"

: It paid off. He and two legal

“firms representing other groups of ~

former employees shared almost

Peter Speck,
Publisher *

1 ‘, Comnptrolier
985-2131 (tot)

‘Doug F Foci"
985-2131 (133)

Trseeyer spanil ERS
aytrend) sag] eel,

$15 million i in contingency. fees.
But, as many an outstanding cit-
izen has learned, success does not

-bring immunity from the ever-

probing press.
- Last week my Vancouver Sun

. colleague. Daphne Bramham,  -

whose skills I hold in high regard,
wrote a front-page story on
Laxton’s expenses in his role as

.-chairman of B.C. Hydro. °°

The expenses — mostly travel,
kotel and restaurant bills in exetic
comers’ of the planet, — totalled
more than $80,000 over the 17:
months of his chairmanship.

Note well: Laxton doesn’t take

a nickel in pay, though he's enti-
“tled to claim $500 a day when on

Hydro business.:
So it has cost the B. c. public

roughly | $50,000 a year — less

than the annual salary of a full-

fledged teacher — for Laxton's,

, Chris Johnson | r
Operations Managir /

985-2131 (966)

LL IS noi ble: uk in the fight against
communities.
; world has yet to be handed over to the:
outs, bullies and street scum.

recent ceremony at North Vancouver
Ridgeway elementary school, awards
were presented.to. members of the North
Shore community who have made a differ-
ence in the area’s growing movement against

violence in* our

laa
City’s

- violence and violent crimes.

In the overall scheme of urban life at the
tail-end of the 20th century, the actions rec-
ognized at the ceremony were not perhaps
Earth-shaking achievements, but they were
all positive steps on. the road to ridding local
communities of the plague of mindless vio-

- lence that is destroying our quality of life and
imprisoning law-abiding citizens in’ individ-

‘ual jails of fear.

Ridgeway school. staff; for example,
received a Violence Prevention Award ‘for

services. Chickenfeed. |

As any West Vancouver busi-
nessman of either sex could tell
you.

And, although the 62-year-old
Laxton was.described as ° ,
Vancouver lawyer,” he is not. He is
one of us. He is a West Vancouver”
lawyer.

He’s’a near-neighbor of mine.
Lives 30 seconds away by old,’
slow car. In a gated estate. With its

‘own helicopter pad (once he

, amused guests by having a Mikhail
Gorbachev lookalike arrive grandly

. by helicopter).

' Doubtless Laxton’s bills look
big to the little people in
Vancouver, which is largely a
slum.-To the worldly-wise of the

North Shore, who know that costs 4

“abroad have soared while our dol-
lar has plunged, they're nothing
compared to the benefits to B.C.

For instance, Laxton — who

/ says he never worked harder in his
life than in his Hydro role’ — went
to Islamabad on‘a deal with ©
Pakistan worth $164 million.

2” Tf his expenses had been a mil-
lion, they'd have been cheap. -

But hotel bitls at places like
Hong Kong’s Regent ($875.4 |
night), London's Berkeley ($787),
and so on, naturally. stimulate petty |
envy and resentment.

Laxton’s office got five abusive :

“calls after the story appeared.
Shrewd about the lawyering
business, Laxton was innocently
‘open about discussing his public ©
- business with the media.

| Timothy Renshaw 7
Managing Editor ,
985-21 31 (116) |

- really does come from a humble.
' background.

“John voted Conservative. His

.-ent entrepreneur. There's a wall on
chis lot rich in meaning. It was built

Linda Stewart
_ Sales & Marketing Director
980-051 1 (319)

keeping the North Vancouver school free of.
‘ violence for the past five years.

Franca Bertoncin of North Shore Health
received a Violence Prevertion Award for her.
work in spearheading. the North Shore’s

-much-valued Together Against Violence cam-'

paign.

The

ating its own reality consciously to bea better
place in which to live. |”
Because actions speak louder than words,

most obtuse thug can understand.

Most big executives in big -: .
enterprises hide behind big spin-
doctors who run interference for
them and put smooth, cunning
words in their mouths. ht first
Not Laxton. He is — or was ~ rig
accessible. Perhaps because he
Dear Editor: :
-\ In-your ‘recent acticle by:
contributing | writer...Glen |
~ Anwick/ concerning’ the West °
Vancouver Band Association,
several/rnistakes were made...
If the writer had read: the
submission « presented to ‘the:
- board: of trustees, it” would.
have. been’ ‘clear that the asso-
ciation referred : to above’ is.

British-born John's father was a
coal-miner-turned stonemason who -
had worked alongside a man who
became a Labor Party god.”

Aneurin Bevan, At his first election

father had fits. ;

During the war John’ was sent
off to live with an aunt in Wales’
famous coalmining Rhondda
Valley At age 10-he was given
Marx's weighty tome Capital by”
his father. ‘

« Band. «

It has, not been asked to.
/pay, fees for the use, of the!
Like so many of Britain’ 8 best / facility at Irwin Park-school.
and brightest of poor beginnings, ©: |:....The. adult. groups have ;
he was a scholarship boy. Went to becn asked to pay fees. 202°.
Durham University. Came to © Tam not the director of any

Canada where fora time he. >. {- offthe bands:who were repre-
flogged vacuum cleaners. >. | sented, also clearly stated .in%
The rest is history. He's a pow- the’ submission: Neither did 1.
erful New. Democrat. And an afflu- say that the proposed fee was’
unfair, Instead, I questioned if. *
“the: fees represented’ a aie”,
; share, She
Please, : if ‘the. writer's
‘ going to be a journalist, take
time to make sure of the facts.
‘when writing’ ‘something for.
public consumption. :' we
John T. Bayfield
West Vancouver

by his father at age 75..My instinct
tells me that John Laxton isn't the.
sont who forgets that. Has it ever
been wrong? ar

‘Pater Kvarnstrom :
“Display Manager
980-0511 ( 163}

“Promotions Manager

* GBS-213% (278)

Classified Manager" =:
986-6222 {202)

And _ a-host of other. police, business and’
community representatives were recognized.
for their efforts in helping to reverse the tide;

h

of violence in their spheres of interest.
Those recognized were doubtless pleased
: With their awards. of
. But ‘the real. payback from their action
goes far beyond mere personal recognition.

It returns in the form of a community cre- :

they’ve said no to violence in a voice even ‘the :

Get facts |

the: ‘West Vancouver ‘Youth ay

. 985-2131 M E M B E Ri
980-0511 |.
965-2131

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: Main Office Fax ’

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independent suburban newspaper and qualified
under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the
“Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday,
* Friday and Sunday by North Shore Frea Press
«Ltd, and distributed fo every door on the North
Shore. Canada Past Canadian Publications Mail
» Sales Product Agraament No. 0087238. Mailing -
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welcome bul we cannot accept responsibility for
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