A2 - Sunday, April 25, 1982 - North Shore News THE COMING decade undoubtedly will see the proliferation of alternative power sources for autombiles. The big question is, will the American auto industry (and therefore its Canadian branch plants) make the effort? Or will they try to push another generation of little cars powered by internal combustion engines that have undergone almost no basic changes in the last half- century? Despite the flow of gimmicky ideas from Detroit the salvation of this crumbling cornerstone of the North American economy doesn't lie in talking dashboards or sexy styling, it lies in letting vigorous competition . back into the marketplace. This, at any rate, is the view of Arthur Burch, head of a Florida company that negotiates corporate mergers. North Van City gearin for birthday CHURCH BELLS will ring out at noon Thursday, May 13, to announce that the City of North Vancouver is seventy-five years old that day. To celebrate this oc- casion, many events for young and old are being planned for the months of May and June, says Alderman Frank Marcino, Chairman of the 75th Jubilee Committee. A gala Hentage Ball will kick off the events Saturday, May 8, at 7.30 pm in the McDougall Gymnasium 23rd and St George's For tickets and details, call the Arts Council (988-6444) the Chamber of Commerce (98! 4488). or see the receptionist at City Hall) 141 West 14th Street One of the oulstanding events of May 13 will be the presentation of a new Coat of Arms to the City by Liculenant Governor Henry Bell Irvang who wall arrive at the 14th and Lonsdale cn trance to the Civic Centre at 10am. In attendance wall be the ROMP, the Royal Canadian Legion Color Party, the North Vancouver Youth Band, scouts guides and cadets bveryone ts tnviled to come and enyoy the pageantry let’s eat Prank Mud Narcan According to him, the crisis facing Detroit (and Windsor and Chatham and Kitchener and St. Catharines) can be blamed on overconcentration of the industry into three giant manufacturers. Burch argues that the reason Ford, Chrysler and GM didn’t move into the smail-car market in ume to avert the disaster they are experiencing now was because they were locked into a concentrated structure. “With countless billions tied up in plants, tools, dies and products that would became obsolete with a drastic change, managers naturally resisted steps that would jeopardize the huge investments,” Burch wnites. In the same way that the giants were unable to meet Ocher events include: May 8-9: Free swimming at the Recreation Centre. May 12, 7:30 p.m.: Public lecture on heraldry in the City hall council chambers by the York Herald of Arms from England. May 15, 10:30 a.m. Gala parade on Lonsdale. starting from Victona Park, 2 pm Firemen’s races at Mahon Park May 16, 10 30 am Special service at St John’s Anghcan Church, &a m to the challenge from Japanese and German manufacturers before they had seized huge portions of the North Amencan market. Burch fears they will miss the opportunity existing now to make the leap to alternative energy care. And the reasons for the failure will be the same. If there had been six to ten vigorous Competitors in the North American market 20 years ago, instead of three, a thriving small-car market would have existed a long time ago. These thoughts were prompted by the spectacle of Canada’s trade minister, Ed Lumley, frantically trying to flog 12,500 Chevy cars and GMC trucks which = are stacked up in a Halifax dockyard, having been rejected in a deal with the government of Iraq. Why does Canada care? Isn't it GM’s problem? Sure, but GM is trying to claim p-.m.: Bus rodeo at Capilano Mall; 2 p.m.: Heritage walk. May 13-15: Mahon Park. Carnival in May 19, 8 pom Remember The Good Old Days at Centennial Theatre. May 28, 6 p.m. Festival at Centre. June 23-30; Folk fest In addition, all babies born on May 13 in) Lions Gate Hospital will receive a special souvenir Sureet Recreation GAMBIER ISLAND re gry «em Aunique cxperionce in waterfrone ving an outstanding tax = shelter and a sound investmentin 300 acres of land only 40 minutes from downtown Van cOoUuVver. Haase TE sense cosbrabatoagga eet Fae tea wthoaon fered bo tevin core al ben dpe fers, pre sve Presets Pa tee sta Phe cali Joy Anne Mac Renae OH DKGO [oon 669 G5SO0O pager 224 oozan/ide roalty Cog eed wote ttre eomestifval ste we bona becuer be ved bo. ae wich teas t ve der ape rn insurance money that Canada makes _ available through the Expert Development Corporation. What's bad for General Motors is bad for Canada, doubly. Not only do we get stung for the insurance on a deal like this, but 27,000 Canadian autoworkers have lost their jobs in the last three years. No one knows how many more may be lost if the Big Three automakers don't successfully re-tool to meet the import challenge. According to some analysts, the auto industry may be transformed within less than ten years into a handful of super-gigantic conglomerates, GM _ having mated with Japan's powerful Izuzu Motors, Chrysler with Peugeot and Mitsubishi, American Motors” with Renault, Ford with Toyota. You would think that some kind of lesson would be learned along the way. The very forces turned the American automotive industry into a menage a trois of en- dangered dinosaurs are being brought to bear to create even larger dinosaurs. Canada’s stake in the swiftness with which the U.S. auto industry cures itself is clear enough: Jobs, a $3-billion a-year trade which “Snowy deficit, and the irony of the Crown having to flog GMC’s to beat an insurance disaster. We are an odd paradox here in the Great White North. Canadians buy over a million cars a year. We constitute the world’s seventh largest auto market. Yet we have no control over the kinds of cars we get to choose. And what this means, if Detroit can't come to its senses, is that the true cars of the future -- the alternative energy machines -- will be delayed by decades. You and I will have to. ; stick with gas or Whata fate. Arthritis research is paying off. FOR INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR ARTHRITIS SOCIETY. diesel. 4 Yrs. Exp. Ais weeks Dinney MMe choiee of Escangols ov Onion Soup Lamb Dyakanta Sidewalks, driveways Patios and pools etc. Elan Paving Stone Company Ltd. 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