6 - Morth Shore News — Wednesday, April 12, 2000

a VIEW POINT:

Scales of justice

AST week’s salmon kill at a
orth Vancouver hatchery
underscores the challenges fish
face in their battle to survive in an
urban environment. According to the
April 7 News story chronicling the
mishap, the 28,060 coho and 7,000
chum salmon fry were the victims of
some deliberate mischief-makers. The
water flow in their trailer-based hatch-
ery had been shut off, cutting the oxy-
gen vital to their survival.
Police suspect foiled burglars.
The rest of us will put it down to
louts and other losers. Their efforts
have set Zo Ann Morten’s labours back
a-year. The North Vancouver resident
has for the past 11 years worked to
-febuild Lynn Creek’s depleted stocks.
«Her industry resides at the opposite
: end of the scale from the perpetrators
‘of the senseless vandalism. Her nurtur-

mailbox

Police team work :

would like to respond to a recent article written by Leo
t titled, Local cops heroes in distraught man’s crash,

March'29, North Shore News.

opportunity to give credit where
I t’s intentions

lieve Mr. Knigh

above, all involved were able to emerge relatively unscathed.
It makes _me_proud to know that. borders do not exist _

when it comes to policing the North Shore.
Deri Kinsey =
North Vancouver : ;

Lost paragraph found

last paragraph from the Sunday, April 9, editorial

ally c cat short. It should have read: -

“Was his use of letterhead an attempt to intimidate, or
fain thoughtlessness? Either way, his constituents have
t to.expect Dalton to embody the ethics he demands

was acciden’

the NDP.”

ing is also the exception in an urban
environment that has relentlessly erod-
ed the bounty of local streams and
rivers.

Those waterways have traditionally
supported coho, chum, chinook and
pink salmon, along with rainbow, cut-
throat and steelhead trout. But the
impact of urban developraent, dam
building and pollution has devastated
those stocks. Citizen awareness pro-
grams spearheaded by such groups as
the Coho Festival Socicty have inspired
the efforts of Morten and other local
residents to help reverse past damage.

Too bad there remains that percent-
age of deadbeats on the other side of
the fence whose dimwittedness contin-
ues to counter such positive efforts. If
caught they should be punished to the
fullest extent of the law. We owe our
natural bounty at least that.

PI

the people — is
causing Premier

. Ujjal Dosanjh
more than a few
problems during
his first month in
office.

Especially the last
three words of the defi-
nition. They mean that
once you’ve been elect-
ed by your friends, you
must then govern in

easing all

DEMOCRACY —- government
of the people by the people for

ceasesenea cones coveccveveseccescosoccocesesoes

ifhMGRANT SMUGGLING
LEGISLATION

a

even longer to ever again smell power.
Meanwhile, 90 km east of Vancouver,
government in the public interest faces
an equally serious prob-
lem of a different kind.
The 400-member
Cheam Indian band
threatens to blockade
and collect tolls on vital
Highway 9 linking the
north and south banks
of the Fraser via the
Agassiz-Rosedale
bridge, unless Victoria

i hither
and yon

riverside park on land

claimed by the Cheam.

halts creation of a new ~~

the best interests of everyone — oppo-
nents ‘as well as friends. That’s how —
Dosanjh, according to his own pro-
nouncement, secs his dury.

He made that point 10 days ago
while legislating CUPE’s striking school
support workers back to work; :

There are times, he said, wien the
public interest — in this case 350,Q00
elementary and secondary students:
already shut out of school for a week
and conceivably for an indefinite further
period — must take precedence over
partisan interests.

His reward for this statesmanlike
stand has been to bring the full wrath of
CUPE and other labour leaders down
on his head,

With. thinly veiled threats to “take
back the party” by withholding help for
Dosanjh end:his NDP supporters at the
upcoming ele:tion the union bosses

* threaten, so to speak, to cut off their
political ndse to spite. the NDP’s face.

If they keep their threat, “their”
party — which faces almost certain
defeat néxt time anyhow — could take

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The only alternative river-crossing routes .

are one-hour-plus detours via Mission or

Hope. ;
Premier Dosanjh’s personal

is thac he first achieved politica

roblem °
romi-

nence with his strict law-and-order treat ~

ment of armed Indians in the 1995.
Gustafsen Lake stand-off. we
He's alsu vowed he would never give |:
in to threats — which are precisely. what
tough-talking Cheam chief June Quipp
is now confronting him with. Plus a.
deadline of only “a few days.” Mrs.”
Quipp says she’s ready to talk but.
“won’t yield.” wo
The government might be able to
cancel its plans for Ferry Island Park, the
immediate bone of contention with the

Cheam band, as'a goodwill gesture with- .

out losing face.

Buz Chief Quipp has a second’
demand, vastly different in scope, to
which Dosanjh cannot possibly agree if
he is to fulfil his obligations to the 97%
non-native population of B.C.

Pending the conclusion of treaty
talks, says Quipp, the government must °

_ with (quote) “the last prem t

ENFORCEMENT

FN

an impossible tas

also put a moratorium on all Cheam .
lands under claim: — otherwise the ill
gal toll booths on Highway 9 go up.’
But that’s impossible; of course, because:
the same development moratorium :
would then have to be granted to. all”
other treaty-seeking bands in B.C,’ °
thereby paralyzing indefinitely the. entire’
province. - Loe oF

So how will Ujjal Dosanjh; the law:
and-order hero who brought the -
Gustafsen* Lake: Indian rebels to hee!
with superior RCMP firepower, handle:
this latest threatened bréach of the peace
affecting all. British Columbians? And
whether he stands firm again or ¢:
fates, at what cost politically to himsel
and his scandal-plagued party?.

Government of the people b:
people is the easy part of democracy.
government FOR the people — all of,
them — where the going

YOU'RE INVITED
*:aum. this Saturday, Ap

Restauranty125:East.2:

vide B.C. ‘with a balanced budget? 2
Bill Vander Zalm, leader of. Reform
BC. Seating limited, so please r
right away by calling 922-3920 or.
8214. Cost: $15° > payable
the door. ‘ Cn

OOO:
WRIGHT OR WRONG: The.

.. things impossible to finish are: tho:
~ Mever start, :

_ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Latters rust include your name,
fol atirass & telephone nuimber,

” Thaothy
» Managing Editor.
SBS-Z134 (528) -
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