HOW DO four folksingers
whose show is titled Afoney
— The Final Frontier deal
with their own finances? As
little as possible.

That’s what I discovered when |
sat down with the British group

" BUSINESS BRIEFS

MAJOR ORDER

‘NORTH VANCOUVER-based

‘ DBA Telecom Corp. (DBA) has
received a major order worth
more than $1.6 million from
Premier Telecom, a Sprint com-
pany, for DBA’s newest product,
the SmarTalk Centrex Answering
System.

The product is an answering
position, or attendant console,
specifically for use in ‘'Centrex”’
switching applications. The system
has been under development for
more than a year and. represents
the state of art technology in the
Centrex field.

The new product recently won
DBA the 1993 award of excellence
for outstanding achievement in in-
novation in clectronics for a
system product.

The award was presented by the
provincial government and the
Electronic Manufacturer's
Association of B.C.

Centrex jis a system whereby the
telephone company provides
switching services from its central
office to individual customers,
replacing PABX and Key ex-
change systems on customer
premises.

DBA develops,
and distributes telecommunica-
tions equipment for the small
business and Centrex customer
premises equipment markets.

The company is best known for
its SmarTalk family of telephone
systems, sold in more than 20
countries around the world,

The SmarTalk Centrex An-
swering System will be manufac-
tured entirely in B.C. DBA is a

manufactures

Hell Bent, Heaven Bound, before
they went on stage to perform
songs like Wall Street Shuffle,
Alimony and Your Cash Ain’t
Nothing But Trash.

Much of the time, most of us
get so wrapped up with making,
spending and borrowing money —
and sometimes saving and in-
vesting — that it’s good to hear
from people who rank their fi-
nances close to the bottom of their
priority lists.

We need to know there are or-
dinary people who manage very
well and lead a satisfying life
without worrying about income
tax, insurance and banking.

And the four folksingers cer-
tainly qualify here. As one said
later, our chat helped them refresh
the right tone to the songs’ words
to reflect their own attitudes to
money.

“Yt give money as little credence
in my life as possible,’* said Barb
Jungr, 39, unofficial spokesperson
of the group which performed at
the Vancouver Folk Music Fest-
ival and the Vancouver East

public company, listed on the
Vancouver Stock Exchange.

BAY MOVE

BOB PETER, president of The
Bay, recently visited the com-
pany’s new Park Royal Shopping
Centre location in West Van-
couver.

The Bay has moved its opera-
tions from the south mall to the
north mall, where it is now housed
in the former Woodward’s store.

“This new Bay brings the
unique quality service that we’re
famous for to the North Shore
marketplace. We are’ confident
that with the addition of 13 new
stores, the Bay will make a
significant economic contribution
to Western Canada," said Peter

He noted that after 172 years in
business in Canada, the Bay
“continues to have that same pio-
neering spirit in this new age of
tetail marketing.

“With a location in every com-
munity across the country, we will
maintain our proud tradition of
service,’’ said Peter.

The Bay currently has 92 stores
throughout Canada. I: also owns
274 Zellers discount department
stores.

orth Shore News - 45

1e proper perspective

Cultural Centre.

“I've been on my own since I
was 18 and as far as I'm con-
cerned, money really is the root of
all evil because it is equated with
power and domination.

“I'd much prefer to live ina
culture based on exchange and
interrelationship."*

Still, you do need money to live
in our world, so how does Jungr
manage, on an income which has
ranged from about $23,000 to
$68,000 a year (the latter when
she’s had plenty of TV and radio
work)?

“TY expect to work until I die,"’
she said. ‘‘I can’t say I haven’t
panicked when there's been no
money, but it works out. Jungr
owes about $1,000 on her credit
card — “I have no idea what the
interest rate is’? — and rents a
one-bedroom apartment in Lon-
don for $600 a month.

Christine Collister, 31, also ad-
mitted to ‘‘moments of extreme
panic — it’s a panic imposed by
our culture’ in the years when
she’s only earned $3,000, although

some years she’s made as much as
$29,000.

Single like the two other
women, 41-year-old Helen Wat-
son also lives for the present al-
though ‘‘there’s the occasional
panic when I realize I have no
pension plan. | was a teacher for
six years but hated it.”’

She's been on social assistance;
at the moment she also owes
$4,000 on her credit card. She
rents a room from a friend for
$175 a month. ‘‘When the money
comes in, I just spend it,’’ she
said,

Michael Parker, 34, has a wife
and two sons. ‘‘We have no sav-
ings or investments,’’ he said.
“We just live from month to
month, sometimes with a little
help from family.””

Parker, who works with Jungr
as an act, earns between $19,000
and $58,000 a year.

L asked all four what they
would do if they had extra rnoney.
Jungr: ‘I'd spend more time
travelling, and buy paintings and

Collister: ‘I'd share the money
with my family and friends — and
see people light up; | like to be
able to give gifts.””

Watson: ‘‘I’d like to have a
garden.”

Parker: ‘‘i'd move out of town
and perhaps buy a place — and
I'd buy more guitars.” .

When you talk to artists and
performers like Hell Bent, Heaven
Bound, you see that Jack of
money can also cause stress —
just as managing moncy does.

You simply have to recognize
your own priorities and realize
there is no right or wrong way to
live. The important thing is to put
your personal finances into the
proper perspective. And then get
or with your life.

Mike Grenby is a North Shore-
based columnist and independent
financial adviser whe works with
individuals; he will answer your
questions as space allows — write
him c/o The North Shore News,
1139 Lonsdale, North Vancouver
V7M 2H4,

NEWS photo Neil Lucente

NORTH SHORE dignitaries (left to right) Lions Gate Hospital president Bob Smith, MP Mary Col-
lins, and LGH foundation board chairwoman Yvonne Schmidt help local mayors Jack Loucks,
Murray Dykeman and Mark Sager prep for the upcoming LGH 911 Relay event on Saturday,
September 25 at Ambleside Park. The race will raise funds for emergency care services.

We're here when you need us and

we make it easier than anyone else

* finance your autoplan

BPs hk AA?

+

NORTH VANCOUVER

#101-1112 Lonsdale Ave.
986-4321

1251 Ross Road
986-0351

* no down payment

@ make 12 affordable instalments
¢ save time and money

(financing is subject to approved credit)

SERVICES LTD.

1 Subsideaewe ap Noelle Sure Creatst Unt

(J NORCU INSURANCE
iY]

VANCOUVER
1095 West Pender

685-9977
WHISTLER

7017 Nesters Rd.
938-3137