INSIGHTS Bill’s Mieech Lake plan is a no-lose situation! A SENSE of humor more often than not brings a politician nothing but trouble. Not so, however, with Premier Bill Vander Zalm’s latest bit of fur — his recipe for salvaging Mecch Lake. I suspect the Premier must have enjoyed more than a few quiet chuckles as he checked through the plan before dispatching it to O1- tawa. His three key proposals concern the method of ratifying the accord, the status of Quebec and Senate reform. Forget about unanimity, says Bill. Use the existing Constitution — which requires approval by only seven provinces — to ratify by this June those things we CAN agree MERRY XMAS MONEY...Judy Gustafson (centre), a top saleswoman on. Then take a further three years to work on remaining problems that need a unanimous okay. To solve the immediate hassle over Quebec being a ‘distinct society”’ his delightfully simple solution is to designate all nine other provinces, plus Yukon and the N.W.T., as equally ‘‘distinct societies.”’ Gilbert & Sullivan could have done no better. And Bill wants Senate reform — an elected upper chamber with an equal number of members from NEWS photo of classified Christmas greetings ads in the North Shore News, presents cheques totalling $1,065 — the profits from the promotion — to (left) Pat Orr of the North Van Christmas Bureau and Ruth Stout (right) of the West Van Santa Claus Fund. Clearly fatal HE FEDERAL government’s plan to get tougher with tobacco companies by forcing them to put harder-hitting health warnings on cigarette packages is another small victory on the long road to a smoke-free society. Noa-smoking groups have been lobbying for such changes for the past two years. And the federal gov- ernment appears finaily to be paying attention. In designating Jan. 22 to 28 National Non-Smoking Week, federal health minister Perrin Beatty said rid- ding society of smoking wiil cut the tremendous finan- cial burden smoking places on Canada’s health care system. . According to the Canadian Medical Association, for example, cigarette smoking causes the premature death of 35,000 Canadians annually. Beatty promised to work with provincial health ministers on new legislation that would make it harder for youngsters to buy cigarettes. The current law pro- hibiting the sale of tobacco products to children under 16 carries with it a laughable maximum fine of around $10 and is rarely enforced. Increasingly ostracized from society by such restric- tions as smoke-free restaurants, clean-air bylaws and non-smoking flights, smokers are a vanishing breed. They have always been a dying breed. Cigarettes are the only legal consumer product that, when used properly, kill. Larger health warnings on tobacco products are the least we can hope for in alerting the public to tobacco’s deadly side-effects. each province — approved by mid- 1992, You don’t need to be a political science professor to know why none of these three Vander Zalm brainwaves has a hope of flying with Brian Mulroney, Robert Bourassa and their Meech yes- men. Renegotiating even a comma in the original document is adamantly opposed by Mulroney and Bourassa. As to the word “‘distinct’’ (like in society), Vic- toria obviously uses a different dictionary from Ottawa's and Quebec's. Meanwhile, the spectre of a U.S.-style Senate that would final- ly give the West and the Maritimes some rea} clout versus the On- tario-Quebec power bloc has been the nightmare of Canadian prime ministers ever since Confederation. The Ontario-Quebec vote is vital to all prime ministers, which is why Senate reform remains a dirty word in Ottawa. For Bill himself, however, none of this matters. He’s done his duty by spelling out clearly where the majority of British Columbians stand on Meech and what they want from constitutional reform. He's avoided negatives. He’s aired some constructive ideas that most anglo Canadians would endorse. It’s a no-lose situation. If his proposals are laughed to scorn in Ottawa and Quebec City, the last laugh will still be Bill’s. Back home in Lotusland, being rejected by eastern Meech-mongers wins just as many political Brownie points as being accepted by them. kat BACK IN 1939 2 redhead nicknamed ‘‘Mim" and a lad call- ed Ron graduated together from Publisher _. Managing Editor Associate Editor Peter Speck Barrett Fisher Noel Wright Advertising Director Linda Stewart Lord Byng High. Ron embarked on what was to become a very suc- cessful business career, topped by an equally successful 10 years in politics and, finally, one of Canada’s top jobs. The sad note came a couple of years or so azo with the death of his wife after a marriage of 43 years. Last June Ron decided to attend Lord Byng's 50th reunion. Never scoff at these affairs — they CAN produce exciting results. Like Tuesday, Feb. 6, in White Rock United Church, where longtime West Van resident Ron Hun- tington — 1974-1984 Tory MP for Capilano, Industry Minister in Joe Clark’s cabinet and now Chair- man of Ports Canada — will wed that redheaded classmate of half a century ago, Miriam (*‘Mim’’) Harrison, also now on her own and also a believer in school re- unions. Warmest wishes to you both for your new life in White Rock from Ron’s many, many North Shore friends! kek TAILPIECES: Thanks to the good guys at North Van Lions Gate Rotary Club.Argentina will soon have $75,000 worth of much need- ed hospital equipment. Club members collect replaced but still functional equipment from Lower Mainland hospitals, pack it into containers and arrange shipping to Third World countries ... Plan a healthy lifestyle for your heart with Dr. Andrew Pipe of the Ot- tawa Heart Institute next Friday, SUNDAY © WEONLSDAY « FHIDAY North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaoet arid qualitied unde: Schedule ttt Paragraph Wl ot the Evcise Tax Act. 15 published each Wednesday. Friday and Sunday by Norn Shore Free Press Lid and distributed to every goor on the North Shore Second Class Mai Registranon tumber 4685 Subscriptions North and West Vancouver $25 per year Mating rates avaiatie on request Submussians are bul we cannol sccapt esponsibility tor welcome unsolicHed material including manuscnpts and pre tures. Py 1139 Lonsdale Avenue. North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 §9,170 (average. Wednesday Friday & Sunday) which should be accompaniert by a Slamped, addressed envelope BOA DIVISORS Display Advertising Classified Advertising Newsroom Distribution Subscriptions RON Huntington zero. . lucky five- Feb. 2 at the Heart Health Forum, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre, 810 W. 2Ist, North Van. For info and registra- tion (including lunch) call Jean Thompson, 988-5231 ... Anda special 96th birthday greeting to- day, Jan. 28, to North Van’s Dorothy Mulford — since last summer a great-great-grandma! eek WRIGHT OR WRONG: Did you ever consider the fact that a brook would never sing if God removed the rocks? 980-0511 986-6222 985-2131 986-1337 986-1337 985-3227 MEMBER smi G North Shore owned and managed Entire contents ‘: 1990 North Shore. s Lid, Alt nights reserved