6 - Sunday, December 14, 1986 - North Shore News THE VOICE OF NOHTIAND WEST VANCUUVLE Publisher: Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Advertising Director Peter Speck Noel Wright Barrett Fisher Linda Stewart rare Display Advertising 980-0511 Classified Advertising 986-6222 Newsroom 985-2101 Distribution 986-1337 Subscriptions 986-1337 North Shore Na! te : + News Viewpoint Slewdown in WV? ilk yaad oral 1139 Lonsdale Ave. est Van residents will be watching with in- terest the ‘‘new style’? of municipal pov- ernment unveiled last week by Mayor Dou Lanskail in his inaugural address. It will ultimately be judged by the effectiveness with which it conducts the municipality's affairs and safeguards the taxpayers’ dollars. Moving question time to the beginning of the regular council meetings instead of leaving it until (owards the end will be welcomed by citizens with queries on specific subjects who don’t wish to spend the whole evening in the chamber. Cutting back on council grants to community groups by encouraging more direct private donations makes sense in these times of restraint. So does the promise of a long term ‘‘gouls** agenda for council, The substance of the mayor’s program for ‘‘open”’ government—one of his main election platforms—is Jess apparent at the moment. For obvious reasons, land and personnel matters must invariably be dealt with in camera, which makes any significant change from the standard practices of previous councils un- likely. It’s not clear whether the proposed council meetings with ralepayer groups would be open to the general West Van _ public. If not, the suspicion of loca! special-interest influences on council could well arise. And presumably the new committee system, replacing individual aldermanic responsibilities, will still exclude the public from the formative stages of policy-making. The new system outlined suggests a more leisurely and complex type of local government. Time alone will prove whether it’s a more satisfactory type. THE BIGGEST RIDDLE in Ca- nadian politics is still far from be- ing solved. But a former News reporter has now produced at least some partial answers. Author Alan Twigg—born 34 years ago in North Van and raised in West Van—-has come a long way in the writing game since he covered our West Van council beat back in 1976-77, With three books on the Canadian literary scene under his belt, he’s just published a fourth on a very different scene. Its title, which is also the name of the riddle: Vander Zalm, from Immigrant to Premier. It’s a remarkable feat in that the book's 268 pages, with numerous illustrations, (race the subject's ca- reer from his birth in Holland right down to yesterday—Premier THE VENERABLE IAN GRANT ... Loudon wins, North Van loses. Vander Zalm’s stumpage fee pro- posals for averting countervailing duties on B.C. softwood exports. It covers in detail his earlier politi- cal career, starting out as mayor of Surrey and on through his cabinet posts under Bill Bennett, his triumph at the Whistler leadership convention and his renewed triumph at the election only two short months ago. It’s history written on the run, but lively and eminently readable, with evidence of much thorough research. Perhaps the most interesting chapter deals with the Zalm’s rela- tionship with the media—which, Twigg suggests, have allowed themselves to be manipulated by the Premier's overwhelming charisma. {f he’s right, that rela- tionship becomes a key part of the riddle, This first complete study of a Canadian political !eader predict- able only for his unpredictability and impulsiveness is published by Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd, and priced at $24.95, If you take the future of British Columbia serious- ly, it’s money well spent. eee LAST SERVICE to be conducted at St. Catherine’s, Capilano, Anglican Church by its popular rector of 16 years, Archdeacon lan Grant, will take place Sunday, Jan. 4, followed by a farewell reception. He's leaving to become rector of St. George’s Chureh in London, Ont. A native of Montreal, where he was associate priest at Trinity Memorial Church, lan came to LETTER OF THE DAY aive final fou Dear Editor: The $8.50 a day user fee in B.C. hospitals and the $10 fee for the emergency room is expected to be eliminated on April {st. That is the last possible day on which B.C. can comply with the Canada Health Act and still have over $85 million in penalty money withheld by the federal government refund- ed. Alberta is now receiving $35 mil- lion in refunds from the federal government after it negotiated an end to extra billing by Aiberta physicians. Similarly, Ontario is receiving a refund after it endured a long doctors’ strike in order to end extra billing. B.C. has never had extra billing; it only has gov- ernment imposed user fees. Con- sequently, B.C. can time to the North Vancouver, 8.C. V7M 2H4 58,287 «aioe Entire contents 1986 Narth Shore Free Press Lid Ah nights teserved — meencenan NEWS photo aubmitted LIVELY PART-ANSWERS to Canada’s continuing political riddle ... author Alan Twigg and friend (?). Noel Wright Vancouver in [967 as assistant to the Dean of Christ Church Cathe- dral. After moving to the North Shore three years later, he served for more than three terms as Regional Dean of North Van- couver before exchanging — his “Reverend” title for ‘*Venerable’’ on being named Archdeacon of Capilano early in 1985. Wife Carol, a head nurse at Pearson Hospital, and son Jamic, 16, wiil accompany him to London—-while 18-year-old daughter Jennifer stays on here until the summer to com- plete her first year at UBC. Warmest wishes, Jan. wins, We lose, London TURISING 91 fast weekend was Betty McCallum, another grand old Jady of North Van, her home 40 years. She's the kid sister (ong year younger) of legendary womun mountaineer Phyllis Munday who, with her late husband Dona, discovered Mount Munday in the towering Waddington range and was the first woman to scale Mount Robson, highest peak in the B.C. Rockies. Betty, a great out- doors woman herself who accom- panied Phyllis and Don on numerous climbing expeditions, r i minute when it will comply with the Canada Health Act. The government of British Col- umbia may be in favor of user fees but the penalty of allowing them to continue and the reward of eliminating them by April Ist, 1987, will be too much to resist. In the meantime, burn victims, spinal cord patients and disabled children who are in hospital today will be ® sunday brunch e has also been active in St. John Ambulance, as a girl guides leader, as president (and honorary life member) of Industrial First Aid and as president of the North Shore Rock Club. An ardent Lions fan, she still makes it to the games in the Stadium. Many happy returns of the day, Betty! e nee NO BUSINESS of ours, of course, aside from trying to be helpful— but if 28-year-old Jody Roberts is out there anywhere, her mom and dad in Lake Oswego, Oregon, are aching to hear from her, Jody has been listed as a missing person since May 198 after work- ing for five years on a Tacoma newspaper and may have changed her name, She's 5 ft. 6 in. tall with brown hair, is fond of blue jeans and sometimes wears a bandana on her head. She's also an avid reader, spending, a lot of time in libraries and used book stores. “We love our daughter very much and are very concerned about her wellbeing.’ writes Jim and Marilyn Roberts, ‘We feel she left thinking she had too many financial pro- blems, but they are now all under control, We also have her cat, blue car, her books and other belong- billed $8.50 a day for four mon- ths. The reasons those will each have to pay $1,028 beiween now and April Ist are that they are un- fortunate enough to need to use a hospital before April Ist and the government of B.C. is either stub- born, uncaring or both. Even if our provincial gov- ernment believes in user fees for those of us who stay a few days in ings.”’ Over to you, Christmas time! Jody. {t's aon POSTSCRIPTS: Rallying behind the North Shore News Christmas Food Depot in a big way és the Ambleside-Tiddlycove Lions Club. Director Tom Wardell reports the Leos voted last week to donate a big batch of Yuletide goodies for the tables of needy North Shore families ... And talking of dona. tions, don't forget your most vital one of all—at the LGH blood donor clinics tomorrow, Monday (Dec. 15) and Tuesday, 2 to 8 p.m. each day. . WRIGHT OR WRONG: Before putting off until tomorrow some- thing you can do today, study it closely. Maybe you can postpone it indefinitely. JODY ROBERTS ... Dad and Mom write: ‘‘Please call home!"’ nths of user fees hospital, surely our government can show compassion for those who will be in hospital! for the months between now and April Ist. It’s bad enough to be in hospi- tal at all let atone that long; why should they also be billed over $1,000? David D. Schreck North Vancouver