APRIL 2, 2000
= sa Bright Lights
— Celebrations

rs Classitieds
ae Crossword

i Home & Garden
Renshaw

; Talking Personals «
j Travel

MEN © Cartan Fue
13S Lomscae deete %
Canasiar Pticatons Wal Sales F:

52 Pages

Youth
service
falters

Marcie Good
Contributing Writer

THREE weeks ago,
Craig Johnston saw
the youth drop-in
centre he built in
Myrtle Park burn
to the ground.

On Monday, he watched
his promixd funding for a
Deep Cove youth program
also go up in flames. Council
overturned a previous deci-
sion to give him: $17,856 for
his program,

“It's been a month of ups
and downs,” he told North
Vancouver District council.
Johnston was elated on Feb.
2) after council approved his
proposal ty re-open the drop-
in centre. He was crushed sev-
eral weeks later when the cen-
tre was set on fire, Likely by an
arsonist.

Johnston, a well-known
figure in Deep Cove, was the
youth program) coordinator
for the Seymour ‘Community

The Voice of North and West Vancouver since 1969

Seniors 923

Lifetime companions
shaped by faith

www. nsnews.com

Pets 134

Dog collar choices
don’t include choking

Mattie 2 la Mode
says colour it
bold for spring

Fashion pi5

FREE

NEWS photo Mike Waketield

CRAIG Johnston surveys the scene where a field house once stood at Deep Cove’s Myrtle Park. The building was used as a youth drop-

See Funding page 3

Refugee policies b

Jan-Christian Sorensen
Contributing Writer

CANADA’S existing immigration and
refugee policies are a “national disaster,”
says a former ambassador to Asia and the
Middle East.

Martin Collacott, who served as Canadian ambassador to
Lebanon, Syria and Cambodia and High Cor ione io Sri
Lanka, spoke ‘Thursday night in North Vancouver at the annual
general meeting, of the Canadian Association: tor Lmmigration
Reform (CAIR).

Besides a full moratorium on immigration, CAIR advocates

in centre. The fire was likely caused by an arsonist. On Monday, Johnston was denied money for a youth program at Deep Cove.

A ‘national disaster,’ former
ambassador tells NV meeting

swift deportation of illegal refugees, DNA testing and monitor-
ing of insmigsants and the abolition of affirmative action policies.
Collacott told the crowd of about 60 gathered at the North
Shore Conference Centre that a national debate on the subject
was needed before the influx of refu ached a ¢ level.
“[ like to see a tolerant and compassionate country and Pd
like to see us set an example for the rest of the world,” said
Collacott, “but | think we're going to lose all of that by pursu-
ing our current policies of simply bringing in too many people.
“At the moment we've gota national disaster taking place and

asted

until Canadians get up and speak about it] don’t think we're
going to get any changes.”
anada, Which has the highest immigrant acceptance rate in
ern world, is currently performing the first major over-
immigration system in nearly wo decades.

Collacott, made clear that immigration was crucial to
Canada's continued viability, but urged government to set rea-
sonable quotas and ensure that newcomers had the appropriate
language skills and were employable before granting them status.

He said thar Ottawa had broadened too widely the United
Nations definition of refugee — specifically, anyone with a well-
founded fear of systematic p ution based on race, religion,
nationality or due to membership in a particular social or potiti-

See Callacatt paac 9

VISITS.
HELD ;

Separate facilities for women and /or co-ed

CLD Ss GL

125-949 W. 3rd St. North Van. 986-9177,

eet et Nee Sy) ee Ee OD mR ey SD tee eee ue cme