‘ a second
opinion

MEA culpa. Apparently
_ Ym partly to blame for
.’ the bizarre memo about
.. B.C. separatism written
to the prime minister
fast January by a senior
«, public servant.

> Last week it was revealed

that Jocelyn Bourgon, Clerk of
the-Privy Council, wrote a
confidential memo to Jean
Chretien warning the PM
-about the possible seeds of
separatism being sown in our
=" province. The memo compares
-} British. Columbia with Quebec

‘ia the’ 2969s, when it was ” ;
undergoing its $0" rcalled Quiet
Revolution. -,

Late last year I suggested

that B.C: was experiencing a
aa Revolution of its own: .

misconstrued as some kind of
a forecast of west coast separ

EXWOO
ap

LEEP SVSTE!

-one with direct ex

“(or should I sa

from the truth.
What I was actually refer-
Ting, to was a coming of age

~ for British Columbia, where

our province would begin to
assert itself nationally in a
mere forceful fashion — much
the same way Quebec did in
the ‘60s.

I have no objection to the
prime. minister being briefed
on matters British Columbian.
In fact, it’s one more small
indication that our province is
slowly gaining recognition, if
not clout, in the capital.

My only wish is that Jean
Chretien’s briefing notes on
B.C. were prepared by some-
rience of
the he province, for the changes

aking place today’ can’t be
easily erned from the sur-
teal atmosphere of Ottawa's
Parliament Hill.

- Tt-was far from inevitable
that Quebec’s Quiet
Revolution would lead to an
independence movement.

' Likewise, there is no certainty

that separatism will ever

" become a credible option in

British Columbia,
But our Quiet Revolution
ay Noisy

Evolution?) will continue

~ apace, as the shift in the bal-
- ance of

wer in Canada

moves from the east to the

west. For all intents and pur-
“” poses, the revolution in

Quebec is over — while ours .

; 705 Harine Drive.
North Vancouver:

990-0808

© Safety of Capital

¢ Liquid.

Stk of Nove Sex. PRH as of Aug, 1/1994

has just begun, For Lucien
Bouchard the decisive moment
is soon approaching: cither
Quebecers will decide to exit
from Canada or, morc likely,
the independence movement
will fizzle.

The reasons I belicve the
latter scenario is morc likely
has a lot to do with the events
of this summer. The terrible
and tragic floods in the
Saguenay region of Quebec
have been responded to by
substantial relief support from
Canadian taxpayers as well as
the private efforts of numerous
generous citizens across the
land, including many right
here on the North Shore.

It’s ironic that the flood-
ravaged countryside of
Quebec is also the heartland of
support for separatist leader

. Lucien Bouchard. One can’t

help but i:nagine that this
spontancous ourpobring of
compassion and aid also carries
a profound message of friend-
ship within the common bond
of our nationality.

. Ar the same time as this

“flood of emotion pours into

Quebec's Saguenay region we,
along with the rest of the
w world, are watching the spec-
te of the Olympic Games in
Atlanta, where.a talented,
young Canadian contingent
competes together on the
international stage. Canada’s
national identity surges as we

Were You. Aiogaed in I

collectively cheer for our team,
And, again, it’s difficult to
imagine Canadians from any
region of the country —
including Quebec — failing te
experience national pride in
our Olympic efforts and
accomplishments,

Under these admittedly
fleeting circumsrances, Lucien
Bouchard will find it hard to
compete. Indeed, in political
terms it’s difficult to deny that
French Canadian culture has

not only survived, but thrived,

under the tolerance and
patience of the Maple Leaf.

Today, as Quebec's econo-
my falters and its Quiet
Revolution fades into history,
residents of La Belle Province
may find consolation and
solace in the knowledge that a
new revolution is now afoot in
the far.west.

“ The challenge for
Quebecers will be to see if
they can bring themselves to
find common cause with
British Columbians and other

* Quiet Revolutionaries in the

worthy goal of renewing .
Confederation. «:

~~ The North Shore News
believes strongly in freedom of
speech and the’ right of all sides
tn a debate to be heard, The
colssrnssists published in the
News present differing points of
view, but those views are not
necesarily those of the newspa-
per itself;

| Popuiation is the real
threat to Mother Earth

Dear Editor:

T agree with many that the
AIDS conference made
excessive demands for help,

1 also agree with Pierre
Trudeau that government has
no business in the nation’s
bedrooms.

Trevor Lautens (July 27
News) seems to miss the
point that heterosexual .or

omosexual couples in per-

manent relationships, who

confine their activities to one
another, are not at risk.

U agree with the vast
majority of world scientists
that the risk of environmental
destruction _ because of
human impact on the planet
is the greatest risk humanity
faces. "Fo stop this risk from
increasing. we must sto
ulation growth, peor

Trevor Lautens. habitually
ignores this risk. Fe seems to
follow thie Catholic’ lead ‘in
much _ that he writes, for
example inj his hatred of
homosexuals,” sterilization,
and choice on abortion and
his deferice of motherhood.

This defence ‘is fine burt

should acknowledge the need

for’ couples to reduce the
birth rate to today's reduced
ideath rate. I have he
Catholics speak publi

Dit You Place

British C Columbia i is changing its Adoption Act. Searing November 4. .
1996 it will be easier for'adopted adults and: birth parents to get
information about each other.

Ifyou were adopted in BC, and you are now 19 or older, you will.
have access to your original birth registration showing the name |, J
you were given at birth, and the name(s) of any birth ; parent(s)
recorded on the registration.

If you placed a child for adoption in BC, and thac
_ child is now 19 or older, you will have access to, |
the birth registration showing the namne your child ©”
was given following adoption.

Some people may prefer to retain their privacy. If you do

not want to release information about yourself, you can -

file a disclosure veto. If you are willing to share identifying
information, but you don’t want the other party to get in
touch; you can file a no-contacr declaration. You, can file. a vet
or declaration now, before the new act takes effect in November.
There is no charge for either service.

. To obtain a disclosure vete or

of a Catholic

"the whole worl
. sexual lifestyle. They, have th

the earth’s humans carrying
capacity. 7

One visitor. from
Operation Rescue said at the
Robson Media Centre: ‘the
Earth could hold 58 billion
with no problem. Another on
Almanac said the earth is not

‘over populated because: all: |

5.7 bi
on Coney Island.
As soon as the: average size
family is ‘down
to that of the ‘average homo-
sexual couple I’ syisipathize”
fith Catholic preaching t

against: that '

ion, of us could exist:

fous

religious freedom: tu’ preach :
what: they like, but not

: push th that view’on humanity.

McLean, Lower *
Mainland Sustainable =

* Population Asvociation :

Minimum investment $25,000
) chonge without prior nosce
interes! | equivalent. Basad
on current yield.

no-contact declaration form, call
Vital Statistics Agency, :
Province of British Columbia
(toll free) i- 888-212-1188

BRITISH
| BRIS,

For information about the Adoption Act,
including the new access to information ° 2
provisions, disclosure vetoes and
no-contact declarations, call
Ministry of Social Services,
’ Province of British Columbia
(coll free) 1-888-236-7828

. Chris Carter
;. Financial Adviser