October 9, 1994 52 pages inside the news 7 @ Classifieds B Crossword...........48 @ Horoscopes..................36 & North Shore Alert... 12 Sunshine Girl...............30 ate cevssseestenecaeee severvevenee & TY Listings....................28 @ Vintage Years... news fa Ne NVD go for rail transit link: 15 @ Bird advocate slams NV business park: 5 § Recycle jewelry for updated look: 17 @ Accessories add the finishing touch: 20 Weather Monday: cloudy with sunny periods. Tuesday: mainly sunny. High 14°C, low 6C. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No 0987238 CAP CONQUEST Capilano College Blues defeat BCIT in fifth- annual President's Cup. Classifieds 986-6222 NEWS photo Terry Peters Scouting for Spartans EVAN EADIE (left) and Matt McKenzie gear up for Scout Apple Day, next Saturday, Oct. 15. Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers will be hard at work polishing and selling fresh, crisp B.C. apples throughout the Lower Maintand to help raise funds to finance scouting activities in the West Vancouver District. Watch for them in your neighborhood. REACHING EVERY DOOR ON THE NORTH SHORE SINCE 1969 FILM FEST Vancouver Internationa! Film Festival moves into its final week. Distribution 986-1337 25¢ THE LEADER ef the B.C. Reform party said the Vancouver media ran with a distorted interpretation of recent comments he made about immigration and English as a second language (ESL). By Anna Marie D’Angeio News Reporter “If i was an Asian, | would have screamed myself,” said Ron Gamble. who lives in North Vancouver. “Basically I commented that people coming into the country should be a net benefit,” said Gamble. He said recent annual figures indicate that more than 70% of immigrants came here under the family reunification program, 13% came under the business category and the rest were independent. “And then we got into the ESL as being a tremendous problem as far as cost to the provincial govern- ment,” said Gamble. He used Richmond as an exam- ple. The municipality is experienc- ing a surge of residents who have immigrated from Asia. Gamble said in Richmond, “this ESL has been a drain on the econo- “Next thing you know there are big headlines that Gamble says Asians are a drain on the econo- my,” said Gamble. He said that a person usually immigrates to a country because he or she wants toc be part of that country. “If that is the case, one should have a working knowledge of the language of the country they are immigrating to,” said Gamble, who said ne is a first-generation Canadian immigrant. Gamble said Canada has to change its immigration numbers. He said immigrants “are coming loo strong, too quick.” Gamble is running against his party’s caucus leader MLA Jack Weisgerber and Wilf Hanna, a party executive living in the Kootenays, for leadership of the provincial party. A fourth candi- date, Joe Leung, from Kamloops, tossed his hat into the ring on Thursday, said Weisgerber. Weisgerber was at the press conference where Gamble made the controversial statements. Weisgerber said the media fairly reported the event. “Fm sure Ron would have liked to, and has since, clarified the com- ments that he made. | disagreed with the interpretation Ron expressed at the press conference,” suid Weisuerber, Ile said the Reform Party con- See Immigrants page §