Counselling: new Doug Collins EVER ON the alert for the odd, Doug’s scaly eye . lighted upon a recent item ‘ict this here newspaper. St was headed: “Counsellors sought for focal Iranian communi- ty.’* a Whatever can the lranians need counselling about, I wondered? These are the Shah’s folk, after all, and so far they have counsell- ed themselves extremcly well. Bringing their gold with them, they have counselled themselves into Canada by the thousands, us- ing the ayatollahs as an excuse and in a few cases as a good reason, while lesser breeds like the Brits haven't managed the trick al all. ; , On the North Shore, they have - counselled themselves into what is known locally ‘as Tehran Towers, sometimes called Woodcraft. They have also counselled themselves onto the Sea Walk, where they march in squads, cx- pecting everyone else to get out of their way. Which, come to think of it, is how things were done under the Shah. And still is under the new lot, ’ I react further and it transpired that according to the North Shore ~ WEST VANCOUVER "(DISTRICT COUNCIL space found for WV park | A BC Hydro substation” at the foot of 17th Street in West. Van- couver will soon be replaced. with badly needed municipal parking spaces’ if ‘negotiations are suc- cessful between West Vancouver District and BC Hydro. “This will provide further park- ing beside John Lawson Park,”’ Coun. Pat Boname said at Mon- day night’s West Vancouver District Council meeting, when the ’ plans were announced. If the plan proceeds, West. Van- couver will spend $30,000 to have the substation, which is no longer needed, and surrounding fence removed. An additional $36,000: will be spent to pave and landscape the site for use as a parking area. “This is an extremely good piece of news,”’ said Mayor Mark Sager, commenting on the ugliness of the substation building in con- trast to its park setting. Longtime West Vancouver resi-' dent Jim MacCarthy noted that the substation had received design awards when it was first erected approximately 30 years ago. The municipality will attempt to negotiate a 20-year lease for the site. The annual rent for the site is estimated at $100 for the first 10 years. Ey More parking SL t Family Services Society (NSFSS) the franians need counsellors to “serve their needs,’ which were unspecified. The NSFSS therefore wants another $23,000 from North Van City so as to be able to hire another half-time worker. (it al- ready gets $30,700.) . Had the Iranians asked for such a counscllor? No. Had the NSFSS approached the Jranian community? No. But as an organization devoted io detecting needs, the NSFSS had detected that Iranian kids in the schools ‘‘had some difficulties.”’ This your sleuth learned from Arlene Gladstone, the NSFSS ex- ecutive director. How did she know that? “From the school principals.” 1 asked other questions. Like how many people the NSFSS_ employed, where its funding came from, what the difficulties were, and so on. ‘ At that stage it seemed that Ms. Gladstone was telling me to go to Afghanistan. Not directly, of course, but old sweats like me have antennas that pick up messages. For your information, going to Afghanistan is a journalistic ex- pression for staying off dangerous local turf and dealing with prob- lems that are safe because they are distant. - , KEN BAXTER . LAWYER 24 Years Experience . Oro" In this instance, Ms, Gladstone asked me, sweetly, whether ] was aware that Mt. Peter Speck, my publisher and boss, was on the board of the NSFSS. Uconfessed that | wasn't. Can't know everything. Have I ever claimed to be perfect? What | do know, though, is that my publisher is as much against wasting public money as ! am. But | didn't convey that news to my interlocutor. Didn’t want to depress her. To proceed: the NSFSS story is a reflection of what has happened on the wider social services front, which in Canada, per capita, is now between two and three times as large as it is in the U.S, Hence, in large part, the national deficit. The NSFSS began in 1950 as a tiny branch plant of the Family ‘Services Society of Greater Van- couver. Then, in 1982, it opened shop for itself and in 10 years has grown from 40 employees and an annual budget of $136,000 to 70 full- and part-time employees and a present budget of $1,700,000. So now it wants another employee and a 75% inerease in city funding. Still no big deal, you may say. I beg to differ. One, the Iranians should be more than capable of counselling themselves. So should a lot of other people. ‘‘Counselling’’ has become an expensive racket. Two, it is clear that the NSFSS ~ NORTH VANCOUVER 988-6321 [GROUSE MOU USH CUP WEEKEND "THE PREMIER WINTER EVENT"" FRIDAY MARCH 19 The Torch Light Parade - 8 pm As our lights go out, watch the spectacular parade of "torch light" stream down the mountain. SATURDAY, MARCH 20 Passholder and Discount Cardholder Race 10am-12:30pm Charity Tug-o-War Championships lpm B.C. Lions "Ski" Team Autograph Session — Noon to lpm THE SLUSH CUP - 2pm Skiers attempt to cross 40 feet of ice and slush SUNDAY MARCH 21 Diet Coke Star Series Race liam to Zpm DON'T MISS ALL THE EXCITEMENT!! Grouse Mou The Bay Vat Stace aa tera I ATER GE RTS NT YS od ntain Guest Services for event Peak of Vancouve TSR TRS TET EE DEERE a Bates gt a Wednesday, March 17, 1993 dustry is out looking for business, which is why it is going to the [Iranians rather than having the Iranians come to them. It's an upside down way of go- ing about things, but is typical. The human rights gang does the same thing. Also the women’s tights gang, the immigration gang and other gangs too numerous to mention. Am I saying the NSFSS does no good? Not at all. It does a lot of good. And I applaud its 250 vol- unteers. But unless we want social services to become the country’s only growth industry, doing good must have its limits. rth Shore Ne p ah ma Chartered Bank Guaranteed Cashable Anytime Quarterly Income * Minimum $10,000 U.S. For more information, please call The North Shore’s only full Service Investment firm RBC DOMINION SECURITIES That’s why North Van City Member of the loyal task Group Council sheuld put a nix on the NSFSS application for money to poke its nose, unasked; into the Iranians’ business. 925-3131 201-250 15th Street, West Vancouver ARDAGH HUNTER TURNER Barristers & Solicitors Persona AFTER Ae e FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION Criminal Matters Only | - 926-318) 986-4366 4300-1401. LONSDALE,.NORTH VANCOUVER, BC. ELENA HALL Realior BUYING OR SELLING Real Estate? 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