Doug Collins

@ get this straight ®

ONE OF the many plagues that rage through this world is the
inclination of some to tell others what is good for them.
Thus we have Jake Epp in Ottawa minding other people’s
lungs for them, and reformed alcoholics telling people that

beer is bad for them.

Editorial writers are experts in
these fell arts, and | may on occa-
sion have been guilty of handing
out a bit of advice myself. But I
was struck by a bit of preaching
carried on the editorial page of
this here newspaper last Friday.

The piece was full of pith regar-
ding opposition to the seniors’
housing project proposed by the
West Van United Church for the
1900-block on Esquimalt.
“Shame, shame,’’ cried our
writer. ‘‘Has selfishness no
limit?”

Not really. Jt all depends whose
chicken is getting its neck wrurg.
Furthermore, selfishness can be a
wonderful thing. Like greed, its
close relative, it makes the world
go round. Without selfishness
there would be no ambition, and
without ambition we would all be
bums. Which would be a bad
thing, I think.

But back to the United Church
and the recalcitrant local residents
who don’t want that housing pro-
ject because, they believe, it
would reduce their property
values. Are they right about that?
I don’t know, But if they believe
they are going to lose something
then they are perfectly entitled to
kick up hell about it, seniors or no
seniors. (I am now entitled to
make such comments, being at the
tottering age myself.)

It is all very well to tell someone

else what to do if we would do it
ourselves. But we don’t know
whether we would do it ourselves
unless we are faced with the same
problem. In that sense, the
1900-block on Esquimalt equals
South Africa, and preachments
are hypocrisy.

Take the church folk who want
this project to go ahead, for ex-
ample. How many of them live
next door to that site? (Just
askin’!) Mind you, there are peo-
ple who are willing to strip
themselves of all their possessions
and walk into the desert for a
good cause, but they are saints
and in short supply.

What it boils down to is that
liberal attitudes increase in pro-
portion to the distance we are
from a problem. How many do-
gooders in the U.S, are willing to
live in the black ghettoes, the vir-
tues of whose inhabitants they are
always extolling? Thanks but no
thanks. They don’t want their
throats cut just yet.

As with the big things, so with
the small ones. As is well-known,
[ am a regular sipper at the
famous watering-hole. But would
{ want a pub next door to me? |
would rather go on a 10-mile jog
with full pack.

So let's not be too critical of the
people on Esquimalt. Let him
who is without sin...

kt ok Ok

City opposes plastic

NORTH VANCOUVER City has
joined the opposition to the en-
vironmentally destructive plastic
milk jugs recently introduced in
B.C.

In a unanimous decision Mon-
day, council voted to suppori a
motion at the next meeting of the
Union of B.C. Municipalitities
urging the provincial government
to appoint a task force to review
the packaging of milk in four-litre
plastic jugs.

In March 1987, at the request of
the dairies, the jugs were approved
for use by the Ministry of
Agriculture. But environmental
groups and many municipalities
have initiated a campaign to ban
the jugs. Consumers are being
asked’ by environmentalists to
boycott them.

Ald. Dana Taylor said the jugs
are unacceptable because they are
not refundable, recyclable or
biodegradable.

“This comes at a time when
municipalities are becoming in-
creasingly concerned with waste
and many don’t want waste sites at
all in their regions,’’ said Taylor.

According to a report prepared
for council, the jugs require twice
the energy used to produce a
pouch, produce three times as
much industrial solid waste as the
pouch and require about 2,800 per
cent more space in a disposal site.

“We get by with wax and paper
just fine,”’ concluded Taylor.

The UCBM motion suggests the

ct
PaAncPacnon ‘

provincial government task force
consider, among other options, the
use of pouches, glass bottles or re-
usable plastic jugs instead of the

AIRPORT PARKING

While we are on the subject of
double-talk, and Joe Clark is
preaching about how the Tories
are against violence but never-
theless support the African Na-
tional Congress, which advocates
violence, let us pause to consider
our recent past. Especially as we
are so inclined to tell the South
Africans how to manage their
affairs.

A reader has sent me a copy of
a restrictive covenant that buyers
of lots in Norgate were required to
sign as recently as the 1950s. It
reads as follows:

“The Grantee will not sell the
land or any part thereof or any in-
terest therein to any person of
Chinese, Japanese, Negro, or
other Asiatic or Indian Race, and
will not lease the said land or any
part thereof or any building
thereon to any such person, and
he will not allow the said land or
any part thereof or any building
thereon to be occupied by any
such person except servants of the
occupier of the premises in
residence.*’

1 guess you could call that apar-
theid, In Canada. A mere 30 years
ago. And without the great racial
problems that affect South
Africa,

x k *

You will, | am sure, be pleased
to hear that this country is pro-
viding $500,000 to Ethiopia for
locust control, that commie
basket-case of a country being too
busy killing its own people to kill
locusts.

milk jugs

current jugs and suggests a rea-
sonable but effective deposit
system would encourage con-
sumers to return bottles.

PARK & FLY
$Q50

per day

8311 Sea Island Way, Richmond BC.
(next to Segal Furniture)

Express Shuttle — 24 hrs., 7 days
500 CAI Bonus Points for 3 days parking
278-8311

ABBEY
Off reg. price

VERTICAL BLINDS
MINIS — MICROS
PLEATED SHADES

OFF drapery
and upholstery
fabrics. Wid
selection of
Sanderson fabrics.

up to

%

WALLCOVERINGS — REUPHOLSTERY
* ALL WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED

INTERIORS

926-8819
IN-HOME
SERVICE

SERVING THE
NORTH SHORE

West Vancouver

9 — Wedoesdas, September 16, 1987 - North Shore News

West Van
score high

WEST VANCOUVER School
Board members want to beat their
students’ drum.

The academic achievement of
West) Vancouver students in’ sec:
ondary-level provincial and schol-
arship examinations is above the
provincial average and the board
wants people to know it.

“Do we pursue excellence?"
assistant superintendent Bob
Overgaard asked the board Mon-
day night. ‘‘The answer is clearly
yes."

students
on exams

Figures Overgaard compiled
showed that West Vancouver stu-
dents had a slightly higher success
rate on provincia! exams than the
provincial average, that they
achieved more A’s than the pro-
vincial average and that district
students received twice as many
provincial scholarships as were
given out provincially.

Six per cent of West Vancouver
students received scholarships
compared with three per cent pro-
vincially.

FINANCIAL PROBLEMS???
Acquaint yourself with all the alternatives, in confidence.
Call for our free information booklet today
“Follow-up interview without obligation”
EVANCIC PERRAULT ROBERTSON LTD.
TRUSTEE IN BANKRUPTCY
604) 291-9151

(Just across the mn 4), 29: actoss trom Brentwood Mail
at Willingdon Ave & Lougheed Hwy)

Office
e
Wearritwusce
& Stationery

11827 Capilano Road, N.Van.

[984-DESK 6375,

Jim Cathcart
Chairman

We were going to fill this
ad space in the traditional
manner. Instead we
thought you might like to
see for yourself our
competitive prices and
experience for yourself the
great service that has made
us B.C.’s leading ski shop for
over 30 great years.

Sale on now.

SICYLINE
SPORTS

4 16th & Lonsdale, N. Van., 985-9161
38th & Boulevard, Kerrisdale, 266-1061
A Kids Only, Granville Island, 683-6704