Wednesday, February 3, 1999 - North Shore News - 9 C= Capilano’ (Cem - College AT CAP 22 Bram Stoker's Dracula opens “MAIL Box Mailbox policy — teers to the editor must be legible (preferably typewritten), brief and include your name, full address and telephone number. Due to space constraints the Heat over Burns’ coverage Dear Editoz: fam appalled at the lack of coverage of the Robert Burns celebrations in your paper, in Particular to the two evening celebrations at the Marmalade Cate on Marine Dr, NV, T attended one of the evenings and was more than impressed with che activities presented and the absolutely superb food — all ata modest admission price. The Marmaiade sraif were recognized by three television stations — ene at their cate, one on VIV breaktast shew and one at the Burnaby toca- tion of Rogers Cable. A North Shore Highland dance school suppled beauti- fully attired dancers. Surely a North Vancouver establishment deserved some sort of coverage by a North Shore paper you must agree. May I mention at this time that I faxed a news release to vour office prior to the events. You may be wondering why Lam writing to vou in the field of publicicy. For the last 10 vears Phave been very much involved in the Lower Mainland Scottish community ins the pubktcity end of the Celtic affairs, and was instrumental in bringing in to Vancouver the 75 piece “Scontish Fiddle Orchestra” in 1997 to ovo sold out nights at the Orpheum Theatre. They return to the Orpheum in July this year. I also ran a video and audio dis- tribution company in N.V. ~ PBS celevision being our number one customer. I regu: larly fax releases to most media covering Seattish activ- itics in the Lower Mainland. I sincerely hope that my next one to you may receive a wee attention! Our next main attraction at the Scottish Cultural ‘Hydrophobia’ now @ growing concern Dear Editor: {It’s been one thing to learn that the three Pacificat ferries are 50% over budget ($75 mil- lion each versus $50 million original cach) and over nwo years late on delivery schedule of the first ship. Te’s another to learn that this so called “premium tem- poral service” will come at an additional surcharge to fast ferry users (approximately $30 per return trip). Yet further, we discover that in order to oper- ate at design speed 37 knots fully laden, these “newbuilts” will run with fuel tanks at half capacity, but being copious fuel consumers, they'll need to top- up tanks at least ewice daily. BC Ferries Minister Dan Miller is seeking a special dis- pensation from Canadian Coast Guard to refuel their new “pet-boats” while vehicles are being an and off-laaded at Nanaimo i.e. with live ignition sources. Now to trump this, Mr. ‘Dracula’ Miller is getting heavy handed to insist Nanaimo City council overturn a moratorium on con- struction of new fuel ranks near Departure Bay terminal. This fits a growing trend where the B.C. government (e.g. expanded — Skytrain exemption from an Environmental Assessment Act project review) attempts to preclude their doings from the laws and regulations we all must abide by and adhere to. Fast ferries have also been alleged to create some prob- lems with their jet prop cavita- tion disturbance of bottom sediments in Horseshoe Bay and a wave piercing top speed wake which results in’ surf action ‘to shorelines — Eagle Harbour marina and Bowen Island beach fronts. Pacificat ferries are becom- ing quite a “hydrophobic” concem to the public’s best interests! . G J. Bloomer Lakelse Lake bleeding Canadians dry Dear Editor: am one of those Canadia:s who is “taking on” Revenue ( .nada. 1 do so with great pleasus: «..’ totally with- out tear. If the income tax people had their way, i would be ruined in short order — one more small business in’ this country squashed like a bug At my bookshop I have spoken to many people about their experiences with Revetiue Canada, and it has been a rev- elation to hear their horror stories of deccit, harassment and downright extortion. No wonder “free” Canadians live in fear of these so-called public servants. As has been said before, to put Revenue Canada in charge of collecting income tax is rather like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank. And who realiy believes that the $153.2 billion hauled in by these peo- le last year went to roads, hospitals, schools, and the like? Tam happy tu be associated with the Canadian De-tax Group. If 1 feel completely secure in the information | have received from them it is because I make full use of it. I can certainly attest. to the power of the Public Servant Questionnaire, having used it on several occasions. For per- sonal pretection it works bet- ter than the proverbial garlic at a vampire’s frase. Anybody who wants the benefit of my experience is welcome to come in and talk to me anytime. Randall Scott Westernesse Book Shop North Vancouver Centre is The Vancouver MOD (4 gaclic festival) with choirs coming from as far afield as Scotland and the U.S. The festival is held in May. The 65th annual B.C, Highland Games are held in June drawing i excess of 5,000 spectators and over 300 competitors, Perhaps mv ending para- graphs may offset my upset mood at the beginning! Mike Paul United Scottish Society Cultural ted white, m.p. North Shore News cannot publish all letters. De Csilla Gyoval DENTIST ANNOUNCES NEW HOURS [Mo [TUET We [ TH [FR [SA er] | im si * Every second Tuesday and every otner Saturday is off ** Coen 1 monday pet month First work day of the week oon - Bpm New patients are welcome 3738 Mount Seymour Parkway a) 929-7499 advertonal, February 3/1999 IMMIGRATION STORIES In an average week my office receives a fair number of immigration, refugee, and visitor visa related enquiries-and requests for assistance. While many of those enquiries and requests are of a routine nature, in that they result only in the checking of the status and/or prc 3ress of existing files with Immigration Canada, some stand out as unusual, to say the feast. The stories below represent a sampling of such cases, but for privacy reasons of course, no names have heen revealed. NO WEDDING PICTURES in June of fast year a man called to say that he was having trouble sponsoring his wife frorn Pakistan because the Canadian ° Embassy refused to recognize the mar- riage and had been demanding ta see his wedding photographs. He said that he had not been present at the wedding, so obvi- ously he did not have any photographs, but had arranged for someone else to rep- resent him there in accordance, he said, with Islamic lav’ During our discussions about the case with Immigration Canada we were told that photographs had not been necessary in other ..milar cases and that the approval process would probably proceed smoothly from that point. | have heard nothing more sinc: making the enquiry and can ‘only assume that an entry visa was subsequently issued as request- ed. KIDNAPPING CHARGES A refugee claimant who was sponsor- ing his wife into Canada from India called to ask why they had heard nothing in almost a year. Our contact at Immigration Canada advised that the “refugee” was due to appear in court on kidnapping charges so the outcome of his trial, plus the need for clarification of his marriage docuinents, was holding up the file. In addition, the “refugee” had returned to india for a holiday after filing his refugee claim in Canada, so his status as a refugee was being reassessed. As far as we know, this case is still dragging on close to three years after it began. DEPORTED HUSBAND A woman cailed in mid 1998 to ask me to write a letter of support to tmmigration Canada so that her husband, who had been deported back to tran after a crime committed in Montreal, could return to Canada. Just as | always do in such cases, } made it clear that | never act as an advocate for someone wanting to come to Canada — | am the representative in the Parliament of Canada for the voters of North Vancouver, not an immigration con- sultant. | did, however, enquire about the Status of the case and discovered that the man in question entered Canada as a refugee claimant in 1992 after destroying his passport, but was denied permanent entry twice on appeal after being assessed as a security risk. He did not leave the country though, and was arrest- ed in 1994 tor possession of counterfeit bills. a crime for which he was convicted in 1995 and ordered deported. However, he was not actually deporteu back to fran until 1997, and in the intervening period he had married a Canadian woman. He was visit- ed in Iran by his new wife (who got preg- nant while she was there) and was r ow trying to re-enter Canada under his wife's sponsorship. The last we heard of this case was when the wife left a message on our office voicemail saying that she was going to make public my refusal to help her get her husband into Canada. DANGEROUS?? We have had more cases than we can count over the past few years of retugee claimants taking vacations in the country from they are supposed to be escaping while at the same time telling immigration Canada that it is too dangerous for them to return because they would be killed. While it is true that these false claimants almost always get found out, it then takes years of appeats before deportation orders can be issued, and in the meantime marriages occur and children are bom, opening new avenues for appeals and requests for Minister's permits on compassionate grounds. Not all refugee claimants remain visible and traceable though. A Security and intelligence Report released in January indicates that Federal officials have lost track of more than 4,600 refugee claimants who arrived in the first eight months of 1998. In addition, the report warned that some of these claimants could be terrorists and bogus refugees - what do you think? Unfortunately, the announcements made by Immigration Minister Robillard a few weeks ago contained ne effective measures to stop the flow of these criminal refugee claimants into Canada. And as if to rub salt in the wounds, a recent advertisement in the Latin Trade Magazine offered a guar- antee of immigration to Canada with the purchase of a “Fieet Rent A Car” franchise, “... even with a criminal record.” What a great opportunity for the 60+ Honduran drug traffickers arrested in downtown Vencouver to return to Canada — if we ever manage to convict and deport them of course. If you would like to give Minister Robillard some aduice with respect to Canada’s refugee acceptance poiicies, please write to her at the House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, KIA OA6. You do not need @ postage stamp. . ‘Ted White, M.P. , #302-1200 Lynn: Valley Road. North Vancouver, B.C. . -' Tels 666-0585 Fax: 666-0509, Internet: http:/fwww.reform.ca/whi Count Dracula is back from the dead and roaming the streets For besh victns. Preented by the Captlane Callese Thearie department, the play nuns Thomday through Saturday at Spm. trom February 4 Bin the Capilano Collese Perfomming Arts Theatre. Tickets are $12 for adults and $3 for students and senion. For nckets and informacion, call 990-7810, * New Technical Computer Professional program Capilano College's new Technical Compater Profesional (TCP) program begins May 1. This one-year, intemive computing Program includes a thres- month work term. Leam highly-employable computer networking and Programming skills. For more information, call 984-4920. {Careers in animation Get thow creative juices flowing again. Train fora career in digital or commercial animation. To tind out how to get started, attend une of the following carevr information meetings: the Digital Animation progrim is hosting a meeting Wednesdity, February 3 at 7 p.m. in the Library building, room 306. Call 990-7854 tu secure your seat; the Commercial Animation program is hosting a meeting Wednesday, Februacy 17 at 7 pan. in the Library building, room 316, Call 983-7516 for more information. B>- Pull a fast one’ Upgrade your computer skills with a quick workshop or ttke a more in-depth course, Seats are going fast in the following computer courses: Windows 95 for New Computer Users runs February 6 and 7; Excel 97 for Windows 95 on Thursday evenings beginning February 11; Word 97 for Windows 95: level 2 begins February 13 and runs on two Saturdaysfowo Sundays; Tatroduction ta Computers on Monday evenings beginning February 15; and [ntroduction to the Internet on Saturday, February 6 or Tuesday/Thursday evenings, February 16 and 18, Please call Continuing Education at 984-4901 for more infonnation. CAPILANO COLLEGE 2955 Purcell Way North Vancouver 986-1911