6 — Sunday, June 6, 1999 - North Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT OMETIMES confrontation just doesn’t work. Take last year’s salmon war with the United States. Canadian fishing boats blockaded an Alaskan-bound ferry in Prince Rupert and Premier Glen Clark mouthed dire threats about denying the U.S. navy access to the underwa- ter weapons-testing range near Nanoose Bay. Glen may have looked good, or at any rate not as bad as usual, as our resident David versus the U.S. Goliath but what was the result? Nothing. Hot air. Rhetoric. A con- tinuation of a sorry state of affairs that has seen no agreement on conser- vation of salmon stocks between the two countries since the last agreement ‘expired in 1992, Clark bellyached and moaned yes- terday as he was le‘t off the guest list for the press conference announcing details of a new Canada-U.S. salmon- sharing agreement. “A very bad deal for Canada,” he opined. But the new concord was achieved without his brand of bluster and bal- lyhoo. Instead, Federal Fisheries Minister David Anderson was the man being stroked by U.S. federal negotia- tors and state governors yesterday for his diplomacy. Whether the new agreement will significantly help our beleaguered salmon stocks remains to be seen. Certainly much rests on the abilities of fisheries officials to accurately esti- mate yearly returns — something that has proved difficult in the past. But an- agreement that should help the Fraser River sockeye returns is no mean feat, and Clark’s decrying the process is just that. Mean. you said et “We used to have mice that we ran through a maze and then hit them-on the head to watch how slowly they ‘ moved afterwards. We don’t need to do that anymore ~ we've got football players.” Lions Gate Hospital head of neurosurgery Dr. Brian Hunt, encouraging students to always wear protective helmets for biking, snowboarding, hockey, and other potentially risky activities. (From a May 30 News story.) . Q00 “I’ve seen friends get in their cars drunk. Now that Pn: in (the wheelchair), P'd never get in a car with someone who was drinking. I like being free — being able to drink and eat. This really helps know what it’s like.” . Fifteen-year-old Jon Varga, admitting that being placed in a wheelchair ‘teally opened his eyes to the dangers of drinking and driving. (From a May 30 News story.) Qo00 “The: (federal) health minster (Allan Ruck) put in a measly $15 million over three years. He should be embar- North Vancouver Reform MP Ted White, applauding we West Vancouver businessman Jim . Pattison’s $20) mittion : ‘donation to fight Prostate cance (From a May 30 News stoy.) “Water is God's practical joke — the great dissolve:.” ; Professor of buildings sence at the University of Waterloo Dr. John Straube, cracking wise at a seminar of building and "restoration professionals discussing the extent of the “leaky” . highrise problem. (Front a a Mays 30 News Sunday Fi Facts.) : “Pm sort of hoping thar by the time my son gets to ~ Grade 11 or 12 there maybe a place for him to sit down - and study.” _ Seycove secondary parent of two Bill Jenkins, on the over- crows ing at, the school. (From a pfune 2 2 News story.) ~ ewe have buily- proofing programs in the schools and ‘tien the children go to our sport Places and sce adults ~ doing what they shoutdn’t.” ” * North-Vancouver - District Coun. Glenys Deering-Robb, : * asking council to support the creation of a non-violence code to be signed recreation facility 1 users. (From a June 4 News SOY North Shore Hews, founded in 1969 as an independent subursan newspaper and qusified uncer Schedule 131, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Distribution Manager 986-3337 (124) The North Shore News Is p Pete Bag Mark Fanchor Creative Services Director 985-2131 (527) 61,582 (average ovculation, Wednesday, Fnaay § Suiday) SUMMER fun ends with Labour Day, right? Wrong, if you're lucky enough to live in West or North Van. Thanks to a for- mer Eaton’s manager and ardent fisherman, summer fun on the North Shore continues for a whole six days longer, reaching its grand, all-day climax the Sunday AFTER Labour Day. That precious tag- end added to our local summer is the Coho Festival (this year Sept. 7-12), invented in 1980 . by Mike Nicell, then boss man of Eaton’s Park Royal. Its formal purpose is to cele- brate the yearly miracle of the salmon returning from far out in the Pacific to their spawning grounds in North Shore rivers and crecks — as well as to protect those waterways, promote public under- standing of fisheries as a vital natural resource and. fund local salmonid enhancement programs. But Mike, the sales pro, knew his product — in order to take root — must be merchandised not just to anglers and er. vironmentalists but to the widest pos- sible public. The “summer-lengthening” date itself, the week FOLLOWING Labour Day, was a basic attraction. (Who: wants to close down all further fin in the sun simply because it’s the first Monday in September?) ‘ From that starting point the festival “also rapidly developed i into a veritable - “department store” (Mike’s touch Torry Peters Photography Manager Stepheasea __ Classified Manager 985-2831 (160) 986-6222 (202) Entire contents © 1999 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights feserved. OATS A MESSAGE FROM NATo To YuGOStAVia: THEY'RE DEMANDING AN AGREEMENT To THEIR PEACE TERMS OR THEY'LL anaes SOMEWHERE IN AUSTRIA Help wanted by summer fun dept. again?) of attractions for every taste and age. Environmental displays throughout the week in Park Royal. A school kids’ art competition. Native dancers. A nature hike. A tag day. You-name-it — afl lead- ing up to the 10-hour Sunday grand finale in West Van’s Ambleside Park. The day’s menu starts at 8 am. with the 14- km Coho Run to Kits Beach (300 entrants last year with buses back!). Pancake break- fasts. The 8-km Coho Walk (in 1998 over 1,500 participants) down to the park from Cleveland Dam with shuttle buses ali morning to the start point. From noon onward, the beer garden, the celebrity-chefs salmon barbecue (1,400 meals served last time), non-stop stage entertainment and assorted sideshows. Even Mom Nature seems to approve” (90% of Coho Festival Sundays so far have enjoyed warm, sunny weather). And ,— On a more serious note for the moment —— so do the Society's beneficia- ries. On total 1998 revenues of $42,450 the Eestival had a net income ($8,330) of almost 20%. Added to accumulated reserves from previous years, this made possible 1998-99 grants totalling $10,500 for salmonid studies:'in North: and West Van schools, and for volunteer ° * salmonid enhancement projects (Seymour Salmonid Socicty, West Vancouver.and North Vancouver Streamkeepers). All this has been made possible over the years by the event’s dedicated volun- teers. But 1999 is a very special mile- stone for the Coho Festival — its 20th birthday. So the aim is to make the see- ond week of this September top all its predecessors in the enjoyment it brings to the widest possible audience. All the favourite attractions of other years will be included. But in addition, numerous new features are being planned — meaning, this year, that addi- tional volunteers are needed. So if you can spare a few hours in the weeks ahead to help complete and launch the Festival’s exciting new 1999 program by contributing your ideas and working talents, please contact the Coho Festival Society at 926-6956 or Fax 926-6436. Soonest! You'll have a warm welcome. And from personal experience I can, promise you a lor of fun working with festival . president Jim MacCarthy and his core. team. For after all, that’s the product they manufacture. — late-summer fun in the sun thar everyone in the community can share. “goa * .WARM GREETINGS and congratula- tions to legendary Squamish Chief. Simon Baker and his wite “adly who tomorrow, June 7, celebrate their 65th . wedding anniversary. >O00Q WRIGHT OR WRONG: Being Aexible ce makes life’s curves SO much easier to travel. = fo — nwrightunisrve com 8 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Leiters must include your name, tuli addtess & telephone number. 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