6 ~ Sunday, May 31, 1998 ~ North Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT Oif course proposed plan to carve up Gleneagles Golf Course is a cok shot into the rough. In an effort to find a site for a recreation/community centre in the western end of its municipality, West Vancouver Council is considering a number of development plans. Two invoive radically changing the pretty nine-hole course’s layout. To area residents, redesigning a couple of holes isn’t that big a deal. After all, doesn’t a recreation centre offer more common good than a golf coitrse? Maybe. But consider that little Gleneagles generates some big money for the municipality — $350,000 a year. Aerobic classes and fitness gyms may keep the populace fit, but they don’t do much for a bottom-liner’s West Vancouver basks in the glow of its residents’ wealth, bur in terms of public land the municipality is in the poor house. The west side has undergone a housing boom in the fast decade, with every available piece of land sold to the highest bidder. And what about British Pacific Properties? As the biggest private landowner in West Van, surely it could find some space for a community cen- tre for the residents that are also its customers. Gleneagles’ 60 acres represents one of the last pieces of open space the municipality owns in the area. There’s also the open lot across the road from the golf course. It could easily hold a new community centre and is precise- ly the place West Vancouver should build one. THE MERGENCY € Blood PRODUCT, ALBUMIN, is SAFE! @inscerg A sy CANADIANS ARE GIVEN A CONCRETE REASON - health and welfare. . To DOURT THE SAFETY OF ALBUMIN sex abuse wiichhunt a scanda you said it - “Something is being shoved down our throats at this time.” - : - North Vancouver District councillor Pat Mnnvoe, on being asked to request staff to prepare a new rezoning bylaw Sor part of CanOxy’s chlorine plant without knowing exactly ’ what staff would be preparing. (From a May 27 News story.) aos Jos OOO t ’ vw“He’s not the man I thought he was. He’s betrayed the process. Trevor endorsed community planning when he was elected; now the Waterfront Task Force and Seymour planning are out the window.” North Vancouver District councillor Lisa Muri expressing disappointment with fellow cotencillor Trevor Carolan’s sup- port of immediately proceeding with another try at rezoning CanOxy’s land for development. (From the same May 27 News story.) . ” Boat 7-000 = “About five years ago, I looked at the way things were going and realized we're governing more on public opin- ion polls than on fact. We gave up on the ability of Ottawa -., tO manage our resources.” “Dan Sewell, owner/operator of Sewell’s Marina in _ Horseshoe Bay, on the state of local salmon stocks and how they MY _ have been mismanaged: (From a May 27 News story.) hae! >» 000 -. as (43 easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permis- * ” Vancouver dock to help send off a freightcr loaded with food Sor famine-stricken North Koren. (From a May 27 News Story.) :°"" ooo “When you are at sea-you are disgusted, but when . you’re out you wish you were back.” Deep sea sailor Pasquale Pugliese, on the scafnring life. (From a. May 24 News feature story) : orth Shore Hews, tounded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualhed under Schedule 111, Parages.att 117 of the Excise Tax (<1, is pubkshed each Wednesday. Friday ané Sunday by North Shore Fiee Press, Ud. and distributed to every deor on the North. ‘Shove. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mait Sales Product Agreement #::.0087238 ra . Barbara ma Gy Distribution Mantager gecmme cig BOG 1397 (126) raya tore Creative Services Manager 985-2132 (127) 61,582 (average careiation, Weanesday, Friday % Sunday) FROM the dawn of time women have suffered sexual harassment and assault by physically stronger male bully-boys, happily only a small fraction of the total male species. That’s why — with the greatest respect to all women victims — “Rape In The Military,” the ultra-sensational Maclean’s magazine cover story continued cer pwo successive weeks, does a massive Gisservice to our armed forces, gender relations, common justice and common sense. There’s an old crack about “lies, damned lies and statistics.” Let’s first examine the latter. The magazine’s two-week witchhunt against Canada’s soldiers, sailors and air- men cites at most 57 cases of sexual assault and rape, described in lurid emo- tional detail and stretching back over some 16 years. Those 57 odd cases repre- sent just 0.86% of the 6,630 women cur- cenuy serving in the forces Compare this 0.86% with nwo 1993 benchmark studies on violence against women in the general population. One, a relatively bargain-priced $1.9 million Statistics Canada telephone poll of 12,300 women, found 51% claimed some form of abuse by one or more men since - the age of 16, while 29% claimed to have teen abused by a male partner in an inti- mate relationship after the age of 18. PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2137 (101) 0 Bolt Terry ; Photography Manager 985-2131 (160) Classified Manager 986-6222 (202) Entire contents © 1997 North Shove Free Press Lid, All rights reserved. The other was a pricey $10 millien federal study by the Canadian Panel on Violence Against Women. After quizzirig just 420 Toronto females aged 18 to 64 it concluded that 51% of women suffer rape or atteinpted rape, 67% are ‘victims of sex- ual assault within the Criminal Code defini- tion (which includes unwanted touching), and 25% experience physical assault in an intimate relationship. Leaving the number- crunchers aside for a moment, let’s be per- fectly clear on three points. First, no sane person with eyes and ears can doubt that many women in our society suffer sexual and physical abuse at the hands of individual males. The news media and court reports tell that story daily. Second, despite surveys of the type noted, nobody knows the true totals or percentages, because an unknown num- ber of cases go unreported, for a period if not permanently. Doubtless it’s the same in the military, which Maclean’s accuses of systematic cover-ups by superior ranks. Thar charge is denied by numerous forces spokesmen, including Canada’s most ‘ credible soldier, retired Major-General Lewis MacKenzie of Bosnia fame. - Meanwhile, many women now serving in the military have also angrily denounced . the magazine’s account of the abuse as grossly exaggerated. ; Which brings us to the third point. ~Agreed, in an ideal society one single ' LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name. tull addsess & telephone number. VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca Doug Foot Timothy Comptroller Managing Editor 985-2131 (116) Trixt Agrios Promotions 985-2131 (218) Galt Sneigrove General Office 985-2131 (105) taternet- http:/fwww.nsnetvs.coin woman sexually abused is one too many, but in the real world we also have to.” assess matters relatively. How much worse: —~ or better —~ is the abuse problem.in © .; the forces compared with the same prob-. fem in civilian life? | are Making full allowance forall the as yer unknown cases, one might reasonably conclude. that the military 0.86% still looks pretty healthy compared te: the: civilian 51%. So just whose agenda bene-: firs — on such flimsy evidence — from.” the reckless damage. being done ‘to the armed forces’ morale?: 8 0 Obviously, the agenda of the militant. feminists, who’ve lately tended. to run out of steam somewhat. Equally obviously, '.)°- the agenda of the professional military- bashers who believe all a’ nation’ needs fo its safety is a few cop shops. 7°. Most obviously: of all; Maclean’s own circulation agenda and its dollar bottom linc — sexual abuse journalism always being tops among readership-builders. Bur it certainly brings nothing bu pain and sadness to the thousands of admirable men and women whose ca choice-is to serve Canada in thé only * occupation whose job description ...... ‘includes a readiness’ — i ‘die for your country. dal! mie f called on — to that’s a sca WEEKEND volunteers ai ded for Lions Gate Hospitai Gift: Shop — if. you’ can help, please call 984-5734... ‘And happy 99th birthday tomorrow, Jun 3'to North Van’s Pearl Leathem. - ; OO. © : WRIGHT OR WRONG: Count your life by smiles, not tears —- your age. friends, not-years. eae a na SLOSREACHEUS! Administration Display Advertising Real Estate Advertising |: < Classified Advertising © Oisiribution | Display & faal Estate Fax Rowsroom Fax Classified, Accounting & Main Office Fax Michae! Backer - News Editor Andra McCredie ~ Sparts/Community Editor” 985-2131 (147). The North Shore News is published by Worth Shore Free Press Ltd., Publisher Peter Speck, from 1139 Lunsdale Avenus North Vancouver, B.C., V7M 2H4 ee ee oo wae POPA Le eee Daa eS 9B5-2139 (144) de