north shore news __MAIL Box _ NV District council budget input needed Dear Editor: North Vancouver District council recently decided to permit the creation of a Citizen Budget Advisory Panel. Proposed by taxpavers fed up with mispending of tax dollars, it was approved but with the opposition of nwo councillors. Trevor Carolan and Glenys Deering-Robb voted against the plan with the argument that council knows best how to spend tas dollars and should remain unquestioned. It will’be interesting to see if they attempt to manipulate the appointments and terms of reterence of the budget advisory panel to render it impotent. Some Bxpayers may remember during debate on council pay increases how the council rejected findings of many panels recommending no increase until they found themselves a puppet panel thar gave them one. John Edwards North Vancouver edwards@direct.ca West Van Yacht Club helps lifeboat society Dear Editor: Re: West Van gets new lifeboat (Nov. 13 News). The volunteers of the North Shore Lifeboat Society (NSLS) deserve the recogni- tion given to them by the arti- cle. There isn’ a mariner, commercial or private, on the coast who doesn’t appreciate the often dangerous work done by these volunteers. The new lifeboat was urgently needed. Ms. (Katharine) Upright {tiny May TAMA PIAN Payment Hamer recognizes the organi- zations that have contributed to maintaining the service. 1 would ike to mention another contributor: The West Vancouver Yacht Club provides tree as a public ser- vice a headquarters hut, light and power, dock space, park- ing and watchman protection — for the NSLS at Fisherman's Cove. Colin J. Hempsall WVYC Historian 3 cad Pianos 908 TAMARA Grand 79 om f. $11,998 , YARMAHA Clevineva va WEN! Digital Plano &. $1898. audio-technica. Wireless Handheld Guitar Packages: $395 icrophone System oe All Books, E vices f rapes’ Hn D, Cassette ; wey rs, HUGE DISCOUNTS aN nal } 1 Yamaha Piacss & Keyboards ever $1000 Only, k** Exciudes salss m, Notesistion products and Enjoyment of Music == ted white, mp. advertunal, December 9/1998 NATIVE LAND MANAGEMENT Congratulations to Timothy Renshaw of the North Shore News for helping to publicize a little noticed Bill presently before Parliament. C-49, An Act providing for the ratification and the bringing into effect of the Framework Agreement of First Nation Land Management, specifically mentions the Squamish Band in the Schedule to the Bill. When it passes, as it surely will over the objections of the BC Association of Native Women, and even some rank and file members of the Squamish Band itself, big changes could be coming to our corner of the world. Bill C-49 actually had a life in the previous Parliament as Bill C-75, but died on the Order Paper when the election was called in 1997. Until that time, Reform MPs had held up passage of the Bill for several months because of concerns expressed by Native women and the BC Union of Municipalities. This time around though, unless the House prorogues, | expect the Bill will become law sometime during the J next few months, perhaps even before Christmas. WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT iT? The aim of the Bill is to ratify and implement a framework agreement signed on February 12, 1996 by a group of 14 Native bands and the Federal Goverment. It concerns the management of reserve lands, and the basic provisions in the Bill seem to be both sensible and desirable. They include: * The replacement, with a specific Land Code, of sections of the Indian Act which control, and often hold up, development on the Reserves. * The opportunity for Bands to have much greater flexibility to develop and manage their lands and resources. 1 doubt that many people would have any argument with these goals and neither 1 do Reform MPs. However, Reform policy | requires, as an essential element of such agreements, that there be well documented public support, along with | protection for the rights of rank and file Aboriginal people. in this respect, Bill C-49 is severely flawed, for the | Government has yet to determine whether there is public support, and nor does the Bill set out clear protections for rank and file rights on the Reserve, particularly with respect to matrimonial property rights and democratic process. A MAJOR CONCERN Timothy Renshaw has already detaiied a number of problems with the Bill in his article last Sunday, but one of the major } concerns is the authorization in the Bill for the affected Bands to develop their Land Codes without the need for discussions with local municipalities. When { told Mayor Don Bell about this or: November 11th, he said that he did not even know that Bil! C-49 existed, let alone that it was at second reading in the House of Commons. in addition, the outcome of a November 13th meeting between the Aboriginal Affairs Committee of the Union of BC Municipalities, and the Lands Advisory Board for the Framework ? Agreement, illustrated very clearly that no | agreement has yet been reached between the affected Bands and the affected municipalities as to how they will work together after Bill C-49 becomes law. That meeting determined that it was necessary to create “a discussion paper among the parties to set out general principles on reciprocal consuitation regarding land use planning and related issues.” A letter sent out after the meeting to North Vancouver municipalities and Squamish Chief Bill Williams by the Chairman of the interim Lands Advisory Board stated, “The draft discussion paper is of course very preliminary and requires approval by our respective parties. As our Chiefs have not had time to review this proposal in detail, | ask that time be given for their consideration.” The Chairman has since told me, during committee hearings in Ottawa last Thursday, that the Chiefs of the affected Bands are committed to fostering a spirit of cooperation with the municipalities in BC. Good news, but no more meetings are pianned until the New Year, and even then they will only be discussing a framework for discussicns. Meanwhile, almost three years downstream from the signing ot the original agreement, with the Bill close to being passed into law, there are no guiding principles “in piace for consultation with municipalities, no ] contact it would appear between the Squamish Band and at least one of our local municipalities, no Squamish Land Code in place, and a general lack | of knowledge about Bill C-49 by rank ] and file Band members. (A number of Band members have calied my office asking for information abdut the Bill because, they said, it had not been provided for them on the Reserve. They also indicated that they would like me to continue with opposition to the Bill on their behalf, in particular because of possible problems with matrimonial property rights and the concentration of power in the hands of a few.) IDEAL AMENDMENTS Ideal amendments to Bill C-49 would have been: (1) Removai of reference to any particular Band from the Schedule of the Bill; (2) No registration on the Schedule until a Band first: (a) Obtains authorization by Band members, via a democratic vote, to apply for registration on the Schedute; (b) Provides proof of consultation with suricunding municipalities; and (c) Publishes a Land Code which has been democratically developed by Band members, and which includes matrimonial property rights. (3) A clause in the Bill making it clear that no “third level” of Government is either created or implied by the Bill. The above amendments, in my opinion, would ensure that good | working relationstips were in place among the pasties affected before any independent development could proceed. Unfortunately, without those amendments, we will be left with the potential for ongoing and serious |; friction between a Native Band with greatly increased fand development powers, and the necessary services. Ted White, M.P. , #302-1200 Lynn Velley Road, North Vancouver, B.C. .V7J 2A2- _ Tel: 666-0585 Fax: 866-4509, Internet: beep:/fwww.reform.ca/white-t/. ted surrounding | municipalities which must provide the ‘Cam Capilano Cem College. -» Christmas classics jazz concert The Jace Studies deparment 1s proud to present an evening of Christmas classics in the Capilano College Performing Ars Theatre on Friday, December 11 at § p.m. The concert features Capilano College's nwo premiere jazz enswmbles, the "A” Band, shrecred by Brad Tumer, and Nitecap, directed by Rejean Maron. This concert is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students and semors. For uckets and information, please call 990-7810. >» Give the gift of knowledge Personalized educational gift certificates are now available through the Continuing Education department. Treat vour friend or family member to a course beginning in January 1999, The winter calendar is available at the College or check it out ortine at www.cagcollege.be.cal continuinged. Call 990-7836 for more information. > Interested lina career change? The Network Specialist Program is designed with the working professional in mind. Classes are small and held evenings and weekends, so you can continue to work while you learn new computing skills. In less than one year, you can have the following designations: MS Certified Professional (MCP), MS Centified Systems Engineer (MCSE), and Certified Novell Administrator (CNA). Call 990-7871 for March 1999 enrolment. > Doing bueiness in Latin America The Business Administration department is offering two courses focusing on Latin Ainerica starting in January 1999. An intemational business course focuses on how to work with Latin American businesses. The course is offered Thursdays from 2:30 to 6 p.m. The second course focuses on intemational law as it relates to Latin America. It will be offered Tuesdays from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Call 984-1742 for more information. CAPILANO COLLEGE 2055 Purcell Way North Vancouver 985-1911