6 - Wednesday, September 12, 1990 - North Shore News HE TRERGCNCY GIRUFT OF GONSERVETINES TRAPPED IN ONTARIO TANG, Will THE ARRIVAL OF GNOTHER PLANELOaD iN VANCOUVER... VCS theppyy Oe “bteletiyaayy yy ld, lllltiyyyayy LOM INSIGHTS an, DO AALY NEWS VIEWPOINT Passenger priority S THE concept of a high-speed commuter ferry service linking Vancouver to other communities approaches reality, transportation planners should be considering exactly what would make the proposed passenger-only ferries truly effective for Lower Mainland com- muters. Transportation Minister Rita Johnston has announced that the government is eager to implement a new marine com- muter service that would run from Coal Harbour to Port Moody, Bowen {Isiand, Langdale on the Sunshine Coast, Nanaimo and Victoria, with some routes operative as early as spring 1991. Bids to operate the high-speed catamarans have already been invited. But the plans should raise North Shore resident concerns and inspire closer inspec- tion of the effects those plans will have on local commuters. West Vancouver — which was envision- ed as a possible stop in the concept as originally floated by BC Transit — is no longer in the running. Johnston wants the Vancouver SeaBus station to serve as the terminus for the service from Bowen Island and the Sun- shine Coast, but although the new routes would alleviate some through-ferry traffic from Bowen and Langdale, they appear to bypass the North Shore completely, offer- ing no opportunity for local residents to use the service. And it is hard to imagine how some of the other so-called ‘‘commuter’’ routes would have the same demand as would a West Vancouver stop. In view of the ministry’s eagerness to implement the service, concerned North Shore residents should be quick to make their opinions heard now while the gov- ernment’s pre-election goodwill hangs thick in the air. LETTER OF THE DAY Don't tear down forest Dear Editor, The recently issued West Van- couver report on the proposed golf course on Hollyburn Ridge is largely specious propaganda for a facility which, if constructed, will destroy a large part of the only remaining old growth forest in this urea. ‘he municipality promises to Publisher accompanied ty 11 Peter Speck | Managing Editor Timothy Renshaw Noel Wright save a mere 20 acres of forest out of the present 350. This is a ludicrous, minuscule fragment. Moreover, it is likely that such a small remnant will, not be viable, and would soon decay and have to be removed. Tearing down this ancient forest for the sake of constructing « golf course would be equivalent to Tet WORT E OF OWT HE ANID vet NE YRC HIE HUNDAY - WEDNESDAY - 6 HODAY 7139 Lonsdale avenue, North Vancouver BC V7M OHA 59,170 ‘average. Wednesday Friday & Sunday) n # Row * ADRAC INISIOON: Display Adverhsing Classified Advertising Newsroom Oistribution Subsenptions destroying a medieval cathedral to make way for a modernist pub. The municipality should cease at once from its undemocratic procedures in forcing through this development and send the issue to referendum, as provided by law. Peter Buitenhuis West Vancouver 980-0511 986-6222 985-2131 986-1337 986-1337 985-3227 MEMBER North Shore owned and nanaged entire contents 1999 North Shore “ree Mess Lid. All rights reserved BC.- Ontario liels may be a delusion WARNINGS ARE FALLING thick as autumn leaves about Bill Vander Zalm’s ears since the massacre of David Peterson’s Liberal government by Bob Rae's NDP hordes in last week’s Ontario election. If it can happen in conser- vative, fat-cat Ontario, where a socialist premiers — let alone one with a huge absolute majority — was unthinkable a month ago, surely Mike Harcourt has to be B.C.’s next premier. The glorious New Democrat dawn spreading across a waiting land! Or so goes the conventional wisdom today. But in politics in- stant parallels tend to have a short A BOB RAE... angry Ontarians had no other option. Bob Rae and his party did not WIN the Ontario election. David Peterson LOST it — sensationally —- together with his own seat and his Liberal leadership. He lost for personal reasons, with an assist from the pollsters. At the end of July, they gave the Liberals a solid 50 per cent lead. What safer signal could there be for grabbing — before the reces- sion set in — four more years of power? This strategy itself appears to have backfired. The government was only three years into its term. There were no crucial issues and the core economy of Ontario was still in good shape. With no reason for an early election voters sniffed something being put over on them — as indeed was the case. There seems also to have been some perception that the hand- some, groomed, s:per-confident Peterson was gettiiy: a bit big for his boots. But undoubiedly it was Meech Lake where he drowned. He was seen as the lapdog of Mulroney and Bourassa, and thus a key player in the constitutional farce which left the nation bleeding. By savagely rejecting Peterson, Ontario — long priding itself as Confederation’s guardian — was also telling Mulroney what awaits HIM there. Anger over the mess in which both old-line parties had landed Canada finally drove Ontarians to risk — fingers crossed — the only other option: moderate-sounding Bob Rae’s socialists. None of these factors apply in B.C. ; Vander Zalm, though hoping to the end for a solution to the con- stitutional intpasse, has a very dif- ferent record on Meech from Peterson's. He consistently demanded a better deal for the west — in particular Senate reform, on which he is still vigor- ously fighting Mulroney. He continues to strongly oppose other Ottawa policies he deems harmful to B.C., aotable amour Noel HITHER AND YON them the GST. As in Ontario, the economy is still purring along nicely, but he certainly can’t be accused — like Peterson — of rushing voters into a needless elec- tion. And unlike Ontario, B.C. has already tasted NDP government. In four general elections since then British Columbians have firmly declined to repeat the dose, much as they enjoy slapping Socreds on the wrist at by-elec- tions. Which suggests they still recall the nasty side-effects of Dr. Dave Barrett’s three years of socialist medicine in the early 1970s! eee WRAP-UP: Annual North Shore Terry Fox Runs to raise funds for cancer research go again Sunday, Sept. 16. The North Van run/ walk starts 8 a.m. from Highlands School near Edgemont Village. In West Van registration is 8 a.m. at the Ambleside Park concession stand, with walkers starting at 8:30, runners at 9 a.m. Pledge sheets at all North Shore Rec Centres. Call Wendy (North Van), 985-3514, or Pat Boname (West Van), 926-2961, for info... Oops-Sorry! Dept. — the correct number for Susan Watt, West Van-Garibaldi Socred president, is 926-6616 and NOT the number given in error Sunday... Happy anniversary today, Sept. 12, to North Van’s Roland and (Ald.) Stella Jo Dean who tied the knot 39 years ago... And ditto to West Van’s Alan and Alice Jessup celebrating their 54th today. kat WRIGHT OR WRONG (for this week’s aspiring politicians): Don’t just run for something — STAND for something! STELLA JO and Roly Dean . 1951 seems like yesterday. cee eee