NEWS » LL NORTH Shore residents interest- ‘ed in commuting between any of the three local municipalities and the rest of the Lower Mainland should speak now or forever hold their peace on the issue of upgrading the Lions Gate Bridge. ‘One of. the most important North Shore transportation. issues currently being consid- ered. by ‘the. provincial ‘ Ministry’ of ‘ Transportation and Highways, it will deter- “mine how North Shore commuters travel to and from Vancouver and the rest of the Lower Mainland well into the next century. And North Shore residents do a lot of commuting in that direction: an estimated 25 million vehicles use the Lions Gate Bridge annually, and over 90% of the vehicles that. use either of the two Burrard Inlet crossings “are driven by North Shore residents. The ‘local stake in what will replace the Lions They're ina Srnsitln a period ; they wart legalize Sig build a casino » What for, the alreadk iy” have the VSE"and the legislature VIE WPOINT Bridge input Gate Bridge is therefore huge. Proposals currently being considered by the Highways Ministry range from building tunnels to double-decking the current span. As reported in the North Shore News’ spe- cial March 13 feature on Lions Gate Bridge choices, a public forum is scheduled to be held tomorrow at North Vancouver’s Coach House Motor Inn, 700 Old Lillooet Rd., starting at 9 a.m. Another open house is scheduled to be held on‘Monday from noon to 9 p.m. at 515 West Hastings in Vancouver. In addition, the News: is polling local resi- dents on which proposal they. support. The survey, published on page three of the March 13 and 163 5 issues, can be sent to the news via fax (985-2104). Register your opinion now. The future transportation well-being of the North Shore depends on it. LETTER OF THE DAY NV District delivers blow to scary monsters Dear Editor: with the monster after years of talk,’ the public. Open letter to North Vancouver District Council: At long last we see a break- through on the single-family zoning problem! You have come to grips hand-wringing and more talk. You and the district staff must be congratulated for proposing a system that will develop a new rela- uonship between bureaucracy and Neighborly input on infill build- ing plans is the best, perhaps the only, way to attack the monster. Bert Cowan North Vancouver f Publisher.......... Managing Edito Associate Editor... Sales & Marketing Director. inda Stewart Comptrotle .Q0U9 Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid. and distributed to every door on the North Shore. ‘Canada Post Canadian Publications Mai! Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mailing rates available on request. Submissions are welcome but . we cannot accept responsibility fur unsolicited material including manuscripts and pictures wiich . Should ba accompanied by a stamped, addressed ” envelope, Peter Speck Timothy Renshaw Noel Wright Newsroom V7M 2H4 Display Advertising Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Subscriptions Classitied Advertising North Shore Managed Entire contents © 1994 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. | \ \ 986-1337 986-1337 985-3227 985-2131 980-0511 Distribution 986-6222 . Fax 985-213% Administration MEMBER Gena SNS VAN SDA DIVISION 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday} this newspaper contains secyded fibre 1139 Lonsdale Avenue North Vancouver 8.C. \ FANTASTIC BRITISH Columbia! This week carved its niche in history with the birth ofa new provincial political party. The Odds und Sods Party. Of course that is just my name for it. Possibly the Loose Ends Coalition would be more appropri- ate, To steal a metaphor once used to explain California: If yau seized British Columbia by the GOth paral lel, ited it, and gave ita good shake, all the loose political stulf in the province — the bits not ued down — would roll in the general direction of Victoria. And those rootless bits would be the Odds and Sods Party (OSP). Of course it is nota single pauty but a number of amazing and coior: ful and, yes, far from impotent, par- ties and personages. In fact the OSP will have deci- sive power if it survives as is. ‘It will elect the next provincial gov- ernment. : And, Ehardly need add, that government will now pe itself — clearly “it” isn’t an “it” — but rather the present government the dreadful New Democrats. Mike Harcourt is deliriousiy happy. Gordon Campbell is, or should be, just delirions. And all because of the OSP, which will spoil the Liberals’ game 66 Possibly the Loose Ends Coalition would be more appropriate, 99 plan. It is easily big enough to split the non-NDP vete and give us another terrific five years of Harcourt, Elizabeth Cull, Glen Clark, and the rest of the NDP gang. The OSP is about the size ofa baseball team. The question is: Who’s gonna pitch? The roster, at last count, consists of: & Grace (No-Seat) McCarthy, a seasoned and worthy veteran, and - her three loyal Social Credit mem- bers of the legislature, remnants of the Socred “sixpak.” having been tumed in for their deposits. The iatter three, whose most prominent figure is Jack (Switch- hitter) Weisgerber, former interim Socred leader and until days ago the other three the party's house leader. They stole the limelight from Monday's reopening of the legistature by announcing that they were joining the B.C. Reform Party. Reform thus went from zero to three MLAs ina single day, with- out having to go to the trouble and expense of a campaign. The party is idvologically a kiss- ing cousin of Preston Manning's federal Reform party but fraternally they are about as brotherly as Abel and Cain. There’s bad blood GARDEN OF. BIASES ment A em eemortat a “between Manning aid Ron Gamble, the leader ef the:B.C, Reform Party..-They share a person- al detestation for cach other. They had a falling-out several years ago, Besides, Manning grinds his teeth because he can't do any- thing about the parties" common. name because the B. C. party was there first, | Ut registered the 1 name. several years before the federal party was hatched. And it wouldn't give it up. Manning tried. Gamble refused.’ Garnible wouldn’t have ratéd as.” evena utility infielder until 2. Monday. He's a cipher to almost alt British Columbians. te Phone the party office and you get — as I've found several times, | —,an answering machine. Leave-a ~ message and a party lieutenant, or - possibly corporal, phones back a. couple,of days later and tells you: out of town untti the week? been thot kind of eniateurish operation. te But Gamble graceiessly de~ , stroyed McCarthy in last moath’s “ history-unmaking Matsqui byelec. tion, taking enough votes to scutile her attempt to geta legislature seat -and maybe wielding the decisive A ‘wrecking ! bar to the dismantling of." | i the long-ruling Sozreds. © - @ And then there's Gordon ¢ Fes Wilson of the Alliance’ Party, for- meas merly the Progressive Democratic’ . Alliance, who formerly led the -. Liberals and Judy Tyabji, formerly his house ieader and now his house... “mate, B.C. is the chameleon capital - of politics in Western civilization. The Wilson-Tyabii party is treated as a bit of a joke but for all” his wheel-of-fortune spins, Wilson | is pechaps thesharpest opposition performer ~ bright, capable, . informed, and eiernally interesting. Tyabji too has plenty of smarts. 225 * personality, and some well- ~argued.. causes, ‘ & Finally, there's David Mischief. Oops, Mitchell. Our own huge- ~ brained member for West. Vancouver-Garitaldi radiates glee about this maverick melee, playful- ly using his independence of party and of mind to stir up the pot, hint- ing that he may go here, he may go there, and, like the Scarlet Pimpernel, being everywhere and , nowhere at the same time. But could he, would he, lead the Gdds and Sods Party? Look at that starry lineup: McCarthy, Weisgerber, Wilson ... far more tal- ent than the Liberals. Now, once again: Who's § gonna pitch? : ;