Wednosday, August 13, 1997 - Notth Shore News 9

Cee eee

KKK recruitment backfires | Legal aid

Klan. ‘Grand Dragon’
talks after he’s fired
from North Van firm

Corinne Jackson Maple Ridge Times

es etemmnereaeneed Least hotmretime Meetoat

and and Robert Galsier News Reporter +

LAST week’s firing of Bryan aaylor
Bfrom the North Vancouver office of
ADT Sccurity Systems revealed more
questions than answers regarding the
activitics of the Grand: Dragon of the
Ror pea tack of the Ku Klux: Klani:

par ALT: ‘employ )
orrer with ¢
ompany,, President,

» Was ‘fred

Roy.»

Maguire aid relayed to him information the :

d during - an tight: month
rivestigation. ,
‘ei The news per determined the identity. of the
Dragon for the Pacific Realm. after
“that Taylor was.'the man behind “a :
aes office box used to recruit Klan

istribute Klan’ materia.

ything

box, his later admission to his hess,

ssion of. using the. companty's

meter, to send Klan matenal, resuled in nis *

Rotem "re glad yo ought this to our attention,”
"Canada’s vice-president of human resources ©
$8: Mayer said Thured :

Maple Ridge.

NORTH Vancouver ADT Secuity Systems em

after being Inclentified as s the Grand wt Dragon 0% smemaiay of the Ku Kiux Kian. .

“interview with the inemploye
man: "

i Taylor, a 45- year-old Coquitlam resident,”

_ decided to talk tox “Give my two cents worth for
whatever it’s worth,” '

“"e -Almost from the start, Taylor,’ who! s divorced

without children, tries to clear his farnily and ADT
_ of any connection to Klan activity, adding that no
information received through the company ‘would
" have been used for Klan business,

istrative position — he'says, from about February

© 1994 until four moaths ago when he decided to

shut the Maple’ Ridge box dow.

*m not involved in this anymore (and) I don’ t

fe and “defensive,
F he « flowing is.an exer from: eatery $

alarm system sales- 7 literature or activities was in my estimation hateful,

» unprotected by:the government.

” he adds.
Yes, he was Grand D ragon — a mostly admin: a
‘me Lo change the. organization so

changes
set for
January

Prone pase 1
~ Ollie,

~ Which doles out money given to |
- iteby Victoria to B.G, legal aid
"offices, sald that an “enhanced
area director” will: replace*-the '
_ community lav, office as of Jan,

‘Collett apts ‘the’ North
‘Shore legal aid budget'to fall to *
“approximately ‘$80,000. at that
time, She woiies. that’ "people

“|. who need legal services: won't :
Bet them.

..., “Weare hoping to work with
“egal services: to get them: ‘to
reconsider their, closure,” she.

n Taylor w was = edi last Thursday

«When I was the Grand Dragon nothing in our

or racist or violent.”
And yet the histor of the Klan i is seen by, many

_ as full of hate and violence,

“Every Kian realm has its own agenda,” he says, -
adding the Pacific Realm’s agenda was to promote :
diminishing ‘white. culture “and traditions’ left 2

. eae services ‘take Vina
lengthy list of legal issues such as
bankruptcy, ; Canada - Penst
«Plan, ewes

Hiring policies and quotas threaten tition,

“T thought it ‘would be a great opportuni for.
at itwas one
that would be active in that regard, promoting our.’
culture ... To change ‘it into something that was -
not violent, not hateful, but something that ¥ was a

fy .
The Legal Services Soclety 7 ee

plan'to in the fiture,:As far'as I'm concerned it’s

art of: my past Pm just having to. deal with it”

sicause it’s come back to bite me;” he’ says...
the details regarding the organization’s

ven: the:. Pacific: Realm's geographical

y are given a“no comment,”..

; “According to Ta aylor, he first joined the Klan in

i : cag summer: of ‘9,

pin mail that ‘finally ‘minded people,
‘identity, The Ties contacted’

K from Vancouver as Grand Dragon. There was no

“one clse in that position at the time, he explains,

“adding, it was very casual and poorly organized,

‘This: was: something he .was -hoping to turn

“around and had the; “approval of-his superiors to” =

do so." “he
F "Asked about the: ae of activities the Klan is”
“involved J in todayy Taylor

after, getting. to know. Tike-

* Then around February 1994 he | was cleeted ;

is visibly uncomfortable, 7

matter of pride,” he sa

-“You ‘can have pride ‘in just about cig”
except being white without being branded 4 racist -
‘ora bigot.” 2. :
' However, ' Taylor says ‘his ‘non: violent, non-
hateful approach didn’t win over members, or dens ©

‘vand klaverns organized under him:. ‘

“(Others are) probably a litde bit more over the

tine, maybe a little: more inclined (toward) more

hateful activities or literature what’ s not the way |
I wanted things to go.”
‘Does: he. see, the Klan gainin ng in membership

when he’s making his exit so public? be

“If the type of legislation being passed or cing a
bandied about coritinues, then I would see it can-
Hinuing vale is

they can n get on without me very wel, ” he

: From page 1

says her com any is not trying to. upset.anyone.

aS compat that Lying be an anyone. of the

“mall. “One wall will be joined to the mall,” she says. The

; store j is cxpected to keep regular hours of 7a a.m. to 10

Speaking * ~~ from- “
Home:: Depot's * “head”
fficein > Toronto,
Spremo said she believes .
that | residents “should :

- not worry: about: the
traffic. issue. “People
from‘ ‘downtown

_ Vancouver are not going
to’ be driving: to . the:

_ West Van Home Depot...
So it’s not going to clog. -

: “In Canada ¥ we have:
30 stores. In North.
America: we have
550.1 don’ t believe
- the company would ©
be so successful if

. the store. ‘jou can n get your iiéchen cabinets, your paint,

your drywall, you get your, lighting -—- you get all of that

“Gn one store. It’s everything you need for a project under ~

one roof.” “ya
Spremo dislikes the term “big box” and; “strongly...

" argues against the idea that the company is looking to
~__,himinate small ‘local -businesses’ that exist in;

est
" Vancouver. She says a'study done in Toronto by |
an independent consultant concluded that there.

when Stockyards (another. Home Depot venture)
came into existence.”:

' * She says: “We really don’ ¢ wipe, out the’ lire
guys. I know a lot of people think that but hon-'
estly, we're not in there to burn the little guys. We
know: that we won’t. It’s a nictie market.” ”

‘positive impact-on the’ community. The “Team .
pot” program supports lots of local communi-

are no less local hardware stores now as there were :

“Spremo says that the’ company wants to have a .

“owsincome guidelines; are: eligi
“ble one services: the'local

* enables Oy oe to access wh.

__they ‘are: tegally. entitled tin!
oer to, house, cloth feed:

plicants' to’ determine if. they
are. eligible: for. lewal

4s Theoretically,
poverty law clien

. ‘Howeven th that office already |
of

more’ “than cnough clici
6wn, said € Pallett,"
I ‘

own
is extrenely difficult for. them,
sh “said, Collett added that her

demands placed on
“We cannot "take call

“the rine General’s Ministr

people didn’t want:
' this type of shopping
. experience, A strong .
point is accessibility.”
— Noma Dope’ lana Sorome

d legal id at $81. 5 raillio

- Province-wide ‘funding
‘approximately $9 million Tes per:
_year than what legal services told.
~ the (government it requires* to”
“maintain existirig, services
The “role :

« Shore’s' enhanced ‘area ‘director
and the director's. budget .

ty clubs arid social service organizations, for exam:
ple, by building playgrounds and other projects _
within the community.

A newly announced program will allow kids to -
take part in free workshops where they build items
like birdhouses and toolboxes while their parents
are shopping. .

She added Home Depot listens to the'com:
munity.:“We will take residents’ ‘concerns’ into
consideration.”

-temperature ee We’ : up the Lions Gate
the beaches, the outdoor din-:..|.. bridge any more (than it
s and other North Shore already is). We have. :
seven’ Home: Depot
stores ~ in ~ Vancouver:
proper. There’s no rea-
son why (people) need
. ta. come across the
bridge.”
When asked what she thought ; about opposition to,

re iMformation, the News will,
‘dropping ‘its television istings
We want to get you off the. .
mouch and i into the community.

‘the store, Spremo said: “In Canada we have 30 stores. In
. North America we have 550, I don’t believe the compa-

ny would be so successful if people didn’t.want this type

of shopping experience. A strong point is accessibility.”

“She said the store will add to the community of West .

Vancouver and provide convenience. “Once you're in

Anyone interested in issue can look for the Park Royal -
information booth outside of Wilson’s and the Swedish
Jeweler in Park Royal South. Jim Barnum‘can be reached
at 925-9131, Petitions arc available at. Bean Around the
World, Home Hardware and Kerrisdale Cameras in West

. Vancouver.’

being negotiated. ‘The ditties

- such directors include ‘assessin
legal aid applications, refertin
_ eligible app cans ¢ to aaren an
offering . sume advice.* te