6 - Friday, Junuary 15, iC 1988 — Nocth Shore News C’s ‘22% INSIGHTS math is hard to follow ICBC HONESTY is not in question, but its public relations are lousy, says West Van’s Fred Pope. He was referring to our Jan. 6 item on that ‘‘average 22 per cent”’ hike in auto insurance rates (‘‘Make the bad guys, not the good, pay...’’). Mr. Pope is one of an unusual nuniber of readers who've phoned in support of my argument. But he disagrees with my suggestion, bas- ed on figures from ICBC bass Tom Holmes, that the best drivers would pay only about 13 per cent extra — i.¢., 40 per cent discount off the ‘‘average 22 per cent."" His wife, who's in that category, has just reccived her new ICBC bill. Both the total and the 40 per cent discount — $915 less $366 — are up 22 per cent as against last year’s $750 Iess $300. But the NET that she has to pay — $549 com- pared to last year's $450 is ALSO 22 per cent higher. If the 22 ver cent is a true ‘average,’' as [CBC claims, Mr. Pope argues that there must logi- cally be drivers who are paying a smaller percentage increase. But since the TOP 40 per cent discount for the very best drivers still translates into a 22 per cent net hike, who — he wants to know — is getting off more lightly? How? And why? I didn't major in math, but they sound good questions. Maybe time for another chat with your PR boys, Tom! EVERY APRIL 23 your scribe wears a red rose. When virtually everyone asks why, | explain that it's my modest annual contribution to multiculturalism — April 23 be- ing St. George’s Day in merry England, with Shakespeare's bir- thday thrown in for good measure. So far, we English-born Cana- dians have kept pretty quict about the whole thing, Jeaving il to more excitable tribes to make all the noise on their feast days. Right now the haggis is being stuffed for NEWS photo Wits Waka ALLIN THE DAY’S WORK...North Van City firefighters try out the rocking chairs their Department donated to LGH’'s special care nursery. Left to right, Dave Burgess with two-day-old Marshall, Andy Schmidt with 28-day-old Sabrina and Bob Poole with 23-day-old Matthew. WS THAT North Vancouver's Hyco Yechnologies Corp. has won a multi-million dollar contract to build submarines for the scores of Burns Night bashes. The i7th of Ircland shenanigans loom six weeks later. But there are signs that English immigrants may soon start com- peting in carnest with the Scots, irish, Italians, Greeks, Germans and Ukrainians. Last year (very quietly, of course!) a St. George's Society led by a Mr. Roger Dawson was formed in Vancouver. Now — as British Consul General Brian Watkins, their honorary patron, delicately puts it ~- they want to ‘raise the society's pro- file’” by actually having some fun. Planned among other things for this coming April 23 is a big St. George's Day dinner-dance party overtown. Stay tuned, ex-Brits, for further details. The event will boost the red rase industry. Mr, Watkins at the head table guarantees at Icast one good speech. And (f we keep up the pressure, even Hallmark Cards may eventually climb an St. George's bridwagon! WERE YOU AT SFU during any period up to 1975? And if so, do you have a story you'd like to tell about your experiences there? In that case, Robin Fisher wants to hear from you. The SFU history professor is writing a book-length history of B.C.’s famous ‘insiant’' universi- ty (built and opened in 24 months) with special emphasis on its rapid and often controversial growth during the first 10 years or so. He hopes to have the work completed in time for SFU's 25th anniversary in 1990, © friday focus e A specialist in B.C. history, Professor Fisher notes that writing about contemporary history is a particularly Canadian phenome- non. ‘‘The advantage,‘’ he says, ‘tis that one can use a fot of oral history. The people who were in- volved to a large extent are still around."’ if you feel yourself to be a part of that history, call him at 291- 4431 or 291-3521, POSTCRIPTS: Firefighters and rocking chairs don’t normally go together. But they did at Christmas when North Van City Fire Dept. bought three rockers for the LGH special care nursery with money raised putting up the lights at Park & Tilford Gardens ... 1f you're Hawaii-bound this winter, ask your travel agent about the Hawaii Vacation Book, published by Van- couver’s Campbell Cox Group (731-7251). It contains discount coupons for 53 Waikiki restaurants and 22 other holiday activities — total coupon value over $1,000 Cdn. Regular $27.50, but the in- troductory price until the end of February is $19.95... And many West Vancouverites — churchgo- ing and otherwise — will be sorry to learn that the well-loved Rev. Ed Wallace, rector of St. Stephen's, is planning to retire this spring. ' WRIGHT OR WRONG: The trouble with using experience as a guide is that the final exam often comes first —— and then the lesson.@ Mexican tourist industry is another reaffirmation of the advanced marine technology currently concentrated on the North Shore. ft should also be another loud message to the federal government and other major ship and submarine cus- tomers to look west rather than exclusively east when considering awarding contracts. The $350-million Polar Class 8 icebreaker has been. the single major contract awarded West Coast ship- builders by the federal government, but its worth is dwarfed by the $5-billion program to build the second batch of six navy frigates recently awarded exclusively to East Coast shipyards. © In addition to Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc., which will construct the Polar 8, the North Shore boasts such first-class shipbuilding operations as Van- couver Shipyards Co. Ltd., which won a $6.2 million federal government contract last September to build a 700-class icebreaker, Allied Shipbuilders Ltd. and numerous smaller operations with international repute. Hyco joins North Vancouver’s Can-Dive Services Ltd., the largest commercial diving company in Canada, on the forefront of world submersible con- struction and underwater technology. While East Coast shipyards, well within lobbying range of Ottawa, pack the most political wallop, their West Coast counterparts pack a technological wallop that is in danger of being lost amid eastern demands for the entire shipbuilding pie. 980-0511 986-6222 985-2131 986-1337 986-1337 Disptay Advertising Classified Advertising Newsroom Distribution Subscriptions ‘Publisher Peter Speck Managing Editor... . Barrett Fisher Associate Editor Noel Wright Advertising Director . Linda Stewart North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph II! of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Prags Lid. and distributed to every door on the North Shore, Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885. Subscriptions North and West Vancouver, $25 per year. Mailing rates available on sequest. Submissions are welcoma but we cannot accept responsibility tor unsolicited material including manuscripts and pictures s which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelopa. MEMBER 58,489 (average, Wednesday Friday & Sunday) SDA DMSION North Shore owned and managed Entire contents © 1988 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved.