SQUAMISH BAND ERECTS PLAQUE Indian war veterans honored ANDREW NATRALL takes time out from singing O Canada to smile ata young child. The 91-year-old veteran of World Yor Dwas among 39 local native people honored Thursday during a plaque unveiling ceremo- ny at St. Paul's Church. Local Indian leaders say it is important (hat young people learn of their elders’ involvement in the wars. HOPING FOR GAS WV firm drills on Vancouver Island A NORTH VANCOUVER exploration company has begun drilling for natural gas on Vancouver Island. Laurel Exptorations Ltd. presi- dent Doug Webber said Friday the drill in his company's first natural gas well drilling rig had been “spudded™ (set in’ the eround) June 2S, “Yes, GUS very exciting. It's a big rig. very impressive. Webber, who owns North Vian- couver’s Web) bngineering ltd.. formed Laurel in TY8t. The com. pany osubsequentiy acquired the drilling mehts to (80,000 acres just south of Nanaimo. BP EXPLORES Exploration on the property has been carried out by British Pet. roleum = Canada (BP), Taurel's paring: inthe venture. BP first began natural gas es. ploration on Vancouver [sland 24: years avo. The company has in Weather: Sunday through Tuesday, a mixture of sun and cloud. Highs near 20°C. Hy TIMOTHY RENSHAW News Reporter sested close fo St omillion on ex- ploration thus far, most of which has been spent on seismic survess, A BP official satd the electric drill beng used on the Laurel property ( worth abour $5 million. Psatunated cost of drilling the two wells is expected to be $2.8 million, Webber said) the first well. christened BP Laurel, will be drill ed to 4,300 tect and will ake about 25 days to complete. WELD INTEREST Laurel. he said, will own 1S per centot the first well, The company’s second well, BP See North Page 4 INDEX Business ...........39 Classified Ads.......41 Doug Collins........ 8 Comics ............ 19 Editorial Page....... 6 Fashion............ 15 Bob Hunter......... 4 Lifestyles ..........37 Mailbox............ 7 Safe and Secure.....29 Sports.............92 T.V. Listings........27 Travel .............17 What's Going On... .40 3 - Sundays. July 6, [986 - North Shore News THREE war medals dangled from Andrew Natrall’s fring- ed, buckskin shirt, and the 91-year-old’s one good eve brimmed with tears as he was wheeled up to a plaque listing the names of Indian war veterans. The plaque was erecied by the Squamish Nation in recognition of local natives who served in World War i, World War Hl. Cyprus and Vietnam. The veterans, all members of the Squamish and Burrard Indian bands, were described as the “new warriors’ during the dedication ceremony Thursday beside St. Paul's Church. Chief Philip Joe. of the Squamish Indian Band, said be- tween PS and 20 per cent of the focal natise community served) in the Great Wars. Thats a huge percenttge trom our population.” he said. oth don't think too mans people know the number of our men and women who voluntarily went to war to fiat and save this country. VETERANS HONORED “A fot oof them) didn’t come back, and we're here to honor them and all Of our veterans still alive.” Natrall, ao sniper who served overseas during World War b, was presented with it blanket that had earlier hidden the large, marble plaque from view. Beside bis name were those of Charles and George Newman, who fought for Canada Bs KIM PEMBERION News Reporter between 1914 and 198. Natrall said he was proud of his people for recoxnizing the Jocal nalive War veterans. bur now he Wants to “see Tbe dats when there is he war.’ In World War He there were 33 nates listed, and about a half a dozen men present, Pwo men served in Cyprus and one oman. Tieutenant Colonel Thomas Almojucke Nahanee, serve ed in’ Vietnam. Nahanee. still a member ot the LS. Armed Forces and a graduate of West Point, was abo oan honored guest ato the unveiling ceremony, SOLDIER STATUS “People heep asking me why | worted to be a soldier,’ said Nahanee. “Poremember visiiag my grand- father down the road and he had a photo of my Unele Ed who died in World War T. On the photo was a medal. Pve been a soldier now for 25 years." Steve Wright, 6S, won a military medal for bravery in action: while he was a member of the Toronto Seonish regiment. While fighting in difficult: terrain, Wright) was wounded in the back from a shrapnel shell, but returned to ac- Hon after two months. His cousin was killed. “Cthink its ceally something to commemorate all the boys who fought) over there,"” he said. “Many people believe native peo- ple didn’t have much to do with the war but a lot of them accepted the call." Peter Rivers, 76, was 29 when he joined the Canadian Airforce. “hHowas exciting and ['d do it all again.” he said. CHOICE, EQUALITY “Toalways wanted freedom of choice and eqeality — when you're in the service vou were equal to the guy next fo vou.”’ Abo wearing medals on his buckskin outfit was Jim Nahanee, Ol. One of the medals was a Con- federation Pease Vime Award, which he satd his daughter had never seen before, “Its important for our young people to realize the extent of their family members involvement in the services,” he said. “Unveiling the plaque was something that needed to be done,” Other war veterans at the cere- mony inciuded Chuck Billy, Larry dack, Harvey Gonzales and Pascal Cortes. NEWS photo Stuart Davis GERRY MCGUIRE disphiys his anti-abortion views outside the Vancouver couct house. The 31-year-old North Vancouver man says he will coatinue his hunger strike until the provincial government changes what he says are policies that condone the murder of handicapped infants in B.C. hospitals, Abortions on decrease at Lions Gate Hospital From Page 1 Ina CLA press release, MeGuire that he is requesting that B.C. Health Minister Jim) Nielen end the murder of newborns in B.C. hospitals; mount a full-scale investigation into the practice af all neo-natal wards in BoC. dratta directive that anv future cases of failure fo treat newborns will result in criminal investigation for murder: and that there be a full disclosure of all ministry files con- cerning the issue. stated PARENTS DECIDE Health ministry seehgsinan fan Smith said) Wednesday the treat- ment of newborns is ‘ta matter for parents and physicians to decide. Fach case is handled individually, The decision is the responsibility of the parents, The ministry cannot impose specifte directives here’ But MeGuire said the ministry was abdicating its responsibility, “to withdraw normal treatment in anv case is scill murder."* Pointing to Lions Gate Hospital abortion policies, MeGuire brand- ed North Vancouver “tone of the most hard-hearted areas in BUC, It’s the material wealth here.” Monthly abortions at LG have dropped from SS in 1978 to 38 over the past sear. Live monthly births at the hospital, meanwhile, have risen from 114 to 128 over the same period. LGH president John Borthwick said Thursday that if there was any chance at allot a baby's surviving, treatment would be continued at the hospital, ‘tbhut in some cases there is just nothing that can be done.” He said the decision was a highly personal matter between parents and their phvsicians. “People have become so en- chanted with medical science that they think it can do anything, but itean’t” Borthwick said.