6 — Wednesday, July 15, 1998 — North Shore News north shore news Feb UP WiTH CONSTANT Pension palaver oa ; REVELATIONS OF MILITARY HELLO, MACLEANS?. E cheers for Adam Exner. to special interest groups. They abide I The Vancouver archbishop has by the old Orwellian saw that all folk SCANDALS, THE BRASS I'M CANCELLING MY launched a Catholic rocket into are equal but some are more equal than FINALLY TAKES SUBSCRIPTION. Lotsetedte. _§ the NDP’s plan to extend pension ben- __ others. efits to homosexual couples in the pub- Hard to quibble with Archbishop ° ! lic service. Exner’s proposal, though. NDP MLA ‘ According to a recent report in tie Tim Stevenson agreed that the idea was daily press, Archbishop Exner ques- worthy of study. But the NDP govern- tions the prudency of the plan, which ment’s priority, he reportedly said, is to would allow homosexual employees in give equal rights to homosexuals first. B.C.’s public service to designate They being more equal than other homosexual partners as pension benefi- members of the public service. Other ciaries. Exrier argues that the plan issues raised by the archbishop include - og _ Should be expanded to include ali pub- oppesition to calling same-sex partners ‘, lic service employees, not just homo- spouses and his contention that a oO sexuals. Only fair, he says, to include homosexual relationship does not con- . g perhaps lifelong heterosexual friends or stitute a marriage. He is right, of e other family members the employee course. But the powers that be have no co, + has been living with for extended peri- time for such common sense assertions oor] ods. And fair it would be. But the and less time for such legitimate criti- vote social engineers in Victoria don’t count cism. Special interest groups rule the fair in their repertoires when it comes toost in this owisted hen house. PECISIVE ACTION: = mailbox _______ Hail to a native prime minister! a J u Ss ti ce sy st e 7 1 INDIAN land claims are moving — Greater Vancouver’s North Shore water- The simple fact is that the tim close to home, and the closer shed, North Shore parks and beaches, to such treaty-making wath our sborigin q mention just a few. fellow Canadians is long past. Whatever they get, the more obvious the Give us back the land or buy us out the sins of carly colonizers —. in which’: Dear Editor: : “Re: Leo Knight’s July 8 column. I read with interest your article concerning the “jailed” RCMP officer. I recognize that there are always two sides toa story. However, if what you stated is let’s say, 80% truc, we're in trouble. -.; How many times has an officer been confronted with “scumbags” who verbally and physically assault them? All the while being told that he/she must respect their rights. The latest stage of treaty negotiations about to unfold concerns abo- riginal claims on the Lower Mainland, 2 process for which there is no Canadian precedent in any major urban set- ting. Involved are six Coast Salish bands with a 6s. s bs C Ag] iC i S$ m rowl n fundamental flaws ia the whole ith money from non-native taxpayers today’s multicultural society had system become. will be the basic Indian == — the basic truth in 1998 is:th: formula. And, of course, land returned to aboriginals is theirs to use any way they wish. Stanley Park could be logged and lined with highrises.. Ambleside Park could become a PNE-style amusement park with a king-size casino: native and non-native alike, sh democratic soversign state, based majority rule for the greatest g greatest number, with justice one faw. ey .. Dozens of piccemeal treaties: lead to South African-type aparthes all its tragic results The only is: to help ALL aboriginals join r stream Canadian economic life;.wh ensuring — like all others in the: How can someone cope with the mendacity dished out by —_ a combined population some of.these habitual twits? Give me strength! of 13,074, of whom only “1 find it absolutely amazing that a corrupt politician like 8,535 — fess than 0.5% ” Jooming grief is the unique and valued cultiire. ah Michel Cogger receives a fine of $3,000 probation for an of the Lower Mainland population — fe — Supreme Court’s ambiguous ; As Squamish Chief Joc: Mathias offence that netted him approximately $256,000 and he is —_on reserves. Delgamuukw decision last December. self has suggested, let’s look able to remain a member of the Senate! The claims map has all the clarity of ic threw the creaty process into chans —- Canarfa one day being led by'a -_ SO, what’s the verdict? Will this officer — and hopefully an explosion in an cel-processing plant, by upholding aboriginal title even if Indian prime ministe ty ‘= his “fellow officers and union — stand up and appeal this cach claim overlapping one or more based on purely verbal history. And it ; : . Nonsense? ! hope so. neighboring claims. obligated governments to consult fully At the root.of all this - Canadian mosaic — they fetain their .... J don’t know what our AG and the rest of our “great For example, the entire North Shore, with native bands on all use of land sub- . leaders” are reading or experiencing. But some of the plus most of Vancouver and Burnaby, is ject to claims. As a result, investment in “.. sewage’ that-I-hear about-and experience first-hand leaves the alleged domain of no less than three recession-stricker. BC has largely ground ~- me with the impression that the public doesn’t count in bands — the Squamish, Burrard and ° to a hale. some situations and that'the criminal only needs “under- © Musqueam. One wonders how on carth Since so much of the Lower Mainland standing” or a “hug” to set he/she on the right course. —_ they got along with one another before is already irrevocably developed in con- . Please, | . whitey arrived. crete and blacktop, the prospect for non- . -«:T realize one must remain positive in all situations. One immediate item of cheer is that native taxpayers boils down to compensa- : > However, I can feel my cynicism growing over the issue of your home is apparently safe. All parties tion running into untold hundreds of f f:- The Making of a justice. I have written letters to our Members of Parliament, have reportedly agreed that private lands —_millions. Nor would this adequately solve Panther: The Derrick Humphreys Story only to have self-serving dribble returned'to me. Did I are not.up for grabs, though there's no “the Indian problem”, since none of the © today, Wednesday, 11:3 30 mention my complacency? I hope we’re not at the point of — guarantee that the bands won't seck money would go to the 35% of Lower. p.ni. at West Van Sen “ ‘no return. . . financial compensation in lieu. Otherwise, Mainland aboriginals (47% for the ‘ Le yt Jeffrey Ketchen : almost everything clse is very definitely province overall) fiving off reserve. It .. -O0 Centre for Distance Education up for grabs. : would go solcly to band administrations, WRIGHT OR WRONG Simon Fraser University That would include Stanley Park, thus encouraging natives to stay on the most effective tranquilize : UBC’s Pacific Spirit Park, Jericho, reserves as welfare dependants. has no side effects. - : ketchen@sfu.ca LETTERS TG THE EBITOR Letters must include your name, full address & telephone number. VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca Worth Shore News, founded in 1969 25 an independent suburban newspaper and qualihed under Scheckde 111, Parayaph 111 of the Excise Tax Act. is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shone Free Press PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) Distiiovtion Manager 906-1337 (124) 905-2131 (127), Gt, SB2 (average c:tc ation, Wednesday. Friday & Sunday; Entire contents © 1997 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights iazerved., ck, from 1139 Lonsdais Avcauo North Vancouver