Sm

AD news for cigarette enthusi-

asts: smoke-free: dining and

o entertainment environments

do not necessarily spell the death of
~ business as they know it. °

One of the main arguments against

- no-smoking bylaws in municipalities .

is that they will empty pubs and other
refreshment halls as tobacco; addicts
flee the land for more accommodat-
ing venues,

However, the question | that
remains unanswered in those argu-
ments is: if: there are consistent.
bylaws in a municipality and sur-.
rounding municipalities that restrict’

tobacco burning, where are they all’.
“going to flee to? South of the border? , -
If you put any stock in a recent —

; Story in the daily press, the impact on

north shore ne

WS

VIEWPOINT

hke signals

According to the story, California
bar owner Carol Brookman reported
being terrified that her business
would take a heavy hit from a
California law forcing her bar to be
smoke-free. But after 1@ months, she
is more than happy with the law.

She reports better health, both
personally, and staff-wide.

Illness and other workplace absen- ,

teeism is down, morale is up.

Fire fears have also. been much.

reduced.

As the tobacco industry torques up
_its advertising campaign across — the
‘fand to deal out more death. and ill-
ness, consider the benefits of smoke-
less environments.

‘And demand them in your neigh-
borhoods and local dining and ¢rink-

bars from: anti-smoking bylaws 2s
overblown.

aitbox

_

t h that N. Van
“inferiority complex

Dear Editor: °

“7 Re: More big box buffoonery. . i
= L do appreciate that for some to put pen to paper can be a
‘rather daunting experience, but to take over three months to
gather one’s thoughts in order to respond to 4 letter, gives
new. meaning to the adage, “Think before you speak,” or in
this case, before you write: M, Stringer has taken umbrage at
she perceives as insulting to all who reside in North
lived in North Vancou ver. for several years and

, NU large stores‘added to
se al ah :stablished i in. North Vancouver would ‘not be a

blight on the landscape, as long as they were erected i ina suit:

able: wiciniity.

fancouver, however, “hag no: similar : structures as

“those propused by Larco. ‘therefore, thicy would be totally:

obtrusive y_aréa ‘of our municipality. Larco no doubr
‘ense animiosicy their ill- -conceived plans have

ted. lly, they will allow Park Royal to grow and
hi peo, es “of North’ and’ "West Vancouver, witho:

destroying that which makes West; ‘Vancouver so unique

As for M:;Stringer, you will continue ‘shopping. in’ Park
“and Dandarave, and ‘will also continue to’.
a our beautifully maintained parks and beaches. Just shake

Royal; Am esi

—— Municipa

ing locales.
“It will be a win-win situation.

SO, as they say at the track, who
do you like in the 1999th?

That’s the year municipal elections are
‘held — and, by the way, here’s one citi-
zen who thinks the pre- .
sent three-year municipal
terms are a year tuo long.

If the entire U.S.

House of Representatives
is obliged to run every
two years, surely focal
councils in B.C. shouldn’r
have a longer tenure.

But that’s an aside.
We're two-thirds through

* the term of our municipal

._ political leaders. Cail it the:

™ four-furlong pole “of a thoroughbred

“sprint race of six furlongs:

# inferior locality complex;'and treledng all that.

i: North: ‘Vancouver has. to D off sinc ding their big

‘or must be legible (preferably type- on

A

titten) and include:your name, full address and telephone
“number, Maximuni 400 words: Due to space constraints the
“North Shore Nev cannot ‘Publish all letters.

* Wee Shee Mews, founded in 1969 2s an
* dependent suburban newspaper and quatited

“under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the.

Excise Tax Act, is qubbshed each Wednesday,

_ Friday and Sunday by Norttt Shore Free Press

Ltd and céstributed to every door on the Noeth

© Shore, Canada Post Canadian Pubécations Mad

4 Sales Product Agreement Ho, 0067238.

The News has issued form charts (to
keep the racetrack analegy going) on the
three North Shore councils. Parochial fel-
Jow that 1 am, though I keep an eye on

-all three, the most fascinating was

Catherine Barr’s on Greater Tiddlycove, :
aka West Vancouver.

Ms, Barr gave the lowest g grade; Cc
minus, to Mayor Patricia Boname. And ~
the top, A plus, to Coun: Allan Williams. °

But that’s past performance."¥ What's |
the carly morning line on the 1999 may

- oralty’ race?

Of course any aspirants are too cor to
admit that they'll be saddled up to ren
for the sash, or the chain of office, Oty

~ whatever it’s called.

That gives free rein to speculation. . -

. Obviously, anyone sporting an A plus
as councillor might be tempted to covet
the mayor’s chair...

Burt Mr. Williams i is, ah, mumblery- :

Ps PETER SPECK

ublisher
2131 (

GREAT NEWS!

IPARKS CANADA WANTS US To

RESTORE THE ECOLOGICAL

BALANCE ON THE BANFF
GOLF COURSE

—_—

SS
sOWES souaHT To

— ee

ey HUMAN conFce

something years old. Although he appears

to be in pertect health and as sharp-mind-

ed as he’s ever been through a career that

included the attorney-generalship of

B.C., he gives every appearance of enjoy-
ing his present mixture
of downtown lawyer and
councillor.
He could still be weighty
at 80. Which he'd be
approaching at term’s

.. end, in 2002.
Williams has masterfully
attained thé image of the
politician who doesn’t
scem to be a politician. Is
he secretly weary of)
being described as coun-
- dil’s “wise old owl”?
: Vdon’t know. But I can attest that
: Pve never seen him blink.

Russ Fraser is also a former attorney-
general. Both have a sharp edge of inde-
pendence. F’d wager that both enjoy
exercising that independence, having had
enough of the discipline of caucus and
cabinet.

Like Williams, Mr. Fraser evidently

. prefers the degree of time and energy
that local politics requires. And he is
-believed.to. be pondering whether he “d be.
more comfortable in the mayor's chair.
‘The bull in West Vancouver's clegant
political « china shop is Victor. Durman.:”.

This two-thirds-r:rm councillor defies
West; Van’s don’t-rattle-the-teacups town

“hall culture. He’s detinitely council’s :

Senergizec and straight: “talker, but — busi-
ne!
without threatening our. town’s self-..
image. (Unlike ‘Andy Danyliu in the pre-

2, vious council, whose proletarian smarts,

like and of tall, dignified bearing =

FASULOUS!
WHEN DO WE START J
EATING GOLFERS? &

| election specul

gorgeous peasant wit and-actor’s “gift for
mimicry made some Tiddlycovers uneasy,
even though he was no clown when deal-
ing with town business.)
Mr. Durman might want the job. An
could do it. :
And what of the incumbent?

Vell, first let me, quote myself. But |
only because a reader sent'a fax of my
column assessing the candidates in-1996

L wrote: “Par Boname has disturbing,

_ deficiencies. Remember mayor has to be a

strong chairman, head of the local po
board, the town’s rep to the Greater:
Vancouver Regional District — and +;
should have good grasp of figu i
“This slob of a voter ‘ha doubts abo!

her moxy in these areas.”

Readers can judge. whether Iw:

. prophetic (my mother read horoscope
_you know)..

But my. sense is thar Ms..Bon:
a highly foyal constituency. Yes; mostly”
older women. But they’re the. ones 5 wvho
get out and vo

‘Another possib
Reynolds.” :

‘The former councillor, turned down
by the voters in 1996, is an indefe igable

respect and. ‘support. She’

”. and the surprise would be if sh

run in 1999, Maybe for councillor.

ing th
my last racetrack ae for toda
: OOO

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters must include your name, .
tu address & telephone number.

“VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca ae

a