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“f 229 Lonsaale

A Cust OMARY exercise
of New Year’s is to review
the preceding year. Today,
some vignettes from this
column during 1992.

OPEN LINES

Jan. 5 .

Now that Gordon Wilson has
led the Liberals out of the
wilderness, it is nothing short of
amazing how many preminent
party members seem determined
to.replace him. Most are touting
West Vancouver-Garibaldi MLA
David Mitchell, as the leader in
waiting. ‘ :

But among the first reports of
1992 were dispatches from Texas,

*“~ Arizona and New Mexico,

“Jan, 12 (El Paso, Texas)
~ When we travel in thi

‘hilarating country it is like taking ~

a swan dive into schizophrenia, a
nation that relishes its paradoxes.
This is where you see children

in grocery stores browsing through
magazines advertising handguns.
Their fathers make sure the
‘shotgun is visible through the r
window of the half-ton truck ...
no country in the democratic
world is so cruel to its poor. Cen-
.. tral cities have become vast bat-
Uegrounds,”
Feb, 2 © y
We discussed the Sen ate, ‘No |
“country except Canada creates a}
national pork barrel composed at
the whim of the. prime minister, .'
‘With regional guidelines guaran-
teeing centralized power... |
“ Febo9 0)

We reported on a meeting with
Preston Manning. When_! sug-':
‘gested that he has yet to attract
heavyweight corporate support,
‘and the endorsement of society's
alleged leaders, he said:

‘always shift their loyalties one
election too late." ,

Feb. 16 :

: When we point out that ‘the pol-
iticians' perks and privileges con-

"*” stituee a shameful abuse of trust, °

we are told that the total cost of
politicians ts but a fraction of «:
government budgets.

Joy But it’s hard to take’ dietary ade.
oe vice from an obese slob who can’t

‘ stop eating long enough to form a
coherent sentence.’

a March 29

.~ The advent of pizza at «
‘McDonaid’s prompted a column.
We were amused to study the
_ local and national press this wee
_ Hard news reporters, more com-
fortable covering political drama
or catastrophes, were conducting
‘man-on-the-street interviews 2.
why this magic outpouring for a:
‘company richer than the dreams
‘ of King Midas? ... the simple an-
swer is that McDonald's is not . =
just a business, It is a manifesta-
tion of 20th century culture. ,
‘April5and26
hwo columns dealing with West

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North Vancouver 687-7223:

Vancouver’s controversial Hillside
school replacement, became an
opportunity for other comments.
This will be a good diversion far
West Vancouver. In recent years,
the municipal hierarchy has been
busy blasting trees off hilltops,
trying to create moonscapes, We

‘now. have aSudbury, Ont,, urban

plan high in the hills over Horse-

‘shoe Bay.

A-second Hillside article offered
this definition: The role of a col-
urnnist is frequently likened to
that of a sniper, hiding in the
trees, selectively bushwacking the
occasional target that dares to
cross his path, He is not responsi-
ble for either the strategy or the
course of the war.

May 15 ue

We suggested that security-
conscious educators are ill-suited
to foster the flexibility, cre: uivity
and entreprericurialism necessary

". jn the modern world. The gurus

_ of education are so dreary. In-
variably public serva ts: who have
never missed a pay ¢ theque « or at

¢ ANTIL OcK

pensicn insrallment:since leaving
university, they advise youny peo-
ple to prepare for a volatile world.

May 24

Following the death of one of.
the North Shore's most respected
personalities, we observed: Ed
Keate saw humor and merit in
everyone, Only the self-importait
and self-righteous and the phonies
were held in permanent contenipt.

duly 5

Savoring his courtroom victory,
Bill Vander Zalm made this com-
ment: ‘7 can never explain how
different it really felt to be there
before a judge and to have the
arguments presented on what it is’.
that he said ... As opposed to
having the judge and jury and |
prosecution wrapped up in the
sume individual."”

Aug. 2

- From Atlantic City, N. J..we
sent a message to those who think
casino gambling can generate
renewal, Atlantic City remains an
ugly, devastated monument (to un-)"
speakable poverty. The thin co

RAKES -

© POWER DOOR LOCKS
¢ AIR CONDITIONING

e FUEL INJECTION —

° AUTOMATIC

_ CASSETTE

° AND MORE!

Sunduy January 3, 1993 ~ North Shore News ~ 9

1992 proves Canada’s strength is in diversity _

veneer of glass palaces near the
beach is no more than frosting on
a pile of crumbs, Dozens of
square miles of urban property
look like the aftermath of war.
There is no evidence of any de-
velopment generated because of °
the casino boom.

Aug. 30

Astonished that ali political
leaders accepted the constitutional
package, and were convinced of.
public support, we quoted an
open-line caller: ‘‘Were they all,

suffering from something like The -

Stockholm Syndrome?”
_ Sept. 20

:;Chuck Cook accused me of tell-
ing ‘‘lies’’ when we reported that
he planned to retire as an MP,

Oct.

We quoted a friend’s beef about
newspaper columns: ‘The news-
papers have a hundred columnists
expressing their ponderous opi- .
nions, without wit, imagination or
even few information,""

Nove bs: ,

The referendum defeat was a

massive repudiation of Al. L polit-
ical leadership in Canada, We said
it was a democratic Bastille Day,
but we deferred to Winnipeg's Iz-:
zy Asper for the best quote: ‘Ut is
a defeat for the elites of this
country — the elites of big
business, the elites of big labor,
the elites of big bucks behind
advertising, the big celebrities who
were paraded in front of us.”

‘eoe

Asa postscript for 1992, it can
be said that the year finally put to
test any prospect of a .
homogenous Canada. The
strength of this country is in its
diversity, and respect for regional

_ and individual peculiarities,

A systematic replacement of po- -:

litical leadership is now a national

mission. As a New Year's greet-
ing, ! will leave this message:
Happy Hunting! Jt is definitely
nolan 1 endangered species.

tem

“IN CANADA.

3 YEARS RUNNING. |

ENDS DEC. 31//

1992.

at

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