6 - Wednesday, January 18, 1989 — North Shore News INSIGHTS If leading from behind, check on who's up front! POLITICIANS SPEND THEIR DAYS calculating where the votes and/or the bucks are — or where they THINK they are, which isn’t always the same thing. It’s called leading from behind. That’s why Brian Mulblarney — dead without Quebec seats — hasn’t clobbered Premier Bourassa over his infamous Bill S01. It's why investment-hungry Bill Vander Zalm okays Hong Kong developer Victor Li’s promise to offer Canadians future Expo-site condos a mere 24 hours ahead of Hong Kong millionaires eager to snap them up sight unseen. It’s also why District Mayor Marilyn Baker and now City Mayor Jack Loucks are threaten- ing, between them, to throw as many as 3,000 lower-income North Van residents out on the street by cracking down on so-called ‘‘il- legal’’ suites. They assume that all single- family homeowners — who pack the votes but have not been asked their opinion as a group — automatically reject suite dwellers as neighbors, City policy so far has been to act only on specific com- plaints. But Mayor Marilyn's gurmshoes are now in hot pursuit of EVERY “‘criminal’’ landlord. MAYOR MARILYN BAKER hot parsult. its schuols. Atlantic trade. programs a decade ago. Educational foresight EST VANCOUVER School District 45 deserves congratulations for its outward- looking proposal to increase Asian studies in In both cases the bylaws, if strictly enforced, totally ignore the gut human problem: if suites for other than family members are shut down, where will their present tenants live — many of them OAPs, single parents and elderly working women who can afford only a basement? The answer is: *‘Not in North Van'*. Not even if your job is here, nor if you were born and raised here, nor if you've lived here most of your life. Neither District nor City has any plans to replace suites with social housing at similar rents —- impossible, of course, without heavy taxpayer subsidies. If you’re stupid enough to lack money for a $500-$600 apartment, get out of North Van! That's the official message unless or until the bylaws are changed. Agreed, tenants who are a per- sistent nuisance to neighbors — vi- sually, audibly or however — must be summarily evicted. Suites haz- ardous to health and safety must be upgraded or closed. But aside from that, one might reasonably expect a ‘‘caring’’ society to leave unoffending tenants of acceptable suites in peace. Why not find out the facts? With a referendum asking all North Van’s single-family home- owners if they REALLY wish to kick upward of 2,000 harmless, re- spectable neighbors clean out of the community simply because the latters’ incomes are presently below average. Whatever the majority answer, we'll learn what kind of a society we are, And democracy having spoken, Marilyn and Jack will know whether they are truly leading from behind — or just The pilot program, which begins in Grade 1 and continues through to Grade 12 with specialized pro- grams in subjects rauging from economics to Man- darin language, offers clear, long-range benefits for the community: The project should provide graduating students planning to pursue trade with Asia a head start over the rest of the field. Asians, considering where to do business in Canada, might lean towards a community that better understands them. Trade relations, after all, are human relations. The program also offers student exchanges which are excellent groundwork for future relations in all fields whether they be trade, art or science. The ascendancy of the Asian world will not be short term; it will be a determining factor in Canada’s economic future. Already Canada’s trans-Pacific trade has surpassed its trans- in the last six years, The Asian studies program’s arrival is overdue rec- ognition of these trends. The B.C. government now plans to implement similar programs in different school jurisdictions, but the province needed such Not all students enrolled in the program will be business trail blazers in Oriental-Occidental relations. Most however, will benefit from greater understanding of Asian culture, history and tradition. Understanding should lead to tolerance, and toler- ance is vital to multi-ethnic societies such as ours. pretending to, without bothering to check up front! eee GETTING AROUND onthe North Shore in the next decade is the subject at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at i special joint breakfast meeting of North Van, West Van, Squamish and Whistler Chambers of Commerce in the Canyon Gardens — where Highways Minister Neil Vant will unveil his new transportation proposals. All members and guests of the four Chambers welcome — set your alarm clocks! ee WRAP-UP: UBC boffins doing tesearch on parenting need couples MORE THAN THE PUCK was dropped by Al Fitch (centre) en a recent visit to Neighborhood House's ball & og a> iks of ch S with kids aged five to 12 to talk with them for an hour about pro- blems with junior. If you'd like to unload, call Dr. C. Johnston, 228-6771 ... The Garioch Blend Band direct from Scotland highlights the Scottish Cultural Centre’s Burns Night dance 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at 8886 Hudson overtown — call Beth Smith, 263- 9911 for info ... And one happy book woman is West Van's Madge oe Ake Aalto, boss of Vancouver Public Library, who’s just welcomed back 4,000 books damaged in the August 1988 flood from a patent freeze-drying process in Fort Worth, Texas. ee WRIGHT OR WRONG: Hang in there, all you repentant puffers. Today's Cold Turkey will taste delicious by Friday! NEWS phote Nell Lucente hockey team, the Blazers. The past president of the Evergreen Kiwanis also gave the team a cheque from Evergreess for $625 to buy jerseys and equipment. Blazers team mates with Al are Jade Bryan (lef?) and Frank Howdek. a Facise Tas Act. 16 publiubed ng West Vancouver, 37 le On request Suter cannot accep + North Shore News, founded i: 1446" as df independent m4 Subutban Neasbaper abd Quautued undet Se teduie tan y and Sunday by Nort Shore § fea enn ited maternal inctuding Masuscnpts avd piciutes NOuld GA AC COMParied by 4 Stamped. addressed Publisher Peter SpeCk re eae Display Advertising 980-0511 Managing Editor = Barrett Fisher —Fytelg eg) Classitied Advertising 86-6202 4 my e ewsroom - i Associate Editor Noel Wright Distribution 986-1337 Advertising Directur Linda Stewart 4 Renin sieelt aM Subscriptions 986-1337 SUNDAY» WEONEMOAY - FhNOAY Fas 985.3227 1139 Lorisdale Avenue. North Vancouver, BC V7M 2H4 59,170 (average, Wednesday Friday & Sunday) LJ SOA DNISION Nate Shore owned and managed MEM8ER ———————— sx G ll Entire contents 1989, North Shore Free Press Lid. All nghis reserved.