Transit report burns

Dear Editor:

The recently released B.C.
Transit report pertaining to North
Vancouver und cross-inlet trans-
portation is a fiasco,

The report is superficial and
totally misteading. [tis clearly
biased against the interests of the
North Shore. ft flies directly in the
face of everything the Greater
Vancouver Revional District
(GYRD) has told us out of the other
side of its mouth.

We must get people out of their
cars they said. Moving cars instead
of people is costing the region $14
dillion a year or almost $10,000 for
every man, woman and child.

This is compared with the
$1,000 we are spending for public
transportation.

It is killing us, they said.

They also told us that, while
Greater Vancouver's population
increased by 22% between 1985
and 1992, the number of car trips
increased by 48%.

The result, they said: the aver-
age commute in the region is 12%
further, takes 20% longer and is
7.5% slower.

Can you imagine what it will be
like in 25 years when the region's
population doubles?

Now B.C. Transit is telling us
that a rapid transit link to North

ey

IY

Vancouver is not economical.

They say the population on the
North Shore does not warrant this
kind of investinent and that most
citrs from the North Shore make
only short trips ta the downtown
area,

Bul they concede that large
numbers of commuters from the
North Shore drive beyond the
downtown area and other parts of
the region.

Their solution for the North
Shore — more buses!

At first glance this does not
sound too bad until you remember
that buses must travel the same
roads as cars, Even with dedicated
lanes, the buses inevitably get
caught up in the same gridlock.

Dedicated bus lanes were tried
before and abandoned. The experi-
ment did not work.

But, according to the report,
even dedicated bus lanes across a
new Lions Gate Bridge would not
be necessary right away.

{f there ever was a giveaway
that this report is nothing but a
political whitewash concocted at
the North Shore's expense, it is this
statement. Somebody is obviously
being let off the hook. .

Let’s face it, B.C. Transit has
come up with a dud. This is not sur-
prising. Some of their members

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November 02/94

also sit on the GVRD.

Their recommendations spell
disaster. Disaster not only for our
North Shore livability and our
health, but also for our pocket-
books. The North Shore cannot be
isolated from the regional trans-
portation dilemma.

What we need is a direct exten-
sion of rapid transit to our side of
the inlet. Our people must have
access 10 the regional rapid transit
system without having to change
buses several Uimes, Buses, includ-

ing minibuses, should be there as a
secund tier to supplement und aug-
ment such a system and make it
convenient,

To provide an additioual incen-
tive, it should also be cheap.

But don’t hold your breath, We
are talking about B.C. Transit. It is
unlikely that they will embarrass
their masters or jeopardize their
positions.

Ernie Crist, Councillor
District of North Vancouver

Advertorial

Ted White, M.P.
#302 1200 Lynn Valley Ra.

North Vancouver
V7I 2A2

Telephone: 666-0585
Fax: 666-0509

‘WORLD TRADE - BILL C-57

On October 27, 1994 Parliament
began debating a very lengthy piece of
legislation. The 146 page Bill C-57

! makes changes to 31 other federal acts
f so that we can meet our cbligations as a
signatory to the Uruguay round of world

f trade talks.

The April 1994 conclusion to the
Uruguay talks started a process which
will reduce and eliminate tariff and non-

f tariff trade barriers between participating

countries. Previously inaccessible
markets will be opened up for 8.C.
exporters while tariffs on many imported

4 goods will be reduced or eliminated. This.

new agreement replaces the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
CANADA'S WATER
Clause 7 of the Bill states “For
greater certainty, nothing in this Act or
Agreement, except the Canadian

| Schedule to the General Agreement on
j Tariffs and Trade 1994 set out in Annex

1A to the Agreement, applies to water."

Annex 1A, along with the definition
of water in Clause 7 as liquid, solid or
gas, seems to ascertain Canada’s
sovereignty over its water. The Bill
makes it clear that Canada does not
consider water in the form of surface or
groundwater te be a good that must be
traded.

SUBSIDIES & SOCIAL PROGRAMS
The 8.C. wood industry has had
more than its fair share of challenges

j over what is and is not a subsidy under

previous free trade agreements.
However, the definition of a subsidy is
clarified in this agreement making it

I difficult for the United States to arbitrarily
| decide what constitutes a subsidy, or to
Fimpose penalty tariffs on a particular
F product from Canada. Social programs

and general labour adjustment

programs cannot be looked upon as
subsidies.

WHAT ABOUT B.C.?

Based on my study of the Bill it J
appears that tariffs and non-tariff |
barriers on wood, plywood and other
wood products will be reduced by an
average of 50% over five years. Tariff
and non-tariff barriers on paper and
allied products will be phased out aver
ten years in participating industrialized
countries. This should mean improved
market opportunities for B.C. paper and
wood products in Japan, Korea, other far §
eastern countries, and South America.

The agriculture and food processing
industries, processed fish products, non-
ferrous and fabricated metals, |
pharmaceuticals, chemicais, plastics,
medical and scientific equipment, will all
experience reductions and/or
elimination of tariffs and non-tariff
barriers.

For B.C., which has developed a |
much more diversified export market f
than is found elsewhere in Canada, all of
these tariff reductions have the potential
to greatly increase export earnings.

THE BAD NEWS

One set of provisions in the Bill will
likely make consumers unhappy. The {
dairy and poultry industry, which is |
concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, is
going to be protected against }
competition by tariffs as high as 354% 4
for up to a decade. As a resull there will
be almost no incentive for the protectee
industries to become competitive.

It looks like even Bill C-57 will not |
stop Canadians in border towns from
finding it attractive to cross into the
USA to buy milk, cheese, eggs and
poultry instead of shopping locally.

AT CAP

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Call 892-5322 for more
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Now’s Your Chance
to Learn How to

Use Watercolors
Pick up a brush and join Kiff
Holland at one of our
popular watercolor
workshops! Learn how you
can capture the ever-
changing light and shadows
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discover how to create the
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foliage and glass. Landscape
Workshop, Nov. 19 and 20;
Still Life Workshop,

Nov. 26 and 27 (each
workshop is $180 and
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Programs at 984-4901,

* Bachelor of Music

Therapy Program
Open House

Find out about the Bachelor
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on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 7:30
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Fall Concert

Please join the Capilano
College Community Choir,
the Capilano College
Singers, and Cecilia
Ensemble for a fall concert
on Sunday, Nov. 6,

3:00 p.m., at St, Catherine's
Anglican Church at 1058
Ridgewood Avenue, North
Vancouver. General
admission is $5, students
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information, call 980-495 1.

CAPILANO
COLLEGE

2055 Purcell way
North Vancouver
British Columbia

986-1911