3 - Sunday, Octoher 15, 1986 - North Shore News inted top internationai post Business ...... sence OO Classified Ads..........46 WEST VANCOUVER-Howe Sound MLA John Reynolds Rowman if nominated," said has become the first B.C. politician ever elected to the ex- “He said he and ‘some of our | What's Going On...... 20 ecutive committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary guys’ tiked me and wanted to see WEST Vancouver/ Howe Sound MLA John Reynolds ...“‘exciting and significant’ to be chosen. hours Thursday afternoon. About a dozen members of ACT for Disarmament marched into Collins's Capilano-Howe Sound office to protest the presence in Vancouver harbor of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Constellation. The warship is believed 10 be carrying 100 nu- clear weapons. The protesters want the Ca- nadian government to designate the port of Vancouver a nu- clear-free zone. The group also hsked Collins to initiate ongo- ing public meetings to address national defence issues. West Vancouver Police were called in to clear the office by 4:30 p.m. closing time Thurs- day, but the protesters left without incident after suc Assocation (CPA). The Speaker of the B.C. Legislature also was elected vice- chairman of the executive at its annual conference, being held this year in Bridgetown, Barbados. In a telephone interview Friday from Barbados, Reynolds said it was “exciting and significant’’ to be chosen to sit on the 25-member committee, which includes two other Canadians. The CPA includes more thun 8,000 senior parliamentarians from 112 Commonwealth nations, states and provinces, representing more than one billion people in the world. Reynolds has attended the last three CPA annual conferences, By MICHAEL BECKER News Reporter cessfully securing Friday’s meeting with Collins. Said Collins of Thursday’s office sit-in, ‘I do not approve of their actions of coming to my office the way they did.”’ But said ACT for Disarma- ment spokesman Brian Salmi, “The Canadian government is sil continuing to invite war- ships to use this harbor. Mary Collins, being part of the Ca- nadian government, has to an- swer to the people of Canada and the people of Vancouver for that.’ According Salmi, the peace group’s primary goal is to de- JOHN PIFER From Victoria and has forged strong links with member nations. He told the News: “Being in- volved in organizations such as the CPA is good for our country, as it helps to establish an excellent base and valuable imernational political contacts.”* The Speaker was nominated for vice-chairman by Tanzania, and topped the secret-ballot poll within the committee's first’ meeting, to snare the prestigious seat. “The Tanzanian representative came to me before the elections, and asked if I would stand as A CREW member stands between parked F-18 fighter jets aboard the USS Constellation, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Fhe nucicar-capable ship, which drew nrotest from area peace groups, visited Vancouver and left Saturday morning. The carzier is manned by a crew of 5,000 and carries up to 90 aircrai:. The ship is usually deployed in the South Pacific. MP Collins talks with sit-in protesters FEDERAL ASSOCIATE defence minister Mary Collins met Friday with representatives of a peace group that oc- cupied her West Vancouver constituency office for three velop open debate on national defence issues. ‘*Far too often, far too long, the Canadian defence department has been doing things behind closed doors. The people of Canada are never consulted. Quite often Parliament isn’t even con- sulted,”’ he said. “Not only are we having American nuclear warships coming in here, but the federal government is talking about allowing Sovict warships in here. It’s not less nuclear weapons coming in, it's more. That was brought up in January. We've been trying to gct information on it and nothing has been said about it since. Again we’re suspecting that they’re going to deal with this behind closed doors. And at some point, maybe when Mulroney goes to Moscow, they'll sign) some kind of agreement that says Soviet war- en L me in that role. Pm delighted it worked out this way,"’ the Speaker added. The deputy clerk of the Legislature, George MacMinn, who also was attending the two- week conference in the Caribbean island resort, said that Reynolds’ elections as vice-chairman marked the first occasion that the post had been filled by a first-time member of the executive body. “This is indeed a high interna- tional honor for Mr. Speaker and for B.C. and Canada,*’ MacMinn told the News. “This committee is the over- riding body that governs the association. You could say that he has had a big, big dav!’’ added MacMinn. ships are allowed in Canadian harbors,** Salmi said. Collins confirmed that the federal government is consider- ing allowing Soviet warships access to Canadian harbors. “That’s under consideration, but it’s not gone beyond that stage yet.’” Salmi emerged from Friday's meeting with Collins declaring he felt ‘*flimflammed’’ and remarking what ‘Mary had a fitule scam.”" But countered Collins, *‘I've listened to their points but I'm not going to commit myself to any schedule of meetings. I support and am involved in the discussion of defence issues al- ready. Groups like Greenpeace are involved. [ suggested that if they have ideas, to put them in writing for consideration.** The USS Constellation was scheduled to leave port Satur- day. WEATHER Sunday, mestly sunny. : Monday and Tuesday, mostly cloudy with chance of showers. Highs near 12°C. Second Class Registration Number 3885 School land purchase discussed at meeting LAND ACQUISITION ar- rangements for the new Cove Cliff school will be considered at the Oct. 16 meeting of North Vancouver District Council, North Vancouver District 44 School Board Chairman Don Bell announced Tues- day night. Mg Ss 5 “a th a dee. lai By MAUREEN CURTIS He told a group of concerned Deep Cove residents that board and district cowacil representatives have worked out an arrangement whereby the school district would lease rather than purchase the North Vancouver District land it requires as a site on which to build the school to replace the aging Burrard View Elementary school. “I am optimistic that we have arrived at a land acquisition alter- native acceptable to the board and district council,”’’ said Bell. The lease option, which Bell called ‘‘a reasonable com- promise,’’ came out of discussions with the district over the purchase of the necessary municipal land. Figuring in these discussions was the fact that once Cove Cliff schoo! opens, the Burracd View site, which was transferred to school district tittle with all the other such properties 40 to 50 years ago, will return to municipal use. ° Also iraminent is a report from a marine biologist, who has been working out how the school district could offset losses to local fish habitat that could cccur as a result of culvecting Myrtle Creek prior to building Cove Cliff school. To this end, the biologist has been taking water samples, making chemical analysis and assessing fish populations. ‘*We have had to ensure that this work is being done and that it is being done carefully,” assistant school superindendent Pat Bell told the anxious parents group. Parents representative Ray Perkins said his group is concerned that time might run out again in trying to get the necessary Cove Cliff financial approvals from the provincial government for the next Ministry of Education budget. But Don Bell said indications from the government are that the funding for the new school will be approved for the next budget, perhaps by the end of October. If so, the project could go to tender in December, with con- struction to begin next spring. “ff all goes well, the school could be completed by January to March 1991,”* Bell said.