6 — Wednesday, October 7, 1998 — North Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT io pay, no play T’S not all work and no play in West Vancouver. But play recently took a direct hit amidships at dis- trict hall. Playful resident Stephen Sinclair ran afoul of the district as the result of some controversial backyard enter- prise. In 1995, the architect set out to build his two children a playhouse. Sinclair calied the resultant struc- ture, which is approximately 100 square feet, a boat. He even got it licensed as a vessel with the federal Department of Transportation. Reason: so he would not need a municipal building permit. However, a subsequent report to council from Ian Morrison, director of permits and licensing, rccornmend- ed demolition of the playboat. But Sinclair argued that the struc- Ste. ath ee ae RE ture was not big enough to qualify as a building and therefore should not be subject to building codes or permit requirements. The backyard tempest in a teapot resulted in a show-cause hearing in district hall chambers where the mat- ter was argued at length. If not nipped in the bud, reasoned the municipal bureaucracy, structures all over the municipality might spring up using the playboat dodge. But seriously folks there is little likelihood of that happening. And even more seriously, the matter should never have been allowed to reach the stage it did or have absorbed so much of council’s valu- able time. Now can we get on with some real issues? Let’s start with the Cuff ceport and go from there. _—. New gan FORGET f THe DRUGS- FORGET THE MONEY— c ~ OIRICES | ee ¢ 0 UI , ito oncney ca Just GIVE ME THE INSIDE DOPE ON YouR CORPORATE STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL METHODS —} WANT FLOWCHARTS || DANG IT. / | y aati} pou J {is uisters face tough task Flap over B.C. flag Dear Editor: Recently my parents, my wife, my son and I were taking part in a boat tour that was being conducted as part of the North Shore Heritage Weekend. The boat was docked at Waterfron’ Park and in front of the dock were flagpoles with the Canadian and B.C. provin- cial flags flying. The B.C. flag inceiporates the British Union Jack flag. My parents, who are British by birth, looked at B.C. flag and commented that the Union Jack portion of the flag, was being flown ‘upside down’! The Union Jack is composed of three flags: 1) The Cross of St George — England — a vertical red cross on a white field 2) The Cross of St Andrew — Scotland — a diagonal whice cross ona dark blue field 3) The Cross of St Patrick — Ireland — a diagonai red cross on a white background. The Cross of St Patrick was added to the flag in 1801 in such a way that neither the red nor white diagonals are seen to be superior. . It is meant to be flown with the wide white diagonal bor- der at the top closest to the flagpole (on the hoist side) and the red diagonal closest to the top on the fly side. The hoist seam on the Canadian flag can be placed on cither side of the flag because the flag is perfectly symmetri- cal. But if che hoist seam is placed on the wrong side of the B.C. flag it puts the red diagonal on the Union Jack closest to the top on the fly side creating the same effect as if the flag were being flown upside down. Whenever the Union Jack is flown upside down it is a sign of distress, While this distinction is subtle, it should be noted. If we want to acknowledge the presence of the Union Jack in our tlag we should take care co respect the way it should be * flown. Stephen Ssith (with help from Elsie and David Smith) North Vancouver ssmith@ingenuityworks.com north shore ‘ Mestts Shove Wawa, lounded n 1959 as an independent suburban neaspaper and qualdind under Schedute 111, Paragrapt: #11 of the fixrse Tax Act. ts pubbshed each Wednesday. Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press: Ltd. and ox.tnbuted fp every door on the Neth Shore. Canada Post Cansdan Pubtcatons Ma ‘Sales Product Agreement No 0087238 ‘Mating rates available on request. Barbara Emo Distribution Manager 985-1337 (124) Jonathan Bell Creative Services Manager 985-2131 (127) 61,582 {average curculaton, Wednesday, Friday § Sunday THE disbandment last week of B.C.’s Coordinated Law Enforcement Unit has, among other things, turned the spot- light on a dark underside of our current inmigra- tion policy. The 24-year-old agency, conceived as an elite force to combat organized crime, wound up crippled by internal feuding, inadequate technology and the mis- teust of the regular police forces with which it worked. It is to be replaced, building afresh from the bottom sp, by a new crime-busting organization apparently conceived along the lines of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. Like its ill-fated predecessor, the revamped gangbuster unit will have a tough road ahead. According to former deputy artor- ney-general Stephen Owen, whose inquiry panel finally lowered the boom on CLEU, gang-organized crime in Canada today is an annual $20 billion- plus business — fairly evenly divided between the illicit drug trade and “eco- nomic crime” (telemarketing, cellular phone and credit card fraud, etc.). In many cases, moreover, its ethnic origins are hard to ignore. In B.C. itself the mainly indigenous Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang and associates (about 120 members) are into drugs, stripper and escort agencies, PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) nt i eae J Tersy Potess Photography Manager 985-2131 (160) Classified Manager 986-6222 (202) Comprratier 985-2131 (133) Entire contents © 1997 Norih Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. and smuggling through the docks. But most of the other organized crime groups here are imports from faraway Jands and very different cultures. They include 400-500 members of Chinese, Hong Kong and Vietnamese Triad gangs; about 80 hard- core members of five sizable Indo-Canadian gangs; North Van's 40-member Persian Pride gang; and the 50-member Filipino KBC Club. Then throw in for good measure a growing nuntber of organized crooks from formee Soviet republics and several Hispanic groups. Thar said, fet’s be perteerly clear thout one thing. The great majority of Asian and other immigrants are decent, law-abiding individuals secking a good lite for themselves and their families in Canada, mostly succeeding by honest toil, and often making valuable personal contributions to their new homeland. As well, Canada needs them. But this doesn’t alter the fact that, according to a new federal government study, up to 16,000 illegal immigrants enter Canada every year with the help of smugglers. The study blundy describes them as a growing facet of the country’s multi-billion-doliar organized crime problem. Prior to arriving they may have been charged as much as $50,000 by an immigrant-smuggling syndicate in North America or their country of ori- eet Wright hither and yon LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must inctude your name, full address & telephone number, VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca Managing Editor 985-2131 (176) Fe Nahi Trixi Agrios: Promotions Managet 985-2131 (218) Acting Dispicy Manager 380-0511 (307) Gall Snetgrova Genetal Office Manager 995-2131 (205) intermet- http:/fwwe.nsnews.com xin. Once here, drug trafficking, prosti- tution, theft and other crime may well be their only way of recouping their smugglers’ fee. What all the above clearly indicates is the need for a much tougher strategy against illegal immigrants as a further weapon in the war against organized crime to which they clearly contribute, One step would be a much harsher crackdown on smugglers themselves, who so far have received relatively light sentences that make the risk in their highly profitable business acceptable. Another would be stepped-up criminal intelligence investigation overseas aimed at intercepting would-be illegal immi- grants before they ever get on the plane. BC being one of the Canadian desti- nations most favoured by immigrants, including the illegal minoricy, its planned new agency to fight organized crime will need ail the help it can get trom the feds. Wish BC Attorney- General Ujjal Dosanjh the best of luck in his latest initiative — but until the immigration boys in Orrawa get their act together, keep your fingers crossed! O00 MANY HAPPY RETURNS of taday, Oct. 7, to longtime North Van (Woodcroft) resident Bob Miller, now living in Squamish ... Ditto this same day to West Van birthday girl Mary Symons ... And tomorrow, Oct. 8, 2 52nd anniversary cheer for North Van's Bob and Bette Booth. ; 900 WRIGHT OR WRONG: Jumping to conclusions isn’t nearly as good exercise as digging for facts. HOW. TO. REACH-US. Adminisiradon 985-2131 ‘Display Advertising 980-511 Real Estate Advertising 985-6882 Classified Advestising 985-6222 Hewsroom 985-2131 Distribution 986-1337 Display & Real Estate Fax 985-1435 Newsroom Fax 985-2104 Classified, Accounting & Main Office Fax 955227 Michael Becker - News Editor 985-2131 (114) Andrew McCredio - Sporis/Community Editor 985-2131 (147)