north shore news

MAIL B

OX

Wednesday, May 12, 1999 — North Shore News ~ 9

Why family drop-in program was dropped

Dear Editor:

On April 2, there was a Iet-
ter to the editor, “Don't chop
North Shore family drop-in
programs” and on April 4, an
article in the North Shore
News, “Family drop-in centres
will close in May.” Both items
referred to the closure of
Family Services of the North
Shore’s Family Drop-in pro-
gram. We would like ro clarify
our position.

Family Services of the
North Shore’s board of diree-
tors made a very difficult deci-
sion to end the Family Drop-in
program. We were faced, as a
board, with a number of prob-
lems. The first was insufficient
funding to operate the pro
gram. Secondh, there has been
a substantial decrease is. visits
to the family drop-ins over the
past sew years, and, finally, we

Reader irked

Dear Editor:
The Lynn Valley Road on-

ramp has been the scene of

many accidents over the vears.
For that reason we were happy
“to see construction of a new
access ramp begin.

We are now using the new
access and I'm sorry to say it’s,
believe it or nor, worse than the
old system. I've already seen
one accident which [ know
won’r be the last. The engi-

were faced with the potential
loss of the physical space at
North Star Annex and
Sevmour Community Services.

We realize that this. pro
gram has provided an invalu-
able community service to
families with voung children.

We value she relationships
that have been formed over the
last 20 years with the parents,
community agencies we have
partnered with, including
North = Shore Disability
Resource Society (Infant
Development Program),
Sevrmour Community Services,
Lynn Valley United Church
and Highlands United
Church.

Family Services. of the
North Shore remains commit-
ted to ensuring there are
resources in place for care-
givers, parents and their chil-

over on-ramp

aces who designed this short-
ened version of a real ramp
should try using it one day.

I hope the same engincers
aren’t designing the proposed
improvements to the Seymour
Parkway and Dollarton
Highway interchanges. We
can’t afford to go backwards
on those important transporta-
tion links,

B. Rasmus
North Vancouver

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AREGI ISTERED CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION :

dren under the age of six. We
needed the time to reflect if
indeed the model, Westcoast
Energy Children’s Centre,
which was cecently opened at
Lonsdale elementary school, is
the model we wish to expand.
This program builds on the
recent: ground-breaking brain

research about the critical
importance of the carly years

and supports the philosophy of

learning through play.

As a beginning step, we
have tabulated the results. of
our drop-in survey and we are
meeting with the families who
use the drop-ins to seek solu-

tions which will enrich, sup-
port and strengthen families.
We look forward to working
together with parents, funders
and the North Shore comnuu-
nity.

Kevin O'Neill, President
Family Services of the North
Shore

ted white, m.p.

advertorial, May 12/1999

OF PRIME MINISTERS AND LAND MINES

This week's report contains
information which will probably be of
interest mainly to Canadian high
school, college and _ university
students, so if someone you know fits
that category, please give him or her a
copy. The college and university
students presently have an opportunity
to vie for one of a number of Magna for
Canada Scholarship prizes totalling
more than $300,000, while a few
imaginative and creative youth artists
under 19 years of age could win up to
$250 In a competition to design a logo
for Land Mines Action Canada. Both
contests have a link to political
decisions which have been made, or
have the potential to be made, at the
Federal level.

THE MAGNA
SCHOLARSHIPS

The Magna For Canada Scholarship
Fund was established in 1994 with the
intention of encouraging students “to
express solutions for an even better
Canada”. Magna Intemational, Canada's

| largest supplier of automotive systems
and components, placed $1,006,000 in a
charitable trust on behalf of the
scholarship fund, and each year
challenges university and college students
to write an essay answering the question

f “If you were Prime Minister of Canada,

| what political vision would you offer to
Improve our living standards?" Awards
are made to 50 semi-finalists, 10 regional
winners, and a national winner.

The program is open to full time
undergraduate or graduate students
presently enrolled in an accredited

i Canadian university or college, and all
winning essays will be published in a book
to be made available in Chapters
bookstores across Canada in November.
The book will also include submissions
from prominent Canadians who have been
asked to respond to the same question.
The deadline for submissions is June
15, 1899 in this, the fifth annual, “As
Prime Minister" awards program.

MORE DETAILS
The $300,000 in Magna Scholarship
prize money is split amongst the winners
as follows:

* One National Winner - $20,000 in
cash and a one year Magna
internship

* Ten Regional Winners - $10,000 in
cash and a four month Magna
internship
{n addition, a selection of entrants will

travel to Toronto in the summer on an ail

} expenses paid trip to give an oral
presentation of their essays, while
regional winners will receive a paid trip to
attend a special awards evening. The

essays, which must not exceed 2,500

words, and which must be typeset written

on 8.5" x 11" paper in either official
language, will be judged on the merit of
¢ innovative and workable ideas for guiding

Canada into the next millennium. Some

consideration will also be given to extra-

curricular _ activities, and
presentation.

Entries are to be sent to the Magna for
Canada Scholarship Fund, at 337 Magna
Drive, Aurora, Ontario, L4G 7Ki, along
with the entrant's name, address,
telephone number, name of college or
university, area or program of study, and
details of extra-curricular activities.

More information on the Magna For
Canada Scholarships is available on
website www.asprimeminister.com, or
by calling 1-800-976-2462.

THE LANDMINE LOGO
COMPETITION

Mines Action Canada, which since
1994 has been the Canadian component
of the International Campaign to Ban
Landmines, has launched a competition
for youth 19 and under to come up with a
symbol for the Land Mines Campaign in
Canada. The designer of the winning entry
will receive a cash prize of $250 while two |
runner up prizes of $50 will also be
awarded.

Like the daffodil symbo! used by the
Cancer Society, and Amnesty
International's candle, the winning symbol
in the Mines Action Canada contest willbe }
reproduced as a button or pin. The
materiais to be used for the pins and
buttons will be hand-made silk, or
bamboo, and will be manufactured at a job
skills training centre in Cambodia for |
people injured by mines or polio.

By way of background, it is important to
note that in 1997 Canada joined more than
100 other countries in signing a treaty to
ban landmines. This action took place }
after thousands of people worldwide
organized lobbying efforts to stop the
spread of a very destructive weapon which
taakes no distinction between combatants
and ordinary people, nor between wartime
and peacetime. The mines can lie
dormant in the ground for months, years,
or even decades, until an unfortunate
victim comes along.
removing them, after they have been
randomly scattered from the air, especially
years after a war has ended, is very
difficult, dangerous, and time-consuming.

Anyone who is 19 or younger on June
7, 1999 (the closing dale for the
competition) can submit an entry. The

grades,

designs can be abstract, or directly or

indirectly linked to the landmine campaign.
They must be capable of being
reproduced in fabric and/or woven
bamboo. The sketch of the symbol must
be detailed enough that the judges can
visualize what it will look like as a pin or
button.

Full detaiis about the competition,
and an entry form, are available at
website:—
www.minesactioncanada.com/docume

nts/competitionforyouth.htm
or by contacting Mary Foster at Mines
Action Canada, 1210 - 1 Nicholas St,
Ottawa, Ontario, KIN 7B7, Tel: (613)
241-3777, Fax: (613) 244-3410. .

Ted White, M.P. , #302-1200 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver, B.C. V7) 2A2
Tel: 666-0585 Fax: 666-0509, Internet: http://www.reform.ca/white-t/

Detecting and |

Anne Petrie discusses
fallen women

CBC-TV host,

Anne Petrie, will discuss
her new book, Gong to.an
Aunts Remembering
Canada's Homes for
Unwed Mothers on
Tuesday, June Lat
10:30a.m. in the Cedar
butlding. room 148. The
lecture, which is part of
the Hon. Thomas A
Dehm lecture series, looks
at the way unmarried
Pregnant girls and women
were institutionalized in
the fate 195Cs and 1960s.
Admission is free. Cail
Sandra Moe at 255-1640
for more information.

2- Computer training that

pays off

Interested in a career in
the high-demand, high-
salaried field of business
computing? Capilano
College's Computer
Specialist program is
accepting applications for
its January session. This
full-ume, 10-month
program provides a well-
rounded education in
systems design, Web
design, programming,
networking and Cxsiness
computing. Achieve
Microsoft and Novell
networking certifications
such as MCP, MCSE and
CNA. Seats are going fast.
Call gg0-7871.

}> New computer

technology testing
centre

Finding a place to write
computer technology
exams just became easier.
Capilano College recently
opened a testing centre
offering all Sylvan
Prometric exams,
including Microsoft
certifications MCSE and
MCSD. Novell, A+ and
IBM acereditation exams
are also offered, along with
Microsoft Office User
Specialist exams, such as
Excel, Power Point, Access
and Word. For more
information, call
990-7871.

b> Caring for people with

disabilities

Job unrewarding? Make an
impact on someone's life as
a personal care attendant.
Capilano College's full-
time, 30-week Personal
Care Attendant program
prepares students to help
the disabled live
independently in their
community. Job prospects
are excellent in group
homes, health care centres,
private homes, schools and
tecreation centres. Call
984-4960 for more
information.

CAPILANO
COLLEGE

2055 Purcell Way
North Vancouver

986-1917