Sex survey

Catherine Barr Contributing Writer

WEST Vancouver District 45 School Board will take a second look at partic- ipating in the controversial McCreary survey.

District 43 trustce David Stevenson made the motion this week to reter the contentious MeCreary survey to the education committee “tor review.” The motion comes despite the faet thar the board previously approved a motion to partic: ipate in the survey in a 3-2 vote.

“By referring it to the education committee it allows for input from the parents’ assoctation, the teachers” association, the administrative associa: tion, the municipal emplovees’ association and two. student representatives,” said Stevenson. “And it allows the trustees and the community to respond in an Open forum.”

When asked why the step was not previousiv considered, Stevenson said. *T guess just: work load. ft didn’t come to our collective wisdom or to anybody else's collective wisdom to reter it to the education committee.”

WV school board refers controversial McCreary survey to committee

Mention trom various school districts duc to the controversial r ature of its topicy. Earlier this vear, North Vancouver District 44 decided against allowing students in North Vancouver schools to till out the survey.

Sample survey questions given (O Test wloups reveal inquiries pertaining to, but not limited to, family issues, sexual activities and substance abuse.

The survey, which is administered bv public health nurses, can provide data thar will be used by regional health boards to plan for programs and forecast community health needs.

West Vancouver students would need their guardian’s permission to participate and have the option to opt our without penalty.

But the school board's previous decision to participate in the survey has led to numerous phone calls from concerned parents and citizens who want the district stick to teaching the three

The McCreary study has received a lor of R's.

Teen caught in sports red tape

School transfer cut basketball fun

Robert Galster

News Reporter robert@usnews.com

YU-WEI Lin just wants to play bali.

But the 16-year-old Collingwood School student has been forced to sit out the majority of the 1997-98 senior girls’ basker- ball season due to little more than a technicalicy.

Lin, who graduated = from Balmoral junior secondary school last spring, has been ruled incligi- ble because the school she crans- ferred to is not within the area of her home.

Asaresult, Lin is in the midst of a one-year ineligibility ruling hand- ed down by the province's govern- ing bady of secondary school ath- letics last September. B.C. School Sports made the decision based on rules it adopted two years ago.

Lin’s case has attracted the attention of West Vancouver: Capilano MLA Jeremy Dalton who has since become one of her sup- Porters.

“[ think the parents made a legitimate choice at the end of junior high and that she should be eligible to compete,” said Dalton. “Pr not very impressed by this argument that the only school she should have gone to is Carson (Graham secondary school).”

According to a feeder sy effect in North Vancouver, Carson Graham is the school closest to her home. Bur Lin’s parents chose an independent school instead and she enrolled at West Vancouver's Collingwood school.

“T feel really bad because going

to Collingwood was niv pe ents’ choice so I'm being penalived. tor listening to my parents.” said Lin. “Fm really angry and Vm really unhappy about this.”

The policy that victimized Lin states a student in Grade 10 or higher that transters: from) one school to another must sit out 12 months of restricted competition unless the student is declared eligi- ble upon appeal. Eight exceptions to the rule exist, but Lin does nor fit into any of these.

She filed an appeal but was turned down and did not pursue a second one. Despite her negative experience Lin continues to view the situation in’ much = simpler terms.

“L graduated from a school that only goes to Grade 10,” said Lin. “What thev’re telling me is vou can only go to one school.”

According to B.C. School Sports, the rules governing the province's secondary school athlet- ics Were instituted to ensure “fair and equitable” competition among schools.

“T won't talk about any specific appeals,” said Marilyn Payne, ¢: utive director of B.C. School Sports. “That's something we've done from day one with this process,”

But she did say Lin’s suspension only applies to restricted competi- tion which docs not cover exhibi- tion games or those played at invi- tational tournaments.

Payne said the organization governs between 95,0000 and 100,000) student athletes. OF those, roughly 400 launched appeals of which about 60% were accepted.

Friday. March 13, 1998 - Nonh Shore News — 3

“T dent chink Ws geht” said) Mura Morin She thinks the qstestions are fughhv snapproy tor }2 amd 13 vear old Gildren and cians mann other people tee! NATH WS

Rene Corker sees thir bettered. © orbet tas two children. one ld eneu Paaliny asa sus sev partiopant. She thinks thatoa better under standing of developing trends wouid be heiprul

“You hope vewve Brougir them ap well enough that some questien sit peng to charge then.” she said.

Yrustee Erica Beli Lowther would) probably auree. She saves her own children have reviewed

the survey and want to be given the treedom of

choice.

“Students verv much want to make their views known,” ste said.

The decision ty reter the issue to the edicauon committee did not come casily, No scconder for the motion was readily forthcoming se charman Clive Bird stepped torth

The swing vote eventually came trom trusice Jeanie Ferguson who supported the new moten based on the idea thar better clariticanon and more information will help alleviate parental tears.

“Perhaps a better community discussion would iNvreave participation,” she said.

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

Eagles soar

CARSON Graham Eagle Brent Charieton soars over North Delta’s Mark Finan during the Eagles’ 67-40 opening round win on Wednesday in B.C. Tripie-A senior boys’ basketball championships. The North Van school played MEI last night at the PNE Agrodome.

Little yellow plastic ducks to fill river

ovo to Australia complete with a tour of the Great Barrier Reef, golf clubs,

Deana Lancaster News Reporter

IT’S time to strap that battery-powered mini-propeller onto your rubber ducky and send it racing down the Capilano River with thousands of other plastic ducks on Sunday.

Actually, that would be cheating.

But it is worthwhile to spend the $5 and buy one of 15,000 ducks avail- able from the Rotary Clubs of the North Shore for the 10th annual Capilano River Duck Race taking place on March 15 at} p.m.

If your duck makes good time — with only the current of the river push- ing it — you could win one of a multitude of prizes including a vacation for

train trips

ses and more.

P . Although the race begins at 1 p.m. and is over quickly (the winner should

cross the finish line approximately 15 minutes after the starr) the tun begins at noon with entertainment for the whole family. The winners will be announced on stage at 2 p.m.

‘Tickets are available at Park Royal Shopping Centre, Lonsdale Quay, Lynn Valley Centre, Capilano Mail and Save-on Foods, “charge-a-duck” at 988-DUCK.

The major beneficiary of the proceeds raised will be North Shore Search and Rescue, who are fundraising for updated equipment and space in which to store it, Sponsors for this year’s race include Rotary International, the North Shore News, and Contact Printing & Mailing Ltd.

You can also

gets 2nd 100K | activisi

speaks at local pro-life meeting

Liam Lahey Contributing Writer

THE North Shore Pro Life Society (NSPLS) held its annual meeting at the Sutherland Bible Chapel on Tuesday night before a smal! audience.

Unlike the terror tactics of other pro-life movements thar have captured headlines across Canada recently, the NSPLS assembled peacetully te. jisten to various seakers and to share mrormiation on the latest devel- opments. Societe president Marius Soska said his society's mission is to educate the public thar killing is wrong.

“Our mission is clear, its to tell both voung people and the general pubic thar ins wrong to take a lite whether it’s an unborn child in the womb, or a vomatese person in the inten: sive care unit ata hospital.”

Condemning the abortion clinic at 44th and Victoria in Vancouver as a “inodern dav death camp” and criticizing the government for ifs inaction on the abortion issue, Soska said the possibility of legalized euthanasia. mayo onot be far behind.

“We are in danger of being taken te hospital and being put down fike pets.” Saska said. “Given the svmpathetic out- look on cuthanasia in) our courts and within the medical community, this could very eas- ily happen here.”

Soska also took aim at pro- choice groups, calling them “murderous conspirators” who “belong in darkness.”

“Our voung people will grow up in an acnosphere of death,” he told the mostly elderly crowd. “Unlike the murderous conspiraters and doctors who gather under a shroud of secrecy, we walk in the light... we didn’t ask for police protection.”

The main attraction of the evening (was anti-abortion advocate Jim Demers.

A resident of Nelson, B.C., Demers has been arrested countless times for his fight against abortion.

“As a vouth, P was interest- ed in the history of World War ‘Two, which Jed to my revulsion of how the Nazis attempted to exterminate the Jewish peo- ple.” Demers told the gather- ing. “The Nazis were very cun- ning, they developed a legal system which depersonalized Jewish people, which meant they weren't human beings ... that’s exactly what’s happening here.”

Repeatedly — calling — the Vancouver abortion clinic “that mortuary.” and comparing Canada’s laws on abortion to Nazism, Demers warned that the methodology to segregate a group of people is already in place in Canada.

“Watch out cripples! Watch

See Crusade pane 4