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‘Candidates must take a position’

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the Multiplex stadium, Rankin said,
but the provincial NDP has none.
“They have to have a position,’’ he
said, ‘*$168 million for a multiplex
that the community doesn’t want is
just not a priority.”’

Convention Centre: The present

deal between the city and the pro-

vince has to be rewritten,Rankin
said. Earlier this year, the city bend-
ed to pressure from Victoria and
agreed to own and operate the cen-
tre and to wave $600,000 per year in
taxes. The province has pledged to

pay $300,000 per year towards the_

centre’s operating deficit, but city

officials predict the deficit to be

over $1 million in the first year.
McMath Report: ‘‘We want a

firm commitment from the NDP.

that immediately upon taking office
that there will be a 75-25 split in
financing education,’’ he _ said.
Rather than the 25 percent recom-
mended by the McMath Report, ci-
ty taxpayers are now paying 93 per-
cent of basic education costs.
Ward system: Now that the ma-

jority of city voters have declared

themselves in favor of a ward
system, he said, ‘‘We want an
undertaking that the next provincial
government will amend the city’s
charter in order for a ward system
to be established.

Urban Transit Authority: The
UTA will be ‘‘the most important
election issue for Vancouver and
the GVRD.”’ The Socreds are dum-
ping the transit system onto the
GVRD and forcing local taxpayers
to pay with a special gas tax, a sur-
charge on hydro bills and eventually
increased property taxes. ‘‘We talk-

ed about some Of those charges
before,’’ Rankin responded, ‘‘But
for a rapid transit system — not for
a crock of junk.’’ Candidates must
declare themselves for a new transit
deal between the province and the
GVRD, and declare themselves for
rapid transit, he said. _

The provincial.election is outside
the usual purview.of COPE, he ad-
ded, but ‘these issues are - important
to us.“*

“We have to see that the can-
didates of every party speak to these
issues in the election.”’

HARRY RANKIN...
issues for provincial election

outlined

candidates to take a stand on._

fairs Bill Vander Zalm_ backed
down to the GVRD this week and
announced that the Urban Transit
Authority would not take over
responsibility for transit in Greater
Vancouver until the fall. When the
GVRD refused to sign an operating
agreement with the UTA, the op-
tions open to the government:
negotiate a deal with each separate
GVRD municipality, or else impose
an agreement, were both unaccep-
table, Vander Zalm said.

Socreds back off UTA,
taxpayers save millions

Socred minister of municipal af-

allow the government to establish a

transit authority even without
agreement of the municipalities.

But while the Socreds attempt to
salvage their shipwrecked urban
transit policy, local taxpayers are
saving million in direct taxes which
would have been applied March 31.
The bill for GVRD taxpayers for
transit in 1979 under the UTA could
have been as high as $23 million.

_ Above, cartoonist Dave Lane
parodies the minister in his new

COPE grew by 25 percent
in 1978 annual meeting told

“The action is with COPE,”’’
declared COPE president Bruce
Yorke to about 100 COPE members
who turned out to COPE’s annual
meeting Sunday at the Ironworkers’
Hall in Vancouver.

Yorke, who was re-elected presi-
dent by the meeting, said that
COPE has become ‘“‘the real op-
position”’ in Vancouver to the NPA
dominated city council and is
spearheading the fight for reform
policies in the city.

COPE’s membership grew by 25
percent to over 650 during the 1978
election campaign, Yorke said, ‘‘It
was a good year for COPE, 1979
will be better and 1980 will be
great.’’

In a report from the Parks Board
committee, Pat Wilson said that the
new NPA parks board have the

. Same objectives as city council and

school board, budget cuts and
reductions in service. The NPA is so
confident of TEAM support for its
budget cuts that it has made the
lone TEAM member of the board,
Mary Ann Fowler, chairperson of

Vander Zalm said he will a

role, picking
troduce legislation, however,

midst the wave of protest that has reverberated
around the world in the wake of China’s invasion
of Vietnam, often the voices of some are muted by the
protest of aroused world opinion. In a sense, it is that
way with the Veterans of the Mackenzie Papineau Bat-
talion. Although their numbers have dwindled over the
years, their advocacy of peace has not, and considering
the fact that they fought 40 years ago in a war that
could have prevented World War II, their message to
China this week should carry no small impact.
Voicing their ‘‘shock and dismay at the attack on,
the armed forces, the people and the-territory of Viet-
nam’’ the Mac-Paps said in their wire: ‘‘As anti-
fascists we view this armed aggression against a smaller
neighbor state as deliberately aggressive and we accor-
dingly demand the immediate withdrawal of Chinese

. armed forces. from the territory of the Socialist. Re-

public of Vietnam.”’ National secretary Lionel Ed-
wards, the former commander of the Mac-Paps signed
the wire on the veterans’ behalf.
* * *
hen our office routine was considerably more
chaotic than usual this week, the reason became
apparent immediately: Dorothy Vint, our bookkeeper
wasn’t here to keep thing running smoothly. She went
-into Vancouver General Hospital Sunday for a series
of tests and surgery and was expected to be in hospital
for most of the week.
Her husband Sam assures us that she is in good
spirits although it’s likely to be a while before she has

regained her strength and can resume her work at the

Tribune.

Our best wishes are with her for a speedy and full
recovery. $
* * *

W. have the latest brochure from the directors of
the Vancouver School for Labor and Social Sciences
announcing the spring course for ’79, slated for Satur-
day and Sunday April 7 and 8, again at the Blue Boy
Hotel in Vancouver and running from 9 a.m. to 4:30.

Subjects this time are ‘‘Who Owns British Colum-
bia? with labor economist Dave Fairey; ‘“Where is the
CLC Heading?”’ with Tribune labor commentator and
Communist Party labor secretary Jack Phillips; and
two subjects, ‘‘Labor and International Affairs’? and
“Organized Labor and Political Action” with author
and lecturer Ben Swankey.

Reasyeage fees for ithe school are + ane each itis

the
defenseless busses.

PEOPLE AND ISSUES-

providing the dance music.

the finance committee, she said.

trolleys off
; COPE will lead a number of

ture or $14 for the series of four lectures. Those wan-
ting to participate write to Nina Bell, 1732 Taralawn
Court, Burnaby, V5B 3H5. Cheques or money orders
for the courses selected. should be made out to the Van-

couver School for Labor and Social Sciences.
* cd *

A mixing of cultures and a merging of politics were
the successful ingredients of an event last weekend
in Vancouver of no small significance for the Com-
munist movement and for B.C.’s ethnic communities.

It was the first public event of the Aris Velouhiotis
Club of the Communist Party and it brought together
more than 200 Greek and English Canadians for an
evening of Greek food, music and dance — and Cana-
dian politics.

No doubt for many of the English Canadians pre-
sent it was strange to their ears to hear political
speeches and poems first in Greek, and then in
English. But it is a style they will become more ac-

 customed to in the future, for as Aris Club Spokesman
- Elias Stavrides told the meeting, B.C. immigrant com-

munities, and not least the Greek community, will play
an increasingly important role in the growth of the
Communist movement.

Although the club had been relatively quiet until last
weekend, its four month existence has already sent
waves through the 15,000 strong Greek community in
the Lower Mainland, Communist Party Greater Van-
couver chairman Fred Wilson, who counts himself as a
member of the club, added, ‘‘Now there is an alter-
native in the Greek community to the church, the
Liberal Party and the Jack Volrichs.”’

With its first public event, the club also produced
the first copy of its monthly newsletter, The Democrat.
Completely written in the Greek language it is, to our
knowledge, the first such publication by the Com-
munist movement in Western Canada, at least.

bg oe *
f you’ve got a free evening March 17, you can use
it to help support the INCO strikers at a benefit
concert and dance scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Bayview
Community School at 8th and Collingwood in Van-
couver.

Sponsored by the Open Defence Committee for the
Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the evening lineup
includes performances by George Hewison and
Bargain at Half the Price. The Ad Hoc Band will be

‘

delegations to the parks board on
March 5 to protest the recently an-
nounced price increases at city
swimming pools and ice rinks.
School board committee
chairperson Polly Weinstein said
that COPE speared the fight against
budget cuts by the Vancouver
school board last month and won-
recognition from parents, teachers
and ‘administrators. She pointed to
education financing, a campaign
for housing ‘‘so families with
children can afford to live in this ci-

ty’’, and testing at the kindergarten
level as main concerns for 1979.
Other table officers elected in-
cluded, Libby Davies, first vice
president; Bruce Eriksen, second
vice-president; Polly Weinstein,
third vice-president; David Schreck,
treasurer and Pat Wilson, secretary.
Executive members at large are:
Jonnie Rankin, Sean Hatch, David
Stone, Sol Jackson, Ujal Dussanjh,
Jean Swanson, David Lane, Do a

City should

clubs guilty of racism

~ By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

Members of the Black communi-
ty in Vancouver and delegates from
a number of organizations have ap-
peared before city council’s stan-
ding committee on community ser-
vices, of which I am chairman,
alleging, serious instances of

discrimination against Black people-

by certain discotheques and cabaret
operators (as well as one of the big-
gest hotels).

Specifically they charge that:
@ Black persons are told they must

produce two or three pieces of iden-

tification before being permitted to
enter, while white people get in
without producing any.

@ Two black women were kicked
down flights of stairs by bouncers.
@ One man was beaten un-
conscious by a bouncer for asking
why three pieces of identification
are required for Black persons and
none for non Black.

They further charge that city
police cooperate with the bouncers
and night club owners and _ that
when a Black person complains the
police arrest the victim. Some of
those arrested also alleged they were

“called ‘“‘nigger’’ time and again by

some policemen.

As far as they’re concerned
racism is an ugly reality in the city
of Vancouver. The people making
the charges included long time
residents of Vancouver, holding
down steady jobs.

Before going any further I should
mention that. Vancouver does have
a by-law against racial discrimina-
tion, and that the city has the power
to suspend licenses where operators
of public premises practice racial
discrimination.

Black organizations also com-
plained that they had trouble get-
ting any action on their complaints
from the Human Rights Branch and
the minister of labour.

I endeavored to:take the matter
up with the cabaret operators and
the police but did not get much
satisfaction in either place.

The standing committee on com-
munity services by majority vote
adopted a number of recommenda-
tions which were referred to city
council. These included:

PACIFIC TRIBUNE— MARCH 2, 1979— Page

-@ The chairman

shut down

@ Clubs to clearly display their
trance requirements (e.g.—dr
I.D. requirements, etc.)

@ Bouncers and managers to weat
an identifying nameplate, visible at
all times ~~ ;
@ People refused admittance.
given the reason for the refusal. a
@ Upon receiving further inform
tion of proven acts of discrimina-
tion, the offending licenses be
brought before council to show
cause why their licenses should not
be suspended.

@ The chairman of the community
services committee to meet with all
principals involved to try and finda
satisfactory solution and report
back to council as soon as possible.
investigate,
together with the police, the ‘en-
forcement of Section 52 of the Li-
quor Act and report back to council
on the screening activities used by _
Misty’s and Sugar Daddy’s.

@ The chairman, together with the
Black Solidarity Association, in-
vestigate complaints against clubs
and report back to council.

The whole issue came to city
council on February 13. Most of the
recommendations were adopted.
Additional decisions were that
amendments be drafted to the by-
law against racial discrimination to
cover such matters as the first three
of the above recommendations
(regarding posting of entrance re-
quirements, bouncers to wear iden-
tification, and people refused en-
trance to be given a reason).

As you can see, the whole matter
has been more or less thrown back
into my lap for action, to solve as
best I can.

I want to make my stand clear. I
am completely opposed to. any
racial discrimination. If any public —
place in this city continues to prac-
tice it, my stand is that its license
should be suspended. However, I
cannot suspend any licenses on my
own. That’requires a vote in coun-
cil. It’s obvious that this will only
come about if citizens who believe
in fair play for all will tell the mayor
and aldermen that we won’t stand
for racial sivccmingtion in Van-
couver. :

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