Ad - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 16, 2002 TERRACE. STANDARD ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 PUBLISHER: ROD LINK ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C. » V8G 5R2 TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 * FAX: (250) 638-8432 WEB: www.terracestandard.com EMAIL: newsroom@terracestandard.com The Queen BY ALL accounts, John Manley is a smart guy. He is the deputy Prime Minister and the federal finance minister and you don’t rise to those po- sitions unless you have something upstairs, But if John Manley were ever to become Prime Minister, he’d work to abolish the mon- archy. Too bad Mr. Manley’s brain isn’t work- ing correctly in that area. Mr. Manley’s preference is that Canada abol- ish the monarchy after the reign of Queen Eli- zabeth ends. To quote his exact words: “T conti- nue to think that for Canada after Queen Eliza- beth, it should be time to consider a different institution for us, and personally I prefer a wholly Canadian institution.” Fine enough for an opinion but wrong when it comes to reality for the Queen is the Head of State and, when in Canada, she is the Queen of Canada. As such, the Queen represents a very live connection to Canadian history and develop- ment. Despite what Mr. Manley may think, the Queen in her role as sovereign is as much a part of Canada as anything else in this country. It was the British monarchy that created this country. Rupert’s Land, for instance, that vast track of land given to the Hudson’s Bay Compa- ny under royal warrant, now forms the prairie provinces, It was Colonel Richard Moody of the Royal Engineers (there’s that word again) who staged the construction of the Cariboo Wagon Road in- land from the coast in 1862 to the interior gold fields. This land connection alone helped stave off American expansionism into the interior, the United States. ., ., ,.. cyte we Just 11 years ago when British Columbia was embroiled in the machinations of the Fantasy Gardens scandal consuming then-Premier Bill Vander Zalm, David Lam, then the Lieutenant- Governor, was ready to consider asking Mr. Vander Zalm to step down had he not resigned. Undemocratic? Yes. The right call? Absolutely for it would have preserved the honour and re- sponsibility that comes with elected govern- ment. Mr. Manley no doubt would say we have ma- tured as a country and are ready to move be- yond the monarchy. Yet a country is made up of its history. To deny the monarchy is to deny the history, the underlying fabric, of what makes up a country. We should revel in our history, acknowledge the mistakes, work to cor- rect them but to never forget how we got here in the first place. Somewhat jokingly, Mr. Manley said that perhaps Celine Dion would be more appropriate as a Head of State. Given that option, we'll take the Queen, and any of her successors, hands down. PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brian Lindenbach PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS: Jeff Nagel , NEWS/SPORTS Sarah Zimmerman NEWS/COMMUNITY: Jennifer Lang \ FRONT OFFICE: Darlene Keeping & Carol McKay CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR: Terri Gordon ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Bert Husband & Stacy Gyger TELEMARKETER: Stacy Gyger COMPOSING: Susan Credgeur AD ASSISTANT: Sandra Stefanik SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: ; $56.25(+$3.94 GST)=60.19 per year; Seniors $49.50 (+$3.47 GST)=52,97; Out of Province $63.22 (+$4.43 GST)=67.65 Outside of Canada (6 months) $152.34 (+$10.66 GST)=163,00 MEMAER OF B,C. AND YUKON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION, CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION AND B.C, PRESS COUNCIL (www.bepresscounel.org) 2001 WINNER CCNA BETTER NEWSPAPERS COMPETITION Serving the Terrace and Thorhil area, Published on Wadnasday of each weak at 3210 Clinton Streat, Terrace, British Columbia, V8G SA2. Slorias, photographs, Iilustralions, designs and typestyles in the Teraca Standard are tha property of the copyright holders, including Cariboa Press (1969) Ltd., its ilustration rapro services and advertising agencies, Reproduction in whol or in part, without weitten permission, is spacifically prohibited, Authorized as second-class mail pending the Post Olfica Dapartment, for payment of postage In cash. Special thanks to alt our contributors and correspondents for their time and talents saving British Columbia from becoming part of. GREAT News! THE FEDS CAME THRU WITH $23.5 MIL. DEDICATED TO UPGRADING OUR Sktus! AF WE LIVED IN QueBpec is \ 185 MIL FOR unt cL IN TROIS RINIER RES, quest These britches are too big for him VICTORIA - Ailow me, please, to add my small voice to the chorus of Canadians who are outraged al the crude and loutish behaviour of John Manley, the Deputy Prime Minister. “It is not necessary to con- tinue with the monarchy. We could have a uniquely Cana- dian institution after Queen Elizabeth,” Manley said in re- sponse ta a reporter's question of his take on the monarchy. Let me say up front that there is nothing wrong with a reasoned debate about Cana- da’s constitutional future. Soo- ner or later, we will decide whether or not to continue our allegiance to the monarch or cut loose and become a repu- blic. What I find utterly and in- comprehensibly deplorable is the timing of Manley’s com- ments, Which he uttered on the very day the Queen set foot on Canadian soil. a. Ws not, unlike, telling rela- tives of a victim who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11 that the U.S. “asked for it,” or informing a widow at the funeral of her late husband that she shouldn’t be, surprised by his death, considering the fact that he smoked. Manley’s comments were coarse and uncouth. I don’t mind that he is an opponent of the monarchy. Many Cana- dians are, particularly in Que- bec, which |] totally under- stand. Again, what bothers me “FROM THE CAPITAL HUBERT BEYER is the occasion on which Man- ley flew his Republican, anti- mw hoy Juaging from the rather lame reaction of his office spokesman or rather spokes- woman, there was nothing wrong with his comments. He simply and truthfully answered a question by a reporter. He said the same thing before. The main problem was | the timing, although, in’ omy, “api- nion, what Manley ‘said ap-. pears to be spectacularly out of sync with the Canadian mood, I was about a mile from downtown Victoria when the Queen’s motorcade drove by on its way to Government House. People stood two te three deep along the route, even though the daily newspa- per is on strike and wasn’t able to publish the route. The lawn in front of the B.C. Legislature was packed Sunday, as the Queen did her walkabout. As I said at the outset, there is nothing wrong wilh a debate on whether Canada should re- tain the monarchy. I’m sure we will have that debate sooner or later. There is nothing sacred about the way we govern our- selves, but there is such a thing as decency and common’ courtesy. And it demands that you do not insult your guests. Having said that, T am cer- tain that the majority of Cana- dians still support the monar- chy. I have great admiration for Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson, but I rather prefer Elizabeth I] as my head of state, For half a century, she has been Queen of Canada. Yes, her family, too, turned out to be not immune from the pro- blems of modern times. But compared to the foibles and shortcomings and scandals that have | ‘plagued ‘our, politicians during ‘the last 50 years ‘of her ‘reign, | take her any ‘time. Strange that I, as a born German who spent his child- hood in the country whose ruthless dictatorship the world fought, should be a defender of the monarchy. Actually, not strange at all. It is precisely because of my childhood ex- periences in Nazi Germany that I love the monarchy. Tt was the Queen’s mother who with her unbending spirit and determination instilled we my. blessings, bn hope in her hushand’s subjects during the Second World War that eventually good will tri- umph over evil. Against all advice, she told the nation that the King will, never leave to seck refuge overseas, and that she will - never leave her husband, nor her children. ] have witnessed that same steely determination in her daughter, Queen Elizabeth I], . the woman who presided over the dismantling of the British Empire with unequalled grace, far more demanding than ruling it in its glory days. If Manley ever manages to - have Canadians line his route by the thousands, | will support his republican views. If. he or any other cabinet minister, including da little guy from Shawinigan ever succeeds in creating the kind of excite- ment the Queen’s visit did in Canada’s vast north, Nunavut, he can become head of state a HIDE By sd aere Sedt nd wf he ever, fan , COM: pictures and stories around the’ globe, as the Queen’ did by dropping the puck at a hockey game in Vancouver that Oct: 6 Sunday night, hell, he can be- came king of Canada, as far as I’m concerned. Then again, small men don’t fill big britches. Beyer can be reached at: E-nail: hubert@eoolcom. com; Tel (250) 381-6900; Web iittp: {www Jutbertbeyer.com These trustees should not run ANYONE WHO standd for school board election next month had best be certain he has no relatives employed by {or on leave from) the school district. Even one distant rela- tive could put him in conflict of interest, a situatian parents don’t intend seeing repeated. Six months ago five of our district’s schools closed unop- posed by two trustees who did and said nothing, declaring themselves to be in conflict of interest. They based their de- claration on a Newfoundland court ruling which may not have dealt with a situation parallel to that of the Terrace trustees. As frustrated parerits wiped their tears, they swore never again to elect a trustee who might later prove to have a possible conflict of interest which could exempt! him from Voting on crucial issues, Parents must now be ready to challenge the qualifications of those filing for election, not only in court before the ballots are printed, but at all candi- MY Gop' It's gue] AND T HAVEN'T DONE MY Hae"! THROUGH .BIFOCALS CLAUDETTE SANDECKI dates forums. Past REM Lee all-candi- dates forums have been spar- sely attended. This year, if there is one, expect more yo- ters to show up to skewer can- didates with pointed questions Similar lo those shot at board members April 4 in Kitimat. The School Act allows four days, including Saturday and Sunday, in which to challenge a nomination in provincial court. This year’s deadline was TCAN MAKE UP THE] TIME OVER LUNCH! A WOMAN WEARS AWATCH TO u 4 p.m. October 15. Applicants have until 4 p.m. Oct. 17 to withdraw, Ballots will be prin- ted Oct. 18. Any voter with good reason ta believe an applicant might be in conflict of interest and therefore ineffective as a lrustee can file a challenge with the court registry under Section 75 of the School Act. A supporting affidavit must be filed with the challenge. Grounds for a challenge are limited, Not being qualified is one ground. If, however, a challenge is deemed by the court fo be groundless, court costs could be assessed against the challenger. Nomination forms should be accompanied by guidelines selling out the employment entanglements which can lead te conflict of interest, barring a trustee from voting on money or personnel related decisions. Almost every school board de- cision involves money and/or staff. For parents, it’s too late KNOW HOW LATE ant SHE'S GOING To Be?! when trustees learn because of | a family member receiving a district paycheque, they’re in conflict of interest, That family member could be a spouse, a child, an adult child on ma- - ternity leave, or on sabbatical. In April we heard trustees say over and over, “We swore an oath to uphold the School Act. Our hands are tied.” Trustees with hands tied by an oath are helpless. Muzzling by. conflict of interest further crip ples a school district in need of creative solutions. The two trustees who absen- ° ted themselves from voting on school closures by reason of a perceived conflict of interest don’t deserve to appear on an- other school board ballot. Plen- - ty of us feel they collected their pay while contributing lit- tle. The embarrassment fostered by an outraged public Jast- spring should dissuade anyone » with a possible conflict of in- terest from running for office November 16.