A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 1, 1994
TER RACE

STANDARD

ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988

ADDRESS: 4647 Lazelle Ave., Terrace, B.C. * V8G 188
TELEPHONE: (604) 638-7283 * FAX: (604) 638-8432
MODEM: 638-7247

Strange allies

HOW FICKLE is the world of Canadian politics. .

An adversary one day may very well be an ally
the next. There’s no better example than the
most recent dust up over Quebec sovereignty.

It began when federal Indian affairs minister
Ron Irwin said that natives living in Quebec
could very well take themselves — and the land
they inhabit — out of Quebec should the pro-
vince ever separate. This is no small thing. The
area in question is the vast northland of Quebec,
containing a wealth of natural resources and the
massive James Bay power project. Losing the
north part, historically called Ungava, would
represent a serious economic blow to separatist
dreams,

Mr. [rwin’s statements were quickly joined by
those of the native groups. Ever eager to promote
the concept of self-government, natives wel-
comed the notion that they could determine their
own political destiny. It’s no secret natives in
Quebec aren’t exactly ecstatic about the virulent
forms of that province’s ethnic nationalism.

All this then fit into the position of English Ca-
nadians who either oppose Quebec sovereignty
on patriotic grounds or who have more of a dark
side to their feelings toward Quebec. That’s be~-
cause there’s a legal and political theory about
Ungava, the northern portion of modern Quebec.
It wasn’t a part of the province when it joined
Confederation. Hence, if Quebec separates, the
theory is that Ungava will stay as Canadian terti-
tory. It’s obviously a position Quebecers don’t
accept.

.This all adds up to an alliance between natives
in Quebec and those opposed to Quebec
sovereignty. It’s all just a bit bizarre because the
latter group are also completely and utterly
against any concept of native self determination.
But they’re willing to go along with the native
cause for now if it means a jab at Quebec.

The above may sound a bit tiresome and boring
to.a lot of Canadians, especially to those caught
up in the Stanley Cup aspirations of the Van-
couver Canucks. But if politics can be consider-
ed a sport, it’s important to learn the players and
the plays.

June 6, 1994

Beginning this week we’re going to hear a lot
about June 6, the 50th anniversary of the 1944
D-Day landings. The invasion of Europe by
Allied forces opened another front to the Second
World War which ultimately ended with the
defeat of Nazi Germany the year after.

As the years go by, less and less is remembered
— or learned -— about the landings at
Normandy. Several generations have now passed
and wars of eras gone by do not weigh heavily
upon the minds of modern day Canadians.

And that’s a shame in these days of an un-
certain Canadian identity, for Canada was one of
the key nations involved in the D-Day landings.
Its warships shepherded vessels carrying its
troops from England, its planes flew overhead
and its paratroopers landed in the darkness ahead
of the main invading forces. D-Day helped
demonstrate what Canada can do when a com-
mitment is made.

While war is not something to be glorified, its
effects and impacts must be remembered. That’s
why it’s important to take note of D-Day’s 50th
anniversary.

GES
al PUBLISHER/ EDITOR: Rod Link
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Serving the Terrace area. Published on Wednesday of each week by Cariboo Prass (1969) Ud, at 484;
Lazalla Ave., Terrace, Btlish Columba.

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Speclal thanks to all our contributors and correspondents
‘for their time and talents |

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Torontonian misses point

VICTORIA — First, ket me
get you into the right mood by
quoting an eastern columnist
and her perception of British
Columbia in general and Van-
couver in particular.

“What a bimbo lown If
Vancouver were a dame, it
would be a harlot starlet, press-
ing its cantilevered cleavage
into your face and whispering
huskily in your ear.

“No talent, but a great set of
«» twin peaks. It reclines here
on ihe edge of terra firma, like
a courtesan on a chaise tounge,
purting and preening and
puckering its lips.’’

You mad yet? Well, here’s a
bit more: ‘‘Put another way,
Vancouver is spiritually,
psychically and temperamen-
tally blond: a vapid aithead of
a burg, substituting good looks
for brains, and giggles for con-
versation.”’ ,

Now you're gelling it. Who
is this columnist? ] won’t men-
tion the name. There’s no bet-
ter way to get even with sclf-
inflated members of the fourth
estate than not lo acknowledge
their names. Hey, I ought to
know. I've been in this busi-
ness for more than 30 years.

I will say, though, that the
columnist in question is a
woman. Hell, a man writing

FROMTHE CAPITAL.
HUBERT BEYER

what she did would be hauled
before a human rights commis-
sion by an army of blond Van-
couverites,

And just what was it that
licked Madam off? The
esthetic cquivalent of penis-
envy, that’s what. To be more
specific, the Canucks cleaning
the Maple Leafs’ clock, and
the abscnee of any scenery to
speak of where she comes ~
from.

I'm not kidding. This pur-
veyor of easiern contempt for
anything west of the Great
Lakes. just couldn’t take the
thrashing our Canucks gave
the Leafs in the series.

“One day, they're touchy-
feely esthetes — tree-huggers,

whale-petters, tofu-eaters —
and the next they’re trying to
masquerade as  hackey-
frenzied Canuck devotees,
Vancouverites have never met
a fad they couldn’t embrace.
And right now, the pet rocks of
choice are the Canuck-
leheads.”’

I think she should have
checked with Vicky Husband
first. She’s a devoted year-
round tree hugger, And I’ve
never seen her at a Canucks
game, not even during the
playoffs. As for tofu, I never
touch the stuff,

Now to Madam’s second in-
feriority complex. Read on:
"Oy, is this hamlet self-
absorbed or what? Culturally
bereft, politically inconsequen-
lial and geographically isolated.
from the Canadian experience,
it has created a cult of itself.

“There’s a kind of Moonie
attitude that permeates every
aspect of life-as-they-know-it
in Lotusland, and indolent
haze-daze that’ renders its
denizens glassy-eyed and in-
tellectually fried.

‘“What after all, does Van-
couver have going for it excepl
a confluence of geological cle-
menis, the mountains and the
sea and the massive influx of

Asian money.””

Now you're talking, lady.
We got all that, in spades, al-
right, and we7ll keep it, thank
you. Frankly, I think I speak
for most British Columbians
when I say you can insert your
central-Canadian experience
where the sun doesn’t shine.

Intellectually fried, hey? [’d
like Madam to meet Michael
Smith, Nobel Prize winner and
Vancouverite.

I give Madam one thing: she
has a good command of the
English language. Unfortunate-
ly, she is nol using it to add to
the sum total of mankind’s
knowledge. Her semi-
intellectual prose is reminis-
cent of the kind of high school
journalism that substitutes in-
sult of. genuine criticism.

Apart from using the rather
odious stupid-blond sterco- —
type to make her point,
whatever it is, she has obvious-
ly spent no more than a day or
two in Vancouver.

So, Madam, I suggest you ©
come back to Vancouver after
you get over your pet peeves.
Who knows, you may like it
belter next time. And if you -
need a guide, Ill be happy to
oblige, although I live in Vic-
toria, a city I won't let you go

‘near.

A reason to be skeptical

WHEN 1 plunk my money
down for a too-good-to-be-true
item advertised in a labloid or
on a slick flyer wedged into
my mailbox, I expect to be
fleeced.

Mind you, I won't be happy;
Pll fight to get my money back
through every legal means
available to a gullible con-
sumer.

But I won't be disappointed.
Not even by a $12.95 indoor

parabolic dish antenna guaran- *, =
THROUGH -BIFOCALS

teed to cover aj] UHF and
VHF channels from 2 to 83
that arrives in a shoe box
lighter than a pack of cigarettes
without packing or instruc-
tions, with four suction cups to
clamp it upright on my TV.

Chagrined, yes, but not dis-
appointed. Fashioned from
prey wasp nest, all that was
missing was a string and one
soup can.

However, when a newspaper
prints a reporter's article beat-
ing the drum for a service or
product, I expect much more. I

CLAUDETTE SANDECKI_

trust the reporter and the news-
paper to offer me only reliable
businesses.

At least I did until experience
taught me to be skeptical.

In the spring of 1991 the Pro-
vince ran a full page article
writlen by ils business reporter
introducing Maturity, a seniors
magazine published in New
Westminsler, and distributed
through the Bank of Montreal, —

Always keen to discover a

magazine more in line with my
current interests, I asked at our
local Bank of Montreal for a

. copy. Several times..aver a

span of weeks. Nane was ever
available.

Finally, I phoned the maga-
zine’s office to learn its sub-
scription rate. July 21, 1991 I
mailed a $12 cheque for a one
year subscription, six issues.

Weeks went by before an is-
sue arrived. When a second
copy failed to show up two
months later, I wrote one letter
and phoned several times, in-
ciuding one evening call to the
publisher at his home. His
response? ‘*Pick it up at the.
bank.”

Eventually a second issue ar-
rived. But the last four issues
of my subscription never came.

From one newspaper article,
a touted service or product can
experience a spurt of
popularity. How ihe company
reacts to the increase in con-
sumer interest depends upon
its integrity. The company’s

GREAT BBQ
CHICKEAL HE

SO WHAT DO You PACKAGES M-2l
THINK OF THE NEW TEAR EASY !

Me GROCERY STORE ? JEP | AND

7 | fi Sort BREAD! PLASTIC CARTONS

O©p.veguaer_

PUNCTURE Good,

3226

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REL

response should be checked by _
anonymous callers before. the
newspaper presents the compa-"
ny to readers, .

For Maturity to accept free
exposure ta 221,195 Province
Teaders, then ignore me, and
renege on our contract - albeit
a $12 contract - upset me not
only with the magazine but
with the newspaper for its
endorsement of a so what?
company.

Last Sunday the Province
printed another three-quarter
page business article about
Maturity, complete with an 8 x _
5 photo of the 34-year-old pub-
lisher hugging a copy of his
product, ‘*Canada’s largest
magazine for seniors, circula-
lion 175,000.”

Maturity’s editor says,
‘Seniors have 80 per cent of
the wealth in this country, but
they arc truly ignored, for the -

most part.”

Who better to know.

Dad OLE VME,
STOP BY THIS }/ Fee,
STORE AGAIN |