iu Lal |

Skis like these from the Viienurk Works in Parnu, Estonia will be
appearing in stores in this country following the completion last month
of an order for the Canadian market. The plant produces skis for every
use, ranging from beginners to champions. — Tass photo

Labor demands improved
transportation for coast

Gladys Hebb, president of the
Prince Rupert Labor Council, has
called Iona Campagnolo’s threat to
resign her cabinet seat ‘‘a political
move that has nothing to do with
achieving a good coastal tran-
sportation system.”

Campagnolo, M.P. for Skeena
and minister of fitness and sport,
has repeatedly hinted that she will
leave the federal cabinet if -a
solution cannot be found to the
current crisis in B.C. coastal
transportation.

The future of coastal shipping in
B.C. has been in doubt since
‘transport minister: Otto Lang
announced that the federal
government would not continue to
subsidize Northland Navigation
which had provided service to
remote coastal communities since
1959.

Lang’s decision was closely
followed by an announcement from
RivTow -Straits, the province’s
major towing company that it
would provide freight service to
the coastal communities. Since

1977— Towards Freedom
for the People of Chile

Season’s Greetings

then, RivTow has leased the
federal and provincial govern-
ments’ two vessels, the Lumba
Lumba and the Malibu Princess to,
provide passenger service to some
coastal communities.

After coastal residents raised a
storm of protest, Campagnolo
threatened to resign, a_ threat
which caused little stir amongst
the residents themselves.
“Campagnolo is just one of a
number of Liberals jumping off the
Trudeau ship,’ Hebb stated.

Hebb called the handling of
coastal shipping “frightening. The
Liberals place a freeze on working
people’s wages and then hand
coastal transport over, without
bidding, to RivTow Straits with its
Liberal connection, and the final
result is unemployment and, in
some areas, 150 percent increases
in rates.”’

When Northland’s government
subsidy was not renewed, an
estimated 300 jobs were lost and
new rates for passenger service to
the Queen Charlotte Islands are
expected to be more than double
the rates offered by Northland.

Hebb stressed that she was not in
favor of government subsidies to
private corporations, the basis on
which Northland had offered
coastal service, but she found it
“even more hard to swallow the
serious cutbacks in service without
any prior consultation with the
largely working class people which
live on the coast.”

She charged that the new

situation leaves RibTow in a ‘‘neal
monopoly position’ and that it
“ean freely raise its rates. We
would like to reiterate that serious ;
consideration be given to the
establishment of a crown cor
poration that could rationally }
service the coastal communities. |

In addition to the labor;
movement, a number of northerl )
elected officials have protested the :
cancellation of Nofthland’s sub: |
sidy. Stewart mayor Ian McLeod |
said that ‘‘water passengel
transportation has gone from al”
adequate subsidized operation
an inadequate subsidized ©
operation.” The provincial and-
federal governments have com .
bined to provide an $850,000 sub-—
sidy to RivTow to continue —
passenger service between nor
thern mainland communities.

McLeod said that the result has —
been “‘wholesale dissatisfaction” —
amongst coastal residents.

Other northern officials have
warned that the service will prové |
to be inadequate with regard to
industries in many of the more
remote communities and will forcé
plant closures and higher unem-
ployment in an already high
unemployment area.

Massett mayor Nick Grosse said
that one industry so threatened 15
the Massett cannery which may be
forced to close its doors because it
is now unable to ship its goods
directly to Vancouver but must
now go to Prince Rupert and then
overland. The extra costs may
make it uneconomical for the |
cannery to continue, he said.

Season’s Greetings
for peace, security, socialism

Delta Club CPC

Fraser Industrial Club CPC

North Shore Club CPC

Creston Club CPC

South Vancouver Club CPC

Port Alberni Club CPC

Fort Langley Club CPC

Mission Club CPC

Coquitlam Club CPC

Vernon Club CPC
Richmond Club CPC /
South Fraser Regional Committee CPC.

Surrey Club CPC LIL 4. f 4

Burnaby Cidb cPc. eg a AE
Simon Ffaser University Club’CPC’

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—DECEMBER 17, 1976—Page 12. j

epee

We warmly greet
all our friends
in this, our 65th
anniversary year

Vancouver Local 55
Finnish Organization of Canada

could ever be!

steel and concrete all around!

act of human injustice!

My heart is bound much more strongly than my hands
My heart speaks but my words make no sound with -

The distance of my seeing can make the walls disappear,
but my voice bounces off them so that no one can hear!

Time is essential in this day and age and these words are
missing from a history's page!

If my words are remembered long after I’m gone will it
help to right what is truly wrong?

Here and now is when to act against another senseless

Against acts of neglect; avoidance and apathy, ...
the world must be shown how things feally are.

To act today is not to regret;
To act too late is to never forget!

Freedom for the people who are not even behind these
walls yet not free from prejudice, fear and oppression!

Freedom for the people who cannot hear my calls!
Freedom for my people everywhere, once and for all!

Leonard Peltier
Nov. 1, 1976

VANCOUVER CLUB
YCL

and

Vananananare

Pag OS SO Big a a ay gy i Sag Say Sp gg a

—s Fh TF KF

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