1975 FINANCIAL DRIVE QUOTAS VANCOUVER Bill Bennett 1250 542 Broadway 1150 1527 1500 VANCOUVER 1Sal D : Campbell Rive SOUTH FRASER | Se Fort Langley 550 43 Surrey 1500 1048 _ White Rock 398 Bo Jerry. Edwards, Richmond, writes: The drive to. sell farm land out to developers is gaining ‘momentum. up and down the Fraser Valley, particularly in Richmond: A public hearing is scheduled for May 21 in Delta to consider briefs for. and against the release of several thousand acres of agricultural land from the secondary reserve. Developers have been buying up this land and filing appeals since last June when the ‘review of secondary agricultural land was tentatively set for early 1975. The public was not notified of the hearing date until a column ap- peared in the back pages of the Vancouver Sun a week ago, giving citizens just two weeks to prepare their submissions. ~ One property owner with land: under secondary reserve, having filed an appeal to the GVRD for release from the reserve, has for some time been inviting free fill (junk fill) to be dropped on top of his arable land in anticipation of its being released from the reserve and the zoning changed to in- dustrial. There are other instances where owners have allowed their land to flood thus making it unviable and presenting a good case for removal from the secondary reserve. The Richmond Electors Action League is in disagreement with the entire concept of a secondary reserve. It is little more than a carrot dangled in front of. the developers’ noses. In REAL’s estimation, all secondary reserve land should be placed in primary reserve and all present appeals rejected forthwith. But developers are offering farmers as much as three times what their land is worth as far- mland. The land should be sold to those who are going to farm but who is going to sell out to a farm when he can get triple the return from a developer: — especially when the developer is still getting land cheaper thanif he bought land already zoned industrial? ‘In addition, will the government consider that junk fill on the land constitutes a ‘“commitment” — as the owners presumably hope — to the developer and allow the ap- peal? These are questions vital to the future of the Fraser Valley. Right now we get 60% of our produce from the U.S. and the Americans have said that within 10 years, they won’t be in a position to sell us any of their produce because of their own population pressures. Thus we’ll be paying much higher prices for eastern produce and paying a ripoff price for B.C. produce. Time and time again, the fishermen have also warned of the danger to spawning grounds if industry is allowed to develop along the Fraser River. Par- ticularly threatened are the sturgeon banks where must of the secondary reserve, now under appeal, is. situated. There is no financial reason for industrial development since the GVRD’s own tax study has proven that industry doesn’t generate any more. tax revenue than agricultural land and sometimes generates less. REAL is going to fight these developers on every appeal and has already launched an in- formation campaign. A brief will also be prepared for the May 21 hearing: We sincerely hope that the citizens of the Lower Mainland will get out and help stop this developer ripoff of our farmland now — or we may be growing our vegetables in window boxes. . $16,000 more to raise HAVE YOU ‘RENEWED? PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1975—Page 10 THREE WEEKS LEFT $16,000 to go in drive There is a feeling of excitement around the Tribune office these days as the °75 financial. drive pushes into the second half. May 13 found us with just under $24,000 collected. That leaves us just in the remaining three weeks. We are excited because we can smell victory. But the victory is not just a sum of money — important as it is — the real victory is the proof provided by our supporters that our paper is measuring up to the requirements of a modern working class press. People are responding to our appeal for funds because they feel that this paper is their paper. That was. the feeling up in Campbell River last weekend where about 75 people gathered in the Campbell River Trade Union Centre for a banquet and dance honoring the * Tribune’s 40th anniversary. How else can you explain the kind of effort put out by the Van- couver East club where they have already raised $2,800 and are still going for more? It is clubs like Van East, Broadway, Niilo Makela, Maple Ridge, Mission and Correspondence that have broken ° the drive open. These clubs are all over the top. “People are giving more without being asked,” says Fred Hanson of Van East. ‘In Mission they’re phoning me to make sure I don’t forget them,”’ Eilleen Babuick told us. This is the story everywhere. It is reflected in the 20 new subs that came into the office last week. It was similarly reflected in the very positive response that our paper IWA-Pulp unions meet Vancouver IWA local president Syd Thompson told a_ regular meeting of Local 1-217 last Saturday that the IWA will meet with B.C. pulp unions Friday, May 16 to explore common positions. The pulp unions in B.C. are entering bargaining talks and unity between all unions in wood on contract demands has been desired by woodworkers. Thompson also told the ei attended local meeting in Wood- workers House, that a shop stewards’ meeting on current negotiations with the forest companies will be held Saturday, May 24. The meeting adopted a resolution backing the Vancouver Labor Council’s stand against ‘voluntary wage restraints. Hit NDP stand on B.C. Tel The Vancouver East club of the Communist Party has written Premier Dave Barrett urging that the NDP government reconsider its present policy toward B.C. Tel and proceed to take over the giant monopoly without delay. The resolution adopted by a meeting of the club last Thursday quotes from the NDP program on which the government was elec- ted: ‘Provide British Columbians with the service, lower rates and benefits to which they are entitled by bringing B.C. Telephone under public ownership.” Expressing concern over the delay in implementing this pledge in view of the higher rates now sought by B.C. Tel and the poor service, the resolution criticizes Barrett’s recent statement that takeover of B.C. Tel ‘‘would not be a priority even in the government’s second term.” : which creates the spirit-of wintl in The single greatest task before # ! Communist movement in Brill Columbia today is the Tribill financial drive. It would not st the point too far to say that the i! great event to strengthen the laut movement as a whole will occult’ June 14 at the Renfrew Commu} Centre in Vancouver. For it will there that the announcement W come of a new victory — # raising of $40,000 and more. _ Let’s ensure victory on June® There is still a long way to 2% your club reaches its target” don’t stop. If it is behind — pick up. If there are donations to then let’s get them. Leave no! to chance. See you June 14 received at alabor history seminar last weekend at UBC. Certainly the great success of the first half of our drive, the energy of our supporters and the response from. working people everywhere to our paper is all bound up with the events in the world, with the liberation of Vietnam and the socialist direction of Portugal. These events, so sudden and decisive, have given people in British Columbia examples to learn from and to point to. Most of all it has given us the Sipe aoe of victory. But the morale of a eBute cannot be fed from distant lands. In the first place it is their own struggles and their own victories Medical care and adticatioh a are free in obec beso akin Photo shows ‘ care new health centre in a school in northern Moravia. Health | schools is one form of preventive medicine which is proving hig * effective. BARGAIN AT HALF THE PRICE Invites you to 2 concerts: “CELEBRATION OF A SONG” May 24 — 8 p.m., Surrey Centennial Arts Centre “MOY ADVA ZABAVA” May 31 — 8 p.m. — Vancouver Ukrainian Cultural Centre 805 E. egnder. __CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING FOR SALE 2 Holly Trees and 1 Horse Ches - Tree. Reasonable. Phone. 9% 9371. Proceeds to. P.T. Drive. } le COMING EVENTS MAY 25 — Sunday May 25th AN- NUAL PANCAKE BREAKFAST Horseshoe Tournament and Crib Tournament. Refreshments at the Gidora’s; 6714 - 148th St., Surrey. All welcome. Proceeds P.T. Drive. MAY 31— ‘Saturday, May3 31 — 45th ANNIVERSARY OF: FEDERATION OF RUSSIAN CANADIANS. BANQUET 6:30 — DANCE 9—? Everybody welcome. 600 Campbell Ave. Admission $4.00. JUNE 1 — SUNDAY, June ist WANTED WANTED: Articles for resale. ‘| proceeds to Tribune Driv? Phone 526-5226. j PTDRIVE ‘READERS in Burnaby area wh wish to contribute to Trib! Financial Drive. cash contest tickets — banquet tick — please Phone 526-5226. CLOSING OF SEASON HALLS FoR RENT VARIETY CONCERT. Starts UKRAINIAN CANADIA TELM ee th Spons. by ‘CULTURAL CENTRE — # Federation of Russian | East Pender St., Vancouver Available for banquets, we dings, meetings: Phoné 254-347 Canadians, 600 Campbell Ave. Everybody welcome. JUNE 7 — SOCIAL EVENING OF FUN! Whist, bridge etc. SEE THIS AD next week for further details. South Van Club, CPG; (Proceeds to Tribune Fund RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME _ Now available for rentals. F® reservations phone 254-3430. Drive.) WEBSTER’S CORNERS HAY) BUSINESS PERSONALS Available for banque ON SOSTAD, writer-researcher. meetings, etc. For rates, Oz ce 922-6980. . 325-4171 or 685-5836.