British Columbia

A-G urged to drop
Strathcona charges

_ The Friends of Strathcona Park is con-
tinuing to press the provincial Attorney-
General’s department to drop the remaining
charges against 61 protesters in the wake of
the cabinet decision earlier this month to
Prohibit further mining and logging in the
historic provincial park.

Friends spokesperson Des Kennedy said
Tuesday that the cabinet decision to re-
draw the park boundaries and close the
park to further resource development was
“a complete vindication of the position we
Maintained throughout our civil disobe-
dience campaign.

“We think the
Charges should be
dropped.”

Kennedy also

Noted that the re-
peated demands for
Compensation made
by Cream Silver
Mines — the com-
Pany whose explor-

: Bory drilling in

anuary sparked the
Biildisobedience.. .- RENNEDY
actions — were without merit and should
be repudiated by the provincial govern-
Ment.

The cabinet decision on the park boun-
daries was made Sept. 1 on the basis of the
teport prepared by a four-member advisory
Committee, headed by Dr. Peter Larkin.
Although the committee, set up by former
Environment Minister Bruce Strachan,
began its work under a limited mandate, its
final report made extensive recommenda-
tions and was very critical of the govern-
Ment’s 1987. decision to alter park

boundaries and to:allow resource develop-..

Ment in certain designated “recreation
areas.”

The report called for a redrawing of the
Park boundaries — which if implemented
will actually result in a slight enlargement of
the park — as well as the designation of
Strathcona as a Class A park in which no
Mining or logging would be allowed. Only

estmin Resources existing copper mine
Would be permitted to continue, as a non-
Conforming industry.

At the Sept. 1 press conference, Envir-
Onment Minister Terry Huberts told repor-
ters that the cabinet had accepted the report
and would move to upgrade protection of
the park. “Accordingly,, no new tenures
will be issued and no mineral exploration or
logging allowed.”

But Mines Minister Jack Davis, who also

attended the Victoria press conference,
noted that the decision referred only to
Strathcona and would not reach the five
other provincial parks which are affected by
resource development.

Huberts also told reporters that compen-
sation would be paid to mining and logging
companies “where legitimately held rights
are affected by this policy.”

Cream Silver Mines Ltd. has been partic-
ularly vocal in its demand for compensa-
tion, claiming that the cabinet decision
abridged its right to develop its mining
claims in the park and would cost the com-
pany millions in lost resource revenues.

But that claim is specious, said Kennedy,
who accused the company of “mining the
public instead of the ground.”

He emphasized that most of the mineral
claims in the park were staked under the
Mineral Act subsequent to the establish-
ment of Strathcona Park in 1911. As such,
they have already been the subject of a deci-
sion by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Mary
Southin who ruled that the claims do not
constitute an “‘interest in land.”

Because of that, Kennedy said, any com-
pensation must be limited to the costs of
staking the claim and exploration.

And in Cream Silver’s case, the $60,000
exploration incentive grant given the com-
pany by the provincial government and the
$1.5 million it received in tax write-offs from
flow-through shares should be taken into
consideration before any compensation is
paid, he noted. ;

“We think this case should mark an end
to the province having to buy out these
companies when in fact what they’re talking
about is public land,” he said. ”

Kennedy said that Friends would be urg-
ing the government to extend the decision
on Strathcona to other parks. ““We’d like to

_ see this precedent established throughout

the province’s park system,” he said.

But even by itself the decision was a
“major victory,” although the 61 people
charged with mischief for their part in the
campaign still face court proceedings, sche-
duled to open in mid-October. All were
arrested last spring for obstructing Cream
Silver’s exploratory drilling.

Three others were tried and convicted in
May of blocking a highway although all
three were given a conditional discharge.

Since that the time, the cabinet decision
has reaffirmed their position, Kennedy said,
“and to spend a lot of public money on
prosecuting them would make no sense.”

Jewett opens peace meet

Pauline Jewett, the outspoken NDP critic
of the Conservative government’s defence
Policy, is slated to open the fourth annual
Peace conference with a public meeting at
the University of B.C. Sept. 30.

Thé meeting is slated for 7:30 p.m. in the

oodward Instructional Resources Centre,

0om 6.

Jewett, who recently tabled a Commons
Motion calling on the government to post-
Pone a decision on the purchase of nuclear
Submarines, is one of several speakers sche-
duled to take part in the province-wide
Peace conference. The three-day meeting,
Which runs through Oct. 2, will focus this
year on “Canada’s Defence Policies: Posi-
tive Alternatives.”

-On Saturday morning, Vancouver city
Councillor Libby Davies will be speaking to
4 motion, introduced at the Union of B.C.
Municipalities convention, calling on the
Provincial government to declare B.C.
nuclear-weapons free.

A special strategy session Saturday after-
Noon will feature retired Navy commander
Roger Sweeny who will brief delegates on

the Canadian Peace Pledge Campaign.
With a federal election call expected almost

’ daily, the campaign is expected to figure

prominently in the conference.

Various other workshop topics include:
the economic impact of militarism, with
labour economist David Fairey; the defence
white paper, with
UBC professor Dr.
Michael Wallace;
and implications of
military funded re-
search, with Science
for Peace members
Luis Sobrino and
George Spiegelman.

Sponsored by the
230-member organ-
ization End _ the

JEWETT Arms Race, the con-
ference will be chaired by EAR president
Frank Kennedy.

Following Jewett’s opening address Fri-
day night, the conference will move Satur-
day to the Student Union Building at UBC,
with registration set for 9 a.m.

Highways sell-off
milks the public

VICTORIA — Cost comparisons be-
tween the public and privatized high-
ways maintenance on Vancouver Island
bear out the contention that British
Columbians will be paying more for
upkeep of their highways as a result of
privatization, New Democrat privatiza-
tion critic Dale Lovick charged last
week.

And the differences between the level
of service provided by government main-
tenance crews and the level specified in
the private contract indicates that the
public will be getting substantially
reduced service despite the higher cost,
the Nanaimo NDP MLA warned.

Lovick made his comments after
examining highways ministry documents
and comparing the costs and services
provided with those specified in the con-
tract documents made available to all
private companies bidding on the Region
1 contract covering highways mainte-
nance on southern Vancouver Island.

“Tf the first sell-off contract is anything
like the shopping list provided to bidders,
British Columbians are going to be pay-
ing millions more for drastically reduced
service,” he said. :

Under the terms-of the contract made
with the privatized firm, Victoria High-
ways Maintenance, the government will
pay $29.9 million to the company to pro-
vide highways. maintenance for a three-
year:-period. But the cost to provide that
same service with government mainte-
nance workers was only $18.4 million for
the past three years.

At the same time, the contract prop-
osal calls for levels of service which are
substantially less than those provided by
maintenance crews in the past, he said.
He cited the case of gravelling which will
be cut by 22 per cent and ditching by 42
per cent. In the case of dust control, the
reduction will be 88 per cent.

“If this is the kind of deal the Socreds
are going to make, then they shouldn’t be
making them in the first place,” Lovick
said. “They are benefitting profit-
making companies and hurting British
Columbians.”

Blockade stops
Westar logging

HAZELTON — As its historic land
claim case continued before B.C.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Allan
McEachern, the Gitksan-Wet’suwet’en
bands set up a blockade at Sam Green
Creek to stop Westar Timber from build-
ing a bridge into prime logging areas.

Band members set up the blockade
Sept. 15 as Westar pushed its road clear-
ing to the creek site in preparation for
building a bridge across the Babine River
into the area’s last remaining wilderness.

A statement issued by the Gitksan and
Wet’suwet’en Chiefs said that band
‘members “are prepared for a long stay”
in the campaign to stop the proposed
clear-cutting by Westar.

Provincial Notes

Significantly, Westar’s road and
bridge work has come as B.C. Supreme
Court re-opened court proceedings on
the historic Gitksan-Wet’suwet’en land
claim in northwestern B.C. Testimony
resumed in the case Sept. 12.

““We’re in court to protect our land,”
said Wii Seeks, a Fireweed Clan chief
whose territory lies right in the path of
the proposed bridge, “but while we’re in
the courts, the provincial government
continues to pillage and destroy our ter-
ritories.

“We have no choice but to make this
stand.”

NGG to harass
weapons testers

NANOOSE — The Nanoose Con-
version Campaign says it will continue its
campaign to put boats on to the Cana-
dian Forces submarine test range here
following indications that the military.
does not have the legal authority to clear
the range.

The NCC, which has been campaign-
ing for several years to have the Cana-
dian Forces Maritime and Test Ranges
(CFMETR) converted to peaceful pur-
poses, has been taking boats on to the
test range near Nanaimo to protest
underwater weapons testing ever since its
peace camp near the site was forced out
by the company which owned the land.
But the group will likely step up its efforts .
following an incident last week in which
the U.S. Los Angeles class submarine
USS La Jolla remained at dock for sev-
eral days before leaving, presumably
because of the presence of NCC sailboats
in range waters.

NCC spokesperson Norman Abbey
said the incident “‘opens up a whole new
terrain for us. ... people who have
always opposed the military use of the
area but haven’t been prepared to risk
arrest can now get directly involved.”

According to the NCC, the Depart-
ment of National Defence (DND) has
always ordered civilian boats out of the
area. But. it may not have the legal
authority to have boats removed — and
the military has already stated that it will
not carry out weapons testing until the
range is clear of boats.

Canadian Forces Pacific Region spo-
kesperson Maj. Robin Alford told the
Victoria Times-Colonist Sept. 7 that he
did not know if someone could be
charged for ignoring the military’s advi-
sory notice to leave. And CFB Esquimalt
information officer Lt. Mike Ferland
noted in the same edition of the paper
that the notice calling on boats to leave
the range does not imply a legal prohibi-
tion but rather is “‘a maritime notice that
it is not a prudent place to be.”

Abbey said that NCC and Green-
peace had both obtained a lawyer’s opin-
ion that the military had no legal right to
close off the range but had not tested it
until the visit of the La Jolla.

He said the NCC would continue put-
ting boats on the range should any more
nuclear-capable vessels come to Nanoose.

Pacific Tribune, September 21, 1988 « 3