TOM McEWEN _ Country?’? LF depron bak at Day across Canada at many ceno- ° taphs this year showed a shrinking audience. The parsons prayed, but it is doubtful whether their supplications reached higher than-the highest cenotaph because the -‘‘fallen in war” for whom. they prayed were (and are) eulogized to sanction war — rather than to end its evils for ever. The military -brass strutted, saluted — and forgot how many dead .-had earned their ‘‘honors.”’ “We shall remember them. . . in the morning:: . . and at ‘the going down of the sun.’’ Remember them for what? For the bloody imperialisms we of the socalled ‘‘Free West’’ permitted to be built to the end that tens of thousands of our young manhood should pay the supreme sacrifice or for the genocide Hitler, who we helped to power in order that those we pretend to ‘‘remember’”’ should perish under the jackboot of a new maurading imperialism wearing a Nazi mask? ‘We shall remember them. . .”’ “War is good business... . invest your son’’. So reads a sticker stamp on a lot of U.S. mail coming into Canada these days— along with thousands of young American lads who have other ideas on the purpose and sactity of life rather than spitting it out with their life blood in a faraway Vietnam jungle. Naturally the Old Sweats, those who came back, are under no necessity of making any apologies. They saw. their young comrades die a horrible and needless death in both world wars, and “‘did their bit’’ as they saw it then and now. For them Remembrance Day is a getting together with old-comrades to chew over old battles fought — but not yet won; to drink a few beers together and reminisce — perhaps not always drawing the correct conclusion, which the past half century has doubly . affirmed,,but at “least. “remembering” that war is a highly monopolized industry which produces three main ‘results: a new bumper crop of millionaires, mass graveyards, and the destruction of human life, dignity and purpose. The little poem from the ‘‘U.S. Farm News’’ (October edition) by Juanita Austin of Wellesley, Mass., illustrates the decay of our society, which successive Remembrance Day celebrations studiously forget. It is entitled ‘This is My *& Guard unlocks the door ‘f Two young.men pass through. “‘What’re ya here for?”’ He asks the one. “T killed'a man” Eyes down, Head low. “And you, there, What did you do?”’ Looking up. . “Frefused to kill, sir.” Marking: the distinction in these poetic lines, the youth of a new generation -in_all lands — not without persecution, calumny, and even death, are blazing a new trail towards universal and permanent peace among nations — with the heroism, sacrifice, and victory of Vietnam. as the indestructable beacon light of a new dawn. : Thus, and only thus, ‘‘We shall remember them. . .”’ “ISNT iT WONDERFUL, BROTHERS —— HE DIES SO YOU AND } MIGHT LIVE. ” PACIFIC TRIBUNE—NOVEMBER 21, 1969-—-PAGE 2 | bg VERA $2} Develop False Creek for ‘ the people, not promoters By ALD. HARRY RANKIN Vancouver __ Iron and - Engineering - Works (VIEW), whose 11 acre property on the south side of False Creek is being taken over by Canadian Hydro Carbons Limited, wants an extension of its lease to 1980. It claims it needs this lease guarantee to go into production and that it will provide 200 to 400 jobs. : Should Council grant a 10 years lease in view of widespread demand for the redevelopment of the whole False Creek area?. Strong viewpoints have been expressed both pro and con. But most of the opponents as well as the supporters of a lease -extension have been something less than frank about their real reasons. Opponents of any extension of the lease say that VIEW is an “eyesore’’, that it will block city plans to redevelop False Creek, that it will even-hold up the CPR’s Marathon Realty plans — for. a multi-million ‘dollar residential and recreational — complex for the north side of False Creek. They ‘also allege that if the VIEW property is developed for other purposes, it will bring in much more in taxes than if it remains an industrial establishment. To me these arguments are as ~ false as the name of thé Creek. First of all, City Council has never adopted any plans for the” redevelopment of False Creek. All we have at the moment are some grandiose but very vague plans rushed into Council’s standing committee on planning, development and transportation by city planning director Bill Graham. So far they remain his plan and his ideas only; they have not been: considered or adopted by. Council nor could they. be in their - present _ incomplete. form. The plan envisages turning this valuable city property, over to private promoters and developers to build marinas, apartments, and what not. Since City Council has not yet considered or adopted any plan for the redevelopment of False Creek and since there are any number of real estate interests and promoters who would like to get a piece of this property and will be pressuring Council and city officials accordingly, you may be sure that-it will be many years yet before any plan is finally adopted. There is nothing to prevent the CPR from going ahead for its plans for the north side of False Creek except its own reluctance to.get going. And all this talk about redeveloping so that the city will get more revenue in taxes leaves me cold because it is simply untrue. First of all, you may be sure that- the real estate - promoters who plan to build on False Creek will be asking City concessions. With this present promoter-oriented Council, they are likely to get them and they will be \at the expense of the taxpayers. L, 4565--F2Ge 1) Council. for all sorts of - Ror ma es a oe Secondly it has “been my experience that for-every dollar the city gets in additional tax revenue from. such: promoters (Block 42-52, Project 200, Four Seasons, etc.) the city will have to spend $5 or $10 to solve the traffic problems created and to provide other services such as | police and fire protection. Why don’t the opponents of the lease extension to VIEW be honest about it and admit that their opposition has its source among the real estate interests, speculators and promoters who can’t wait to get their itchy fingers on this valuable city property. As for VIEW, its owners and backers. aren’t proposing to come in just to create some new jobs. They are interested in “rescuing a bankrupt firm. The claim of the firm that it will invest $6 million in capital and operating costs is contradicted -by other reports that it will be only $1.8 million. As to how many jobs it will provide, it is being anything but specific. _My views on the whole issue can be summed up as follows: _(1) Jobs for people are important but the city needs ‘Stop overcrowding says : School Board candidate Mrs. Eunice Parker, six years resident of Coquitlam, annow plans to seek a School Board seat in the upcoming civic elections: In making her announcement Mrs. Parker said, ‘‘Since moving to Coquitlam, I have taken a keen interest in the civic scene and particularly the school system, since I have three children in it. We have some very good features here in Coquitlam, such -as_ the _-kindergarten program and the new French primary program. However, the big problem we face in education is the serious _ overcrowding in our area. Over 3000 children are in shift classes and the projections for next year don’t offer much relief.” “Educational facilities will need much expansion,”’ she said. “Knowledge is doubling each decade. Schools of technology, vocational schools, and adult education facilities are in greater demand. Classroom size EUNICE PARKER, announced she will be a candidate for School — Board in Coquitlam. low rental housing in the at and’ publicly owned: low: rem@ ‘way the people can shift classes.” more assurances than just promises or good intentions: Furthermore the redevelopment of False Creek, which I have advocated for a long time, cat be postponed _ indefinitely: Therefore at least two conditions should be met by VIEW before @ lease extension is granted: (a) 4 guarantee that at least 200 jobs will be provided, and (b) 1 lease longer than a total of seve? or eight years. é (2) Council should get dow? to adopting a specific plan for ey redevelopment of False cre | And it must be something more than a paradise for real esta interests and promotels: Building high priced apartmen! for the wealthy, building @ marina for the yachts of wealthy, and building hotels fo the wealthy is just not 807” enough. eS er ee NT Council must commit itself @ building a substantial amount ing including senior citizens hous housing. This is about the only 8 something out of te redevelopment of False creek. ; need the elementary level. “We must support developments but the increas’ cost must not find its way" the municipal budget. “The Provincial Gover ment’s share of -education® — costs has been much too mea of and the new formula (Bill i has thrown local school fina? i ing all over the province 3 chaos and crisis. It is pointles to say that education must “ i first priority and then place! se a financial straitjacket. The P ss A vincial government has acc® ee to a much wider range of eg revenue and they should he A increasing their share ® 4 costs, not cutting it. “ : “Teachers qualifications att | training are not taken } consideration by the Prov! government in setting ds amount they will pay towa the cost of the basic educal’ program in each School Distt! a) Teachers in many aree including Coquitlam are runt! it into severe problems in ue salary negotiations. Elect School Trustees should involved in every phase of negotiations directly wit teachers. be “More assistants should used in schools to rey teachers of the necessilY 4 ‘baby sitting’ their charge ‘ recess, lunch and after sch0? to. | teachers’ job should Pe.) — educate and not to pole | hallways and lunchrooms. test “Coquitlam ~is the fas growing School District 1" afi Province, said Mrs. Pat 10 “and quality education can proceed with over-crowdinl must be reduced, particularly a these | sed — neia As