AVit eal FET Jus SE management VEGETABLES ond LOANSand hehe. Qeific Tribune a coe eee : eels wal TS - Be eu we City should ioin protest Volrich the snag =| in rapid transit Continued from page 1 GVRD not to sign an agreement with the UTA under the present: conditions. SAB IRS UTA centralizes everything, except finance, in the hands of the government in Vic- toria,” Walker said, ‘‘We feel that the situation should be the very op- posite, that is, control should be in the hands of the GVRD and the bulk of the financing should come from the levels of government which have the money . . . the pro- vince must, until a reasonable financing formula for rapid transit is established, continue to pay 100% of transit losses.”’ Walker received a sympathetic hearing from the GVRD and later Young referred to the CFRT delegation as evidence that the “public is ahead”’ of government in setting priorities and is ‘‘impatiently waiting for their politicians to act.”’ But the political snag which has Skagit nuclear plant poses dangers By Ald. Harry Rankin The Puget Sound Power and Light Company, an investor owned utility, is planning to build two large atomic reactors in what it calls the Skagit Nuclear Project at Sedro Wooley, Washington. That’s only 32 miles from the Canadian border and approximately 60 air miles up- wind from Vancouver, B.C. We here in Vancouver have good reason to be concerned about the possible consequences of another nuclear power project so close to our borders and our city, especially after the near disaster at the atomic reactors at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Vancouver and the Lower Mainland are situated exactly downwind from the Skagit Nuclear Project. Any release of gaseous radioactive materials would be directed primarily at Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. An at- mospheric inversion, and we have many of them, would result in_in- halation of radioactive particles by B.C. residents. The fine rainfall of the area would scrub our radioac- tive particles, rendering water sup- plies and residential, commercial and agricultural property unusable for many years. Another effect would be a great increase in genetic mutations, - continually surfacing for as long as 20-25 years from the date of the initial radioactive release. The above is some of the infor- mation made available by SPEC and other groups in the publication “Risks without Rewards’’. They are conducting a vigorous public | campaign against the building of these atomic reactors so close to our city. They also point out that an ‘ac- cidental or purposeful loss of cool- ing water or on-site power at the plant could create what is known as a core meltdown accident. A core meltdown could cause huge casualties and enormous damage to property. According to a U.S. government report, which is ap- parently aimed at playing down the potential damage, ‘‘only’’ 4300 human fatalities would result from - a core meltdown in a populated area. Core meltdowns could be in- itiated in a number of ways, in- cluding earthquakes, equipment failure, operator error, reactor vessel rupture, sabotage, terrorist eaders throughout the province will be shocked to learn, as we did this week, of the tragic death of well-known B.C. author Myrtle Bergren who died in Victoria Hospital July 15 following a fatal car accident near Chase River in which her husband Hjalmar also suffered injuries. A memorial service for her was held last Thursday at which Port Alberni alderman»George McKnight paid tribute. We intend to carry a full tribute to Myrtle in our next issue but we would like to express our deepest sympathy to Hjalmar here. * * * * +. A generation which has grown up since may not even know of it, but for thousands of people in Vancou- ver the mayoralty race of 1947 when ‘‘Low Fare Jones’’ almost defeated the Non Partisan Association’s ‘‘High Fare Jones”’ is vividly remember- ed. And although the man — Harvey Murphy — who dubbed the two contenders as “‘High Fare’’ and “‘Low Fare’’ died some years ago, the centrepiece of that - campaign — Effie (Low Fare) Jones — marked her 90th birthday last Saturday. Ironically, although Charles (High Fare) Jones — so named because of his links to B.C. Electric and his support for the fare increase which coincided with the election — won the election that year by a narrow 24,135 to 19,216 vote, and became mayor, he was soon relegated to oblivion. But Effie, in the fight that year against the fare increase, in her campaign for civic re- form and her advocacy of the unity of the reform vote in civic elections, won admiration and respect among hundreds of trade unions, ratepayers and tenants alike. And her candidacy in subsequent elections, both for council and school board, coupled with the fight waged by the Civic Reform Association laid the basis for the election in 1966 of alderman Harry Rankin and the establishment of the Committee of Progressive Electors. Throughout most of her 90 years Effie has also been a staunch member of the Communist Party and if her PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 27, 1979—Page 2 age has prevented her active participation in events, the changes in the world have only reaffirmed her con- victions. Our congratulations to her. * * * * * smaller but no less significant milestone was reach- ed this Thursday, July 26, when RayGarneau, marked his 80th birthday in Vancouver. Ray’s political activism has taken him to various parts of the country including the Prairies, where he was for many years a leader in the farm movement. But many in his adopted city of Vancouver know him for his years of work as secretary of the Vancouver Tenants Council, and the provincial organization, the B.C. Tenants’ Organiza- tion, both of which organizations figured prominently in the ete of protective legislation for B.C. tenants. For those of us at the Tribune, the link is closer yet, for Ray has for many years been among those whose volunteer help has ensured that the paper is mailed out each week. * * * * * fe is out of danger now, but for several days Dusty _ tage of power and certainly no shor- Greenwell, Vancouver East community leader and a veteran COPE campaigner, was closely watched in Vancouver General Hospital’s intensive care unit following a severe attack July 15. He was expected to be allowed to come home this week although doctors have warned him off any activ- ity for some time yet. Our best wishes for a speedy and full recovery. * * & * bd Wis have to wait for a couple of weeks yet before we’ take a two-week break from publishing, but the Canadian Tribune, from whom we pick up our centre pages, is off this week and next — hence the absence of their pages from our issue this week. In their place we have substituted pages from World Magazine, weekly supplement to the U.S. Daily World to whom we express our appreciation. attack or enemy attack. I don’t consider myself an authority on the subject of nuclear energy for the production of elec- tricity. But it seems to me that with our present level of technology and scientific knowledge we should be able to build nuclear power plants that are safe. But at the same time I must say that I have no faith whatsoever that the plants in operation or being built in the U.S. or Canada, are safe. The problem is that they are be- ing built by huge corporations whose only interest in the projects are maximizing their own profits. Naturally they will take all the short cuts they can to increase their pro- fit. These corporations, by the damage they have already done to our environment, by the car- cinogenic substances they have in- troduced into our food and drink, by their lack of concern in their plants for the safety of their workers in the use of asbestos, benzen, vinyl chloride and other - substances, convince me.they are not to be trusted. They are after a fast buck today and never mind about tomorrow or what the result might be for people. This is why I go along with those who are protesting to the U.S. government about the building of the. Skagit Valley nuclear power plant. Vancouver city council should also join in this protest. As far as our own nuclear power projects in Canada are concerned, I go along with the proposition that a moratorium should be declared on the building of any more plants and that we should have a public en- quiry so that all the people may learn all the facts. Then we can decide whether or not it is safe. In the meantime we have no shor- tage of oil or gas. All we have to do is cut down on our exports of both to the U.S. and we’ll have enough to serve all of Canada’s needs for generations to come. One more point. All of us who are concerned about the potential danger of nuclear power plants should remember that enough nuclear bombs have been developed and stored to destroy the world several times over. These are of even greater danger to mankind than unsafe nuclear power plants. Protests against unsafe nuclear power plants should be extended to the demand that all nuclear weapons throughout the world be destroyed by international agree- ment. Only then will we be safe. the GVRD ‘in a knot over tr matters was also evident when fo! of the Vancouver representatives 0!) the GVRD, Aldermen Warn Kennedy, Bernice Gerard and D Bellamy, and Socred appointees the UTA, mayor Jack Volrichy voted against referring the CFR!) communication to the transporta) tion committee for further col) sideration. It is commonly held at the GVR that the Socred’s co-option Volrich and his NPA majority Vancouver, who have. tak decidedly anti-GVRD stance numerous issues, has considera! weakened the hand of the GVRD bargaining with the provincil government for a better deal undél UTA. Volrich, in fact, as interill head of the UTA, is negotiati with himself as a member of GVRD transportation committeé The real knot is that the pro cial government is not likely ! commit funds to rapid transit ab) the GVRD signs an agreement wit! the UTA. But ifthe UTA formu i imposed on the GVRD it will 0 politically and economically ficult for the region to pay the & pected annual deficit for just the & isting system, let alone a maj share of capital and operating cos for rapid transit. As CFRT point out to the GVRD, even with its pr’ posed compromise of picking YW only 30 percent of the deficit, rath® i than the 40 percent demanded bY the Socreds, it will be necessary ™ impose as well substantial increa ‘ in property taxes along with a g#) tax and_a hydro surcharge. The funding problems under thi UTA will be complicated massive increases in fares and col” responding decreases in ridership) _ The UTA pegs the farebox at 3) percent of operating costs, w hich are currently rising at about 14 p@_ cent per year. But even with a /4 percent rise in fares, the GVR! estimates that revenues would onl be increased by 5 percent due to fall in ridership that the fare hike would result in. — ff ‘Politics’ cited in refugee plat The plan to bring 5,000 refuge from Southeast Asia to Vancouv is ‘‘political?? COPE alderm#) Harry Rankin charged Tuesday ® Vancouver city_council debat@ -mayor Jack Volrich’s ‘Save Boat People Campaign’’. a Rankin supported the proposal! establish a coordinating agency © help relocate refugees, but poinl® out that the refugee problem ste™ from the U.S. war against Vietn4 Canada should not be cutting ba on food, medical and humanit aid to those in Vietnam, he