\/=|Letters

because British Columbia has no
comprehensive farm labor housing
standards, and no regular system
of enforcing such standards.
During the investigationof
Sukhdeep’s death, the coroner’s
jury was told of the lack of farm
labor housing standards in B.C.
They were told that B.C. law en-
forcement allowed up to 70 farm-
workers and children ~to live
together in a converted horsebarn;
allowed a stall, once shelter for a
single horse, to become, with the
installation of six bunks, home to
entire family; allowed a family to
live in such cramped conditions,
that a baby left on a bunk for a few
moments might roll over into the
family’s supply of drinking water
and end her life. In August, 1980,
the Coroner’s jury recommended
that legislation be “immediately in-
itiated” to establish standards for
farm labor housing, and called for
‘Gimmediate inspections’’ of

Calvin Sandborn, staff counsel,
Farmworkers Legal Services Pro-
ject, writes: Did Sukhdeep Madhar
die in vain?

Perhaps you don’t recognize
Sukhdeep’s name. That isn’t sur-
prising, for she was not a great
dancer, accomplished composer, a
noted scientist, or political leader.
Perhaps, had she lived, she might
have been any of those things, but
Sukhdeep never got the chance.
Only July 16, 1980, Sukhdeep
Madhar, a seven month-old infant,
ended her life face down in a bucket
of water, accidentally drowned at a
farm in Matsqui.

The bucket of water was there
because no potable water was
piped to the converted horse stall
Where Sukhdeep’s farmworker
family lived. Sukhdeep was there
— a seven month old infant living
in a horse barn that the in-
vestigating coroner later likened to
“Nazi concentration camps” —

Canadians for Democracy in Chile
presents. . .

CAMPAMENTO 1979, 29-min. color film
Homeless peasants build a new society

BOYCOTT 1975, 22-min. color film 2
Swedish transnationals approve junta’s policies

APR. 18, 2 p.m.
Rm. L2, L3, Britannia Centre, 1661 Napier

Snacks, refreshments Adm. by donation

COPE WORKERS
WORKSHOP RALLY

SUNDAY, APRIL 18th, 1 p.m.
ODDFELLOWS HALL
1720 Gravely Street, Vancouver
Discussion, action workshops, live music,
refreshments and good fellowship.

#3 - 2414 Main St.
Md e Vancouver, B.C. V5T 3E3
q. | 876-2615

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Vancouver, B.C. V5K1Z5

253-1221

Gov't can protect farmworke

agricultural work camps. It seemed
that Sukhdeep Madhar was not to
die in vain.

Sukhdeep Madhar died during
the harvest of 1980. That harvest
year — a year that claimed the lives
of four farmworker children — is
now long gone. The 1981 season,
too, is now history. Today, in the
spring of 1982, there is still no new
province-wide housing standard
for farmworkers. Already, it is
almost too late to enforce any new
provincial housing law for the 1982
harvesting season, since most en-
forcement must be done before the
rush of harvest time.

The question now is whether the
provincial government will act to
implement the Coroner’s jury
recommendations in time to en-
force standards for the 1983 season
— aseason that will mark the third
anniversary of Sukhdeep’s death.

However, it shouldn’t be too
hard for the provincial government
to establish the housing standards
that the Coroner’s jury so urgently
called for. All the government has
to do is start enforcing a law that
already exists — the ‘‘industrial

rs

with
camp”’ regulations passed in 1946.
Although ministry of health of-
ficials admit that it probably
regulates farm housing, the
ministry has adopted an informal
policy of not enforcing the law on
farms. Apparently, it is considered
excessive to require that a toilet be
provided for every 15 workers, a
shower for every 10 workers, anda
minimum housing temperature of
65° Farenheit be maintained.

Tell that to the field hands who
live in unheated cabins in the
month of February. Tell that to the
harvesters of the Okanagan who
camp out in orchards where tents
are fumigated along with the apples
and where they don’t have any
shower facilities to wash off the
pesticides. Tell that to the farm-
workers in the Fraser Valley who
continue to live in decrepit shacks,
barns, and chicken houses.

The province should stop break-
ing its own law, and start enforcing
the 1946 regulations. The regula-
tions, strikingly similar to United
States farm labor camp standards,
set the bar minimums necessary for
health and human dignity.

1946 law

Recently, the municipality of
Matsqui, the place where
Sukhdeep drowned, passed a farm-
worker housing bylaw, and sent it
off to the ministry of health for ap-
proval. This local bylaw fails to
provide for regular inspection of
housing, fails to guarantee heating
for winter workers, requires only
half the sleeping space required by
the U.S. farmworker law, and in
many other ways is vastly inferior
to the United Nations farmworker
housing guidelines, the U.S. farm-
worker housing law, and to the
1946 B.C. law.

Ironically, this inferior Matsqui
bylaw cannot become effective
unless the minister of health ap-
proves it. Instead of adopting an
inferior law that applies to Matsqui
alone, one would hope that the
Minister would: take this oppor-
tunity to ensure that the 1946 law is
enforced on housing throughout
the province.

In 1982 the minister of health
should not be downgrading hous-
ing standards that were considered
a bare minimum in 1946.

Classified Advertising )

COMING EVENTS

APR. 10 — Banquet and dance in
conjunction with the 24th provincial
convention of the Communist Par-
ty, 6:30 p.m., Russian People’s
Home. Honor the veterans who
built the communist movement in
B.C. Tickets $10, seniors $7,
children $5. Purchase your tickets
from Communist Party members or
reserve by phoning 254-9836
(days).

APR. 12-17 — See ‘Soviet Ukraine
Today’ photo exhibit,’ Brentwood
Mall, Lougheed and Willingdon,
Bby; and with Kobzar Dancers
Wed., Thurs., Fri. evenings.
Auspices Canada-USSR Associa-
tion.

APR. 17-18 — Annual plant sale.
Corner of State and Pacific, White
Rock. Spons. by Fraser Valley
Peace Ctte.

APR. 18 — Canadians for
Democracy in Chile film showings,
2 p.m. Britannia Centre. See
display ad for details.

APR. 18 — COPE workers
workshop rally, 1 p.m. Oddfellows
Hall. See display ad for details.

APR. 25 — Farewell tribute to Bob
and Agnes Jackson, 2 p.m. AUUC
Hall, 805 E. Pender St. For info. ph.
872-1702.

MAY 1 — Celebrate Apr. 25 Por-

tuguese Liberation Day, 7 p.m.

Italian Centre, 3075 Slocan St.

Variety of folk and classical music

incl. traditional Portuguese songs.

ance to Bruce Tilden and _ his
nd.

MAPLE RIDGE
MAY 1 — Annual May Day chicken
feed 4 p.m. on at the Beynon’s,
21972 Cliff Place. Ph. 467-2888.
Dinner $5, children under 10, $3.
Refreshments. Come and bring a
friend. Proceeds to Tribune.

MAY 17 — ODETTA at the QE
Playhouse. Tickets at CBO, 501 W.
Georgia, ph. 687-2801 and at all
lower mainland Woodward's
stores.

COMMERCIAL

CONDOR’S PAINTING & build-
ing maintenance. Free estimate.
Phone 433-1145. A progressive firm
owned and operated by Chilean
Canadians. Reasonable rates.

GRAMMA PUBLICATIONS.
Complete printing services.
Brochures, menus, leaflets, etc.
Special rates for the progressive

A & A Records and Tapes

Now in stock — probably the
only selection in the Lower
Mainland of Pete Seeger,
Weavers, Earl Robinson
Paul Robeson and Odetta records

603 - 5300 No. 3 Rd. (Lansdowne Mall)
Richmond. 270-2633

@ Real Estate and Conveyancing
@ Divorce and Family Law

RANKIN & COMPANY

Barristers & Solicitors

4th Floor, 195 Alexander St.,
Vancouver, B.C. V6A 1N8

682-2781
Offers a broad range of legal services including:
@ Personal Injury and Insurance Claims

@ Labour Law
@ Criminal Law
@ Estates and Wills

movement. A union shop. 1595 W.
3rd Ave., Van. 733-6822.

ROOF REPAIRS — New roofs.
Reasonable. or 277-3352.

ELECTRICAL, plumbing, appli-
ance.repairs. Don Berg. 255-7287.

FOR SALE

1978 MUSTANG Ghia Ii, 52,000
km, $3,000. Ph. 985-8546.

WANTED

MOVING? Spring cleaning? We
will take your good leftovers away.
Collecting for a rummage sale, pro-
ceeds to Tribune. For: pickup call
467-2888 (after 5 p.m.) 465-9821 or
462-7019.

RESP., PROGRESSIVE man, 39,
needs LHK rm. with use of shower
for May 1. Prefer sunny rm. in pri-
vate home near bus (no bsmt.
please). N/S, N/D, handyman. Up
to $150 rent. Ph. 261-7629 (eves.)

LEGAL SERVICES

RANKIN, McMURRAY &
BOND, Barristers and Solicitors.
157 Alexander St., 2nd Floor, Van-
couver. 682-3621.

DIRECTORY

COMMUNIST PARTY OF CAN-
ADA offices located at 102-2747 E.
Hastings St. Ph. 254-9836. For in-
formation on political issues or as-
sistance in political activity.

HALLS FOR RENT

RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME —
Available for rentals. For reserva-
tions phone 254-3430.

WEBSTERS CORNERS HALL —
Available for banquets, meetings,
etc. For rates: Ozzie, 325-4171 or
462-7783.

UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CUL-
TURAL CENTRE — 805 East
Pender St., Vancouver. Available
for banquets, weddings, meetings.
Ph. 254-3436.

NOTICES

WIN AN ORIGINAL Toni Onley
watercolor. Write a slogan for
disarmament in four words or less.
Submit on a postcard to: Slogan
Contest, Unitarian Church of Van-
couver, 949 W. 48th Ave., Van.,
V5Z 2T1. Deadline May 17. Spons.
by Coalition for World Disarma-
ment and Unitarian
Nuclear Disarmament.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 9, 1982—Page 11

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