Oh, Canada? Canada Day. July 1st, 1990. Canada’s one hundred. and twenty-third birthday. A day when we as Canadians had an opportunity to reflect on our history, our heritage, our accomplishments, the obstacles we’ve overcome and the ones we've yet to surmount. Meech Lake has been rejected by Manitoba, one of our own westem provinces. Was it because Mr. Mulroney gave the CF18 fighter plane maintenance contract to a Quebec firm, after it had already been awarded to Manitobans? There have been rumours that Mr. VanderZalm is contemplating economic and political union with Alaska and Washington states. We probably all agree that we have much in common with the western United States (perhaps more than we have with the eastern provinces), but surely the dominion of Canada means mote to us. What does it mean to us in the northwest? As northerners, we have plenty to offer. We are the resource base for the rest of the province of British Columbia, and represent a large percentage of the tax base for the rest of Canada. We’re hard-working, innovative and motivated, We've got community spirit. We can draw on these attributes to build Terrace’s proposed library and convention centre, just like we did in the early days - with workbees and fund-raisers. We are realizing the fragility of our environment and are addressing this issue with recycling programs and managed forests. We are in the process of improving the economy of the north (for a better life for ourselves, our province and our country) with the recently announced port development-in Kitimat, increased tourism in the area, an economic development strategy for Terrace, a proposed Customs facility at Terrace/Kitimat Airport (to augment trade with southeast Alaska particularly) and we’re again hosting the Northern B.C. Winter Games in February 1991. As northerners, we know we make a difference. As British Columbians, we’re optimistic. So, come on Canada, "We're the true north strong and free!" a we VER QAcwLaATer Paid Second-ciass mall registration No. 6896. Ail material appearing In the Terrace Review Is protected under Canadian copyright Reglisira- tion No, 362775 and cannot legally be repro- duced for any reason without permission of tha publisher. Errors and omissions. Advertising ia accapted on the condition that In the event of Established May 7, 1985 The Terrace Review. is published each Wednesday by Close-Up Business Services Ltd. Publisher: Mark Twyford Editor: Michael Kally . Staff Reporters: Tod Strachan, Betty Barton Advertising Manager: Mar] Twyford Typesetting: Carrle Olson Production Manager: Jim Hall Production: Charles Costello, Gurbax Gill, Karyn Kirk, LInda Mercer, Ranjit Nizar Office: Carrle Olson Accounting: Marj Twyford, Harminder K. 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Out of Canada $100.00 Seniors in Terrace and Distriot $30.00 Senlore out of Terrace and District $33.00: ' a | a fy: ) «fond Hip VICTORIA — It would be cynical in the extreme to view the current series of major government announcements regarding development in the North as having anything to do with the fact that a provincial election will be held within the next eight or nine months. Far be it for this humble scribe to wonder, for example, if the feasibility study for a seaport at Kitimat, or the go- ahead for the Gold Read into the Eskay Creek gold reserves, are tied to boosting re-election prospects of Crown Lands Minister Dave Parker and the Social Credit government. I’ll leave any such cynicism to you, dear reader; but it does give me the opportunity to look at how Our Dave is faring in his lesser role in Cabinet, after - his fairly tempestuous time as forests minister. The fact that Premier Bill Vander Zalm kept Parker in the inner circle in last Novem- ber’s shuffle shows that although he was somewhat of a disappointment in the forests hotseat, he was considered loyal and capable enough to be salvaged, albeit with a demo- tion. There is no doubt that Parker and Vander Zalm are on the same wavelength, es- pecially with regard to their _ views of morality and what they ‘‘know” is right or wrong. Vander Zalm couldn’t bring himself to remove entirely from Cabinet someone who is so closely attuned to his own puritanical viewpoints on life, religion and sex. Now, it is fair to say Parker - has handled the new portfolio ¢ > ee “a BILL VANDER-ZALM, YOURE CLEARED (IN. 9. GAN HAD TH TERN. DVIS MCHAEL TURN LEFT ON VECTOR 190. JOHN SAGE TAXI TO RUNWAY 25..EIER NECK YOURE TOO CLOSE TD STAN HAGEN._ BU STO 1 KNIA YOURE LOW ON FUEL. BUT NEILVANTS SUITCASE HAS PRIORITY... BILL REID TURN.. Sethe r aR, The view from Victoria — by John Plifer well, maintaining a low public profile, whilst doing 4 lot of work and using his con- © siderable powers of persuasion to get some of the aforemen- tioned ‘‘good news”’ for his riding. . I’d say that Our Dave has gone from a C-minus to a B-plus, which in B.C. politics these days, is more than com- mendable. By now, you may have seen or heard about the questions raised over the fact that press gallery members actually get a few things provided for by the taxpayer, which makes their lives slightly easier and their work more efficient. Socred bully-boy Stuart Boland (Our Bud) Smith, attorney-general, has been har- boring a mad-on at the media for years — ever since his days as the allegedly-wily principal secretary to former premier Bill Bennett. Also known as The Man Who Would Be King for his unbridled lust for the premier’s chair, Mr. Smith knows what buttons to push to manipulate the media. Ergo, his sneering innuendo in the House about the supposed mountain of frills and benefits we get, turned yet another non-story into a ‘‘news”’ story. It is sad to have the rookie MLA and A-G apparently become the media’s new assign- ment editor. I would question his credentials, even though the networks don’t. Anyway, for the record, for about $49,000 annually — less than the salary of one good - senior journalist these days — the press gallery is able to func-. tion in its traditional role of providing the public with news and analysis of what goes on in government. — That money goes for building space in what I loving- ly refer to as the only third- floor dungeon I’ve. ever seen, and for phone access to Prov- Net and the like. It is all pretty piddling for the service pro- vided — dissemination of news to the far-flung reaches of B.C. What Mr. Smith and his gov- ernment have tried to do, besides deflecting attention to the thousands of dollars the politicians waste annually, is to plant in the people’s mind that dastardly media is as guilty of. abuse as they. No doubt they would prefer ‘that the general public hear on- ly their version of news — the egregious TV News Updates, for example. That way, the other side of the story would never be raised, let alone ex- amined; and the people would bask in the glow and. wonder- fulness of Social Credit forever and ever, amen. Blaming the media, controll- ing it, discrediting it, con- demning it, or killing it, has been a preferred government activity for many years in many countries, including those in the ‘‘free’? world. It’s no dif- ferent here, folks. Now, for those of you who ~ think this is an over-reaction to the A-G’s smarmy statements, and that Our Bud was only | “having fun’’, as one Cabinet minister put it, I would sug- gest that throughout his 44 ~ years, there exists little evidence. . ‘that Mr. Smith even HAS a sense of humor, I rest my case.