Trail trade unionist to run for alderman Noted Trail trade unionist Elmer Pontius has announced his candidacy for alderman in the December municipal elec tions. ‘Pontius, an executive member of the United Steel- workers Union having worked in the Cominco plant for twenty- five years, is contesting the elec- tion in order to ‘‘give the ordi- Nary citizen a voice on City Council’ in opposition to the special vested interests who are presently represented. ‘“My program is a simple -one,”’ Pontius stated, ‘‘based on the interests of the vast majo- rity of the taxpayers and residents of this City.”’ The three- point program calls for the insti- tution of long-range planning in regard to land development, a revamped tax structure to ELMER PONTIUS include the full absorption of school taxes by the Provincial government and increased muni- cipal services without increased taxation. MEETS WITH LEVI Rent freeze for pensioners will be won soon says Yorke Bruce Yorke, secretary of the Vancouver Tenants Council said Monday he expects that the provincial government will shortly announce a rent and eviction freeze for recipients of monthly pension benefits. Yorke was commenting on the results of a two hour meeting held Monday morning in the Van- couver Tenants Council office between himself, rehabilitation minister Norman Levi, Frank Way, chairman of the Legis- lative Council of Elderly Citizens and Mary Anderson, vice- president of the Vancouver Tenants Council. BERT OGDEN, prominent trade unionist and community worker, is aldermanic candidate in Nanaimo. Optlen runs Bert Ogden, Vancouver Island organizer for the UFAWU, has been named as a candidate for alderman in the December civic election in Nanaimo. He will be running for the Greater Nanaimo Civic Affairs Com- mittee of which he is chairman. In his previous bid for election last year, Ogden made a Strong showing only missing election ’ by anarrow margin of 250 votes. In a letter to the Nanaimo and District Labor Council, seeking endorsement, he stated that ‘there is now more than ever before, a need to have people on City Council pledged to fight for oe ee ee ee es ee ee ee oe oe ee ee ENCLOSED IS MY M.O. FOR A BN Cae as ADDRESS 5:04: RENEWAL (NEW SUB) TO THE P.T. 1 YEAR $5.00, 2 YEAR $9.00, 5 YEAR $12.00. — l N I : ‘ the interests of working people who make up the majority of citizens of Nanaimo.” Ogden also emphasized that one of the main issues still facing the people of Nanaimo was land and harbour development. “But the question is,’ he asked, “in whose interests are Nanaimo and the surrounding districts going to be developed? The ordinary citizens including working people, old age pen- sioners, or the real estate mono- polies and other big business interests whose only purpose in developing anything is to provide greater profits on invest ments?” On the environmental ques- tion, Ogden criticized the present City Council for failing to take a clear cut position against the proposal to start filling the Nanaimo river estuary. He pointed out that the proposal was directly contrary to the unanimous recom- ‘ mendation of the Advisory Plan- ning Commission and that there was a need for a civic spokes- man to take a firm stand on the issue. The program of the Com- mittee also proposes a more equitable tax structure, housing development and more day care facilities. OBITUARY BETTY SIMPSON Many people in labor and pro- gressive circles mourned the pas- sing Sunday, November 5 of Betty Simpson, 66, of North Van- couver. Born in Manitoba, Betty came to B.C. in her early twenties where she met and married Ed Simpson, who died a few years ago. . Both Betty and Ed devoted their lives to the labor move- ment. In the Thirties, Betty played an active part inthe movement to stop the shipment of scrap iron to Japan and in the drive to organize laundry workers, herself having worked in laundries for many years. The PT expresses its deep regrets to two sons, Terry and Ronnie, and daughter Helen, all of North Vancouver. Funeral service was held at Boal Memorial Home Sunday, » November 12 and was con- ducted by William Stewart of the Marine Workers Union, an old family friend. Mr. Way presented the follow- ing petition to the Rehabili- tation minister on behalf of 45,000 affiliates: ‘‘We call on the provincial government to quickly pass an order-in-council which would make it illegal to give notice of a rent increase and/or a notice to quit to any person who is in receipt of a monthly pension benefit being paid to an elder citizen. Such an order would take effect as of July 31st, 1972 and would continue in force until a new Landlord and Tenant Act is passed.” Most of the time of the meeting was taken up detailing the 24 specific instances of rent increases which have come to the attention of the VTC. Some 300 elderly citizens are involved. At the close of the meeting Mr. - Levi telephoned the news media to state that he would be making an official statement in a few days time. ‘‘The minister told us that he had received many more complaints than the number we have submitted, that he has had to take on one additional staff member to handle the com- plaints, and that a good number of MLA’s have reported to him that they too have been receiv- ing complaints. “Mr. Levi told us that he would review all of this infor- REPORT FROM CHILE will be given by Rev. John Morgan, of Toronto. Morgan is chairman of the Canadian Peace Congress and recently returned from Santiago, Chile where he attended the conference of the World Peace Congress. He will speak at the Coronation Room, YWCA, Dunsmuir and Burrard on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. BRUCE YORKE mation with his department Tuesday and then take the results to a cabinet meeting following which he would make a policy announcement. “We in the Vancouver Tenants Council are satisfied that our original September 24th request to the government for the freeze has been docu- mented. We expect that the government will take the steps we originally proposed. In the meantime we will continue to process complaints and urge all pensioners to put the fact of their rent hikes in writing to the minister with a copy to the VTC,” concluded Yorke. This week the Vancouver Tenants Council sent a ques- tionnaire to all candidates for civic office asking their stand on issues of concern to the fifty-four percent of the eligible voters who are tenants. A mass meeting of tenants will be held Sunday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. in the Arlington Auditorium (1236 W. Broadway) at which the replies of the candidates will be reported. Notices of the meeting are being sent to over 10,000 tenants said Mary Ander- son, vice-president of VTC. OLYMPICS Cont'd from pg. 2 toria have money lying around for such projects, why not use some if it right now to develop the Garibaldi area for the benefit of the people of B.C. and Canada, and use the balance for such necessary and socially useful projects as housing or improved public transit? The cost would be much less and the money would really be better spent. : Classified advertising BUSINESS PERSONALS REGENT TAILORS LTD. For reasonable priced Made to Measure and Ready to Wear. 324 W. Hastings St—681-8456 or 4441 E. Hastings St. — 298- 2030. NEED CAR OR HOUSE IN- SURANCE? Call Ben Swan- key, 433-8323. NOTICES DESPERATELY NEEDED! Permanent place to do Silk- screening for Y.C.L. (Gar- age or basement suitable). Call Joyce 435-2620 after 5 p.m. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY,; NOVEMBER ‘17; 1972—PAGE 1 r o OY LOAM SIO NT AAA/AIVOM AAS AUST SIS AS HALLS FOR RENT WEBSTER’S CORNER HALL —Available for banquets, meetings, weddings, etc. For rates, Ozzy 872-5064 or 685- 5836. UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CULTURAL CENTRE - 805 East Pender St., Vancouver 4, Available for banquets, wed- dings, meetings. Phone 254- 3436. RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME 600 Campbell. Ave. Now under renovation. Watch ‘PT“ for details regarding re-open- ing re: Rentals for meetings, banquets, weddings, etc. 254-3430. :