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VANCOUVER

Vancouver businessman Jim Pattison’s
announced sale of Mainland Magazine Ser-
vice following outrage by local women’s
organizations is no answer to the wides-
pread distribution of pornography, say
Vancouver city aldermen.

“l'd be far more impressed if he’d
decided to keep it and cut out the maga-
zines,” said Ald. Harry Rankin at a meeting
of city council’s community services com-
mittee May 3.

The spread of pornogrpahy, not Patti-
son’s ownership of Mainland, is the issue,
contended six women’s organizations who
appeared before the packed meeting, which
subsequently adopted a series of motions to
be considered by council at its May 15

meeting.

Pattison’s role in Mainland Magazine
came to light during presentations to the
Frazer Special Committee into Prostitution
and Pornography last month. But other
large wholesalers such as Vancouver Maga-
zine, also distribute hard-core porno-
graphy, the women’s organizations noted.

Some of the worst of that material —
depicting scenes of bondage, rape and
incest, among others — were spread out on
the large conference table while representa-
tives of the groups called for bylaws to curb
its distribution.

“Pornography is a violent exploitation of
women and children. It is big business with
big profits,” charged Anna Holbeck of the
Congress of Canadian Women.

_ City moves to limit
_ pornography trade

“We feel that all distributors of material
that advocates violent, abusive or degrading
behavior towards another human being,
and this includes sexual behavior, must be

‘considered pornogrpahic, obscene and

therefore must be banned,” said Holbeck.

In a list of recommendations, the con-
gress urged city council to:

© Strike and enforce bylaws curbing the
distribution and sale of pornographic
material;

® Order the police to investigate stores
and warehouses and lay charges under exist-
ing obscenity laws;

@ Press the province’s Attorney-General

to enforce the B.C. Guidelines for .

Enforcement of the Obscenity Provisions;

© Demand the federal government “strictly
enforce” the Prohibited Publications sec-
tion of Canada Customs regulations at border
points; -

© Urge Justice Minister Mark MacGui-
gan enforce existing, and introduce more
stringent, laws on obscentiy and porn-
ography;

®@ Support Pattison’s recommended
“review board” on pornography, but
broaden the suggested representation so
that community groups and city council are
represented.

“How long are we going to tolerate this
material under the guise of freedom of
expression,” asked the University Women’s
Club of Vancouver. “If minority-group

Pattison should keep |
Mainland, curb porn

Now that Jim Pattison, the manager of
Expo 86 and the owner of 40 companies,
has been caught in the act (one of his maga-
zine wholesale companies has been distri-
buting pornographic literature to hundreds
of retail outlets in B.C.) he has expressed
surprise at what has been going on, regret at
what happened, and has announced that he
will sell the company.

Like the man who has been wallowing in
a pile of manure, he would like to come out
smelling like a rose.

Mr. Pattison says that he has “been very
troubled to learn that some of the publica-
tions handled by Mainland...are offen-
sive,” and that on learning this he too has
been “offended.” _

I have a report from the vice squad of the
Hamilton, Ont. police which states that in
1980 Jim Pattison International was
charged under Section 159(1) of the Crimi-

- nal Code with (a) possession of obscene

material and (b) possession for the purposes
of distribution. The company pleaded guilty
and was fined $12,000. The charge was
based on the magazine “Numbers” which
depicted scenes of sado-masochism.

This was the second offence. In 1977 one
of Jim Pattison’s companies, Neonex, was
charged under the same section of the Crim-
inal Code and fined $10,000.

These facts make it very difficult to
believe that Mr. Pattison did not know what
his company here, Mainland Magazine, was
doing. Much more believable is the fact that

he took action only after his activities had ~

been publicly exposed.

Mr. Pattison says that the distribution of
such material “is a very complex problem”
that includes censorship, community stand-
ards and the definition of obscenity which
“are troubling to us as responsible members
of a free society.”

I don’t know what’s so complex about
magazines that depict sexual violence, the
degradation of women and children and
acts of bestiality.

The community services committee of

2 ¢ PACIFIC TRIBUNE, MAY 9, 1984

. Vancouver city council was presented with

several examples of the kind of material that
Mr. Pattison’s company has been distribut-
ing. One described sexual acts between a
father and his 10-year old daughter (in
explicit and obscene detail) as commend-
able and highly enjoyable activities between
both parties. Another described sex with
animals as acceptable and enjoyable. And
these are by no means the worst examples.

Harry
Rankin

Mr. Pattison emphasizes that such publi-
cations “represent a very small proportion
of the company’s total product,” and that
they also sell bibles. What sort of an excuse
is that? If the company is handling any at all,

it’s too much. And in this case it is some 250.

such publications being handled in 1,200
retail outlets.

That might not be very much to Mr.
Pattison but it is a great deal to the com-
munity. Some people will conclude that Mr.
Pattison’s companies will peddle any-
thing — from bibles to pornography — as
long it makes a profit.

If Mr. Pattison has now been converted
to the viewpoint that the distribution of
such pornogrpahic material is wrong why
doesn’t he do something about it? Selling
the offending company (at a good profit, of
course) only perpetuates the act.

That’s why the community services
committee has unanimously asked Mr. Pat-
tison not to sell the company, but rather to
simply ban its sale of pornographic mate-
rial. That would be the best way to demon-
Strate that he is a “‘responsible member of a
free society” and that he does not place
profit above morality and community
welfare.

men were depicted in this manner, we’d call
it ‘hate literature.’ ”

‘Although asked to attend, representa-
tives of the key magazine distributors in the
Lower Mainland failed to show at the
committee hearing, except for Mainland. As
expected, Pattison did not attend, but sent
Mainland representative Norm Reeve in his
place.

Reeve repeated Pattison’s announcement
May | that he was selling the service, and
noted his proposal for ‘a review board to
investigate and set guidelines concerning
pornographic material.

The committee subsequently adopted
two key resolutions, moved by Ald. Libby
Davies. The first, taking the cue from a
suggestion by the North Shore Women’s
Centre, instructs city staff to draft a new
bylaw regulating the display of magazines
depicting nudity sold in regular Vancouver
stores. j

The second motion called for city staff
and police to enforce an existing bylaw

which prohibits all but a handful of “adu!
bookstores from selling or displaying
,azines depicting sexual acts. AcknoW
ing that numerous corner stores, drugs!
and bookstores openly display such mé
rial, the committee voted that co
inform store owners they have 30 da
clear the magazines from their shelves.
Davies noted that the definition and com
trol of pornography is basically a f
jurisdiction, but also noted that in prev
actions the city agreed to issue no
licences to “‘Adult Entertainment Sto
and had put two branches of the infamo
Red Hot Video “out of the pornogtap
business.” : a
Another motion from Davies called op
council to request the RCMP investigat
companies involved in the distribution ang
sale of pornography. sf
The committee also voted unanimo
to “request” Pattison not to sell Mainlang,
but retain control and remove from dist
bution the pornographic magazines.

Premier Bill Bennett should put teeth
into his government’s declaration of
support for the annual Vancouver Walk
for Peace, according to Ald. Bruce
Eriksen of the Committee of Progressive
Electors. :

Eriksen and Ald. Libby Davies havea
motion to go before Vancouver city
council that asks the provincial govern-.
ment to declare the province a nuclear-
weapons free zone. -

press the federal government for a
national referendum, during the upcom-
ing election, on cruise missile testing and
declaring the country a nuclear-weapons
free zone. .

In a circular to local peace organiza-
tions, COPE is asking for delegations
and speakers to appear before council
when the motion comes up for debate
May 15.

The Walk for Peace Apr. 28 was ‘
marked for the first time by a letter of
support from Bennett. Read out to the
rally, the premier’s -letter extended
“greetings to all assembled here today to
show their active support for nuclear
disarmament.

- “There has never been a time in his-

tory where man has stood so close to the

_ edge of destruction, nor a time where

man’s capacity to achieve world peace

has been so near at hand. ..I join with
you in spirit today,” the letter stated.

Bennett’s letter also noted a unanim-
ous vote of approval in the legislature to
the government’s motion urging “all
world governments to .increase their
efforts to end the nuclear arms race and
to reduce and finally eliminate all nuclear

weaponry.”

The motion also calls on Victoria to —

Motion urges Socreds
declare B.C. n-free

Mixed boos and cheers greeted Ben
nett’s announced support.

“It’s possible some people didn’t think
the premier was being sincere about his
support — we’d like to give him the |
opportunity to show that his government |
is ready to work for world peace,” said —
Eriksen.

The motion notes the strong “Yes”
vote during referendums calling for
negotiations on world disarmament held
in 24 B.C. municipalities and three
regional districts last year.

“Therefore be it' resolved” the motion

- states, “that Vancouver city council ~

thank the premier and the provincial ~
government for their message of support.

It goes on to urge “that Vancouver
city council request the provincial
government to declare the province @ |
nuclear-weapons free zone and to pass
legislation prohibiting the transportation |
or storage of nuclear weapons or any
component thereof in B.C., and the use —
of occupation of any land in B.C. forthe —
manufacture, distribution or storage of a -
nuclear wepaon or any component
thereof. e

“And be it further resolved that Van-
couver city council request the provincial |
legislature to urge the federal govern- —
ment to hold a national referendum at
the time of the next federal election on
the questions of further testing of the
cruise missile in Canada and declaring
Canada a nuclear-weapons free zone,” s
the motion states. A

City council meets at 2 p.m. Requests
for delegation status should be addressed |
to City Clerk Bob Henry at city hall.