kate 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.