Opinion Volume 76 Issue No.10 TheReview Wednesday, March 7, 1990 A6 Predictable reactions: The media and Marv Holland Pacific Parkland Properties Inc. is facing some problems Over Supplying water to its James Island paradise. As a newspaper, we reacted in a predictable way when the story of a restrictive covenant against well-use broke: we contacted the company’s president, Mary Holland, and got his side, and we contacted others and got thcir sides. Unfortunately, Pacific Parkland’s president reacted in a way that’s just as predictable as our way. Already stcaming over a story in the Times-Colonist, Holland said he hoped we weren't going to make a big deal over the watcr issue, like we — apparently — did over the parking issue on James Island Road. The implication is that the media are printing things the public doesn’t really need to know. But just as Holland’s business is to develop James Island, ours is to provide information for readers. And that’s not just information that makes life easy for Marv Holland. The parking issue? Believe it or not, we didn’t invent it. We q didn’t knock on doors and ask people to petition Central Saanich council about traffic. Neither did we tell C-I-L to conduct tests on existing wells in 1987-88. Potential buyers of property on James Island have every right to know wells were contaminated. And Holland has every right to tell his side. Holland says the ground water on James Island is just fine — better, in fact, than Victoria tap water. There’s not even a chance of a “chemical hell” on James Island, he assured us. Pacific Parkland’s tests are on new wells, the covenant will be lifted, everything is fine. So his side has been told. For more details, sec the story on Page A4. It’s funny how different things go when developers want a story told. When Holland’s marketing strategy involved using the media, he was more than co-operative. When Holland was concemed about deer poaching on James Island, he was more than co-operative. And so were we. There was no criticism about the big deal we made of those stories. Down the line: Don’t send LRTI out on a rail BC Transit believes bus-ways could someday serve the Westem Communities and the ridership doesn’t justify light rail transit, for the Peninsula or the Westem Communities. _ But BC Transit should demonstrate to the public that some kind of long-range planning — for the days when urban bus transit becomes less popular — is taking place. A B.C Transit spokesman recently told Sidney council that ridership estimates don’t warrant rail transit in Greater Victoria. But society’s attitudes are changing. People are becoming more willing to trade convenience for a future for the planet. They are, after all, spending time pccling labels from jars for the blue box, day in and day out, throughout the Capital Region. Rail service may be impractical, as B.C Transit says, in the foreseeable future. Perhaps the limits of ““foresecable’”’ need to be stretched. I THINK WE, L| SOMETHIN! TO GET OUR LANGUAGE SAVED FROM BEIN TOOK OVER BY KE OTTER DO TheReview Serving The Saanich Peninsula Since 1912 9781 2nd Street Sidney, B.C. V8L 4P8 or PO. Box 2070 Sidney, B.C V8L 3S5 Second Class Mail Registration #0128 656-1151 Publisher: Vic Swan Editor: George Lee AN ISLAND PUBLISHERS NEWSPAPER ESS —y eee ) ~ VERIFIED: Neco’ aaa CONTROLLED Tallying the GST fun ahead Editor: In common with every business in Canada, our company — Sid- ney Natural Foods — has received a booklet informing us what the future holds when the GST comes into force next year. There is more smoke and mirrors in that slim booklet than is seen at a Sidney council meeting with its elastic- sided leases, malleable building - bylaws, and compliant aldermen. The GST booklet is full of goodies as to how your cash flow position will be improved, and you only have to submit the GST every so often, so that the tax collected will be in your bank account cte. The smoke hides the fact of the incredible work load that will be placed on business to account for this horror. In some circumstances we have to pay the GST on say, a Hydro bill, but as that energy was con- sumed operating the shop, it can be claimed back. What accounting fun! If in our shop we sell you a piece of cheese, that 1s food and is not taxed. However, put that piece of cheese between.two slices of bread and it becomes a restaurant item and is now taxed. What accountng fun! On the shelves of Canadian businesses are billions of dollars worth of stock, some of which have had the manufacturers tax applicd, and some have not. It is understood that the tax has to be taken off these goods (and not all have the same tax) and then the new GST applied. What account- ing fun! The young lady I talked to on the hot line to Ottawa said “you can buy a new point of sale computer that will calculate the B.C. PST and the GST for you.” What accounting fun! Business is already burdened with UIC, CCP, I Tax, WCB, PST, licences {ees, reporting fees, tax on many services such as telephone and that is already accounting fun! The feds are going to hire about 3,000 bureaucrats just to be Big Brothers and check on us to ensure that we are obeying the law and collecting this damn tax. What accounting fun! There 1s no free lunch. This new tax will just add to the burden of your municipal taxes, education costs, cic. Organized labor has already stated flatly that they will demand salary mereases to cover the GST. I urge everyone to wnite letters to Finance Minister Michac! Wilson urging revamping of this tax. Do ask a question, then he'll have to reply. Cy Relph Sidney Capable, caring help Editor: The Saanich Peninsula unit of the Canadian Cancer Society has, for the past four months, given me a great deal of volunteer support. Since all of the people in this unit are volunteering their time and services, I am impressed with their extremely professional orga- nizational setup. Their offices at 102-9790-2nd Street, Sidney, are staffed with very pleasant, capable folks whose sole aim secms to be to help cancer patients like me in any way they can. They know what services they have, i.c. volunteer drivers, volun- teer counselors, plus a voluntecr section that gocs to hospitals, schools and doctors and social services to provide them with information on cancer literature and services available through the Saanich Peninsula unit. Every time I have telephoned the driver co-ordinator it has been like talking to a close friend — someone who Is truly mterested in you and who is cheerful and remembers what you chatted about the times before. Shea always got back to me with the name of the driver and the driver always telephoned me so we could co-ordinate umes and loca- tions. If all of the volunteer drivers are like the two who've helped me — careful and considerate, quickly able to assess your treatment stresses — then we on the Penin- sula are lucky. It seems just about everyone | speak to has been touched by cancer — either a loved one or a friend afflicted. Outside of gener- ously responding to the call for cancer money we just do not see how the Canadian Cancer Socicty helps. Well, I have seen it first hand and I am very thankful. Harry Hurley Brentwood Bay View from a fishboat Editor: : I was very interested to read your article on the port develop- ment (“Gas sellers reluctant,” The Review, Feb. 21), as well as sur pused to see a proposal for a fucl dock at the marina. I have been a commercial fisher- man in the area for many years, and have slowly watched the area getting caten away from pollution, development and a growmg popu- lation. The port has already cost me some fishing ground and the further pollution associated with a fuel dock is unacceptable. Shoal Harbour already has two facilities only one mile away, in an area that is at least somewhat containable. I also note, in the picture in The Review of our wonderful marina, a total of seven boats. This, to me, 1S a joke, and anybody who has been keeping up with the development knows it. There were 50 boats in there before any of this so-called port started and now there are scven. The town wants a fucl dock! What about the two fuel docks that already exist year round for little money? Only to have the port take the tourist moncy. As far as the entire project goes, I think town council should know that the whole town isn’t made up of a bunch of sheep. We see the stalls, delays and extensions, only to have them all neatly explained away. The town has given the farm away and now the developers are holding the town hostage. We're slowly going to haye take back the port, one picce at a time, and all council can do 1s go along to try to save credibility. Don’t bother, it’s gone! Kelvin Campbell Sidney Socialist housing, please Editor: B.C.’s housing crisis 18 just a part of the overall crisis in afforda- Continued on Page A8 Gs at a