Opinion TheReview Wednesday, May 16,1990 — A8 —— Sn coe Mobile homes a viable alternative VICTORIA — If the cost of housing, particularly in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island, keeps increasing at the current pace, only the wealthy will be able to buy their own homes. In Victoria, the price tag for the average home increased to more than $200,000 from $130,000 in just one year. Even a modest condo fetches around $80,000: In Vancouver, it’s worse. What was once considered a starter or retire- ment home can’t be bought for less than $250,000. There is, however, an alternative — the mobile home. While homes anchored to a piece of real estate, often little larger than a mobile- home pad, are out of reach of most potential buyers, mobile homes offer a surprising level of luxury at a sill affordable price. As with traditional homes, prices for mobile homes vary, depending on size and features. The price for a single-width home ranges from $36,500 to $62,000. That gives you about 925 square- feet. A double-wide mobile home costs anywhere from $47,000 to $95,000. The latter will give you 1,250 square-feet of luxury with two bedrooms two baths, one with swirl pool. Mobile-home parks also offer a lifestyle that’s different from that of a run-of-the-mill subdivision. Aside from providing residents with separate, easily-maintained garden areas, many mobile-home parks have central recreational facilities and regular social events. A tecent report by the provincial government's mobile-home task force says that mobile homes are a good alternative to traditional housing. Although a little weak in the recommendations department, the report addresses a number of issues that have made people reluctant to consider the mobile- home option. One of the biggest obstacles to increased mobile-home ownership has been the image associated with mobile homes. A lot of people see them as transient accommodation, more suited to construction camps than family living. The task force report cor- rectly observes that this is not the case. Continued from Page A6 having a strong sense of propriety, the belly laugh on that bon mot must surely reverberate throughout the constituency. He doth protest too much, too often, too late and too silly. Arthur E. Gregg Sidney Tour through woods inspired message Editor: Since visiting the Walbran in Apu, I recently visited the forest of Merv Wilkerson, who believes that this planet will not survive without the protection of our trees and their relationship to all life. The lumber companies such as Fletcher Challenge’s Crofton oper- ation, who are licensed to use Crown Land, and the government that allows its use, could take a lesson from Merv Wilkerson. By the end of our visit, it was clear that he was asking the gov- emment for rigid enforcement of clear and concise regulations to ensure the maintenance of forests and operations that will replenish as much as is used in very small units of their cutting permits. His home is among hemlock, pine, maple, alder and arbutus over which towers an old Douglas fir: taller than the virgin forest that once was. Dogwood blooms and birds sing. The floor of the forest is a mass of various wild flowers. Continued on Page All GOING AWAY? “Leave your cares at home — with us” e Housesitting - Pet Care ¢ Daily Visits - Live-in Service « Monitored Temporary Alarms - Lawn & Garden Care ¢ Home Maintenance Call Reg. 655-1808 Bonded-Licenced-Insured Custom Home - watele Cy - Coast to Coast- om To counteract the negative connotations conjured up by the term “mobile home,” the report tecommends that all existing and proposed legislation refer to “manufactured home”? instead. It’s not an earth-shaking recommendation, but what the hell, if it helps, do it. There’s a little more substance to the recommendation that the government “review the use of Crown land” for the siting of manufactured homes, although I would have preferred something like “strongly urged” the govern- ment to make Crown land availa- ble for manufactured-home parks. Another major problem are the Steep Tent increases manufactured- home owners have been hit with. Rents of $400 and $475 a month for a small pad are no exception, particularly in the Lower Main- land. The report says that one way to give homeowners more control over the rent they have to pay for their pads is to make more pad units available. Nothing wrong with that reasoning, but unfortun- ately, the report fails to follow through with appropriate recom- mendations. The task force may not have come up with a barn bumer of a report, but its recommendations could serve as a basis for an action plan that may help ease British Columbia’s housing crunch. Yamaha. Because we know you’d rather be driving a golf ball. The Yamaha YT3600. It’s got a sturdy, 12 hp. en- gine. Seven cutting heights. A 23” turming radius. A reliable beltless shaft drive. \ = ~. Special anti-scalp y >. rollers. No a3i) a: shift hydro- static trans- mission. An over- sized contour padded seat. Step through design. And of course the Yamaha Assurance of Quality. After all, we know what you really mean by a Sunday drive. YANIAHA Engineered for life. SUNRISE MACHINERY New & Used Farm Equipment 652-5287 2670 KEATING X ROAD (NEXT TO BUTLER BROS.) Watching the Hockey Play-offs Tonight? Don't let getting Dinner ready interrupt your hockey game, let us Deliver for your enjoyment! Phone Daily After 4:00 pm _ the “POULTRY IN MOTION” Hot-line 656-5331 rw) TAKE OUT rest ke [3 HOME OF THE “WEDGIE FRIES” 9816 4th Street, Sidney NDP lists top 10 spills The top 10 doesn’t refer to just songs any more. NDP environment critic John Cashore has issued a top 10 pollution spill list, and he is demanding action on every one of them. In a letter to Environment Min- ister John Reynolds last week, Cashore said there have been numerous spills in the past few months where no charges were laid. Here’s the list of the top 10. Sulphuric acid spill into Crofton Lake; multiple chlorine gas leak- ing from the Crofton mill: three spills at the Woodfibre mill in Howe Sound; three million litres of “chemical soup” dumped by the Woodfibre mill into Howe Sound; sulphuric acid spilled at the Skookumchuk pulp mill. Chlorine gas leaked at the Nor- thwood pulp mill in Prince George; 177 tons of raw pulp dumped into waters near Gold River; continuous leaking of oil- based products from the Gold River mill; chlorine gas leaked at the Harmac pulp mill and sodium hydrogen sulphide gas leaked at the Cariboo Pulp and Paper mill in Quesnel. PROVIDES YEAR ROUND ENTERTAINMEN TRAMPOLINES For More Information Call 656-2070 Thanks Peninsula Singers for your generous donation of $474.40 raised at a recent concert ‘at the Legion. Again, Thanks to all who contributed. FOR THE MIND AND HEART Information is something that we all seek. For some, it is to improve their knowledge of the world, expanding their minds. For others, trivial information serves as a form of entertainment. This week's review offers books from both ends of the spectrum. Written by British journalists with help from top scholars from Oxford, Cambridge and other academic institutions, readers are offered “Chronicle of the World.” After achieving success with “Chronicle of the 20th Century,” this team has put together an enormous volume covering events on our planet from 3:5 million years B.C. up to 1945. All the famous ‘news stories’ are included — Death of Cleopatra, Crucifixion of Christ, Fall of the Roman Empire, etc. — plus many unknown but important events. There are also numerous selected essay topics, such as “The Bible and Archaeolo- gy,” “Women in History,” “The Crusades” and much more. Readers will find thousands of photographs and maps, over half of them being in color. An added feature included is the gazetteer at the back of the book listing all nations of the world, under current names, complete with information on geography, history and politics. “A Curmudgeon’s Garden of Love” compiled and edited by Jon Winokur is entertaining and amusing. With over 1,000 quotations, anecdotes and interviews on romance, sex and love’s delusions, this nugget offers readers endless hours of smirks and giggles. “Chronicle of the World” would be an excellent, timeless addition to any home library, whereas “A Curmudgeon’s Garden of Love” would: appeal to a more adult readership. By Echo Eburne Pal Hal 2s AVE., SOMEY, B.C. VOL ING 658-7345; B.C. BEST SELLERS FICTION Figures in Brackets Indicate Last Week's Position 1 (5) September Pilcher 2 (8) Golden Fox Smith 3 (4) Bourne Ultimatum Ludlum 4 (9) Friend of My Youth Munro 5 (-) A Prayer For Owen Mcaney, Irving 6 (-) Evening News Hailey ¥ (2) The Dark Half King 8 (7) Skinny Legs and All Robbins 9 (3) Devices and Desires James 10 (-3) Sorceressiof Darshiva Eddings NON FICTION 1 (8) Towards a Just Society Trudeau & Axworthy 2 (1) The Canadian Green Consumer Guide Troyer & Moss 3 (-) Other Losses Bacque 4 (-) Little Girl Lost Barrymore 5 (6) Eat Well, Live Well MacDonald & Howard 6 (-) Green Future Johnson — 7 (- The Lighthearted Cookbook Lindsay 8 (-) New World New Mind Omstein 9 (-) Soviet Revolution Weir 10 (-) Beddoes Open 8 am - 10 pm EVERY DAY