TheReview Wednesday, July 10,1991 — A7

Rewriting history won’t work

VICTORIA — Rewriting history has never
worked in the long run, nor can it be buried and
forgotten. The only way to come to terms with the
past is to deal with it.

I am no cynic, but I find it exceedingly difficult
to swallow the hype emanating from the Social
Credit leadership aspirants these days.

The words most often uttered by those vying for
the somewhat stained mantle that has been
stripped of former premier Bill Vander Zalm are
honesty, integrity and trust.

They are the very things Vander Zalm promised
when he first assumed the leadership of the Social
Credit Party. What we got instead was the most
incredible five-year excursion tour into the
nether-world of seedy politics.

Even as someone who thinks of himself as a
bruised idealist rather than a skeptic, I have the
greatest of difficulty to simply forget the havoc
Vander Zalm wreaked on the body politic. And I
have equal difficulty forgetting that few of those
who could have stood up to him did.

How then, on earth, can I believe that honesty,
integrity and trust will be restored by any one of
the five Socred leadership contenders? Honesty
isn’t a by-product of circumstance. Integrity
doesn’t just happen. Trust can’t be invoked by
words alone. They must be earned.

There is very little the Social Credit govern-
ment has done in the past five years that would
eam it the respect of the public. If anything, it has
dragged the general reputation to new lows.

Rita Johnston, premier by caucus appointment,
has repeatedly told us that she is proud of the
goverment’s record. What record? True, from an
administrative point of view, the Vander Zalm
administration has done a reasonably good job,

but isn’t hat the least we can expect from those
we elect to govern on our behalf?

An even then, it wasn’t all that good? The Expo
land deal, still not fully explained, cost taxpayers
a great deal of potential revenue. The B.S. Fund
story, held up to be an outright fraud, cannot be
dismissed. And the $1.2 billion deficit in the
current budget is not great testimonial to fiscal
responsibility.

And yet, honor, integrity and trust are the words
the current Socred leadership contenders have
built into their campaign rhetoric with frightening
ease, as if the past had never happened or could
just be swept under the rug.

In faimess, some of the candidates are making
an attempt to deal with the problem. Duane
Crandall said in one of his first press releases that
“It wasn’t all Bill’s fault.”

McCarthy, too, was critical of Vander Zalm
early on. She even resigned her cabinet post when
David Pool, Vander Zalm’s non-elected sidekick,
interfered shamelessly in the political process.

But whoever emerges the winner at this
month’s leadership convention in Vancouver
must ask himself or herself whether three weeks
of rhetoric really can or should erase five years of
bad memories.

Why should a women who has been physically
abused again and again believe her husband’s
plea, however tearful and remorseful, that he
won't do it again?

Voters will have a tough choice to make this
fall. They can believe that the Socreds have
mended their ways and will provide all the things
they promise, however unlikely that may seem, or
they can leave the Socreds to rewriting their past
and take a chance on the NDP.

McKIMM & LOTT

BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS & NOTARIES

GEORGE F. McKIMM — Retired
NICHOLAS W. LOTT CHRISTOPHER S. LOTT
R.G. WITT LAPPER TIMOTHY F. LOTT

D. MAYLAND McKIMM GRANT S. WARRINGTON

Personal Injury/ Real Estate
Criminal Law/ Wills & Estates
Family Law/ Commercial & Co. Law
Municipal Law

FIRST 1 2 HOUR CONSULTATION FREE

GANGES CENTRE BLDG.
GANGES, B.C.

937-9951

9830 FOURTH ST.
SIDNEY, B.C.

656-3961

Prepare yourself for solar eclipse

TOMORROW IS THE day astrologers have
been looking forward to. But it’s also the day
optometrists are worried about. At about 11:20
a.m. Peninsula time a 20-25 per cent solar eclipse
will be reach its peak. “People viewing the July
11 solar eclipse run the risk of retinal burns and
permanent eye damage,” said Dr. Richard Bisson-
ette, president of the B.C. Association of Opto-
metrists. He is concerned with previous reports
of eye injuries to large numbers of eclipse
watchers. Sunglasses, exposed film, welding gog-
gles and even “eclipse glasses” using mylar
sheets are not always suitable protection against
the sun’s ultra-violet radiation. “The safest way
for people to view an eclipse is on television,”
Bissonette said. “Besides, that way people can
safely observe the total eclipse, broadcast from
Mexico, in all its beauty. A partial eclipse, which
we'll see in B.C. is less interesting but more
dangerous.”

* *K x

IF YOU HAVE HOLIDAY TIME during the
first week of August, don’t leave town, the
Central Saanich Lions Club says. August 3, 4
and 5 is Central Saanich Days in Centennial
Park on Wallace Drive. This year the annual event
will feature family fun for everyone. Start off with
a pancake breakfast served by your favorite
politician, then take in the slow pitch tournament,
children’s carnival rides, arts and crafts tables,
games of chance, a petting zoo, hay rides, live
bands on the Saturday, a sports card show with
guest celebrities Sunday and caricatures by
Review cartoonist Nelson Dewey on Monday.
There’s also a free draw for a lawnmower, lots of
food and outdoor entertainment areas.

* * &

WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE TV chan-
nels? Shaw Cable 11 made some changes
recently, switching channels in the upper band
(Channels 13 and up) to make room for The
Nashville Network, CNN Headline News and
two new stations to begin broadcasting in August.
If you’re confused about what happened to your
Channel 21 movies, switch to Channel 10 for
accurate information. As well, new full cable
service guides are available free at the Shaw

Cable office on Second Street in Sidney.
* KOK

* KO

THIS WEEKEND could produce an enlighten-
ing experience for some Peninsula residents. The
Geronimo Canoe Club and the Tsartlip Indian
Band present the Tsartlip Water Festival at the
foot of Stellys Crossroad on-Saanich Inlet, north
of Brentwood Bay. War canoe races featuring the
top 11-man teams, single teams and women’s
teams will vie for trophies on Saturday and
Sunday. Final races are scheduled for Sunday
afternoon. Also, during the afternoon and evening,
the traditional bone game will be played. The
event also features an Indian salmon barbecue,
clam chowder, bannock, corn, tacos and other
food. The two-day festival is open to the public
with a $2 admission fee. Proceeds will go toward
war Canoe race prizes.

* * x

ANOTHER MAYOR IN THE MAKING?
Recently, North Saanich Mayor Maurice Cha-
zottes’ grandson Michael Chazottes received the
North Saanich Middle School award of excel-
lence. In presenting the award school trustee Ann
Johnson said “Mike, you have earned great
recognition as a courageous and hard-working
young man. Your family, school staff and your
peers have watched you quietly go about your
work and all of us commend you for your
dedication to learning and personal development.

Your character is an inspiration to us all.”
* kK x

ATTENTION
CRAFTPERSONS!

A
SISITS

Christmas Crafts Sale
and Open House

Samples & Demos
- Come and see what’s new!

Sale
- Save on your XMAS craft supplies!

Make & Take
- You make it in the store - we'll show you
how!

XMAS Crafts Orders
- You can order those hard-to-get XMAS
craft items - don’t be disappointed!

SUNDAY, JULY 14th
1 to 5 PM.

/TANNERS \

\. HOBBIES & CRAFTS 7

2471 BEACON
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

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