OPINION Y, September 30, 1992 4A SHARLENE IMHOFF EDITOR MARGE LALONDE CIRCULATION MANAGER: DONNA JORY ADVERTISING MANAGER Our City is facing a referendum for new facilities for our police force, and a by-election to replace Councillor Marilyn Mathieson, a lady who did her homework, knew her facts or stated her intention to find an answer, and conducted her- self professionally at all times. She devoted a lot of time to this commu- nity and to the portfolios for which she was responsible. She was a good role model for our young women, and for other women as well. Mari- lyn’s talents are not unique. © There are many women in this community with skills, talents and abilities, who understand how sys- tems work and the role of govern- ments. I would like to think that at least one of them is intending to run for City Council. As competent and editorial comment Wanted: ONE GOOD WOMAN (to run for city council) Tomorrow is the final day for nomination papers to be filed at city hall for the upcoming by-election. So far only one candidate has ‘filed. One, candidate. And not surprisingly, it's a man. So where are all the women in this community who have a keen interest in municipal politics? Surely there must be at least one female in Castlegar who has the drive, desire or it takes to run for office There are some very outspoken women in Castlegar. They are intelligent. They are inquisitive. They are involved. And it's likely that they care about their com- munity and its future as much as any man does. So why do we not see more of these women in Castle- gar (and across the country for that matter) involved in the political process? Is the opportunity not there? Hardly. The excuse that there's a male conspiracy to shut women out of politics or high-ranking, high-paying jobs just doesn't Sure, there is still such a thing as the old boy's network, but men face this as well. Whether in poli- tics or in business, self-proclaimed elites will always create obstacles. In the past, if you were a woman, the obstacle cut it was your sex. 8 if women want to run for public office, they can Nothing is going to stand in their yay. except maybe sacrifice. In seeking political office, would-be politicians attend many night and weekend meetings; are away from home; shmooze with the public; show administrative skills; become cunning strategists; and master the media. This means sacrifice. Sacrifice of private time, other less important personal ambitions, and of course, sacri- fice of time spent with friends and family. The latter is the biggest sacrifice of all. So is it any wonder that in a society where women are caregivers to their children, that they still the pri haven't found the time for the political game? If they have found the time, it's probably safe to say that the women who are in politics have grown children, effective as the women on Council presently are, we still need another woman on City Council! Women generally have practical abilities that do much to promote cohesive team work. Now that women are acquiring supervisory and management skills at a greater rate than ever before, women are becoming ever more a necessary and valued component of the political process. The woman's point of view is a valid one. Women do view mat- ters from a different perspective. Women are amenable to serving their apprenticeships, learning the ropes, acquiring new skills, digesting else the facts and figures, and collaborat- ing to form mutual concessions. The shortage of women in the national debate on revisions to the Canadian Constitution in 1990, and the resulting fuss, displayed most graphically how the process can be derailed when the “roosters” are more interested in the posture than the process, the outcome or the con- sequences. What do we think of Eli- jah Harper now? No wonder many of us are moved to remark that’ the present proposed Constitution reflects the opinions of “men in suits” as opposed to the general will of the people. We all suffer when opposing fac tions spend more time posturing than JIM NIELSEN When a piece of legislation is introduced in parliament, it must go through several phases before it becomes law. First reading is simply ‘producing the act. Second reading ig debaté bver the principle of the intended law, and com-mittee allows those who vote on such matters to no or very both fi - discuss each section, each sentence ly (municipal politics doesn't Pay very much), and in the home. The decision to make this sacrifice is a tough one. Once the choice is made however, women are as focused and committed as any man. Probably even more so How about it Castlegar? Know any women out there who are willing to make the sacrifice? If so, they have until noon tomorrow to sign up. —Sharlene Imhoff, Editor and each word. And it further per- mits amendments to be put forward and even passed. All this before third reading and then proclamation, when the bill becomes an act and then, if Not time-triggered, a statute. The consensus report on the con- stitution as hammered out in Char- lottetown August 28, 1992, isa 60-section, 20-page legal document constructed as if an Act of Parlia- ment. The document affects the lyn will be sorely missed. But Mari-' developing good ideas and Creating better ones. Utilizing every opportu- they are our only alternative for good government! Councillors are chosen for their ability to lead. We respect their abili- ties and expect them to devote their time and energies toward building a strong community. There is much hard work involved. Intended candi- ‘This is the season for co-operation with mosert ons assistance. We, as a have a right to be repre- sented by the very best available. I would like to see an of purpose in our City Council. I would like to be able to choose the candidate with the best abilities pf dates should have some idea of how municipality is run, the laws and nity to criticize, without offering pos- sible, solutions, demeans those who are charged with the responsibility of governing, while frustrating the efforts of individuals ,who are trying to perform their duties to the best of their ability, for very little in retum. It is even more frustrating when the opposing forces decline to acquaint themselves of the facts, do not know the history of the matter, and. cannot be persuaded to offer anything other than pompous posi- tions. Opposers are certainly entitled to state their personal opinions as much as I, but, Please! Don't tell me In October, will you lorow Canadian people, the social and eco- nomic union, the Senate, the Supreme Court, the House of Com- mons, First Ministers’ Conferences, the Bank of Canada, Division of Powers, First Peoples, Amending Formula for the Constitution and other issues. You will be asked to vote yes or no when the package is put forward as a referendum October 26. The “ Supporters say the accord is not perfect, perhaps flawed, but it is the best we can get. They suggest support of this less-than-perfect doc- ument will keep Canada together. Those in the “no” camp suggest if the agreement is flawed, then correct it before offering it to Canadians. Would you construct a building using flawed blueprints? If you are voting yes, among other things, you will be saying you sup- port the following: Quebec consti- .tutles a distinct society; under which it operates, and the process by which objectives are met. Running for City Council is not a popularity contest. Nor is it a plat- form for character assassinations of elected councillors, nor a reward for having been vocal in your past criti- to propose creative solutions for We, as voters, should be looking for qualities of concurrence, for the ability to work in harmony with oth- ers for common causes. Our council- lors should be adept at networking ig, creative thii I would like to see those goals plainly expressed, clear ideas on how those goals can be met, and @-sense the next century, less than eight years away. Women in this community need to be represented in a meaning- ful way. We need. their balance in City Council. Surely, this is a season for co- what you are voting for? of official language minority commu- nities; racial and ethnic equality, indi- vidual and collective human rights and freedoms of all people; equality of female and males, . equality of the ry regional devel- opment; a Canadian common mar- ket} an elected Senate either by the population or the legislative assem- blies, gender equality in the compo- sition of the Senate; Aboriginal provinces and And: Quebec to preserve and. pro- mote the distinct society of Quebec; entrenchment of quality of status of the English and French linguistic com- munities in New Brunswick, preserva- tion and development of Canada’s social and economic union including a health care system, adequate social to have double majority voting Tule; rep-by-pop: Ontario and Quebec to receive 18 additional seats, B.C. four and Alberta two; guarantee that Que- bec be assigned no fewer than 25 per cent of the House of Commons; Abo- And: working together to strengthen the economy; freedom of movement, full employment; reason- Tiginal to be pursued for House of Commons. All of the preceding is within the first 25 sections of the Accord. There are 35 additional sections! We are able of living; ingful ion relating to i permitted. All or nothing, Written opinions wanted here. BENS ROnRE RINGS) By Don Addis AAARR, MATEY... THERES ONE IN EVERY CROWD! My The Castigg: jaar Sun AAS IS POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE Established November 28, 1990 Published by The Ca of Sun Weekly on 465 Columbia Ave., Cantioger, Be C. V1N 1G8 Vague proposal misrepresented as The a Nigel Hannaford propor name for the'mattér upon which we shall vote on October 26 is the Charlottetown Accord. Unfor- tunately, it is more commonly referred to as ‘The Deal’. Sadly, it is not a deal. A deal is what you make with, say, a salesman at a car lot. When you have agreed the car, the price, the terms of payment, what guarantee shall apply and have approved the fine print on the contract, then you have ‘a deal’ What the Charlottetown Accord is, in those terms, is your general agreement to buy a car with a Particular dealer, with the make, model, price, finance rate, guarantee etc and so on, to be negotiat- ed at a later date. And also, you solemnly swear that you will not buy anywhere else.To me, that is not a deal and it is typically dishonest of politicians to tell us that it is. In the case 6f the provincial leaders, one tends to be forgiving. Provincial politics is a game anybody can play and the threshold of entry is, well, rather low. Look at our own crowd.'So most of them probably didn’t have much idea what was going on, except Mr Bourassa and maybe Mr Wells. The Feds know exactly what the game is though and the game as far as Mr Mulroney is concemed, is get a public relations triumph at all costs and head into a general election. But above all, get ‘the deal’ and the details can be worked out later. So what do we do with the referendum? First of all, it is not for me to tell you how to vote. Let us look, however, at the possible conse quences. Let us suppose that the country endorses the “Yes’ position. Let us even suppose that it passes in Quebec. Well, I don’t think that this will end the gling. We are going to spend the next 125 years sorting out the above details. Worse, these details are actually huge in their implications. What is the inherent right of self gov- emment for aboriginals going to mean in practical terms? How precisely will the definitive ‘Canada Clause’ be worded? (This is where Quebec gets recognized as a ‘distinct society’ and rights to social benefits are affirmed; we are to vote on this but it hasn't been drafted yet.) Then there’s internal trade; the government handout on the accord says, ‘First Ministers have agreed to discuss how best to Solid foundation case the status quo will continue, or they will vote to go and we have a decision to make. (That decision of course is whether to release them from the legal frame- work which presently binds them to us or, to put it bluntly declare a state of emergency and suspend the Quebec legislature.) This of course is the nightmare scenario which everybody wants to avoid, this is the reason that those who want to vote ‘Yes’ will do so. I have a lot of respect for those people who say ‘It’s a poor deal (sic) but I love Canada, so I'm voting ‘Yes’.’ For them, Canada means implement the principles of a internal common market.’ Again, this is not an agreement but ac to make an And so it goes on. The same handout also says, ‘The Constitution would be amended to create a new mechanism that governments could use to protect particular agreements from unilat- eral change. Each use of the mechanism would be subject to review after five years.’ I don’t pre- tend to know the implications of that but it cer- tainly spells more negotiations. And even assuming that all of the above can be dealt with promptly to everybody's satisfac- tion, it doesn't bind Quebec emotionally to the rest of Canada. It is entirely conceivable that the next generation of Quebec politicians will bring forward new demands. Let's face it, if you're really a rooster and you want your own dung‘hill to crow from, you're not going to be satisfied with a guaranteed third of the Supreme Court judges and twenty-five per cent of seats in Old Sir John A MacDonald's Farm. So much for the ‘Yes’. What about a resounding ‘No’ vote? Obviously, Mr Mulroney would be fin- ished. Quebec would then go and take its separation vote. Either they would vote not to separate, in which ng and they are prep to give up a lot for their ideal. I fear, though, that their ideal may not be shared by enough of their compatriots in Que- bec. Does the word ‘Canada’ have the same emotive impact in Montreal, Chicoutimi or Sept- Isles as it does in Victoria, Summerside or Kitch- ener? We'll know soon enough, I suppose, but frankly, in the strictly legal sense, Quebec is part of Canada now and remains so, whatever we vote in the referendum or they choose in their own separation vote. By the same token though, if their hearts aren't in it, no matter how much we here love *Canada’ we don't in reality have a county, just an empire centred on Ottawa to which we in the west will be in thrall as much as Quebec. The whole thing is a lose-lose situation. Our national leadership has ery us by offering a vague, half-d as a solid foundation | for the ‘on iT the Cate. dian confederation should stumble and fall, that is where the blame will rest - there and in the minds of power-hungry men in Quebec - and not upon those who may choose to reject the above- mentioned ‘deal’ on October 26. Wedneg September 30, 1992 The Castlegar Sun Letters to the Editor Gun owners should take aim at legislation Dear Editor: All firearms owners must be made aware of these new changes affecting legitimate gun ownership in Canada. These reg- ulations were quietly passed by Cabinet in mid July. Many of these provisions are now law as of August 1, 1992. The penalty for violating these regulations is @ maximum two to ten years imprisonment depending on. the particular offense. The storage of firearms and ammunition is now specified by law. However, what constitutes “safe storage” is very poorly as being in a locked con- tainer which may “not be Teadily broken into.” Ammunition and firearms must be stored in sepa- rate locked containers and restricted firearms must now be locked so as to make firing Hapossibie: ification of fi less inspections of that portion of your home where the firearms is Stored. Without warning your local police now have the author- ity to enter your home to check for any potential violations. The third group consists of over a hundred specific firearms which are now restricted. You must forfeit or register these firearms. They may no longer be used for hunting purposes. You May transport them only under a Permit obtained from the police. They may be discharged only at government approved range. Firearms affected by the above Classifications include 22 rim- fires, shotguns and centerfire rifles. Some 8 for many firearms are now classified as prohibited weapons. Simple pos- session of these magazines as | - Jan. 1, 93 will be i Release of suspect charged with sexual assault questioned College feel, knowing he's ‘among them? Even worse, the criminal jus- tice system protects young’ offen ‘we, the women of releasing a dangerous per- son into the pablic. I wonder about a society that purports to protect innocent citizens from He could be the guy sitting Rext to you in class, It's time our laws were changed and young offenders ‘who rob and rape were seen for what they are: criminals, not children playing pranks. criminal offense. These should be tise groups has been expanded upon. the most severely affected are those now totally prohibited. Owners must turn in these guns and will not receive any compen- sation for the loss of their firearms. The second group are firearms now declared as prohibited. You may yetain ownership by register- ing the firearm and registering yourself as a “bonafide collec- tor.” As a bonafide collector you can become subject to warrent- obtained by : all firearm owners. They ‘are contained in a massive 300 plus page document avail- able from your Member of Par- liament. I am the British Columbia Vice-President of the National Firearms Association. T'd be glad to answer any ques- tion you may have and can be reached at 241-0895. Desmond Keddie Richmond Mayor's statements questioned Dear Editor: In answer to the story ‘Mayor reacts to Price Waterhouse report’ and the mayor stating she at no time instructed anyone not to open her mail she says, 1. “(That) is not (True),” responded Moore. “There was misinformation in the draft report”. 2. “We sit and make policy decisions” Moore said. “We don’t do hands on management of the city”. Now let us just consider the above two statements. We, the citizens of Castlegar have paid $24,000.00 for a report that is full of misinformation, state- ments that are not true and have a council who JUST SIT AND MAKE POLICY. We elect a Mayor and Council to run our city and to give direc- tion to the administration on the direction we want our city to go. We realize that the mayor and council can't do it all but we do expect a little hands-on-manage- ment. To sit and just make policy is not good enough. To again quote Mayor Moore, “Give Me A Break!” Mike O’Connor CURB Support during loss appreciated A very special thank you to Philip Plotnikoff, Mike O'Connor and the Castlegar Funeral Chapel, the singers, friends, relatives, and cooks who helped us and sup- ported us in the loss of our hus- band, father and grandfather, Conkin. The family thanks you all very much for thé support, flowers, baking and donations. God Bless You All. Pauline Conkin & family L. Marchand Castlegar HONESTY GREEN DOUGLAS W. 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