- AO ¢ A x
: 7 Page 2 Cassiar Courier September 1989
total extinction. Why? Toxic ized world opinion about the
plight of the giants. Now we

Th Vi chemicals including PCBs have
25 € 1ew accumulated in the fatty tissues

of all northern mammals, and in
i the polar bears' case, these
From chemicals are rapidly diminishing

the ability of the species to
Ottawa reproduce.

British Columbia is not
immune from disappearinq wild-
life. Who can remember the last

Jim Fulton,

M.P. Dawson's Caribou? A resident of
t pre-logged Queen Charlotte

There have been lots of Islands, this magnificent crea-
murmurings about endangered and ture was last known to human
extinct species lately. We hear beings in 1908.

that growing concerns over Can- But let's dwell a moment = on
ada's environmental problems may the whales. Whales used to ply
be too late to save some of our the BC Coast in great numbers
country's beleaguered flora and Many species. Old fishing cap-
fauna. Another 18 species have tains will recall their songs
just been added to the growing filling the hulls of their boats
list of Canada's extinct, endan- at night - songs of mystery and
gered, and threatened-species — power. Today we have 289 orcas
bringing the total up to 183 (killer whales) along the entire
accoring to a 1989 report just coast of BC. Their habitat is
released. threatened. MacMillan Bloedel is
Habitat loss and toxic con- penetrating the Tsitika watershed
tamination of food chains are two which is. on the land side of
of the main reasons animals and Robson Bight - a miniscule whale
plants are disappearing —- for- sanctuary. Fletcher Challenge
ever. No longer can we assume threatens Hanson Island - where

that our children will see, hear, for thousands of years Native
or even know about) many of the medicine people went to secret
creatures our grandparents took spots to listen to the whales and
for granted as.a natural part of watch orcas pull themselves up

the fabric of Canadian life. onto pebble beaches under _ the
To date, only 2.6% of the eagle nests. Dave Barrett's last
Canadian land mass has been sec- move when the NDP were in power
ured for true wilderness protec- back in the 1970s was to prohibit
tion...far less than the 12% any further live capture of

recommended by the United Nations killer whales in BC waters --

Commission on Environment & effectively ending ; the
Development as the very least devastating aquarium trade in BC
amount of habitat necessary to orcas, a trade that was a virtual
stave off ecological collapse. death sentence to the whales. so
But it is toxic contamination captured.

spread by the high altitude British Columbians have a
winds, low altitude clouds, special place in our hearts. for
rivers and even underground these great whales and their
aquifirs that poses the greatest smaller relatives the dolphins
threat to many of the larger mam- and porpoise. After all, the
mals. Some, like the polar bear save the whale movement really
are not even on the list of -183 began here in earnest back in
species just mentioned. Yet the 1975 when those crazy Green-
polar bear may very well be with- peacers put themselves in front

Pn One Ores CWO generations of of the harpoon boats and’ galvan-

hear that some of the greatest

whales are in far worse shape.

than scientists even months ago
could believe possible. The
latest information on the Blue
Whales of Antarctica lowers their
numbers by a factor of tenfold...
down to several hundreds left
alive from a quarter million
before whaling began.

So it is with disgust, and
sadness that we learn of a deal
made by Tom Siddon to supply
Canadian Whales to United States
aquaria.

In June we learned that
federal Fisheries and Oceans had
been approached by the Shedd
Aquarium in Chicago who wanted
three Hudson Bauy bélugas (white
whales) but that Tom Siddon's
office turned them down because

facilities at the commercial
establishment were "not good
enough".

But lo and behold, the
Governor of the State of Illinois
gets on the blower and personally
tells Siddon he needs those
whales. The Governor, James
Thompson, began to talk about how
Canada needed co-operation from
the United States on the acid
Valuesron te andeesit nates ne menenc ee
belugas would be "pivotal" to
Illinios tourism. The governo:'s
press aide denied that any thr:at
was implied by linking acid riin
co-operation to getting th ee
whales from Hudson Bay.

What do we hear next? Good
old Tom Siddun is quoted saying
he is now reconsidering that
request for belugas. Brian Wong,
who heads up Fisheries and

Oceans! "live capture programme" .

ere ns

has been heard mumbling that if ©

the Illinois aquariuim isn't good ©
enough - perhaps a Washington —

State aquarium , will get the
whales. So far Wong has co-
ordinated the export of 59
belugas since 1967...at least six
of which have ended up in the
hands of the US military.

Opposition ‘Tn ine Legislature, New

Democrats:
- exposed more Socred bad

Leader business deals, from the Expo

lands, to Westwood plateau in

Te a em Coquitlam and the New Westminster
Mike Harcourt waterfront.

: - documented continued Soc-

-~ +  yed interference on behalf of

The long legislative session government friends and insiders,

in Victoria finally ended. From most notably in the Knight Street
the government's March 16th Pub affair.
Throne Speech to adjournment 127 a forced environmental
days later, Britis!: Columbians issues to the top of the politi-
witnessed a Socred government cal agenda and challenged the
desperately trying to change its government to get tough with
image. ; corporate polluters by ending
Yet by-elections and all years of environmental: neglect.
recent opinion polls indicate - condemned the on-going
British Columbians are seeing imposition of narrow personal
through government. public rela- beliefs on British Columbians,
tions, and as a result, have lost epitomized by Bill Vander Zalm's
confidence in the Socreds! abili- banning of an acclaimed AIDS
ty to provide good government video.
that is honest and fair. And, aS I promised British
By ~.contrast,. I'm pleased Columbians, we put forward con-
‘with the work done by New Demo- crete alternatives to tired old
crats~on two counts. First, on Socred policies. In particular,
your behalf we continued to. two initiatives I believe in
expose this Socred government's strongly involve fresh approaches
fail urewnto:, “provide meB ac. with to responsible resource manage-
open, honest and fair government. ment and resolving land-use con-
And second, we put forward con- flicts. ;
crete initiatives with the lead- . New Democrats put forward 24
ership we feel B.C. needs as our sustainable development bills”™ to
province approaches the next create more jobs from B.C.'s nat-
century. ural resources without harming

our environment. And we proposed
an Environment and Jobs Accord to
end conflicts  « among loggers,.
environmentalists and native

people so we can work together to
build our common: future.

Now that ‘the session is
over, work shifts to the commun—
ity level. Rest assured New

Democrats will continue talking
with all British Columbians in
presenting our positive alterna—
tives. to =a tired old Socred
regime.

Ministry of Social
Services & Housing

._Foster Homes are needed for
children aged newborn to eighteen
in the Dease Lake and Cassiar
areas. This ministry will pro-
vide special foster home rates as
well aS any necessary expenses

involved for the care of thesejf-

are interested in
Eurther information on
how you can help a needy child,

fcontact the Cassiar District

Office at 778-7227.

y Foster Care

You can make
_a difference.

CAN OPINIONG | oe

Cassiar Courier September 1989 Page 3

a

Province of

? JACK J. KEMPF British Columbia
ie MLA FOR OMINECA : .
Should the Fisher Report on .:
Electoral Reform be initiated by ~ with much sadness the staff
the government as unanimously of the Cassiar Government Agents

adopted by the all party Select office recent
Standing committee of the LegiS- Michael Rise

unfortunate day for those in the clerk). | Af

ly bade fa

ywell to

borough (Government
lature, it will indeed be a most Agent) and Mary Comper

ter many

northern two thirds of this pro- public service Michael
vince. Adding six more urban May to pursue private Ni
who has worked in
heavy with "Southern" members, the Government Agents office fox

seats to a House already top Mary Comper,

will effectively disenfranchise jj yer eight years,

rural British Columbians. June 2 to travel and

Further dilution of rural change in car
representation will spell the Frances

eer.
Vanier,

(senior
years in
left in

nterests.

resigned on

pursue a

who has

total loss of what little voic€ worked in the office since 1987,
we had, particularly in relation yas successful in a recent public
to the muzzle assumed by some service competition in securing a

Members, and consolidate the clerk IV position. Joining her
power base already in place on ig stu Pike, Deputy Government
the lower mainland and the agent from Quesnel, who is acting
Island. Government Agent until a replace-

If the two mainline partieS ment for Michael is appointed.

in this province proceed with sty is a career

civil servant

this diabolical plan, surely it with over 15 years of experience,

will rest heavily on their polit- the last thirteen with the Gov-
ical heads. I personally. Will ernment Agents Branch.
never agree with or vote for such Both Stu and Frances encour ~

policy. Experience has taught me age you to drop into the Govern-

that we in northern and north ment Agents office

where a wide

central British Columbia in par- range of Government Services are
ticular, have precious little available.

clout as it now stands. without The Cassiar Courier will
losing any more! periodically be highlighting some

We have come full cycle from of the services
OUrZOrl gi nals ti ahi tombe seth Government Agents

provided by the
OEVGES In

governing to where we now dance this issue of the Cassiar Cour-

to the tune of judges, appointed ier, the Government
by the people, (did we?) for plains how you

AES ys If gutless politicians cejf from purchasing

continue to bow to their edicts :goods which
then you the people must assess Cheonn

Agent ex-
Can protect your

consumer

have liens against

those politicians for what they Does the vehicle
really are. purchased have a clear title? Do
it has a lien against
in the north give up our precious it? If it has, you may be buying

I've said many times that we you know if

you just”

Registry maintains records of
liens and encumbrances placed
against cars, trucks, and other
personal property.

A lien is a prior legal
claim. When money is borrowed
the lender may place a lien
against the personal property of
the borrower. This provides the
lender with security. Purchasers
of personal property (ie vehicle,
for example) may risk loss if the
lien is not discharged prior to
change in ownership.

Loss can be prevented by
conducting a lien search at your
Government Agents Office for a
cost of six dolllars. The crit-

“eria required to perform a search

varies according to the item you
are searching. Most items (snow-
mobiles, Cars, trucks) are sear-
ched by their serial or vehicle
identification number (V.I.N.).
It is recommmended the purchaser
verify that the serial or V.1.N.
on the vehicle is the same as the
number recorded on any registra~-
tion documents.

If any discrepancy appears
it is worthwhile to search both
numbers for liens. Providing the
year make and model will also aid
in verifying search information.
Items such as boats, motors,
household goods, and any item
that is not able to move under
it's own power must be searched
by serial number and owner's
name.

The search will tell you
whether or not a lien has. been
filed and “who holds the lien.
Searches are performed in the
office while you wait and = you
will receive a printed verifica-
tion of the search results.
During the last reporting year,
Central Registry conducted
329,568 searches and registered
400,607 documents. This was in
addition to existing records.

Before spending hundreds or

resources with virtually no re- a headache. even thousands of dollars on a
turn for our effort. The  adop- Your Government Agents vehicle, snowmobile or - other
tion of the Fisher Report on office is the local representa- personal property, you imay want
Electoral Boundary Reform by your tative for Corporate, Central and to check with us to see if that
Legislature will further reduce Mobile Home Registry. Central vehicle has a clear title.
us to mere serfs.
, June 24, 1989, was an’ x.

exciting day for Rebecca Brad-

ford, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

Myles T. Bradford of Dease Lake,

as she received her- Grade 12

Graduation Certificate during

Speech Day

Margaret's §
Besides

workload, Re

school, and

ed a Bronze
Choral Compe
Canada in To
year.
Rebecca
Queen Margar
ember, 1985,
her educatio
of Victoria

ceremonies
chool in Du
her heavy
becca has b

was a inemb

Award at th
neon od
ronto in Ma

, who first
etts School
plans to
yeqeate ene
this Fall.

xkwkeweKw nw

at Queen

nean.
academic

een active

in the Equestrian program at the

er of the

Q.M.S. Chapel Choir which receiv~-

e National
Musictest
YA SOV ES wael gusts

attended
iil — fSeyones
continue
University

Gem & Gold

at the
RALF VOSS: CENTRE

of handcrafted items_and.
local art work.:

Gigi Bundan
778-7776