News Number display smacks of Big Brother by Valorie Lennox The Review B.C. Telephone’s new call man- agement service “is almost Big Brotherish,” according to retired judge Stephen Denroche. The North Saanich resident fears the system will be abused by merchants and will hamper police and other agencies who rely on tips from the public. Under call management, the number of the person calling is displayed to the recipient before the call is answered. A special Vista 200 telephone set or an attachment to an existing phone, both of which can be rented from B.C. Tel, are required before cal- lers’ numbers can be displayed. The service is available to resi- dential customers for $6 a month. But Denroche says the system can be used for more than screen- ing out unwanted calls. For exam- ple, a person calling different mer- chants to check prices on a pro- duct could have their phone num- ber recorded by store staff. Salespeople could then call the potential customer back without the customer’s permission. From a phone number, it is possible to determine the caller’s name and address. From that, Denroche says, it is then possible to do a credit check on the caller, finding out if they have a credit card and where they bank. “As soon as you call somebody, there you are, standing in your pajamas,’ Denroche said. “You're all but naked. “Tt’s all but Big Brotherish.” He also wondered about the impact on a woman who has left an abusive relationship but con- tacts her former spouse by tele- phone — only to have her new residence tracked through the phone number. An offer by B.C. Tel to eliminate the telephone number display by going through the operator at $1 a call is not feasible for everyone, Denroche said. “You can get out of this by paying $1 per call. Is the woman on welfare going to pay $1 per call?” he asked. Once call management becomes widespread, he suspects fear of having their telephone number known would discourage people from calling in tips to Crime Stoppers, to police or to social School break-ins A window was broken and entry gained to Parkland School late Saturday night, Sidney RCMP said. Although nothing appeared to be stolen, entry was made to the textiles area and a drawer in the cafeteria was found pred open. A witness saw two youths run- ning from the area. Both were apprehended by police about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Details were not released on the suspects as an investigation 1s continuing. The same evening a rock was thrown through a window at Sid- ney Elementary School and both basketball hoops in the school’s gymnasium were ripped down, police said. As well, inside doors were damaged and a ukelele was found burning outside the building at about 4 a.m. Sunday. Sunday afternoon, a window was found broken at North Saa- nich Middle School. Police said entry was gained but nothing appeared to have been stolen. Persons with further information about these incidents are asked to call Sidney RCMP or Crime Stop- pers at 386-8477. service agencies. Crime Stoppers said recently in a press release that the police agency will not use the new ser- vice and callers can be confident they will remain anonymous. ““How can you convince the public that they can call in anony- mously if everyone has call dis- play?” he asked. He also feared the system would hamper police, psychiatrists, phys- icians and social workers who might fear to return work-related calls from home. ° He predicted any system offered by B.C. Tel to protect people who do not want their numbers dis- played will cost subscribers more money. “This is a money-grabbing maneuver,” he said. However B.C. Tel communica- tions manager Andrea Derkitt said the system is intended to give people more control over the tele- phones in their homes. “When you make a telephone call, you are aware of who you are calling. B.C. Tel maintains the person being called has the same rights; to know who is calling them and to choose if they want to answer,” Derkitt said. “When the phone rings, there is this compulsion to answer it. “T usually feel like one of those Pavlovian dogs. When the phone tings, I jump up and answer. “This is to give people the option to control their own lives, if they don’t recognize the number, they don’t have to answer,” Derkitt said. For those who do not want their phone numbers displayed, Derkitt said B.C. Tel now has an applica- tion before the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Com- mission for two different systems, both designed to circumvent the call management option. There will be an additional charge for either system, she said. POLE WAS SHEARED off from the impact of a 1983 Olds four-door, which was northbound in the 7700-block West Saanich Road about 9:26 a.m. Wednesday. The 16-year-old Brentwood Bay male and two 16-year-old passengers received minor injuries. Police said the vehicle was passing another northbound vehicle through the Mt. Newton valley when the driver noticed a southbound motorcycle. Appar- ently, there was no room to pull back into the northbound lane so the ariver swerved into the west difch to avoid a collision. Damage was estimated at $3,500 and the driver faces charges of passing while unsafe. Victoria Airport Travelodge LIVE IN CONCERT | *ONE NIGHLONLY* *International Recording Stars *Juno Award Winners EARLYBIRD TICKETS ONLY $ | @°° NOW ON SALE ) THE BEAR PUB 2280 BEACON AVE. SIDNEY GLENN WERKMAN photo TheReview Figures wrong say librarians ~ A statement in the Saanich School District annual report about librarian staffing at local schools is inaccurate, Saanich Teacher-Librarians’ Association president Brian Russell told trus- tees in a letter considered by the board March 30. According to page 15 of the widely-distributed report, in 1990 there was one full-time teacher librarian for every 315 students, compared to a part-time teacher librarian for every 200 students in 1970. The report cites these figures to illustrate how times have changed in typical elementary school staff- FILTER We'll give the cleanesi, best running car in town. : See us today. LUBE, OIL & - Wednesday, April 15, 1992 =. Ad However Russell said the 1990 figures no longer apply to Saanich district schools. Instead of one full-time librarian for every 315 students, there is a teacher-librarian available slightly less than one-third of the time. “Tn fact, two larger schools have no teacher-librarian at all,” Rus- sell stated. “We find it most unfor- tunate that the public has not been given a clearer perspective on the extremely low level of teacher- librarian service currently availa- ble to their children.” Russell noted drastic reductions in elementary school teacher- librarian staff were made in the 1991-92 school year. GURTON’S GARAGE LTD. TIRE LAND SIDNEY VISA * SHELL * MASTERCARD Corner of McTavish & E. Saanich Rd. Nall & Orne SS SL ee CHEMISTS ——} 656-3939 UME Reg. $7.79 BIC METAL SHAVERS, 10’s. Reg. $4.99....... BIC LADY SHAVERS, 10's. Reg. $2.99......... 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