The Review ESTABLISHED 19127 - - PUBLISHER — John Manning ' EDITOR — Peggie Rowand - ADVERTISING MANAGER. — Roy Spooner - CIRCULATION MANAGER — Christa-Maria Rehm - » GENERAL MANAGER — John Tate ‘The Review is published every Wednesday at - sxiney, Vancouver Island, B.C. by Review Publications Ltd., ’. 9831 Third Street, P.O. Box 2070 V8L 3S5. - . 1S ehh EP A Rw Ase ete, * Telephone: 656-1151 Editorial Night Phone:.656-6407 ~ Subscription Rate: $10.00 per year by mail » *,. ° $20.00 per year to all Foreigh Countries SECOND CLASS MAIL REGISTRATION NO. 0128 © © Member of B.C. Division, Canadian Weekly Newspapers’ Association Member Class “A" Newspaper Wednesday, October 21, 1981 Concessions? In all the furore caused by the BEFE _ (Better Education For Everyone) over French immersion, one fact emerges — 7 wy this. group feels hard done by, left out in ;.the cold. No matter whether this is true or not — and we don’t think it is — these “people feel a genuine sense of grievance, - despite their slightly woolly thinking. . BEFE seems to have three main beefs. “It claims. the French program is elitist, believes the English program in schools * should. be improved and wants regular » French. classes. for. all” grades, Kin-. : dergarten up. The elitist. charge, ‘we. believe, stems ie from the geography of the school district — - which ‘is large, rural, and compared. to. Victoria, has. a- ‘poor: busing: service. : Children: attending i immersion programs . often. have to be driven ‘to and. from. school by’ parents — - and: some parents. who’ work, ‘or. don? t have’ a vehicle, ‘rench immersion; the school board or teachers because: children: fail in English. I cha a can’ t read. or write after 12 Delays plan what. can. one. say’ ‘about: that ‘absurd: water vote in North Saanich last Saturday? wie Tt: was “ill advised, ‘impractical; cs ‘illogical — and selfish. The bylaw which - ~~ would ‘have authorized North Saanich © ~- council to borrow money to improvethe, * much | ‘needed . commodity. to many . people who suffer chronic shortages in: the summer and eliminated the threat of ; ‘insufficient water to fight fires. One could question why two aldermen om on council allowed the bylaw. to reach ‘ third reading before voicing objections. ~-Andit is likely that many people voted ‘on the strength of poor or misleading . information, ‘Ald, Dermid Bingham, one. of the group. who. campaigned against the bylaw, apparently. | believes the. Capital: Regional: District is responsible for... distributing = water | within: “municipalities. - (See . story: ‘page 1) / Bingham is- wrong — yet: this alderman. - formation to residents prior to the vote. ~The referendum seems to have been an: exercise in’ futility, According to. the rate majority: of council, the result, merely ~ ~ delays the® plan and will simply. cost __ residents more money in the future. 60 YEARS AGO : : “From the Oct. 13, 1921, issue of The Review - At a public tecting called by the lODE, Ganges residents voted to erect a massive’ who fellin the Great War. : +. w Ww © Chief. subject for debate: at the monthly: “meeting of the Sidney Roard ‘of Trade was _/ pased unanimously to pay te -S0 YEARS AGO .. . The ‘Lady Minto: Gulf Island Hospitat eport. ‘for September listed 11. patients cannot do this. Hence the elitist charge. o . English standards? We mustn’t blame _ a : = flow of water would have supplied this _ “was one of. the people providing: ine granite monument bearing the names of men Une Jong-overduc Night bill, A re: olution | WAS : marin: aa From the Oct 18; 1941; jeane of The Review sadmilted, plus. donations oF CBBS, frulty: _ a ee ee a I a * Residents are in’ “faivor of Saanich schoo! - poard’s French: = "cording toa: survey in: The Review. Replying. © Ret ‘the: question ° “Do you. approve : of the “immersion program, ac- program. pee French i political ’ instead ofan edu : “English: is a hated ‘word: in Quebec —~ we don’t need their brand of French here, plus. paying: millions for the privilege,’’ writes. ‘SF. Amfinson, 7601 East Saanich Road. and. ‘keep: Vancouver “comes «from Geo. ‘Clark, 9215 Charmore . _ Place, Sidney. faa My “LS. “Hoddinott, 625. Birch Road, ‘Sidney; “comments, ‘We are. an English- -speaking. ” " province and should‘not have French thrust ~ down ‘our throats,’’» while’ a couple who prefer to’ remain anonymous» write that ‘until the full use of English is permitted in. ‘Quebec. we should. stop any wooing of the French minority."’ And’a woman who also |. prefers anonymity says, ‘If Quebec-would =. do the same for English — then ‘maybe’”. .- Other comments from: those opposed to- the: program: “Tam: not ‘in favor of the . French immersion program. As-it is, school | taxes | are. ‘rising ‘dramatically cach) year. “without the extra load of French immersion, »- . Our present: system in English needs much ‘improvement: ~~ lets. put our efforts. into © this. Mrs. B.. Patterson, ants Skyline Cres, _ Suanichton, French: immersion is ae Separate “ontitly = Sand should be taken out of the ‘public... ‘schools, It could: be. housed: in. the empty Royal Onk elementary school, French. im- ‘mersion. is: dividing not: uniting. the com- - munity. We would like to. see a French >: “subject offered to all young children starting at the kindergarten level.’’ Mr. and: Mrs, T. R, Nex, 6465 Rodoleh Rond, Victoria, a flowers, vegetables, pr ouse, cnkes and sugar, -an alr cushion, ‘an ciderdown, two- rugs, pillow slips and ulass heel rests, we w : “The Janges | Athletic Club stages a sue “cessful boxing exhibition. Most participants |= HMS. © were. from. the. visiting. warships. ». Vancouver and HMS Skeena, oi 40 YEARS AGO : eee Tom the Oct, 22, 1941, ‘Iss uc of The Review “Liberal candidate Norman Whittaker was elected: MLA for Saanich: with a: 95-vole_ over: MacGresar Mactntach, the: “Conservative, Overall result was [. iberals a0, CCK 14, Conservatives VWeand Labor 1, an . inconclusive result that led lo the formation so Sidney, writes: ersion asa ‘issue... “ine the. west, Island English- speaking. To hell with French and Quebec,’” = wom neces - lookin g. b ack ~ rene i Summer: is over at Sidney wharf. The floats, are gone, the ie fog has come, and only. the crows are @ admiring the. scenery.. “Bleanor Hacker, 2033 Courser Drive, _ ‘on ‘hold’’.. _ while C.Relph, 2233. Ardwell. ~ Many.» high "pass. th ; inthe English. la gu and oW.E. ‘Tangye,. Road, comments. 7 _emmccmemet Readers Have Their Say. on: French Immersion SRR - _ ‘Lorna Pngh, 6895 Wallace Drive, Brentwood Bay, writes: ‘I have no objection” to’French being taught asa subject but do not agree. with the immersion. program — during the most. formulative. years of a_ » child's. school: necessary: language in. North: America’ and “more life. Enlgish is. a -emphasis should be placed. .on- mastering. this. subject,’ and A.J. “Stanley Wren, 9383 Maryland, Sidney, comments © “there's no room tn the present school system: for. this (French immersion) and every stick, every teacher is an added expense. If parents ~ Want their children to learn French let. fem s* ~ payout of-theirown pockets... 5 GK. Chapman, 6640 Welch Road, R Re. ~ 3, writes: People are elected to positions of ~ trust towwork with:and forall ofthe people. lof the time, (othe best-of their ability. People should- not be eleeted on bias —~ immerson is encroaching on others’ rights.*" Chapman believes the issue must be settled or defeated by referendum because, the. of: ‘the Liberal- Conservative government, “ROVEARSAGO From the Oct, 17, 1951, issue of The Review... | Central Saanich. council approved | con- striction of a new municipal ball and tire hall. ata price of sts, 458," " w . ‘ Sidney voluntest fire. department appealed for. $2,000 ine. donations. during Tare. Week to buy new 2!4-inelt hose, \ They got only $443, from 63 donors. © ea LO VYEARS AGO Krom the Oct. 18, 1961, issue of The Review ~ Sidney Waterworks District agreed to take» over the main water fine laid by the B.C. Volk: supporters . of’. ‘No value: socially, puts = _ pressure, unfairly, on children. Has put core’. — not fair to all rench immersio ‘student to: gain a. second - Tanguage?”” Newman OE “ “achievement in: ‘Enalish. is poor. Tt will bee. even poorer if students spend more than two . "years in French’’ while Mrs. Tangye queries, 2 “can .we.-afford another-. -:. Erparations — on the basis of language?” 2534 that “more. coalition. Ad ohn Green Photo. immersion” have, as ane ticipated, become far too demanding:”’... » Linda. Snelling 6356 Oldfield Road, says ~ “until Saanich ‘school board’ comes out of. | : . : oe closet and tells.’ ‘taxpayers just: how: they. esto) trustees. have’ ‘their. *:" «school - | “plan to. finance and. “house French: im. by the. board to] put to. rest. ‘fears that have : arisen. over the ‘past:two-years, Whatis all the - “ secrécy;: anyway?: Could it be that the board. doesn’ t have all the answers?” “Lorne .. Colley, 7999 Larkvale Diive, - writes; “Its interesting. to note that Parents” . for French keep saying French i immersion is’ “a matter of choice. For them, yes, in that - their children can. participate in a. special * program. Did the majority of. people have a> choice: whether they wanted it in. their. i: quite -. literally, in’ their front yard,’ c. 8. Keating, — ~ Durrance and Deep Cove? backyard (or. for. some schools, © “Furthermore, Russ Gowing, the district” s. French co-ordinator, and-the school board ~ have* ‘already publicly stated they have — further plans for expansion throughout the ‘district.: or majority,” Colley’ s wife, Betty; also writes: “Only a portion of our educational dollar’ ©. “ean be spent on second language instruction, Thelieve it is quite obvious that in spending _ large sums of money. on French i immersion, . >the language well is in danger of running dry ©. With only a small” Broup of People Par- _ licipating.. 2 "Far ‘better to: : recenieide: the. ap. propriation’ of funds, making © second: language instruction available for all 6,000 stndents ‘rather ‘than’: Operating a private school within the public school system, The -whole- issue) is the on Wain Road. route ‘the pumping ‘station’... : ‘and 16-inch’ gravity’. © “line had been ‘moved =: ~ north to the vicinity of... a ~Wains: Road, © thus’ “making Wains the less: costly route. This was. made clear. at a public “bonds Of course they “do, but the, assets ‘in’ ” “question.” are: pipe: ine the: ground: and ‘are. Now too.small, but the. © fact remains: that the...” » taxpayer nas been _ Paying: and: still paying for them: not . _ justthe water user. Mr. Hudson sayshe has. good. water... pressure: ‘and expresses “ sympathy. for those: ™: - who ‘have not been so forttinate as to be low on the’ waterfront. ‘However, the: people . on higher: ground. do not want» sympathy, «. they. want water, and since they pay equally — -with) Mr. Hudson, © _ council. must also try to serve them, “The. utilities 9 “committee, North - Saanich council, the = ~ engineering. staff, the - ‘administrator, and the water: commission ~ Would. be pleased to ~ / assist’ Mr, Hudson in 2. > Nis. search for’ fact. » “May” oe suggest. «he ... “consult... any” one of. “them. His’ present 9. “source of information: Ag oee obviously | unreliable. a ANd. Jim Cumming, van - North Saanich Many thanks The workers and “drivers -of “Meals ‘on Wheels wish to thank you ‘for the promp:.. Iness. and prominence. “YON gave work done “by them, Evelyn Gwyme _ Cuwordinsior. - Meals on Wheels, oe Sidney and North - Saanich.”