And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (S.I.S.I.S.) writes: BC ELITE PUSH NISGA'A DEAL - ADVERTISEMENT URGES MLAS TO RATIFY TREATY Victoria Times Colonist, January 20, 1999 by Gerard Young [S.I.S.I.S. note: The following mainstream news article may contain biased or distorted information and may be missing pertinent facts and/or context. It is provided for reference only.] A prominent group of British Columbians has taken out a full-page newspaper ad urging MLAs and MPs to ratify the Nisga'a treaty. The ad, on page A18 of today's Times Colonist, is signed by 33 well-known citizens, including two former premiers, a former Liberal MLA, church leaders, academics, artists and business leaders. "We the undersigned citizens of British Columbia and Canada, strongly encourage Members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and the House of Commons of Canada to ratify the Nisga'a final agreement when it comes before their respective houses," the group says. "We do so because we firmly believe that such action will put in place a cornerstone of justice for all peoples in the building of our beloved country, Canada." The ad was submitted by a group calling itself Friends of the Nisga'a. The legislature should vote on the historic treaty within weeks and MPs will vote after that. Friends spokeswoman Mavis Gillie said the ad is non-partisan and aimed not only at politicians but the average citizen who may still have concerns about the deal. "I hope it will be a reassurance that people who know a lot about the treaty and have studied it have put their names to this ad," she said. The treaty spells out a variety of rights and responsibilities involving the Nass Valley-based Nisga'a, Ottawa and Victoria. It provides the native nation with land, cash and greater ability to govern itself. Former Liberal MLA Clive Tanner is breaking ranks with his party. "I disagree with the Liberals on this issue," said Tanner, who added he remains loyal to the party and its leader Gordon Campbell on other subjects. Tanner was responsible for collecting donations for the ad. He wouldn't say how much the ad cost or who specifically coughed up the money. There were 25-30 contributors, mostly private but about 10 per cent from private corporations. Some came from those who signed the ad, he said. Although BC Hydro chairman Brian Smith signed the ad, no donation came from the Crown corporation, Tanner said. Times Colonist publisher Peter Baillie wouldn't reveal how much the ad cost, but said the average for a full page is $5,000. Friends of the Nisga'a received a rate given non-profit groups, he said. The group is also looking at putting the ad in other BC newspapers. Community newspaper publisher David Black, who opposes the Nisga'a treaty, said he would take such an ad. "Our policy is we run all ads unless they are illegal," he said. He opposes the treaty mostly because it entrenches the native reserve system and sets in motion a system of apartheid, he said. He is defending himself against a complaint to the BC Press Council about a directive he issued to his papers ordering them to run editorials opposing the treaty. But he maintains the council should censure the provincial governments for spending taxpayer's money on ads and mailouts promoting a one-sided view of the treaty. Those signing the ad were the following: Jack Allard, Vice-chair, Board of Directors, VanCity Savings Credit Union Hamar Foster, Professor & Associate Dean, Faculty of Law, UVic Bridget Moran, Author, Mary Wynne Ashford, MD, Physician and Educator Douglas Hambidge, Anglican Archbishop, Edward Scott, Former Primate, Anglican Church of Canada, C. Cunliffe Barnett Retired Judge, Provincial Court of BC, Mike Harcourt, former (NDP) Premier of British Columbia, the Reverend Edwin Searcy, chair Residential Schools Task Force BC Conference, United Church of Canada, Dave Barrett Former Premier (NDP) of BC, Richard Hunt, CM, Order of British Columbia, Kwa-Guilth Artist, John Shields President BC Government Employees Union, Robert Bateman, Order of Canada, Artist., Lynn Hunter Environmental Consultant & New Democratic Party MP 1988-1993, Brian Smith, QC Chair BC Hydro (and former BC AG), Thomas Berger, O.C. QC (former BC judge and former leader of the NDP), Deirdre Kelly, Office of Social Justice, Catholic Diocese of Victoria, The Very Reverend Robert Smith, Former Moderator, United Church of Canada, Ed Broadbent, JS Woodsworth Chair, Institute for the Humanities SFU (and former federal NDP leader), Kit Krieger President BC Teacher's Federation, WD Stothert, Chairman, Stothert Group Inc., The Honourable Judd Buchanan, Former Federal Minister of Indian Affairs, Wendy McDonald Chairman and CEO BC Bearing Group, David Suzuki, Geneticist and Broadcaster, Chuck Connaghan President CJ Connaghan & Associates Ltd (former Chief of BC Treaty Commission), Scott McIntire Publisher Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., Clive Tanner Businessman, Liberal MLA 1991-96, David Crawley Anglican Archbishop and Metropolitan, BC and Yukon, Margaret Mitchell Former Member of Parliament, Nancy Turner, PH.D, FLS Ethnobiologist, Adam Exener Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver, Lillian Money President, Victoria Council of Women, Roy Henry Vickers Artist (former member of Progressive Conservative National Executive) :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: "The purpose of the BC Treaty Process is to legitimize the theft of our lands." -- Haida Elder Lavina White For more information on the fraudulent BC Treaty Commission, please visit: http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/Clark/BCgovt.html http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/Clark/aug98nis.html http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/Clark/switlo.html Letters to Times-Colonist - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
