1971 Legislative Session: 2nd Session, 29th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1971

Afternoon Sitting

[ Page 725 ]

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1971

The House met at 2:00 p.m.

The Honourable R.G. Williston presented to Mr. Speaker two Messages from His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor.

On the motion of Mr. R.G. Williston, the following Bills were introduced, read a first time, and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today:

Bill (No. 82) intituled Environment and Land Use Act .

Bill (No. 80) intituled Ecological Reserves Act .

The Honourable F.X. Richter presented to Mr. Speaker a Message from His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor.

On the motion of Mr. F.X. Richter, Bill (No. 76) intituled

An Act to Amend the Department of Commercial Transport Act was introduced, read a first time, and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today.

The following Bills were introduced, read a first time, and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today:

On the motion of Mr. E. Hall, Bill (No. 90) intituled The Commonwealth Parliamentary Conferences (Delegates) Act .

On the motion of Mr. E. Hall, Bill (No. 91) intituled

An Act to Amend the Municipal Act .

On the motion of Mr. B.A. Clark, Bill (No. 92) intituled

An Act Respecting the Broadcasting of Debates and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia .

On the motion of Mr. B.A. Clark, Bill (No. 81) intituled Credit Information Protection Act .

On the motion of Mr. W.L. Hartley, Bill (No. 93) intituled

An Act to Amend the Taxation Act .

By leave of the House, Mr. F.A. Calder (Atlin) made a statement with respect to The Land of Macquinna by Ian S. Mahood.

MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Atlin.

MR. F.A. CALDER (Atlin): Mr. Speaker, in this British

Columbia Centennial Year, I am proud to place a book on the desks of

the honourable Members that reminds us that first citizens had one of

the finest cultures that ever existed. The Europeans arrived two

hundred years ago and here they found happy, energetic people enjoying

an abundant harvest from land and sea, as well as the leisure for

creative art. These first citizens prospered because they practised the

good use of the natural resources. Expressed another way, they did not

destroy their environment, they lived in harmony with it. In this era,

Macquinna lead the Nootka people. Theirs was one of the truly

remarkable cultures. It was uniquely fashioned to live in a harsh

climate of wind, rain and ocean storms. Within a generation of

discovery, their culture was all but destroyed. In reading of this

tragedy, perhaps, the Members here will understand something of the

problems still facing the native Indians as they struggle to adjust to

a way of life that is alien to their traditions. Out of that

understanding, perhaps, there can be more enlightened programmes to

help remould an ancient culture to fit a modern environment. The author

is Ian Mahood, who is a forester and a logger. He tells me British

Columbia has the best resource management policy in the world. His book

presents a camera study to show why he makes that claim. The pictures

do more than show the beauty of the Land of Macquinna as it is, today,

they show that the environment for living depends upon use of the

resources of land and sea. This reminds us that, like the first

citizens, we have to practise sustained yield and multiple use of the

land. We have to use and replace the natural resource crops — Mr.

Mahood defines them as the flow resources — if we are to live in

harmony with our environment.

Mr. Speaker, as a descendant of the first citizens, I am proud of

this Province, not just because it is beautiful, but because it has

such potential to provide prosperity, health and happiness to all

people, if they will only work together as my people did two hundred

years ago.

In this Centennial Year of our Province, I hope this book will be

widely read, particularly by the high school students. They, above all

others, should understand the continuing work and the opportunities for

interesting employment as we make greater and greater use of our flow

resources on a sustained yield basis. Again, I would like to say that I

am very happy to introduce this book to the Members and to the

Province. I am also very proud of the author. The author and I went

through high school together in Chilliwack. We went through varsity

together. I faced him on the soccer field. I faced him in the forestry

committees. He's a great Canadian and I think it's in order to give him

a hand. Ian, will you stand? (Applause.)

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Honourable

Member for Atlin for putting these books on our desks and also for his

remarks, his very fitting remarks, today, in this important year of our

Centennial.

We certainly must not forget our first citizens. My understanding is

that the Centennial Committee is cooperating regarding this book and I

understand the forest industry, as well, is placing a number of copies

in our schools. So I hope that the book is widely bought throughout the

Province and would ask our citizens to support it so they can better

understand the heritage of our native people.

Pursuant to Order, the House again resolved itself into the Committee of Supply.

The committee rose, reported progress and asked leave to sit again at the next sitting.

The House adjourned at 5:36 p.m.