Opinion- Pages 6 to

loves the CBC

B Simon Langeler

We did but build his pedestal, a narrow and a tall one. -Tleilaxu saying from The Poetry of Frank Herbert.

So have you ever heard of Stan Rogers, who wrote Canada's official folk song, "The Northwest Passage?" Have you then heard of the bridge that is to be built to Prince Edward Island?- a lot of old-world types are pretty scared of it. Have you ever seen kick-ass movies about the historic Tin-Pot Navy? Do you think the Air Farce is actually funny? Will you ever buy one of Gilmore's albums? Do you get any of the gags from Double Exposure's "The Socred Years?" Do you care if Quebec stays and screws us, or leaves and screws itself? When you've asked yourself these questions you will know if you think the CBC should survive or fade away.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation just got a 30% cut to funds across the board, in every section. More cuts are due next year, for the Government is'slowly weaning from the CBC to cut the deficit. Balls, I think it's a disaster! It makes no difference to me that we warned that it was coming, it still sucks, and it's bad news for Canada.

The CBC has always worked as an equal forum between the provinces. As late as 30 years ago, CBC radio was the only station available to the Northwest Territories that gave an idea as to what was going on in the rest of non-frontier Canada. It's been as important as the railway was during confederation for making all points feel a part of the whole. We are the only country in the world with such a media, uncensored and unbiased. The CBC was the first and best of radio and television. It stood as an example, charged with exposing to the people the identity of the hulking landscape of Canada. Did you know that arranged marriages were until recently still hip in P.E.I.? Or that half of Manitoba is Native North American? I bet its 50/50 out there, no shame, especially if your not a CBC listener. Why would anybody over here care, who' s going to tell us?

Rex Murphy's Cross Country Check-up, CBC radio, that's who. At I pm, Sunday afternoons, Rex interviews callers and special guests on a different topic that is relevant and worrisome to Canadians today. Last Sunday I tuned in and heard a forum on the CBC itself: Should the CBC survive, or should it be cut off?

Almost right away, Rex gets a call from a separatist from Fredericton, Quebec. We don't give a damn about the CBC, we don't want to pay for it, it is not representative of us as a sepererate culture. The guy then says he never listens to the CBC. Obviously, since he seems unaware of the monumental French side of the CBC. If it weren't for the CBC, I wouldn't know enough to care about Quebec, the Maritimes, or anything east of Ottawa. Then a sharp guy from Ontario calls in with one of two opinions that I think spell out the situation. John Allen says to Rex Murphy: "-I think that the state of the CBC is the symptom rather than the disease. ["Good point,"says Rex] It's a symptom of the slow destruction of Canada. The death of the CBC is just the death of one more of the institutions that makes Canada different from the rest of North America, or different from any other country. ["Mm-hm!"agrees Rex] This threat to its survival is just a symptom of the complete lack of interest that people seem to have in their country." Allen also suggested that the strangled CBC adopt the procedure of Britain's BBC, a separate tax upon interested parties, civilly collected, but not regulated. I think that's a good idea. He offered that we are "-<:onstantly getting distracted from the attention to the future of this country, by continuously getting involved in the future of Quebec." Allen left the debate asking, are we all bickering in one room of a building, while the whole building is burning down?

After that, some other guys called. Among them was Hugo Harvey, from Alberta. He also hit the nail on the head. He said the CBC television doesn't relate to Canada's youth. The government is cutting it because people don't make it known that they care about it. If the CBC just can't draw watchers and listeners, then its position is indefensible. If the CBC wants to stay, it has to adapt in time with the rest of the country. Since it has not (not yet), it must take its hits like everything else in the fight against the deficit.

I think the CBC is good for Canada, especially in the fight against the bigger enemy of national dissolution. To cut the bonding element of Canadian culture creation now, of all times, is a really stupid idea. So, in the words of Sigourney Weaver, in her award worthy performance in ALIENS, "Hudson! Pull

yourself together, because we need you and I'm sick of your bullshit!"

I've got a proposal. A run for the CBC, to take it into the next millennium, that it may survive privatization with its virtue intact. We set up marathon runs to raise awareness and petitions to Ottawa and the CBC itself: give it to us with a dowry, and a system by which we can support it. The first run will be in November, from Chillwack to Abbotsford.

In the words of Bill Paxton, in his award-worthy role as Private Hudson in ALIENS,

"I'm on it!"

"LJN"I-VERSITY COLLEGE

;;......,_ b C 0£ t:he FRASER. VALLEY

VValksafe Program

Two Walksafe Stat.ions are available at both the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses. The purpose of the Walk.safe Stations is to provide a congregation point for f"aculty, staff and s,tudents of" UCFV wanting security escorts or wishing to form groups to walk together to nearby parking lots.

Where are the WalksaCe Stations?: The stations are strategically located at major exit routes to campus parking lots. Abborsford Canipus.Building A: by the exit door near the Road Runner Cafe. Building B: by the exit door in the Great Hall exiting onto the covered wal~ay between buildings A and B.

Chilli"1lack Canipus: Building A: Foyer inside main entrance near ca£eteria. Building D: Inside east entrance near exit to parking lot 5.

How do I use a Walksare St:at:ion?: The purpose of' the Walk:sa£e Station is to encourage campus community members to work together to enhance their personal safety and sense of well-being by f'acilitating security escorts and group escorts through the campus grounds during evening hours. There are two ways you can use the Walk.safe Station.

1. You can wait at a Walk.sa£e Station £or a security escort anytime between 7: 15pm and 10: 15pm M:onday through Thursday. Student Patrollers stop at the stations every 15 n1inutes during these hours.

2. You can arrange to meet with your peers and/or associates {be sure they are people you f'eel comfortable v,,,ith) at a Walksa.fe Station then simply walk to your vehicles ensuring that your group does not become smaller than 3 persons. It is suggested that in a group of 3, for instance, the first person to their car drive along side the other two,. until all members of the group are sarely in their vehicles.

To provide optimum safety it is recommended that each group consist of' at least three persons. In addition, if you feel at all uncomfortable with any member of the group, please remain at the Station until a patrol team is available to escort you OR call the security cell phone and request an security escort: