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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.