Vancouver Province Letters

Letters to Vancouver Province


July 19, 1966

New productions needed at Vancouver Opera.
Headline: "New opera?"


July 22, 1966

Response to above: Opera Association needs more money.
Headline: "Money matter"


July 26, 1966

My response to above: My request for operas is not unreasonable.
Headline: "Box office success"


January 18, 1967

Orchestra and audience both have issues at symphony concert.
Headline: "Symphony concert"


September 16, 1967

My response to Sept. 13, 1967 letter about "pernicious" material on TV.
Headline: "Follow Hamlet?"


July 3, 1968

My response to June 28, 1968 letter attacking Andy Capp comic.
Headline: "Scrap Andy Capp? Not blooming likely!"


November 27, 1968

I threaten to boo people at symphony who are booing.
Headline: "Boos to critic"


August 20, 1969

Some guy got a laugh out of my Deep Purple album review.
Headline: "Far to go?"


February 14, 1970

Vancouver Symphony concert audience is rude.
Headline: "Vancouver audiences leave much to be desired"


February 15, 1982

Symphony concert review mixes up two pieces
Headline: "Wrong rite writ"


February 13, 1984

People freaking over Kissinger coming to town
Headline: "Letter of the Day"


March 5, 1984

Ski event reveals hypocrisy.
Headline: "Coffin nails"


June 22, 1984

Vancouver City Council makes a questionable move.
Headline: "Despicable"


September 9, 1984

Union move emulates that of bosses
Headline: "Hot topic"


January 1, 1985

Vancouver Symphony playing Messiaen was a good thing.
Headline: "Worth time"


May 8, 1986

Provincial MLA is shooting off his mouth.
Headline: "Flapping lips"


August 14, 1986

Suggestions about how to become a Canadian citizen quickly.
Headline: "Entry to Canada depends on route"


September 9, 1986

Stupid ideas regarding computer bulletin boards.
Headline: "Ridiculous idea"


November 16, 1986

BC Premier Vander Zalm is up to his old tricks.
Headline: "Old Bill's back"


November 26, 1986

TV critic's commments on colorizing B&W shows are stupid.
Headline: "Microwaved?"


June 18, 1991

Do hot lookers get better treatment in Canadian prisons?
Headline: "Before and after fugitives?"


September 30, 1991

The US national anthem is just as "sexist" as the Canadian one.
Headline: "Star-spangled sexism"


March 9, 1995

Province "love" columnist attacks alternative medicine.
Headline: "Tait tee-off out of line"


March 14, 1995

Mention of my previous letter above.


March 31, 2003

An example of nauseating hypocrisy.
Headline: "True friends hold up mirror when it's necessary"


March 31, 2008

Earth Day "lights out" = a population explosion in 9 months.
Headline: "Pregnant pause?"


October 13, 2010

City's obsession with bike lanes is getting out of hand.
Headline: "Downtown bike lanes not the only irksome cycle schemes"


October 24, 2010

Carole Taylor is a goddess who should be BC premier.
Headline: "Employment advice"


April 19, 2011

Current leadership of the BC NDP is shaky.
Headline: "Good choice"


July 13, 2011

Government-connected big shots' salaries and severance are out of control.
Headline: "B.C. Ferries boss not only one with too much money"


June 7, 2012

Demolishing downtown viaducts will produce big problems.
Headline: "Viaducts are heritage"


October 28, 2012

Apple juice contains just as much sugar as pop.
Headline: "Why not tax apple juice?"


January 17, 2013

If my house is "heritage," it will never be destroyed.
Headline: "Household insurance"


February 20, 2013

Downtown Eastside's classy restaurant's name is in poor taste.
Headline: "Bad business decision"


March 6, 2013

An example of criminals who were harsh morons.
Headline: "Dumb-criminals award"


April 7, 2013

Constance Barnes has funny ideas about bullying.
Headline: "Barnes is the bully"


April 10, 2013

Same letter as April 7 above repeated -- weird!
Headline: "Parks board bullies"


April 20, 2013

How not to deal with gangsters in Surrey.
Headline: "Dumb idea, police"


May 16, 2013

Toronto Maple Leafs are a paradigm for "something bad."
Headline: "Leafs of B.C. politics"


June 4, 2013

Beer gardens in Stanley Park will result in violence.
Headline: "Another riot coming?"


July 21, 2013

Make a giant freeway for bikes in Point Grey.
Headline: "Widen Point Grey Road"


August 22, 2013

Seriously -- don't mess around with the cops!
Headline: "Decreasing respect"


July 31, 2014

"Cute" animals get all the attention in zoos, aquariums.
Headline: "Mammals bright, beautiful swaying aquarium activists"


May 8, 2015

If your father is bad, it doesn't mean you will be too.
Headline: "Sin of the father not hers"


June 9, 2015

Christy Clark's yoga event on bridge is an idiotic idea.
Headline: "Yogathon 'stupidest idea ever'"


August 11, 2015

Prime Minister Harper doesn't realize how terrorists operate.
Headline: "Travel ban is dumb idea"


February 12, 2016

Christy Clark's government has no class.
Headline: "Lt.-Gov. trash talk wrong"


April 27, 2016

Dope at 4/20 celebration probably came from organized crime.
Headline: "Where's the pot from?"


October 24, 2018

City council is not ethnically diverse?
Headline: "Lack of diversity a non-issue"


April 9, 2019

Justin Trudeau and his minions are dummies.
Headline: "Voters won't forgive, forget"


April 23, 2019

Extreme measures needed to deal with pesky Albertans.
Headline: "If Alberta turns off the taps, B.C. should close its borders"