The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 1

7 Business Sports Calendar HIGH-TECH BOOMERS Newbridge Networks wants to develop the local computer industry to rival the best anvwhere Dl EXHIBITION WIN The Canucks beat the Boston Bruins 5 3 Wednesday in an exhibition match at GM CRAZY FOR SUCCESS The venerable Granville Mall venue for Crazy for You re-opens Oct. 1 with a new-old look CI $1 minimum outside Lower Mainland Thursday, September 26, 1996 60 cents retail 75 cents coin box 9 It If lit Monaco-style casino floated as B.C. cash-spinner Deputy premier Miller's proposal for a ritzy gambling mecca comes under fire from variety of sources. Ottawa clears $51 million of arms for China JIM BEATTY go a long way toward easing the province's financial woes. "I know people talked about a Las Vegas style casino but maybe we could look at Monaco style," Miller said, referring to the principality known for its black-tie gambling.

"It is something we should take a look at." Miller said Vancouver's increasing reputation as an international business centre and film-production spot is attracting rich, sophisticated people who may want to wager some cash. "There are some very high-rolling international gamblers who like those high-end casinos. You combine that with B.C's geography and its growing internationalism and you have to ask 'Is that something that we should look Premier Glen Clark added he supports the idea, saying: "I don't have any hangups with anything like that." While stressing that gambling isn't at the top of the New Democratic Party government's agenda, he said he would favor either a government-controlled casino or one in which profits go to charities. "We're not opening the doors to American or other for-profit casinos in B.C.," Clark said. "If you were going to do this, it would make more sense in a destination resort targeted at visitors to British Columbia who may want to Please see Casino, A2 Sun Legislature Bureau PRINCE RUPERT Deputy premier Dan Miller is proposing the province consider a ritzy destination resort casino to attract "high rolling" gamblers and bolster government coffers.

In an interview Wednesday, the day he was handed responsibility for the B.C. Gaming and Racing Commission, Miller said a destination resort casino geared at wealthy tourists could A military expert says the weapons are just the type to enable the nation to become a Pacific power. DAVID HOGBEN Bopping for a good cause B.C. premier breaks tradition to endorse TV applicant Vancouver Sun Ottawa has given Canadian companies permission to export more than $51 million worth of military technology and equipment to China in less than three years, according to documents obtained through federal access to information legislation. One military expert says the weapons are exactly the type China needs to become a Pacific military power in a move that should concern its adversaries.

The potential sales are far larger than the $10,000 worth of protective bomb disposal units that Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy said earlier had actually been sold to China's People's Liberation Army. Axworthy's statement came last March after The Vancouver Sun obtained background notes to a March 1995 meeting between high-ranking PLA and Canadian military officials. However, the new access to information documents reveal about 16,500 worth of military sales have been made to China in the last three years. wit WILLIAM BOEI Sun Business Reporter Premier Glen Clark has broken tradi tion by endorsing one of the companies competing for a licence to start a new Vancouver television station. Clark appeared in a promotional video shown Wednesday to the Canadi The potential exists for far more sales because the permits an Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which is holding are valid tor one year atter they are issued and can be re newed for a further year.

hearings into hve rival applications. Ottawa will not reveal which companies received the ex The premier, in his role as the minister responsible for youth, gave the nod to port permits or what matenels they are permitted to export, VTV or Vancouver Television. The sta because it considers that would be a breach of corporate con fidentiality. Pi tion would be modelled on CITY-TV, a hip, youth-oriented Toronto station with a format based on music, movies But the new documents show Canadian companies have received permission to export military goods in several cate gories. and news.

It's "quite unusual" for a head of gov Pkase see Arms, A2 ernment to take sides in a CRTC licence competition, said Simon Fraser Univer sity communications professor Catherine Murray. It unprecedented from my general Police inaction cited again on killer's threats recollection," she said, adding she couldn't be certain it has never hap 7U pened before. The Vancouver CRTC office couldn NEAL HALL immediately say whether any premiers or prime ministers have endorsed applications for broadcast licences in the Vancouver Sun VERNON An angry husband who fatally shot his es tranged wife and eight members of her family last April re peatedly telephoned one of the victims two months earlier past. and warned her she was going to die, an inquest heard Officials in the premier office couldn Please see TV licence, A7 Wednesday. But Abbotsford police, which received a complaint about the death threats last Feb.

16, decided not to send a report t6 WEATHER Crown counsel recommending Mark Chahal be charged with threatening. Despite a senior Abbotsford police officer's concerns that the death threats may have been aimed at Chahal estranged wife, Rajwar Gakhal, and her sister, Jasbir Saran, no one con Betting it all on sunshine As sure as a semi-annual casino pitch, Indian summer is set to deliver blue skies today and Friday, with highs to 20. More, E2 Lotteries, A2 tacted Vernon RCMP to inquire about other complaints against Chahal. An RCMP file contained complaints by Gakhal that she had been kicked, beaten and strangled during her eight-month marriage, which ended Dec. 25, 1994.

The caller told Saran over the phone: "You ing bitch. I'm INDEX spending money but you re going to the grave. Saran also reported the man she believed was Chahal said during another call: "I want double money, bitch. Double money or you bitches all die. The revelations came a day after the inquest heard Gakhal went to the Vernon RCMP detachment sometime after Feb, PETER BATTISTONIVancouver Sun DANCING to the strains of New York, New York at a karaoke kick-off to the United Way's employee workplace campaign, Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen expresses himself at the city hall event Wednesday.

The United Way goal is to raise almost $22 million. Please see Threats, back page Bond D2 Movies C4 Bridge E6 Nation Province A3 Business Dl Obituaries El Calendar CI Palmer A14 Classified 1 El Parry B7 Comics D16 Restaurants C7 Crossword E4.E8 Sports Fl Editorials A14 TV C4 Horoscope E5 Voices A2 Kid's Page D16 Weather E2 Landers CS What's Ahead C6 Letters A14 World A10 Live Theatre C2 Yaffe A3 Lotteries A2 Star Anise shines brightest in list of Vancouver's best restaurants The Top 20 Gourmet magazine, one of the world's most renowned food publications, polled its readers to pick the city's best tables. As rated by readers of Gourmet magazine. TELEVISION C4 11. Tojo's 12.

Quattro on CLASSIFIED El Murray McMillan Reader Sales and Service 736-2281 Outside the Lower Mainland 1-800-663-2662 24-Hour automated service Classified 730-7355 64 PAGES FOUNDED 1886 VOL.111 No. 118 ver's 20 best restaurants in a survey that Gourmet, the venerable grand-' daddy of foodie ffcagazines, conducted for the first time this spring. The million-circulation magazine sent long questionnaires they took about 45 minutes to complete to 29,000 of its subscribers across North America and got 9,000 responses. From that came the ratings for restaurants in 23 cities, wftich will appear in the October issu. They're freighted with delight for some restaurateurs, undoubted disappointment for others.

"Gourmet is a publication that goes around the world," says Bond, 26, who has been at Star Anise since it opened 3V2 years ago, and was promoted to executive chef two years ago by proprietor Sammy Lalji. He says friends in his native Eng- land don't think of Vancouver as a dining destination "but something like this really puts us on the map." His cuisine is an amalgam of styles that could only happen on Canada's West Coast. There's an emphasis on using what's fresh in the market, and themenu with Asian, French, German influences changes with the season. Add to that a charming room with lemon-yellow-washed walls, outstanding abstract art and huge flower arrangements, and it's a winning combination. Wander in for dinner tonight (assuming you could get a reservation, which will now likely be difficult), and here's what the meal could be: For starters, a salad of fresh crab-and-shrimp sausage served on fennel and frisee (that tiny, spiky lettuce Please see Restaurants, A7 Fourth 13.

Vij's 14. Kirin Mandarin 15. Caffede Medici 16. Raku Kushiyaki 17. CinCin Ristorante 18.

Raintree 19. Delilah's 20. Bianco Nero 1. Star Anise 2. Bishop's 3.

Villa Del Lupo 4. Le Crocodile 5. Le Gavroche 6. Chartwell, Four Seasons Hotel 7. The William Tell 8.

Seasons in the Park 9. Raincity Grill 10. II Giardino di Umberto Sun food Editor What's the best restaurant in Vancouver? Ask a dozen food critics and you'll get a dozen answers. Ask Gourmet magazine, and the response is Star Anise. Just after noon on Wednesday, chef Julian Bond looked happily bedazzled as he cleared scads of messages off the answering machine in the small fjust 40 seats), elegant restaurant on Twelfth Avenue, east of Granville.

He'd learned shortly before that Star Anise topped the list of Vancou 1 Set with a spectacular 1.03ct diamond, this stunning 18K white yellow gold ring is accented with 3 smaller tastefully placed diamonds. Design by Susan Clark Come in and view our unique collection of affordable treasures. JEWELLERY GEMSTONES CARVINGS PAINTINGS POTTERY Susan Clark Gallery of Gem Art, Inc i The I'mlhounv ml Grorfiitt $1 I'O Hox 3227 limrixiri-r. ti(. nmula Ybtt 38 mil tnxsMltH2.i; GtllBry it open Tutsdiy thru Siturdiy 10-5 (Closed Sundty Monday!.