City council has repeatedly shown itself to be more interested in the welfare of land developers and real estate hustlers - surprise! surprise! - than the people who have to crawl in clouds of poison between the stumps of giant steel mushrooms.

So, finally, the initiative is being taken out of the hands of council.

If you want to see a pedestrian mall downtown, get to Robson as early as possible Saturday.

And, if you are no more thrilled by radiation than you are by carbon monoxide, get down to the Vancouver Ticket Centre and buy your tickets to the Greenpeace Benefit Concert to be staged at the Pacific Coliseum 8 p m. Friday.

The concert, featuring Joni Mitchell, Chilliwack, and Phil Ochs, has been organized by the Don't Make A Wave Committee. Proceeds toward the purchase of a ship to go to Amchitka Island prior to the next American nuclear weapons test.

The idea is to park the ship, loaded with Canadian scientists and citizens, just outside the 12-mile limit, forcing the U.S. to recognize the fact that there are many Canadians who feel more strongly about the hazards of the test than the federal government.

External Affairs Minister Mitchell Sharp has indicated that he "doesn't know" if the findings of Canadian scientists who investigated the previous Amchitka test will be made public. One of the aims of the Greenpeace venture is to find out what damage is being done and, definitely, to make the findings public.