a2 Castlegar News May 13, 1990 LOCAL NEWS »May 13,1990 ( astlegar News AS BRIEFLY By CasNews Staff WKP workers accept pact Members of the Office and Technical Employees Union voted in favor Friday of accepting a two-year contract with West Kootenay Power which will give OTEU wage i that to 16.8 per cent over the term of the contract, a union news release says. ‘The contract, which the two sides hammered out April 29, also gives union b medical and long-t Pulp union loses battle By CasNews Staff An arbitration board has pinned all the blame for losses to Celgar Pulp Co. during a walkout.in 1988 on the Pulp, Paper and ~~ Woodworkers union, The board, consisting of one nominee each for the union and the pany, and chaired by mediator coverage, the union says. of the i of Workers at West Kootenay Power ratified their contract May 2 after a five-week strike. OTEU members had broken off contract talks to respect IBEW picket lines which went up March 23, the union says. There are approximately 85 OTEU members and 189 IBEW mem- bers in the South Ok and West Koot ~' Castlegar — the areas to which WKP supplies hydro power. The new OTEU contract expires Jan. 31, 1991. City doing booming business The Castlegar Chamber of C has reported a i 260-per-cent increase in the number of business inquiries for the first four months of 1990 compared tothe same period last year. Chamber manager Bev Kennedy reports in a news release the chamber fielded 147 business inquiries through the end of April com- pared to 40 in the first four months of 1989. Tourist inquiries were down slightly in April but up 12.5 per cent for the first four months, she says. General inquiries are up 23.2 per cent this year. Castlegar’s motel and hotel occupancy rate for April was 73 per cent and the chamber’s Travel Infocentre received six requests for con- ference packages. The chamber has now produced a total of 837 con- ference packages, Kerinedy says. Chamber of commerce and Infocentre hours for June will be 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and for July and August 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cut cable cause of problems Telephone service in Genelle was completely cut off Wednesday and Castlegar residents were unable to make long-distance calls for about five hours after a phone call cable was cut on the outskirts of Trail, B.C. Tel public affairs administrator Ed Clark said. Genelle phones went dead and Castlegar callers had problems with a “slow dial tone’’ on local calls from just after 11 a.m. to about 4p.m. while B.C. Tel crews searched for the cut cable, Clark said. The problem was finally located in the construction area of the West Trail approach, he said. B.C. Tel ‘‘auto-tel’” vehicles were sent to Genelle and the Castlegar Hospital during the afternoon in case emergency phone calls had tobe placed, Clark added. Slide gets the go-ahead The slide at the Castlegar and District Aquatic Centre can now be bolted down and put into use after the city received approval for the slide from the engineer that designed the piece of pool equipment, Castlegar Mayor Audrey Moore said. The provincial Health Act requires approval for such equipment to be granted by the designing engineer before the provincial health inspec- tor can allow the slide to be used, Moore explained. The necessary paperwork ‘‘seemed to take a long time’’ to receive, she added. Explosion rocks Cominco No one was injured and damage was minor in a hydrogen gas ¢x- plosion at Cominco’s smelter in Trail on Wednesday afternoon. Cominco spokesman Richard Fish said hydrogen gas built-up ina tank exploded at approximately 4:30 p.m. and resulted in a minor fire that was put out by a company fire crew. The explosion forced the com- pany to close its zinc processing operations until Thursday morning, Fish said. John Kinzie, rejected the union’s request that blame for any lossés to Celgar be apportioned equally bet- ween the two parties, award documents state. During hearings last fall and early this year, the union admitted to ing the that stated there would be no strikes, walkouts or other interruptions of work during the period of the agreement. But the union argued Celgar did not suffer any damages during three Illegal hunt Conservation officer Joe Caravetta grabs an elk days of work stoppage in 1988 because the mill was shut down for routine maintenance. If the company did suffer damages, the union should only be liable for 50 per cent of the costs because Celgar provoked the work stoppage and ‘‘did not fulfil its duty to remove all the ob- stacles to the union being able to discharge its obligations to get the employees back to work,’’ the award documents say, quoting the union's position, As well, the union said Celgar failed to ‘‘take reasonable steps to mitigate its losses,"’ specifically by not asking the union for permission to Monday, union Mike Espenhain said. Celgar is claiming over $600,000 in damages during the walkout. The -union_may have to pay Celgar in light of ion of a new (expanded) mill. “1 am devoid of any understanding on how you bring a new mill on stream, which the employer is the amount the board Celgar lost or the damages may be repaid by having union members work on holidays, Espenh The boar unanimous, The the board, PP" union’s request that blame for the walkout be divided equally between the union and Celgar. allow i to go back into the mill while the dispute with the union cont A decision on what damage: Celgar suffered, if any, will -be determined during a third —round— of ~ hearings the antlers. The crown confiscated the mounted elk, which was nena legally bya local man, as evidence in the court case. CdsNews photo Depot continued from front page areas under RDCK jurisdiction who want to ship waste paper to Nelson Castlegar and Areas I, J and portions of Area H have set up their own waste committee to look at garbage reduc- tion and recycling. If Castlegar and its surrounding areas decide to open -theit own recycling depot, the two areas may be Fish said Cominco management personnel are i igating how hydrogen got into the tank. “There was a buildup of hydrogen in the tank which should not normally occur,”’ he said. Kaslo to get airport grant The provincial government has given the Village of Kaslo a $10,000 grant to fund a development plan for the village's airport. The grant is from the air transportation assistance program which provides financial and technical assistance to community airport operators throughout the province, a Ministry of Transportation and Highways news release says. “The plan will guide future development es ied airport to ensure that long-term growth is the release. government investigate the feasib y management decisions,’’ Nelson-Creston MLA Howard Dirks says in Increased service considered The Ministry of Transportation and Highways is looking at the possibility of upgrading ferry service on Koot: “The ministry has retained the consulting firm Reid Crowther to 1g capacity on the Koot Lake Review continued from front page “Tr its to the proposed Celgar pulp mill ex- pansion project.’ Hamilton suggested the motion be tabled to give him and any other interested directors time to investigate whether the commission already is involved in the review process RDCK resources committee chair- man Josh Smienk said-the 15€ is-in- directly involved in the major project review process Celgar i¢ undergoing because it is kept informed of by the federal represen- Lake, the p they are available," Dirks said. ferries,"” Highways Minister Rita Johnston said in a news release. ‘‘Our traffic figures show we are nearing maximum capacity year round and need to address this issue, with long term solutions.’’ Nelson-Creston MLA Howard Dirks said a preliminary study is being carried out '‘to gather basic information on various alternatives."’ “*The public can be assured we will advise them of the results as tatives on the provincial committee overseeing the review. ~ However, the resources committee has been informed that the IJC will not get directly involved in the review Process unless it is requested to do so by both the Canadian and U.S. federal governments, Smienk noted. Hamilton said he is not -trying to delay the Celgar project further by LOTTERIES The $1,000,000 winning number in Friday’s Provincial lottery draw is 1233566. There are also subsidiary prizes. The winning numbers drawn Friday in the B.C. Keno lottery were 2, 6, 8, 9, 14, 34, 45 and 56. The winning numbers drawn Thur- sday in the B.C. Keno lottery were 14, 20, 30, 33, 42, 43, 46 and 53. The winning numbers in Wed- nesday’s Lotto 6/49 draw were 7, 15, e Fields © Overwaitea © SuperValu © Zellers Not oll Hyers receive tull distribution. you did not receive one of these flyers and would like to do so, plea: e phone our Circulation Department at 365-7266 16, 26, 29 and 47. The jackpot of $4,113,197.50 goes to the holder of a single ticket bought in Quebec. The four Extra winning numbers for British Columbia were 40, 91, 93 and 94. The winning numbers in the B.C Keno lottery were 2, 7, 9, 20, 34, 47, 48 and 50. These numbers provided by The Canadian Press must be considered unofficial. prop ig the be asked to join the review and he wants to see “the best possible project’? put in place. But since the Columbia is an inter- national river, an international review of the expansion plans ‘‘can’t be avoided"’ and should be dealt with as early in the review process as possible, said Hamilton, who represents the northern portion of Nelson, the Nor- th Shore area and Taghum. FOR THE RECORD A front-page story Wednesday in- correctly stated Keith and Joyce Jacobson ‘‘motored’’ across Lower Arrow Lake after their ordeal. In fact, the Jacobsons’ motor was not functioni: and the couple had to paddle their boat across the lake, a feat which took them four-and-a-half hours. The Castlegar News regrets this error. from front pege the Nelson office after July, Jim Robertson said Seven TCU jobs will be moved to Revelstoke and “one will move to Cranbrook, he said, adding that no Provisions have been made for the transferring of the other nine jobs. Laying off workers is likely the first step towards abandoning the Slocan branch line, Robertson said. The company has already “‘drastically reduced"’ the number of rail cars that service SFP, he noted. able to work together to find markets for the used material, Neville said. During the opening ceremony; Neville presented Dirks with a request for funds to set up a demonstration project that Neville said could be a pilot for rural recycling methods in B.C. The project would cost about $1 million with the committee con- tributing about $185,000, he said. The ultimate goal of the project, which would set up a recycling centre that could process all forms of com- mon waste, would be a 75-per-cent reduction in the area’s waste produc- tion, Neville said. The recycling depot, open Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, is located at 519 Front St. also the grievance itself. “What industrial relations good can come from this ‘grievance?’’ he asked. ‘It does nothing to foster a relationship betweenthe parties By Caslews Staff A astlegar man has been fined nearly $3,000 in Castlegar provincial court for shooting an elk without a permit for hunting the animal in a limited-entry hunting area. Bert Franks was fined $2,850 for hunting the bull elk in the Mount Sen- tinel area in October 1988 and $150 for unlawful possession of dead wildlife. A charge of hunting out of season was dismissed by the judge during sentencing earlier this month and two other charges were dropped before the case went to court, Castlegar con- servation officer Joe Caravetta said. The elk, the head of which Franks had mounted, was seized as eviden- ce and will be turned over to the Crown for disposal, Caravetta said. As well, Franks has lost his hunting permit for one year and that period Strike isn By CasNews Staff The United Steelworkers of America and Cominco are both in- dicating they want to see a contract agreed upon without work disrup- tions and so far that goal seems possible, USWA Local 480 staff representative Ron Schmidt said. “From my point of view it looks relatively positive,”’ said Schmidt, a Castlegar resident who also serves as to do, and effec- tively ape ie Eeeueet tcc oom of 1 would divide is unfortunate oc- equally between the union and the employer,”’ he concluded. The walkout stemmed from a dispute over the seniority of truckers asked to transport safety valves to for maintenance work during the routine shutdown of the mill. Celgar officials have declined to comment on the hearings or the grievance while it is before the ar- bitration board. costs local man $3,000 can be extended by the director of the wildlife branch, Caravetta added. Franks had a permit to hunt bull elk but it was for another area, the conservation officer said. The two changes Franks was convicted under could have netted him a combined fine of up to $10,000 and/or a jail term up to a maximum of six months. The area around Mount Sentinel has an elk population of about 200 and is carefully managed to ensure the elk are maintained at a level that en- sures their continued existence for the enjoyment of both hunters and nature lovers, Caravetta said. Wildlife hunting is a multi-million dollar industry in B.C. and must be carefully managed to ensure the animal populations are not threatened by unauthorized hunting, Caravetta said. ‘t wanted mine workers if the mine closes per- manently in the future. Cominco shut down the mine temporarily earlier this year, claiming depressed markets were making the operation unprofitable. The talks are set to continue in Trail on May 17 and 18 wherre con- tract language over issues such as grievance procedures, leaves of ab- sence, safety, and promotions, demotions and layoffs, are expected to be di: Schmidt said. the union’s area for the Kootenay and Interior regions. He made the Friday i Contract wording has to be it before iati move resumption of contract talks earlier in the week in Kimberley. Discussions so far are focused on “contract language,” he said, and the main issue on the table in Kimberley was wording in the contract concer- ning what will happen to the Sullivan into money issues or the language issues tend to get forgotten, he ex- ‘ined. don't think we'll get into anything heavy (such as wage negotiations) until sometime in June,”’ he said. Conference LOCAL NEWS NATIONAL FOREST WEEK 1990 Above left, Justin Maddocks, a Grade 5 student from Kinnaird elementary school, talks phone at the 1 rrow forest district office. Above Dan Reibin Waite lochevt ene rose y student, a“ with ‘ny holes to allow water to from 6 punctured seep out, pre rning during e foroat fire. Some 300 students toured the Arrow district office Photos by Dov Fellman as part of Nati | Forest week in Castlegar & ice fe hose which the hose jay 6-12. NATIONAL NEWS \ BRIEFLY continued from front page people and vice versa. And then there’s some people who come to have a good time and party.’’ Another Vancouver delegate, Roby Marlatt, said the conference is a time for people from across the province to get together in a social setting, exchange ideas and look into the future of the business. “Every community can learn from.each other,’’ she said. ‘‘There are different ideas out there so it’s really a sharing process.” Conference chairman Pat Metge, Castlegar and District recreation director, said ‘the entire Complex, cluding the arena bowl but not the Aquatic Centre, was being used to stage the conference. All that room was needed to accommodate 28 com- mercial displays, 16 educational exhibits and enough con- ferences to fill a 10-page program “The theme of the conference is Great Expectations, Stepping Into the Future,” Metge said. ‘‘So what we're trying to do is give people-an ‘education, and-some in- spiration and insight, of the direction we're going in the next decade. Titles of some of the seminars give a-hint of that direction. From Electronic Communications Toward 2000, and Recreation for the Future, to Women in Sport and In- novations in Brochures, to name a few, the conference of- fered just about everything anybody would ever want to know about recreation and parks — and then some. A daily check with Metge on the progress of the con- ference, which wrapped up with a social at the Complex last night, brought the same tune every time. “It’s going great! Everyone's very pleased,”’ he said. “*People like it. There’s been a lot of positive comments about Castlegar.’’ Law continued from front page tres, artificial limbs, and the medical community has affected him far more than his apparent disability. “The experts were always saying they would fix me,"’ Law said. ‘‘They couldn't see that these feet are my arms. They didn’t realize that when you've never had a part of your body how can you miss it? If you’re not broken how can you be fixed?"" Born in Saskatchewan, Law was given up for adoption by his natural parents because, as he says, “They believed it when the doctors told them I would never lead a normal life.’” “‘All these doctors who read all their books told my mom that. Well, what's normal to them?"’ Now divorced and taking care of a five-year-old child, Law works full-time as a motivational speaker. His home base is still Regina. His insights into how people with disabilities are treated by others were on the verge of a stand up comic routine — like the times his mother would tell him to wash his feet before eating or keep his ankles off the dinner table. **Renting cars with your feet, now that’s really fur. You should see the look on the guy's face when you give the guy the credit card and drivers licence with your feet. “*My mother would tell me to wash my feet before dinner so I’d walk to bathroom, wash my feet, walk back to the table and they'd be dirty again.”” But overall, his message was serious and simple. “*You can’t let the outside, the exterior, be the most important thing,’’ he told the audience. have to realize the inside is the most important thi And if anyone is the epitome of the sayin, can’t judge a book by it’s cover,” it’s Alvin Law. Law illustrated that by having people in the audience close their eyes and just listen while he exper- tly played the song Wipeout — with his feet holding the drum sticks of course — on a snare drum. When people opened their eyes he asked them: **Did I sound like a real drummer?” The answer was yes. “If I can pass for a regular drummer with your eyes closed, and if I can play, then I am a regular drummer,’’ Law said. When the audience rose to offer a standing ovation, their message was clear as well — Alvin Law is not a regular drummer, or a reguiar person — he's exceptional, with or without arms. Science spending fund down OTTAWA (CP) — The federal government will spend a smaller percentage of its budget on science this fiscal year than it did at the beginning of the 1980s, a Statistics Canada report indicates. Ottawa plans to spend about $5.4 billion on scientific activities in 1990-91, compared to $5.1 billion spent last year, says the report ‘Yeleased Friday by the federal government agency. But, as a percentage of total government spending, the amount allotted to science remains almost the same as last year. The government expects to spend about 3.7 per cent of its total spending on science this year, compared to 3.6 per cent in the last fiscal year. The equivalent figure in 1980-81 was 3.9 per cent Bush foresees U.S. on Mars KINGSVILLE, Tex. (AP) — President George Bush, setting distant deadline in space exploration, said Friday that Americans should walk on Mars by the year 2019. “It’s time to open up the final frontier,’’ Bush said. ‘*There can be no turning back.” Bush didn’t cite a cost estimate for a manned Mars landing or say how the government will pay for it. NASA has put a $500-billion US price tag on the mission, which would include establishing a base on the moon. Asked how the United States could get to Mars, Bush quipped to reporters: ‘‘You have to go fairly fast. It’s a long way out there.” Board to look at united union OTTAWA (CP) — The Canada Labor Relations Board is going to jook into the shotgun marriage between the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and the Letter Carriers’ Union of Canada. The board will hold hearings Tuesday on an application by the let- ter carriers’ union for re-certification as the sole bargaining agent for more than 20,000 letter carriers and mail service couriers who were force to join CUPW in February 1989. The postal workers union won the right to represent the letter carriers by only 901 votes out of 41,000 cast by members of both unions. But the marriage quickly turned sour and more than 16,000 former members of the letter carriers’ union have signed cards indicating they want to be members of their bargaining agent Some letter carriers have said they have no confidence in CUPW president Jean-Claude Parrot or his union. But Parrot has said he is confident the board will reject the letter carriers’ application. Bike brakes called dangerous OTTAWA (CP) — bikes i with brakes are potentially hazardous, the Consumer and Corporate Affairs Department said The danger occurs if the cross-over cable operating the front brakes suddenly breaks loose from the main cable and, in falling, catches in the tires. The rider can then be hurled over the handlebars, risking serious injury, the department said. A second danger occurs in some cantilever brake systems where the main cable passes around a roller wheel and is connected to the brake lever. The roller wheel can cause fraying and eventual snapping of the main cable, causing the cross-over cable to collapse and catch on the front tire. Some bicycle manufacturers have agreed to add a special restraining device to the front of mountain bike frames to prevent the cross-over cable from jamming the front wheel. Report outlines Yukon options WHITEHORSE (CP) — Remaining as a territory but gaining most provincial powers is one of three options for the Yukon’s future, says a discussion paper released by the territory’s government. The others are: continuing to pursue provincial status, despite Pi raised by the C ion Act and the Meech Lake accord, or pursuing a unique form of government with a different federal relation- ship and a different distribution of powers than the provinces. The options are outlined in a green paper on constitutional development, which Tony Penikett, the Yukon’s NDP government leader, made in early 1988. A two-member legislative committee — one NDP and one Conser- vative member — will be formed and hearings will be held beginning this summer, the paper says. Paper unveiling cost $670,000 OTTAWA (CP) — The federal government spent at least $670,000 to ynveil a document that asks Canadians 40 questions about the environ- ment. Documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen Bouchard. money,”” under access to show Canada spent $400,000 on the advertising and laun- ch of its Green Plan discussion paper on the en- vironment. Another $270,000 went to a communications company that staged a glitzy press conference to release the paper at the Bonaventure Hilton Hotel in Montreal at the end of March. Part of the money went for a satellite hook-up for journalists across the country, a video of children voicing concern about pollution, and an abstract painting in forest green that served as a ten statement. Bouchard had promised to deliver a com- prehensive master plan on the this spring. back-drop for Environment Minister Lucien “You can buy a lot of clean air for that kind of said Kai Millyard, policy director of the environmental group Friends of the Earth. But said the cost of promoting his discussion paper is justified. “| make no apologies for spending money to let Canadians know what the Green Pian is, what it says and where and when they can contribute to the decision-making process,” Instead, he said he—needed to know if Canadians were prepared to pay to protect their air, water and land. He released a book of questions and background information that is the basis of Bouchard said in a writ- public consultations going on across the country. The discussion paper was panned by environ- mental groups who felt many of the questions were vague. They also felt the government was stalling. The documents show Environment Canada has budgeted up to $3.8 million for consultations on the Green Plan in 1990-1991. That figure in- cludes a $500,000 contingency allowance thaf Terry Collins, a spokesman for Bouchard, said likely won't be spent. Communications for the Green Plan may seem expensive, said Collins. But he said the amount is there are 41 information meetings involved, and more than a dozen in-depth sessions with environmentalists, industry represen tatives and other interested people Ottawa will opt out, Globe says TORONTO (CP) — The federal cabinet intends to exempt its own policies from new legislation making The legislation and separate treat- ment for cabinet policies are to be un- veiled no later than next month, the envir reviews datory for all federal government activities, says a published report. Instead, the cabinet will privately study the environmental impact of its policies-and the studies maybe made public, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported. paper said The new legistation will mean En- vironment Minister Lucien Bouchard may order that any individual project related to federal jurisdiction, such as dams or pulp mills on_ navigable waters or near fisheries, be given in- tense scrutiny, including pubtic hearings. However, public policies, such as embarking on energy programs that increase air pollution, or -not-finan- cing water pollution controls, or abandoning passenger rail service, will not be subject to the minister's power to order a public review. Thus cabinet would privately review any policy decision to increase the—use—of—nuciear—powér,;-- whereas construction of individual nuclear power plants (which are regulated by federal agencies) would be subject to the full review process. The two-part process, now in the final approval stage, follows a fierce, unsuccessful fight within government to bring the cabinet and policy- making under the Environmental Assessment Review Process, as promised since 1984. Barrett report slams free trade VANCOUVER (CP) — Free trade has cost Canadians at least 100,000 jobs and has stripped the country of the power to control its own economy, says a New Democratic Party report on the agreement released Thursday across Canada. Party trade critic Dave Barrett told a news conference the Progressive Conservative government should can- cel the free trade agreement with the United States in six months before it damages the country further **Everybody is focussed on Meech right now,”’ siad the MP for the British Columbia riding of Esquimalt- Juan de Fuca. ‘‘But Meech Lake is an in-house argument. The free trade agreement is far more serious threat to Canada."" Barrett put together his report, en titled Free Trade — The Sellout, after travelling across Canada last year As well as cutting new job growth by 100,000, the report says the agreement has cost Canada a key trade battle. A free-trade panel ruled that bet- ween 10 per cent and 20 per cent of Canada’s West Coast fish stocks should be allowed ta be sold to U.S. fish processors without being landed in Canada. And instead of assuring Canada an open door to U.S. markets, Americans have taken action’ to deny Canadians access to U.S. markets for steet; raspberries, paving equipment, pork, ‘stretch limousines, shakes and shingles, lobsters, clothing, auto Parts, red me: electricity, natural DAVE BARRETT gas, lead, copper and sugar products, the report says. Barrett said the jobs lost have gone largely unnoticed because they have been ‘‘geographically isolated."* “‘With all due respect to central Canada, it’s doing OK. The largest impact on a regional basis has been in the Maritimes, here in British Colum- bia, and some parts of the farm com- munity. “It’s like water torture. It's a faded at a time rather than cataclysmic. The free trade agreement has also put pressure on Canada to make its social legislation conform more to the U.S. model, the report says. The federal government has stop- ped paying pensions and family allowances to everyone, moved to end federat contributions to unem- ployment insurance and has cut spen: ding on health care and post .secon- dary education, said Barrett. The free trade agreement has put ‘Canada in a straitjacket that prevents the government from managing and controlling the country’s resources and foreign ownership “Many of these levers have been eliminated outright in the text of the deal. Many others can only be used if and when Canada seeks the per mission, invites the entry or pays compensation to American in- terests,’’ the report says. Barrett also said the free trade agreement was a significant reason why interest rates are high “We were told the agreement would maintain a cheaper Canadian dollar. We could move to that. But we have artifically kept the interest rates at a high level so that our dollar would rise to the benefit of the Americans."’ Crow says mistake made OTTAWA (CP) — Canadians are paying the highest interest rates to borrow money since the last recession because the Bank of Canada made a mistake. Bank governor John Crow said Thursday the central bank made a mistake in judgment in January when it thought the economy would weaken and it cut some short-term interest rates. That short-lived move ied to @ Precipitous drop in the Canadian dollar and the central bank abruptly reversed course, boosting interest rates to their highest level since 1982 to defend the faltering currency. “It was a mistake in the sense that the economy did not turn out to be as weak as we thought it would,’’ Crow told the Commons finance commit- tee. “That is a mistake in judgment,”’ he added in the last of three days of testimony before two Commohs committees. The dollar tumbled to about 83 cen- ts US from about 86.5 cents in late January and early February after the Bank of Canada reduced short-term interest rates by about a quarter of a percentage point. To calm jittery financial markets, the central bank pushed interest rates 1.5 percentage points higher than they were in early January. The other side of the interest rate equation is that those with money to save are benefitting -