Serving the 10,000 people of the Castlegar Area, The Castlegar Sun

isp every by Sterling Lid, att 465

Columbia Ave. Castlegar, B.C. V1N 1G8. The Castlegar Sun is pol

cally independent and a member of the Sterling News Service, Cana

dian Ci : sp. jon, B.C, Ci

Newspapers Assocation, and the B.C. Press Council. Established
28, 1990. s Mail 10420

PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG

ve,
wes n, \919 ~ 1904
<i

editorial comment

City plan solid

Castlegar is blessed with an abundance of beauti-
ful parkland.

A case in point is Kinnaird Park, site of last sum-
‘mer’s Little League regional playdowns. People
who travelled to watch the games from Cranbrook
and Beaver Valley and from Kimberly and Grand
Forks marvelléd at its beauty and relished its mag-
nificent trees that offered much-sought-after shade
during those July hot spells.

‘They said-there was no other ballpark like it in
the Kootenays. a

In today’s Castlegar Sun, you will read that city
council is gong to improve the opportunity for
playing ball at Kinnaird Park with the addition of a
fourth field. wre

The plan is solid. It has the support of the ball
field users who have pledged a $39,000 contribution.
The city is hoping to get another $38,500 from the
provincial government in the form ofa BC 21 grant

And the proposal to remove the ball field from
Kinsmen Park in downtown Castlegar and convert
the park into more of a “people place” is a good idea.

The only fly in the ointment, could be the loca-
tion of the ball field at Kirinaird Park—and here
council better tread lightly. The initial plan is to
create the field across from Kinnaird Middle
School on a site now occupied by jogging paths
and trees.

The same trees, you will recall, that those people
who came from Beaver Valley and Grand Forks,
and Cranbrook and Kimberly gushed over.

Councillor Brenda Binnie has said residents will

“have a say about the ball field proposal. That's
good. But council should go one better and assure
residents that the beauty of the park won’t be sacri-

- ficed for a fourth ball field.

Ron Norman

Not all roses, though

Another story in today’s Castlegar Sun details -
the many parks and trails available for hikers in the
Castlegar area. Some are within the city limits,
many are outside them.

They are being cared for by a new groups which
calls itself Friends of Parks and Trails. A good
name if ever there was one

All pretty heady stuff.

But all is not roses when it comes to city parks.

Council is considering dismantling Zuckerberg
Island suspension bridge. It has put off making any
decision until it has an engineering report on the
bridge’s condition. :

Regardless of the report, the bridge has grown
into a Castlegar landmark, part of our new her-
itage. It is as much a part of the community as the
CP Railway station museum and the Columbia
River itself:

Surely, if there are millions of dollars in the city
coffers for downtown revitalization there are a few
thousand dollars to retain the bridge

Ron Norman

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date. No contingent orders acoapted

ew year, but old problems

It may be a new year, but
Castlegar council is still trying to
come to grips with the problems

‘Green-manufactured home devel-
opment. And at the last council
meeting came word of a 36-unit

of 1994: de develop-
ment and more development.

In case you haven't noticed,
Castlegar is booming. Every
time you turn around a new busi-
ness is opening its doors, a new
home is going up, a new family
is moving in.

School district enrolment is
close to 100 students more than
what was projected—and that
was already 50 more than the pre
vious year. And still they keep
coming .

But most of them are moving
into the city’s south end, Kin
naird Elementary School has
closed off its primary grades
Valley Vista is bursting. Any and
all newcomers are being shuffled
off to other schools.

And it’s not going to get any
better.

The 129-lot Riverbend Subdi-
vision is planned for the west side
of Columbia Avenue at the far
end of 3rd, 4th and Sth Avenues.

Across Columbia at the end of
37th Street is the 150-lot Emerald

I next to Stel-

vision like Riverbend would have
contributed about $130,000
towards things like new roads,
water and sewer. Under the new

lar Place

And these
dre just the
larger develop-
ments

The prob-
lem for council
is how to
ensure that the

The view
from here

Ron
Norman

bylaw, River-
bend would con-
tribute more like
$650,000.

Now that
doesn’t mean the
city didn't get
money from
developers to

city’s services
can handle all the development
Council is literally scrambling to
bring in new legislation to cope
with the growth.

One of the best pieces of legis-
lation is the new development
cost charges bylaw.

The bylaw, sitting at third
reading and awaiting final adop-
tion while the provincial govern-
ment gives it the once-over, will
see the fee that the city charges
developers increase dramatically.

Under the old bylaw, which
was last amended in 1980, the
city collected less than $1,000 a
lot from developers. That meanj,
for example, that a 130-lot subdi-

help upgrade
roads that provided direct access
to. the subdivisions. It did,
through negotiations with the
developer. And it will still get
that money.

But it didn’t get money—or at
least not much money—to help
with services not directly con-
nected to the development, but

which were still affected by the
growth.

Things like Columbia Avenue.

The Ministry of Highways has
said Columbia Avenue has reached
its limit with its current two lanes.
It’s clogged. Jammed. Stuffed
tighter than a Christmas turkey.

‘And before. amy more cars Can

get onto Columbia from alll those
new homes planned for the south
end, the road needs to be

But it’s going to cost a lot of
money: $6 million at last count
with the city picking up $3 mil-
lion of it.

To help the city pay for that $3
million, developers are being
asked to pay a greater share than
they did before.

They used to pay about 10 per
cent of those costs. Now they will
pay closer to 40 per cent. The
other 60 per cent will come from
the general taxpayer: homeown-
ers, businesses and industry.

Over the next 20 years Castle-
gar will be faced with other major
expenditures to cope with
growth, The city puts the price
tag at $26 million.

The new development fees will
pay about $10.5 million of that.
Without the new fees, developers
would be paying just $2 million.

You can see, then, that the sav-
ing to the general taxpayer—
some ~ million—is
considerable.

Next week: the new road net-
work plan.

Time to say enough is enough!

for almost every environmental ill

Loggers blamed

By Warren Uttey

Never-have I been so frustrated. Having spent
24 years as a forestry worker and workers’ rep-
resentative, I never thought I would see our
pride as loggers and woodworkers so eroded.

Instead of hearing the legend of Paul Bun-
yan or the stories of the tough, old coastal log-
gers, we are being called “rapists” and
“pillagers” of the land. These are the new
myths being spread about loggers and they are
just as farfetched and a lot more insulting.

We have had our lives threatened, our com-

attacked, our gence and skills
questioned. We are blamed for atmost every
en I ill ever gined

Why? Because for many environmental
groups, bureaucrats, technocrats and politi-
cians, it is much easier to vilify loggers and
blame the forest industry than to take respon-
sibility or look at the bigger picture

Example: Stephen Owen presents his
reports on the East and West Kootenays. Does
Owen look at the whole picture—the com-
bined impacts of the Forest Practices Code,
the Timber Supply Review process and his
land-use plan?

No. He pretends that he is responsible for
only the impacts of his Commission on
Resources and Environment and that it’s sim-
ply too bad for the workers and their commu-
nities that they also have to adjust at once to
the impacts of so many government programs.

Example: the provincial Ministry of Forests
runs commercials talking about all the past
damage done by poor logging practices, the
ministry assures us it will have to fix these
things up. What we don’t learn 1s that as
recently as the January, 1994 repon on The
Use and Effectiveness of the Coastal Fishefies
Forestry Guidelines by Tripp Biological Con-
sultants, the worst streamside management
compliance was on Small Business Enterprise

Program lands - managed by the Ministry of
Forests, ~

«--Example: the Ministry of Environment
obtains $16 million for d

clean on the total impact their various pro-
grams will have on our ability to keep on har-
vesting timber. In the Kootenays, for instance,
the. .

in the Fraser River from the Forest Renewal-’
B.C. Fund, a fund i d to job

y to elimi over a third of the
annual allowable cut—an amount that would

‘It's no wonder a forest worker
gets feeling as blue as Paul
Bunyan's ox’

for forest workers and supposedly earmarked
for investment within the forest sector. The
clear impression left is that forestry is respon-
sible for depletion of fish stocks, even though
the environment minister knows full well
there are many, many contributing factors to
the decline in fish stocks.

It’s no wonder a forest workers gets feeling
as blue as Paul Bunyan’s ox! And it's just about
time we made it clear that enough is enough.

We know we need to change the way we do

business in our forests: we've been saying SO, ».

since the 1930s when our union was just
being set up. We’ said it when we first called
for a Forest Practices Code in 1947, we said it
in our IWA Forest Policy in 1978 and in our
new 1989 Forest Policy..We said it(when our
members stood alone at the docks and called
for an end to the export of raw logs.

But we also know we have to have a bal-
ance between our need for jobs, stable commu-
nities arid export earnings, on the one hand,
and our environmental concerns, on the other.

That means that CORE and other govern-
ment ministries and agencies have to come

ngs ly damage the ability of people to
keep their jobs or of some mills to keep work-
ing. How will we replace their contributions
to their ities, the provincial ry
or the government’s coffers? Stephen Owen
certainly provides no answers.

Finding balance also means its about time
that we looked at all the ecological and envi-
ronmental forces that touch our industry,
instead of just kicking loggers in the chops.
The world demand for wood products grows
at an annual rate about equal to B.C.’s annual
allowable cut. This demand is mostly for
human shelter.

Do you think people will stop needing
wood just because we cut back? No. They'll
either get it from places—Russia, Brazil,
Chile, Asi hose forest practi
are a lot rougher than ours, or they'll substi-
tute products like aluminum, steel, concrete,
plastic and brick—all non-renewable
resources, all needing much more energy to
product that does lumber. Now who are the
real greens?

In short, it’s time for all of us to get real and
be-a-bit honest. Let's compare the real impacts.
and the real costs involved here. Then let's
think really hard about how much protection
and preservation we really need and how much
we can really afford. Then let’s decide who
will pay - will we share the costs or load it all
onto the forest workers and their families?

We might never see Paul Bunyan and Babe
again. But hopefully we won't hear any more
jive about rapists or pillagers, either. Reality is
always more complicated than myth

Warren Uttey is a member of the provincial
IWA-Canada executive

Wednesday, January 4, 1995

The Castlegar Sun

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor (Grinch): -

I read the Editor’s (Grinch’s)
Christmas list of Dec. 21 with .
care

To see if a present for me
would be there, :

I looked and looked and
looked, I was prepared for a
shock,

But no, the kind Editor
(Grinch), said-he would put a
watch in my sock.~ :

I got up on blessed Christ~
Day and danced about

glee
In joyous expectation of a
fine timepiece for me.
I checked my. sock twice,

That.darn, Grinch
stole.my Rolex!

tion, I searched the flues of my

joke, a real Suessian phloogel-
hex.

went boo hoo hoo,
But what the heck! it’s
Christmas,

all of you.

three times I looked under the
tree, -
My heart sank in despera-

But alas, it was all a crucl

‘That two-faced Grinch had
stolen my Rolex! i
So I sat on my floor and I

so good tidings to
Sorry, Dr. Seuss.

Mickey V. Kinakin
The Caught in the Bag

What about Tracy's sentence?

Dear Editor:

Twelve-year-old Tracy Latimer
was killed by her father over one
year ago. The case.came to trial
this fall.

Even though the killing was

“y premeditated and called for a ver-

dict of murder in the first degree
with a lifetime sentence, the court
found Mr. Latimer guilty of sec-
ond degree murder with a sen-
tence of 10 years.

There is much discussion
about the “unduly harsh” sen-
tence (H.F.' Killough letter,
Dec.7) impoged on Mr, Latimer.

What of the imposed

Some media, however, have
enquired further (CBC-TV) and

found that the people from the |

Latimer community inter-
viewed by them were shocked
by the killing

Tracy was described by them
as “a happy child”, who
laughed, smiled, and loved ani-
mals and music

Even if these reports were
incorrect, does anyone have the
right to choose death for another?
If Mr. Latimer is successful in his
appeal, where does that leave the
rest of us? In my opinion, it will

on Tracy? Most media reports
talk about her pain and suffering
as if this somehow justifies

«killing her.

be the of the “slippery
slope” we all fear and abhor.

For example, we could look at
the people in extended care hos-
pitals. Are they not expensive to

Canadians are unfairly taxed

Dear Editor:

Mickey Kinakin’s letter (People
in Canada-aré not overtaxed) in
the Dec.14,Castlegar Sun is one
of the best short analyses of the
malaise in our society that I have
read. He raises many points on
which I would like to comment,
but today I will restrict myself to
one - the concept of being over-
taxed. By fortunate coincidence a
short item in the Financial Post of
Dec. 10 provides all the data I
need at-the moment.

First, my position. I agree that
we Canadi are not d

taxed—although our tax burden
is not born in an equitable man-
ner by all. Also, after consider-
able observation and thought I
have come to believe that few
deserve incomes greater than the
amount we pay the prime minis-
ter of Canada. This position is an
easy one for me to take since it
affords ample scope for improv-
ing my financial situation with-
out being hobbled by the cap that
I suggest.

Now for the Financial Post
article. We are told here in the

Unfairly taxed, yes, but not over-

heading that “B.C. family tax
ranks nation’s highest” at

A CHRISTMAS KISS

$30,209 out of a total (family)
income of $86,330. This tax bill

- is composed of income, sales,
liquor, gasoline, social security,
property and other taxes. Nothing
is said about lotteries, which are,
in effect, a special, if voluntary,
tax on the less well off.

I will observe here that with an
average family ‘income of
$86,000 we in B.C. should have
absolutely no problem in elimi-
nating our provincial deficit in
short order and then taking a
broad axe to our debt. Raising
taxes and doing these two things
quickly will have the paradoxical

Thanks for special gift

Dear Editor:

I would like to thank the
Castlegar Salvation Army and the
residents of Castlegar for a very
special Christmas gift. It was not
a gift of great colored lights, but
the gift of the twinkle of one
child’s eyes. It was not the gift of
a warm log in the fire, but the
warmth in the touch of a child's
hand.

On Dec. 19, I was a volunteer,
ringing the brass bell outside of
Pharmasave, in downtown
Castlegar.

Enjoying the warm winter
weather and the opportunity to
visit with friends and strangers, I
was happy to be a part of The
Salvation Army’s Christmas
experience.

People walk by with brightly-
colored parcels and children were
“laughing; it was nice to see peo-
ple placing their coins and bills
into my kettle. :

As I watched the busy shop-
pers_racing, by, I suddenly felt_
someone tugging at my jacket.
Slowly I turned around t0 ‘find a
young boy around my son’s age
standing beside me.

I thought to myself how won-
derful it must be to be a five or

inG

six year old at this time of year.

Suddenly, the child began to
speak to me. +

“Can I give you.a Christmas
kiss”, he asked.

I watched him in wonder.

He continued, “I want to thank
you for what you are doing. If it
wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have
had a Christmas dinner last year
or this year. I just ‘rant to give
you a kiss to say th....« you.”

With a single tear in my eye I
leaned over for my Christmas
kiss.

This kiss from a child I never
knew brought upon me a feeling
that warmed me inside and out.
But this is not all.

The child slowly reached
inside. his tattered jacket and

pulled out three lonely pennies.

“This is all I have, but maybe
it will help someone else have
Christmas dinner”, he said, as he
placed his precious coins into my
kettle.

I would like to take this oppor-
tunity to thank this child with the
bright eyes and warm heart for
giving me the chance to experi-
ence the true meaning of Christ-
mas.

Christmas is about sharing and
giving what you can. Thank you
to those of you who shared what
you had this Christmas.

Dawn Lacasse
Castlegar

‘Your Sales & Leasing Specialists

S|

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effect of making us all better off.
These figures are taken from the
Fraser Institute’s recently
released book Tax Fatts 9.

The Fraser Institute is an inde-
pendent Canadian economic and
social research and educational
organization, open to anyone who
wishes to join and support it.

The Institute is well funded by
donations from individuals and
from corporation and by sales of
its publications, so that it is able
to employ people such as accqun-
tants and economists with profes-
sional expertise to do its research
and writing.

It receives no funds from any
government, but does have a reg-
istration number so that it can
issue receipts for income tax pur-
poses. I have every confidence
that the figures given are reliable.

Fred. G, Marsh
Castlegar.

& HEATING “=
See us for all your natural gas or.
propane fireplaces; appliances;
» furnaces; sales & i

look after? Are some of them not
also in pain?

Certainly after living full lives
their present quality of life is
questionable, Wouldn't it be in
their best interest to put them out
of their misery?

If you follow this to its logical
conclusion, not one of us reading
this letter is safe from the deci-
sion by another to end our
lives—the same decision made
b§ ‘Robert Latimer to kill his
daughter Tracy.

I cannot condone Tracy's mur-
der. To acquit her father or to ip Jan; +-17 4.1
any way reduce or commute his Se
sentence would send a terrible HAIR U
message from society to all par- 314 - 10th Ave.
ents, fartiily members, and care- 365-2213
givers of persons who are either

severely disabled or whose quali-
ty of life is questioned; the mes
sage that it would be all right to
kill them.

Norma Collier
Castlegar

New Year
to all our friends '
We are closed

Tcan help with all your advertising
needs. Remember - it's easier to
work with someone you know.

CHRISTMAS
CLEARANCE

SWE ETO Sh

ON ALL 2,
CHRISTMAS STOCK

FREE QUOTATION

VISIT OUR SHOWROOM TODAY

1008 Columbia Ave., Castlegar
365-3388

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365-7269

We are looking for deserving coaches from the area to
recognize =.

! egar
COMMUNITY COACH RECOGNITION PROGRAM

Note: Coach must reside in area served by this newspaper

Name of Coach:

3M/Castiegar Sun 1995

League:

by:

Phone:

Coach's Profile. Please provide a brief history on the nominee, outlining euch elements as years of

coaching,

coaching etc. Attach a separate sheet if necessary.

! Winners of the

‘Sun Coach

| standards. Please give an example of how the coach you are nominating exemplifies these values and standards.
1 - Demonstrating respect for officials, opponents and parents, and espousing a philosophy of fair play.

1__+ Demonstrating concern for all-round development of the athlete and instilling guidelines reflecting

1 responsible conduct beyond the playing field.

| * Presenting, trough example, a positive image of coaching.

1 * Applying relevant training theory and coaching techniques, etc. National Coaching Certification Program (NCP)

| Please send entries to:

Attn: Marilyn Strong, The Castlegar Sun, 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar VIN 168
1 or call The Castlegar Sun office at (604) 365-5266 for more details.
Please include your name and phone number, along with your nominee's name and phone number

i
a--

will be judged on the following values and

Deadline for entries is August 31, 1995

L