,
AA Castlegar News March 18, 1990
M Sastre

Se ee are rat UR I 28).

OPINION

Basic freedom

It’s the policy of the C

d to letters to

News not to Pp

the editor since it's unfair for the newspaper to always have the last

word,

However, after reading the letter from Rita Morrison on this
page we found the temptation to say something just too great.

There

indeed, a standard that is followed and enforced as to

what appears in print and over the airwaves on radio and television
in this country. That standard, the bottom line, so to speak, that all

s, radio

‘and television stations follow, is

freedom of speech. It's a fundamental tenet of a free society and

something we in the media hold very dear. It appli

s to news Stories

and advertising (although advertising has other rules to protect con-

sumers).

As far as we are concerned at the Castlegar News, readers may
use the newspaper to tell the public what is going on with their
groups or organizations or if someone in their family has won an
award and so on, Readers may also write letters to the editor to say

whatever is on t

ir minds as long as what they say is not libellous

and as long as they realize we must edit their letters to conform to
our style (we follow rules established by. The Canadian Press to
which we belong). As well, we often have to edit for length, although

we try our best not to.

Also, we have, on occasion, cut off.letters which we feel are
leading to endless repetitious debate over a particular issue and, in

some cases, we re:

ive more letters from an individual than we can

publish. But we do endeavor to publish as many as we can as long as
they deal with different topics or a different aspect of an issue which
is currently the focus of public attention, such as the proposed ex-

pansion of the Celgar pulp mill.

Ms. Morrison mentions letters sent by Iris Bokken, Ms. Bakken is
one of those people (and we're sure she won't mind us telling
everyone) that sends a passel of letters at a time, all of which have
as a general theme defence of the Social Credit party. It's impossible
for us to publish all of them. But, to her credit, she does deal with dif-
ferent issues under the same theme so we try to publish what we feel
are the best of her letters and most representative of her position.

We agree absolutely with Ms. Morrison that there is a lot of
“pap” published and broadcast by the media. And, we acknowledge,

some of it is included in the C

gar News on

we must point out that quite often “pap” is in the eye of the beholder.
Nevertheless, we will defend until our last breath the rig

people in this c

ity and other iti

in Canada to\use

the media to say what is on their minds.

We note with irony the fact that some politicians in this province
and elsewhere in Canada occasionally bemoan the unfettered
freedoms we in the media have to publish and broadcast information
and opinion, such as this editorial, while on other occasions those
same politicians praise the newfound freedoms — including freedom

of the media — in Eastern Europe.

Our advice: if you don't like what you're hearing, turn off the

radio or television.

If you don't like Iris Bakken’s letters — or

anything else that appears in this newspaper — don't read them.
The only alternative is censorship.

‘Celgar Report
annoys reader

I would like to take issue with the
Celgar Report that Celgar so thought-
fully sent along a short while ago with
the Castlegar News.

Celgar is making major profits
using the resources of this area and
using the river and air as sewers. The
company can afford to put together
this slick, public relations flyer to try
to placate the people and diffuse any
legitimate concerns they may have
about the proposed mill expansion
It’s too bad that Celgar spent all that
money to come up with distortions
and half-truths. If Celgar really wan-
ted to make people believe it is con-
cerned about the environment and
not just its shareholder’s pocket-
books, it would spend that public
relations money in a more productive
manner. Instead, the company treats
the public as if they were brain-dead,
patting them on the head and saying,
“Don’t worry, we'll take care of
everything.’

I would like to inform Celgar of-
ficials that there are people out here
who are not as ignorant or uninfor-
med as they would like to believe we
are. If they think that they will
eliminate our concerns by spoon-
feeding us this propaganda, they are
mistaken. We are not fanatics, as
some people would like to dismiss us
as, but we are responsible people
looking for responsbile answers. Un-
fortunately, we are not getting them

As an example, Celgar states in its
“‘report’’ that, ‘‘It’s a fact: dioxins
and furans are found in nature.”’ This
makes it sound as if they are natural
substances and perhaps benign
Dioxins and furans are manmade
toxins. The only reason that they oc-
cur in nature is because we put them
there.

In 1974, the head of the toxic effec-
ts branch of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s National En.
vironmental Research Centre, Dr
Diane Courtney, called dioxins: “*
by far the most toxic chemical known
to mankind.”

Dioxins cause cancer, birth defects,
miscarriages and death in laboratory
animals at the lowest levels possible to
test. A single drop of dioxin can kill
1,000 people, and yet Celgar would
like us to believe that it is harmless.
Who is the company trying to fool, it-
self?

Celgar also mentions that the
dioxin/furan levels in the effluent
(from the expanded mill) will be
below current detectable levels of 20
parts per quadrillion. (Of course this
will only occur if and when the com-
pany meets the Ministry of Environ-
ment’s guidelines for those toxins in
1994, or is it 1996? In the meantime,
plenty of these toxins are going into
the river.

Celgar then says that the maximum
levek of dioxins recommended for
human consumption in fish is 20 parts
per trillion. The company convenien-
tly forgets to inform people that
dioxins (and furans) are bioac-
cumulative, This means that they are
stored in the tissues of fish and other
animals until they are at much higher
levels than in the environment

T think people can make the con-
nection between any amount of
dioxins and furans getting into the
environment and the effects it will
have on living organisms. (The only
way to correct this problem is to
totally eliminate the-use of chlorine
in the bleaching process, because its
use is the cause of the formation of
these toxins, the dioxins and furans.)

Celgar also tells us in its ‘‘report’”
that dioxins and furans have not been
proven harmful to humans. Does this
mean we have to wait until people
Start getting sick before we take any
action on clearly toxic substances?
Everyone knows that you can’t ex-
periment on human beings. 1 would
like to remind. people of the inadver-
tant experiment that was carried on in
Vietnam. Men fighting for the United
States were exposed to Agent Orange,

—
—

Letters to the editor

Poisonings horrible

I find it very difficult to write this
letter, to put down on paper the way I
feel right now, to keep my emotions
from exploding.

This letter goesto the preson that
took it upon himself (or herself) to
wilfully and maliciously poison our
family pet, my son’s dog (which was
truly his best friend).

My son came home to his best bud-
dy who usually jumped for joy at his
return, but this time he found her
laying there on her side unable to
move, unable to-even lift her head. He
saw her struggle to breathe as we knelt
beside her, feeling so useless.

I turned to my son and saw a look,
a look that in the 11 years he’s been
on this earth I have never seen before
— a look of complete horror and
shock, a look that I pray I will never
have to see again.

And then it was all over. She was
gone. It was almost a relief to see her
not suffering anymore. What a
horrible and tragic way to go.

Jason and I walked into the house
in total shock. We sat down in total
silence.

Our family has property at Deer
Park so we chose to bury her there, in
an orchard overlooking the lake and
mountains.

My son was looking forward to
going there at Easter with the family
and Sheeba (that was her name) and
to spend some time during the sum-
mer there playing and swimming and
exploring, doing the things that only a
boy and his dog can do. Well, he will
still go there and he will still spend

time with her, time spent in a much
different way than planned.

This dog was more than my son's
best friend but also my lifesaver.
Because my son gets home from
school a few hours before me, I didn’t
want him to come home to an empty
house. We have an older dog at home
(but all he likes to do is sleep) and a
eat -which isn’t: much fun. Cats don’t
fetch sticks or catch Frisbees. Sheeba
was my babysitter so to speak. Now
that’s gone.

What kind of a person are you?
What kind of sick and demented per-
son can you be? Oh, the contempt I
have for you. How miserable your life
must be to even think of doing such a
violent act.

1 am ashamed to even live near you,
never mind in the same city. What the
hell did my dog do to you anyway?
Did she dump on your lawn or
something? Are you such a coward
that you can’t come to me man to
man and just say, ‘‘Hey we have a
problem here.”

1 would have gladly worked
something out. No, only cowards and
sick people choose the remedy you
did.

Was it just my dog you were after
or is it every animal in the neigh-
borhood. We know of five that have
suffered your evil mission. How many
more will pay your price?

One of those was an eight-month-
old pup, not even from here, just
visiting with his owners for the day.

If you’re caught, or when you're
caught, does not matter to me. I un-

derstand how tied the hands of justice
are. It cost John and me $50 just to
have the vet do an autopsy and see
what the hell you’re using. And for
those of you that fall victim to this
person’s action, your pet can be
saved. As the first sign something's
wrong, call Dr. David G. Williams.
He’s on alert. You have about half an
hour so go fast. If he-can give your
pet a sedative so it can relax and be
able to breathe, there is a chance.

And for you, my friend, there will
be justice. The day will come when
your hours are short and you will
reflect on what a meager and wasteful
life you've lived. And in the hands of
God, justice will be served. Remem-
ber, the path to heaven is narrow,
while the path to hell is very wide.
God not only loves children but all
creatures.

As for Jason and me, we’ll get
through this. The hatred and bitter-
ness my son feels for you right now
will_be replaced by compassion and
pity. As for getting another dog
(another best friend for him and sit-
ter for me) we will have to really con-
sider. I guess we'll have to move
someplace safe, or definitely take
every precaution. Somehow this
neighborhood doesn’t appeal to me
the way it did before.

For our friend here, please get some
help. Let God touch your heart so
what little time you have left is not
wasted. Goodness shall always trium-
ph over evil. That my son and I truly
believe.

Jack and Jason Drader
Castlegar

Message requested

I would like to respond to the
numerous letters which have appeared

Dirks, has said that building a bridge
between Robson and Castlegar is

a defoliant co ed with
dioxins. Many of these man have sin-
ce developed, and some have died
from, cancers brought on by this ex-
posure. Some of these men have
fathered children who have birth
defects caused by their exposure to
dioxins. This is true and it has been
documented

So get with it Celgar. Quit playing
games. People would be more likely
to believe you if you would tell them
the truth about the effects of the
Proposed expansion and make a
serious commitment to decrease or
eliminate these effects.

Libby Ruljancich °

la

ESTABLISHED AUGUST 7. 194;

Lv CAMPBELL

PUBLISHER
EDITOR

Castlegar News

MASMABER OF THE B.C. PRESS COUNCIL

INCORPORATING THE MID WEEK MIRROR PUBLISHED SETPEMBI
PUBLISHER AUGUST 7. 1947 FEBRUARY 15,1973
Burt Campbell
Simon Birch
PLANT FOREMAN
ADVERTISING MANAGER
OFFICE MANAGER
CIRCULATION MANAGER

Deer Park
OY

1978 AUGUST 27. 1980

Peter Harve

Wayne Stolz

Linde Kositsin
Heather Hodley

in ition to the expan-
sion of the Celgar pulp mill at
Castlegar. I also address my commen-
ts to those people who have yet to
form an opinion on the expansion.

It could be of particular interest to
the people in the Nelson-Creston
riding that their MLA, Mr. Howard

on the pulp
mill expansion going ahead.

If it does not, he has also indicated
that we will never get a shorter, safer
route to our essential services such as
the hospital and schools. (Since the
closure of the Robson ferry in April
1988, the residents of Robson must

é

Too much ‘pap’

It occured to me this morning —
anda beautiful morning it is — that a
month of peace and quiet, without
benefit of television, radio, or
newspapers, would be a month of
bliss.

The TV, which I sometimes tune in
mornings for background noise, can
no longer be tolerated. I feel when
one starts at the

On to the newspaper. Is there
anyone out there who is unaware of

travel 22 kilometres to reach these
services.)

I believe that our elected officials
should be above this sort of action. I
ask that concerned citizens in both the
Rossland-Trail and Nelson-Creston
ridings write directly to Mr. Dirks and
Strongly suggest the return of the
Robson-Castlegar ferry service.

If he is not responsive, then I also
ask that you give both Mr. Dirks and
the government in Victoria another
very clear message in the next provin-
cial election.

Les Schultz
Robson

Ms. (Iris) Bakken’s hts on the
wonderful Socreds — or who gives a
hoot?

I could go on, but you get the
point. The stress imposed upon the
public with this uninvited, unwanted,
pap is a reality. Surely

set, it is high time it was left off. One
more ‘‘show em, Brian’’ from
Donahue will have me frothing at the
mouth.

Ditto, the radio. Surely it is time to
replace thosé tiresome phone-in
commercials for the local auto
dealers. I just can’t bear to hear about
those low interest rates even one more
+time- 4 6 _ 2

there are some standards that could
be enforced as to what is allowed out
over the air waves and in print. As
things stand, everything appears to be
geared to those with a mentality of a
turnip — and I’m not sure they're

Please address all Letters to
the Editor to: The Castlegar
News, P.O. Box 3007, Castlegar,
B.C. VIN'3H4, or deliver them to
our office at 197 Columbia
Avenue, Castlegar.

Letters should be typewritten

poced and not longer then 300

Jers must be signed and include
riter’s full name and address. Only
in very exceptional cases will letters be
published without the writer's nome
Nevertheless, the name and address of
the writer must be disclosed to the
editor
The Casflegor News reserves the right
to edit letters tor ity. clarity, legolity
ond grommor

Remember

when

4 YEARS AGO
From the March 16,1950.
Castle News

A special meeting of the Village
commissioners was held on Monday
morning to clear up a few important
items.

The purchase of a new three-ton
Fargo Truck was okayed, it being
chosen out of seven tenders.

Tax rate for the year was set at 20
mills, land assessments 100 per cent
and improvements 50 per cent.

The fire department has under-
taken the job of replacing street
lights.

. .

Wednesday morning the RCAF
dropped feed for cattle at isolated
Deer Park and Renata. This is the
second time this has been done in the
past two weeks.

. 8 .

Paced by the fast-skating forward
line of John Ross, Walter
P hoff and Peter Polonikoff,

* the C.H.S. hockey team downed the

Slocan City high school team 11-6 ina
hard-fought battle.
. 8 .

Castlegar will get its bridge, but it
probably won't be in the next several
years.

25 YEARS AGO
From the March 18, 1965
Castlegar News

School District No. 9 is proposing a
$376,Q00 school building bylaw.

This was disclosed at meetings of
the councils of the twin villages of
Castlegar and Kinnaird. The bylaw
was originally for $550,000 but has
been reduced. It will be shared 50-50
by the provincial government and will
mean $188,000 will have tobe raised
locally.

oo. .

The only practical consideration of
a district municipality for this area
must include the Celgar pulp and
lumber divisions and the Brilliant
dam, the Castlegar Chamber of
Commerce was told at its meeting tast
week.

The group’s amalgamation study
committee chairman, Herman Kem-
perman, said the whole picture in this
area must be looked at and a district
municipality ‘‘appears to be a logical
unit.’”

oe .

A delegation from Castlegar coun-
cil will view the pedestrian underpass
under construction near Mitchell's
Supply on Saturday with a view to
seeing if-a vehicular bypass can be
constructed around the western en-
trance to the undérpass to replace the
road that has had to go to allow the
entrance to the underpass to be con-
structed.

15 YEARS AGO
From the March 20, 1975
Castlegar News

“There has been no decision by the
building committee on the Com-
munity Centre and Arena as yet,
stated Area J representative Martin
Vanderpol when he addressed the
Castlegar and District Chamber of
Commerce at its regular monthly
meeting Thursday evening.

The construction of the community
building has become a controversial
issue following the announcement last
week that the original estimate of $1.6
million, which was accepted by
referendum by the people, is below
estimate by 23 per cent.

. 8 .

A story, Seven Alone,
Suggested to the Walt Disney Studios
by Kinnaird Junior secondary school
students as having good movie
Possibilities, has been put into
production and is now being viewed
by the general public.

. 8 .

Playing fields of School District
No. 9 have again been turned over to
Regional Recreation Commission No.
9 to cooridnate their use.

. 8 *

Approval for the licencing of a
private home for family home care,
subject to conforming to the building
inspector’s requests, has been granted
Mrs. Violet Popoff by council during
its last regular meeting.

5S YEARS AGO
From the March 17, 1985
‘astlegar News

A fire broke out on the side lift at
Westar Timber's Celgar Lumber
Operations on Thursday, but caused
“‘tittle ~damage,"’ according to the
sawmill manager.

Bill Ford said the fire started
around 8 a.m. under the side lift,
which is used to bring small logs from
the river into the chip and saw area.

. .

The Central Kootenay isn’t ready
for a major tourist attraction along
the lines of Radium or Fairmont Hot
Springs, but could support smaller-
scale developments, according to a
new tourism study.

The study was released Saturday at
a special tourism conference in
Castlegar sponsored by the Central
Kootenay Manpower Adjustment
Committee.

March 18, 1990 Castlégar News As

Neadals

ATTEMPTED MESSAGE... Graftiti-painters have been at work recently on the concrete
b of y 3A and the prowawater ‘Road

at work

al
RCMP

was
aid ‘the graffiti are considered

Costiews photo

turnoff to Robson. In

eal
“Estate

WITH BARRY BROWN

DON’T SELL YOURSELF SHORT

Marketing your home is what it is all Other concerns you should have: if
you value your home too low,
ried someone will come in and try to steal
inti, ERG © Yoon? it from you. If you ask too much, your
, home will not sell and will become

stale on the market.

riod of time with the least in.
convenience are against you.

There are over 175 ten our
local real estate bord, Every:

them is working with cllente looking
for homes or properties. Each doy
through the multiple listing services,

Finally, fees. A Commission fee may
seem like a lot of money, but
remember, you only pay if the agents
gets the job done. Your home is
probably your biggest and best asset
these agents receive o current up- keep it that way by-getting the job
date of available properties to show — done right. Let a realtor work for
their clients you.

Mt you do it yourself, you bypass the
entire realtor network. the
of competition among cdly for you
home is almost nil and you will miss
the dream of all sellers. That being
the multiple offers or bids situation

Homes have actually sold above the
list price in multiple bids situation.
Homes have actually sold above the
list price in mnultiple bids. Can you af-

If there is anything | can do to help
ycu in the field of real estate, please
call or drop in at

2 NATIONAL REAL
ESTATE SERVICE

Mountainview Agencies Lid.
1695 Columbia Ave.

once :

MORE LETTERS

Accusations receive reply

Contrary to Kootenay Savings
Credit Union management's claim
that they are trying to keep my
disciplinary action an ‘‘internal mat-
ter,”’ they have distributed a letter to
all members of the credit union (at
great cost). Therefore, I feel I must
take the only means available to reply
to their accusations.

Although I have not to date been
notified of the status of the criminal
charges which could still be pending, I
feel obligated to supply facts which I
feel have been ‘‘mis-represented”’ by
this company.

The confidentiality policy as
quoted by Mr. Ogloff does read as
quoted, but continues that the ‘‘rule
shall not prevent any director or of-
ficial disclosing transaction of mem-
bers ina to

provided the payroll deposits of three
management employees to prove our
case. You must remember that this is
a member-owned credit union and all
management salaries should be made
available to the membership.

This information is not, nor has it
ever been given to anyone other than
the IRC and our union staff
represenative. For KSCU to state that
we cannot provide evidence to sup-
port our case is similar to stating that
only a prosecutor in a criminal case
can present evidence. What kind of

democracy is this? I feel their style of,“

leadership is
timidation."”
Further, Kootenay Savings states
that it~ didnot institute “criminal
charges against me. However, when
the ii Gregg Clarke, from

“control by in-

the Credit Union .
Kootenay Savings made an _ap-

the Financial Institutes Commission,
contacted me to advise of the in-
i I was i that in-

plication to the Industrial
Council concerning whether or not
two jobs at KSCU are included in, or
excluded from, the-union. As-stated
previously, the IRC investigator, on
gathering his evidence for this. case,
had been given “‘inaccurate”’ infor-
mation at the credit union. The credit
union advised the IRC that
bargaining unit employees do not
have aceess to management Payroll.
He then i his i

deed only the credit union or one of
the three account holders could
initiate these charges.

1nd this whole scenario to be a
case of persecution, as. never. in my
more than 10 years, of employment
was there ever a hint of discipline or
an indiscretion on my part. It seems
totally to be a case of over-kill as
never before in cases of ‘‘breach of
jality’’ has the credit union

at our union office and when
requested to provide evidence that
bargaining unit employees do have
access to management payroll, I

teported them to the Financial In-

stitutes Commission.
In my opinion, I have been
charged, tried and convicted by this
Ps without ever speaking to

THANK You

We would like to thank the following
lor their suj *
Talent Celebration 01
District No. 9 School Board
CKQR

Rae's Heating & Plumbing

Trail Daily Tim

The Picture Place

The Homestead Soup &

Sandwich Shoppe

Benissimo's

Karnie's Ladies Wear

The Klothes Kloset/JJ's
Department Store
Vv

eoecee

lose's Boutique
Eremenko’s Fit-right Shoes
Tulip's Flowers
Dairy Queen
Pharmasave Drugstore
Carter's Singer Sewing
Center
Central Food

rer ee oe

Safeway
Just Ev's Gifts

one single management authority! Is
this justice?

I charge KSCU with destroying my
good name, for harassment, and fur-
ther I charge this company with doing

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everything it possibly can to destroy
the credibility and the solidarity of
their employees and the union they
chose.

I agree, Mr. Ogloff, Kootenay
Savings in the past would have fired
me and gotten away with it — this is
precisely why the employees of this
company so desperately need their
union. This company has done
nothing more than totally convince all

Tax
statements
clarified

When.] glanced over my letter Tax
policies tax patience (Castlegar
News, March 4) one statement I
made leapt out at me. I had said that
the old age security clawback
threshold _will diminish in_purchasing
power each year by the amount that
the inflation rate exceeds three per
cent. This is incorrect. It will diminish
by three per cent a year so long as the
inflation rate is three per cent or
greater.

The error is mine. I can plead only
that I have fallen victim to the perils
familiar to anyone who has ever at-
tempted to do his own proof reading.

Fred G."Marsh

ford to miss this exposure? Phone 365-2111 of 365-2757

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eryone!

Castlégar News 365-2212

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of its employees just how essential
their union has become.

1 would like to take this oppor-
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have shown such tremendous support
to me and my family — this area can-
not be matched. Our friends, fellow
workers, — relatives, neighbors,
brothers and sisters — you're great!

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Eslege

For further information contact:

CASTLEGAR CAMPUS

Box 1200, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 3J1
LINDA GREEN ©3465-1228 or DEXTER MACRAE ¢ 365-1280

Crystale Pleated Shades
Riviera Horizontal Blinds}
Levotor Vertical Blinds

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Locoted halfway

Furniture Warehouse obaieeen
rai ‘ostlegor
Floor Covering Centre a

Open 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Phone 693-2227 Tuesday through Saturday

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