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ote peThe Castlegar Sum

Immigration\policy slam

parents Of immigrants who are
already in the country. Another
28,300 will be refugees. The

110,700 are classed as

refugees + those with jobs and
skills - and their dependents.
Almost half the immigrants
will come ftom Asia, while 15
per cent will come froth Africa,
Marehi skid, Another 16 per cent
will be from South and Central
America, with 12 per cent from
Burope and two per cent from
the U.S.. Immigration figures
from 1992 showed 38,432 immi-
grants went to British Columbia,
while 48,000 went to Quebec
and 138,000 went to Ontario.

Kootenay West-Revelstoke
MP Jim Gouk also agrees that
the new policy will further hin-
der Canada's economy.

“The Liberal’s figure is far 100
much, it should be reduced by at
least half,” said Gouk, stating that
even the most welcoming country

ome ; oe
in the world haa (o place & fir”
limit on immigration figures for
its own sake. Gouk also agrees
that due to Canada’s economic
woes, it should be more sélective
of who it lets in. “Canadf should
primarily allow those people who
have something to contribpte, and
not those who will be a further
burden on the system.”

Hanger, MP for Calgary
Northéast, also. argued the wave
of immigrants should be
stemmed in light of the recession
that's killed hundreds of thou-
sands of jobs in the last two
years, He noted: most of the
ate in the coun-
ities, Toronto,

social-support plans have been
hit hardest by ynemployment.
“Those areas are already pollut-
ed, landfill sites are overflowing,
traffic is congestéd and crime is
rampant,” the Reform told.
the Commons. oe

rm Party [1

Hanger cited a 1987 study on
illiteracy that found many imami.
granis can’t read and their edy-
cation contributes to the drain gn
provincial treasuries “We are
already being more compassion-
ate than any .nation in the
world,” said Hanger, He quoted
an Economic’ Councit of Canada
feport which, lie said, regom-
mends Canada accept ofly
170,000 immigrants yearly.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Lucien
Bouchard said his party supports
the immigrant targets, but wants
Quebec to have more say in the
number and kind of immigrants
that arrive in the provitice.

Reporters peppered Marchi
with questions about why the
inhmigration target fell short of
the Liberal election campaign
promise to bring in one: per cent
of Canada’s population.

“It’s 0.86 per cent and 0.86
per cent is approximately one
per cent,” Marchi said.
re

The Castlegar Sun

Sun Edit:

Ceigar Pulp Mill Manager Jim
Browne says he is not overly
concerned with the Longshore-
men's strike still taking place in
Vancouver,

Earlier reports indicated that a
lengthy strike could affect the
pulpmoill since much of its pulp is
handled by the strikers when
shipped to the Eastern hemi-
sphere, However Browne said the
company is not reducing its
workload as a result of the strike
and is prepared to use up every
bit of storage space until ship-
ments are again moved,

“Until we are physically out of
space, we're not going to be wor-
rying about this.”

Included in the storage space is
the site that once housed the mill
expansion: camp, where workers
lived throtighout the mill's $700
million expansion.

‘ ‘The news is not so good for _ lon;
Cominco's Trail operations,

s strike.

SUN STAFF PHOTO John Van Putten

It'ls unlikely, say officials, that Celgar Pulp will be affected by the Longshoremen's
strike in Vancouver, due to the amount of space the pulpmill has for storing its product.

Vancouver wharves do not company-scheduled vacation for

Wesley Allan Mi P ipant,
one of two young men convicted of a recent theft, addressed the

was given to the participamts; the wages and
ages of the Genesis participants; and from
where the participants andthe directors of
the program come. °
Genesis Program Director Cam Caskey
. defended the right of the program to exist in
Castlegar, stating that the service the youths
provides to the non-profit societies equates
to 320 man-hours a week. Caskey also
claimed the youths have been treated differ-
ently in the community-than they would
have been if they were not in the program,
which is specifically designed to help them
achieve bi kskills and li ill

ticipants of the Genesis Program aren't tech-
nically Considered under the ministry's care
at which Campbell shot back “Any 15-year-
old child requires supervision.”

“There was also a question of conflict of
interest raised. Program Director Cam
Caskey was asked if he was the owner of
the home in which the participants are stay-
ing, at which he answered “no”. But Conroy
them asked him specifically if the home is
owned by his father Alexander Caskey,
which Caskey admitted was correct.

It was also learned that the eight program
participants each paid $500 a month towards
room, board and utilities. Wheh program
ials verified that the contract amount

“It needed to be si d in a resi jal area
in & real life situation. We expect the com-
munity to treat us the same as any other
neighbor.”

He then invited neighbors of the group
home’ to become part of a Community Advi-
sory Board which would help make recom-

& the progr
At the end of the fact-finding meeting,

for six months was $156,624 an audible
gasp could be heard from the But

Ministry Representative Violin¥ request-
ed that she be: éllowed to speak, and her
words*were optomistic of the program.

“I have baked for the boys and tried to
communicate with them. They should not
be put on trial by the neighborhood. Do you
monitor other people on welfare? Do you
walk around to see what's in their drive-
way? These men are human beings and
have the same rights as any of us do. What
have you done to be a neighbor to these
boys?”

It was at that point that neighbors began to
straggle out of the chamber and the meeting
came to an end, but for Conroy and the
neighbors, the issue is far from over.

Conroy. told Sun Staff that in concept, he

Ministry officials said that out of that
amount, $7 an hour 40 hours a week was
paid to each participant; $15 an hour to cach
of the four directors was paid, rent was paid,
food was bought, utilities were paid, as well
as other costs associated with administering

app: of the p but he said the fact
that the program is contracted out privately
still cono#™ns him, especially when he
learned Caskey’s father owns the building the
participants of the program live in.

“I fully support the program, if they were
on welfare it would cost a lot more. It's an

which has had its supply of Red
Dog Zinc cut off as a result of the

Early morning blaze sends two to hospital

SHARLENEIMHOFF
Sun Editor

A Wednesday morning fire
that destroyed a home in Castle-
gar and claimed the life of a pet
cat, could easily have included,
on the fatality list, the two young
men who resided at the premises,
said Fire Chief Gerry Rempel.

Vern Rathjen, 23 suffered
minor smoke inhalation, though
his roommate, 24-year old James
Garth, sustained third degree
bums to his shoulders, back, head
and forearms, when the two exit-
ed through the front door. Garth
was taken to Castlegar and Dis-

A press release from Cominco
states that if shipments of Red
Dog zinc concentrate from the

I’m surprised (Rathjen] woke up.
It usually doesn’t work that way,”
continued Rempel, adding “There
could very easily have been two
fatalities in that fire.”

Had the alarms been in work-
ing order, Kempel believes the
property damage and perhaps
even the injuries sustained by the
men, would have been far less.

“Barly detection does provide

for a rapid exit.” ~ Qo

resume. soon, zinc production at
Trail Operations will be serious-
ly.reduced. This will result in

Firefighters received the call at
approximately 6:47 a.m. and
responded with 14 firefighters and
two trucks from the south hall.

Rempel is concerned however,
at the delay in reporting the fire
to the department. “There was a
short delay in someone calling us.
But luckily the call did finally
come from an employee at the
public works department.”

Vern Rathjen, now staying*with~

some employees in the short
term and layoffs if the strike-is
prolonged.

friends, says his former roommate
is in good spirits, despite the pain.
Both men lost everything in the
blaze, and niether had insurance.
Rathjen said the two would be
greatful for any assistance that the
community could muster, and that
an account has already been
opened at the CIBC called the Jim
Garth Recovery Fund.

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Water meters make
sound sense say users

After mailing to local businesses Castlegar City Council is
and homeowners billings for ging certain i
increased water rates, City Hall has

Council changed, water rates
after a Utility Rate Structure

the floor was then turned over to resid the prog)
and program participants who took turns
both ing and asking questi
In addressing ministry representatives,
pbell stressed h

idk and p offi-

Paying

2.
saunas under weigh greatly. I'm-very sorry.”

Correction

Inte F 2 edition of The Castlegar Sun, a story called Interpre-
centre the K. next mega-project wrongly identified BC hydro
‘ag the inventor, manager and financier of the upcoming project, when in
fact, BC hydro bas no connection to the project what-so-ever. The story
aleo exronedusly ideittified Al Geisster as representing BC hydro on the
Y, when in fact Geissler is a volunteer, acting on

own i

to Al Geissler, the non-profit

‘ groan, a8 BC hydro for any confusion the story might have caused.
See letjer to the editor, pege 8A. . ‘i .

[VALENTINE DAY

ISPECIAL!

' This |
SATURDAY,

SUNDAY,
and

- only while
supplies‘last.

ident Judy C:
neighbors concerns weren't
vidual program participants, bat
the apparent lack’ of 's »
who range in age from 16-18,

“We don’t have trouble with the young
people, but do have a problem with the pro-
gram. Is a person droppifig in 20 hours a
week enough supervision for a young per-
son of 15 or 16?”

Ministry Area Manager.Lou Violini
responded to Campbell by saying that par-

@ Geddes

away.”

such as i -

At one point in the meeting, Conroy also
asked questions regarding the source and
amount of funding for the program, put
Violini cut him short claiming Conroy's
math was wrong. Conroy responded “I can
add, my -math isn"! wrong.”

The Genesis Program did have one sup-
porter speak on it’s behalf, although when
Lori Block, who lives in the 400 block of
8th Avenue, first rose to speak, there was
debate on whether she would be all dto _ still und
do so. O°Connor asked her why she was at
the meeting. “You aren't a neighbor—you
live near me and that’s over three blocks

program.

Jed and

expensive program and we can't afford to piss
it away. Caskey, fathes, owning the building
stinks, The whol thing stinks.”

Conroy ‘said that before the meeting he
closed his office for‘one and a half days in
other to gather information concerning: the:

“I feel it is my obligation to get to the bot-
tom of this thing.”

The contract for the program will expire
March 31, 1994, and its possible renewal is

on the review.

if Rey will

Officials from the Ministry of Skills, Trade
and Labour, which would be responsible for
the program, have said they are undecided

renew the contract or not.

Continued from 1A * “Everybody will have their
money in one to two weeks. We
discussed whether to release or
fhoid back the money. Then we
can pay the outstanding bills.”

Ministry of Highways Bridge
and Approaches Representative
Bill Smith was reluctant to dis-
cuss finance particulars and Ged-
des Construction, but stressed
that therg,is absolutely no current.

* busine i rectly

_— n ministry and Geddes
Construction. “Our dealings are

alone approximately $30,000.
Geddes also strongly denied
any association what-so-ever with
O.K. Road Maintenance, but a
1993 Ministry of Highways road
call book clearly lists Gordon
Geddes as president of the trov-
company. :
Geddes claims that-recént
tiations between the Ministry of
Highways and themselves regard-
ing money owed was productive
and creditors will soon be paid.

related directly to the amount of
work done to date on a project,
are made on a monthly basis to
SCI. On occasion, as with any
construction contract, said
Smith, there is a discrepancy
between ministry calculations
and those of the contractor, and a
portion of the payment will be
withheld until it can-be-sorted
out-between the two. This affect-
ed Gedde# Construction which is
a sub-contractor to SCI and from
which SCI can withold a portion
of payment if work isn't satisfac-
tory or in sufficient quantity.
Smith said there is a “slight dis-
with sties””

LIKE YOU ME

= T ARDS THE
BLOCK PARENT PROGRAM

Now Available At All
KSCU Branch Offices

Eyen though there has been
disagreement with quantities,
Smith said the amount being held
back is not large. “Tf it was all
added together it would thake up
'a small portion of $225,000." - » :

Singbeil said that there was
“one minor claim issue” which
represents $35-$50 thousand in
revenue to Geddes.

Singbeil said there are several
actions which can be taken to
ensure that Geddes pays their
creditors, such as the release of a
standard five per cent pay hold
back by the Ministry of High-
ways. As well, Singbeil said he
met with SCI company represen-
tatives in Vancouver on February
4 to discuss strategy if Geddes
doesn't pay. creditors.

“It could be we'll have t@ set
Up a trust to make sure these feo-
ple get paid.” -

There is one thing SCI-fep-
resentatives are cemain of, and
that is the resolution, of the
outstanding debtsby s
Constrection) “It has (@ be

oP Pass &

ap

Rea

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 358-2212

Ministry of Transportation
and Highways

Province of

e

trict Hospital by a passing
motorist, and has since been
transported to the Burn Unit at
Vancouver General Hospital.

At this point in his investiga-
tion, Rempel believes the fire
started in a couch in the living
room, and was started by smoker's
material. Rathjen, asleep in a chair
next ‘to the couch, was awakened
by the blaze. He immediately trav-
elled to an upstairs bedroom to
awaken his roommate. The two
then exited the front door, but had
to pass through flames tq do so
The burns were received while
making the exit.

} The home, located at 2148
Columbia Avenue, suffered exten-
sive damage, and Rempel has
placed an estimate at $60,000.

There were smoke detectors in
the home, but unfortunately, none
contained batteries and were
therefore useless.

“Normally when a fire breaks
out the toxins in the smoke can
prevent people from waking up. .

Two men were taken to hospital, one with third degree burns, after their home was
engulfed in flames, early last Wednesday morning.

SUN STAFF PHOTO / Shariene Imhoff

Review showed a number of
inconsistencies exist within the
user rate ¢tructure for water ahd
waste. Because federal and
provincial grants are unlikely, the
review stated that future cost
increases will be needed to facili-
tate financing of future capital
improvements to the system.

Castle Theatre owner Bob
Bennett was astounded when he
discovered his new water rates
cause his annual water bill to
increase from $347 to $1,341.

“This is hardly fair. Why are
some businesses seeing a forty per-
cent increase, while others are see-
ing a four hundred percent
increase?” asked Bennett, who
upon opening his envelope, imme-
diately marched down to City Hall.

A senior city staff member con-
firmed that Bennett's billing was
based on rates that are affected by
his occupancy rate and number of
washroom facilities, which prior
to this year, were mostly unac-
counted for by the city.

An elderly Castlegar man is in satisfactory but stable condition in
Castlegar hospital after being hit by a car while crossing the street.

Joseph Stoopnikoff, 74, was walking across the intersection of
Columbia Avenue and 4th Suect (near Bank of Montreal) when he
was struck by a southbound 1981 Mercury driven by Kimberley
Walsh, also of Castlegar.

Castlegar man in stable

Witnesses rushed to the aid of Joseph Stoopnikoff, who was hit by a car while crossing the street, Monday.

condition after aceident
. '?

SUN STAFF PHOTO / Sharlene Imhoff

Witnesses rushed to attend the man, who femained motionless on
the pavement. Many placed their coals over Stoopnikoff to keep him,
warm until ambulance attendants arnived.

The accident, which occurred at approximately 9 a.m. Monday, is

_ “still under investigation

that there -would be
some question as to the amount
of water used by Castle Theatre,
the Public Works Department
offered to. purchase and install a
water meter for Bennett, free of
charge. Thus, Bennett could be
assured he was paying only for
what was being used.

But Bennett tuned down the
offer, claiming it would just
cause more taxation and that,
“Somebody would have to pay to

both in usage figures and
lars. Some examples of these

Hi Arrow Hotel owner Don
Lemcke said his water meter has
been beneficial in showing him
exactly what's being used. As
well, he credits the water meter
for pinpointing a serious water
leak

“If it hadn't been for the water
meter, we never would have
thought about checking for a
leak. As it turned out, it was a
bad one,” said Lemcke.

The Castlegar-and District

community Complex has had a

been left open.after a contract
crew had been working on
repairs earlier in October. a
City Council voted in favor of
the bylaw for new water rates last
D ber, and are now prepatin,
to adopt a bylaw that will require
all new homeowners to include
prey i for future meters in
their building plans. The next

have the meter read.” council meeting is February 15.

CITY OF CASTLEGAR
CONTRACT NO. 57.048
FOR MODIFICATIONS

TO THE FIRESIDE
PRV STATION

ENVITATION TO TENDER

Sealed tenders clearly marked "CONTRACT NO. 57.048 - TENDER
FOR MODIFICATIONS TO THE FIRESIDE PRESSURB
REDUCING STATION" will be received by the City Clerk, City Hal,
up to 1400 houts tocal time on March 4, 1994; and will be opened in
public at that time and date. The lowest or any tender will not
necessarily be accepted.

The work comprises the creation of a new of new pressure zone through
modifacations to the existing Fireside Pressure Reducing Station. The
station is located on the west side of Columbia Avenue near 18th Suréés.

Prospective tenderers are advised that the project also involves the
dewatering of a major water supply main in order to complete the
modifications. 4

Tender and ings will be available for pick-up at the
Public Works Yard on February 14, 1994. é
Technical enquiries should be directed to Mr. Barry Comin, A.Sc.T.;

‘Superintendent of Public Works, Castlegar or Mr. Duane Monsen, Public
‘Works Operation Manager, for the City of Castlegar (Tel. 365-5979),

4