The Castlegar Sun » Wednesday, October 7, 1992 Perry ponders long-term plans for Selkirk JASON KEENA! Sun staff Tom Perry spent the day look- ing at the future last Friday at Selkirk College. The Minister of Advanced Education, Training and Technol- ogy was at the West Kootenay college's Castlegar campus as a part of his getting-to-know-you tour of the province's colleges. “I'm here to find out what's on your minds,” Perry told the hand- ful of student who came to meet with him at lunch time. He met with the College Board and administrators, faculty, opened the college’s new $2.6, million Sen- tine] wing, and met with a handful of students who showed up for an open forum to try to get a feel for the college In his talks with all those groups, Perry was looking for information about the future of higher education in the West Kootenay, and the role Selkirk will play in that future. The minister said he was disap- pointed that the students don’t seem too concerned about that future. Less than 10 students showed up for the open discus- sion, while close to a 100 filtered through the Main Lounge, the mi was there. Name: Felicia get Intot Pet: Ozzy - cat What you do there: What ever he'll let me do - or Castlegar likes: Craving’s cookies - Best kept Castlegar secret: Grandma & Grandpe "B" Vehicle: Strolier = Candidates Continued from 1A from the public’s view dealt with Gaims position at City Hall. “I'm not running for City Administrator, I'm running for a seat on council,” said Gairns, who stated he didn’t have a prob- lem answering any questions which dealt with the Price Water- house report. “I really believe that everyone was doing their best under the circumstances,” he said. Each of the three did pay for them.” Read also said fiscal responsi- bility is a commitment which should be made by any city council. She maintains that Castlegar has a great potential to progress economically and in development. “I'm a firm believer in sound planning, and I think there's a lot that can be done by working together.” Dave Gairns said it's the city’s said they will be campaigning for more openness and honesty in municipal politics, and greater credibility in answering to tax- payers. Green said that if he was elect- ed he would advocate a pay-as- you-go attitude. “The city cannot borrow money and not expect the citi- zens of Castlegar to question it,” he said. “I think capital pro- jects should be undertaken if there is only moncy available to job to “Planning in Castlegar is very tough. But with the Celgar Expansion project and the increased reyenues that has been brought because of it, the city is in a position to do some sound, economically feasible planning.” The by-election, scheduled for Oct. 17, will result in one of the three candidates taking the seat on city council which was vacat- ed by Marilyn Mathieson last month. ANTHONY'S STEGK - PIZZG@ Pizza 2 for 1 Menu GUARANTEED DELIVERY 20 MINUTES BEFORE CLOSING EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK Mon. - Thurs. 11:30 am - Fri. - Sat. 11:30 am - Sunday & Holidays 4:00 pm - midnight 365-2188 1i01-2nd St., Castlegar 3 Way Special midnight 1:30 pm BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 15, 92 - DECEMBER15, 92 with each food purchase of $10 or more, enter to win your choice of a mers, ladies or youth's 10 speed bike. Bicycles From Castlegar Bicycle and Sport Shop Bicycles on display at Anthony's and Castlegar “Students are not very involved in politics and I think it’s sad because we need a new genera- tion of hard workers and thinking politicians,” said Perry. And that hard work, across the board, is what will save education, and the nation. “We've sold to eager markets that aren't so eager any more. We've exploited, like Europe, the rest of the world for cheap labour.” But as Bob Dylan once said, the times they are a changin’. “Most people in the world would love to move to Canada. Most of us are going to have to work a little bit harder to deserve that,” Perry told the students. But that hard work doesn’t stop there. His department faces some difficult choice on the direction post-secondary. education will take in British Columbia. “God made the world in seven days, but the government doesn't Minister of Advanced Education Tom Perry takes time out to talk with Tsitsi Makunike, an international ‘exchange student from Mutare, Zimbabwe, who is studying Business Information Services at Selkirk College in Castlegar. have the magic solution to solve the questions in a short time.” Questions of effectiveness of courses, high drop out rates, more effective teaching methods have to be addressed by the govern- ment, the boards and administra- tions across the province. From Selkirk’s point of view, one of the toughest choices facing the minister is the role Selkirk will play in the province's educa- tional future A main factor in the College's long term plans is to increase the number of degree granting pro- grams they offer. Right now the college offers two degree pro- grams, the rest being diploma or certificate level programs, while a group lobbying in Nelson wants to see the Nelson Universi- ty Centre become a degree grant- ing institution. “Whatever we decide to do, it's going to have to be extremely efficient. It will meet the needs of all communities in the West Kootenay, and maybe even the East Kootenay.” On the question of the Nelson University Centre’s quest for degree grant in status being con- trary to Selkirk's long term goal of becoming a degree: granting institute, Perry remained cautious. “J think they can be made com- plimentary.” He cited the tourism program as an example of what can be done to improve secondary in the West K niche programs that allow the campus to grow while attracting interest from other parts of the province, and the country. With the facilities, the large staff, and large student body, Selkirk has the advantage of not having to be built from the ground up. “Under these eco- nomic times, we're not going to start something from scratch when there’s something good already going,” said Perry “We have to do things that don’t hurt this campus, and bene- fit the entire province. “It may be good for B.C. as a whole to develop programming in regional areas and encourage the SUN STAFF PHOTO / Jason Keenan students [from the Lower Main- land] to move here.” Any plans involving Selkirk will have to fit in to a province wide plan for meeting access problems. That may see Selkirk Ww. “We have to find something here to bring in students from the Lower Mainland.” Talking in the long term, he hinted that places like Selkirk may see the day when they are granting university-level degrees. “It’s possible that there will be more students in the future who will want to take a good liberal arts education that is rigorous enough to get a job at the end. The universities are so big there's some advantage in developing that outside Vancouver,” Selkirk College President Leo Perra said the getting-to-know- you visit was as productive as could be expected. “We didn’t expect him to say yes or no.” He added that the min- ister now has a feel for the Col- lege, and it’s strengths and needs. Bruce and Nancy Ketchum begin campaign for 'Yes' vote SHARLENE IMHOFF Sun Editor They've barely unpacked their motorhome after crossing Canada to promote national unity, and already Bruce and Nancy Ketchum are getting itchy feet. This time however, their efforts are to initiate a ‘Yes’ cam- paign for the national referen- dum, and their travelling will remain in the West Kootenay. “We started making plans for a *Yes’ campaign while on our way home from Quebec,” said Nancy Ketchum. “On the way back we would hear reports of contention in B.C. for the unity proposal, so we decided we would continue our efforts by embarking on this campaign.” There is a provincial commit- tee which is advocating the “Yes’ vote called the Yes B.C./Canada Committee, the Ketchums say the West Kootenay ‘Yes’ committee will be linked to the provincial one and will be receiving help. “We are operating as the local arm of the provincial committee,” said Bruce. “We're going to be needing all the help we can get. We're begging for help.” At a recent Castlegar huncheon featuring Labour Minister Moe Sihota as guest speaker, the Ketchums passed around a sheet of paper asking for assistance in promoting the ‘yes’ vote. Cur- rently they have about 20 signa- tures. “There isn’t much time, we have to hustle to get things going.” The main focus for the Ketchums is to get information about the constitutional package out to the public before the Oct 26 vote “We've received 500 copies of the agreement couricred out to us for distribution. We will be circu- lating them as much as possible,” said Nancy. The Castlegar residents say the most important thing for West Kootenay residents is to read the in a Wednesday, October 7, 1992 The Castlegar Sun Maureen Marriott and daughter Lindsay, 19 months, were_among the 25 people out during an anti-abortion rally on Columbia Ave, Saturday. “We've got a lot of nods from people in support as they drive by," Marriott said. The local rally was part of a larger world-wide movement called Life Chain "92, which involves people from all denominations, in pro-life activism. ‘SUN STAFF.PHOTO (John Van Putten Temperature: Max/Date 21.4/30 Precipitation: Rain by only a few points. ARROW WEATHER OUTLOOK: The forecast for Wednesday; morning fog patches otherwise sunny. Highs near 18. Lows about 11. Outlook for Thurs- day and Friday: sunny witha few cloudy intervals. Morning fog patches. A LOOK BACK AT THE PAST WEEK: Min/Date 2.0/28 Snow Several weak systems crossed the area but precipita- tion events were spotty and we experienced fairly fre- quent breaks in the cloud cover. Temperatures and sunshine hours managed to struggle past the average Forecast provided by The South - East interior Weather Office at Castlegar, B.C. LAKE ; FORECAST Oct.2-1412.0 Oct.9-1411.6 Mean 12.9 Total 12 Normal Number of Hours 40.1 JOHN VAN PUTTEN Sun staff Provincial immunization program in local schools aim—Hepatitis B is the target. on Hepatitis B after six months. before any risky lifestyle starts,” immunize everyone though,” vaccine after birth). ly physician. of October. The Regional District of Central Kootenay Health Unit is taking Hepatitis B, caused by a virus which attacks the liver, is the num- ber one cause of liver cancer, with most new cases in young adults, according to the Ministry of Health. The disease is increasing faster in B.C. than any other province in Canada. Which is why the province is also the first in North America to take action with a preventative Hepatitis B Prevention program. The provincially run program, administered by the health unit, will immunize about 1,140 grade six students in 44 schools throughout seven school districts in this area: Castlegar, Nakusp, Nelson; Kaslo; Fruitvale-Salmo, Trail-Rossland; Grand Forks-Greenwood. Each grade six student in these areas will be given a consent form for their parents to sign. The form gives the parents some information “We will only be immunizing those students with signed consent forms,” said Shirley Hunter-Aglow Public Health Nursing Adminis- trator with the District of Central Kootenay Health Unit. The Immunization program has three stages: one initial immuniza- tion followed by another one month later, and the final immunization “We chose the grade six students, because they are easier to target said Hunter-Aglow. “We are aiming to go towards a she added. Hepatitis B is similar to Aids in the way it spreads, through blood to blood contact, sharing needles with an infected person, intimate sexual contact or from mother to newborn (unless the baby is given a Once the virus enters the body, it can take from six weeks to six months to show signs of infection. Half of all people who catch Hep- atitis B can’t tell when they have the disease. High risk candidates, such as intravenous drug users, are also in the process of being immunized against the infection. If people want to be immunized they should go through their fami- “We may expand the program next year,” Hunter-Aglow said. The vaccine has been used in Canada for over 10 years, with 30 million doses given worldwide, with no serious side effects, according to the Ministry of Health and the B.C. Centre for Disease Control The vaccine does not contain blood products or living viruses. The immunization is scheduled to begin during the last two weeks progr SUN STAFF PHOTO / Sharlene Imhoff Nancy and Bruce Ketchum in their home, map out a strategy for the 'yes' campaign. “We don’t want people to vote on emotion rather than fact,” said Bruce. To make sure the facts are clear, the couple plan to speak to various service clubs, on open- line talk shows, and hold various public meetings to promote the constitutional agreement. One of their first meetings will take Place the opening of the ‘No’ rally in Lac St. Jean. I got into an argu- ment with him there. We were in the heart of separatist country.” So what happens if B.C. votes ‘No’? The Ketchums hate to even consider the fact. “It will be a humiliation in B.C. if this province votes ‘No’. Especially humiliating if we are the only province to do so besides Quebec,” Bruce said. Sihota promotes ‘yes' vote in Castlegar SHARLENE IMHOFF Sun Editor this Friday, Oct. 9. B at 4:30, the meeting will be held in Room 16 of the Bonnington wing at Selkirk College in Castlegar. “We don't want to engage in scare tactics. We will be stressing the consequences of voting yes,” said Bruce with a smile. The Ketchums said they aren't sure if the constitutional deal will be a tough sell in the West Koote- nay. “It's hard to assess the situa- tion locally right now. But we're going to do what ever we can.” Bruce is optimistic that B.C will vote ‘yes’ in the referendum He's even said so to Lucien Bouchard, the leader of the Bloc Queb n ‘S bicycles to be given away Oct. 15, Nov. 15, Dec. 16. id then make a decision. “While in Quebec we attended ts Voting ‘yes’ in the October 26 referendum will mean greater economic stability for Canada, particularly in B.C., said Minister of Labour and Consumer Ser- vices, Moe Sihota. Sihota, who is also Minister responsible for Constitutional Affairs, was in Castlegar last week to discuss the constitutional agreement that was hammered out amdung the provinces. A luncheon was held at the Fireside Inn at which Sihota addressed more than 150 people Sihota said B.C.'s geographic position means it is in line for greater trading with Asian mar- kets, and if the national referen- dum passes in Oct, B.C. will be given greater power to access those markets. “One of our economic strate- gies will be to develop our own economic niche,” said Sihota, who said he is confident that B.C. will vote ‘yes’ Sihota also touched upon the social covenant in the constitu- tion, which maintains a security of social programs such as health care and pension plans. “Canada's social programs reflect what is unique about Canada. They are the heart and soul of Canada, they are the con- sciousness of our country, and they reflect the honest values that we cherish." Sihota's visit to Castlegar was brief and the questivts which the Public was allowed to ask were therefore limited. Surrounding communities support Castlegar Community Services bid for program funding KAREN KERKHOFF Sun staff A recent meeting among regional Community Services offices throughout the Kootenays has resulted in good news for Castlegar.* Representatives from as far as Grand Forks, Kaslo and Nakusp agreed that Castlegar Community Services should get $50,000 from the provincial government to develop a program that will bene- fit women who have been sexually or physically assaulted. This recognized need for small- er communities, such as Castlegar. to receive specific funding towards assault on women, has been a long time in coming Larger communities in the Kootenays have women’s centres, and therefore funds are allocated to them to implement programs geared towards women's needs. Castlegar does not have a women’s centre, although the Community Services Centre is involved in providing services to assault victims. Patricia Lakes, the administra- tor of Community Services, is very pleased with this support. She said “This is evidence of clear co- operation among communities within the Kootenays. Quite often Castlegar has been left behind the other communities in regards to funding for social programs. I'm very pleased that other communi- ties have joined together to sup- port us.” Although there has been no promise from the provincial gov- ernment to supply these funds, Lakes said that with co-operation and backing from the other com- munities, the bid to obtain $50,000 has a better chance of succeeding. “With other communities will- ing to lend their support and co- Operation, we are into a situation where we can all win, instead of a win-lose situation,” said Lakes. A financial proposal still needs to be submitted to the provincial government by Community Ser- vices, which will hopefully be told of the government's decision by December. “The current government is clearly making an effort to listen to our needs, however they are still dealing with the last government's system. It’s frustrating for all of us, the current government includ- ed,” Lakes said. Castlegar’s two safe homes are currently without a co-ordinator due to lack of funding from the provincial government. The co- ordinator is responsible for the training of safe home volunteers, who are needed for the safe-home system, which allows temporary refuge for battered women. A private home is made avail- able by trained volunteers to women in crisis situations, usual- ly faced with abuse from their partner. The.victims of abuse are allowed to stay with their children in these homes for up to three days, afterwhich the victim can go to the Transition House in Trail for up to 30 days, or Community Ser- vices will work along with Social Services to help find additional adequate housing. “Ideally 1 would like to see four or five safe homes in Castlegar. On the odd occasion we have mun into the situation where a safe home has not been available. However, I feel confi- dent that we will be able to con- tinue the safe home program,” Lakes said. Lakes applaud- ed the local RCMP for their empathy, skill and high level of professionalism in dealing with victims of both sexual and physi- cal abuse. In Castlegar alone, she esti- mates that there are 50 women each year who are assaulted by their partners. Lakes is also hoping that part of the money they are waiting for can be used for research. In consulting with the RCMP and Crown Council it is becom- ing glaringly obvious that most adult women who have been sex- ually assaulted aren't reporting the crime to authorities. If they do report the crime, it is usually much later, and in some cases years later. “The disturbing conclusion this leaves us with is that we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg,” Lakes said. “We need to know why most sexual assault is not being reported.” The most important thing Lakes would like the public to know involves dealing with vic- tims of abuse. “When you watch a program on T.V. that deals with assault on women, consider for a moment how your attitude might impact on a victim. We can all help victims of sexual assault if we are willing to accept the fact that sexual assault does happen, even in Castlegar.” Excessive speed ends i in near tragedy JASON KEENAN A 1970s Camero just missed the parking lot at the Robson turnoff last Friday. Instead, it went over the 10 foot embankment and landed on Chamber saying 'yes' to RCMP building referendum SHARLENE IMHOFF _ Sun Editor The Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce is throw- ing it’s support behind the city in its bid to build a new RCMP sta- tion. In a press release issued on Oct. 1, the Chamber states it is urging the people to support the City of Castlegar and their request to borrow funds to con- struct a new RCMP building. Castlegar and District Cham- ber president Ron Armbruster said the decision to support the city was made after a board meet- ing was held Sept. 24. “We don't want to see another paving referendum here,” said Armbruster. “One way or another, the RCMP building will be built, SO we support the plan to build it sooner and save the costs,” he continued, referring to the fact that if the referendum does not pass, the federal government can build an RCMP building within three years and simply hand the city the bill. The press release states that “RCMP have made it very clear that a new building is required and delaying the construction of a new facility would not be in any- one’s best interests. Armbruster said that while some chamber members might not agree with the location of the building, the official position which the chamber is publicly taking deals only with the refer- endum on whether or not to bor- Tow the money to build. “The RCMP have chosen the location, and they know what they need better than anyone.” it's roof. The ‘police report states that alcohol and excessive speed were believed to be the cause. The car had slowed enough at the edge, preventing a more dra- matic scene from unfolding. “Tf at this point [the embank- ment egde] they were going fast, they would have landed in those trees,” said Constable Garth Huziak at the embankment edge. The trees were located about 30 feet from the edge of the road. The Camaro lost control on the slight right hand curve, half a mile north of the Brilliant Bridge. The occupants of the vehicle had fled the scene, but they were found in Thrums. When police arrived at the scene, a number of beers and two audio speakers were sitting on the side of the Toad. One male adult from Trail and another from Nelson have been questioned and released. Westar facing environmental fines JOHN VAN PUTTEN Sun staff Westar Timber is facing five charges arising from an alleged diesel fuel spill, which occurred between March 16-19 1992 The spill is alleged to have taken place on the bank of Lower Arrow Lake in Castlegar The charges were laid after an investigation was done by the Castlegar Conservation Ser- vice Charges, which were laid under the Waste Management Act, include: introducing busi- ness waste into the environ- ment, failing to report a spill; and failing to stop, contain or minimize a spill Under the Federal Fisheries Act, Westar was charged with; depositing a deleterious sub- stance into water frequented by fish; and, depositing a deleteri- ous substance on land where it , Might enter water frequented by fish. The charges could bring Westar fines totalling up to $2 { million. Westar officials would not comment on the case The first court appearance is scheduled for November 9, 1992 The Ministry of the Environ- ment would not comment. “It's a matter before the courts,” they said This 1970 Camero overturned and travelled down an embankment last Friday. SUN STAFF PHOTO / Jason Keenan