Legislative Library. @actsament Bldgs., 501 Bellevi:: Castlegar Multicultural Society received a special award from the federal Secretary of State... . A3 breakaway to Rebels win Lorne Kanigan scored the winning goal on a jive the Castlegar Rebels a 4-3 win Friday night... B1 The winning numbers in Satu’ number was 2, The $500,000 winnin Provincial lottery draw is draw were 4, 14, 16, 23, 40 and 4 number in Friday's 18. The winning numbers for the Lotto West/The re draw Friday were 10, 27, 29, 40, 65. 's Lotto 6/49 . The bonus |, 44, 60, 52 Rodge rs, the. 2 Sections (A & B) LIBRARY TASK FORCE . . . A special provincial task crowd so tar on its province-wide tour tor a session force studying library funding and chaired by Friday afternoon in Trail. Castlegar Mayor Audrey Coquitlam Mayor Stan Pukesh (right) drew the largest TASK FORCE TOLD Moore (left) is the force's vice-chairman. CasNewsPhoto by Chery! Calderbonk More funding needed By RON NORMAN Editor B.C.'s public libraries need in creased provincial funding, the chair- man of the Castlegar and District Lib- rary Board told a special task force studying library funding Friday after- noon in Trail. Deb Chmara said B.C. ranks last out of the 10 provinces and two terr- tories in terms of per capita grant. “In 1986 B.C.'s average grant was $2.52, as compared to Prince Edward Island, which ranked first at $11.12,” Chmara said in a written brief. “Quebec is closest to us in average grants at $2.54, yet it has been publicly recognized as having been under- developed in comparision with the rest of Canada.” She said this year a Quebec commission recognized the need to in- crease provincial library funding and it is anticipated that a new grant system will be introduced. The 10-member task force is chaired ‘by Coquitlam Mayor Stan Pukesh, and one of its Chmara also suggested that reg- ional districts should direct some of their tax dollars to libraries. “We feel that guidelines to ensure ‘a more fair and equitable distribution of the monies being made to a variety of includes Castlegar Mayor Audrey Moore. About 40 people attended Friday's session in the Terra Nova Motor Hotel, the largest crowd so far on the task force's province-wide tour. Chmara’s brief called it “impera- prog is needed. Libraries, as proven by the demand of families living in rural areas, should receive some portion of regional dis- trict funds.” Chmara said the Castlegar board is satisfied with the present cost-shar- tive” that the provi rs ms increase funding for libraries. “An increase in per capita grants, as well as a mechanism to fund special projects and programs, is required,” she said. “And ‘incentive funding’ to promote excellence in library service is recommended.” Brisco accepts NDP challenge to debate By SURJ RATTAN Staff Writer Kootenay West MP Bob Brisco has accepted a challenge by two candidates seeking the New Democratic Party's nomination of the newly created Kootenay West-Revelstoke riding to hold a public debate over the issue of free-trade. The Kootenay West federal riding will be renamed Kootenay West-Rev. elstoke in the next federal election. Former Kootenay West MP Lyle Kris- tiansen and Marty Horswill, NDP sec- retary for the provineial Nelson-Cres. ton riding association, have both announced that they will seek the NDP nomination for the next federal elec- tion. And both have challenged Brisco to a debate over the recent free- trade deal signed by Canada and the United States. But Brisco says he will only debate one of them. “Which one it is, is up to them and their party,” said Brisco. “I have no difficulty at all in accepting the chal- cept this invitation to debate now, as it would be the only way the public will have a full opportunity to hear both sides fairly, and to make an informed decision which they can then relay to the government before it is too late. “The public has a right to know continved on page A? ing ar and method for de- termining funding levels. - “It is mainly the level of funding that is unacceptable, The main factor leading to this deficiency is that governments tend to view libraries as a very low priority.” continued on page A3 lost overnight By RON NORMAN Editer A 15-year-old Castlegar youth who spent Tuesday night lost in thick bush just west of the city, walked out on his own late Wednesday afternoon. RCMP Const. Stu Schmidt said the boy and his father — who police de- clitléd to identify — had been hunting Tuesday evening on Ridge Road about 20 kilometres west of Castlegar between Highway 3 and the Arrow Lakes when they were separated. 4 yo “They. heal planning to go out tor-#-coypte-of hours:"-Sehmidt-seid- ‘The fathe® went off to hunt deer while the youth took off on his own to hunt grouse. The two were supposed to meet back at a predetermined location Renata By SURJ RATTAN Staff Writer Renata parents are upset that the Castlegar school district is not supply- ing a bus to take their children to classes. ‘The parents have appealed to the Castlegar school board and will find out tomorrow if the board will agree to bus their children to school. But the parents shouldn't hold out too much hope. The school board's policy committee met Wednesday to study the issue and has recommended Renata parents continue transporting the students themselves. Inside postal workers back on the job By CasNews Staff Castlegar inside postal workers returned to their jobs Saturday, ending a 17-day strike. Valerie Bonham was one of five inside workers who reported for duty at 4 p.m. Saturday. “We are all reporting back to work,” Bonham told the Castlegar News in an interview. No inside workers are scheduled to work today, but the remainder of the 16 inside employees, members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, are expected to be back on the job Monday. Meanwhile, Ben Fietz, president of the Castlegar CUPW local, met with Kootenay West MP Bob Brisco Sat- urday afternoon in Nelson to discuss week, @ handful of Castlegar inside workers demonstrated outside Briseo’s later that evening, but the son never turned up. a “The father stayed up there all night in a sleeping bag,” Schmidt said, waiting for hi When the boy failed to show up the next morning, the father reported him lost. Schmidt said nine members of the Castlegar search and rescue team, a helicopter and a plane started to search for. the youth about 1.p.m. Wednesday. steep.” Schmidt said searchers feared the youth might get hung up on the steep cliffs over Celgar pulp mill. As it turned out, the youth walked out near the mill about 20 hours after he had left his father to hunt on his own. “He found his own way out about said. almost immediately if he had lit # fire. parents upset According to Dave Balabuck, a Renata resident whose children attend Robson elementary school, a total of six children who live in Renata attend school in the Castlegar school district. While a school bus travels part policy committee,” added Balabuck. "The policy committee met Wed- nesday and chairman Tony Guglielmi said his recommendation to the school board on Monday night will be to give the parents of the children a 16-cent a travel but not to way to pick up the students, says it doesn't travel far enough. He'd like to see the school district either extend its bus service further towards Renata, or allow the residents to purchase their own bus. “We would like a bus to come part way. We're siot asking for door-to-door service, I would still have to transport my kids to get them across the river, but I wouldn't have to go the extra 14 miles. into town,” Balabuck told the Castlegar News. He said he and the other parents would like to see a bus go as far as kilo- metre 13, the junction between Deer Park Road and Battings. “We had a meeting with the trans- portation committee. We showed them that there is a bus a ible. They said they would consider it and then we got a letter in the mail saying no changes will be made pending a decision of the ‘extend the present bus service. “The recommendation is not at this moment. The minister (education) will not pay beyond certain things. I do not anticipate there will be any busing provided,” said Guglielmi. But Balabuck argues that because le in Renata pay school taxes, that they should be provided with bus service. “There are 14 parents out there (Renata). Some of those properties have been paying school taxes since the 1920s. You don't get charged less taxes because you live out there — but boy when you ask for service, you get nothing,” said Balabuck. He added that the transportation allowance the school board has offered them “doesn't even cover our gas.” “Is it possible that some péople in continued on page A3 By CasNews Staff Don't badmouth Maureen McTeer around Bob Brisco. The Kootenay West MP sprang to McTeer's defence during a recent exchange in the Commons with Liberal MP Sheila Copps (Hamilton East). Copps suggested McTeer’s hus- band, External Affairs Minister Joe Clark, “boycott” a house party in Ottawa. “There have been a number of suggestions that these parties have been set up to lobby (government),” Copps said. But Copps quoted a formet Con- servative MP, who said the parties aren't to lobby government, but to look for girls. “If anyone comes to try to sell them submarines, staplers or whis- BRISCO DEFENDS McTEER'S HONOR key, this is the wrong place to do it. They (cabinet ministers) are prob- ably just going to be looking for pretty girls,” said Copps, quoting the former Tory MP. She noted that Clark was sche duled to attend such a party, but added: “I am quite sure that the honorable minister would not accept an invitation to a party where he is going just to look for pretty girls.” But Brisco rose to defend Me Teer’s honor. “I would like to draw attention to the fact that (McTeer) is not 9 pretty girl, she is a fine, intelligent and beautiful women in her own right who advances the cause of women in Canada and whose least concern is the ‘pretty’ girls alluded to by the honorable member for Hamilton East.”