The Cast

legar Sun

Wednesday, April 29, 1992

grt

= Child

Continued from 1A
around the province, and give
B.C. communities greater
resources to help meet local
needs.

In the first year of the
more than 5,000 new childcare
spaces will be created.

Conroy, who was in Vancouver
for Priddy's announcement along
with more than 700 childcare
workers, said some of those in
attendance were in tears after
Priddy’s message was

“These were people who have
been in the childcare i for
more than 20 years—they are

finally being

A total of 16 rid programe
will

said, “It's going to help the

childcare across the soowuny one
of which will have a direct affect
on the new expansion currently
taking place at the KCCCS,
which had been put on hold due
to a shortfall in money.

The Infant/Toddler Incentive
Grants will allow $2.5 million to
be invested, creating new daycare
spaces for children under 36
months. This money will be pro-
vided to all licensed group child-
care centres and family providers
enrolling infants and toddlers.

“This program is going to be
of great benefit to us,” Conroy

taking place in Castle-
gar finish sooner.”

Conroy said that programs will
soon begin in the upstairs portion
of the renovated building, next to
Hobbit Hill daycare centre, while
the full building will be utilized
by

September.
The new children’ 's centre,
it is i,

without special needs. Conroy
Says the new centre will also have
a teen program, which te

will offer a clothing exchange, sing eee
nutrition courses and a general

KATRINE CONROY
support service for young and
mothers.

In their effort to interview ev:

trade fair, CKQR personalities Norm Andreassen (left)
and Murray David Collins hounded down this four-
legged candidate called Tina.

Infant/Toddler Incentive Grants

a ae ene cerning SS civate tew day cars spaces
to children under

Enhanced Day Care Support Program

* will improve access to child care, increase support to
I and 1 family caregivers, and provide child
care training opportunities.
* will provide resource and referral service for all types of
child care, and serve more communities.

Child Care Expansion Program

eryone at last 1d’s

SUN STAFF PHOTO / Sharlene Imhoff

* $2.75 million to help establish more non-profit child care
centres.

* will increase the number of spaces for all children,
particularly infant/toddlere, school-aged children, and

Wednestay, April 29, 1992

The Castlegar Sun

Men's support group a Castlegar first

BRENDAN HALPER
‘Sun staff

Castlegar Community Services
will soon be offering a men’s sup-
port group.

Community Services Alcohol
and Drug Program Counsellor
Dave O'Brien will be coordinat-
ing the group and hopes to see
things underway by late May.

The support
group will be the

group’.

Too often men get stuck in the
demands of their roles of hus-
band, father, breadwinner and
have no room for support or inti-
mate friendship, he says—this is
a course for breaking that pattern.

“It's really just a place for men
to talk from the heart,” he said.
“A place to talk about the unique
aspects of growing up male, and

the stresses and

first of its kind
in Castlegar.
Having lived
in the Kootenay
area for four and
a half years,
O’Brien comes
from a social
work back-
ground and has
done similar

‘it's really just a
place for men to talk
from the heart.’

— DAVE O'BRIEN
Community Services

wounds that can
be involved.”
Men's
groups are, rapid-
ly gaining popu-
larity, said
O’Brien, adding
that now every
major town and
city has some
type of men’s
group. He said

work in Nelson
and Nakusp.

“In Nelson there are quite a
few different types of groups, te
O'Brien said. “I see men’s issues
as a wide spectrum—with groups
dealing with abuse/violence
issues to those focusing on stress
management.”

O'Brien says the Castlegar
group will be middle of the road,
which is why he has chosen to
call it, simply, a ‘men’s support

men often tend to
express their experiences and feel-
ings through addictions, depres-
sion or even violence—men have
more of a history of drug and alco-
hol abuse than women.

“The group will give men an
opportunity to express deeper
feelings of their part in the role of
masculinity, in a safe and open
atmosphere,” he said. “We'll try
to bring forward more positive
expressions of male identity and

Trade Fair chairperson
estimates 5,000 attended

ie)

Dave O'Brien, a counsellor at Castlegar Community
Services, will be coordinating the new program.

better ways to cope with stress.”
O’Brien expects the group will
serve to complement the Commu-
nity Services Centre’s other pro-
grams—Castlegar and District

Community Services is a non-
profit organization.

Anyone wishing to obtain
more information can contact
Dave O’Brien at 365-2104.

WEATHER

OUTLOOK: The forecast for
Wednesday and Thursday; Cloudy
with a few showers or thunder-
showers and windy. Chance of pre-
cipitation 90% Wednesday, 60%
Thursday. Highs near 18. Friday and Saturday is calling
for a clearing and drying trend to move in and tempera
tures should be in the high teens.

A LOOK BACK AT THE PAST WEEK:
Temperature: Max/Date Min/Date Mean

22.8/25 1.58/24 9.8

Precipitation: Rain Snow Total

18 18

Sunshine: Number of

Hours

Normal Number
of Hours

46.4

4.7

A weak ridge of high pressure began and ended the
week with fairly sunny, warm conditions. Cool, unset-
tled weather prevailed in-between.
Ed. Note: The early spring conditions have sure made
all the lawns and gardens look great!

Forecast provided by The South - East Interior Weather Office

at Castlegar, B.C.
ARROW LAKE
April 25 - 1417.99 ft.

Chang

successful weekend event

from low-t

What seouihe you rather be doing? On holidays

Vehicle: GMC truck

Herbicide spraying curbed

SHARLENE IMHOFF

Sun Editor

Castlegar residents can rest
assured there will be no herbicide

spraying—that just won't hap-
pen,” said Chernoff. “There has
been a real concer about water-
sheds in the area and that is one
of the reasons why herbicide

spraying by the Ministry of

lication has’ been & a”

and Highways in
ig during a C: g

this area

Chernoff said it should be
ies that any resident can make
lication to the ministry if

isp Comoe onl, cooks
Lawrence Cheroff said the clos-
est area to Castlegar which will
receive herbicide treatment is at
the Nancy Greene Junction.

lines for spraying, so local resi-
dents won’t have to fear blanket

tsey, ‘do not want herbicide
sprayed in front of their proper-
ys fact not many people real-

<r residents wish this, then
they would be responsible for

Twin Rivers school
needing overhaul

HALPER
Sun staff

Hagen noted that the funding for
Castlegar School District is part of

The Castlegar School District
No. 9 school board wants Twin
Rivers Elementary School tom

a comp capital progr.
under way at all school districts
across the Province.

Capital can inchude site
acquisitions, the planning, design
and construction of new schools,

minister
$342,703 has been approved for
the Castlegar School District for
capital projects in 1992/93. The
funding includes $100,000 to plan
renovations to upgrade Twin
Rivers Elementary in Castlegar,
and $85,133 to upgrade roofing on
several schools throughout the dis-

trict.
A further $150,970 has been

Wayling said the old frame
structure of Twin Rivers school

“We'll be leaning on them
heavily,” he said.

Education Minister Anita

and ions to exist-
ing schools, and the purchase of
school buses and other equipment.

= Safe

Continued from 1A
hire a coordinator to begin work,
which will involve a more
hensive public education
as well as the establishment of
additional safe homes.

“I believe it will be easier to
receive money from the
rly this time,” said Bonnie

iilsen, chairperson of the Castle-
pi Women’s Association. “We've
just completed a successful pro-
ject—we know and the govern-
ment knows that we can do it.”

Nilsen said she is extremely
pleased with the work that Simms
has completed in the community.

“She has done an absolute
wonderful job, I hope she
again when we start the second
Phase of our program.”

The Castlegar Women’s Asso-
ciation, said Nilsen, is planning
events which will take place later
on this 3

“We'd like to start a video
Series in the fall or hold discus-
sion groups. But we still need

ciation will be holding its next

mening in the Castlegar Library,

Castlegar student wins
coveted scholarship

Lorraine ig off to study in Taiwan

BRENDAN HALPER _

Sun staff

Most high school students
today would be happy to receive a
$500 scholarship toward their
post-secondary education—let
alone $20,000.

Stanley Humphries Secondary
School grade 12 student Lorraine
Paszty was one of 19 students
across the i to receive the
British Columbia Pacific Rim
Scholarship.

“When I found out—I
screamed and jumped up and
down,” Lorraine said. “Then I
gave my mom a hug.”

The $20,000 scholarship
enables Lorraine to spend 10
months in Tai Pei, the Capital of
Taiwan, where she will attend uni-
versity and study the language of
the Taiwanese—Mandarin Chi-
nese.

The application process last
October asked for an essay, her
resume, reference letters, commu-
nity involvement and her interests
in the Pacific Rim countries.

Lorraine attended an interview
in Vancouver in February and by
mid-March she had received the
good news.

“The purpose of the scholar-
ship is to learn the language and

culture of Taiwan,” she said.

While attending the university,
Lorraine will be staying with a
Taiwanese family in Tai Pei. A
travel allowance will be provided
to help her move around the coun-
try and experience the culture.

The scholarship is perfect for
this Stanley Humphries student,
who hopes to go into Pacific Rim
Studies at the University of Victo-
ria, after returning from Taiwan.

This isn’t the first time the stu-
dent has travelled abroad for edu-
cational purposes—last summer
she spent three weeks in Japan.

“I really enjoy cooking, so I
hope to learn some Chinese cook-
ing, and I expect to meet lots of
people,” Lorraine said. “I'll be
participating in the lifestyle and
culture, which is quite different
from Canada.”

Lorraine said she will miss the
wide-open space of Canada but
she already has contacts in Tai Pei.
She attended a Mandarin Chinese
summer school in Victoria during
the summer of 1990—20 Canadi-
an and 20 Taiwanese students
attended the school.

As excited as she is—leaving
for Taiwan in August—Lorraine
says she must still focus on pre-
sent studies, with com-

Community Child Care Grants

* will help communities plan and develop local child care
initiatives.

¢ will be to that have developed a local
child care strategy, to child care organizations and to non-
profit child care facilities to enhance the quality of child care.

Provincial Child Care Council

* will give B.C. communities and families a greater say over
future child care initiatives.

Aboriginal Child Care Committee

¢ will help develop ab “owned and
programs which are culturally sensitive to the needs of

and on the
formulation of provincial child care policies and programs.

Increasing the Availability of Caregiver Training

* more training spaces will be iL in
community colleges.

¢ will mean more trained caregivers to support the expansion
of child care spaces and increased access to training.

Multicultural Initiatives

* a project to remove barriers and develop strategies for the
recruitment and retention of aboriginal and ethnic of
caregivers.

¢ will increase the Pp
care.

child

Increased Licensing Officers

ing up in June.

LORRAINE PASZTY

¢ will ensure timely p’ ng of app and
monitoring of facilities.
* will support caregivers to enhance quality.

Review of the Community Care Facility
Act and Child Care Regulation

* Act and regul to identify chi
that can be made tor eae barriers to expansion without
compromising standards of care.

* standards protect the health, well-being and safety of

Financial Management and
Administration Support Program

which are
"Maeaal difficulties, ‘and | help new programs to develop
sound financial practices.

Support to Independent
Child Care Operators

¢ will help to develop sound business practices to support the
delivery of quality child care.

Local Government Bylaw Review

create barriers to child care development.
eo will Ht and actions which

will lead to improved child care in B.C.

A great success. That's how
Carl Linkletter, trade fair chair-
person, described this year's
Castlegar Selkirk Lion's Club
Annual Trade Fair, held last
weekend at the community com-
plex.

“We've received a lot of
favourable comments, and many
of the exhibitors have booked
their spots for next year’s trade
fair,” said Linkletter.

Three days of good weather,
good promotion and a great exhi-
bition brought more than 5,000
people through the doors of the
community complex to view the
exhibits—which varied from dog
kennels to scuba diving to hot
tubs.

Linkletter did not comment on
a definite figure raised, but he did
say that all money raised at the
trade fair will be donated back in
to the community—helping those
in need.

“The Lion’s club has put a lot
of money back in to the commu-
nity, helping various charities and
youth organizations,” Linkletter

said.

Some of the organizations
which have benefitted over the
years from the Lion’s generosity
are; Hobbit Hill daycare centre,
K lumbia Child
Society, Canadian National Insti-
tute for the Blind, Boy Scouts,
Air Cadets, Drug Awareness Pro-
grams, and the B.C. Lion’s Soci-
ety for Children with Disabilities.

One very notable contribution
by the Lion’s Club is the pur-
chase of a handi-bus which will
be used to transport Castlegar
senior citizens who are currently
living at Mountainview Lodge.
The bus, which has a price tag of
$72,000, will be in Castlegar by
mid-May.

The 37-members of the Castle-
gar Selkirk Lions are always
looking and planning for ways in
which to raise money to be spent
improving the quality of life for
the people of Castlegar—trade
fair was just but one example.

“T'd like to extend a thank you
to everyone who attended this
year’s trade fair and we hope to
see everyone back next year,”
Linkletter finished.

There was something for everyone at this year's trade fair,held last weekend at the
community complex, including of course, the exceptional cuisine of hot dogs, ice

cream, snowcones and cotton candy.

SUN STAFF PHOTO / Sharlene Imhoff

Ministry meeting renews hope of additional beds at Castleview Care

SHARLENE IMHOFF

Sun Editor

Castleview Care Centre
Administrator, Dianne Ramage,
says she is confident the senior's
home will receive additional
funding to make more beds
available to Castlegar and area
seniors.

Ramage travelled to Victoria
last week, accompanied by city
representatives Gary Williams,
administrator and Jim Chapman,
councillor. The three met with
Steve Kenny, acting assistant
deputy health minister and Paul
Pallen, executive director of con-
tinuing care, in order to discuss
the need for more funded beds at
Castleview Care Centre.

4 feel very optimistic.
The ministry staff
listened very carefully
to what we
had to say.’

— DIANNE RAMAGE
Administrator

ol feel very optimistic. The
staff listened very care-

fully to what we had to say. It
was as if they were hearing it for
the first time—the serious prob-
lems of long waiting lists in

vately owned facility capable of

DIANNE RAMAGE

caring for 61 residents since
1991, is funded by the Ministry
of Health to operate only 36 of
the beds, while 25 sit empty—in
completely furnished rooms. A
list of seniors waiting to utilize
the beds is growing, with an
average wait of approximately
two-years in length.

Due to the costs of operating a
facility which is slightly more
than half-full, the owners of
Castleview Care Centre,
Chantelle Management Ltd., stat-
ed the centre had reached a cru-
cial point financially, and that the
care home would be in danger of
closing—ending 52 jobs and
leaving 36 seniors without a
home.

Since this latest meeting with
the ministry, Ramage ‘Says there
is now cause for and is

f information,

and it would justify the present
staffing we have to date—there-
by preventing any layoffs to

4 occur,” said R:

While the meeting was to pro-
vide information to the ministry
only, the care centre administra
tor said she is hoping for the
ministry to contact her in late
June.

“As well as receiving our
the ministry is

undertaking a review of the 1991
population regarding seniors in
the province as well as for the
specific places that seniors wish
to live in this area,” said Ram-
age. “One thing we discovered is
that many of the seniors in the
Slocan Valley are of Russian
decent and therefore prefer to
live in either Castlegar or Grand
Forks.”

Ramage, who was at one time

critical of the lack of support by
Castlegar City Council to Castle-

faces
further
charges

Sun Staff
A Castlegar man has been
ith obstruction of

charged with
tice by RCMP.

Jung Kil (John) Chang was
arrested Thursday night and

The arrest and charge is in
connection to a witness, who is
testifying for the crown in

with six counts under the
Wildlife Act by the Ministry of
Environment, Lands and Parks

chase of bear parts and traffick-
ing of bear parts.
Each count carries a maximum
penalty of $5,000 and/or six
has is jal

view's empty-bed prob said
she was extremely happy with
support extended by Councillor
Chapman and City Administrator
Gary Williams.

“I could not have asked for
better support from these city
representatives. The people at
Castleview Care Centre are
extremely appreciative.”

Support for Castleview Care
obvious through signatures

SHARLENE IMHOFF

Sun Editor

Support for Castleview Care
Centre's bid to have more beds
funded was made obvious during
this year’s Annual Trade Fair,
held this past weekend at the
Community Complex.

According to Dianne Ramage,
administrator of the extended
care facility, over 725 people
signed letters of support in the
facility's bid for more funding

“All of these letters were
signed in approximately 22
hours, the support went far
beyond what I had anticipated,”

said.

Each letter will be mailed to
the Ministry of Health, asking the

hoping that at least four more
beds will receive

“If we can get an extra four
beds funded, it would alleviate
the long waiting list of seniors

to provide additional
funding to open beds in Castle

Executive Director for
Chantelle Management Ltd., the
parent company of Castlevicw

Care, was also present at trade
fair celebrations in Castlegar.
“Beds allocated in the Lower
Mainland buy good press and
votes. The over 700 letters of

support signed at the trade fair
will give a clear indication to the
government that the people of the
West Kootenay demand that their
needs be met,” Andrews said.

uncovered bear paws and bear
gal bladders.

Tools go
missing

Sun Staff

Castlegar RCMP are investi-
gating the disappearance of
approximately $1,500 worth of
tools from Kalesnikoff Lumber.

RCMP suspect the tools were
stolen sometime between April
25-27.

The tools were stolen from the
mill site in Thrums. RCMP are
continuing their investigation.

Rapidly declining fish stock given priority

BRENDAN HALPER
Sun staff

West Kootenay Fisheries Biolo-
gist.

Castlegar residents who enjoy
fishing will be pleased to know
that steps are now being taken to
save Kootenay Lake's rapidly
declining fish stocks.

After an extensive public con-
sultation process, the Fisheries

BC i and Fish and
Wildlife Officials decided the
action was necessary because the
number of Kokanee returning to
spawn at Meadow Creek and the
Lardeau River have hit record
low levels for three years in a
row.

Program of BC Envir
announced, on April 21, that the
proposed fertilization program on
the North Arm of Kootenay Lake
will commence immediately—
application of the fertilizer will
continue weekly through August.
“We've been working on this
for years,” said Bob Lindsay,

Jay f d, Section Head
of the BC Environment Fish and
Wildlife Program, Nelson office,
said the decline in stocks is
directly related to an abnormally
low nutrient content in the lake.

Most nutrients which should
be coming into Kootenay Lake
are being held up in the Libby

\

Dam pondage says Hammond,

also attributing the problem to the
“The big problem with Koote-

nay Lake is a lack of nutrients,”

ing, Lindsay said.
B.C. Hydro, which has made
$300,000 available for the first