FS NRE EAMES A ANI AREAL FNS TE Wednesday, November 18, 1992 Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTER Hiring wheelchair-bound people may soon be a re- quirement of city hall. Councillor Jim Chapman said he will introduce a by- law that would make it a hir- ing practice of the city to em- ploy people confined to a wheelchair. Chapman said he has been trying to intro- duce such a bylaw for the last year-and-a-half. “I think it’s important,” Chapman said. “(Former city Coun.) Marilyn Mathieson would argue that it was re- verse discrimination to only hire people with wheelchairs, and I think that’s wrong. “A lot of them are highly skilled and highly trained.” Vancouver and Victoria al- ready have similar bylaws, Chapman said, which helped Castlegar come up with leg- islation to suit its own needs. “We took the best of what Vancouver has and incorpo- rated it to suit our needs,” Chapman said. “I hope it will set an example for other in- stitutions and businesses in the city,” he said. “We have to bring these people into the mainstream.” Chapman said the bylaw would create equal employ- ment opportunities for peo- ple in wheelchairs without using quotas. “It will give equal consid- eration for jobs, which I think doesn’t exist now,” Chapman said. The city councillor said he avd to table the proposed ylaw during council’s regu- lar session Dec. 1. ‘Cop shop’ set for 94 NEWS STAFF Construction of the new RCMP building won’t begin until well into 1993. Castlegar Councillor Jim Chapman said the $1.7 mil- lion project will go to tender some time in the spring. As well as receiving public tenders, he said the city will draw up a select list of invita- tions. “People that have done con- struction around town... they'll be invited to bid on the project,” Chapman said. Vancouver architects Dal- la-Lana Griffin are still devel- oping the final design for the building. Chapman said he expects the architects’ designs “should be completed by the end of January.” The money will be bor- rowed through the Municipal Finance Authority. On Oct. 17, Castlegar vot- ers approved the RCMP build- ing in a referendum. Of 1,574 ballots cast, 1,231 people gave the building the nod — a ma- jority of 78 per cent. The loan will be paid out over 20 years at $167,000 per year. The city estimates it will cost residents whose homes are appraised at more than $70,000 an extra $22 in taxes to pay the loan off. The 8,400 square-foot facil- ity will be located beside the Bank of Montreal on Colum- bia Avenue. Chapman said the building is tentatively scheduled to be completed by the spring of 1994. ¥ Sun fading on Sunfest? Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTER Castlegar’s Sunfest celebrations may be heading off into the sunset. Without better community support, Castle- gar Festivals Society organizers say the future of the annual event is in jeopardy. Society president Derm Jackman said he is not happy with the support his organization has received from city council, or for that mat- ter, the community. In what he called a “piss poor” community response, Jackman urged lo- cal residents to get involved with the society. “For the amount of people that live in the os pen the involvement is poor,” Jackman said. He presented a list of seven recommenda- tions at Tuesday’s council session for the city to consider. The presentation was part of the so- ciety’s efforts to secure the future of Sunfest. Some of those recommendations are: * that the city include the Castlegar Festi- vals Society (or Sunfest) as part of its annual budget ¢ that the city set aside $15,000 each year as Sunfest seed money to cover operating costs and up front money to secure different events ¢ that the float arrangement between the NO FRILLS pews - ee MRE NO GIMMICKS LOW PRICES city and the society be terminated and the city negotiate a similar agreement with the Castle- gar Queens Committee ¢ that the city assume responsibility for dec- orating the city on Sunfest weekend Mayor Audrey Moore said council would take the recommendations into consideration. But the biggest indication of what lies ahead for Sunfest could be the turnout the society gets for its annual general meeting Nov. 25. Jackman said, “whoever shows up to form a festival society — then we'll have a society. If nobody shows up then there'll be no festival so- ciety.” The organization had 15 active members on its Sunfest committee for the 1992 event. Five- year society member Craig Burton said, “we'd like to see 30 to 35 people on the committee.” Burton also said the society’s request for a fi- nancial commitment is so there will be “no grovelling” for funds each year. The festival society has already overcome some obstacles, paying off 1991's $3,283 deficit and now sitting in the black with $4,335. Anyone interested in joining the committee or learning more about the Castlegar Festivals Society is encouraged to attend the AGM Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. in council chambers. SAVE MONEY LOW COST WAREHOUSE OPERATION SUPERIOR a" Ne a ni \, =. : 7 = | <2 “A < re | BRAND NAMES A VARY BY LOCATION A lence ve ih UNITED c © BUY ($) SELL Furniture Warehouse. ' BAUHAUS 4445 Minto Rd. 365-6433 | OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Mon-Sat: Sunday: 10am- 6pm Closed (OO) [ne | =) @ Wednesday, November 18, 1992 A quick drive down Columbia Avenue near the old ferry landing earlier this week would have confirmed it was Monday night. Joined by Celgar crews, Castlegar firefighters were out for their weekly practice session, setting fire to houses set aside for demolition when the Castlegar-Robson bridge is built. News photos by Jonathan Green PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Survey probes housing need i Action committee to explore results and find answers Corinne Jackson NEWS REPORTER Senior survey forms are still coming in after the Nov.15 deadline, but Elma Maund doesn’t seem to mind. “We're collecting them, but we're al- so accepting forms until Nov. 30 be- cause we know things trickle in,” the survey’s project manager said Tuesday. According to Maund, 3,000 forms RDCK’s Cady eyes final stint in chair Scott David Harrison EDITOR were prepared, and although a 10 per cent return is considered good she has higher expectations. “We have over 400 and counting. Our aim is 20 per cent so we'd like to get back 600. “People know where I live so they've been putting them in my mail box. I think it’s great,” she said. Maund remains optimistic that once a couple of areas not yet hit by can- vassers are surveyed, her goal of 600 will be achieved. However, volunteers are needed for Woodland Park and the area behind the Community Complex she said. Maund said data will be collated and a review should be ready in January. “There won't be a draft report until the end of February and that’s opti- mistic,” Maund said. Even so, the project manager said, “the project is one week ahead of sched- ule and on budget.” Once the report is prepared Maund said, on-going work will be done to ad- s of area seniors dress the housing problem facing all age groups. “The program’s advisory board will help the Seniors Action Committee with a continuation plan so that we can present our recommendations to inter- ested grcups and agencies, and so that report doesn’t sit on a minister's desk.” People interested in canvassing the two remaining areas can call Maund at 365-0085. “If we had six (volunteers) we'd do it without any problem.” EDITOR Scott David Harrison er oins CORE group Doreen Smecher is about to examine CORE issues. Castlegar’s representative to the Regional District of Central Kootenay, Smecher will be are talking about labor, envi- ronmental groups, munici- palities, recreation, repre- sentatives from the forest in- dustry, the mining industry and others.” One of two members from George Cady is taking a final kick at the can. The 24-year political veteran says 1993 will be his last year on the political scene. And he wants to go out in style. “Td like to run for the chair one more time — it’s something I really enjoy doing — but after that, it’s over,” Cady said Tues- day. The chair of the Regional District of Central Kootenay began his political career as a village councillor in Warfield in 1995. He was a councillor for 12 years. After relocating to Kaslo, Cady joined the RDCK — serving another 12-year stint. d. “It’s been a lot of fun seeing the area grow like it has, but it’s time to “[’ve enjoyed my time very much,” he sai things.” Cady has served as the RDCK chair for nine years. He’s hop- ing 1993 will be his 10th. “T have already filled out the paper and I intend to run for the (chair) again,” he said. “I guess it all depends on who is running against me.” appointed to represent the board with the Commission on Resources and the Environ- ment. She will be joined by Area H director Bob Barkley on an eight-member committee which will develop land use strategies for the East and West Kootenay. “Our purpose will be to negotiate with dif- ferent groups in the area to help establish clear policies that will act as the mandate for CORE,” Smecher said. CORE was introduced by the New Democ- rat government last year. It is designed to give all British Columbians a voice in determining land-use policies for the province. “There are so many different people in- volved in this process,” said Smecher, whose appointment will be confirmed Nov. 28. “We the RDCK, Smecher will be joined by representatives Doreen Smecher om the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, the East Kootenay Re- gional District and the Shuswap-Revelstoke Regional District. The committee will repre- sent the concerns of area municipalities and districts. The local CORE committee is just one of several being established throughout the province. Collectively, these CORE committees have been strapped with a huge mandate — estab- lish a new land-use strategy for British Co- lumbia through public consultation by June 1993.