7 vere te: Pee 26 Castlegar News March 9, 1991 Time Air credits deregulation for success EDMONTON (CP) — Time “Air is riding’ the currents of deregulation skyward. In the last three years, the tiny Lethbridge-based airline, which operates a regular passenger service out of Castlegar, has become a $100-million company Last year it carried 1.35 million passengers — up from 413,000 five years ago. In the first four months of 1991, its routes will increase 28 per cent to 320, And by ‘Time has a firm hold on Albert id Saskatchewan, but competition will come from Air Canada’s subsidiary Air B.C., which has the upper wing in British Columbia, Larkin said. Pickard says Time will prove it can make money where others can’t, “‘We are not known as the Swiss Air of North America and we will not be into five-star hot meals, April, $96 million in new air power with the Time Air logo will lift off runways across the West. Despite the economic downturn that has put four ines in the United States into bankruptcy or bankrup- tcy protection, general manager Glenn Pickard is predic- ting Time Air will show a profit ‘tin seven figures” in 1990. “And we may be the only airline in Canada that's going to report a net profit in 1991,’’ he adds. He put only two other carriers in North America in- to that class — Southwest Airlines and United. “In terms of anything of a scheduled carrier nature he may be right,”’ said airlines analyst Ted Larkin of Bunting Warburg in Toronto. He said Time has gained access to ‘‘a very select club of profitable carriers’ because of its ‘‘niche position’’ in the western market. But he forecast a tough fight in the hotly com- petitive regional market in 199] across Canada. the passenger from to B’’ encompasses a spider-web of routes across Western Canada from Victoria to Winnipeg and from Watson Lake in the Yukon to Seattle and Min- the south. The push is on to add Denver as a third U.S, destination By April, the airlineig 32-plane fleet will boast six Fokker Fp28 jets and a staff of 1,250, Pickard says. A year ago the tally was 19 planes — including three jets — 1,047 employees, 250 routes and a 50 per cent smaller revenue-generating base. Much of the growth comes from routes turned over by its sister company Canadian Airlines. Time Air’s expansion is the way of the future in Canada’s domestic space, says Kevin Jenkins, vice president of Canadian Airlines. Both Canadian and Time Air are wholly owned Slocan residents tune in to cable t.v. proposal By DONNA ZUBER area. Now we’ll set the wheels in because the two companies operate ruction.”” under different systems and Al has subsidiaries of PWA Corp. of Calgary. Pickard credits deregulation in 1987 for opening the door to regional carriers. “Under deregulation the average passenger out of Penticton was not prepared to have one flight a day in and out of Vancouver. With the demand for greater frequency came the demise ‘of the (Boeing) 737 in the short-haul market."’ The big carriers couldn't increase service because they were already having problems filling large planes on less-populated routes. So it made sense to transfer con- trol to the regionals, who could operate smaller planes with greater frequency, keep costs down and customers happy, he said. Pickard learned the ropes of the ine industry flying map-making missions over the Saudi Arabian desert. He went on to sell aircraft in the Middle East for a firm out of the United Kingdom. In 1976 he realized a dream, along with two former Canadian Airlines pilots, purchasing Southern Frontier All Formal T* cowns * GRAD ‘91 * BRIDAL * BRIDESMAIDS 10-5032, ROSE'S BOUTIQUE Castlegar * 365-5610 NU-LIFE VITAMIN FLYER SALE 305: Mother Nature’sPant Oowntown Castlegar 365-77 Air in Calgary. When the company sold out to Time Air in 1984, Pickard became vice-president of marketing and passenger service, then was promoted to vice president of operations. “Il was the only one that was left,"’ he says, modestly explaining his rise to the top when former Time Air president Richard’ Barton went to head Canadian Regional Airlines, When pressed, he acknowledges the strengths he brings to the position emanate from ‘‘spending a lot of time in line operations."’ From the age of three, growing up outside the Por- tage La Prairie, Man., air force base, to gaining his pilot’s licence at the nipeg Flying Club at 21, he's had planes on the brain. Pickard acknowledges the future will not all be rosy. Time is facing the same bleak fourth quarter results in 1990 as almost all North American carriers because of high jet fuel prices caused by the Persian Gulf war, SOME 1991 MODELS ‘STULL LEFT Ports & Accessories IN STOCK. ¢ Mechanic on Duty - BCGas isa dy namic new utility natural OUR ACTION ie! gas AD PHONE throughout most of British Columbia. NOW AVAILABLE PROFESSIONAL TAX PREPARATION SERVICE Staff Writ motion for const A proposal to give Slocan residen- ts cable television services squeaked by with just enough support to plan for construction, the general manager of Al Cable Systems said Sent out in late December of last year, Al’s proposal said it needed 75 people to commit to six months of service to be a viable project, Bill Tomkins said. A licence to operate was recently issued by the Canadian Rad elevision and Telecom- munications Commission. “We did achieve the 75° sub~ seribers,"’ Tomkins said in a telephone interview from \1’s head office in Edmonton. ‘At minimum, we needed to have 75 to support a technician working part-time in the The licence also covers New Den- ver and Silverton, but the company won't be looking for support there until spring, he said Once installed, Slocan will get some 15 stations, including Canadian and American. commercial stations, The Sports Network, country programming and a public broadcast Station, the proposal said. Construction should start this spring or summer, Tomkins said At a cost of $22.95 a month plus GST, subscribers will be paying close to double Shaw Cable's charges of $13.94 a month, plus GST, in some areas of the West Kootenay. But Tomkins said matching Shaw’s prices would be impossible Brilliant firm gets timber sale licence By CasNews Staff The B.C. Ministry of Forests has awarded International Lath and Lat- tice of Brilliant with a three-year timber sale licence which the ministry says will allow the company to create as many as 20 new jobs. “This licence will help Inter- national Lath and Lattice expand its product line and, in turn, its overseas markets,’’ Forests Minister Claude Richmond said in a news release The minister said the licence, awarded under the Small Business Forest Enterprise program, will allow the company to harvest about 14,000 cubic metres of timber in the Arrow forest district. Logs from the timber sale will be manufactured by local sawmills which will then provide International Lath and Lattice with lumber suitable for remanufacturing, Rich- mond said Company spokesman Bill Henne said International Lath and Lattice will use the lumber to expand its production of parts for wooden boxes used primarily in the agriculture industry Local logging contractors will har vest the timber for the company, Henne said “We support local employment,” 5 Ta) = ° aif a =lzimiolo z)m|<|>/z) GQWESE DOERR 4-j|Zz/C) —=|E}o=}a]0} fol>|- 0 B DOSED DOERBEERE O}>|m) Zz) a) Z)\-4 EEO BESO) >|| OR | n/m] * alolz[>/-|m O|/=/0 —|@| OO} Mm) DO} E} >| 2! FEDS © zZjolz|m|/ FIOMEG mi=/—|z|>" to start construction from scratch. “Our expenses are considerably higher because our signals come from satellite, their’s comes from microwave,"’ he said, explaining that Please recycle The NEWS NUMBER IS 365-2212 : | CAR STORE 365-7555 $7.40 per month per goes towards signal fees alone. Furthermore, Al’s subscriber base is well below Shaw’s which serves Trail, Castlegar and Nelson and several smaller communities in bet- ween, he said Al, one of five subsidiary com- panies of Cl Cable Systems, was formed to serve small communities not reached by larger systems in B.C. and Alberta. “We have a cross subsidization,” Tomkins said. “In larger com- munities where we make some profit, we take that out and build a cable system that would normally operate at a loss and we break even. ““Cl's goal is not to make huge profits but to serve the country. So, as long as we don’t lose money, they’ll continue to invest,’’ he said. “But we can’t have too many losses. We're at the margin now. We have to be careful where we build at this stage because we’re not sure when the recession is going to end.”” Al owns 83 operating cable systems in small communities across B.C. and Alberta and holds another 20 licences to install services throughout the two provinces. The company started working on getting its licence for the’Slocan area 18 months ago, Tomkins said. umbie Ave. Castlegar Higley ire Ie. cessor AUTOMOTIVE DIRECTORY FEATURE OF THE WEEK 1989 JEEP CHEROKEE 4X4 © Alitre six © 5-speed © 38,000 kms “CLEAN UNIT" . i program. The minist: crew also went into cl conduct the interviews. ‘ear 2000 te are ay dew The rooms at the school (above) to CasNews photos by Louis Loroche Play thrills audience “Popular stage plays are sinful, heathenish, lewd, ungodly spectacies; and most pernicious Corrup- tions; in all ages, as mischief to Churches, to Republics, to the manners, minds and the souls of men.’’ — William Prynne: Histromaster (17th century Puritan) I knew there had to be some reason why we all enjoyed it so much. — J.A.C. “It’s the best they have done yet," enthused Bunny, who, after a quarter century of attending operettas, is only slightly prejudiced with respect to local talent. She was, of course, referring in this case to the Rossland Light Opera Players latest opus, Guys and Dolls. This musical fable is based on a well-known story by American author Damon Runyon. It tells of the activities and problems of a number of the shadier characters inhabiting the 1920s streets of New York City, including Nathan Detroit (Jim DeLong), operator of the permanently floating crap game (now adrift); of horse race handicapper, Harry the Horse (Ken Anderson); horse player Nicely Nicely Johnson (Steve Bouchier); Sky Masterton (Lorren Culley), and other assorted hookers, gamblers and thugs together with the chorus of girls of the Hot Box Night Club led by singer Miss Adelaide (Marnie Jacobson) who has been engaged for 14 years to Nathan and wants to get married. Then there are their opposite numbers, represen- Reflections By John Charters ted by the members of the Save-A-Soul Mission, several law-abiding citizens and Lieut. Branigan of the New York Lawvyd (Bob ager They make as fine and ics as we could find pr the vesdel all do them am- ple justice. It is a light-hearted journey through American legend when innocence and romance had not yet suc- cumbed to a cynical hedonism and a script was expec- ted to entertain on the basis of wit and character rather then endless sexual encounters and mindless violence. The music and lyrics are therefore as singable and danceable today as they were when they were written and it was obvious that the players, the orchestra and most certainly the audience, had fallen under their spell. Consequently, a great time was had by all. The question, however, that kept running through my mind was: “‘How do they do it?” Last winter, we went to an amateur operetta performance in Spokane which has a population a number of times larger than ours, as well as a p igi school Winlaw group offers forum for wide range of topics By CATHERINE SHAPCOTT Special to the Castlegar News The Community Support Centre for War Resistance and Justice For All, recently established in Winlaw, is no less ambitious than its cumber- some title. A combination drop-in centre, gathering place for information and base from which to network — the centre seeks to coordinate a range of Slocan Valley activities, including a chip truck ‘‘hotline’’ and car- pooling. The fact that the main event which inspired the creation of the centre — the Persian Gulf War — is now history, does not jeopardize its validity. As far as the centre’s core group of organizers is concerned, the place has plenty of other reasons for being, as well as for celebrating. At a “‘grand opening party” for the centre held at Antoinette’s (for- merly Robert's Restaurant), about 60 people gathered to discuss issues of war and peace, listen to drumming, nibble on burritos and sample An- toinette’s Gourmet Dip. The di i of music and the performing arts to draw on. please see PLAY page C2 were wide-ranging, touching on the draft, conscientious objectors, the peace tax fund, the ef- fects of war on the Canadian economy and the challenge of public apathy. Informal ‘discussions and two community events (held in January to explore the Slocan Valley com- munity’s response to the war) Preceded the centre and its grand opening. These activities have of- “I personally like putting people in touch with each other — putting leaders and followers together. The centre would be a success if even one Person a day would leave here with a valuable new contact.” People at the centre are concerned with resisting ‘“‘war’’ on a number of fered the Op- Portunities for socializing, as well as forums to voice their frustrations, seek support and explore solutions. A loosely knit group of eight in- dividuals calling themselves Full Cir- cle is organizing some of the key ac- tivities. Dave Knight, one of the core group, says he likes the name because it suggests ‘turning things around.”” In a broad sense, the centre seeks to ‘inform people about community support, war resistance and justice — social and environmental,” says Antoinette Halberstadt, another of the group members. It was her sense that ‘‘something needed to be done’’ which ensured that the centre become more than an idea. “People were already calling us. There was a need for mutual sup- port,’ she explains. Halberstadt’s interest is net- working. levels. Beyond seeking Peaceful solutions to international conflicts such as the Gulf War, the agenda includes ‘‘community projec- ts that help save the environment,’’ support and public education for future land claims, lobbying to end abuse and violence in sports coaching and competition, and Promotion of non-violent direct ac- tion training in response to chip truck traffic. In a newsletter which is intended ,to be the start of an alternative press, the conflict over chip truck traffic is described as a ‘‘local war.” “The chip truck issue is the same as the war issue. It's for profit — it disregards the value of life, and the social and natural environment,”’ Halberstadt said. One of the centre’s services is a “‘hotline”’ for people to centralize in- formation, concerns and accidents please see GROUP page C2 With 3 flights aday, we aim to please. It’s a great choice round the clock. AirBC’s schedule is designed to be on target | with your business midWiow Wei) Wer mi 4/0] —|! 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