the wall. It reads: “In appr zone tent support throughout 1963 and for achieving. highest draught volume in the Interior of British Columbia: Thank you from Labatt's. 2,976 se You can get most anything you want'at Slack Alice's restaurant: draft beer, cheap wine, some music, a corned beef on rye, a little company, even a place to sleep. Most anything except a job. Most days, you'll find fruit picker Bino Pereira sucking back a draft in a corner of Slack Alice's. It's the hangout for a lot of the fruit pickers in the area because the Farm Labor Pool — a branch of Canada Manpower set up every summer to help pickers find work — is just down the street Periera, 33, a resident of Kaleden, has picked fruit for 18 years. He said he used to make about $70 a day every summer to support his wife and two daughters. This summer, he can't find a fruit picker's job. “I'm not stupid, not dumb, I'm a professional picker. But it’s so bad, just unreal, you can't even make money fruit-picking. Lots of my friends are in the same position. You're lucky, you know, if you get two weeks of work this summer PAYS BILLS Pereira’s plight is not unique. Historically, most fruit pickers have come from eastern Canada, but because of record high unemployment in British Columbia, more and more locals are looking for any job that will put meals on the table and pay some bills In this Okanagan community, TIMES ARE TOUGH logging and con Jake Van Westen, one of the area's largest fruit growers, has a “No Help Needed”) sign pr displayed in front of his property on the outskirts of Penticton. He is tired of job seekers knocking on his door and phoning at all hours. “There is definitely a change towards more and more locals looking for this kind of work,” he said. “Two years ago, maybe 30 per cent of ny farm laborers were French Canadian but now, that's way down. There's no end to it. It’s tough times.” About 60 pickers are working right now for the Van Westens. Most are from British Columbia and Alberta. Many, like Joseph Murphy, have been unemployed for months. Until last year, Murphy, 29, collected unemployment insurange. “Now, it’s like you go where the money is,” he said. “Sure, I'd rather be down at the beach or on a chartered yacht but you need money to live.” Tourism down slightly VANCOUVER (CP) — Elchanan Raphael saunters up to the counter at a downtown tourist information booth and inquires in hesitant English about what Vancouver has to offer. He collects a handful of glossy brochures — describing everything from the whale show at Stanley Park to the danishes at the local bed-and-breakfasts — and shoves them into his blue plastic tote bag. Raphael, who's from Israel and has also visited Alberta as part of his trans-Atlantic journey, couldn't be having a better time. ° “The sun is shining,” he says with a grin, stuffing a map into his back pocket, “and everything is very good to me.” It's too bad he'll only be in British Columbia for three days, he says. Raphael isn't the only one who'll feel a little regret when he gets on a plane to go home. Those involved in tourism — which, as the province's third largest industry, brought in. $2.2 billion in 1983 — would like nothing more than to see Raphael extend his visit. Many complain that people aren't staying long enough or spending as much as they used to. In some parts of the province, there’s no one at all to see the welcome mat. BENEFITS 80! Granted, some operators report they're doing well. The Tourism Ministry says the industry is just slightly down from where it hoped to be. But the bulk of those interviewed say times are tough — and they're blaming everything from British Columbia's prices and the current bus shutdown in Vancouver and Victoria to a seven-per-cent sales tax on rooms and food. Armand Ouger, who manages a campground in Revelstoke, says “people who used to spend $20 a vehicle now spend $3 if we're lucky.” “I'm not kidding,” he says. “I pull pop bottles out of the garbage can to make a little extra.” Vernon campground owner Donna Raasch says that two years ago, at the depth of the recession, her facility was full Hosptial to remove VDTs from office VANCOUVER (CP) Surrey Memorial Hospital Says a report that low levels of radiation might have con frequency radiation he said could be linked to abnormal pregnancies. He also said the Perkin 42 nights during the summer. “Last year it was six nights and this year we haven't hit any yet.” At the souvenir shops in Vancouver, visitors stroll in and glance at the stuffed Mounties, the pictures of B.C. Place Stadium emblazoned on T-shirts and mugs, the polished chunks of B.C. jade, but too often they leave with only a posteard. Double-decker sightseeing buses cruise around the university, past the B.C. Place Stadium and over Lions Gate Bridge, but the empty seats frequently outnumber the passengers. “How is business? I can’t tell you politely,” says Gray Line president Peter Armstrong. Like many in the hospitality industry, Armstrong is laying the bulk of the blame on one thing: the weather. The other factor most frequently cited is the still-sluggish economy. s This spring was unusually soggy in most parts of British Columbia and the first two weeks of summer weren't much better. A recent hot spell has Armstrong and his colleagues crossing their fingers that business will improve, but they also know that no matter how inviting the beaches become. visitors won't flock to the seaside resorts if they can't pay that it would get better in the rest of says Earl Hansen, head of the B.C. Motels, Resorts and Trailer Parks Association. “But as of- the moment, it doesn't look encouraging.” tributed to problems experi enced by pregnant women in its accounting department has nothing to do with a re cent decision to remove video display terminals from the office. Three miscarriages, a pre- mature birth, one child with a deformed foot and another with bronchitis were all ex perienced by women who worked in the accounting section. “We are proceeding to re move (the VDTs) but we would have done it anyway.” hospital administrator Mar. garet Woodward said Mon day The decision to remove the VDTs comes more than a year after Hari Sharma, a University of Waterloo nw clear chemist, reported the VDTs emit high levels of low. ty WHY TRAVEL ANYWHERE FOR THE BICYCLE NEEDS? THE BEST DEALS ARE HERE... = ‘a Elmer Data Systems termin. als register higher electro magnetic readings than the AES word processors used in the nearby medical records office. Sharma's study included reports by accounting clerks of nausea, eye strain, head. aches and fatigue. Medical clerks did not report such problems. Woodward said the mala dies were solved by painting the walls, installing new lighting and rearranging desks She added she remains un convinced by Sharma's find. ings. Art Kube, British Colum bia Federation of Labor president, said Monday that Surrey Memorial's decision is a “safe move” but questioned why the hospital didn't re place the VDTs sooner SHOP (1984) 365-5044 WHY NOT HOLD A rocedures: » 1. of all, gather together all your articles that are saleabié. A little fixing may be required to make some items quitable for selling. * 2. You must then advertise’ effettivelyi The Castlegar News classifieds do the trick. 3.. .Difectional signs are 4 big heip. They also attract thé weekend joy fider who might have mjssed the advertisement. These signs are free whem you advertise your Garage Sale in the Castlegnt News. =%:+ Your miscellaneous articles should be arranged have to Lake them-anywhere. €" For the buyer, a.garage sale is an ideal place to pick up used baby furhitere, records..aid bottles or some used furniteré for the rumpus room. Many people bavefousd two. u for an enjoyable afternoon driving ground te garage nates: Often you will find things you, have wanted, and the kids find loys that have lots af play teh in them. A gaPage nels a great Gabel Tus. Tlave one soon! Ph. 365-2151 MOROSO, MARKIN & BLAIN Certified General Accountants 241 Columbia Ave. Castlegor Ph. 365-7287 Soligo, Koide & John Chartered Accountants 615 Columbia Ave. ae Pas adit ead Sr (asx ces OF JOHN FOR BEAUMARK APPLIANCES OF THE MACHINE IH B.E.W.C. TO PROVIDE ALL PARTS AND ALL SERVICE FOR THE LIFE TRA, B.C. ae... Castlegar Phone 365-7745 Henry John, B.Sc., C.A, Resident Partner BEST Parts Service Dept. WICKLUM ROOFING Phone Lares on 382-2917 Gov't Certified & Licenced READY MIX CONCRETE Slocan Valley Also Supplying Drain Rock 355-2570 ROOSTER the Way} — WILLIAMS MOVING & STORAGE 2237-6th Ave., Castlegor Invite you to call them for a tree moving estimate. Let our representative tell you about the mony services which have made Williams the most respec ted name in the moving business Ph. 365-3328 Collect ———————— ———— ee ML LeRoy 8.$.0.D. OPTOMETRIST 1012-4th St., Castlegar Phone 365-336 1 Tues,-Fri. 9a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday 9.a.m.-12 noon IT. IM) ALLAN B.Sc.0.D. OPTOMETRIST 366 Baker St. C. Ph. 352-5152 —ow CLOTHING, DRAPERIES, Whether your name stérts with A or M, or K, Yor Z_ You' Il find Business Directory advertising poys. PHONE 365-5210 Plumbing & Heating Ltd. Quality Wholesale Plumbing & Heating Supplies Complete installations & Professional advice Commercial & industrial ve. PETER F. PIRSH “CONTRACTING 2045 Columbia Ave., Trail * Big jobs or small fobs Ph. 368-5911 KOOTENAY'S Serviced All Parts Stocked Rebuilt Timers Used Appliances & Consignments Coin-pperated Machines * Industrial Lavindry oo Russell Auctions 399-4793 Throms Buy or Sell by Abetion CARPETS - LINOLEUM THES - CERAMICS ALL TYPES OF FLOOR INSTALLATIONS RR, No. LWintaw, B.C. VOG 20 7603 ci IAL * Letterheads * Envel * brochures * Raffle Tickers CASTLEGAR FUNERAL CHAPEL Dedicated to kindly. thoughtful service. Granite, Marble ond Phone 365-3222 Dining Under the Paims st Uncommonly Affordable Prices TERRA NOVA MOTOR INN 1001 Rossland Ave., Trail Reservations 364-2222 Charters in Scotland Page B5 Youth exchange Page A3 The six winning numbers in Saturday's Lotto 6/49 draw are one, 10, 18/27, 35 and 38. The bonus number is 30. The $500,000 winning number ip Friday's Provincial lottery draw is genthazgthere are also subsidiary prizes Musicians on tour Page A6 x Today will be rally sunny with scattered afternoon clouds, lated thunder ty for rain is temperature will be 30°, with lows of 13-15°. The some weather pattern holds tor Monday and Tuesday 50 Cents = VOL. 37, No. 63 CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 1984 2 Sections (A & B) CLOWNING AROUND .. . Clowns from Katimavik group in Castlegar entertain youngsters during Kid's Day held Thursday at Kinsmen Park. CoaMewsPhoto by Adrion Chomberloin THE COLANDER SPAGHETTI Specializing in ltalien For Reservations Phone 364-1816 1478 Seder Greme rail, 8. —_—_—_—_—_—_— COLEMAN COUNTRY BOY SERVICE Sump & Septic Tank Pumpirig Phone 365-5013 3400 - 4th Avenue Costieger SURVEY SHOWS By ADRIAN CHAMBERLAIN With the Canadian dollar hovering around the 75-cent level, car loads of American tourists should be flocking to the Kootenays to take advantage of the added buying power of American currency. Right? Wrong. If a CasNews survey of restaurants and hotels in Castlegar is an indication, American tourists are either staying home this summer, or vacationing else where. George Wong, owner of East Gate Garden res taurant, says his summer business is down about 15 per cent from last year. The manager of the Doukhobor Village Restaurant, Harry Voykin, says his volume of summer customers is down about 10 per cent, and Gabriel Ferreux, who owns Gabriel's restaurant, said his summer tourist business may be down as much as 20 per cent. The Homestead Soup and Sandwich Shoppe is one restaurant that appears to be holding its own this summer — in fact, Ken Walters, owner with his wife, says the stream of customers may be up somewhat from last year. But then, Walters says his restaurant depends on a mainstay of local : “We don't really get that much tourism trade,” he said. The situation for hotels in Castlegar is similar to res- taurants. The 60-unit Fireside Motor Inn is holding its own to comparable summers, said manager Rod Clifford. But he says, like the Hornestead Soup and Sandwich Shoppe, his hotel depends on a steady clientele who stay regularly “month in and month out” — mainly “commer cial travellers and business representatives.” The Sandman Inn — whieh opened May 17 — had only 60 of 200 rooms octypied Friday, said new manager Gerhard Feigenhaver. 7 But he added. that, although he'd be “very con- cerned” if the hotel was an established one, because it's a Local tourism down “new property” the vacant rooms “don't mean anything.” “Having a brand-new facility, we will hopefully do very well in Castlegar,” he said. In “general terms” however, Felgenhauer concedes that tourism in the Kootenays is “slightly down from the previous year.” Tulio Esposito, owner of the Hi-Arrow Arms Motor Hotel, is less diplomatic. “No, there's no Americans coming up here,” he says. and “very few Alberta people.” Esposito says, despite a low Canadian dollar, Ameri cans are being discouraged by high prices on gas, liquor, and cigarettes. Doukhobor Village Restaurant manager Voykin agrees. “What they (Americans) tell me is why we come to Canada . . . it takes $20 to fill a gas tank at home, and $40 here.” Joy Ramsden, head desk elerk at the Monte Carlo Motor Inn says “volumes are down,” but attributes the decrease in lodgers to the competition of the new Sand- man Inn, right across the highway. She said the opening of the Sandman led to a price war, with the Monte Carlo dropping its rates slightly, and the Hi-Arrow cutting the price of a single to $16.95 from $25. Could Castlegar be doing more to promote tourism? Most hotel and restaurant people interviewed said organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and the Kootenay-Boundary Visitors Association were doing a reasdénable job in the face of tough economic times. “I know that they're trying awful hard — we're fighting things beyond our control,” said Esposito. But some“had suggestions to improve Castlegar's tourist-dra wing capabilities. Ramseden said the latk of signs outside and within the * continued on Pege A? DEBRIS PROBLEM Brisco, Chamber topressure utility By ADRIAN CHAMBERLAIN Staff Writer Kootenay West Tory candidate Bob Brisco and the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce will put pressure on B.C. Hydro to clear the Lower Arrow Lake of floating driftwood. Brisco said he recently spoke with Hydro officials locally and in Vernon, but he says they were unresponsive “I think it's a budgeting problem,” Brisco said Thursday. “They're not prepared to spend the dollar.” Brisco said he’s preparing a letter for Hydro officials in Vancouver, re- questing action on the situation. He says he also intends to contact the Ministry of Transport, who have blanket authority over the Arrow Lakes because they're a “navigable waterway.” “But the Ministry of Transport will, I suppose, pass the buck on to Hydro and the province,” Brisco said. “And that's where the buck should stop: B.C. Hy dro.” Wally Peacock, president of the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce, also said he intends to contact B.C. Hydro officials, and “will go all the way to (B.C, Hydro chairman Robert) Bon if I have to.” * —, PERCE A Thursday “considetable “ward t get ' correspondence” has been sent to B.C. Hydro over “a number of years” asking them to take action, “but basically, nothing has happened.” He said his priorities will be to find out who's taking direct responsibility for the debris, and find out what “they intend to do about it.” Peacock said B.C. Hydro may plan to postpone a comprehensive clean-up of the Lower Arrow Lake pending the in stallation of generators at the Hugh Keenleyside dam. The installation of generators would mean the level of the lake would have to remain more or less constant within four feet, which would in turn solve much of the debris problem, he said The water level in the Lower Arrow Lake reaches its highest point every year in July: approximately 440 metres above sea level. Regulated by the Hugh Keenleyside dam, this is about 21 metres above the lowest level — which uswally oceurs in February Awcording to Peacock, the rising and lowering of the water level is largely responsible for spreading out of drift wood which normally lies along the banks of the lake. The problem with waiting for the in Westar mill to start up Tuesday By CasNews Staff Westar Timber’s Celgar sawmill will start up operations on Tuesday on a one-shift basis. have any idea when the second shift will start up. “We're saying for an indefinite per iod,” he said, adding that to return to two full shifts will depend on produc tivity levels, as well as lumber prices The sawmill shut down nearly four weeks ago on July 9 because of weak domestic markets and a delay in a key export order. Daring the shutdown, the planer mill has been operating for three weeks. In addition shipping employees have con tinued to do some works during the shutdown. When the first shift goes back to work that 140 employees will be back on the job while 160 will still be laid off morning, it will mean, stallation of generators, says Peacock, is that it's planned for some unspecified future time He said he'd only want to wait “a couple of years at the outside” for gen erators to be installed. “And if they're not going to put gen erators in the Hugh Keenleyside dam in the future, then (B.C. Hydro should) do something about the debris.” Brisco estimated that the installation of generators would be at least four years down the road, which is “frankly, not good enough.” Although he hasn't suggested it to Hydré, Brisco said one way to get rid of the debris would be to hire “a sub stantial number of people” to collect, and burn the driftwood. “I would support that kind of initi ative,” said Brisco, adding that the program could be jointly funded by the federal government and Hydro. Brisco, who docks his own boat on the Lower Arrow Lake, says this has been “one of the worst years I've seen” for driftwood. He said the driftwood makes water skiing and boating so “dangerous” that he won't take his boat out. It’s hurting tourism in the Castlegar area, he says. And “it doesn’t take long for the 5 get sound in thé com- munity,” said Brisco. 1B BRISCO letter to Hydro M hile, the Castlegar L Business Association is throwing its support behind the Chamber of Com merce, and has written them a letter approving their intentions to make Hydro confront the problem. Copies will go to B.C. Hydro and the Ministry of Transport. Debris on the Lower Arrow Lake is “atrocious” and is “a very serious problem that must be addressed,” said Joan BLain, president of the CDBA. continued on Poge AZ ICBC finds motorists cheat on premiums VANCOUVER (CP) — The Insur ance Corporation of B.C. has discov ered that as many as 289,000 motorists cheat on their auto insurance premium to the tune of almost $29 million a year. And, in order to check the results of a survey last December that revealed the extent of the problem, the insur. ance corporation wanted to conduct a second survey which was designed to give a false impression of its purpose. Michael McCarthy, vice-president of operations, said the initial market survey carried out in December indi. cated 44.5 per cent of 650,000 passen ger vehicles insured by the corporation for pleasure driving only were in fact being driven to and from work. Motorists insured only for pleasure driving pay an average of $100 less a year than motorists who declare they drive their vehicles to and from work If the survey is correct, approx imately 289,250 vehicle owners avoid paying estimated total premiums of $29 million a year. But McCarthy said ICBC doubted the results of the first survey because the figures were so high. A second survey to check the find ings was contracted out to an indepen dent research firm, International Courseware Canada Inc. at a cost of $14,000. It was to have begun early this week with surveyors working evenings telephoning between 2,000 and 2,500 people whose names and insurance ratings were taken from the corpor ation’s files. Surveyors were told not to reveal ICBC’s connection with the survey Instead, they were to give respondents the impression the survey was being done in connection with Expo 86 and to help plan for future transportation needs. The survey was put on hold when the Vancouver Sun was leaked a copy of the questionnaire. McCarthy said the survey could not succeed if the public knew about it. Spokesman Pat Momk said in a written statement: ‘ICBC has a respon. sibility te take all reasonable steps to ensure that premiums are equitable for all classes of risk. “Our survey was carefully to protect the anonymity of all indi- viduals called. For obvious reasons it is nevessary to mask the identity of the questioner to ensure the valildity of responses in this kind of attitudinal survey.” continued on Page AZ Kalesnikoff mill down By CasNews Staff The Kalesnikoff tumber mili in Tarry's has shut down most of its oper ations for three to six weeks in an effort to cut down on a growing lumber inventory “If the economy remains the way it is, it could be longer,” said president Peter Kalesnikoff, adding that the par tial shut down could last “a month and a half at least.” The lumber mill is one of the Castie- gar area's larger employers, with about 70 workers. Kalesnikoff said Thursday the mill's logging operations had shut down, and the sawmill was scheduled to shut down on Friday Only the planer mill — after a two week closure beginning Aug. 10 — and the company’s shipping operations, will continue to run during the stoppage. Kalesnikoff said the mill's lumber in- ventory has been back logging because prices have been too low over the last four years. He said prices are down between $75 and $100 per 1,000 board feet from what the company would like to sell for. “They'll come up every six months for a little bit, and drop right down again,” he said. “The situation is very grim now.” Low prices have come about beeause construction “is way down,” he said. prove. Last year the down for two