KPLUS gives public a voice Jonathan Green NEWS REPORTER In a province dependent on the forestry industry, Lee Hut- ton believes the people should have a voice when it comes to The president of the Koote- nay Planned Use Society says his group has one main goal. “Our purpose is to allow the people of the Kootenays some input into forestry and relat- ed operations,” he said. KPLUS, a non-profit group formed in November, allows Kootenay residents to speak up on logging practices. Among the group’s objec- tives are the assembly of a li- brary and-data bank on land use and water quality issues, forums and seminars on pub- lic and private land use issues, and involvement in the plan- ning process of forestry, min- ing and other developments. Hutton said it’s important that people become informed. “The unknown is scary to people,” he said, “They should be aware of what is happen- Hutton said that the group’s formation came at a time when tensions in the re- gion regarding logging were running high, pitting demon- strators against loggers. He added that if all parties in- volved were well informed, cooler heads would prevail. “People didn’t like the con- frontations, ” he said. “If they all had the same knowledge and in- formation, they could come to the same conclusions.” The group is hard at work in- forming the public about an area on the west arm of Kootenay Lake, where only 22 acres has been set aside for preservation. That number has Hutton con- cerned. “It’s much less than one per cent, ” he said, “Even the loggers don’t think that’s okay.” He added that the situation isn’t unique to the Kootenays. “It’s a problem which is really province-wide,” he said. Having met twice already, Hutton says the group is open to ideas. “We need more public input to ensure proper education.” Education that Hutton hopes will result in a voice heard by Vic- toria. Sunday; December 29, 1991 School districts and union reach accord Scott David Harrison EDITOR After three days of negoti- ations, the West Kootenay Labor Relations Council and four area school boards have reached a tentative agree- ment. Although no one is willing to reveal the terms of the ten- tative agreement, Castlegar School District No. 9 negotia- tor John Dascher said the deal “was good for both sides.” If approved, the deal struck on Dec. 20 would en- sure that it would be busi- ness as usual for mainte- nance workers, bus drivers and secretaries representing school districts in Castlegar, Nelson, Nakusp and Grand Forks. The union is expected to vote on the package in mid- January. It will go before each school board for ap- proval by Jan. 20. Dascher said he expected the. package to be passed by both sides. If approved by the 300 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the deal will go into effect on Jan. 1. One ‘‘special delivery” along with the proud parents, will walk away with Ke all the ‘‘booty’”’ featured on this page. e For the Parents of the New Year's For the 4Y¥ Parents of the New \ : For the Mother of the New Year's Baby ONE MANICURE A $50 Gift Cerrtificate from SAFEWAY We bring italllogether # ’ A Gift Certificate Valued at $50 from CASTLEGAR $5 Supervalu os 365-6000 CENTRE In the Castleaird Plaza Carl's Plaza Drugs Ltd. Your Friendly Pharmacy in the Castleaird Plaza 365-7269 CASTLEGAR CS @ Sunday, December 29;'1991 NewsFOCUS Tol = on fh FA Ls OW. ce “The premier has made a mistake and he should reverse it. It is part of the highway system. If they don’t reopen it, we will.” — Mike Harcourt on the Socreds decision to remove the ferry The News, Nov. 9, 1988 Scott David Harrison EDITOR The last place one could imagine a political war being waged is in tiny Robson. Nestled against the Columbia River, Robson is a picture post card community. The mountains stand firm and the wind blows gently across the smooth flowing river. But behind the beauty of this West Kootenay town is the story of people fighting for what is theirs. Or, at the very least, what was theirs. The fight began on April 28, 1988, when, under the darkness of a spring night, the Robson ferry was whisked away by the Social Credit government never to be seen again. One government and one promise later, hopes of having the Robson ferry traversing the mighty Columbia once again have all but died. On Friday, Dec. 20, those hopes drowned when Transport Minister Art Charbonneau released the grim news that the Robson ferry would never return. The announcement marks the end of one battle for the Robson- Raspberry Ferry Users Ad hoc Cc i and the beginning of a new one. After all, the same people that stationed 24-hour guards on the ferry three years ago to ensure it wouldn’t move anywhere are hardly ready to give up. “Ironically, the day the decision rm y= Pept News photo By Scott David Harrison Elmer Pellerine (left), Fred Marsh and George Stein are about the only things that rest a the Robson ferry landing these days. The plan to have the ferry returned was unceremoniously squashed by the government on Dec. 20 Eve talking to The News inside Robson’s Lion’s Head Pub, says she has been “betrayed” by the very party she campaigned for. “Basically, there has been no response from the government,” she said about the committee’s non-stop telephone inquires and letter campaigns. “We haven’t even had the decency of one response.” “It just goes-to show you the weakness of our form of government,” said the committee’s Elmer Pellerine, who offers a different perspective as a member of the much-maligned Social Credit Party, “you can change the color, you can change the stripe, but once they get in, you have a four-year dictatorship.” While not everyone on the committee agreed with Pellerine’s statement, they all agreed on one thing — they have been cheated. “We have to hold our elected fficial: ble,” Fernie Allam came down that the ferry Idn’t be returned, I received an appeal for for funds from the New Democrats,” said the committee’s Darlene Schultz, who also sits on the Rossland-Trail New Democtat executive. “Needless to say, I sent it back with a note attached saying why they wouldn't be getting any funds from me.” Schultz, one of six members of the committee who spent Christmas said. “That’s all we're trying to do here.” “If they say they are going to do something, they should live up to it,” offered Fred Marsh. “That’s what really sickens me about governments and politics.” An apolitical body, the says it has no real political agenda other than having the ferry’ returned. Even then, Schultz admits that the ferry would only run until the proposed bridge is constructed for fall 1993. “I would really like to know the underlying reasons for this decision,” George Stein said. “They say that $200,00 a year can’t be justified, but that is nothing to the annual budget.” In his press release, Charbonneau stated that it would cost some $220,000 to operate the ferry in 1992. He said it was something the ministry and the province couldn't afford. The committee scoffs at that suggestion, as well as others that claim thewferry is a_ losing proposition. Stein said that some 2,60‘ travellers used the modest vessel each day. Over the course of a year, that translates to close to 1 million passengers. The committee is also confused by Castlegar council’s recent decision not to endorse the ferry’s return, especially considering that Mayor Audrey Moore was one of the many volunteers who guarded it three years ago. “Audrey is way back in the corner on this one,” Derek Todd said. “I think she sees it as one or the other and we're not saying that.” As for Rossland-Trail MLA Ed Conroy's involvement with the Robson ferry, the committee has nothing but glowing reviews for the political rookie. “He has done everything humanly possible,” said Marsh with the approval of his peers. “We know Ed has worked hard campaigning for the ferry and we thank him for that.” Stein said that Charbonneau’s announcement won't damper the committee's efforts. In fact, he suggested ‘it may make the committee work that much harder. “We still have the support of the people,” Stein said. “If we don't, I'd be surprised because I’ve never heard anyone say ‘smarten up because you’re not speaking for me ‘We would like to see more people pick up the support,” Todd said. ‘I think the NDP is forgetting we are experienced at this,” Stein continued. “We've been doing this now for three and a half years and we're not ready to give up.” “We’ve just seen a new government come in and we seem to be starting over,” Stein said. “Successive governments,” Todd . said, “seem to dismiss the popular sentiment of the citizens. “If removing the ferry was a mistake before the election and it’s not a mistake after the election, what is?”