OPINION wily WS PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG SHARLENE IMHOFF JOHN VAN PUTTEN SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER KAREN KERKHOFF REPORTER MARGE LALONDE CIRCULATION MANAGER SHAUNA KATTLER OFFICE MANAGER/CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISING REP ADVERTISING REP TRICIA LAKTIN Direct Department Phones General Office 365-5266 Circulation 365-5266 Classified Ads 365-7848 Display Advertising 365-2278 Newsroom 365-5579 Fax 365-7762 The Castl jar Sun CATHERINE ROSS NICOLE BEETSTRA CHRISTINE MOYER PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT wy The Cast jar Sun tk ZS 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C. V1N 1¢ 1S POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A Established November 28, 1990 Published by Sterling Newspapers Ltd. Weekly on Wednesdays Member of Canadian Community Newspapers Assoc B.C. Community Newspapers Association and B.C. Press Council Publications Mail Registration pending getting the raise we thought was owed to u perceived miserliness of the company would find that being an employer cracked up to be. There are many considerat decisions that have to be times 365 days a year dealt with every day firm hand, astute management skills, suong c« more than working drones attain as the common cold But the astute employer values its hard employee: is the key to a succes Once again the Ca expendable and a venture meager budget, administration was forced to cuts. There were many options—and one of would be laid off. carry an ever-increasing workload Instead, through the admirable cooperatic three unions represented at the hospital ences, an arrangement has been worked out resulting in not one single employee losing minutes less than the standard 37.5 hours Instead of losing employees to budgetary co: undeniably shows that management and un welfare of both employee and patient tion for all parties involved. Along with the re-scheduling of its wor doctor for a cold that has already festered the flu. If a person needs to see a physician offices will still be open health care costs down to a minimum to all of us, to keep health care costs down, nc MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE editorial comment —$—<$<—<—— The benefits of cooperation Most of us who aren't self-employed and work for others rarely take the time to consider what it means to be an employer. All we can see ig the unfairne: But if we were to step into our employers shoes we is not all it’s To excel as a fair and effective employer re cation and most of all an even stronger commitment to its employees: We all know that there are companies out there who look upon their workers as being no and realizes that a happy and healthy staff legar and District Hospital has shown its true colors. Faced with rising expenses and a reduce the staff, would mean devastation to those who -and to those who would remain, to Employees Union (HEU); Registered Nursing Associ- ation of British Columbia (RNABC); and Health Sci- was decided that all employees would work several thereby decreasing wages and saving $140,000 a year. all those involved brainstormed, and the arrangement not be adversaries, but instead have the ability to work together towards a common goal— in this case it is the The outcome of that partnership isn’t just the saving of jobs, it’s the beginning of a new kind of apprecia- hospital has also decided to close the emergency room every fifth Friday to anything except emergencies. This means we can’t just run in and expect to see a days. Nor can we expect to go in for a simple case of This means we, the public, are also in partnership with the unions, hospital and its employees to keep We can do this by not using the emergency room unnecessarily It’s up 38 iation, Ss in not s, or the ions and some quires a mamuni S easy to working consider them, to on of the Health whereby a job. It a week, mstraints, ion need kers, the for three however, yt just the Not mad, just angry — with a cloak of mystery, that clings to manic depression, there are some people who believe that those who suffer from manic depression are healthier than once thought. They feel that manic depressives are generally more sensitive and, on the average, much more cre ative than someone who has not been afflicted by severe psychic pain and suffering. For example, when I described my first manic depressive episode to a respected local therapist, Dr. Andre Piver, he remarked that quite often it’s the closest one comes to being human. A prominent psychiatrist, Dr. Breden campf, explained to me that it’s often the most sensitive and intelligent souls that fall prey to.a debilitating mental illness. Certainly, there is evidence that manic depression often claims our best and our brightest The evidence is abundant and there for us to see and hear. For example: author William Sty ron, Edgar Allen Poe, and Vincent van Gogh as well as many classical and contemporary com- posers suffer or have suffered wretchedly from depression and/or manic depression. Abraham Lincoln suffered from severe depression as did Leo Tolstoy. In fact 18 per cent of poets are manic depressive though manic depressives make up only | per cent of the total population Their suffering has benefited all of humanity. Some authorities on the subject, such as Dr. David Suzuki, theorize that it’s a canary down the mine shaft phenomenon. It’s noted that it's the most sensitive and perceptive of us who are [: spite of the still persistent stigma, along most affected by the cruelty of society as well as the ripple effect of social injustice. It's been suggested that manic depressives reflect what is hi pening to our world. The reason ing behind this theory being that: if you can function in an obviously dysfunctional system without being mentally affected, then maybe you are sick It can then be assumed that manic depressives, more in touch with their own emotions and therefore the emotions of others, see the injustice and cru- elty around them and react nor mally to hideous situations. Poverty and suffering are things we definitely have enough of and the pain goes on and is growing. Considering that a very large percentage of our society will suffer some kind of manic and/or depressive episode at least once in their lives, generally before the age of 25, this is not a theory that is easily discarded However, others believe that the illness, while sometimes allowing flashes of brilliance, is pri marily cause by biological and genetic factors They say that there is a chemical imbalance that causes a neurological dysfunction in the manic depressive’s brain that may be congenital or inherited. Manic depression can be ‘controlled’ somewhat by medication, but It is a chemical imbalance, but what causes it?! No one can come up with an answer, nor can they explain why some medication work. Any sufferer will tell you that it's not purely a bio- logical phenomenon, but often an over sensitivity to stress caused by an unnatural lifestyle foisted upon us by “sane” individuals who profit from it. Now that we have new statistics that show episodes of manic depression rising in conjunction with stress factors, personal and environmental, I think that more people are walking around with their eyes forced open. Let's hope, like Vincent van Gogh and his sketches of poor, worn faces, not cured that we can find a release Sandra Stephenson grew up in the Kootenays and returned after working for the CBC in Toronto for three years. She is the mother of a two-year-old son, and is currently attending Selkirk College in Castlegar. She is a member of several environmental and human rights groups and an active environmentalist. Sandra is cur- rently living in Nelson Immigration: cost or benefit?| John . Canada is a country with a heart. World-wide we are known as a people who care and show concem for others. The image is one we have earned for our long-term thoughtfulness and open-arms attitude towards those who are oppressed in their country of origin. Their country may be one in poliical upheaval, involved in a war where hideous crimes fall upon civilians, or they might live in a country where human rights are absent To suggest that we suddenly close our doors to these suffer- ing souls is like turning a bind eye, or just plain ignoring the turmoil that occurs around the world everyday. Our country benefits by you and me, John, that's who Our already financially strained health care system can’t take on any more of the financial burden. It’s got to stop. If we don’t get health care costs under control we're: going It’s true that a portion of these new Canadi ans are only qualified for jobs to lose the system that only pay minimum wage Let's face 1t—those types of jobs don't provide medical care benefits. If those people then choose not to purchase health care, or are unable to do so because of meager earnings and then require medical someone will have to apply for that care. And I can tell you who that someone will be—it will be the already painfully care, allowing immigration. The financial gains we stand to receive are many, and our écon- omy..could use any sort of injec- tion of life Consider this Karen: many of these people who arrive on our doorstep with very little as far as worldly possessions go, more often than not, make the hardest working Canadian. It does not matter what their country of origin is, they all have the same goal in common, they are in a fight for survival, and to make strides for a better life is something all of us can do. Afterall, with the exception of First Nations, all our ances- tors were immigrants at one time or another. They left their homeland in search of a better life. Karen you and I are no dif- ferent in our heritage and what you propose will take away from these new immigrants the only hope they can see for living a decent life Immigrants also tend to take menial jobs, left vacant by Canadians who consider them as too low paying. Most new Canadians have a strong desire to make their new life in this new country work, whatever it takes. They are not afraid to take these low paying jobs which businesses have such a hard time filling. Considering the hardships these people have endured they have more incen- tive to make the best of their chance for a better life here in Canada. In the meantime, con- sider the many Canadians who think nothing of relying com- pletely on welfare either all year, or part of the year as a seasonal worker. Take the tobacco harvest in Southern Ontario for example That industry fills those vacan- cies with workers on temporary work visas and new citizens because if they didn’t their crops wouldn’t get harvested. As well as economic factors, there is a diversity in this coun- try that benefits everyone—tol- erant and intolerant Canadians alike. It’s just too bad that peo- ple like yourself refuse to see it Karen. heek Other than the First Nations we've all derived from immi- grants, and while the government was encouraging immigrants to come to Canada and help settle it for perfectly valid reasons, those reasons are no longer viable While Canada is proud of the fact that it is a nation of diverse ethnic cultures time to reassess if we can truly afford to encourage that sort of mass immigration nowadays. Canada accuses the it doesn’t belong, but isn't Cana da doing the same thing when we allow refugees to enter our country But that isn't the strongest argument against massive immi gration down to one thing—money When will the government wake up and realize that there are sev eral real costs associated with mass immigration Who do you think pays for the training and people, it is States of sticking its finger in pies where Unfortunately it boils education and health care for these people? It's overburdened tax payer. Besides that, I'll be quite frank about it (and I just know I'll get tons of mail over this), Canada needs to care for its own citizens first I want to set the record straight nght now, this has nothing to do with racism but everything to do with the survival of Canada We need to assure that there are jobs for our own people first before we Start giving away jobs to non- Canadians. The argument about Canadians not wanting to work at minimum wage jobs just doesn't cut it. Sure, there are people out there who would rather sit on welfare or unem- ployment rather than work at a job that pays less than social assistance. But that in itself is a Problem. Maybe the answer to that lays in revamping our social and economic system—not in hiring immigrants to do those jobs at those meager wages We are so overly-concerned about non-Canadians. It’s almost as if we have to Prove what a nice nation we are—too bad we're forgetting our own in the process. 04/30/94 FATS! arrive Wednesday, November 3, 1993 Letters to the Editor The Castlegar Sun Page 7A Handling of bear incident a big disappointment Dear Editor: I am writing this complaint on behalf of those three bears which were so carelessly destroyed last week.I could not just sit at home with a clear conscience and for- get about it, especially after remembering about the three bears that were illegally butchered at Sullivan Creek for body parts. I am very disappointed in the fashion the incident in Blueberry Ceek was handled last week. The police should not have allowed all those people to be so close, a bear won't always die on the first or second shot; and sec Government ond, with all our high-tech equip- ment these days, I am more than Sure something could have been found to place under that tree to soften the landing of those bears. I am especially disappointed in the conservation officers, who were on that scene, for-not even giving those bears a second chance at life in some other area. It sounds as though they made absolutely no effort to find another home for them and in my opinion those officers are not any better than the poachers of the three bears at Sullivan Creek. appointed, J.J. Hyde excuses for poor roads won’t cut it Dear Editor: If road users - private and com mercial - are tired of hearing the excuse of “no money” for govern. ment neglect of urgently-needed highway and bridge improve- ments in British Columbia they should demand governments show greater ingenuity. Some of the most urgently-needed and most expensive new roads and bridges can be paid for without adding tolls or new taxes. For an example of the possi- bilities, we need look no farther than the Greater Vancouver com- munity of Coquitlam. There, a private developer paid the entire $9 million cost of construction and paving of a section of road to eliminate a traffic bottleneck between the Trans Canada and Lougheed highways. The cost to taxpayers and) road Approval of mmodate users? voning F ulations fo accc development Flu medicine easier to swallow thanks to local volunteers Dear Editor: I would like to thank the Catholic Ladies fot organizing so well the Senior Flu Clinic. You could not have been more wel. coming, as well as serving us coffee, tea and great baking Another thanks goes to the Catholic Church for the loan of the Catholic Centre & also a thanks to the cheerful Health Staff Margaret Pryce Just a note ... Dear Editor short item in the October 13 of the Castlegar Sun identifies me as “Robson resi dent Fred Marsh... Castlegar’s tepresentative along with Audrey Moore and Bob Brown of Pope and Talbot.” While I am pleased to be associated with Castlegar I must point out that I was asked to sit on West Kootenay Power's Integrated Resource Plan Consultative Committee as a representative of the Koote nay-Okanagan Electric Con- sumers’ Association, the self-financed organization that has members throughout the whole of the West Kootenay service area Fred G. Marsh Director, ECA adjacent 80-hectare business part The benefits include the removal of some 7,000 vehicles a day from neighborhood streets their drivers were using to get through the daily snarl For anther example, we can cite the Hans Bentzen proposal for a self-financing tunnel beneath Burrard Inlet to provide six traffic lanes and two rapid transit tracks to handle First Nar- rows traffic between Vancouver and the North Shore. The cost? Permission to create an island in the shallow Burnaby Shoal area of the Inlet and to develop and sell a portion of it. The benefits include not only a solution to the present Lions Gate Bridge issues but improvements to Stanley Park both through the elimination of the need for the through its heart and the addition ter park around the causeway of a perim adjacent new island Yet another example is the potential for a self-finanéing new inland highway from Greater Van couver to Squamish and Whistler How do we pay the cost? Provide the builder with real estate adja cent to this new route and permis- sion to develop it These examples offer evi- dence that, given the opportunity, the private sector is capable of devising creative ways to finance and build needed major additions to the province's road and bridge networ! The B.C. Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association believes the cash-short govern ment of British Columbia should See EXCUSE > trial‘of Pauline M complete mockery of Ca judge tence (as is regularly don tria commences? when it involve Recent trial of Berikoff was a adian jurisprudenc: and a preposterous waste of taxpayer money. Why endure a three day trial with he jury and the expense of a supposed “specialist”, when the conviction and sen wa with Sons of Free dom trials) are determined long before the The Supreme Court of Canada has proven beyond doubt that it is nothing but a farce camouflaging the injustice being adminis tered by the law of wolves and chickens How can the high cost of such a trial and subsequent five year sentence be justified a lady who has not caused as much as five cents worth of damage (as Help repoxt.the ‘real’ The following is an open letter to the community of Castle gar One of the problems that seem to arise is the on-going vandalism on Zuckerberg Island. Although in the past the society has always taken the stand that if something gets broken then fix it, no ques. tions asked, the time has come crime. As the minum door sense? It Was most obvious that the accused had ho intention of causing any damage with. the insignificant bottle of gas and the paper bag had with her at the scene of the non evidence showed practically full at the trial, so she could hot have tried very hard to pour it on the alu: fi which would not have burned tnyway. All Pauline had in mind was to join het incarcerated sisters. have been accomplished without a ludicrous three day trial and the hiring of a specialist to camouflage the injustice. Where is common As an ardent believer in the Doukhobor faith anc ideals, I was somewhat confused by the evidence given by both the biased spe ‘faithful’ a mockery of justice Proven by the Crown Prosecutor)? “fire” the bottle This could easily cialist and Laura Verigin who claimed that the Doukhobor symbolic “Supper” meant Since 1947, experience has taught me that the “Supper” meant abolishing or reject- ing private ownership of land burn land If, as Laura Verigin stated, Supper meant and as the specialist stated, Supper meant the rejection of material things, then one must question, “Why is the “Supper” repeat- edly mentioned in ISKRA, the official publi- cation of the USCC?” Why then did the specialist not mention this fact, for Pauline went to the Verigin residence only to help and you can't them with the Supper that the faithful are so ISKRA often called on to fulfill through the pages of Mike E. Chernenkoff vandals of Zuckerberg Island Castlegar should be aware of this problem Zuckerberg Island is a beauti ful, peaceful retreat and many people from in and out of town utilize this island. We do not want people to become afraid to come around because of the groups of kids from the surrounding area Another side to Prozac Dear Editor: I am responding to the article in the September 22 issue of The Castlegar Sun The article titled “The other side of the controversial drug Prozac” lead people-to believe some untruths I would like to clear up. First, Eli Lilly spokesman Mark Fleming said that the C.C.H.R. and the Church of Scientology recruited converts by preying on people with mental illness. I say an emphatic not true. The article previously printed by “The Sun response from Eli Lilly Co. was Arlene Dyson who attempted suicide while on Prozac and became so obsessed with it she finally succeeded. I am neither affiliated with the Church of Scientology nor do I intend to be and I am not mentally il My mother was clinically depressed with suicidal ideation which ‘brought about my mother yes, but she had never in anyway attempted suicide until being on “Prozac” at the time of her first suicide attempt and thirty-one days after she had been on Prozac I read a nursing drug manual that stated “watch for suicidal tenden cies after 28-30 days”. I also noted gross behavioural changes in my mother such as hallucina tions, seizures, psychosis, extreme aggression and a total preoccupation with suicide. It is noted the majority of these symp- toms were not present before Prozac. Eli Lilly Co. also does not make mention of the close to two hundred lawsuits filed against them in-relation to Prozac, none of which were filed by the C.C.H.R. or The Church of Sci- entology, but by ordinary citizens I would also like to ask Eli Lilly Co. if their drug “Prozac” is so safe and effective why do they spend so much time and with such speed need to defend it. I have to wonder if the bottom line is not the fact that this drug in tremendous reve Surely the brings nues There is an old saying nan doth protes much I believe that Prozac 1 ot the much like Thalidamide SINT not all of the mothers in gestation on this drug gave birth to children with birth defects enough that twenty-five years but it was later and after the drug had been lobbied off the market f people were compensated for a thousands See PROZAC and we don't want to lose volun. teers because of fear of being along on the island I ask that all people from the community report to local author- ities when there is a possible threat to the well being of the island. Not just because there are kids on the island, only when there seems to be a threat. Unfor- tunately the kids that don’t mis- treat the island are also getting the brunt of it and I apologize to you. So please be concerned and help keep Zuckerberg Island the unique and beautiful place that it was meant to be Debbie McIntosh Co-ordinator C.D.HLS. Sponsored by: ALL CANDIDATES FORUM For our upcoming Muncipal Election Wednesday, November 10th, 7:00 pm at The Sandman Inn Banquet Room CASTLEGAR & DISTRICT Chamber of Commerce ma Za DOREEN SMECHER FOR MAYOR Getaway! Abhhbhh drift into a state of utter relaxation and peace as you slip into the steaming mineral waters from the caves of Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort Afterwards, enjoy the fine cuisine and hospitality in the Springs Dining Room. Or, kick bac easy atmosphere of the Krao Lounge and enjoy the evening's entertainment Fhe-pristinebeauty-of the Purcelt- Mountains-and—Kooteray take is a Photo by Orla Shaver k and relax with a casual menu in the Fall Sale Continues LOOK FOR "SPECIAL" SALE TAGS!! BEDROOM SUITES Attractive modern, contemporary ......... 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Stay Safari If you have a subject that you would like to see debated In the Cheek to Cheek Inn hall not i column, Karen and John would love to hear your suggestions. * Located Orchard Park hospital spend the night in our spectacular view rooms Sunday to Thursday Starting at: 49m Jing bette ‘ Nov. 1 to Nov. 24 * Nov. 28 to Dec. 16 Aren't you feeling better already Iichodes pedi paad “Double orcovancy Ainsworth Got Springs Resort 1 - 8004 668 - 1171 (604) 229 - 4212 * Fax 229 - 5600 Considering a Conference or Banquet? We have the setting and facilities for those who want to mix business and pleasure ERRORS perfect advertiser ag} a nl Jamages arising any advertisement beyond the hopping Centre p Rat Per Room Per Night ° Double Occupancy Reservations + 860-8122 amount paid for the space spied by that portion of the ed. whether Call the newsroom at 365-5579 or fax us your comments and requests at 365-7762 And, you can visit us 365 days a year advertisement in which the erro uch error ie disc to the negligence of its servant and there shall be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the ammount paid for such advertisement All advertising subject to publisher ompleted within one year trom ce otherwise Located halfway between Trail & Castlegar Open 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday approval Contracts must be Oe ders + date No contingent & Floor Covering Centre Genelle Phone 693-2227 Cx