cs __CasthégarNews _ october s, 1997 FEWER WOMEN IN CONVENTS By The Canadian Press The deserted corridors once teemed with young women preparing for a religious life but convents now resemble retirement homes for Canada's rapidly aging population of 36,000 Roman Catholic nuns. With fewer women taking the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, the future looks grim. Since 1972, women's religious orders in Canada have lost almost 12,000 nuns, 26 per cent of their membership, mostly to old age. Today, 57 per cent of Canada’s Roman Catholic nuns are older than 65, and half of that group are 75 and older. Only 1.4 per cent are younger than 35. “I really think that unless we can present our life as a viable option to more young women, the writing is on the wall,” warns Sister Theresa LeBlanc, general-superior of the Sisters of St. Martha of Antigonish, N.S. The demands on the church have never been greater: refugees, AIDS patients, strife-torn Central America, parish work to relieve the priest shortage. FACES CONSEQUENCES But there are fewer nuns to press into service. As a result: Large, unionized, expensive lay staff keep a convent or mother house running because congregations don't want to waste their novices on cooking and cleaning. © Several congregations have given up ownership and, in some cases, control of hospitals they founded because they don't have the sisters to run them. e Nuns have closed most of their private boarding schools because of staff shortages and the cost of hiring lay teachers. Spacious, beautiful convents builts in the boom years of the 1950s are being turned into retirement residences for elderly nuns, requiring costly renovations and nursing staff to provide care once given by younger nuns trained as nurses. e And, many congregations are being forced to close convents, sell properties or rent unused space to ecumenical groups to defray living expenses. “Ina microcosm, the issue touches the raw nerve of the whole country,” says Sister Mary Jo Leddy, former editor of Toronto's Catholic New Times and one of the 100 members of the Sisters of Sion, an activist group concerned with social justice issues. Using the income from the sale of several of its schools in Western Canada, the Sisters of Sion invested in a pension plan. The interest helps support inactive sisters and younger ones who are at university. RETAINS FAITH “In all of this, I believe that somehow God will provide,” says Sister Kathleen Kelly, executive secretary of the Canadian Religious Confe », the iati pI ing men’s and women's religious orders. Despite a reputation for running a tight ship, women's orders have taken the usual step of hiring investment counsellors to manage their money more efficiently. They are also buying into pension plans or setting up in-house retirement funds earmarked for their aged. A woman's congregation supports itself and bears the cost of caring for its elderly. More frequently, convents with large infirmaries are opening their doors to elderly sisters from communities unable to provide chronic nursing care. Traditionally, women’s orders have relied on the young as their source of renewal, but that tradition is vanishing with fewer practicing Catholics and smaller families. As unmarried women find greater acceptance within the church, they can serve without joining a convent. “In today’s society, a girl can join CUSO (the overseas aid body) instead of making a permanent commitment to the church,” says Sister Theresa Marie Caillouette, general superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph in London, Ont. Recruiting “is not and should not be a primary ion of any ” says Sister Veronica O'Reilly, general supervisor of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Peterborough, Ont. “We don’t exist to perpetuate ourselves. If we live with dynamism and faith .. . then what God wants to happen will happen.” Our Action Ad Phone Number is 365-2212 Chemical recalled WASHINGTON (AP) — Dow Chemical Co. is recalling the pesticide cyhexatin be- cause of the risk of birth de- a“ the U.S. Environmen- granted a company request to cancel its federal licence for production of the chemi- al, which is sold under the trade name Plictran. Laboratory tests show cy- hexatin, used to control mites on fruits and nuts, causes birth defects in rabbits and could pose a risk to unborn children of women exposed to it, the EPA said. John Moore, the agency's assistant administrator for pesticides and toxic sub- stances, said the EPA lacked information to determine if women of child-bearing age actually are at risk. Moore also said the agency lacked information to assess dietary risks. But dietary risks from cyhexatin residues do not appear to be “of the same level of concern” as the risks from worker exposure, Moore added. Agriculture Canada issued an advisory Aug. 21 — a month after a similar ad- visory had been issued by the EPA — urging pregnant women or women who think they might be pregnant not to work in fields that have been treated with Plictran. Plictran is the only product containing cyhexatin that is licensed for use in Canada. It has been used extensively to control mites on apples, pears, peaches, strawberries, hops and ornamental flowers. Canadian officials said at the time they had no concern about the residue. They also said the department was in no hurry to take regulatory action because Dow was withdrawing Plictran world- wide and they were still awaiting documentation from the EPA. When the EPA issued its first advisory July 22, Dow said it was withdrawing the chemical from use on some crops and restricting use on others. Five days later, Dow agreed to buy back inventory from Chevron Chemical Co., the other licensed seller, and Chevron said it would re- quest cancellation of its li ence. Dow announced Aug. 10 it was suspending production worldwide, and on Aug. 31 said it would ask that the pesticide licence be cancelled. EPA accepted that request effective Dec. 31. 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Business Directory ‘Advertising ROOFING Tempers flare in dispute By RON NORMAN Editor A Castlegar inside postal’ worker was injured Tuesday night when a transport truck carrying mail tried to cross a union picket line outside the Castlegar post office, Libby Weaver suffered a badly bruised knee when the truck apparently lurched ahead unexpectedly, knocking her to the ground. “The truck was going really slow,” Weaver told the Castlegar News. “I lost my balance and fell.” She said post office super visor Art Wiebe prevented the truck from moving forward until she was out of the way. “Maybe they would have run over me if Art wasn't there,” Weaver said, The accident capped a night of confrontation between about 50 people on the picket line, and post office management and truck drivers. Castlegar RCMP Staff Sgt. Jack Keddy said the post office filed three assault complaints against the picketers, as well as one complaint of vandalism. A light on one of the post office mail trucks was reportedly; smashed and a tire punctured as the truck attempted to cross the picket line Tuesday night. Education ‘passport’ panned GORDEN SHEAD . a ‘nightmare’ By CasNews Staff Loeal education officials are op- posed to the provincial government's plan to give high school students dis- counts on post-secondary tuition for good marks. “I don't like it,” Castlegar school trustee Ed Conroy said Monday night. “Education is much too valuable to Keddy said the complaints will be routinely investigated. He said it will be up to Crown counsel to decide whether to proceed with charges. RCMP appeared briefly on the scene Tuesday night to discuss the situation with post office management and union “They said there are already four complaints of assault and if there are any more it is going to be your loss,” Ben Fietz, head of the Castlegar loca! of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, said in an interview. Fietz said he agreed with the police. “As far as the police go, they’ve been really good.” The assault charges apparently stemmed from “seuffles” between picketers and post office management, Fietz said. He said about a half dozen “postal inspectors” were flown into Castlegar Tuesday afternoon, Some claimed they were pushed by picketers as the mail trucks tried to cross the picket line. Fietz said one of the reasons for the the scuffles was exhaustion. “People are getting short tempered because they're getting tired,” he said. anyone's growth to be din dollars and cents.” Conroy's comment came during a discussion of the proposed “passport for education” program, during the warns trucker to told the truckers STRIKE APPEAL . . A fellow worker agreed. “Doth en and beh at hours ep nthe lat two days,” she said. “It’s very Fietz said he won't know until 6 p.m. tonight when the postal workers will return to their jobs. That's when post office management will inform them when to return. The earliest the inside workers could return is 6 a.m. Thursday because management must provide 12 hours notice to the workers. However, Fietz said he is unsure if inside workers will return. “I guess we'll go back,” he said, but then added: “Or maybe not.” Three trucks made it through the picket line Tuesday and two more this morning. However, Fietz said picketers were no longer vigorously preventing the trucks from entering the post office parking lot and instead were handing out flowers to the truck drivers as a “peace” ‘The walkout began at 6 a.m. Monday when the 16 inside inside postal workers set up a picket line outside the Castlegar post office. Picket lines were also set up at the continued on poge A2 FOUR BROKERS OUT ON BAIL By MARC PICHE if Staff Writer Four men sentenced to six months in prison for their involvement in the Dixie Dee Powers pyramid scheme have been released pending an appeal. Samuel Stoopnikoff, 28, of Castlegar, Daniel Voykin, 30, of Brilliant, Steven Evdokimoff, 28, of South Slocan, and Fred Chursinoff, 49, of Brilliant were released on Sept. 26, 11 days after they were each sentenced. ‘The release order came at 10:10 a.m. on Sept. 24, following a bail bearing in the Court of Appeal in Vancouver, but the four men were not released from the Bear Creek prison camp near Clearwater, B.C. until the next day. Stoopnikoff, when asked in an interview with the Castlegar News if he was treated well in custody, answered: “I couldn't say that.” He said he has returned to the job he held prior to his conviction. Brian Bailey, who acted as agent for the four men during the Sept. 14 trial, told the Castlegar News the continued on page A2 Board eyes $2m SHSS ities; fic areas; into the sejence . Ben Fietz, local CUPW president, stay away from picket lines. Fietz he didn’t think it was a good idea running over people. Answered the trucker: want to do that . . . “| don’t unusable,” ‘© double-paning glass in high traf- e and putting an exhaust system “Those science labs are just about said Jerry Brown, repre- upgrading By CasNews Staff Castlegar school district is looking at spending $2 million to $3 million to upgrade Stanley Humphries secondary schoo. Superintendent of schools Terry Wayling told the Casi “board's education committee meeting ‘wilt “pursue efficient, and that a major facelift is needed. sehool thé district vigorously” the facelift, required to make the school safe. However, he said provincial funding is not yet ‘The district dug into its own pockets recently to pay for an architect to study the necessary additions to the school. The: architect discussed with SHSS teachers their needs and in- cluded this information in his study. Facilities requiring upgrading include: e ventilating the industrial edu- cation and food rooms; © improving the washroom facil- ‘Smecher told’ the board that she officials ilabl was by ¢ that $56 million had been allotted prov- ince-wide, pulpal Stanley Humphries and d a medium priority. “They don’t get to medium prio- rity when they only have $55 million,” said Smecher. “I asked them what kind of academy performance I needed to do to convince them this was for the health and safety of our kids.” Smecher admitted that she called Premier Bill Vander Zalm when he was on a local open-line show, and told the premier “in no uncertain terms that $55 million was in no way enough for facilities.” Post-accreditation committee representative Michael Chapman said but I had to try and get through. education committee meeting in Castle- gar Monday night. “Everything for a buck.” chairman Tony Guglielmi. added IN COURT THURSDAY When he announced the plan last week Premier Bill Vander Zalm said the plan is supposed to give students “a passport for excellence.” Students from Grade 9 through Grade 12 would have their passports stamped when their marks put them in the top 80 per cent of the class. The passports might be traded in for as much as $500 or $750. Conroy said he could see two problems with basing tuition bonuses on marks. The first is that private schools would benefit disproportion ately. “The economic elite can theore- tically afford elite instruction,” said Conroy. “The money would go to those students with the least need for it.” He is also concerned that the money would reward academic ‘intelli- gence, thereby alienating a certain segment of students who have other areas of strength. “There are different kinds of in- telligence, common sense, street smarts, academic . . .” Trustee Gordon Turner said he wants to see if the provin¢ial govern- ment is making new money vaitable or if it is simply restr ‘ing the present scholarship system. “If they are simply taking the scholarships and changing them around, why bother adding the burden to the sehools in terms of keeping track.” He added, “This kind of a reward system could cause al kinds of prob- lems . . . a teacher could be pressured in many different ways.” Monday. Crown counsel Jan told the Castlegar released, it will be i federal continued on page A2 An Alberta prison escapee charg- ed with kidnapping a B.C. woman was remanded until Thursday when he appeared in Castlegar provincial court Robert James Watson, 43, will remain in custody in Nelson while a show of cause to indicate why the Crown believes Watson should not be released pending trial. Defence lawyer John Carpenter prison system from which he allegedly escaped Sept. 2 by driving 4 1964 International fire truck through agate at the medium-security prison at Council pushes truck route By RON NORMAN Editer Castlegar council is pushing the Ministry of Highways to build a second highway from Highway 3 to Celgar Pulp Co. and Westar Timber’s South- ern Wood Products sawmill. Mayor Audrey Moore told a recent couneil meeting that a second route is essential because of CP Rail's plan to abandon its Castlegar to Midway line. Prison escapee held By MARC PICHE Staff Writer Bowden, Alta. Watson faces 11 charges, including using a firearm during a kidnapping, sexual assault with a weapon, unlawful confinement, car theft, theft of a van, breaking and entering, and being unlawfully at large. He was charged after a woman was abducted in Grand Forks and forced to drive across southern B.C. She managed to escape at the Horse- shoe Bay ferry terminal and directed @ police to her captor. When Watson was led into the courtroom dock only five reporters and one spectator were present, besides the lawyers and court officials. in pressed prison greens, his arms crossed behind his back, e Maclver prepares News if Watson is into the hands of the ‘That will mean increased truck traffic on Columbia Avenue carrying chips and logs to the pulpmill and sawmill, she said. Moore suggested the new route could go in just west of Castlegar by the Ministry of Highways yard. She said such a road is shown on ministry plans. The road would pass through city property and some property within the years.” The committee said that “ and diming” the improvements was in- Watson stood between two sheriffs and stared at provincial court judge Ron Fabbro as Fabbro discussed the case with Carpenter. The prisoner's taut face jerked over towards Crown counsel Maclvor as she asked he be remanded until a show of cause was prepared. He then returned his attention to Fabbro: Within four minutes of his entrance, the proceedings were over. Watson was led out to a waiting van to be returned to Nelson. When he reappears in Castlegar provincial court Thursday, Watson will elect how he chooses to be tried — by provincial court judge without jury, by a judge alone at the county or supreme court level, or by a judge and jury. Marzari, with Regional District of Central Kootenay. The new route was raised during council discussions with Highways Ministry staff at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in late September in Vancouver. Moore said council should also insist that CP Rail pay for. part of the new route. continued on page A2 on the committee looking into ways of im- proving the school. Brown said that if it takes five years for upgrading to begin “those are going to be a very long five inside GOVERNMENT ‘JERKS’: the New Democrat post-secondary education critic, called Premier Zalm’s government a bunch of jerks Tuesday during a meeting students at College's Castlegar Compus . . . A2 that he ap the support tea- chers were getting from the board and administration for suggested improve- ments, and the consultation with the teachers over planning. “People are feeling good about being part of the decision instead of being informed after the fact.” “nickel Darlene Bill Vander Selkirk COMPLAINT REJECTED: Federal Transport Minister John Crosbie has politely rejected Castlegar council's complaint about the contract for construction of the new airport terminal . . -A2 ROLE CHANGES: Rossland-Trail MLA Chris D'Arcy has a new por- tfolio in the NDP shadow cabinet... A3 NEW BOOKS: Castlegar librarian Judy Wearmouth says the best- seller Sarum is one of the many new bodks in at the library . - -AT MONKEY BUSINESS: MOSCOW — A “delighted” monkey named Troublemaker has broken loose from a restraint in a Soviet satellite and is pushing buttons on the control panel, Moscow Radio said. Troublemaker is one of two monkeys launched Sept. 29 fora two-week experiment on the effects of weightlessness. But the mi: the monkey's curiosity, the radio said. As well as trying buttons on the control panel, he is also playing with an electrode cap on its head, the radio said. Experts from the United States, the European Spoce Agency and Communist countries are taking part in the project. might have to be cancelled early because of