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6.59/kg.

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Assorted

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pkg..of 6

Pkg of 1 dozen

Assorted

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350 g.

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CASTLEGAR

NewsFLASH
Ca

-
bn:

IA X
Vili 7 NS
Sunny with cloudy periods
and scattered showers or thun-
dershowers. High in the low 20s.

@ OUR PEOPLE

Downtown Revitalization is
just around the corner, and the
Castlegar and District Heritage
Society is looking forward to
being a part of it.

page 9

@ LOCAL SPORTS

Castlegar’s Laurel Closkey
bid goodbye to the Crossroads
of the Kootenays Thursday as
she headed off to college in Al-
berta.

page 11
@ WORK PLACE

The local economy may be
seeing a small boom over the
next while. as new businesses
move into town and old ones
expand.

page 13

Our People
Crossword
Horoscope
Local Sports
Work Place
Action Ads

LOCAL MP LYLE KRISTIANSEN TO RECEIVE $27,000 ANNUAL

SERVING THE CROSSROADS OF THE KOOTENAYS SINCE 1947

News photo by Neil Rachynski
Castlegar mayor Audrey Moore was all smiles Thursday as she shook hands with
Transport Minister Art Charbonneau. Charbonneau was in town to announce that
funding was available to begin work on the $26 million Castlegar-Robson bridge. °

Jonathan Green
NEWS REPORTER

Castlegar’s long anticipated bridge
over troubled waters will finally be-
come a reality.

At a news conference near the old
ferry ramp north of town Thursday,
Transport Minister Art Charbonneau
announced that p=
funding for the | —
Castlegar-Robson
bridge had become
available for con-
struction to begin
this year. :

“The last time I was on business in
Castlegar, the weather was somewhat
colder and the reception somewhat
hotter,” he told the crowd of about 40.

The announcement comes six
months after the minister told an an-
gry crowd at the Robson Hall that
funding for the bridge wouldn't be
available this year because ofa slash in
the Transport ministry budget. The
project would have to wait until at
least next year, he said at that time.

But on Thursday, he said some $3
million had become available since his
February visit, allowing work to com-
mence this-year on approaches to the
bridge.

“We've been able to save money on
other projects around the province,” he
said. “I’m able to say to you (the bridge)
will happen.”

“«.,The news was met with open arms
by both city officials and Rossland-
Trail MLA Ed Conroy.

“I want to thank the minister,” Con-
roy said. “He has put in a tremendous
effort to help us here in the Kootenays.

“It’s a pleasurable day for all of us.”

Charbonneau said the bridge had
been a ministerial priority all along,
but the money for it just wasn’t avail-
able.

Please see BRIDGE page 4