Closure botched

The provincial government
couldn't have made a bigger botch
of the closure of Tranquille In-

Russell's plan — which was
revealed in confidentiality to this
hy

sitution for the mentally handicap-
ped if it had tried.

The government's mishandling
of the situation is made worse by
the fact the closure began so
smoothly

The government decided two
years ago to phase out Tranquille,
along with Glendale Lodge near
Victoria and Woodlands in Van
couver, on the grounds that the
patients would do better in homes
in their own communities

Tranquille was chosen to be
closed first because of the cost of
upgrading the aging Kamloops in-
Stitution

Planning for the transfer of the
325 patients at Tranquille was
initiated last September. Planning
teams were established consisting
of representatives from the
Ministry of Human Resources,
Tranquille staff, the local society
tor the handicapped (in the
Kootenays, it was the Kootenay
Society for the Handicapped), the
group homes in the communities to
which the patients were to be
moved, and relatives of the patien-
ts. ‘
In the case of 24-year-old Russell
Grunderud of Castlegar, a plan
was c leted and d only

paper — d that he was
capable of living in a small com-
munity group home.

Apparently, the ministry and
some of its professional advisers
did not hold the same opinion, an-
nouncing in July that Russell and 54
other Tranquille patients would not
be going to group homes, but
would instead be sent to Glendale.

Parents and relatives of the
patients were understandably~
shocked, given the months of
planning that had gone into
preparing Russell and the others
for transfer to local group homes.

The families were upset that
they first heard of the change in
plans over the radio just two mon-
ths before the move. But they were
even more upset by the fact the
patients would not only be going to
another large institution, but one
hundreds of kilometres away from
where most of the families live.

While the closure of Tranquille
began as a blessing for the patien-
ts and their families, it ended up as
© curse. Instead of making the
situation better for the 55 patients
and their families, the government
succeeded in only making things
worse

The is

disagreement
f fl

obviously
between

some
ministry

the ministry's next move — the
closure of Tranquille and Russell's
transfer to Castlegar.

P , and the local han-
dicapped societies and their ad-
visers about what is best for their
55 patients.

The end of an era

The announcement this week
thet B.C. Hydro plans to “wind
down” its in-house project
development teams signals the
end of an era.

't was an era of boom times and
@ bustling economy, when energy
demand was limitless and the only
concern was where to build the
next dam

Hydro’s project development
teams were a symbol of those
good times. Hydro tried to hang
onto a slightly scaled-down version
of the project development teams
over the last few years in the hope
that the economy would rebound
and boost the demand for energy

It never happened. One by one,
Hydro projects on the drawing
boord were scrapped: first the Hat
Creek thermal plant, then last

summer the huge Site C dam.

The writing was on the wall for
the Murphy Creek dam and
Keenleyside generating project. By
di g its project develop
ment teams, Hydro is ing

Letters to the Editor

Staff dumped on ‘whim’

Editor, Castlegar News:

its intention to hold off on Murphy
Creek and Keenleyside.

The move means a significant
change in direction for Hydro —
from a project development com
pany whose major purpose was to
plan and construct large
hydroelectric projects, to a strip-

-down service company

The move is also significant for
this community, not only in terms
of the loss of local jobs the dam
projects would have created, but in
terms of the community's economic
direction

Comment

By ADRIAN
CHAMBERLAIN

Recently, an article appeared in the
Castlegar News about an exceptionally
intelligent local high school student
who attended seminars at the Univer
sity of B.C. for students interested in
learning about educational opport
unities at universities.

The UBC Connect lectures were
billed as “summer seminars for gifted
and talented secondary school students
to make connections between their
interests, abilities and opportunities in
a university setting.”

The young man featured in the
newspaper article said he objected to
the label “gifted,” yet he had ap
parently no objections to attending the
UBC lectures exclusively for “gifted
and talented” students.

And rightly so. To give up what
obviously proved to be a valuable and
eye-opening opportunity simply be
cause it's tagged as an event for the
“gifted” would be silly

But this brings up the question of the
so-called undesireability of the “gifted”
label, a question raised almost every
time the Castlegar News does a story
on “gifted” students or the “gifted”

program.

Why should there be any stigma
attached to being called gifted, ie.
extremely intelligent? Do exceptional
athletes object to being called excep-

tional athletes? Would they object to
being called gifted athletes?

Does a musician protest to being
classified as extradordinarily musically
talented — that is, gifted?

The problem may lie with ludicrously
stereotyped connotations connected
with “gifted” when it's used to describe
intelligent people; for example, the
image of the bespectacled scholar
huddled over a textbook on advanced
ealeulus at three in the morning.

But, like all stereotypes, it’s a
generality that's essentially meaning.
less. As Ken Romney, the local student
featured in the newspaper article,
commented: “I love street-hockey. I
don't sit there and do‘ physics 14 hours
a day.”

We all have labels, whether we like
them or not. Handicapped. black.
Protestant, Catholic, urban, rural, blue
collar, white collar. Gifted.

The trick is to rise beyond labels and
stereotypes to act as individuals, as
Romney did when he ignored the fact
the UBC seminars were a “gifted”
event, and saw them instead for what

they were: a valuable opportunity. )

problems, but the labels given to
groups of people are simply red-
herrings — meaningless in themselves.

several and
supervisory personnel were termin.
ated at the Celgar Sawmill, currently
known as Westar.
Some time ago Westar saw fit to
adopt a new

employees who have nothing to do with
setting policy. This is an extreme
example of throwing out the baby with
the dirty bath water.

Surely, Westar could have installed a
new manager and let him decide after a

direction. In order to

trial period if existing staff

they installed new personnel in upper
level management. It didn’t work out
as planned. The obvious next step is to
replace the policy making managers
and either return to the old policies or
adopt yet another new one.

Instead, Westar saw fit to dump vir
tually all staff personnel right down to
the line supervisor level. The lower
management people released were for
the most part, hard working, dedicated

per were or not. To
accept years of good service from
people and then dump them on a whim
does little for an already tarnished
corporate image and hopefully nothing
for whatever conscience Westar may
have.

If cost cutbacks were essential, they
should have been discussed with staff
and they should have been given an
opportunity to participate in these cut

backs through possible wage modifica
tion rather than outright dismissal.

Many large companies bemdan the
perceived radical power of trade unions
but arbitrary actions such as Westar
has recently taken .here show that
union protection is necessary to pre-
vent unfair and unjust practices by
autocratic power wielders.

This change-over was an opportunity
for Westar to demonstrate to their
unions the fairness of the company
when it doesn’t have a union gun at its
head. In actual fact, I guess it did

J. Wm. Gouk
— ae _
More letters

Page AS

Fred

On Sept. 25; 1983 a 10-year-old
girl ran ftom Fort Steele to
Cranbrook in a little more than two
hours, a distance of more than 20
kilometres. Here in Castlegar we
have husky teenagers hitching rides
on the school bus, not much more
than four blocks from the school.

The Castlegar School District
Secretary-Treasurer released the
information that the average user of
the bus system lives within 1.5 to
2.5 kilometres from the school of his
or her destination. 'm not faulting
the bus drivers who have the diffi-
eult daily responsibility of trans
porting high-spirited, spitball
throwing children to an institution
unfairly tabbed as an “older kid's
day care centre.” They cannot be

to sep: the bi
user from the lazy lad who sleeps 'til
minutes before departure time and
grabs the free bus to the “Hotel
Astor.”

School busing is a good idea from
the old days, but which is currently
the subject of much abuse.

Merriman

a os
\

costs at 12 per cent over 20 years,
garaging and yard storage all add to
the cost.

In that light, it has always been
interesting to note that the equip
ment is or should be scrapped after
10 years and yet it takes 20 years to
retire the debt. The hapless tax
payer is, therefore, paying for
equipment no longer listed as an
asset.

The private citizen never could
afford that kind of luxury. The
public system of accounting is full of
such inconsistencies. Don't blame
the

arbitrary mileage regulation is not
met.

The questions which spring to
mind are these: Who decided and on
what basis that students beyond
point X must be transported? Is it
possible to issue passes to those who
clearly qualify as bona fide users?

Can any adjustments be made for
those children who opt for walking
or cycling, or even cross-country
skiing to school?

Is it really necessary to lug all
those textbooks and musical ins-
truments home on the bus each
night? The pack mule syndrome is
probably the strongest argument
for the continuation of the school
bas system in its present form.

Cannot some creative thinking be
applied to the luggage freight
problem? A winterized student

islators who came up through the
ranks as car salesmen, social
workers ér barristers.

The asides aside, all taxpayers pay

The word is out: “No more cheeks
in the aisle.” It could also be a most
opportune occasion to review the
Gores tation af ochent bus

Would it not be more beneficial to
bring the school to the children.

Dunlop, Kenneth Tyreman, Ray An
dreashuk and Myrtle Sommers helped
him celebrate his fourth, year.

. «

Permission has been granted by the
fire marshall to operate the old Cor
onation Hall this winter.

. 6 @

Castlegar Lacrosse Aces won their
first game of the season when they de
feated the Rossland Juvenile Reps 10-6
Monday night in Rossland. Among the
high scorers for Castlegar were Walter
Poohachoff, Ewan Wallace, and Joe
Poohachoff. The team is being coached
by Jack Wilson, a former Mimico
Mountaineer, who organized the team
last year and who is undertaking the
position again this year.

25 YEARS AGO

Castlegar

Several Castlegar couples, 14 hus.
bands and wives, have asked the vil.
lage to do something about fallout from
sawdust in the vicinity of 8th and Main
from Celgar’s sawmill.

In a letter to council the residents
said they can't hang out washings,
paint their homes “or even open our
mouths without getting them full.”

. ee 8

Mrs. F. Konkin of Slocan Park won
the Castlegar and District Chamber of
Commerce Aggregate Trophy at the
18th annual Fall Fair held last weekend
in the Castlegar arena.

There were 1,365 exhibits entered in
the fair this year by 73 junior ex.
hibitors and 65 senior exhibitors.

. 8 «

About 25 yound adults met at the
Robson home of Keith Waldie last
week for the annual meeting -and
tion of officers of the Arr-K: n
Club.

Under past business a discussion was
held concerning a piece of property
used by the club for social functions. A
hike is being planned for new members
in order that they might see the nat
ural bridge at Deer Park.

The name Arr-Koobians is taken
from the first two and the last syllable
of thre well-known local bodies of
water, the Arrow Lakes, Kootenay and
Columbia rivers.

15 YEARS AGO
From the Sept. 25, 1969
Castlegar News

Ross Fraser, dean of students at
Selkirk College, will lead the KRC
Community Chest annual canvass as
general campaign chairman, it was an
nounced this week by KRC directors.

. 28

Kinnaird businessman Carl Knutson,
owner of Carl's Drugs in the Castleaird
Plaza, announced this week he will
seek an aldermanic position in De
cember’s municipal elections.

. 8

Merrill Keith Nixon of Castlegar has
been awarded a silver medal from the
Royal Conservatory of Music at Tor
onto having achieved the highest mark
in B.C. for the Conservatory’s practical
examinations for this year

. 8 8

Donald W. Davies, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Dave Davies, formerly of Kin
naird has recently received his doc
torate in nuclear physies from the
University of California at Berkeley

. 8 6

A cash award of $1,600 was pre
sented to a Cominco pipefitter at Trail
by the company Friday for suggesting
4 cost-saving installation at the War
field chemical and fertilizer operations.

5 YEARS AGO
From the Sept. 26, 1979
News
The Rota Villa Recreational Group

The money will be used to organize «
recreational program for the residents
of Rota Villa seniors housing devel
opment.

e

City council has named Oct. 18 as the

$3 million shopping centre
Council voted to have Mendel Enter
’ developaient

nas answer

‘This is volunteer organization of
handicapped people, their families and
friends whose constituency incorpor-
ates those people who are mentally

and live in or originate
from the ‘Kootenays.

The Society owns and operates the
Endicott Centre in Creston, an in-
stitution for 60 people with mental
handicaps.

The purpose ofthe Society is to
ensure inclusion of handicapped people
in all of community life.

Since Sept. 9, 1983 we have been ac.
tively planning with the Ministry of
Human Resources for the return of 22
people to the Kootenays from Tran-
quille Institution in Kamloops. Families
were part of the planning process at all
times.

Individual general service plans
(GSP’s) indicated that all 22 could be
served in a community of their choice.

The communities were chosen. The
22 people were grouped into com-
patible groupings of three or four to
live in the communities of Castlegar,
Creston, Nelson and Trail. The resi-
dential proposals were developed,
again with parent input at all stages.

The decision came July 9, 1964 that
five of these 22 were labelled extended
care eligible and would have to go to

Lodge, an on
Vancouver Island.

The families and friends wrote to the
Minister of Human Resources in pro-
test. Their letters went by regular
mail, registered mail, special delivery
and by courier. Twenty-eight pieces of
mail went from the Kootenays to
Minister Grace McCarthy.

No responses were received. Mrs.
McCarthy said publicly that she had
not heard from parents. The 28 letters
were copied and sent again by courier.
There was still no response.

The families of the five individuals
made application to the Endicott Cen
tre for their family member to be

Endicott Centre for frequent family
interaction with their loved ones.

The board of management of the
centre has submitted a proposal to
include these individuals at the En
dicott Centre. The proposal is before
the Minister of Human Resources at
this time.

The physical plant and capital costs
involved total $44,156.47. This is less
than the cost to transport the remain.
ing people to Glendale. The additional
per diem cost for each of these people is
$118.

Through a description of the En

Allegations
unfounded

Editor, Castlegar News:

The recent controversy over the
of Trang i

indicates there is a need for some facts

to be made public. I want to put an end

to statements based on incomplete

information.

The decision to transfer 55 out of 323
residents to Glendale rather than a
community resource was made to
ensure the physical safety and well-
being of these individuals. We support
the Community Care Facilities Lic-
encing Regulations with respect to
handicapped persons, as these reg-
ulations were formulated in the best
interests of those being placed in
community residences.

The Community Care Facilities
Licencing Regulations, formerly the
Welfare Institutions Act was enacted
in response to many complaints reg:
arding the treatment of handicapped
and elderly citizens in community
placements and we do not intend to
return to the conditions of the past era.

The only traumatic aspect of this
transfer for the residents involved was
the demonstration blocking the move.
Those moved since that protest have
settled in very nicely in their new
environment at Glendale. In addition,
nine staff members from Tranquille,
well-known to the residents, moved to
Glendale with them to ensure con.
tiffuity of treatment and the personal
comfort of the residents.

This facility offers first-class, expert
care as well as having a staff
to ity
when appropriate to a resident's stage

of development.

Many meetings have taken place in
every region with parénts, staff,
care-givers and associations to ensure
co-operation and sharing of expertise of
all those involved. Press releases have
been issued from my office, both initial
and update, to keep concerned families,
associations, and public informed on
planning stages.

Numerous contacts have been made
with families or relatives to obtain

Plan ‘best
we could do’

Editor, Castlegar News:

The fina! draft version of the Slocan
Valley plan (the Slocan Valley Dev
elopment Guide has now been
completed. Public debate on the
contents of the plan is finished, and the
next)step is up to Victoria.

T feel that the Slocan Valley plan is
the best land use agreement in British
Columbia. It s¢commodates miners,
water users, loggers, farmers, envir
onmenta&lists. It provides for the first
time in the province, a degree of local
decision-making in resource issues.

Also, it is simply the best we could
do.

My part in shaping the guidelines,
that of negotiation and compromise
amongst the various interest groups
and governments, is finished. I arrive
at this point proud of the work we have
accomplished but exhausted by the
effort.

In a normal bargaining process, the
various groups take rigid positions at
the beginning and then bargain toward
the middle. When agreement is rea
ched everybody wins and loses a little
and the resulting moderate position
receives general acceptance.

Unfortunately in this case, all the
moderate people appear to have gone
home. I don't blame them. The threats,
harassment and intimidation being
‘practised by opponents of the process
have..made .rational discussion and
negotiation gt the community level
impossible.

Local government operates in the
public eye, and at the public will. We
have no insulation from intimidation,

name a plea. A plea for calm.

I call upon the provincial govern-
ment to accept some leadership at this
time, and receive and review the
guidelines with some sensitivity to a
divided community

I call upon the leaders of the various
factions to attempt to regain control of
their membership and cease the
ongoing and destructive debate.

I call upon our MP and our MLA, and
upon community leaders in and around
the valley to lend a hand in imposing
some degree of reason. We have work
to do, and we can't do it divided.

Ihave enjoyed the last five years as
regional director immensely, and I
would like to express my appreciation
for having had the opportunity to work
for so long with so many good people.
This project would never have reached
conclusion if it were not for the
strength and conviction especially of
Aldermen Latkin and Anderson, and
Mayor Barclay

I entered politics five years ago in
order to represent this community in
its fight with the institutions that
control the Kootenays, and to try and
solve the problems that I found. I have
no desire to continue in office while this
community turns that fight against
itself.

It is my hope that the election in
November will serve to put the strains
of 1984 behind us, and to bring a unified
community together again.

Conrad Evans
Director, Area H, RDCK

Article
insensitive

Editor, Ci News:

The article on a local gifted student
(Castlegar News, Sunday, Sept. 16)
reflected insensitivity and a lack of
awareness of “gifted” students that
serves only to contribute to one of their
main problems — being accepted for
their sameness and not “ridiculed” for
their differences.

Amateurish reporting at its best
Wake up!

Frank Finney
Castlegar

Spending
on target

By CasNews Staff

Expenditures and reven
ues at Selkirk College seem
to be in line with projections
and the budget.

College bursar Dale Schatz
reported the news at a recent
college board meeting.

‘valley Tandscape nursery )

BoUSWBvS

Sine
: 50°
16°
While stock lasts |
365-2262

wr — Beside

Castlega Mohawk
Open Fri. — Mon. 10a.m.-Sp.m. _}

“We Have a High Rate
of INTEREST for Your Money’”’

Daily interest paid Fr
monthly

No minimum balance (7
Line of Credit if
Combined chequing [¥
& savings

LY

30 days to 5 years
Monthly income plans
Compounded interest
plans

RRSP Term Deposit
option

Kootenay Savings

Credit Union

TRAR FRUITVALE CASTLEGAR SALMO SOUTH SLOCAN MAKUSP NEWOENVER WAMETAPLAZA

STOREWIDE
SPECIALS

LAY-A-WAY NOW
FOR CHRISTMAS!

— Pay “2 Now — Lay-A-Way to Dec. 15

© BIKES © CROSS-COUNTRY SKIS
© HOCKEY EQUIPMENT © SKATES

BMX PRO-AM
me. 532

$139.95

Mas ys toons ss... °450
$350

ROLLER SKATE KITS

ony 20

BIG FOOT

leg. $460.
Seve $110.

All Wood Frame
TENNIS RACQUETS
Sale priced to selll

Over the Shoe

ROLLER SKATES ies

Minimum Discount 15%!
Many in-store specials
stock clearing items.

25% or

SELECTED HOCKEY STICKS,
BASKETBALLS, SOCCER BALLS
OSAGA FASHION SWEAT SUITS

(All on Lay-Away Terms)
50% seccies
Skates & Shoes
— More at

15% off!

Only $25.95

HOCKEY CCM PRO PAC LONG PANTS
Block Only. Men's *25 soys $20

START CHRIST!

SHOPPING NOW!

e@ CONCRETE WORK
© SEPTIC TANKS
° EXCAVATING
«e LANDCLEARING
* TRUCK SERVICES

Ph. 355-2473

Box 188

Slocan, B.C. VOG 200

THE
KITCHEN CORNER

* For Every Kitchen Need

i * Ideal Gift Items

FULL LINE OF WILTON PRODUCTS
LOCATED AT

WANETA WICKER

1506 Cedar Ave., Trail 368-8512

q—

DECORATING

2649 rounrn

Avenu

| CastieGan pc .
VIN 287

| PAINTING @

365 3863

Carol Magow
Dianna Kootnikoff
ADVERTISING SALES

AR NEWS

OFFICE 365-5210

7% panene 3007 cASTUGAR OC vB

CASTLEG

be

Heuseon Bi LTp. “sc

* Commerciat

* Industrial

© Residential

Bus. 352-7333
4492902 - Mobile

VIL 6Mt

ti
Good Stock of Lig!
Bath Accessories & Waterbecs

Squere Mall
Trail’s Towne
Uneaten one 368-5302

6 SPAS
Chehko-Mika Mell

BOBBKATT «
EXCAVATING

installations