Saturday, March 28, 1992 @

-OurViEWS

AdrianRAESIDE

NDP drops
the TFL ball

f nothing else, the New
Democratic government is
consistent.

Friday, Forests Minister Dan
Miller helped the _ fledgling

government maintain a perfect record
in Castlegar, delaying a decision on
Pope and Talbot’s purchase of our
sawmili and Tree Farm Licence No.
23. The delay, coupled with rejection
of the Robson ferry and the
Castlegar-Robson bridge, gives the
Mike Harcourt-led forces a 3-for-3
record regarding affairs in our region.
‘ What gut-wrenching decisions lay
ahead for the New Democrats, who
knows. The only thing that is known
is the ballots cast during the Oct. 17
provincial election have been a
complete waste of time.

Castlegar and area have been
betrayed by the very party it has had
a love affair with for longer than
anyone can remember. But Castlegar
isn’t the only one being betrayed,
just ask Rossland-Trail MLA Ed
Conroy.

Conroy can’t and shouldn’t be
blamed for the blunders of his party.
As our local representative, Conroy
deserves cheers not jeers for the
endless hours he has put in on our
behalf.

As a backbencher, there is precious

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4The News

Evans subtle appeals have charm

Corky Evans as a TV

apple growers. They’re all

huckster? That’s right.

Then again, maybe
huckster isn’t the right
word.

Let’s just say that the
Nelson-Creston MLA with
the down-home approach to
politics has started to use
television to get a message
across.

And while Kevin Costner
doesn’t have to look over his
shoulder, Evans manages to
do a pretty good job.

Ron NORMAN

(_-}

conte
from the
Crossroads

just sitting around one of
the apple bins in their
baseball caps and work
jackets — Evans included.

Heck, it’s hard to pick

out which is Evans and
which are the apple
growers.

But then he stands up
‘-and-walks toward the
| camera telling us that it’s
| important to buy
| Canadian products

whenever we can.

‘eer

Just what is his job?
Trying to stop the flood of

Canadians crossing into the U.S.
+h

to do

The second commercial
— I’ve only seen two, but
there may be more — shows Evans talking

little Conroy can do to bend the
government’s arm. He is quickly
discovering that.

During his short-term, Ed Conroy
has served his constituency with
honesty and integrity — it’s a shame
his party won’t do the same.

Hy Lh
their shopping:

Evans doesn’t come right out and tell us
not to shop Stateside.

That would probably just get people’s
backs up and do more harm than good:
nobody likes to be told what they should do.

He has a more sophisticated approach.
And he carries it off well.

In one commercial he speaks with some

with-a family of dairy farmers.

Once again he’s dressed pretty much like
the farmers and they discuss. ‘how
important it is to buy Canadian to keep jobs
not just in Canada, but in the Kootenays.

The ads are sophisticated in that they
appeal to us both on an emotional level and
an intellectual level.

please see Norman page 6

Street TALK

Joan Beck
Campbell River

“That would be a
really tough

Chris Nolan
Castlegar

“NDP.”

Question: How would you vote if a federal election was held next month?

Ted Evans
Castlegar

“I’m not too sure I'd
vote.”

Norma Dodgson

Bev Perepolkin

Warfield Thrums

“NDP.” “I'd vote for Audrey
su 99

OtherVl ewe!

Please address
all letters to:

Letters to the

ditor .
Castlegar News
P.O. Box 3007
Castlegar, B.C.
V1iN 3H4

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Even in those
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-—— be ‘disclosed to
. the editor.
The News
reserves the right
to edit letters for
brevity, clarity,
legality, grammar

everyone’s satisfaction.
- After a short break the regular meeting :

Letters coVHE

EDITOR

CURB demanding answers

The evening began with a presentation of
the proposed Castlegar Centre Mall by Jim
Laing.

Area representative, Terry Moon,-

followed with a presentation of behalf of the
residents wanting assurance that their
quality of life would not be affected.

Moon was very reasonable and I am sure
that after a meeting with Laing the two
groups will be able to work things out to

3. No alarms or exhaust fans,
4. Lighting is not adequate,
5. No space for painting,
6. Poor land use and finally,
_1. Must store equipment out in the cold.
Our point is this: the above reasons are
not so great that they cannot be dealt with
and the corrections and cost would certainly
in no way approach anywhere near a
million dollars.
. To say to a person who already owns a lot
in the south end that you cannot build

She wondered why most of the
arrangements had been made without
consultation with council and without
council’s approval.

She asked many questions and as a
spectator I don’t think she got the answers
she was looking for — join the crowd.

Sounds to me, Alderman Smecher could
qualify for a membership in CURB — ask
questions, get no answers.

Hang in there Alderman Smecher, you
are doing a good job.

of council began. After the usual
proclamations were disposed of, a
presentation on the Interior Access
Network was presented by Cathy Lafortune
and Kris Stanbra.

Well done and very informative and
congratulations to Stanbra on her
appointment.

Now as the council got into the meat of
the meeting, things got a little more
complicated.

After two very informative reports by
Joon Bahk and Barry Comin, some very
important information that CURB has been
asking questions on has now been
documented, and CURB has been saying
since its inception, there is a problem in the
south end in relation to development in
regards to the sewer treatment capacity.

It is serious enough that if three major
projects continue ahead all development in
the south end could be stopped until the
sewer facility is expanded.

With this information before council,
council authorized Comin to proceed
immediately to obtain the necessary
information.

Now, bearing this in mind and also the
cost of such an expansion, (the council
hopes it will come in under a half a million
dollars) what does our illustrious do... ?

They authorize $91,500 in fees for the

to Advance Building Systems of Kelowna
for $950,200 for the construction of a new
city works facility to be located on prime
industrial park land.

The reasons given for moving the works
facility are:

1. shop floor is cold and pitted,

2. No shielded area for welding,

because the city cannot provide a sewer
connection is ludicrous.

It seems to us that a city is duty bound to
provide water and sewer to its citizens, that
is what we pay taxes for, isn’t it.

In order for a city to grow it must have
serviceable property for people to buy and
be able to build upon.

By adding new residences or businesses
we are increasing our tax base and our city
will grow and with the increase in the tax
base we will continue to enjoy the services
that we not only want but deserve.

If we continue to allow our council to do
as they please, we will pay higher taxes for
the simple-reason that they have not been
setting ‘priorities and listening to what the
citizens are saying.

The executive of CURB at the direction of
our membership has been lobbying
alderman on the many issues that have
come up over the past few months.

Prior to the council meeting of March 17,
I received assurance from one alderman
that he was in fact going to vote against the
city works facility and that he had a
commitment from another alderman to do
the same.

Well, when the vote was taken, he voted
yes on all recommendations as well as the
rest of council.

Not one word was spoken against the
move and not even a mention of
dissatisfaction of an izen or group

It akon one wonder if council is
listening to or reading the briefs that have
been submitted.

On a final note and nearing the end of
the meeting, Alderman Smecher questioned
the chair on what the procedures were for
the planned trip to China.

Michael O’Connor
President

Citizens Unaccepting
Rash Bureaucracy

Fair representation needed

During January and February, the
Mulroney government sponsored five
weekend conferences on the constitution,
misleadingly calling them “constituent
assemblies.”

But the vast majority attending the
meetings were hand-picked “constitutional
experts” and activists from special-interest
groups.

Only a few so-called ordinary Canadians
were allowed to attend.

In no way, consequently, could these
meetings be said to represent the wishes of
Canada’s electorate.

For a constituent assembly to be called
as such, it must be elected.

Representatives from each federal riding
should. be elected directly by the people to
carry out proposed amendments to our
Constitution.

After the constituent assembly meets,
the proposed amendments would then be
subject to ratification by each province ina
general referendum.

We nd it ironi ha he M
government — so eager to raise taxes on
Canadians — would see fit to deny over-
burdened taxpayers the right to elect:
constituent assembly representatives and
to vote on constitutional referenda.

David Murrell
The Northern Foundation
Research Officer

Norman

and taste.

continued from page 6

They are positive — telling us
to buy Canadian, rather than
trying to tell us that we
shouldn’t buy in the U.S.

What is strange is seeing a
politician who isn’t out plugging
himself.

We're not used to seeing local
politicians in TV commercials. I
can’t ever recall seeing former
cabinet minister Howard Dirks
on TY, , et alone former

D’Arcy.

Aud the only time we ever
see provincial politicians on TV
is when they are telling us what
a great job they are doing and
boasting about all the new
programs they’ve put in place —
as if the money for those
programs came out of their own

pocket and not ours’.

Instead, Evans’ concern is
about cross-border shopping.
And it’s a valid concern. On any
Sunday afternoon you can see
the cars lined up at the
Patterson border crossing
waiting to declare all the items
they just picked up in the U.S.

Like Evans, I’m not about to
tell Canadians what they
should do. Most people work
hard for their money and should
De a Owed
see fit. Fair enough.

Besides, I like to go to
Spokane as much as anybody.
It’s different. And it can be fun.
We go about once a year and
make a holiday of it.

And we like to shop when
we're there. Not that the prices
for what we buy —- mainly

o spend as tney

clothes — are all that much
better, but because the styles
are different and there’s more
selection.

I would be the last one to
suggest that we shouldn’t go to
Spokane for a holiday and not
spend any money there. I know.
our local merchants expect
Americans to spend a certain
amount of money when they
visit.

But I dont believe in making
hae hig ticket terre like Aa as
or kitchen cabinets, or hopping
across to Northport to fill up
with gas and groceries.

I like the social programs we
have in Canada and I believe
we have to pay for them. I think
people who make a habit of
shopping in the U.S. while

accepting our social programs
are people who aren’t paying
their way.

They want something for
nothing.

One argument I’ve heard in
favor of shopping in the U.S. is
that the cost of living in Canada
is getting so high people can’t
get by any other way.

I have to chuckle at that
because my sister-in-law in
Fraser Lake seems to get by —
aria Srne adoes cre ox V
of shopping in the U. S. And all
her neighbors seem to get by.
And so do all the hundreds of
thousands of peeple in all the
other communities across
Canada that aren’t within easy
driving of the border.

So keep those
commercials coming Corky.

TV