BUSINESS . The Castlegar Sun WEDNESD January 11, 1995 2B The great paper chase Newspaper publishers acr newsprint after union mem STERLING NEWS SERVICE The strike which has shut four major B.C. paper_mills has. pub lishers scrambling to. find enough raw material to print their newspapers Carol ‘Murray regional vice-president of Ster ling Newspapers Ltd, owner of The Castlegar Sun, Said the corm. pany's presses in Nelson and Cranbrook have enough paper for the “immediate future” I'll be pretty upset if it (the strike) goes on for more than two or three weeks because then we'll be looking for other sources,” she said She added publishers had been told not to run “marginal” sup- plements-and to keep-@ tight rein on paper use bs Kootenay We won't be accepting out- side contracts,” Murray said The Castlegar Sun is pnnted at the company's presses in Nelson. Pacific Press, which publishes the Vancouver Sun and Province newspapers, has barely cnough paper to last through January, said company spokesman Don MacLachlan “We're not in a state of panic yel. but we're in @ state of advanced worry,” he told Sterling News Service “With some pain, we'll get through January. Long before we get there, w've got to line up new supplies,” he added By this March, newsprint prices will have jumped 40 per cent in a year to more than $800 per tonne, but MacLachlan said ao-amount of money: will pry paper from manufacturers which The Royal Canadian Legion Br. 170 Christmas Hamper Committee would like to thank everyone oss the province scramble to find bers strike at four major.B.C. mills have no supply “The problem out there in the market is not one of price the stuff just ain't out there,” he said. “We've got a worldwide prob- lem that the. demand for newsprint vastly -outstrips sup- ply,” he added In British Columbia, Fletcher Challenge's three mills, which produce 950,000 tonnes of paper @ year, were shut by a strike Dec: 23 Workers at MacMillan Bloede!'s 800,000-tonne-per-year Port Alberni mill have been on strike for more than a month Finland, which is another major source of newsprint, is also threatened with labor strife MacMillan Bloedel spokesman Scott Alexander said the paper shortage has developed quickly. The company's Powell River mill, which is now running flat out,to meet demand, “took a lot of downtime” last year because it could not sell paper at A on the new Kats Trophys and Signs Mini-storage com- Roofers nail down plywood ‘ plex on 6th Avenue. Complex will have 50 units and be ready for occupation by the for their generous donations and we would also like to thank all the volunteers who gave their time to put the hampers together and help give a profit end of January. SUN STAFF PHOTO / Ron Norman Hydro guarantees upgrades to building trades members them out STERLING NEWS SERVICE L a I ™ $8 T AY A T ~~ + Locked near Costco & Orchard Park Mall © Off highway ¢ Quiet rooms © Friendly-service © Satellite T.V. ¢ Ski package | RESERVATIONS | 1-800-989-939 PER ROOM Dousie Occupancy Hee Nw J The Seniors Mental Health Volunteer Program is looking for caring individuals of any age to volunteer their time to work with seniors. Duties may include: — visiting seniors on an on-going basis — providing rides to appointments — taking a stroll For more information, please contact Bev Derby at Mental Health Services + 365-8502 Excellence in Service Award This award will be presented every week to someone in Castlegar who shows extraordinary service to his/her customers or clients. B.C. Hydro has guaranteed that all the- work on more than $200- million-worth of upgrades to three generating projects will be done by members of the building trades. The Crown-owned electricity giant made the deal with.the 16 construction unions in return’for a pledge not to strike, B.C. Hydro construction Manager Mike Welling told Sterling News Ser- vice Monday “B.C. Hydro signed the deal in October, 1993,” said Welling ‘Avoiding a work stoppage can save usa lot of money.” TRACK 'N SNACK Cross-Country Ski & Lunch Programme with guide/instructor 5 Thursdays at Black Jack —skiing followed by restaurant lunch $75 (includes everything) Jan. 19-Feb. 16 deadiing To register Jan. 13 Rossland Recreation Phone 362-7396, ext. 27 The recipient will receive an award plaque to keep courtesy of Kats Trophys and a pizza courtesy of Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza. We'dlike everyone in Castlegar to know that service excellence exists in our community. This award recognizes a nominated business. The building trades, which now do only 13 per cent of the con- struction in B.C., are currently involved in a bitter labor dispute with MacMillan Bloedel in Port Alberni to preserve their hold over construction for the big forest campanies. The Hydro pact uses a similar formula to that used in the New Democratic government's deal earlier this year guarantecing all, the work on the $1.2-billion Van- couver Island Highway Project would go to the building trades. That decision drew harsh protests from the open shop coa- struction industry, which includes both non-union contractors and those with collective agreements with a handful of Construction unions not affiliated with the building trades The Independent Contractors and Businesses’ Association (ICBA), which has challenged the Island Highway deal before the Labor Relations Board, con- demned the Hydro deal. “It’s a political payoff to the New Democratic Party's friends in the building trade unions,” ICBA vice-president Phil Hochstein told Sterling News Service. Hochstein said the building trades had priced themselves out of every sector of the construction market. Only an NDP govern- ment, he said, would agree to their wage demands. “Using them will add seven or eight per cent to the cost of the projects,” Hochstein said. He said the no-strike guarantee was pointless because there had not been a construction industry strike in 30 years. Reform house leader Jack Weis- gerber said the work should be open tothe whole construction industry. “They are spending everyone's taxes on this so everyone should have a chance to do the work,” the Peace River South MLA said. “Catering for a small group just raises the costs,” he ad Glance Learn to speak - If your New Year's resolution 1s to improve your s aking, thinking, evaluating and listening skills, then the Castlegar chapter of the Selkirk Toastmasters club is for you. They meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month at Stanley Humphries Secondary School. Call Bob Osmachenko or Don McDowell in Castlegar for more information. Winter wishes/Summer dreams For those people travelling on holidays this winter, don’t forget to take_along a copy of The Casttegar Sun amd-have your picture taken showing you and your surroundings. Bring in the photo to the Sun office before Aipril 30, 1995 and fill out the entry form to win one of three great prizes including a portable BBQ from ICG Propane, a subscription to The Castlegar Sun , or a six-foot sub from Castlegar Subway. The grand prize, of a trip for two any- where €anadian Regional Airlines flies, will be drawn on October 3, 1995, from all entries received from both winter wishes and summer dreams. On your next vacation, remember to show us where your Castlegar Sun shines! Same faces new places Steve Verigin of Castlegar Massage Clinic has found a new home He's now located beside IGA in the old Countrywide Southcentre Realty office Sorry to see you go Odyssey Hair Design and Wig Collection, formerly located in the Columbia Plaza, has closed their doors. New owners Anthony's Pizza and Steakhouse in downtown Castlegar has been sold. New owners Angela and Ilias (Leo) Dimitriadis have changed the restaurant name to Leo's Gourmet Pizza and Greek Dishes and have an exciting new menu. Leo and Anglea are the former owners of Leo's Pizza and Greek Taverna in Nelson. Make sure to try the caesar salad! Handy booklet New Attitudes is the name of the booklet that is published by the Bank of Montreal. The Winter 95 edition focusses on investment possibilities, but also notes that Nesbitt Thomson and Burns Fry. have merged to become Nesbitt Burns, a subsidiary of the Bank of Montreal. Sign of the times Mister Tire; located in the co-op building downtown Castlegar beside the city hall, has had a new Goodyear tire sign installed. Kootenay Contacts The Third Annual Kootenay Contacts will be published on Wednes- day, February 23. This year full colour photos of businesses are available and the handy booklet size will make it easier for Wel- come Wagon, Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development to distribute. Businesses - make sure you book your space soon. Space is limited! Video arcade A video arcade has moved into the Columbia Plaza between Fabri- cland and Trail Optical Phone 365-5579 with your business brief © Offices rentals ‘* Conference rooms © Office support services © Word processing Laminating © Mail box rentals Wednesday, January 11, 1995 1994 BANNER YEAR Telephone deal SUBMITTED iw tops scam list Telephone solicitors who tell people they have won a fabulous new car or dream vacation as long as they pay a few hundred dollars to make a qualifying pur- chase or to cover service charges have earned the dubious honor of topping the list of questionable practices investigated by the Practice Act. The RCMP and ‘ovincial police forces have also established a team to combat the practice. 2. Home renovation predators. Most contractors provide good service at a fair price but some try to make’ a fast—and dishonest —buck by overcharging, provid- ing poor quality or failing to complete projects. In one case, a Ministry of Housing, and Consumer Services in 1994. “It’s an old scam, but the caller know how to use high-pressure tactics and people continue to be victimized,” says Consumer Ser- , vices Ministér Joan Smallwood. “The prizes are often non-exis- tent and the qualifying purchases are for goods that are usually vastly overpriced.” It has been a busy year for investigators who have assisted a wide cross-section of consumers, including a husband and wife in their 90s who were pressured into replacing a perfectly good vacu- um cleaner with a $2,000 model that was too heavy for them to use. Then there was the young woman who bought a used car from a dealer and subsequently got a ticket from police for driv- ing an unsafe vehicle. “As always, however, con- sumers who exercise a healthy dose of skepticism are. least likely to fall prey to unscrupulous busi- ness people.” Issues which have made the “top five” list of concerns addressed by investigators of the Consumer Operations Branch include: 1. Too good to be true depart- ment. Telephone callers, primari- ly from Quebec, enthusiastically inform people that they have won a car, exotic vacation or other valuable prize. The “win” turns into a loss when the prize doesn’t materialize after people are talked into paying hundreds of dollars for a qualifying purchase or to cover incidental fees Deceptive and misleading busi- ness practices can lead to fines of up to $100,000 under the Trade an 80-year- old widower that he needed a complete set of new windows for more than $8,600. The contrac- tor was convicted of committing an unconscionable act under the Trade Practice Act after, two other contractors said the house did not require new windows and the estimated price was nearly double the amount they would have charged. 3. Multilevel marketing abus- es. Consumers and business peo- ple should beware of enrolling in any sales programs where their income is primarily based on recruiting others rather than sell- ing a product. Anyone with con- cerns about a specific program can contact their nearest Con- sumer Operations Branch for information on multilevel mar- keting regulations. 4. Leasing misinformation. Leasing a vehicle may be the best option for some drivers but they need to get the straight facts before signing a contract. New provincial regulations requiring full disclosure to consumers have been established for the leasing industry and include a 24-hour cooling off period. A brochure available from Consumers Oper- ation Branches or local Govern- ment Agent Offices provides details on the new regulations and tips for those considering a leased vehicle. 5. Misleading mechanics. Investigators handled a variety of ranging from disp over warranty coverage to garages charging for parts that were not replaced. Consumers should know what they are approving before signing any ‘documents. The Castlegar Sun + START THE NEW YEAR RIGHT! 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