Salmo man dies in accident By CasNews Staff A Salmo man was killed Thursday morning when he drove his pick-up truck into the path of a tractor-trailer at Salmo. Salmo R€MP says William Gaal, 48, driving a 1980'Chev pick-up, was killed instantly when he turned left in front of an eastbound tractor-trail- er unit at 9:06 a.m. on High way 3 at Salmo. Malcolm Wright, 46, of Our Action Ad Phone Mumber is 365-2212 Edmonton, the driver of the tractor-trailer, i jured, police say. The unit is owned by the Hudson Bay Co. of Edmon- ton. The investigation by Salmo RCMP, Salmo coroner Ned MacNeil and the Fruitvale highway patrol is continuing. Thursday's traffic fatality was the second in the West Kootenay this week. Tuesday night, two trac tor-trailers collided near Shoreacres resulting in the death of 29-year-old Barry Edward Altman of Slocan. (=I 30 ALL DRY CLEANING (INCLUDING DRAPES) Offer in effect until Saturday, May 17 Open Monday to Saturday! PLAZA CLEANERS Castleaird Plaza 365-5145 % Off Faculty urges ‘needs budget’ By CasNews Staff Selkirk College Faculty Association has expressed its support of the college board in its efforts to salvage college programs in the face of unexpected cuts to the college budget by the provincial government. At a special board meeting held last Tuesday night, faculty representative Margaret Nickle urged the board not to cut programs or courses but to present a “needs budget” to the Mini- stry of Colleges and Univer- sities. “Once again, we face a budget crisis here at Selkirk College across the province,” Nickle told the board. “The college board is being called upon to make Brisco euts in our programs and changed its mind about col- political masters that we lege funding,” Nickle said. simply cannot function and fulfill our mandate with fewer and fewer resources.” Nickle said that some of the cuts proposed at the staffing.” But she added that this year, the college is “somehow than ever” by exasperation and concern of the arbitrary budgetary the college She said the association shares the board P the pr government. all believed that, at last, this enough. year we had achieved some predictability and order in believes that all of us at traint/downsizing Selkirk College, our particular roles may be, must concede no more to the the r process, Selkirk College faces a $400,000 faculty and and will co operate fully in the efforts to “This seems to be the convince Victoria that the cruelest cut of all because we government has gone far “The Faculty Association whatever meeting will seriously under. to students. this year. “Despite all our respective hope for 'y shortfall sd: government; that our only preserving a viable of an to pr T and , . “Remember that the advant- : age of living in the Lower y college in the Mainland is more maintain a viable education West Kootenay is to make a Expo,” she told the board. program at Selkirk, provincial suddenly and unexplicably seeks job ideas in Sudbury, Ont. to learn about strategies developed in ideas are working.” Brisco added that while and G Westar issues wa CRANBROOK More (cP) — than 700 employees Byron Creek has made and the stand together and tell our “The real advantage for the government has make the same decision as eould be laid off if operations that is to get out of the spot. Kootenay MP Bob Brisco is tunity to see how well those don't soon return to normal market,” said John Towel, “at Westar Mining’s Balmer vice-president of © Westar’s hill i: mine the faculty's ability to deliver first and second-year university transfer courses “As a result, West Ko otenay young people will have their access to univer- sity, the professions, and to fulfilling, high-paying jobs hed ” she said. than people there is opportunity social, economic and edu cational opportunity.” She added that the com munity colleges in the In terior are the only reasonable - means for residents to-share in these opportunities. “The destruction of the community colleges, and of Selkirk College in particular, is a denial by the government of opportunity for social and economic improvement to the taxpayers and citizens of this province who happen to live outside the Lower Main land,” Nickle said She said that in addition, several important career training programs are also on the block — some long tomers would have no prob- lem finding other suppliers. NOT SYMPATHETIC “Customers are fully aware of the local wages and “This will r mining that region to help offset the Northern Ontario is in many which have been hit by a mean cutting our work force labor dispute, the company by 50 per cent.” enay West, “many of the says. problems created by mass layoffs in the metals indus- try. Brisco is meeting with members of the Economic CASTLEGAR COMMUNITY SERVICES Annual General Meeting Tues., May 27—7:30 p.m. B t of the C Church. 2224 6th Ave., Castlegar tlegar United D Cc of the Sudbury Regional Devel- opment Corporation to dis- cuss the region's short-term, and long-term job prospects. The Sudbury region was hard-hit in 1982 when cut- Nickel production at ways different from Koot difficulties experienced in Sudbury are very similar to Resources, said it is facing those presently facing us in be- the Trail area. Bri 5 Westar, owned by increasing sales losses B.C. cause of a strike by 400 at the “As a P Byron Creek, another East Kootenay mine, has closed its coal operations. Bob Brady, vice-president of marketing and sales and result of my meetings in coal mine and a work-torule president of Westar Interna- Sudbury, I hope to be able to campaign by 1,000 employees tional, which handles coal provide area) with some insight into the Sudbury experience, and compliment the excellent work of the committee in visit should be a good oppor- Court news In Castlegar provincial court this week, David As kew pleaded guilty to mis chief and was given a sus- pended sentence and placed on probation for six months. Coll met Veykia Subdivision—io newer home, Castleger—Reduced' Reduced Reduced! 2 bdrm beovty. 613-4th Street MARY WADE ANDERSON © OPPICE 348-2111 HOME 365-3750 Contry 21 ping of its own.” Brisco went on to say that the timing of the Sudbury meetings could have been Days.” the Community at the Balmer operation. Economic Action Committee sales abroad, said heavy 0 “If present conditions pre- competition in the world coal (serving: the Greater Trail vail, we will be forced to market means Westar’s cus- and they cannot understand the strike,” Brady said. “They have no sympathy for Westar and ac cording to the world situation they don’t have to have any sympathy.” Since the strike at Green hills began four weeks ago, Westar has lost 330,000 ton nes in sales and expects to lose an addtional 400,000 tonnes in June sales because commitments to deliver the established and successful, some new and successful. “In a region suffering 20 per cent unemployment, ining is absolutely eliminate programs which would allow West Kootenay residents to escape unem- ployment and to pursue rewarding careers here or elsewhere seems utter mad- ness.” Meanwhile the college has sent a brief to the govern- ment outlining what cutbacks would have to be made at the college if Selkirk doesn't get more funding. But the document hasn't been made public. rning coal must be made now. The coal is selling for $36 a tonne, Brady Said The uncertainty at the Balmer mine has cost the company sales of 160,000 tonnes and it stands to lose an additional 600,000 tonnes in sales in June Greenhills workers were locked out for 48 hours three weeks ago and subsequently rejected a company contract that called for an increase of 1.7 per cent retroactive to April 1, 1985, and no increase for 1986. Miners start at $15.75 an hour Hospitals vote lockout VANCOUVER British the association said Friday. (cP) — Columbia hospitals better. “It means that for the belonging to the Health La- first time in a long time, I will bor Relations Association have to miss Silver City have voted in favor of locking out employees, if necessary, breakdown of the vote Zubkoff f-w:sit tories we "mt services Monday Association president Peter McAllister said in a news ‘release the hospitals won't take any action on a lockout, unless the Hospital acute-care facilities are in- volved in the current con- tract dispute with the asso- ciation, which bargains for most health-care facilities in the province. McAllister said the union Gdnnot “Weally strike while ~ ator John Toogood remain involved. Munro is to hand down non-binding recommen- dations in the dispute. The union has said the says will reduce the average monthly gross salary of $1,600 by $133. It also says the association is seeking rollbacks in vaca. tions and elimination of the current sick leave plan. McAllister has said prop- osals are ambitious, but “it is simply saying to the union we have some concerns about the agreement.” a so. Castile ows _12 ‘Edward Lewis : passes away Nora Zubkoff (nee Sookor- Employees Union goes on ookoff) of Castlegar passed away May 9 at the age of 53. held from 7-9 p.m. Monday at the Castlegar Funeral Chapel and continue at 10 a.m. Tues- day witb burial at 1 p.m. in Park Memorial Cemetery. Mrs. Zubkoff was born April 30, 1933 in Castlegar. She moved to Vancouver in the 1950s and married Fred Zubkoff there in 1959. She moved to Kelowna in 1963 and in 1973 she returned to Castlegar. She enjoyed gar dening and travelling. She-is survived by one son, Dan of Castlegar and one sis. NOTICE : | B.C. CATTLEMEN & SHEEP PRODUCERS _ re The Federaj{-Provincial ter, Mary Lecti of Castlegar. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Castle- gar Funeral Chapel. strike. The union has 26,000 mem- Funeral service will be bers, but 23,000 working at association wants employees to share premium costs of medical, dental and insurance plans, something the union Union to hold town meeting By CasNews Staff Locals 4 and 26 of the T icati Work. already suffer inconvenience and frustration with their ers Union have called a town meeting Thursday in Nelson to discuss B.C. Tel's elimination of jobs in the West Kootenay. A TWU press release says 15 journeymen jobs with B.C Tel will be “gone from the BABYSITTER Required in downtown Castle- reo-ter approx. 3 hours per Some light house. keeping duties Phone 365-6646 West Kootenay area” this year. “This can only lead to poorer quality of service and delays in getting service,” the release says. “Many cus- tomers are in rural areas and services due to previous cutbacks.” The union predicts in the release the elimination of 32 jobs by the end of 1987. “With unemployment here in excess of 25 per cent, our community desperately Edward Alexander Lewis of Castlegar passed away May 9 at the age of 77. He was born March 25, 1909 at Somerset, Engiand. Mr. Lewis came to Canada in 1913, settling in the Strathmore, Alta. area. He married Ada Hopkins in 1941 at Trail. They moved to Castlegar in 1942 He operated his barber shop until he reached retire- ment age. Mr. Lewis served as a member of the Castlegar Fire Department for 33 years — 30 of them as fire chief. He was also a past member of the Rotary Club and was an active member in the com munity. Mr. Lewis is survived by his wife Ada of Castlegar; two sons, George and Leon- ard, both of Castlegar; one daughter, Barbara Pickers- gill of Eston, Sask.; four grandchildren; one brother, Maurace Lewis of Victoria. He was also predeceased by one brother Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the Castlegar Funeral Chapel with Pastor Ken Smith offi. ciating. Burial will follow in Park Memorial Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Castle- gar Funeral Chapel. Briefly BOMB THREAT GANDER, NFLD. (CP) — A British Airways 747 jumbo jet resumed its journey to New York late Saturday morning after ‘a 15-hour unscheduled stopover here resulting from a bomb threat. The aircraft was on a flight from London when a British Airways office in the United States received a telephone call stating that a bomb was. aboard the plane. The ‘airliner, with 181 passengers and crew aboard, was diverted to Gander, touching down around 8:30 p.m. NDT. British Airways officials would not reveal which of its, offices received the call. ee TEST-TUBE BABY MONTREAL (CP) — The second test-tube baby born in Quebec and the first in Montreal was eating, sleeping and cooing like any other newborn, @ spokesman for Charles-Lemoyne hospital said Satur- day Mare-Antoine Lapron-Dumais was born Thursday morning about seven weeks prematurely, but doctors said he was in fine shape and was breathing well. The baby, weighing four pounds, nine ounces, should be able to leave the hospital in about two weeks. LEAVE BRITAIN LONDON (AP) — The British government ordered the expulsion Saturday of three Syrian diplomats after Syria refused to lift their diplomatic immunity so that they could be questioned about alleged terrorist activities in Britain. A Foreign Office statement said the three Syrians have seven days to leave the country. It did not specify what terrorist activities were alleged, but earlier this week Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe told House of Commons he had met with Syrian Ambassador Loutof Allah Haydar and discussed with him the April 17 attempt to blow up an Israeli El Al airliner at Heathrow airport in London. ARMY ORGANIZED LAOAG (REUTER) A former military aide of Ferdinand Marcos is organizing an army to provide security if the deposed president returns to the Philippines, a senior provincial government official said Saturday The official, who asked not to be identified, said the force was being recruited “in deep secrecy” in three northern Philippine provinces which had been Marcos's strongholds. He said the aide, a colonel who was a bodyguard of Marcos’s daughter Imee, was hiring members of the defunct presidential security command who did not report for duty after Marcos was toppled by a civilian-backed military revolt in February 11 ARRESTED LUECHOW, WEST GERMANY (REUTER) Eleven anti-nuclear protesters were arrested r- day after trying to block a railway line leadin: a nuclear waste dump close to the East German border, police said A-peliee spokesman said.the protesters.cut.down telegraph poles and removed ballast fromthe ufacki which is used by trains carrying nuclear waste to the dump at Gorleben The next train to Gorleben was not due to use the line until Monday, the spokesman said. FORCES MOVE IN ALEXANDRA, SOUTH AFRICA (REUTER) — Hundreds of soldiers and police moved into the black township of Alexandra overnight in a large-scale security sweep, police and residents said Saturday. The security forces began the joint operation in the township near Johannesburg at midnight Friday night, a police spokesman said. ACTOR DIES LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Herschel Bernardi, best known for his long-running role as Tevye in the musical Fiddler on the Roof and as the rumpled, cynical Lieut. Jacoby in the Peter Gunn TV series, has died. He was 62 The actor died Thursday night of a heart attack in his sleep in his Los Angeles home, said Charles Stern, his manager By CasNews Staff and News Services A recent recommendation to limit enrolment of transfer students at the University of British Columbia should not, be a problem for Selkirk College students gaining entry to the univer- sity College principal Leo Perra said in an interview he doesn’t forsee a prob- lem, but also added it's difficult to respond to the recommendation for a number of reasons. He said that so far, the college has received no official information from the university. Perra also said he understands the proposed enrolment limits are above last year’s levels. He said that last year 740 students were admitted in the program area in comparison with the university sen- ate’s recommendation to limit 450 transfer students from Community Colleges and other universities in the second year of the program and 300 third-year students, a total of 750 students. But according to Senate Admissions Committee figures, last year 500 college and university students trans- ferred to UBC for second year. Perra also said that enrolment patterns for the next few years seems to suggest that there won't be an increase in students. “The number of kids coming out of Grade 12 is not on the uprise,” he said. erra downplays limits “It’s not a burning issue for a while,” Perra said. “It depends on what happens to the population,” he added. “I don’t see anything that is going to change the trends.” “Enrolments are not going up, Grade 12 student population base is dropping. ‘There's nothing to indicate a crisis.” Selkirk College had an equivalent of 300 full-time students enrolled: in its University Transfer program last year. Of those 300, about 25 per cent transferred to other institutions with between 50 to 60 students transferring to UBC. But the UBC senate’s recommenda- tion still must be ratified by the university board of governors. It is by the B.C. Association of Colleges, which is asking the senate to reconsider and consult with the col- leges before proceeding. Meanwhile the president of Okana gan College says college students will be increasingly shut out of UBC if the recommendation goes ahead. Noting that the number of transfer students is growing each year, Peter Williams says capping the figure at today’s level will place an additional burden on community colleges in British Columbia. “If the trend (to increasing enrol ment) continues, more will be turned away,” said Williams. Colleges are only two-year schools, however, and could not help third-year students trying to get into university, he said. M Williams also criticized the senate for acting without consulting the colleges, which is partly to provide university-bound students with a cheaper alternative for their first two that the province's two other univer- sities, the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University, plan similar action. : Meanwhile, the Canadian Federation of Students says that the senate’s to ‘limit “threatens the prospects of university completion for many students at B.C. colleges.” “As a result, students from the Interior of the province will find it even more difficult to complete their university degrees,” says the CFS. Stephen Scott, executive officer of the Canadian CFS (Pacific Region) has criticized both the regional bias of the decision and the arbitrary manner in which it was made. “More and more the University of British Columbia is becoming the University of the Lower Mainland,” he said. “This decision was made in isolation, they didn't consult with either the colleges or the students who will be affected.” ONE OF MANY .. . Ald. Albert Calderbank does the hard work, digging a hole fora ed by Arnold Erickson, district silviculturist one-year-old Ponderosa pine being plant: being planted on Selkirk College property for the Ministry of Forests. The trees are BCGEU imposes WESTAR TIMBER POLLUTION VARIANCE as part of | Forests Week CasNewsProte by Semon Buch Tories’ majority cut EDMONTON (CP) — Al berta’s Progressive Conser- vative government, its maj- ority cut substantially in Thursday's election, will be pressured to send more aid to farmers and the unemployed. New Democrat Leader Ray Martin, who will head the official Opposition in the next session of the legis- lature, said Friday the beefed-up opposition ranks won't settle for Tory inac- tion. “Don't try it,” said Martin, whose party claimed 16 of 22 opposition seats in Thurs- day's surprising result. “We can hold you up (in the legis: lature) for a long time.” Premier Don Getty's Pro- gressive Conservatives will hold a comfortable majority, with 61 seats. But that’s down from the 75 they held before the vote. A Liberal resurgence gave Leader Nick Taylor's party four seats and the Represen- tatives, an offshoot of the Social Credit party, held on to its two seats. Martin said Friday unem. ployment is rising and “it will get worse if we don't do something . . . Forget your ideology, Conservatives There's people suffering out there.” SOVIETS SAY KIEV SAFE MOSCOW (AP) — The Soviet Union said Saturday that new radiation readings show Kiev is “absolutely safe” from the Chernoby! nuclear plant's fallout, and a Soviet official was quoted as saying the Kremlin should have announced the accident sooner. Valentin Falin, chairman of the Soviet news agency Novosti, was also quoted as saying that two more people have died as a result of the accident. That would bring the official death toll to four. D' The West German Der Spiegel quoted Palin as saying the two had been among 18 people who were in hospital in serious condition as a result of the milliroentgens per hour in Kiev and at 0.33 milliroentgens per hour 56 kilometres from the plant, but did not say when the readings were taken. A milliroentgen is one- dth of a the of ionizing radiation. Experts say exposure to 50 roentgens or more per year is dangerous and 400 roentgens per year can be fatal. Soviet officials have said they evacuated people and livestock within 29 kilometres of the reactor. Companies secure, Deng tells PM the officials said, was to what is known in 1958 to and During the 70-minute meeting, that the government will continue economy more liberal and less central. Laws have been passed in China that will protect Deng is reported to have said, and the prepared to modify them if investors are not Although the i between Mulroney and Deng on investment’ again to say whether Mulroney raised the issue of human rights abuses in China with Deng during their talks on Saturday. Before the prime minister left on his three-country tour, his officials said human rights would be discussed when he held meetings with Chinese and South Korean leaders. Both China and South Korea have been condemned for human rights “abuses by Amnesty International, London-based human rights advocacy group. PM ‘A FRIEND’ Earlier Saturday, Deng greeted Mulroney as “a friend of China’s people.” “Like all your predecessors, Mr. Prime Minister, you devote yourself to the further cultivation of friendly relations and co-operation between China and Canada.” Deng, 81, also referred to young leaders in the world, saying with satisfaction that Mulroney is one of them. “When I'm in Ottawa, I feel older every day,” said Mulroney, 47. “I've discovered, sir, that the longer I stay away from the House of Commons the younger I feel. So I may stay here for an extended period of time.” Before his meeting with Deng, Mulroney delivered a speech about the investment opportunities in China to « group of Canadian businessmen, members of the Canada China Trade Council. needs the wages and taxes from those jobs,” the release says. a VANCOUVER (CP) — The meeting will be held in ryieh ee ee M: Kary Hall at the former ment Employees Union im. avid Thompson University posed a ban on overtime. Centre at 7:30 p.m. flexible schedules and stand by provisions Friday as the first phase of the union's strike against the B.C. Sys. tems Corp. The union's bargaining committee at the corporation had issued 72-hour strike overtime ban Negotiations, which began in October, broke off in April when mediator Jim Toogood was asked by the union to book out Union president John Shields said the employer's insistence in tying negotia tions to the terms of the main public service agreement which is still being negoti- EXPANDED @ MINIMUM 20 BREEDING BEEF COWS OR EWES ON JULY 1S1/8S. @ PURCHASED MINIMUM 20 TONS OF FEED ABOVE NEEDS (MINIMUM AMOUNT OF FEED BOUGHT SEPT. 1ST - MAR. 31ST IN EITHER OF TWO PRECEDING YEARS) PAYMENT $30/TON ON ADDED FEED REQUIREMENTS, WHICHEVER IS LESS APPLICATION DETAILS MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD OFFICES SUBMIT APPLICATIONS BY OR $30/HEAD. Mon. - Fri. Mon Sundays 365-6028 7 Days a Week and we havea New Luncheon Menu Luncheon 11 Sat Dinner 5 9:30 30 a.m 10 p.m. y= QL ABRIEL Now Open notice Tuesday, paving the way for 300 employees to stage the overtime ban; which is considered a strike to reach a settlement. ment ated has made it impossible Main issues in the dispute are wages, terms of agree- ment and a transfer agree- 1:30 p.m p.m. CASTLEGAR SAVINGS CREDIT UNION ws CLOSED Castlegar & Slocan Park Branches continued trom front pege strict standards imposed by the Envir onment Ministry If Westar’s application for a variance order is granted, it will be the company's second reprieve from meet ing government-imposed pollution standards. In 1983, the firm was granted a four-year extension after it told the Environmental Appeal Board it could not Toliow through with a pollution control program agreed upon in 1981 Westar said at the time it did not have the money to complete the pro gram But the Castlegar council claim of a lack of funds. “The financial statement for Westar pulp mill at Castlegar, 1984, shows an operating profit of $16,928,000 was accumulated on the sale of 145,081 tons of pulp in 1984 “Despite this obvious lucrative per iod of income and production by August 1985, seven months after the $16.9 million profit, Westar was making an application for a variance on its pollution control commitment submission to Westar's PPWC's disputes “There was no intention of allotting any of this profit to the community and mill where the money was made.” In the submission, the union urges Westar to be a “good corporate citizen’ and complete its “pollution commit ment to this community now “Anything less is not appropriate or acceptable.” In an interview Thursday, Espen hain said that while the union opposes the granting of the variance, it does support the Sandwell plan to improve pollution control's at the mill — but under certain conditions. “What we would like is more specific information on the levels of pollution that are going to be coming out of the mill afterward,” he said. If Westar is going to use the Sand well proposals, Espenhain said, then the Waste Management Branch of the Environment Ministry “has to add some particulars to that.” Specifically, the union wants Westar to meet the commitments in less than 10 years, the PPWC submission says “The permit should also be reviewed year to year to give some assurance that the pollution control plan is continuing on schedule and is indeed working.” The Westar variance proposal was also discussed recently in the provin cial legislature where Rossland-Trail MLA Chris D'Arcy called for the vari ance, if granted, to be tied to the financial performance of Celgar D'Arcy asked Environment Minister Austin Pelton if he could give the com mittee an assurance that compliance with the variance “will not be set on some time frame ... but rather will be based on being necessary when the price of pulp rises to such a point as there is cash flow in order to bring (Celgar) into the same operating range as has long been accepted by other mills in the Interior and the north and for all I know at the coast as well.” D'Arcy said that if the Environment Ministry allows Westar 10 years to upgrade Celgar, “it doesn't matter what happens to the price (of pulp) be. tween now and 1996, they won't do anything until 1996.” “And if the price of pulp is bad then, they will do exactly what they've done since 1961 and say: ‘We can't afford it right now.’ ” D'Arcy added that he agrees with Westar officials who say that Celgar is at a slight disadvantage because it is the only mill in the Interior or the north that is required by the Forests Ministry to process round wood in the plant site. “Nonetheless, there is absolutely no excuse that this plant has been allowed to get away with what they have since 1960, when it comes to levels of atmos- pheric pollutants which the people of the lower Columbia Valley have been exposed to during that time Pelton responded by saying his ministry is in fact keeping its eye on the emissions from the Celgar mill. He noted the recent case in Castlegar provincial court in which the Environ ment Ministry charged Westar with 28 counts of pollution control violations that were alleged to have occurred during May 1985. “Unfortunately, the case was dis missed by the court for a couple of rea sons,” Pelton said. “One was that we hand’t established unequivocally enough that there was a threat to human health. And the other one was that there was some question about our being able to prove where the emis sions were actually coming from “We are in the process of appealing this decision, and we would hope to have some better luck in the appeal than we had in the original action that we took against them.” In the meantime, Pelton said, the ministry has asked an investigator to examine Celgar's pollution problems. “He'll be talking to not only the local authorities and the people who live in the area but also the people who work in the mill and the union officials,” he said Castlegar council will meet with the investigator — professional engineer Lou Osipov of Vancouver - day. Pelton agreed with D'Arcy’s sugges tion of tying the variance to “the price of the product” Celgar sells. “I think that is an excellent idea, and we are going to take a very close look at that,” Pelton said. “As (D'Arcy) stated, it is usually a matter of money from the point of view of the people that are guilty of causing the unac ceptable emissions. “Then you know the ultimate step would involve the loss of jobs. We have to be very cautions about that, par ticularly in this time and in this industry.” Pelton added that he would take D'Arcy’s suggestions into consider ation if the variance is approved The reluctance of Westar to spend money upgrading Celgar’s pollution facilities and the firm's continuing un dercutting of wood on its Tree Farm License No. 23 add fuel to rumors that the Castlegar operation is up for sale. The Ministry of Forests is consid on Tues: ering a recommendation from Julius Juhasz, director of thé ministry's timber management branch, to remove about 143,000 cubic metres of wood from the annual allowable cut (AAC) on TFL No. 23. That would reduce the AAC about 12 per cent — from 1,067,000 cubie metres to 924,000 cubic metres. According to Juhasz, Westar has been under-cutting its tree farm licence by an average of 140,000 cubic metres a year for the last five years. However, Westar president Sandy Fulton was quoted as saying the company has indicated all along that parts of the tree farm TFL No. 23 “are in excess of our needs.” An article in one of Vancouver's daily newspapers quotes Dave Mitchell. Westar's general manager of industrial relations, as saying Celgar has been buying pulp chips elsewhere because it is more economical to do so. In the same article, Jack Puusepp. vice-president and forest products an alyst with Pemberton, Houston, Will oughby. said he's not surprised the Forests Ministry is considering remov ing a portion of Westar's timber rights on TFL No. 23. “They haven't spent any money on their forest products operations, and that tells me they're not very inter ested,” he said. However, some of Castlegar's alder men recently toured Westar's South ern Wood Products sawmill and came away with the impression that the company is concerned about its Castle gar operation, at least at the sawmill \ ~ “They have spent quite a bit of money in the last little while,” said Pakula, who noted that some of the mill's equipment is “very up to date.” Ald. Carl Henne agreed, saying Westar has “streamlined and cleaned up” the Southern Wood Products oper ation. Henne added that the city should support Westar's TFL No. 23. Council will invite Minister of For. ests Jack Heinrich to discuss the tree farm licence. The PPWC's Espenhain agreed that “a lot of people” talk about the possible sale of Celgar, but noted that Westar officials deny the pulp mill is for sale. He added that there are “no tangible indications” a sale is likely Nevertheless, he said: “We've had tours from other corporations come through the mill. Some people suspect that they're trying to buy it.” And the PPWC's submission to Castlegar council notes that pulpmills, sawmills and equipment “are depreci ated using a unit of production method based on the estimated useful lives of the assets at normal production levels for periods up to 25 years.” “This statement means that the 1960 Castlegar mill has been depreciated now and renewal should be looked at the sale of the compiex at this time would be another logical corporate move that would be enhanced with « 10-year pollution variance —- ¢ ing to leave the community with the smell.” . auinu