ESTABLISHED AUG. 7, 1947 TWICE WEEKLY MAY 4, 1900 - 12, 1978-AUG. 27, 1980 LV. CAMPBELL — PUBLISHER AUG, 7, 1947-FEB, 15, 1973 % PuBusHER— Burt Campbell EDITOR — Ron Norman RTISING MANAGER — Carol Magaw COMPOSING ROOM FOREMAN — Mickey Read CIRCULATION — Sherry Anderson belong to the odvertiser. ‘vested In and belongs 10 Cottle News Ld.; provided, however, thal copyright in that otto ond shat pact only of a ony advertisement Prepared trom repro proots, engravings, etc. provided hy the advert It's your choice The 1983 annual general meetings of Castlegar Savings and Kootenay Savings credit unions have come and gone in typical fashion — with hardly a comment, query or suggestion from mem- bers. But maybe that's to be expec- ted in a year in which both local That's one out of more than 26,650 members in both credit unions. It's hard to believe that people who are concerned about local control of local money aren't more interested in what is done with - their money — even if the credit unions are doing a good job. credit union's reported economic performances, Kootenay Savings topped the $100 million mark in assets in 1982, recorded a $1.3 million net income . and distributed a 10 per cent ‘dividend to members. Castlegor Savings reported an It's ly hard to believe that members aren’t asking basic questions such as how much money did the credit union make in 1982? Where does that money go? Should the money go into dividen- ds or should it be plowed back into the ered union to make it a * * equally fine year, also handing out @ 10 per cent dividend to members, while recording a $253,000 in- crease in net earnings anda 15 per cent hike in assets. With those kin- ds of figures, who needs to ask questions? Still, credit unions aren't your typical local business. Take Kootenays Savings, for instance. It has more than 20,000 members. Castlegar Savings, with just two branches, nevertheless boasts a membership of nearly 6,650. Com- bined, the two credit unions in one way or another touch almost every resident in this community. That makes them different. With so many members, then, it is surprising that only 130 managed to make it to the Kootenay Savings annual meeting in the Cominco gym and only 115 to the Castlegar Savings annual get- together in the Fireside Place ballroom. Why don’t more members at- tend? It's a difficult question to an- swer. Perhaps, as we said at the outset, the fact that both credit unions are doing so well, makes members rest easy. Those annual meetings would probably attract considerably more members if the credit unions were losing money or encountering troubles in some other area, Still, members presumably joined the credit unions because the credit unions offer something the chartered banks don't — local control of local money. Members feel they have a say about their own money. But do they? Of the total 245 members who attended both the K Savings and ? Should it even go - sas the only member to offer any advice suggested — as low interest loans to help create jobs locally? Those are only some of the. questions credit union members might ask at the annual t 4%, one J Just don't like the look of this..." HANAN AEE eMETEcnATNiE Te IT icnnetnnrrreaeeatcena meno LETTERS TO THE EDITOR And surely questions such as the direction the credit union is taking in the upcoming year, and the plans it has for the next five or 10 years are also important con- siderations — and should be con- sidered and debated by members at the annual meetings. Come on credit union members — all 26,650 of you — take an in- terest in what your credit union is doing. It's your chance’ to have a voice in the local economy. . Simply political Education Minister Bill Vander Zalm’s Good Friday announcement that he is departing from the-- provincial political scene in order to devote more time to his family and nursery business was a well thought out and calculated political decision. There is no doubt Vander Zalm does feel his family and business need more attention — after all, politics is a demanding master. Still, it isn't hard to see that if the Socreds lose the upcoming election to the NDP, Vander Zalm would be in a good position to Castlegar Savings annual meetings, only one asked a question or offered a suggestion. Premier Bill Bennett for the leadership. And if the Socreds win? Vander Zalm still has family and business. FRED MERRIMAN Now is the time for ell good men to come to the aid of the party. Some years ago I challenged anyone of any political party to forward a single-page summary of their particular ideology or raison d'etre. None to date has been received. By my own efforts I have been able to obtain the following material and will quote from the so described material. to weaken the democratic institutions of the people by means of increased centralization of power, and to oppose . any-attempt to spread or implant the seed of racial discrimination, class hatred or religious prejudice among the citizens of the Province of British Columbia, “To liberate the countr: present financial system of the i from the ind its en- free Policy 1 conven- tion 1965 New Democratic Party: “The New Democratic Party be- lieves that social, economic and poli- tical progress in Canada can only be assured by the application of demo- cratic socialistic principles to govern- ment and administration of public af- fairs. “The New Democratic Party holds a firm belief that the dignity and freedom of the individual must be jeal- ously guarded and maintained. “The New Democratic Party is Proud d with the d people. “To restore to parliament effective contro! over the issue of all currency and credit. “To- obtain the economic security which the vast resources of Canada can provide for her people. “To abolish poverty and privation. “To secure freedom from oppressive debt and taxation.” Since the year of election is probably upon us I would like to see a series of public debates, not on the issues upon us, but staying instead on the policy to be socialistic parties of the world in their struggle for peace, international co- operation and the abolition of poverty.” Constitution the British Columbia Social Credit Party 1979; “To foster and encourage :the unit versally- -recognized principles of :Chris- tianity in human relationships. “To ensure responsible and effective democratic government in Canada, so that the people will gain the results they desire from the management of their own affairs. “To expose and oppose any attempts as reported in this column. It is important to a member of either party to hear not only that solutions are possilbe to his immediate concerns but also how, in the long run, either party would carry out those solutions. A thorough public debate on the major provincial political parties and their apparently opposing ideologies wolld — if nothing else — completely clear the air and show us all whether we can expect a short term cure followed by a long term headache or a short term headache and a peaceful and prosperous future. IVAEenGtsncneeevaneevugnuessgceornsyreueyerdstudanennerngasacetgeaseange pnenaueagaencatcuaaeeaniageett Why Stephen was saved Editor, Castlegar News: As a director of the B.C. Association for the Mentally Retarded and a - member of the executive committee which intervened in the case of Stephen Dawson, I would like to tell you of the reasons behind the actions en, Regrettably, sensational media cov- erage centered on the dilemma( of Stephen’s parents, who did not feel they could cope with his needs anymore and wanted him to be allowed | to die. This obscured the real issue: Stephen's right to live and to develop his potential. We were convinced that the decision on whether Stephen would receive an operation to replace his blocked shunt was the most significant judgment affecting disabled people to come before the courts in Canada. Some background ‘for those of you who may not be familiar with all the details of this tragic and controversial case: Stephen Dawson contracted meningitis two weeks after his birth. He was left with cerebral palsy, hydro- cephalus (“water on the brain"), mental retardation, and visual and hearing im- pairments. He is a child with multiple . and complex handicaps and requires.a great deal of care. Stephen's hydrocephalus had been controlled by the surgical implantation of a tube which drains the buildup of spinal fluid from his brain. The: tube became blocked. The staff of Sunny Hill Children’s Hospital, staying, first began to suspect the blockage some time ago when they noticed oe drowsiness, irritability, where he was” return Stephen to his was despite the fact that th tho parents have stood fast.in their desire to have .: their son die what they. term a “pain- less” death from the increasing pres- sure on his brain, parents; This - Advocates for mentally handicapped people know that treatment is often refused on the flimsiest of pretexts by those who purport to value “quality” over ‘sanctity of life. In effect, the - phrase “qualify of life” is used to refuse On the af *foll ig the family court decision, BCAMR: went to the B.C. Supreme Court with a request to authorize the operation as being i in Stephen's best interests. David Vickers, our attorney, argued at the Supreme Court hearing that:. (a) The court has an inherent, juris- diction to act in the best interests of a child; (Parens Patriae). } (b) The Canadian. Charter of Human . Rights and Freedoms guarantees the “right to life” for all Canadians. « Why did we take this stance? It is important to realize several facts. The proposed shunt ;replacement is not classified by the medical profession as either a “heroic” measpre or as a life support system.-It is a: fairly straight- forward and routine procedure which is performed on patients with great fre- quency. It has not been proven that, if the surgery was denied, Stephen would. then die. He could well have lived for ~ an extended period of time in needless but increasing pain as he continued to suffer irreversible brain damage. Evidence given at the custody hear- ing as well as conversations we have had with staff people who work with Stephen indicate that he is not a. “vegetable,” trayed him. Dr. Robert Hill, medical director of Sunny Hill Hospital, testified at the as the media has’ ‘por- pain from headaches. Their suspicions Court hearing on March 16 that Stephen was in contact” with his smiled fi and’ were confit d by a medical who recommended that his shunt be re- “placed immediately. When it became clear that Stephen's parents did not intend to give permis- sion for the operation, the Ministry of “Human Resources apprehended him on the grounds that he was being de- prived of necessary medical attention. The case came- before the family court in Burnaby. On Monday, March 14, the’ presi ding. judge declared the proposed shunt‘replacement “extraor- -dinary” and “cruel and unusual treat- ment,” and further ruled that the Ministry of Human Resources should ‘Intughed in response ‘to and to death. In this way, Stephen's situation was not unusual. What is unusual is that it became public knowledge, albeit in a distorted fashion, The issue was simply that a severely handicapped child was in desperate need of a common oper- ation. Dr. Hill testified that the shunt replacement for Stephen is equivalent to repairing a broken leg or removing an inflamed appendix. Care-givers who ‘worked with Stephen say there is no doubt that his ability was imp: up until. the time his shunt became blocked. - We’at BCAMR believe our choice B.C. Association for the Mentally Retarded Reply to Crawford letter Editor, Castlegar News: In reply to Mr. Crawford's letter of March 27, regarding the amount of the from other people. BCAMR holds thatthe Ministry of Human Resources acted properly .in removing Stephen from his home’ in_ order to protect his life. We feel there © is'no formula within: human reach to- determine when a severely. hardicap- > ped person's “qulity of life” or lack of it entitles to make a subj donation to our Food Depot: The $150 figure was an estimated amount given to myself by Mr. Craw- -ford just as the news reporter was leaving the depot, It was a day or two later that Mr. Crawford returned to the depot and handed in the actual donation, which in fact was $200. ' and arbitrary decision to end that life. ° Such a decision endangers the lives of all mentally handicapped people whe-* ther they are severely or mildly dis- abled. I for any this has caused the staff at Stance Humphries Secondary School and the general public. Sharon Demke Castlegar Food Depot Judge is voice for little guy By GERARD McNEIL OTTAWA — One year and two sharp dissents after she took her seat as the first woman on the Supreme Court of Canada, Bertha Wilson is emerging as a sympathetic voice for the little guy. Mme. Justice Wilson became the junior member of the nine-judge court a year ago, but most observers say it is too early to place her phil- osophically as a liberal or a conser- vative. But a lawyer who appears before the court often, and has studied her eight or so written majority judgments and her two dissents, says: * “One thing is clear: She tends to side with the little guy in the little guy-big guy cases.” An unemployment insurance rulin; may be the Wilson landmark to date. It involved Dennis Abrahams of Sudbury, -a driller for International Nickel Co. of ° Canada Ltd. who was thrown ‘out of work by a strike that began Sept. 16, 1978, and ended June 8, 1979. Abrahams got another job Oct.. 9, 1978, as an orderly at the Sudbury General Hospital, then gave it up April 2, 1979, to undergo surgery. : The Unemployment Insurance Com- mission rejected his claim for benefits, citing a law that prevents strikers from getting benefits until the strike is ended or the worker has become “reg- ularly engaged” in some other occu- pation. . The Federal Court of Appeal upheld the commission ruling on grounds the law was designed to prevent claimants from taking other jobs until a strike is over. “But what is wrong with this?” asked Wilson. “Why would the legislature seek to discourage it? Perhaps such “persons should be encouraged, not penalized, for their initiative.” She said tartly that if Parliament had wanted to prohibit claims by strikers who had taken jobs elsewhere pending settlement of the strike, it would have been easy to say so plainly in the law. Instead, politicians had taken the “rather cumbersome route” of identify. ing what kind of new job a striker would’ have to take to become re-entitled to benefits. “Since the over-all purpose of the (law) is.to make benefits available to the unemployed, I would favor a liberal interp of the provisions,” she ruled. “I think any doubt arising from the difficulties of the language should be resolved in favor of the claimant.” (Canadian Press) ‘oeunnanaeR Remember When? 35 YEARS AGO. From the Avel 1, 1948 Castlegar News The new smoke stack ‘erected at Waldie's Mill is 118 feet high, iye’feet in diameter and weighs 11 tons. It was erected last Fridey afternoon, 3 The seen saute a ‘the Young Adults society was held in the United Church hall last week with president Bill Fraser in the chair. and Muriel Pierce acting secretary. ‘The devotional part of the meeting was taken by George . Landis and, Muriel Pierce who gave’ a scripture. reading, prayer and a short talk fram the “Upper ses ve Collinson’s “Gontectiowety: Post Of- fice, Bus Depot, Nellson's ‘chocolates and bars, ice cream, soft drinks, mag- azines and school supplies. Leitner's: New shipsiant ar flannel and gabardine Pants, just received : A community party may by the Kinnaird W.L was held in the com- munity hall last Friday evening. Mr. D, Wilkinson acted as master of cer-. emonies and was assisted by Mrs. G. Leitner and Mrs, T.R. Nicholls. 25 YEARS AGO... > From the April 10, 1958 , Castlegar News Approximately 185 persons, Scouts and their fathers mainly, sat down to enjoy a bean supper Tuesday night for their annual Father and Son night. . 8 e Dr. C.A. Goresky, BSc., MDCM, son of Dr. and Mrs. V. Goresky, has been awarded a Life Insurance Medical Re- search Fellowship for $4,500 annually. The fellowship is tenable at the John Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore, Maryland, under the guidance of Dr. Fi Di is-Chi ‘J. Assi t of Medicine and the Department of Physiological Chemistry. s . * A.T. Horswill, who recently resigned as Castlegar Village clerk, was honored by the village council Tuesday night, when he was presented with a gift in recognition of his many years, of faith- ful service to the village. The presentation was made to Mr. Horswill by. chairman N. Oglow -on behalf of the Commissioners, at which he ‘spoke highly of ‘the former clerk's “work. The’ gift itself was a handsome toaster, and was accepted with’ plea- sure by Mr. Horswill. 15 YEARS AGO From the April 4, 1968 Castlegar News A Castlegar delegate to this week's Liberal ‘leadership convention in Ot- tawa expressed confidence that Pierre Elliot Trudeau will be the next Prime Minister of Canada. Nick Oglow of Castlegar told the Castlegar News Monday that he was confident Mr. Trudeau would get the nod from the majority of the Liberal delegates to the convention. His nearest rival would probably be Paul Martin, Mr. Oglow said. “But there should be no problem. Mr. Trudeau will be selected.” * 2 @ All was fun and frolic last weekend at Rossland as the Golden City hosted the du Maurier International ski races. But in the wake of the world- wide skiing event, there are a few minor problems to be solved. A prob- lem with a twist — literally — is still, being considered by members of the music department at SHSS, John Holden reported Monday that the band from the school had attended the du Maurier parade. The problem brought back, centres around two tubas. Tt seems that a gay and carefree clown, part of the tradition with such parades, was tossing candies and suckers to juvenile parade-watchers. Winding up with gay abandon, he tossed a handful of the candies straight into the air. In a chance occurrence almost too remote to be believed, each of the tubas caught one of-the candies. Now, says Mr. Holden, the problem is to unsweeten the tubas. 5 YEARS AGO From the April 6; 1978 Castlegar News i New postal rates affecting all classes of mail came into effect Saturday. A news release said the post office wants to remind its customers that | Postage for first-class letters weighing up to one ounce will-rise to 14 from 12 cents, . * An audit of the aye finances has revealed a $188,907 surplus, the chairman of city council's adminis- trative services and finance committee said last week, Ald, Gerald Rust told council last Tuesday the audit revealed that the surplus in the city’s: 1977 general revenue fund added $20,740 to the amount already carried over from pre- vious years, Se TTT Where will this ajcine ns saga, of the) mentally handicapped end? + papera eplash' the brain-shunt page, one, ‘They’ did. the’ same with: Ontario's Justin Clark ‘and ‘his wish’ to live | with: friends. A ‘B.C, oe are: Pt ag willing ees to ‘Canada. 688,778 ‘cotnts holds forth on, the, ethics ‘of letting’ a braln-damaged baby starve, to, death over 17 days, (:\ UA White House report, ouhoing Us 8. : jurisprudence; favoring quility of life ver. life itself,’ pleads fora family’s.’ right’ to ‘pull the’ life-support plug on elatives. An. ‘Ottawa. group insists. ° ‘(have these do-goaders no shame?) on the right, of mentally: retarded people (to'make' love. \' (7 Let's try to-place this “tear-jerking rap saga” in historical context, weigh some. ‘questions it's stirring, then assess what this decade's startling new hope for the .:, “mentally handicapped ought to bring. How does the last months’ blizzard of news about our bra{n-d: d fellow- ‘king saga’ Ian's body n no longer receives such sup- port), se Severe versus mild: disability: this distinction is blurring more and more _ as technology, therapy, and medicines salvage people thought hopeless even a decade’ ago..Justin Clark, the bright young man whose right to choose his home won a judge's backing, was class- ified as an “imbecile” at age six, the ‘"game ‘age and diagnosis that Stephen has ‘today. “If that case does not shake your faith in those who condemn others as men- - tally incompetent, recall the case last month ‘of a’ U.S. woman locked in ¥ mental home for over 10 years because, ‘when found wandering the street, she could speak only Ukranian. - ‘"e State duty versus budgets: when all the heart-rending things get said “about’'taking ‘special steps to keep ‘mentally ded children alive, there citizens fit into our ir times?. / :