OPINION

WEDNESDAY, Novem 18, 1992

on
¢ Sun
~~

PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG

The C

editorial comment

Will you make
someone's
Christmas worth
remembering?

We see signs of IT everywhere we go, we're being
bombarded by IT, and by the time IT finally comes around
we breathe sighs of relief as we quickly pack away all
signs of IT.

TT...otherwise known as Christmas, can also be- warm
furry memories that we pack away with our ornaments.
Memories of young eyes sparkling, and voices raised in
jeyful unison as the truth of Christmas is sung in harmo-
ny...and they are memories that on a cold winter day will
warm your soul.

Most of us have heart warming memories that we can
pull out of our subconscious at will, and these are usually
memories that we can relive over and over again. These
never loose their sweet taste no matter how many times we
choose to savor them.

IT have one such memory which always brings tears of
gratitude to my eyes every time I think of it. It is a memory
that is very personal, but one which I think needs to be
shared.

up im a family which consisted of three broth-
ets and @ sister had many many
tages.

The winter of 1960 was a hard winter for my family.
Winnipeg winters can be hard and unforgiving.

My father had been without a job for several months,
and my mother was enduring a difficult pregnancy. The
doctor had told my mother that it was essential that she
quit work, or she would lose the baby.

But my mother had no choice, she had to work. There
were five hungry children to feed and clothe, and Christ-
mas was approaching rapidly.

Late at night my sister and I would lie in our narrow
beds and listen to my mother crying as she realized that the
approaching Christmas would only bring sadness to her
family.

‘We heard my mother and father questioning how they
were going to provide presents for their family, and we
heard them wonder how they were ever going to be able to
provide even the most minimal of meals.

The atmosphere around our house was gray and somber
as Christmas quickly approached. I was old enough to real-
ize that Santa was not going to come in his sleigh and
leave us gaily wrapped packages under the tree.

Christmas Eve day was upon us, and as I watched the
snow flakes fall mutely to the ground I was surprised by a
knock at the back door. Assuming it was another well
wisher on their Yule mission I ran to the back door.

When I opened the door I found two packing barrels,
but no visitor. My father came to see who was at the door
and he spied the barrels also.

Dad quickly and adeptly wrestled the barrels inside. As

Mages,

Canadian women tired of being ‘snowed’

Last year at this time we were
shovelling snow, dashing about
organizing snow tires and antifreeze
for our vehicles and generally being
very aware that winter had arrived.
We seem to be getting a bit of a
reprieve this year. We have seen, on
our television screens, snow all
about us, and not so very far away.
We encountered quite a bit of it just
“up top” not too long ago. Across
Canada other areas have already
experienced their first winter
storms. But here, in the benign West
Kootenays, where our climate is

one of our best kept seerets, sve: still ;
have floral arrangements thriving in |

hanging baskets!

Up here in the hills we have had
heavy frost which has shrivelled
most outdoor plants, but in more
sheltered areas some brave blooms
still exist. It certainly has been
chilly, but we cannot call this winter
weather. I am sure that, as Canadi-
ans, most of us feel that first winter
chill and shudder to think of the
long winter months ahead. Then we
throw back our shoulders, take a
deep breath, and start shovelling! In
the incessant Vancouver rains,
Lower Mainland folks console
themselves with the thought that, at

Jeast, they do not have to shovel it.
When our first snow does arrive,
there are many advantages. The
blanket of white makes everything
appear cleaner and overcast days
seems brighter. There is nothing so
beautiful as a day dawning with

Seasons

Elma
Maund

fresh snow, bright blue ‘skies and
wall to wall sunshine. There are
Several groups who do not consider
the first snowfall the end, but rather
the beginning, of good times out
doors. The cross-country and down-
hill skiers, and the snowmobilers
are usually supremely happy at the
first sight of snowflakes. Some have
been out in the mountains already
There can never be too mych snow
for them. A fresh snowfall finds
them out having a great time in our
beautiful winter outdoors. It would
not be possible for them to envision
living in a climate where snow is
not a part of the winter season

There are other snows to consid-
er, such as sweet, juicy, crunchy
apples. And then there is Michael
Snow, the well-known artist. And
now, of course, we have Snow, the
“Creep”. You will have read about
this one. He had been terrorizing
people for well over a year, first in
Eastem Canada and, most recently,
in Vancouver. This is the same indi-
vidual who was found, by Judge
Paradis, to be not guilty of
“attempted murder”. Snow had
attacked and abducted several
young women. He is implicated in
other biwarre mcidents in Ontario
His last victim, and let us trust it IS
his last, was just leaving work in
North Vancouver when she was
attacked. She is still trying to recon-
cile her misfortune after this terrify-
ing incident of last summer
Although she had been stripped,
had a plastic bag thrown over her
head and a wire tightened around
her neck, Judge Paradis considered
she was not the victim of “attempt-
ed murder’!

I find Judge Paradis’ decision
incomprehensible, demeaning and
incredibly lenient, in dealing with a
man who has shown no leniency,
compassion or remorse toward his

female victims. This judge has a
background of controversial find-
ings over the length of his career.

Back in the days when I occa-
sionally had idle time, I attended, as
an interested student, a trial that had
been moved up into the Interior in
an attempt to find a friendlier
venue. The defendant, a jail escapee
and alleged murderer, chose trial by
judge at which this same Judge Par-
adis presided. The evidence was all
circumstantial, but the nature and
quantity of the evidence was com-
pelling. His decision of ‘Not
Guilty” was as controversial then as
the Snow trial is today. Obviously
we have individuals in the judiciary
who have lost touch with the reality
of our modern mean streets. It is
one thing to be victimized by a trou-
bled male predator. It is quite anoth-
er to be also victimized by the
predominantly male judicial system.
At a time when a Royal Commis-
sion has demonstrated just how
poorly the Canadian judicial system
treats women, surely we have more
important debates than whether or
not Justice Minister Kim Camp-
bell’s snowwhite, bare shoulders are
in good taste? Canadian women are
tired of being “snowed”!

Kim Campbell—tThe lady is a card!

JIM NIELSEN

Kim Campbell: sex object! Good
grief. Canada’s Justice minister is
having the time of her political life
with the hullabaloo over a two-year-
old photograph of her holding judi-
cial robes in front of her with her
naked shoulders in view. Naked

shoulders. What next?

he pried them open I could see gaily wrapped p

and an assortment of food. There was a turkey, and all the
trimmings so that a family of seven could have a tradition-
al Christmas dinner.

‘We opened our presents Christmas Eve, as was our tra-
dition. Every present had been specially selected for each
individual in our family.

I often think about that Christmas, and I wonder at the
generosity and kindness of our fellow man. We never did
find out who was responsible for that wonderful Christ-
mas. Their yoy was in giving, not in bragging that they
gave.

I am telling this story today so that you may also have
the joy in giving.

The Salvation Army, and the Canadian Legion is pro-
jecting that there will be 200 to 300 families in need of a
Christmas hamper. Donations are sorely need, and have
been slow in coming. Donations may be in the form of
goods or cash, which can be converted into food items and
gifts.

Will you help make somebody's Christmas worth
remembering?

—Karen Kerkhoff

WZ
The Cast jaar Sun
is
1S POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A

MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE
Established November 28, 1990

Published by The C: Sun
Weekly on Wed ys
465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C. V1N 1G8

a

The woman who would be prime
minister one day has handled this
silly subject with class. Kim Camp-
bell is showing a different side of a
very talented lady. She has always
had difficulty relating to the average
person, a combination of shyness,
self deprecation and intellectual

remoteness. It would seem these
barriers have been breached.

Only the sad keepers of modesty
and correctness have seriously com.
mented on the photo of the B.C. MP.

I thought it amusing in this goofy
world of politics that while the
Americans were choosing a new
president, we in Canada were
engrossed in a snapshot of a mid-
dle-aged female politician which
attempted to get a message across
by way of the photographer's artis-
tic touch.

A while back, I did a nine-minute
mind-debate with Kim Campbell on
CBC's The Journal. We were to pre-
sent an opinion on the silly referen-
dum.

When it came time to record I
found myself and the Madonna of
Canada sitting at a very brightly
lighted table surrounded by the
darkness of the TV studio. It was
not unlike sitting in a nightclub with
the bright lights, a table for two and
a blue-eyed blonde sitting across
from me, the hunk from Richmond.
There was no wine.

Just before we began taping, Kim
and I chatted about old times when
I was in the provincial government
and she was an assistant to then-
premier Bill Bennett. A moment
before the camera began recording
this momentous debate the Justice
minister threw me a wink and threw
me off. I damn near laughed aloud.

If she intended to lessen my strident
stand on the referendum, she suc-
ceeded. In fact, the first interview
was so flat the CBC asked that we
do it again. We did.

No doubt the lady who must suc-
ceed had added new depth to her
political persona: humor. In fact,
Kim is known as a very funny per-
son. Her humor may be her secret
weapon in the upcoming attempt to
win the leadership of the Conserva-
tive party.

Were I considering a return to
Politics, I would have to consult
with my in-house photographer to
advise as to which of my many
good features should be empha-
sized. Not my shoulders: I'm sure.

Harcourt handouts to friends helping out-of-control deficit gain speed

‘GORDON W WILSON

A few years ago, a brash, young
politician told a reporter that bal-
ancing British Columbia's budget
was “absolutely one of the easiest
things I could imagine doing.”

That same politician, who today
is now B.C.'s Minister of Finance,
is in charge of a budget deficit
which is out-of-control. Can you
believe that British Columbia now
faces a record deficit of $2.7 billion
— and climbing? It's unbelievable
that the Harcourt government could
be so off-base and have a budget
deficit that's $1 million higher than
they forecast only six months ago

The whopping deficit this year
will cost each and every British
Columbian $900. To put it into per.
spective, that’s equivalent to each
and every day taking $3 and throw-
ing it away. Have every member of

your family do the same thing every
day of the year. That's how much
the deficit of the Harcourt govern-
ment is costing you. Can you afford
to throw away $900 each year?

Don’t forget this is a government
which promised that they would
reduce the tax burden on all middle
income and lower income British
Columbians in their first budget
What happened?

What's going to happen is that
British Columbians should brace
themselves for massive tax increas:
es next spring when the Harcourt
government introduces its second
budget. The only way to increase
funding is to increase taxes. The
sales tax will likely be increased to
seven per cent and harmonized with
the GST. What that means is that
British Columbians will be paying a
tax of 14 per cent on many more
items than they are now, which, in
turn, gives the Harcourt government

more revenue

Secondly, I believe that taxes to
corporations and possibly to small
businesses will be increased and
this will have a detrimental effect
on job creation. Also, the fees,
licences and fines which were
increased in the last budget may be
increased again.

It will be a tax grab of major pro-
portions at a time when people in
this province are fed up and can’t
afford increases in taxation.

Prior to the last election, Mike
Harcourt said his party was com-
mitted to living within the means of
the people of British Columbia
What happened to that commit-
mem? Government spending is now
out-of-control

The NDP came into office and
immediately began handing out
largesse to their friends and insid-
ers. They thought the public trough
was bottomless, but now they are

ho

quickly finding out that it’s our
money they're spending.
, this is a gi

which spent money to remodel the
NDP caucus offices, to build a big,
new expensive table to accommo-
date their caucus. This is a govern-
ment which sent the entire staff of
the Women’ Equality Ministry to a
luxury seaside resort on Vancouver
Island where they made ‘mobiles’
and ‘sculptures’ out of drinking
straws and sewing pins and we paid
for it. The minister called it an ‘ice
breaking’ exercise. Can you believe
that? This is also a government
which had to dispose of 12 tons of
printed referendum material after
the Constitutional referendum.
What a colossal waste of money.

The Harcourt government should
start looking at itself instead of
looking at ways to penalize British
Columbians with further tax
increases.

Wednesday, November 18, 1992

The Castlegar Sun

Page 7A

Letters to the Editor

tennilt disbelieve-
ment and anger are words, I can
only express of the Federal Gov-
omment and Labour in suggest-

N,

Significance of Nov. 11 day lost if me

past, present,
yeah Soe typ

A
Fecurool to coincide with a long

yoo 11, 1918 — Armistice
Officially ended the First World
‘War, The Government has stated
there will be no wreaths next
year, a saving of $12,000 taxpay-
¢x8 monies, Couldn't some of the
GST monies be put towards a
‘wreath.

venth
of the eleventh day of the
ele’

History if you
to coincide in having a long
weekend?

Have we, as Canadians,
became so uncaring that we are

United Way
is the only
way!

Dear Editor:

As local President of the
Canadian Red Cross I'd like to
publicly acknowledge the won-
derful support that the United
Way gives to us. It’s donations
from local folks to the United
Way which enables us to provide
the services we do.

In Castlegar and area in the
past year, for example, we have
been able to provide education on
international relief and develop-
ment; collect 368 units of blood;
train 501 people in life saving
first aid skills; put 900 local peo-
ple through swimming and boat-
ing training; and we helped 98
clients with the free use of health
care equipment.

Although 95 percent of Red
Cross work is done by volun-
teers, it still takes money.

If it weren't for the United
Way, we (and many other organi-
zations) would be out there
knocking on doors and running
events to raise needed funds
What a great system it is to have
one group with its only task to
work hard to raise these funds
through one campaign

Thanks to the donors and the
many United Way workers — we
and those we help salute you!

Kirk Duff
Castlegar Branch President

NDP decision to ‘allow Native people polici ng
rights over resources a big mistake

Dear Editor:

The following is an open letter
to Aboriginal Affairs Minister
Andrew Petter and Rossland-
Trail MLA Ed Conroy.

Now, after you people had
time to get the eggs off your face
in completely misjudging the
public (in other words completely
out of touch), I will refresh your
memory.

People do want Quebec to stay
in Canada and Indian Self-gov-
ermment. But to what extent?

To give your people a blank
cheque would be disastrous. To
trust a politician would be ridicu-
lous as you well found out in that
referendum. Since politicians on
the whole are more interested in
keeping their cushy jobs to get
their outrageous pension, they
haVe to get votes and no bad pub-
lic image from any body.

So now I come to my question.
What right do you have to give
the Indians ‘Haidas,’ the right to
police the salmon fishery on the
ocean. You gave them the right to
blackmail the lodges by $10,000
each; and sports fisherman who
knows what, and of all things

Castlegar feature in

Dear Editor:

Thank you very much for the
very fine article on the story in
the Winter edition of the Beauti-
ful British Columbia Magazine. I
greatly enjoyed talking with

Taxpayers would
applaud a move
to save jobs

Dear Editor:
The following is an open letter
to Mr. Brian Mulroney.

Dear Prime Minister:

I am writing to urge your gov-
ernment to offer its immediate
and unequivocal support for the
latest bid from the 16,000
employees of Canadian Airlines
International to save their compa-
ny and protect their jobs.

British Columbians deserve to
know that the federal government
is doing everything in its power
to preserve the 8,000 B.C. jobs
that are at stake. Canadian Air-
lines customers also deserve
some immediate assurance from
the federal government that they
can continue to have confidence
in the company.

I recognize the complexity of
this issue and the risk to taxpayers
associated with it. Certainly it is

ipated that all gov
involved are taking — and should
take — maximum precaution to
minimize their exposure and risk.

Nevertheless, it is now up to
these same governments to take

an Airlines far exceed the costs
of keeping it solvent.

Again, I urge you to starid
behind the employee's bid and
commit to requisite loan guaran-
tees in comcert with the provin-
cial government.

I am convinced that the vast
majority of taxpayers would
applaud their governments for
concluding this deal without fur-
ther delay, for the benefit of all
Canadians.

Sincerely,
Jack Weisgerber

Leader
Social Credit Opposition

$280,000 to “implement” conser-
vation measures.

Of course this was all done
behind closed doors because if
you bring this out in the open you
would immediately have an out-
cry because what right do you
have to give a special rights
group the authority to tax a
resource that belongs to all Cana-
dians. This is wrong. You set a

very dangerous precedent.

What will the other Indian
nations want next? Don't be so
naieve to think differently. If you
really think people believe Har-
court when he said there is no
intention on the part of the gov-
emment to develop policies in the
context of the Haida Guvaii that
will be applied to the entire coast.

Did not the referendum ques-
tion not tell you something? Or
are you people still on your ego
trip. Get off it.

Show us by cancelling this
agreement, since you not only
opened up a can of worms, you
will get a lot of people choked
up. Show us you have some guts
and are not one of those name-
less, weak-kneed, faces that are
soon forgotten except leaving us

with a‘ = quick fix” to keep a

against Indian self government
but I would like to know how
much?

Why don’t you run part as a
business as it should be. If you
make a mistake, correct it. Step
on heads if you don't cut any
secret deals “behind closed
doors” It will haunt you.

The country will likely run
much better and the honourable
(bah) politicans may get back
some respect they so badly need.

In conclusion, I would like to
ask you what right do you have to
sell out the rights of all Canadi-
ans. What are you going to do if
the Northern natives decide to
“tax” the south on the
geese they shoot because they are
raised in the north. That would be
ridiculous now, Mr. Petter, or
would it be?

I am disgusted with this agree-
ment. i

Hans Kolman

provincial magazine receives attention

reporter Karen Kerkhoff and she
has received, as well, a number
of plaudits for her photography.

I neglected however, to thank
two people who were very
involved in the writing of the
Castlegar article — my wife and
chief literary critic, Bunny, and
my typist, Carolee Fitiz-Gerald,
whose skill at interpreting my
h iting is quite ph 1
and her patience in a hundred
rewrites, infinite. I am deeply
indebted to them both.

The story itself got wide inter-
est most particularly a letter from
a former Castlegar citizen — Dr.
Adam Waldie, now of Cobble
Hill on Vancouver Island. Dated
October 28, 1992 and delivered
October 30 (one up for Canada
Post) the letter is, I feel, of par-
ticular interest to some of our
older residents. I am therefore,
taking the liberty of including
some excerpts from his letter:

Dear John,

What a pleasant surprise to
pick up Beautiful British

wad read your Secaticat article on
Castlegar. You, Mrs. West, Peter
Oglow, Bill Waldie and Joe Kil-
lough are some of the few people
I remember. In two months it
will be 41 years since we left,
and since my parents died in trail
in 1979 I have passed through
only twice.

I love the picture of you with
your dogs down at Zukerberg’s
Island; a lovely picture. When I
saw your photo on the editorial
page I read further, and was
sorry to note you have been ill. I
had forgotten you had already
had a career in the army though
it comes back to me now. And I
had forgotten you were six or
seven years older than me,
vaguely thinking you were about
my own age.

Your article and pictures
evoked some nostalgic memo-
ries. Early in September 1951 I
had a call to Broadwater to see

See LETTER 8A

Faithful record
keeping is highly
appreciated

Dear Editor:

Would you please be kind
enough to print in your paper the
following:

of this area. It is overlooking the
two mighty rivers: The Kootenay
and The Columbia.

Thank you from all of us Bril-

I as a caretaker of Brilliant
USCC Cemetery wish to thank
publicly West Kootenay Family
Historians and the head of the
group Mrs. Murie Walton for
their tireless work helping sur-
rounding communities in record-
ing burials at each cemetery
including Brilliant.

I would like to say that Bril-
liant Cemetery was established
by Christian Community of Uni-
versal Brotherhood under guid-
ance of Peter Lordly Vergin
1914-17.

Brilliant Cemetery is located
in one of the most beautiful spots

liant USCC Cemetery board
members.

Nick Konkin

Silver
Rattle
Antiques
301-11 Ave. Castlega
(in Tulips Building)
365-5191

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for valid
by the approval of the :
Send letters to: The Castlegar
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