90TH BIRTHDAY . . Mike Tayzoff of Thrums
celebrated 90th birthday on Tuesday with friends. He

was born in the Georgia region of Russia in 1894 and
immigrated to Canada when he was 15 years old.

Canada Post improving

By CHISHOLM MacDONALD ~

TORONTO (CP) — Ed Roworth tells the story about the
fellow who got a letter from a friend who had been dead for
20 years.

“The guy thought he was getting mail from heaven,”
says Roworth, a jovial media-relations officer with Canada
Post Corp. Ltd.

But Roworth doesn’t chuckle too much at the anecdote.

“There'll always be horror stories about the postal
service,” he says. “And because we've grown s#big and have
such a high profile, we're an easy target to kick.

Bill Chedore, national vice-president of the Canadian
Union of Postal Workers, says relations “are still very
strained at the plant-floor level.

“There's still the deep-rooted distrust, harassment and
intimidation on the plant floor by supervisors. I don't think
they can convince those workers that there's a harmonious
relationship, that it's all wine and roses.”

But Chedore acknowledges there have been some
two-way discussions at top levels of labor and management,
“and they are making some headway there.”

Frank Ferguson, president of the Canadian Direct

“Byt our performance is showing vast imp:

despite the occasional falldown.”
TURNING AROUND

Rowarth is emphatic when he says Canada Post, the
country’s fifth largest employer and 19th largest corpor-
ation, is steering in the right direction with a massive turn-
around program.

He cites a recent 13-per-cent overall improvement in
on-time delivery of first-class mail (to 91 from 78 per cent)
and even better between central points; extension of
delivery to many thousands more homes; a maza of elec-
tronic mail devices; and a happier employer-employee rela-
tionship.

So how come that letter Auntie Louise mailed you from
the next town over took several days to arrive while your oil
bill made the trip right on target?

Big business customers, even though they get “incen-
tive” postal rates varying down to 21 cents from the regular
82 cents, don’t get any delivery preferences on first-class
mail, Rowarth insists. Greater efficiency in the delivery is a
result of big. businesses’ efforts, not Canada Post's.

says his group has seen a marked
improvement in mail efficiency hpi the last year.
The ion is an g about!
300 companies that depend on the yer tor their livelihood,
and Ferguson said some of the companies have been working
with Canada Post to monitor its efficiency.
CYCLE IMPROVES

“It has improved quite says Ferg
“It's been especially noticeable since a year ago — a definite
improvement in the mail-out, mail-back cycle.

“We keep a very tight watch on it; it's the lifeblood of
our industry. And mind you, when there is a disruption, such
as a strike, we are the loudest to scream — and that's from
pain rather than anger.”

Roworth says the “whole vista of mail volume” has
changed during the last few years — from a highly person-
alized system to a highly business-oriented system.

“A few years ago, 90 per cent of all mail was personal
mail and now nearly 80 per cent of first-class mail is business
mail.”

The proliferation of credit card and computerized
eg ni has resulted in mounting volumes of business
mail. Hundreds of millions of dollars in cash flow are moved

MAIL ORGANIZED
For example, he says, the addresses on their mail are
usually perfectly coded for ing and their ly by mail anda pi

self- sorted mail, postage prepaid, is usually bulk-delivered to

the post office, often by their own vehicles, during specially

scheduled mailing hours. In short, mail from big. business is

better d nad requires a of handling at the
station.

On the other hand, Roworth says, personal mail often
gets delayed because of an illegible postal code or address
and has to be sorted manually.

Less than 60 per cent of personal mail is coded property
by the sender and that slows its delivery time to four or five
days rather than one or two days, he says.

Companies that depend most on the mail tend to agree
that Canada Post's delivery efficiency has improved, but

y forgot to tell rank-and-file postal workers
about the improved labor-management harmony.

strike could devastate a

mail when first-class rates
increased by88 per cent in two stages over the last couple of
years was short-lived, he says. Stamps are still cheaper than
long-distance phone calls.

Reborn as a Crown ition ious. teagmemta
agency of the federal government in October 1981, Canada
Post inherited an unenviable legacy —a deficit of almost $1
billion, a history of bitter strikes, public contempt and
growing competition from private courier services.

To date, it has trimmed its deficit to $300 million, is
aiming at a balanced budget by 1987, committed itself to no
postal rate increases this year, diversified its market, moved
farther into the electronic field and embarked this month on
a five-year business plan.

EDMONTON (CP) — Developers in Alberta who
once saw a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow have
found dross instead.

Nu West Group Ltd. and Carma Ltd. of Calgary and
Daon Devel Corp. of V , three of the
major land developers in Alberta, have all fallen on hard
times as property values sag because of the recessién.

When the economy began to slump and the oil
business — Alberta's mainstay — started to fall off,
properties once thought to be | sure winners became
financial albatrosses.

“Some of the properties we bought when we felt
development in Alberta would be astr ” said

Hard times for developers

1986 and shift some equity ownership.
Thet ring proposals forced on the
by plummeting ‘land values may only be stopgaps.
“The plans keep,the cteditors off your back,” said
analyst Harry Rannala. “But you still have the basic
problem — too much debt and limited ways of servicing
it.

“The question is whether there is enough value to
satisfy their liabilities.”
The question of Alberta land values is the major
problem.
“It’s a complete guess,” said Tom Yarmon, senior
with the i

Murray Fox, Carma vice-president. “Now it looks like
some of it will be farmland for 20 years.

Nu West, Carma and Daon are working on debt re-
strueturing plans to keep themselves going.

Nu West lost $103 million in the first nine months of
1983. It wants to rework its debts in a plan that would
give creditors and bankers 96-per-cent ownership of th
firm.

Carma, which lost $170.6 million last year, most of it
in writedowns of Alberta holdings, is planning to
restructure its $964-million debt with a program that
would give the banks and creditors a 25-per-cent interest
in the company. The plan also would put off debt pay-
ments until properties. are sold.

Daon had a $91-million loss in 1983, but it says that
was reduced to $85, after debt rstructuring. its latest
proposal would defer interest and divident payments to

firm of Clayton Research

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Castlegar

Ph, 365-7287
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Phone 365-7745
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Resident Partner

—
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HOME APPLIANCE

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sn iio dala tse troubled firms holds a lot of property on
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“That land. will have to goat distressed prices.”
Patrician Land Corp., owned by entrepreneur Peter
Pocklington, has already. gone into receivership. Sales'of
its: holdings--will depress the already low land market..
* » Yarmon predicts land values will be stagnant at least
another:year and possibly three.
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Inwite you scl ham to re
Let, our
‘about

By CasNews Staff

Time Air Ltd. will take over Pacific Western Airlines’
Castlegar to Calgary flight June 3 even though it hasn't yet
received approval from the Canadian ‘Transport Commis
sion, a company spokesman confirmed today.

“We will be in there as our airplane June 3,” said
Dwight Jensen, director of marketing and public relations
for the Lethbridge-based regional airline.

However, Jensen said because the application to take
over the service from PWA has not been approved, PWA
will retain the route.

Jensen said Time Air is able to fly in under a
sub-chartering agreement with PWA. It will provide six-day
a week service between Castlegar and Calgary using 50-

passenger Dash 7 aircraft.

But Castlegar council isn't pleased with the
sub-chartering arrangement and has registered its oppo
sition with the Canadian Transport Commission.

“They sneaked another plane in,” charged Ald. Albert
Calderbank.

The issue came up Tuesday after council received a
letter from the transport commission noting that it had not
received a request from either Time Air or PWA to
sub-contract the Castlegar to Calgary route. The letter also
observed council's opposition to the proposal.

“I thought we had endorsed (Time Air),”
Ald. Bob MacBain.

Mayor Audrey Moore explained that council had sup-

commented

ported the Time Air application in an initial letter, but sent a
second letter pointing out its concerns about the fare
schedule and possible sub-chartering

“We opposed the sub-letting of the contract from PWA
to Time Air,” said Moore, adding council felt the application
should go go a full public hearing before the transport com.
mission.

Moore said the second letter also pointed out that Time
Air should have lower fares than PWA because its landing
fees, fuel and operating costs would be lower for the Dash 7.

“It only enlarged on the first letter all we did was
qualify our support,” Moore said

But MacBain questioned who authorized the second
letter.

Measles

plague
Nakusp

By CasNews Staff

A measle epidemic in Nakusp which
has infected 64 persons hasn't reached
Castlegar, says the director of the
Central Kootenay Health Unit.

An outbreak of red measles which
went “through the school children like
wildfire,” according to Dr. Monty Ar-
nott, resulted in 97 children being
banned from schools in Nakusp for a
few hours earlier this month, until they
could be vaccinated.

Arnott says four days ago the total of
measles cases in Nakusp had reached
64.

Three other cases were found in New
Denver, and one in Rossland, he said.

No cases of red measles have been
reported here. “But with the intermix
af school children, we're concerned it
could come to. Castlegar,” added Ar-
nott.

He said a seiioo!
elled to Nakusp, and students from the
band were billetted at the houses of
Nakusp students.

“Two or three groups have gone
through there recently, I understand,”
Arnott said.

But the immunization rates against
measles in Castlegar are higher than in
Nakusp, where less than 90 per cent of
the school children had been vac-
cinated, he said.

Arnott will be forwarding a letter to
parents of schoolchildren in the Castle-
gar district advising them to make sure
their children have been immunized
against measles, mumps and rubella
(German measles).

He said if a case of measles -does
occur within a Castlegar school,
immunization clinies will be set up for
students.

If two cases occur, children who
haven't been immunized will be banned
from attending school until they pro-
vide proof of vacination, said Arnott.

“We do have the authority under the
School Health Act to excempt children
from school if there is an outbreak of
measles,” explained Arnott.

Since there is a waiting period after
the last case of measles has dis-
appeared, some children could miss up
to five weeks of school.

“For high school students this could
be quite a problem,” said Terry Way-
ling, schools superintendent, who said
that this would disrupt provincial ex-
aminations.

Wayling said he understood a num-
ber of parents in Nakusp had refused to
have their children immunized for
“religious and other reasons.”

load limit.

Twenty-seven per cent of one
Castlegar junior high school were ab-
sent with measles in 1979, according to
Arnott.

SUSPENSEFUL BRIDGE: Youngsters cross Zucker-
berg Island Park suspension bridge following Sun-

More than 200 residents turned out for the official
dedication of the Zuckerberg Island Park suspension
bridge Sunday afternoon.

And after all the speech-making was over, residents
lined up for their turn to cross the 100metre long span
that connects the island park with the mainland.

In all, it took residents more than a half hour to file
across the pedestrian bridge because of the 15-person

But those residents were the last authorized bridge
users for the next few days.

That's because the bridge has been closed to the
public until screen siding can be installed.

John Charters, who spearheaded the drive to build

Park bridge dedicated

By RON NORMAN
Editor

Armed Forces

day's dedication, but watch their step. Bridge has
guide wires, but still needs screen siding.

the unique suspension bridge, said it has been left up to
the City of Castlegar to pay for and install the screen,
which will prevent pedestrians from slipping beneath the
waist-high guide wires and into the pool 10 metres below.
The bridge was constructed by the 44th Field Engin
eers, a reserve unit based in Trail. But it was only built to
specifications
protective screen siding.
Ald. Carl Henne, chairman of council's works and
services committee, said in an interview Tuesday the city
works crew will install the screen as soon as possible.
“We have to get at it right away...
off of it, somebody is to blame.”
Henne emphasized that the bridge is not finished.
“They (residents) really shouldn't be walking on it,”
continued on Page A2

Castlegar

an update
column. ..A3

CasNews Photo by Ron Norman

Lennon... A7

which do not call for the

If somebody falls

Riss, =e Se og
e Air set to fly June 3

—inside

HOCKEY NUTS: Remember the
story last year about the jour
men who drov
hours straight to Minnesota to at-
tend a National Hockey League
playotf game? This week we have
in our

SERVICE GONE: It

“I decided the first letter . . . didn't reflect what
council's discussion was,” Moore said

However, she said council's opposition may not amount
to much because of recent changes to airline regulations.

“We may have been overtaken by events because now
deregulations are in effect,” Moore said.

However, Jensen said airlines must still apply to the
transport commission for any new routes.

Asked what Time Air would do if its application to take
over the route is turned down, Jensen replied: “I don't see
that happening.”

He said he expects Time
approved sometime in June.

Air's application to be

City takes
hard line
with hotel

By CasNews Staff

Castlegar council is taking a hard
line with the Sandman Inn over a prop-
osed service road in front of the hotel
and parallel to Columbia Ave.

Land for the road was set aside as
part of the rezoning and subdivision
requirements spelled out by the Min-
istry of Highways.

However, the ministry — which has
authority over Columbia Ave. because
it is a secondary highway — has since
dropped the service road requirement.

But council Tuesday served notice to
Northland Properties btd., owners of
the hotel, that the service road must go
ahead as originatly “planned: pr

“We feel we would like to see it still
there,"*said planning committee mem-
ber Ald. Bob MacBain.

“We feel it is a necessary thing and
want to hold them to it.”

MacBain added that Highways “sort
of backed off with their demand” for
the service road.

He pointed out that if there isn't a
service road fronting the hotel, prop-
erties on the north side of the Sandman
Inn will be without any access should
they be developed as commercial prop-
erties.

As well, the planning committee
noted that residents expressed con-
cerns at public hearings about the
width of Columbia Ave.

The committee pointed out that the
road was “a major factor” in council's
decision to allow the hotel project to

‘oceed

Council will write a letter to the
Ministry of Highways expressing con
cerns about the ministry's decision to
drop the road requirement.
continued on page A2

Street Talk

that Castl its driver

r has lost
examination service — at least for the time being .

appears

STUDENT LOANS: Selkirk College students could be facing huge deb-
ts after they graduate because of a change in the provincial gover-
nment student grant program .. . A2

SCARED BEATLE: Ex-Beatle George Harrison says he is afraid to walk
in public because he may be gunned down like former Beatle John

FOILD AGAIN: BOLTON, England — A bank robber wearing a
Halloween mask held up a bank in northern England « and got away —
with a sack full of empt

Police said that a
Tuesday by the bandit who pointed a handgun at him and told him to
fill a sack with money.

They said the clerk reached down, grabbed a handful of plastic
money bags and stuffed them into the sack.

The robber then raced out of Williams and Glyn’s Bank and
disappeared, the police said.

TO protect him, the police did not identity the clerk by name.

bags.

rave counter clerk” in Bolton was confronted

MINI-TREND: Lip-synching or mouthing words to music is the latest
fad and its catching on like wildfire . . . BS

Vintage cars: ‘chrome and curves'

By ADRIAN CHAMBERLAIN
Staff

The two things that immediately strike you about these
old cars are the chrome and the curves.

Then, as they drive into the Community Complex
parking lot — some gliding in noiselessly, some puffing in

Photos, 83

noisily — the sheer size of these automobiles becomes
apparent.
And then you notice the exotic-sounding names on the

te of grilles: Packard, De Soto, La Salle, Nash. A
Model-T Ford. A Kaiser Manhattan.

About’ 100 old automobiles gathered at the complex
Saturday And Sunday mornings for the 26th annual May tour

of the Vintage Car Club.

Vintage cars from all over B.C. and Washington at
tended the event, which in¢luded a tour to Nelson and Trail
on Sunday.

One of the participants was Ron Buck of Kamloops, who
has restored a 1941 Dodge to pristine condition

Buck, who drove a'41 Dodge when he was a young man,
said it's the memories associ=t=2 with the old cars that make
them special.

“They're rougher riding, and harder to steer and
brake,” explained Buck. “But ore from your younger
years, when-you were

Sunday's tour was a short excursion for Buck, who took
Ahis car_on @ “quarter-century tour" with his Vintage Car
Club on # 5,200-kilometre trek. last year from Victoria to
Dawson Creek, down through ‘the Kootenays and the
Okanagan, and back down to Vancouver.

Like many of the car owners in the Vintage Car Club,
Buck said he’s been “monkeying around” with old cars for
years.

Stan Morris of Burnaby, who owns a 1934 Ford Deluxe,
said the itch to restore old automobiles has been with him
“ever since I was a child.”

“I couldn't afford good cars, and I picked up the cars I
could afford,” he said.

To the uninitiated, it might appear that a basic problem
with owning a vintage car would be getting parts when it
breaks down.

But Buck said you can buy “pretty well everything you
need in swap meets” organized by car clubs. As well, in
response to the rising popularity of fixing up old auto
thobiles, some companiés now specialize in manufacturing
“old” auto parts.

Bill Harris of Haney also said he didn't have trouble

finding parts for his 1947 Mercury, but added that “it's the
unique old cars that have trouble getting parts.”

Often the owners of rarities — such as Mike Reid of
North Vancouver, who restored a seven horsepower
1904 Duryea — must improvise their own parts, said Harris.

Harris said in 1980 he drove his Mercury across Canada
to St. John’s, Nfld. — paws a of 16,800 kilometres.

The vintage cars refl t decades when auto manu-
facturers didn't lose sleep over, whether their cars got good
mileage, whether they had pollution control devices, or
whether they weighed 500 pounds more than last year's
model.

“In those days when they made their cars, they didn’t
worry about cutting corners.” said Jim Carpenter from
Mission City.

Carpenter drives a restored 1954 Dodge which is

continued on page 83