WEDNESDAY Vol. 43, No. 63 Castlegar, B.C. 3 Sections (A, B & C) a Lastloges News August 4, 1800. r LOCAL/PROVINCIAL NEWS Local artists display work WEATHER Tonight: Cloudy periods with an odd sprinkle of rains Low to 15. Thursday: sunny with cloudy periods, slight chance of afternoon, prowess or thu showers Tigh eround 30 to 32, Outlook: nny and very warm. Probability of pereipitation: 30 p 9 cent ‘night ‘ond Thursday Julia Roberts starring again EARRINGS bit ain ie hw ee Assorted Clip & Pierced . -+-B4 Chernoff chosen by Rotary By JOHN CHARTERS. Ken Chernoff, Stanley Humphries secondary school grad and son of Wayne and Kathy Chernoff: of Castlegar, _is_this year’s Castlegar Rotary Club RYLA candidate. RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Association and is an an- nual, week-long leadership training program for promising young men and women between the ages of 18 and 25. Each year possible candidates are interviewed by a Rotary selection committee and the best represen- tatives from the area chosen. He or she then joins some 100 others in early August at Camp Roger Larsen on Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for a week's course, all expenses paid, by a Suzuki won't be charged, lawyer says TERRACE (CP) — The Crown won't lay fisheries charges against en- vironmentalist David Suzuki or Haida Indian leader Miles Richardson, prosecutor Peter Ewert said. The decision follows an in- vestigation into sport fishing for steelhead in the Queen Charlotte Islands off the north coast of British Columbia. Evert said he made the ruling after looking at all available information and reviewing a Supreme Court of Canada decision on native _fishing rights. The decision establishes that native fisheries take precedence over other fisheries, while taking conservation into consideration. team of highly qualified speakers and counsellors, mostly Rotarian volun- teers: The site of the camp is, by all reports, a very beautiful one, and the course very intensive but highly praised by the graduates. Rotary president Don McDowell said that he was very impressed by Chernoff, both in his interview and in the resume that he presented. ‘‘He sounds,"’ McDowell noted, ‘‘like someone who will really benefit from the RYLA program and who in turn will benefit others in his community.”” Support for the course is a part of the Rotary community youth program and is implemented in most of the 24,538 Rotary Clubs operating in 167 countries. Ken Chernoff, left, is co: president Don McDowell after being chosen to attend a leadership training program. ratulated by Castlegar Rotary Club HAIR ACCESSORIES Assorted Colors HOURS: Mon.-Fri., 9a.m.-7 p.m Saturday, 9 0.m.-6 p.m. ++ Sun, 12.n00n-5 p.m. Pit seta . continued from page C1 mill expansions are currently being planned in Western Canada, and about half will use chlorine bleaching, says environmentalist Colleen McCrory. Only the highly visible projects like the Al-Pac proposal are moving to alternative technologies, she says. Some proposed mills are intended mainly to serve the Pacific Rim market, where there is less concern from consumers about contamination of paper with chlorine byproducts, she says. Industry thinking on the issue is divided. Howard Hart, president of the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, says most mills have taken steps to reduce the amount of chlorine used, but they are unlikely to abandon it altogether. “The market is always evolving, but in my view there will always be demand for white and bright papers,” he says. Although other bleaching processes have been developed, they do not produce pulp with equal strength, longevity and absorbancy, says Hart. Alberta-Pacific Hart believes that careful control of the chlorine bleaching process can virtually eliminate production of dioxins. This has been shown in research by the Canadian Pulp and Paper Reéearch Insitute. However, Eric Muller, head of the pulp and paper division of the Environment Department, said this research finding has not been tested in commercial production. Andre Sarasin, senior vice-president of Daishowa Forest Products in Quebec, says the Canadian industry will be forced to drop chlorine eventually. Daishowa's plant at Quebec City is chlorine-free. “Everybody in the industry knows they have to get rid of these compounds,”’ he says. ‘‘We feel the health risk is negligble, but the customer is always right. “If somebody’s competing with me and they’re using chlorine, they know they’ re going to lose.’’ Nevertheless, Daishowa is building a chlorine- bleach pulp mill on the Peace River in northern Alberta. Critics of the plan have gone to court in a bid to force a federal environmental review. LET US HELP YOU GET THE HOME OF YOUR DREAMS With as little as $2,000 down and a B.C. Government M.A.P. guarantee, you may qualify for a C.M.H.C. approved mortgage through your Credit Union. When it comes to purchasing that first home, we're here to help you. Come in and see us today. Act now and we'll even pay for the appraisal! CASTLEGAR SAVINGS CREDIT UNION “Your Community Financial Centre CASTLEGAR ” secant Log 601-18th St., 365-7232 Hwy. ‘ Sos Record number ‘of guns seized VANCOUVER (CP) — Canada Customs is making record seizures of illegally imported weapons at the Douglas and Pacific border crossings south of Vancouver. Revolvers, sawed-off shotguns and fully-automatic assault rifles are being stockpiled by officials who say most of the illegal. weapons are being brought into Canada by United States residents. “They want their guns with them so they chose not to tell us about it,’’ said Al Watt, chief of traffic operations. The annual total of guns seized has more than doubled in three years, and this year the numbers are even higher. “The most common response we get is that the weapons are for their own personal protection and they feel Canada is no different than the United States,’’ Watt said in an inter- view. His staff made 93 seizures in July and 204 for the rest of the fiscal year which began in April. That compares to a total of 256 in 1989-1990 and 240 in 1988-1989. In 1987-1988, 101 guns were seized. Watt said officials are also concer- ned about criminals and youth gangs importing the weapons illegally. “*With the increased youth gang ac- tivity in the Pacific Northwest we're obviously keeping our eyes out for that.”” Pichi polipmcen Eefemnded H Expiry Dote August 31. 1990 7995 Living & dining room, 3 bars ! 1 flight stairs, hall + We mare fariture Free fatima L_ (365-2488 or 367-6234 3 Ooi OFFER EXPIRES AUG. 31/90 Entire Stock of Popular SLX Model. One owner, 350 standard transmission. Many ERE’S A “SIX PACK” OF CLEAN TRUCKS AT GREAT PRICES SO LOOK NO FURTHER This immaculate step-side finished in Mayan Red is the sport truck you've been looking for. Popular half-ton as clean as a whip safely. Inspected and very, very affordable. Men's Casual Dress Pants % Fully equipped 302 auto., cassette, tilt and crui running boards. tu-tone, Don’t miss this one. ENnon A Castleaird Plaza * 365-6556 Open 6 Days a Week! Gary ‘Maloney’ s CASTLEGA 713-17th Street, Castlegar D. 7956 R MAZ qj 265-7241 COLLECT Sa cal 75 Cents RASS y» y Ns ~aslégar News MoPNINg.. —CosNews photo by Ed Mills KERMIT WOULDN'T APPROVE it's not likely the frogs are having much fun but David Rezotti, 6, (left) and Chris Varga, 7, were having a whale of a time with their friends and their frogs in Castlegar Tuesday Arrow forest district quiet By CasNews Staff Compared to some areas in the province where fires are currently burning out of control, it’s been pretty quiet in the Arrow forest district. With only two new fires in the district in the last seven days, firefighters based at the Castlegar airport haven't been too busy lately. And considering the hot, dry weather which is ideal for out- door activities, the lack of fires is surprising, says Dan Reibin, district fire control officer. “There’s not a heck of a lot going on right now,”’ Reibin said Tuesday. “Since last Thursday it has forest - (last) weekend. been relatively quiet considering the number of people out in the either huckleberries or camping — this It’s surprising we didn’t get any man-made fires.”’ When Reibin says “‘relatively’’ last year. he could be talking about two things, though he was probably refering to the Pemberton where two fires have consumed about 2,000 hectares of forest and are still burning. But he also could have been talking about the dramatic drop in the number of fires compared to last year at this time The Arrow district has had 35 fires this fire season — from April to October. That number is far below. the 189 fires that were reported in the area by the same time last year. So far, the district has lost only 19.3 hectares of forest to fire, compared to 102.8 hectares that went up in smoke About $224,000 has been spent battling the blazes, compared with $893,000 spent in situation near 1989. But quiet as it is, that hardly means fire crews are resting com- fortably, said Reibin. With current weather con- ditions expected to continue through Saturday, the district has issued a high-hazard warning which means a fire could start and rapidly burn out of control if not picking in the Violence possible, B.C. native leaders warn By DEBI PELLETIER VICTORIA (CP) — British Columbia could be the site of an armed standoff like the one in Oka, Que., unless native land claims are resolved quickly, B.C. native leaders warned Premier Bill Vander Zalm on Tuesday. **Choose your words carefully because this province is ready to explode and you'd better realize it," Tom Sampson, chief of the South Island tribal council, told Vander Zalm in a three-hour open meeting. ‘‘It’s not a game of politics, it’s a game of life and death.’’ Natives across British Columbia have mounted a series of blockades and information pickets to show sup- Port for the Mohawks in the standoff in Oka and to publicize their own land claims. Natives have laid claim to more than two-thirds of British Colum! The Indian leaders told Vander Zalm they wanted ac- tion by“Aug. 17 on recommendations in a report by the premier’s council on native affairs. The council recom- mended the B.C. government become involved in set- tlement of land claims. “*It could lead to situations like Oka,’’ Sampson ad- ded, referring to the volatile atmosphere. ‘‘It would be very easy for us and the public to become violent with each other.” ‘ Sampson was one of about 100 native leaders who met with Vander Zalm on Tuesday at the premier’s request. Vander Zalm said he asked for the meeting ‘‘to assist the province in constructing a negotiating process for provincial involvement in federal-Indian land claims negotiations.” The premier, flanked by Native Affairs Minister Jack Weisgerber and several deputies, sat at a table in a hotel conference room while Indian leader after Indian leader spoke about land claims and aboriginal title. “* Aboriginal title is something that belongs to us. It’s ours,"’ said Roger Adolf, chief of the Fountain band near Lillooet. ‘‘We are the ones who define what it is. How gan you define something that does not belong to you?” “> “I don’t want to be extinguished,”” added Ron Ignace, chief of the Shuswap Nation. ‘I don’t want to have to commit suicide because that’s what you’re asking me to do if you want me to extinguish aboriginal title.’’ Asked whether he recognizes aboriginal title, Vander Zalm said: ‘No, I do not recognize or support it because I do not totally understand what it is."” After the meeting, Vander Zalm said the debate had been useful. “I think we’ve made progress and headway,’’ he said. ‘‘Obviously not sufficient enough to satisfy everyone 100 per cent, but give us a little time. “It’s been a long time in coming I know. And I can assure you that we'll work hard at it.’” And Vander Zalm said the issue of native land claims will be at the top of agenda at the Social Creait caucus retreat, which was scheduled to start Tuesday night in Harrison Hot Springs Elsewhere in the province, a native protest servered the only rail link to the northern coast of British Colum- bia on Tuesday after CN Rail agreed to an Indian request to stop running its trains through the Gitwangak reserve. The rail closure was part-of-an expanded protest by the natives that includes a full-scale blockade of Highway 37 at Kitwanga, about 180 kilometres east of Prince Rupert in west-central British Columbia. Company spokesman Marion Robson gagid she doesn’t know how long the rail line would be closed. She said the company did not plan to talk with the Indians because the solution to native land claims rests with governments. In addition to land claims, the Gitwangak are demanding written guarantees from the provincial gover- ment that Westar Timber will reopen a local sawmill and that logs will be made available for the operation. In Quebec, meanwhile, Premier Robert Bourassa has given the Mohawk negotiating team in Oka until today to return to the bargaining table or face unspecified action. The Mohawk band council representing the Canadian side of the Akwesasne reserve released @ attacked soon enough, he said. Currently, there are two three- person crews on red alert, meaning they could be ready to respond to a fire in five minutes, and four more crews on yellow alert, ready to go in half an hour. Hot weather is fine, Reibin said. The storms are what cause the damage, he said. But right now there are no storms in the weather forecast. The two new fires, both lightning-caused and since con- tained, started at Whatshan Lake near Burton about 90 kilometres Nor- th of Castlegar. Review pane plans meeting By CasNews Staff The three-member _ federal- Provincial panel that is conducting a review of Celgar Pulp Co.’s pulp mill expansion proposal has planned a meeting for next Thursday to discuss procedures for the public hearings the panel will hold later in the year. The meeting is open to the public but the panel would primarily like submissions that are not directly related to the hearing procedures, he pointed out. Ferguson added he was not sure if hearing dates could be annoupced at the meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 16 at the panel’s office at 1414 Columbia Ave. in Castlegar. Meanwhile, the panel members are of groups i in the expansion review to attend because .of space limitations, Alan Ferguson, the panel’s executive secretary, said Tuesday. The panel members will outline Procedure proposals and will be looking for ‘‘preli y feedback’’ a tour of the Castlegar, Nelson and Trail area this week ‘‘in order to become familiar with the area potentially affected by the proposed pulp mill expansion,” a news release said. ™ panel’s tour is private and no are the release on the proposals, Ferguson told the Castlegar News. But the meeting will have a “*defined agenda’’ and the panel will not listen to any suggestions or said. The panel members will be con- sidering the geography of the area and specific aspects such as back roads, Ferguson said. Tourist numbers up, Stats By CasNews Staff The number of tourist parties that visited Castlegar Travel Infocentre in the month of July is up 13 per cent over the same time last-year, infocen- tre statistics show. And this year's tally approximately 30 per cent higher than the 1988 figure. The numbers indicate. ‘there are obviously more people travelling in the area (this year) than last year and the year before,’’ said infocentre manager Bev Kennedy. But there are likely other reasons as well for the increase, Kennedy said Tuesday. For one thing, the Ministry of Tourism’s efforts to make all infocen- tres operate during the same hours in the summer means that travellers can. count on the tourist centre being open to provide them with information show about the area they are visiting, she said. “People are becoming used to it,’’ Kennedy said, adding travellers from ies where tourist ii must be paid for appreciate the free service here. As well, local people are becoming more aware of the infocentre and are using the service. to plan their own holiday activities, she said. Between January and July 503 of the 1,541 visitor parties that stopped by the Castlegar infocentre were local. “‘We're serving a need,’’ Kennedy said. In July, 925 visitor parties visited the infocentre, compared to 818 last year and 659 in 1988. The average hotel/motel occupancy please see TOURIST page A2 statement Tuesday saying it is ‘‘alarmed and ve by the ultimatum. LOOKING GOOD Bel Maintenance employee Thor Aasiand takes a good look at his paving handiwork as he Beer enone re he nest ntvetch of rove CosNews photo by Ed Mitty road on highway