\STL ' NEWS Published Every Thursday at “The Crossroads of the Kootenays” Vol. 5, No, 48 CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA: THURSDAY,NOVEMBER 27, 1952 5 Cents Per Copy Sommers, Barclay and Root Speak On.B.C. Problems And Celgar At Ghamber Of Commerce Dinner The Hon. R. E. Min- and the ity of a ister of Lands and Forests and Mines and MLA for Rossland- Trail; Ian A. Barclay, Assistant Secretary of the Canadian Che- mical and Cellulose Company, parent company of Celgar; and Gordon Root, Director of Public Relations for the Celgar Develop- ment Company were guest speak- ers at the regular monthly meet- ing of the Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce in the Twin Rivers Hall, Thursday eve- ning. The Bridge Problem “Your government is well a- ware of the need of a bridge at Castlegar,” Mr. Sommers declar- ed, “but there are other bridges needed also.” . He commented that everybody _| wants . everything right away. However, he disclosed that the Castlegar bridge rates “very high|~ on the needs. Mr. Sommers explained that the government has instituted the policy of providing toll bridges “where the people want them.” Such brid are bj to the agenda” of provincial market research program, power surveys, building of roads and the transfer of railway tracks, make a definite answer impossible.” “However, we are just as anx- ious to get started as some of you are” he declared, “and every- thing is going ahead.”, Mr. Barclay, who will become administrator and coordinator of the Celgar Project, the Celanese Corporation project at Prince Rupert and the Canadian Chem- ical plant at Edmonton, from an office at Vancouver sometime after Christmas, spoke highly of B.C. and its people. “To one coming from the tail- ored, orderly and flat East, the ruggedness and individyalism of B.C. is wonderful. The people too, are very nice and very coopera- tive,” he said. He said it-is “a great satisfact- ion and joy to us” that the per- sonnel of the three sawmills, Cel- gar purchased in this district re- cently, have stayed on with the plants. The policy of the Com- pany is to use local employees h possible and have “the conditions that the tolls would be on a ten year basis after which the government would have the option of paying off the bridge, interest would be no more than five per cent and the government would have control of the tolls charged. Prefacing his remarks with an expression of pleasure at being back in Castlegar, the cabinet minister went on to review gov- ernment accomplishments and plans throughout the province. He outlined the problem faced in the Prince George area where the flooding of Tweedsmyir Park will inundate 350,000 acres of timber and forest drowth, be- cause of which the general public in the area is demanding that this growth be removed, .a $25 million dollar project. He described the general spirit of optimism prevailing in North- central B.C. because of the big plans for the development of this part of the province, by men with big ideas and the money to back them up. ° In the lands department, dou- bling of the rates on community foreshore leases -will bring in a quarter of a million dollars in|. additional revenue to the prc- vince he declared and from $2 to $9 million more will come from the natural gas pipe line from the Peace River throughout B.C. and to the States, if the ovvosition to the line from the U.S. can be overcome, A further $8 million will ac- crue from the revising of the tax on mining where a graded royal- ties plan based on value as well as volume of the product, is be- ing instityted. ‘Trees and Prosperity Turning to the forestry depart- ment which, he stated, takes up 90 per cent of his time, he des- cribed government policy as “to increase our revenues ffom those forest industries that can afford jt as long as the market holds.” In this direction, the govern- ment intends to equate royalties on alienated lands with those on crown lands which will mean an increase in revenue of from 25c to $8.75 a thousand.. “Historv shows that a country is prosperous as long as it has trees, he declared and cited cases of Germany. Sweden, ‘Norway and Finland where forest manage- ment has been practised for sev- eral hundred years. “We hope in time to have every acre of forest land under forest management of some kind.” He disclosed that he is con- templating a trio to Ottawa in the near future to ask federal: aid in the forest protection program in B.C. as they reav a large po.- tion of the benefit from our for- ests and do not pav a cent at present for their protection. Celgar Not Readv Yet Mr. Barclay. a McGill and Har- vard gradyate. > veteran of the commando sectis- of the Navy. an athlete of considerable renown and a director of the Bers’ Club Association of ‘Vancouver, was introduced. by W. T. Waldie and spoke on his impressions of B.C. and Celgar nlans. ” * «when is Celgar going to start? che asked. “I don’t know.” A ber of factors the death of Mr. Sterstrom, the unavoidable delays in the gbtain- ‘promotions come from within.” Expressing an interest in the Stanley Humhpries High School which he had visited that after- noon, he urged’ that young people stay in school as long as possible, declaring that too often the com- pany has had to look for employ-. ees outside its plant district be- cause men with sufficient educa- tion to fill the jobs have not been available, . Celgar Not Pulling Out Gordon Root further amplified Mr. Barclay’s statements on a Celgar starting date urging: “Please don’t be impatient. We must do all the book work before we can move in the bjlldozers, steam shovels and steel.” Emphatically denying rumors that_Celgar “is pulling out,” Mr. Root declared: “The greatest as- surance I can give you is the fact that we have come in and spent a lot of money in the purchase of three sawmills .. . Yet this is but a single step in the estab- lishment of our integrated forest industry.” Nominating Committee Reports Except for the report of the nominating committee for the : lection, the busine: agenda of the Castlegar and Dis- trict Chamber of Commerce, was vostvoned to make way for talks by the three guest speakers. W. T. Waldie reported for the nominating committee and pro- posed the following officers for election in December: M. B. Dal- ton, president; N. T. Oglow, vice- president; R, Couchman, secre- tary-treasurer; and L. V. Camp- bell, G. W. Shaw, Dr. C. S. Fow- ler and Rev. L. C. Johnston, dir- ectors. Further nominations may he made at the December meet- ing, from the floor. Six new members were accept- ed into the Chamber by unani- mous vote, without ballot. They were: J. Raine, Robson; T. Tea- han, Trail and Castlegar; R. Gouy- let, Castlegar; L. Bosse, Castle- gar; A. J. Weir, Castlegar and R C. Maddocks, Castlegar. Mrs. E. A. Fitzpatrick ‘President Of Kinnaird United Church W.A. Mrs. E. A. Fitzpatrick was elected president of the Kinnaird United Church Women’s Asso- ciation at a meeting at,the home of Mrs. W. Ball on Wednesday evening of last week, with 17 members present. Other officers elected were Mrs. D. Askew, vice-president; Mrs. Markel, secretary; Mrs. B. W. Paget, treasurer and Mrs. McNee, Devotional Leader. , The meeting opened with Mrs. K. M. Spence: presiding and Mrs. J. Martell leading the devotional |- fdllowing which Rev. L. C. John- ston took charge of the meeting for the election of officers, A donation of $25 is to be sent to the United Church College for Deaconesses at Toronto, it was decided, and $200. was put aside for a church building fund. A fur- ther donation was allocated to the newly formed choir for music- purchase purposes. Rev. I No Further Grant For Airport Project Till Spring, Pernaps In answer to a request date, October 29, asking for a grant of $50,000 to complete the asphalt surfacing of the Castlegar air, port, the’ Airport Committee hag been advised that their request will receive careful consideration, byt at the moment, no promisé,ing and in Kinnaird, the retiring ‘lcommissioners are: R. J. Morice, of aid can be made. The letter: rrom Lionel Chev- rier, Minister of Transport, stated: “I appreciate the need for fur- ther development of the airport if heavier aircraft are to use it next year. I also realize the splen- did progress your Committee has| already made with the funds at your di: i, but at the I am unable to promise a fur: Here. And In Kinnaird t| Ci Nominations Now Open For Commissioners Castlegar and Kinnaird have announced that nominations are open for three commissioners in each of these villages. In Castlegar the terms of N. T. Oglow, chairman, J. A. Williams and Bert Cherrington are expir- chairman, A. Eldridge and Jacobson, Returning officers are W. Rigby for Castlegar and S, C. Muirhead for Kinnaird. Nominations close at 12:00 noon ‘|the committee’s resolution, draft- Public Backs Commiitee In Urging Free Bridge Some twenty r ts of Cas tlegar and District gave, their bridge committee a unanimous endorsation of their recently an- nounced “We want a free bridge” policy at a public meeting in the Twin Rivers Hall, Friday evening. Although a majority felt that ed at a special meeting two weeks previous, was too lengthy and should be reworded, in more con- cise form, the meeting voted December 4 and nec- ly in favor of a free L essary will be held on Thursday, December 11, in the Legion Hail, astlegar and the Community Hall, Kinnaird. - In Castl ther grant in aid of $50 th d.”| The letter that the a , the ite in ion with the sale of all cost of completing the airport! project has been estimated by district officers of the Depart- ment of Transport, at $83,500. “I shall be in a much better, position next spring to see what! can be done to assist you,” the’ letter promised and concluded| “meanwhile, you have my assur- ance your representation will re- ceive very careful consideration.” Banquet And Festivity Mark Birth Of New Eagle Aerie Here There was “revelry by night” and royal feasting Monday eve- ning in Castlegar’s Coronation Hall, where 250 “brothers” and “sisters” and guests of the newly formed Columbia Valley Aerie, Fraternal Order of Eagles, cli- maxed their instit\,tion ceremo- nies with a bountiful banquet and dancing frolic to the rythms of Bob Grah and His Dixi ers. The gata-evening, for-which the hall was brightly arrayed with colorful streamers and symbols of the Order, was the grand finale to the men’s institution ceremonies Sunday evening and the ladies’ auxiliary institution immediately preceding the ban- quet on Monday. On Sundav evening, 134 men of Castlegar, Kinnaird and Robson, became charter members of the Columbia Valley Aerie of the Order in ceremonies conducted by Ralph Goodman, Instituting De- puty from Vancouver. , It was the ladies’ turn on Mon- day and some 80 of them became the first members of the ladies’ auxiliary here, being instit.,ted by Mrs. Nelly Cooper. Deputy Grand Madam of the Nanaimo Ladies’ Auxiliary. “You have stepped over the| threshold into a new life,” J. A. Weaver, organizer for the Order. told the assembled throng at the banquet. “Your organization will be just what you make it.” There were members present from Nelson. Rossland and Trail series and they all joined with Mrs. Cooper and Mr. and Mrs. Weaver in wishing the newly formed aerie every success, and extending their assistance should it ever be needed. Cc. A. Anderson, President Officers of the new aerie as appointed by the instituting de- vuty for the balance of this term, are: C. A. Anderson, president; C. W. Lundgren, junior past-presi- dent; R. Couchman, vice-presi- dent; A. J. Weir, secretary; F. Howes, conductor; W. OE | treasyrer: H. Merrifield, chaplain: N. T. Oglow, Inside Guard; and V. Jenks, Outside Guard. | Officers appointed to guide the ladies’ auxiliary in its initial sta- | ges, are: Mrs. W. Ozeroff, presi- dent; Mrs. R. Parkin. vice presi- dent; Mrs. A. J. Weir, secretary; Mrs, R. Hardy, junior past presi- dent; Mrs. V. Jenks, treasurer; "| Mrs. E. Newman, inside guard: Mrs. E. Rourke, outside guard and Mrs. M. McPherson. Mrs, Margaret Korody and Mrs. F. Byers. trustees. Added attractions during Mon- day evenings fun-fest .weTe_a bingo game for “older peovle who don’t want to dance” and 4 raf- fle in which Mrs. E. Rourke won a handsome electric clock. Vic Jenks was M.C. for the latter event. » Among the guests present were: Stan Bowrock. secretarv of Ross- land Aerie; W. Horvath. Deouty President of Nelson Aerie; L. ing of the forest li- ence the uncertainty of when certain necessary surveys will be and d the retiring officors on the snlendid work they had done during the past two years. | of Trail Aerie; ri Sisters Edith Smith and Manning, from Nelson auxiliarv; and A. H. Smith, S.° Maco. and H. Talbot or part of the village property on Columbia Avenue, will be held oh December 11 at the same time las the election. PTA Sponsoring Film |And Talk On Recreation At Rieh School. Sat. A panel discussion on “Extra Curricular Activties” by six grade twelve students of the Stanley Humphries High School, high- lighted the regular meeting of the Stanley Humhpries PTA in the High School Monday evening. Members of the vanel wer: Sandra Lee Spence, Donna Muir- head, Beverley Lipsett, Kennedy Facchina, Alan Jacobson and Ed Collinson with Mr. G. Rice as chairman. There was also a brief talk on Boy Scouts and Girl Guides by the Rev. B. A. Resker who urged tha PPA to lend their wholeheart- ed support to these organizations. D. Campbell, chairman of the Youth Organization Committce, ‘3 ifving report on-the several activties*that have been, and are being organized for boys; and girls in this district. Two coming events were an-: nounced, Miss Marjorie Smith fram the U.B.C. Extension De- partment, will be in Castlegar this Saturdav, Nov. 29th. to showj a film entitled “Community Re-, creation” which will be followed by a discussion on this all im-| portant topic. . Miss Smith is an expert in this field and it is hoped that she will have a Jarge audience. Students are particularly urged to attend. The event will begin at 3 p.m. in the High School. . It was also announced that a concert would be presented bv the Trail High School Band and Choir, in the Stanley Humphries auditorium on December 12th. Members of ‘the Stanley Humph- ties High School band are to be asked to play host to the Trail ageregation. . Proceeds from the concert will be turned over to the local High School Band for purchase of ad- ditional instruments. Members of the two bands will have an oppor- tunity for a social get-together after the concert. The next meeting of the PTA will ‘be held on December 15, it was announced. This meeting will be a Christmas social, SOROPTIMISTS ATTEND TRAIL CLUB MEETING. Members of the Soroptimist Club of Castlegar-Kinnaird-Rob- son, attended the dinner mecting of ‘the, Rossland-Trail Club at Knox House in Trail Tuesday “v Migs Dorothy Williams and Mrs. Edith Hargraves, of the Rossland- Trail Club, reported on the In- ternational Conference of Sorov- timists held in Copenhagen in August, which they attended as official delegates of Rossland- ‘rail. . Those attending the meeting from. Castlegar were: Mrs, Ruby Maclean-Angus, president: Mrs. Mavis Stainer, Mrs. Ivy Ozeroff and Mrs. Jessie Donnan. _ tS t yn Aerie. : ne Ree a ersors president of the new aerie here praised Mr. Weaver for his unstinting organ- izational efforts in this district and presented him with a bill-) fold. in appreciation, from the new aerie. “Mrs. W.” Ozeroff, president of the ladies’ auxiliary, also made presentations, one to Mrs. Coop- er and another to Mrs, Weaver, on-behalf of the Castlegar auxil- bridge. After a motion to reword the resolytion had been carried the following resolution was drafted: “The continued annual increase in traffic handled by the Castle- gar ferry, shows the immediate need for a bridge to replace this ferry. It is clear that in the very near future, the ferry will not be able of handling the traffic. “We therefore respectfully re- quest the Povincial Government to replace the Castlegar ferry with a free bridge as soon as pos- sible.’ Ross MacDermid, chairman of the bridge committee, announced that this resolution would be sent to the Minister of Public Works with a copy to the Hon. R. E. Sommers, MLA for this district. A brief, presenting the press- ing need for a bridge here in de- tail, is also to be prepared for presentation to Mr. Sommers with a copy to the Minister of Public Works. _ MacDermid Resigns Owing to the pressure of other demands on his time. A. R. Mac- Dermid announced his resignation from the chairmanship of the Bridge Committee. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr. MacDermid and all his committee members was passed by the meeting. C. A.. Anderson was appointed interim chairman of the commit- tee until their next meeting when a/ new chairman will be chosen. Mr. MacDermid retains his mem- bership on the committee. Sommers Will Help Reporting on a_ conversation with the Hon. Mr. Sommers the evening previous, Mr. MacDer- Kiwanis Historians Now Selling Their Firs? Edition The Castlegar Kiwanis Club, numbering some thirty members, © turned from their business pur- suits to become historians in their spare time and the finished re- sult, a 12 page magazine entitled The Castlegar Historical Review, went on sale last Saturday. Published in the interests of preserving “some of the color- ful past oyt of which has grown the bountiful present’ that Cas- tlegar and District are now en- joying, the first of what the Club hopes will become an an- nual project, presents the his- tory of Castlegar and vicinity as told by four of the pioneers who have seen and lived it. Mrs. T. L. Bloomer ‘recounts her family’s experiences in Cas- tlegar and Robson since 1901; Mrs. Lillian Killough describes Castlegar growth from the “sunny breezy morning near the end of April, 1913” when she and her husband and family arrived from the rolling prairies of Saskatche- wan, to the phenomenal expan- sion it is now increasing; Dr. Victor Goresky relates how he and a number of others were will- ing to take a chance on a “sand- pile” and the village of Kinnaird resulted and O. B. Ballard re- views the ancient glory of Rob- son as the bustling water trans- portation centre of the Kootenays. There are also brief recitals of the educational, musical and For- est Service sides of the district and summary histories of the Castlegar Fire Department, the Custlegar Water Company and the Castlegar Cooperative Trans- portation Society. The Kiwanians report that sales of the publication are pro- ceeding at a brisk rate. Gus Leitner was the man in charge of the project. The editor- 'ial committee consisted of V. A. Misutka, Rev. B. A. Resker, C Bell, R. Graham, Dr. V. Goresky, A. T. Horswill, George Chevel- mid said, the local MLA is solidly behind the bridge project and hadi stated that he is pushing strongly | for a bridge and will continye to, lo so. | “The government is aware of} dave, Dr. C. S. Fowler, E. Stan- ford, M. B. Dalton, J. Scott. L. Bothamley, J. F. Killough and G- | Magwood. Those assisting in other asoects the situation here,” he said “and , of the project were: W. T. Waldie, undoubtedly the Castlegar bridge R. T. Waldie, C. A. Wanless, W. rates as one of the most urgent, R. Kerr, R. Walley, K. Sharoles, bridge problems in the province. ;W. Sharples, C. Brown, O. Lightle, Mr. Sommers firmly hopes that; G. Stanford, M. Moran. R. C. Don- provision will be made in the|nan, J. Williams, G. Fowler and 1953 budget for the bridge, and, E. Frederickson, promised his strong support.” | Mr. Sommers warned, however, | five or ten years before a that it may be two years or even bridge can be built. Business In B.C. By FRANK PRICE On their own initiative, residents velopment. free of Bella Coola are punching | through a road which could link the coastal community with Bri tish Columbia’s interior highway Tests indicate it has a potential gas flow of 4,000,000 cubic feet daily. . This is the strike in the Buick iary. system—a project which will i Creek area by the four companies provide the interior with its third; in the Northern Foothills Agrec- outlet to tidewater. ment. Backing the operations are Thirty-two miles of the road Texaco Exploration, Canadian have already been constructed, ' Gulf, Socony-Vacuym and Shell and a oash grant of $10,000 by the Oil Company, each with a 25 per Provincial Government will speed cent stake. the work. A reasonable inference iz ‘hat The road project parallels the the Fort St. John—B.C.—Peace tentative plan of Wilrich Petro- i field extends 40 miles beyond the leums Limited, now drilling in previously known limits to the the Ione Mountain area of East- north. To the south, about 40 ern British Columbia. This firm miles from Fort St. John, another is considering construction of an group is drilling test wells that oil piepline throygh Monkman- may show the southerly exten- Pass westward to the dcean at sion of the field. This is the Bella Coola should its drilling, Stony Lake, Lone Mountain test, program produce a new oil field., by Wilrich, Trans-Era and asso- A logical’ route for the new' ciated companies. The first well pipeline, if the project were to is drilling below the 3,000 foot materialize i.e, would be the mark at the present time. _ route of the new road. Consider-! Lands and Forests Min‘sfer able development of the area be- Sommers’ “poker game” announ- tween Prnce George and Bella cement of last week, makes it Goola would appear to be a logi- abundantly clear that the Social cal consequence, if both a road Credit government is backing and a pipeline linked the two, Peace River natural gas and communities, | pipeline interests as strongly as How big is the Peace River Gas did the Coalition. Field? | This province’s firm stand— Canada’s top federal geologist that the United States must ac- said it may prove to be one of cept Peace River gas if it wants the greatest in Wéstern Canada. to use B.C.’s Kootenay River as a New evidence’ suvporting. thi§ storage basin—is further evidence nossibility, came this week. An that a battle royal is likely be- American team of oil companies fore the issue is settled. brought in a big gasser 40 miles Much of the struggle,