c2_Cavtlgee News vou 1100 LOCAL/PROVINCIAL NEWS By L ANDROSOFF fice. — I still am at the age of 95."” is here for me,’’ he sai Mountain is even more incredible. Ernie Mason came to Trail for eight months on a contract to work for Cominco in 1922 and never left. “Trail is home — the people, the climate and heritage Mason is a scholar, an engineer, a gentleman of English stock. Approaching 96 years of age is an accomplishment by itself, but being able to read without glasses, hear without hearing aids, and still ski the gentler slopes of Red On August 5, 1945 a top secret meeting took place in the boardroom of Cominco Ltd. at the general of- “There were eight of us,"’ says Ernie Mason, one Rogers of Richland, Wash, came up and told us what we were working on over the last four years. The atomic bomb will be dropped on Japan! We were sworn to secrecy, as the FBI checked our houses at least once a month, but I refused to be fingerprinted! You had to draw the line somewhere. After all, I was chief design engineer and I had 65 men under my direc- tion. The war was on and survival of democracy was at stake! We were shocked to find out that our heavy water was being used for the atomic bomb! The next day, sure enough the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan and I can honestly say I turned grey ERNIE MASON . +. ‘I turned grey’ of who would do it first.’” On Mason’s living room wall are his certificates, a certificte of commendation from Van- nevar Bush, chairman of the U.S. national defense research committee in the 1940s, and another from the Cominco helped develop bomb, engineer says B VANCOUVER (CP) — About two dozen people vowed to start Canada’s .first chapter of the right-to-die Hemlock Society after a forum on euthanasia. “I want to be with a group that does somethin; said 64-year-old John Howe of Vancouver. The forum, sponsored by the Van- couver Persons With Aids Society, at- tracted about 200 people. The issue of euthanasia attracted international attention last month when David Lewis, director of the Upgrading funding received The Pavilion Intermediate Care Home in New Denver has received provincial funding for major of the ii care centre, a news release said. “‘Approval from the (Health Mi ry) is expected shortly on the Hemlock Society may be formed Vancouver Persons With AIDS Society, said he had helped eight people suffering from acquired im mune deficiency syndrome commit suicide by placing a fatal overdose of prescription drugs within their reach. Cheryl Smith and Rusty Myers of the 35,000-member U.S. Hemlock Society told the group of a movement in Washington state to legalize doc- tor-assisted suicide if patients are ter- minally ill or in irreversible comas. The group is pushing a petition drive to get the measure on the ballot. If passed, it would be the first such law in the United States (‘gsrorD | F150 wn sie CLASSIFIED SHOWCASE WEDNESDAY August 15, 1990 Vol. 43, No. 65 Castlegar, B.C. 3 Sections (A, B & C) sags 75 Cents This space available for CAMPERS * MOTORCYCLES * SNOWMOBILES * TENTS * MOTOR HOMES * BOATS * SNOW BLOWERS ‘* FURNACES ® CARS * TRUCKS, * DINING ROOM SUITES * CHESTERFIELDS * ETC., ETC Bring a photo, or bring the item & we'll take the picture! Castlegar News PHONE 365-5210 Swimmer wants to go out in style Asbestos report expected this week oe A2 a WEATHER | cloudy. Chonc: idoy cloudy with showers and cooler, Probability of precipitation is 20 per cent tonight and Thursday ening shower. Lows near Chance of on afternoon outlook is Protesters gather at Celgar open house Environmentalists criticize proposed expansion, review By CLAUDETTE SANDECKI Staff Writer group that claims to have more than 17,000 members, said they do not the pulpwood agreement only as an “‘insurance policy’’ to ensure chips Consultants who worked on each of the major areas covered by Celgar U.S. secretary of war preliminary design and then the bids believe the claims of Celgar officials **Aug. 6 is a very important day for this world. I fe * the release and the company’s consultants about how much cleaner the expanded mill are available to meet the mill’s needs I asked Mason, why Trail, why Cominco? if the expansion goes ahead. ‘‘We were a natural — we have the electricity, we reaction,”’ Mason continued. had a research department, and we also had some \of the most flexible engineers in the world,’’ he said. “We participated in the Manhatten Project under the co-operation of the U.S. Atomic Energy Com- mission. I had the pleasure of meeting many of the scientists who were directly involved in Los Alamos. “No, we didn’t build the atomic bomb here, but we were a vital link in the, shall I say, nuclear chain “The heavy water plant in Norway was in a direct competition with the plant in Warfield. It was an issue Hiroshima,”* this world?" living in ‘or tender will proceed,” hope and pray that we will never see another id. Mason said. Mason studied music and still plays the piano in church. ‘I still wonder if I pursued a career in music instead of engineering what would have happened in Bill Androsoff is a West Kootenay freelance writer drosoff is between studies and work done in the Kootenay area and the pursuit of nuclear power by the United States. He plans to write a longer, more detailed article when he research is complete. the link he ‘‘four-bed’’ rooms will be replaced by double and single rooms and all rooms will have a washroom. The ventilation system: will be upgraded, new windows will be in- stalled throughout the centre and all rooms will be completely redecorated. There will also be more access ram- ps built and provision has been made for a hospice room. “*Residents look forward to the im- provements,’’ the release said. Kids do battle with Nintendo COQUITLAM, B.C. (CP) — Parents looked on with patience as hundreds of kids hopped, jumped, kicked and shot their enemies dead at a suburban Vancouver shopping mall The battle ground for the wars was a 15-metre semi-trailer, and the soldiers fought with TV screens and video control pads. The rig carries all the provisions for the second national Nintendo cham- pionships including 17 stations of Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers 3, and 14 hand-held Game Boys. Before the travelling arcade hits Toronto for the showdown next mon- th, about 50,000 video junkies are ex- pected to try to break the record score of more than 400,000 for a four- minute game. Kirsty Henderson of Nintendo Canada said the players with the six highest scores in Ontario, Quebec and ¢ Western Canada will compete for the national Nintendo title. Eight-year-old Adam Elm of Maple Ridge, B.C. was one who took a shot at the Brothers before the trailer left Wednesday night. A disappointed Elm chalked up only 49,000 points He said he needed more time. “If I had longer — about 10 minutes — I could have done it,”” he reflected. He said he’s been playing the video game everyday since he and his brother Ryan, 11, got it for Christmas two years ago. In his world, the only things better than fighting video bad-guys are building tree-forts and watching Saturday morning cartoons. His mom, Gail Elm, said she has no patience for the game, but she thinks it’s constructive for her sons. “They really have to think about it,”’ she said. BIRTHS & DEATHS BIRTHS BIBBY — To Beatrice and Gordon Bibby of Lytton, former Castlegar residents, a girl, born July 23. BOURREE — To Petra and Russ Bourree of Nelson, a girl, born Aug. 2 BUSS — To Lorie and David Buss of Nelson, o girl. born Aug. 2 CHIASSON /DAVIES To Charlyne Chiasson and Peter Davies of Nelson, o boy, born Aug. 8 EARHART To Erika and Don Earhart of Castlegar, « boy, born July 29 HALE To Jonet and Dennis Hale of Nelson, a boy, born Aug. 2 HUZIAK To Karen and Garth Huziak of Castlegar, a girl, born Aug. 9. NAZAROFF To Carey and Joe Nazoroff of Crescent Valley, 0 girl, born Aug. 3. PAAVOLA To Sydnee and Clitt Poavola of Nelson, a girl, born July 28 DEATHS LACTIN Alex Michael Loctin of Ootischenia died July 30 at age 86. Mr Lactin is survived by his wife Nettie: four daughters and sons-in-law, Elaine and Andy Kurnoff and Nettie and Joe Nazarott, both of Crescent Valley, Verna and Darrell Ingram of Phoenix, Ariz and Margoret Poohachoff of Castlegar eight grandchildren; three greot grandchildren, and brother Nick of jade. He was predeceased by his sister Mary Popolf this year and his son-in law, Paul Poohachoft. in 1975. OGLOFF — Nick Oglott ot Raspberry died Aug. | ot age 66. Mr. OSloff is sur vived by his wite Olga, son and daughter-in-law Rick and Share! of Van couver:; granddaughter Brittany: and two sisters, Edna Kanigan of Grand Forks and Mary Coleman of Vancouver He was predeceased by his parents and one brother ‘82 FORD V2 TON 4x4 V-8, Automatic KALAWSKY be PONTIAC BUICK GMC (1989) LTD. TRE KING OF CARS—— 3es.i3 2153 Collect — "CusiOuams Cait Senants V-8, 4-Speed REDUCED TO KALAWSKY |) own pt at dhe _KALAWSICY .) BUICK GMC (1988 LTO U0. OF CARs. — Older 3 bedroom double-wide Mobile Home on 60'x100' fenced lot 4 truit trees, 2 metal storage sheds DRIVE BY 1093 COLUMBIA HEIGHTS ST., ROBSON FOR APPT. TO VIEW 365-7863 EVENINGS: HERE’S A “SIX PACK’’ OF CLEAN TRUCKS AT GREAT PRICES SO LOOK NO FURTHER Popular SLX Model. One owner, 350 standard transmission. Many extras and ready for your driveway. Popular half-ton as clean as a whip safely. inspected and very, very affordable. i in Mayan Red is the sport truck you've been looking for. SALE PRICED . ‘eS Fully equipped 302 auto., tu-tone, cassette, tilt and cruise, running boards. Don't PLUS 45 ADDITIONAL CLEAN USED CARS & TRUCKS! Gary Maloney's (CASTLEGAR MAZDA 369-7241 713-17th Street, Castlegar D. 7956 Vathalia Society _ irman Colleen meerory talks to Wilf of y (back to ). 9 project, during the company's first d pulp open house Tuesdey night in Castloger el to discuss Celgar's revised environmental Impact assessMeNt. Cones plore by Chustone Pulp Co.'s second report concerning the environmental impact of the com- pany’s proposed pulp mill expansion were on hand Tuesday night in Castlegar to answer questions on their areas of expertise during Celgar’s first open house on the new report. But Wilf Sweeney, Celgar’s general manager of the expansion project, said he wondered if many of the people who came to criticize the proposed expansion and the process being used to publicly review the company’s plans would listen to what the consultants had to say. “I hope they (the protesters) are here with an open mind to get infor- mation but I don’t know if that’s true or not,’ he said. “I don’t know if they believe us or not,’’ he said, moments before David Lewis, a member of the Green Party, began shouting angrily at Sweeney. Lewis said he is frustrated with what he called the unwillingness of Celgar officials to listen to the con- cerns being raised about the proposed expansion by area residents. Many of the protesters, represen- ting groups Such as the Coalition for Pulp Mill Accountability, centered in New Denver, and the Environmental Youth Alliance, a national youth is expected to be. They al8o criticized the public review process, including the series of open houses Celgar has planned in the area to give people a chance to talk to the authors of the new report. About 100 people showed up at the open house between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Representatives from H.A. Siemens, the firm that designed the original mill and prepared the expan- sion plans, as well as consultants who worked on the air and water emissions, fibre analysis, transpor- tation and socio-economic portions of the second report, attended the open house. Environmental activist Colleen McCrory was highly critical of the review process. “This is the worst process. It’s a sham,”’ said McCrory, who is chair- man of The Valhalla Society. . “People get to run around and look at nametags’’ on the consultants instead of receiving comprehensive information about the planned ex- pansion, she said. Those who are concerned about the environmental impacts of Celgar’s plans should ‘‘at least’’ receive inter- venor funding to allow them to hire experts of their own ‘‘to decipher the inf ion’’ in Celgar’s report, Mc- Hi Arrow v sale chal By ED MILLS Staff Writer An offer to buy the Hi Arrow Arms Hotel could scuttle plans to build a mall on that site, the mall developer said. “We currently have an ongoing plan for the mall and if,we are not successful (in obtaining the hotel) then it’s over,’’ Gary Tebbutt of Car- ter Properties Ltd. in Kelowna said Tuesday. And if that happens, Tebbutt said he would not consider building a mall on another site in the city. With an acceptable offer made to purchase the hotel, the groups in- volved head to court where a judge will decide if the offer is acceptable, said Gordon Zavediuk, a manager at Coopers and Lybrand of Vancouver which is currently running the hotel. Successful bid could scuttle plan for mall Coopers and Lybrand put the property up for sale after the accoun- ting firm was named the hotel’s trustee by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce which repossessed the hotet Aprit 23 Tebbutt said his company made ‘one of three offers to buy the proper- ty when bidding closed July 26. Richard Askew, whose wife holds a mortgage on the hotel, said he sup- ports Tebbutt’s bid and will oppose the sale in court Thursday. Zavediuk said Thursday is a tentative date for the hearing. “I'd be very, very, very surprised if this offer was accepted (by the judge),”’ said Askew. Askew added that if the offer is ac- cepted, he, his wife and their partners would no longer be involved with hotel Both Tebbutt and Askew said they don’t know who made the offer being considered. Zavediuk said he can’t reveal that information, or how much money was offered for the hotel, until it becomes public in court. Tebbutt said he believes the other two offers were made with the plan of lenged continuing to operate the hotel as is. Tebbutt announced in April that he was in the final stages of a mall project on-the Hi Arrow site but has never made a formal announcement that the project would proceed. His plan included tearing down the Hi Arrow and rebuilding a smaller version of the hotel as part of a strip mall. Asked if he was optimistic that he might still have a chance to build the mall in Castlegar, Tebbutt said he isn’t sure. “*I don’t really have any feelings on it at this point in time because I don’t know where the process sits,”” he said “If one of these others is keen on operating a hotel on that site, then that opportunity (to build a mall) won't exist any longer. That would be it.”” Crory said. Studies should be conducted on the impact the proposed expansion will have on wildlife, the socio-economic state of the area and forestry, she said. There should also be an inter- national commission to study the ef- fects of the mill expansion on the Columbia River which flows across the Canada-United States border, she added A forestry study would be par- ticularly important because the pulp and forst industries are closely linked, she said. McCrory said she does not believe Celgar officials who say the expanded mill will use only wood chips and waste wood that is currently being stockpiled in the area. If that were the case, Celgar would not need the the has. applied "for which will allow Celgar to cut pulp logs in B.C.’s Southern Interior for the next 25 years, she said. Celgar general manager Jim Browne has said the company will use “The pulp industry is taking over the forest industry,” McCrory said. Eventually, small sawmills and pulp mills will be reduced to ‘‘fighting over what is left,’’ she predicted. McCrory said she has just returned from five months of travel across Canada to document how much of Canada’s forests are being allocated to industry. About $13 billion worth of new and expanded industries, many of them pulp mills, are slated for the near future, she said. In B.C., $3.5 billion worth is scheduled, most of that in the pulp industry, she said. “This is being done across the nation without public debate, without environmental hearings and without Proper studies. Canada’s forests will be turned to pulp and exported,” McCrory said in a news release. “We plan to alert the public to what's going on if they want a future for their children,’’ McCrory told the Castlegar News. Andrea Wright, a member of the Coalition for Pulp Mill Accoun- tability, called Celgar’s report ‘inadequate at this point because it was funded and carried out by Celgar itself.”" ‘An independent study which does not include self-interest must be done to determine the true environmental impact (of the proposed expansion),”” she said. Wright, whose group has allied it- self with the Slocan Valley Watershed Alliance, is concerned about the amount of timber being cut each year in B.C. and wants to see a study to determine what ‘‘sustainability means in terms of forests." The coalition also sees the mill ex- pansion as detrimental to tourism in the area, she said. “The industrial corridor image presented by expansion of the Celgar mill will create a definite negative im- pact on tourism,"’ said Wright, who operates a restaurant in New Denver. Celgar’s open houses continue tonight in Trail in the Terra Nova banquet room and Thursday in Colville, Wash. The open houses resume Aug. 21 in Nakusp, Aug. 22 in New Denver, Aug. 23 in Slocan, Aug. 28 in Winlaw, Aug. 29 in Salmo and Aug 30 in Nelson Council cleans up by Castlegar city council last night continued to clean up the city’s development bylaws. Council introduced a new zoning bylaw and two other bylaws, one of which establishes procedures to amend the official community plan, zoning bylaw and land use contracts, and another which regulates the sub- division and development of land within the municipality. All three bylaws received unanimous approval on second reading from the four council mem- bers present at the meeting but must still pass third reading before they are adopted. The new zoning bylaw must also go through a public hearing, a date for which has not been set. “It appeared in the past that some of the rules for making changes to the land use bylaw were unclear to people,”’ administrator Gary Williams said, referring to the new bylaw laying down procedures for amending the community plan, zoning bylaw and land use contracts. “This (new bylaw) sets all the rules down in writing with copies of the forms attached. That. should speed (procedures) up.”” The bylaw also establishes procedures for requesting develop- ment variance permits which the city had not been able to consider under existing bylaws, said Kenn Hample, the city’s director of engineering and public works Hample said the new bylaw regulating the subdivision and development of land replaces the existing subdivision bylaw and now includes standards for developing single lots as well as an entire sub- aws division. Hample said the new zoning bylaw is not a complete reworking of the existing bylaw but simply incor- porates some ‘‘housecleaning” work to bring the bylaw into line with the provincial Municipal Act and to make the bylaw “‘more understandable’’ to the public. Voters opt for service By CasNews Staff Residents of Ootischenia, Paulson Highway and Arrow Lakes Drive regions have overwhelmingly accep- ted a property tax increase that will establish fire protection for portions of Area J Residents in the three regions voted 91.8 per cent in favor of the proposal during polling Saturday and in an ad- vanced poll earlier this month. The vote counts were 169 yes, 14 no and one ballot rejected for a total of 184 ballots cast, according to a Regional District of Central Kootenay tally Area J director Ken Wyllie said today he is ‘‘extremely gratified that community support has been demon- strated”’ for the fire protection plan In the next few weeks, the Ootisch- enia fire protection commission will meet with Wyllie to undertake the steps necessary to get the fire service up and running, Wyllie said The land where the firehall will be built, which will be leased in Ootischenia from the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ, must first be taken out of the agricultural land reserve, he said. Then the fire protection plans must be reviewed by the commission and site preparation work begun before tenders can be called on the construc- tion project, Wyllie said The acceptance of the fire protec- tion plan for the area means homeowners in the three regions will be taxed $2.75 per $1,000 of assessed property value, beginning in 1991 The voters authorized the RDCK to borrow as much as $160,000 te acquire land for a fire hall, construct the hall and purchase equipment. As well, operating an: jintenance costs for the fire-halt are tstimated at about $25,000 per year The fire hall is to be built on the land near the Ootischenia Community Hall. By CasNews Staff Despite a rash of new fires in the Arrow forest district, only 34 hectares of forest have burned to date thanks to the success of the Forest Service's initial fire attack methods, district fire control of- ficer Dave Fitchett said today “It (the small number of hec- tares burned) shows our initial at- tack has been very effective,’’ Fit- chett said. Twenty-two fires were ignited in the district this week as a result of lightning strikes, raising the num- ber of fires this year to 60, he said Lightning can be a culprit long after the initial blinding flash has faded, Fitchett noted. Some of the new fires were ignited as much as nine days before they were spotted but the fire merely smoldered and could not be detected until it became hot enough to burst into flames, he explained To date, the Arrow forest district has spent $422,000 fighting fires. As of today, 70 Fire damage in Arrow limited firefighters and 15 Forest Service personnel are on the fire lines backed by four helicopters and two patrol planes, Fitchett said The helicopters are used mainly to ferry crews and supplies to fires and the planes patrol for new blazes, he said. By the first week of August last year, 189 fires were reported in the B.C. ablaze, page A2 Arrow district, 102.8 hectares of forest went up in flames and $893,000 had been spent to put the fires out. Figures to this date last year were not available today. Fitchett said the area is designated a high hazard now and anyone planning recreational ac- tivities should be aware of the dry conditions of the forest. The weather is expected to con- tinue hot and dry, Fitchett said.