Castlegar News March 30, 1991

LOCAL NEWS

Provincial gov't hikes day-care spending

By DONNA ZUBER
Staff Writer

The provincial government recently announced an
additional $55.3 million will be spent on daycare in the
Province over the next three years, but how that will ef-
fect Castlegar remains to be seen.

The funding will primarily go into expanding child
care services, said Carol Gran, ister responsible for
women's programs.

But in the Castlegar area, expansion — in the sense
of additional spaces for children — is not as cri I as it
is in larger areas, said Judy Pollard, department head of
human services at Selkirk College.

‘In Castlegar, we don’t have the very high level of
dependence is in larger areas,"’ she said. *“‘Unem-
ployment is higher here so we don't have the real
pressure for space."

As well, many friends have up to four generations
to help child care, Pollard said.

“When you have that much extended family,
families are not as totally dependent (on child care
facilities),"* she said.

However, that doesn’t mean the additional funding

Jim Waldie

isn’t a step in the right direction, Pollard said.

“It’s really wonderful that Carol Gran is working
so rapidly to put funds into the system," she said. “It's
desperately needed,"’

A report issued by a task force, formed last July to
make recomimendations for improvements to child care,
motivated the release of additional funding, Gran said in
a news release.

The government will spend $12.1 million in the first
year. A child care team will be established — including
representatives from the ministries of Social Services and
Housing, Education, Advanced Education, Health,
Provincial Secretary, Municipal Affairs, and Regional
and Economic Development —
initiatives, plan new initi
delivery of service and existing programs, Gran said.

Child care expansion plans at this time include:

® Increased subsidies to low-income parents and
expanded capital funding programs.

© Low interest loans to encourage home-based ser-
vices.

© Streamlining
processes.

licensing, approvals and other

* Expanding community’programs.

The report says that. access to current training

* Getting the business sector, municipal govéf. programs is uncoordinated and inconsistent. For exam-

nments, school districts and community groups more in-
volved,

Funding will also be used for the development of a
database of provincewide child care programs and
prey into the impact of increased subsidies, Gran

ie government has not said what future plans will
include, but several recommendations made by the task
force are not included in the immediate plans.

For example, the report says: ‘‘It has been noted
that we pay people more to park our cars and care for
animals in zoos than we do to care for our children.”

The report explains that low wages make it difficult
to recruit new staff, and estimates that 3,350 early
childhood educators are needed.

In Vancouver, salaries average $8.49 per hour for
qualified staff and $10.80 per hour for supervisory staff.
The report says these wages are on average much higher
than salaries in other parts of the province.

However, an increase in wages would only solve
part of the problem of encouraging people in this field.

programs usually don’t receive credit for their training if
they enter a college program. The same goes for
graduates of college programs entering university degree
pre 4
The government is also criticized for not providing
more for operating costs.

“British Columbia is the only province that does
not have some form of operating grant,” the report
says.

Some argue that meeting operating costs at the best
of times is difficult because fees remain low to keep
daycare affordable for all people. However, during a
recession, when enrolment is low because parents are
laid off and caring for their children themselves,
operating costs can break a facility.

However, Premier Bill Vander Zalm said during his
visit to Castlegar earlier this week that subsidies are
given to individuals, rather than the facilities so people
can choose which facility they want to go to.

“That's a good system in my opinion,”’ he said.

citizen of year

By CasNews Staff

Jim Waldie of Castlegar is the
Castlegar district’s 1990 Good to
Citizen of the Year.

Bob MacBain, chairman of the
Castlegar Kiwanis Club’s Good

church.
Waldie,

district

The presentation will be made
a maintenance em-
ployee with the Castlegar school
and former
Waldie’s Plumbing and Heating,

owner of

at a banquet April 9.
MacBain said tickets will soon

cipally for his work with
Scouting movement and with his

Board faces

be available at
Carl's Drugs and Jenny's Cafe.

Pharmasave,

tough decisions

on budget

By CasNews Staff

It’s budget time and the Castlegar
school board has some tough
decisions to make over the
couple of weeks.

The Ministry of Education has
allocated the Castlegar district $13
million for the 1991-92 school year,
but after a four-hour meeting to
review budget items, it’s clear that
amount won't be enough, board
chairman Gordon Turner said Thur-
sday

We looked at the budget with all
the submissions from around the
district,"’ he said. *“That budget leaves
us short, it’s fair to say, with regards
to what the ministry will allow us for
funding next year."”

Turner said he couldn’t release any
figures at ‘this time other than what
the ministry is giving, but did say the
board’s first priority in balancing the
budget is to keep staffing at the
current level.

“The bottom line at this point is
try to retain the current staff,"" Tur-
ner said.

He said Terry Wayling, superin-
tendent of schools, and  secretary-
treasurer John Dascher will ‘bring in
their people’’ to figure out “how

Pub

continued from front pege 4

The story begins with his first instructions to see
the representative for the Ministry of Consumer
Services.

many programs

deadline.

‘So he went to the liquor inspector who
represents the ministry here in Castlegar.

“*He said he can’t see any with my
plan, but he said to get approval I had to talk to the
Regional District (of Central Kootenay).””

So Pellerine took his plans to Area J director
Ken Wyllie.

“*He says fine, but you have to go to Nelson to
see the building inspector.”*

So Pellerine takes a leisurely drive into Nelson
with his wife to see the building inspector.

“*He says no problem, but he can’t approve the
plans because you have to see the health department
in Castlegar."

So Pellerine gives chief environmental health
officer Mike Harnadek a call at the Central Kootenay
Health Unit.

““He says he can’t see me for 10 days."

That was approximately the time Pellerine lost it.

““Naturally, I was upset. I wanted my plans
ready for the next regional district meeting which
only happen every so often.” The regional district
board generally meets twice a month in Nelson.

After a frank discussion, Harnadek gave in and
agrosd to see Peifertne, but the mesting jun ted tn the

nent exciguenent.

“He said before he could do anything | had to
see waste management (Ministry of Environment) in

By this time Pellerine had resigned himself to the
“Well, I said what's another layer of

‘When he contacted the waste management office

GORDON TURNER
- » ‘budget leaves us short’

make fly’’ and what has to go to
balance the budget by the April 20

ppranar’ ba ways officials are reviewing proposed locations
Ma apt laan hottonen Castlegar ond llekeen efter socking public input ot pen beeoes

Comnews photo by Donne Zuber

pier papcir tniaceor iy

Bridge
continued from front pege

across the river, angle it so it ends at
the old ferry site on the Castlegar
side.

Eastman said the ministry will
look at that idea to see what
engineering challenges the suggestion
Poses, as well as how it might affect
fish-spawning in that area. Site No. 1
as proposed would conflict with the
spawning grounds but Eastman said
that didn’t seem to raise many com-
plaints.

“The commentary from the com-
munity isn't the same as the com-
mentary we get from the Environ-
ment (Ministry). The significance of
spawning beds (to the community) is

we'll be able to

in Nelson the two particular people he had to speak
to didn’t happen to be at work that day.

When he finally got to speak to manager Jim
McLaren, Pellerine was told he’d have to sent) a
letter to the waste management office setting what
he wanted to do.

Pellerine figures there’s probably at least two or
three more people he’s likely to see before
construction can begin.

It’s not so much the rules that annoy him, he

ys. but rather what it takes to abide by them.

“I don’t mind meeting the rules and regulations,
but I don’t think you should have to go through all
those layers of bureaucracy. Doesn't it border on the
ridiculous?””

McLaren, who is the regional environmental
Protection manager at waste management, says he
can sympathize with Peilerine, but basically, that's
the way it is.

“I haven't built a pub expansion but I know
when I've done work around my own house, if I'm
going to change the gas lines I have to see the gas
company. If I'm going to change the electrical plans I
have to see the electric company, and so on,”" said
McLaren.

“I suspect doing a pub expansion has a few
more weinliees Sane ee ere et

for a bridge across the

far less than that conveyed to us by
* he said.

to studying the
public's recommendations and con-
cerns, the also plans to meet
with members of the — local
Doukhobor community “to make I
sure we understand their concerns” to get
over Verigin’s Tomb in Brilliant,
Eastman said. A date for that
mecting has not been set.

Some of the realignment proposals
for the Billiant interchange are close
to the tomb.

Next week, the ministry will meet
with a consulting engineer and
drilling experts at the bridge sites.

The first signs of activity resulting

“very clear’

couldn't

said.

Park

continued from front pege

tery funds to help the city pay for
the acquisition of the property.

“Make it imto a lerge community
project where everybody helps

it,”” he said.

from that meeting will be a barge on
the river drilling holes. However,
Eastman said he wanted to make it
that wherever a barge is
seen drilling is in no way ‘indicative
of where the bridge site will be.””

ial drilling into the riverbed is
information needed for
engineering purposes, he said.

The information gathered from the
drilling is useable for a number of
site locations, Eastman said.
say when
preliminary drilling would start
Various permits are needed as well as
clearance from the Ministry of En-
vironment and the Coast Guard, he

Ferry

continued from front page
involvement in the sale of Fantasy
Gardens.

Dalton said he’s completed
everything he needs to file the court
appeal and has asked the gover-
nment’s lawyer to be ready on short
notice for an appeal in June.

Meanwhile, the committee said in
a news release it’s ‘‘very happy and
grateful that the Robson bridge
Project is procedi ** adding that a
bridge has a number of advantages
over the ferry.

“Firstly, unlike the ferry with
limited operating hours, a bridge
would offer continuous access.

“Secondly, in the event of a
serious medical emergency, the time
lost for the ferry to move from river-
side to riverside would not be lost.

Finally, it seems unlikely that, in
the future, any government would
take away a bridge from the Robson
citizens.

The committee says the bridge
may spark the return of: a
“‘somewhat larger Robson business
centre’’ and possibly tead to further
residential subdi \-

“Some Robson citizens will not

to survive, this type of
development seems essential. With it,
job creation for the young people of
Robson can become a possibility.

“The bridge. will restore the
historical economic partnership of
the people of Robson and the
Castlegar downtown businesses."”

The committee notes that some 15
downtown Castlegar businesses have
failed during the almost three years
the ferry has not operated.

“With the Robson bridge that
trend will almost be certainly be
reversed.””

The committee says the bridge
may also create tourism oppor-
tunities for Castlegar and Robson
and will also create employment op-
portunities for residents of the two
communities.

“The building of the bridge will be
an important source of employment
for Castlegar and Robson citizens,
and most particularly for those who
are carpenters and laborers and for
those who provide construction
materials."*

The committee says the bridge will
help alleviate the problem of trucks
carrying wood chips, logs, gravel and
construction materials along Colum-
bia Avenue through the heart of
Castlegar.

the

clude as much of the community as

create

IN MEMORY

Peter (Pete) Verigin

Peter (Pete) Verigin of Castlegar passed away Thursday, March
28, 1991, at age &2.

Mr. Verigin was
there and spent his
worked for many
the dairy, be began
closed, he went to

Pete

Heis
Bill of Pass
nephews and

June 4, 1928, at Pass Creek. Bacilag sg

years working in the area sawmills.

in Trail as Uniead Dutrias Afer the Closere of
at Hadikin sawmill. When the sawmill

for the City of Castlegar, retiring in 1989.

his home and fishing the creeks in the area.

by three brothers, Nick of Castlegar, and Paul and
; One sister, Mabel Bondaroff of Castlegar; cight
nieces; and aunts and uncies.

Funeral service will be held at the Castlegar Funeral Chapel

Monday, April

at 7 p.m. and will continue Tuesday, April

beginning
2 at 10. a.m. with burial at the Pass Creek Cemetery at 11 a.m.

In liew of flowers, contributions may
Pund, Box 3292, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 316.

be made fo the Cancer

Puneral arrangements are under the direction of the Castlegar