CASTLEGAR NEWS, May 11, 1980 If you look at her dri- ver's license, under “occu- pation” it says “housewife.” From one point of view, this is appropriate, for more than any other best-selling author, Erma Bombeck is a pro- fessional housewife. But in another sense, it says a lot about the’ “inner” Erma, Who is the inner Erma? What lurks behind this sweet, short, motherly ex- terior? How did a Dayton, Ohio wife and mother of three become .a national pasttime? And, if she didn’t come with the name “Erma Bombeck" would she have invented it? She laughs at the last — question agreeing that she would have thought it up had it not happened to be true. “I really didn't set out to be this person,” she says earnestly. “I have very little ambition, actually: It's just that if there is a challenge, I always wonder if I can pull it off.” This casually dressed, 52-year-old woman, sitting comfortably in shirt, slacks and, scuffs, could be any- body's neighbor. She hardly seems the type to team up with glamorous Cheryl Tiegs for a John Denver special on television — as she did last year. Looking around ‘her Spanish-style Paradise Val- ley, Arizona home, there is little to suggest that a. woman of such remarkable talent lives here. Outside the white stucco house, bougain- villea tumbles over wrought- iron gates, a profusion of magenta against the black. _ Nearby, Camelback Mountain rises from the desert. Inside, the decor shows the taste of a trans- planted Midwesterner -— traditionally formal, yet com- fortable, the furnishings are set off by white carpet, an Arizona luxury made pos- sible by the absence of rain or snow. There is not a single signed photograph or fan letter in sight. But there is no doubt that she does have fans — millions of them. Her syndi- cated column, "At Wit's End” appears in 800 newspapers, she’s written six bestselling books and twice a week she is seen on ABC's Good Morning America, Is Erma Bombeck amazed at her success? She shrugs, saying candidly, “My eareer {8 no overnight suc- cess, It’s happened slowly. It hasn't been a flash.” Actually, it been more a steady glow. Erma began writing for a Dayton news- paper when she was 15 years old and continued during and after graduation from the University of Dayton. “I wrote everything,” she says, “obituaries and social tidbits, nothing fancy, just whatever they needed.” Gradually, ‘she introduced some humorous features and when the read- ers reacted enthusiastically, she became a regular col- umnist. © Erma recalls the day she received an offer to syndicate her column. When she told her three children; they looked at her and asked, “Does this mean you won't be here to drive us to school anymore?" The funny lady turns this into a great anecdote, but the private person sug- gests seriously, “It's prob- ably wrong that women in- stinctively take from them- selves first. Our children need less of us than we might think. It's just second nature for women to do things like always take the bent fork. Where is it written that a mother gets the bent fork?" Bent fork or not, Erma is remarkably guilt-free when it comes to discussing her bal- AKAN MeO RIEL! Sv eap to write 2,000 wards about mmmmmmamers §. their kids occasionally. I've Erma Bombeck. came out of the closet (broom closet, that is) to expose the hilarious side of motherhood and housewifery. But what’s behind the wit and self- mockery? Just who is... THE _INNER ERMA ance of home and career. “I hit every single base," she says matter-of-! Hfactly. “Tdid it all. It was there.” “Today her children are grown: Betsy, is 26; Andy, 24; and Mat is 21. But during their childhood, Erma made sure that her columns never revealed her own children’s real lives. “My (fictional) kids are faceless, general kids,” she notes. "No one could ever identify my own children in my stories.” As for her wifely role, she explains that her hus- band, Bill, made her career possible beyond her wildest dreams. But she adds, “I’ve tried to bend over backwards not to take advantage. You see," she puts down her coffee cup and says seriously, “I accepted a job 30 years ago, when I got married, and T owe it a lot.” ‘For all her travel and fame, her husband and chil- dren receive star billing in her life. “Some years ago Barb- ara Walters was interview- ing me,” she continues. “And in the .middle of it, she stopped and asked, ‘How on earth have you managed to stay married to the same man for so.many years?’ I can think fast, so I just looked at her and said, ‘I'm Catholic.’ " That is true, but there is more than religion going for the Bombecks. It's clear that Erma keeps her feet planted, if not always in the laundry room, then firmly on the ground. Seven days a week, she fixes breakfast in her U-shaped kitchen, at 8:30 am. says, “Goodbye” and goes into her office to work. Erma describes the of- fice, which the Bombecks added to.their home them. selves, as her “rubber roo: Unfortunately, they didn’ t insulate it sufficiently, so on cold winter mornings, Erma admits she feels a chill. “It’s a lonely existence back there,” she says with mock stoicism. “It’s spartan.” Although she has a sec- retary, Erma still answers her own phone and does all her own typing, the latter because “I'm always making changes.” Her friends agree she’s extraordinarily organ- ized'and say she always finds time to have a baby shower for a friend, or take her mother out for a luncheon. Erma shrugs off the praise saying, “The only thing I'm disciplined about is Barely five feet tall, with short frosted hair and a ready wit that rolls out like one of her columns read aloud, Erma presents a de- termined front. “I work very hard for a living. Maybe if I lived a glamorous life, it would be different. But I'm a bum when it comes to being a role model. I don't even know what I'm having for dinner tonight. And I'm not hilarious atall,” she says ruefully. “I'm disappointing at parties. I just walk in, say hello, and sit down.” Spending time with Er- ma is an exercise in mental gymnastics. She writes like she talks and yet the humor is just part of her .person- ality. With prodding, she lists some other positive qualities. “I meet deadlines and my writing is grammatically correct. I'm a professional writer and that separates me from those women who want given up things in life to do this, I've given up a part of myself. “I was getting dressed today for this interview and began thinking about how many interviews I have given. How many talk shows have I been on! It's not fun-and-games to go on the lecture circuit like I did be- fore I retired.my mouth: “But it's so much fun to - meet all those . celebrities! You find out that they are the nicest people. Like Johnny Carson. He's always amused by our conversations because I don't do the Las Vegas- type humor. We speak of things he can relate to. “Families and kids don’t change. Marriage doesn't change. Human nature doesn’t change. And I believe that if you don’t smile now, you won't in your old age. “People have been lulled into thinking that there's more to living than there is... there isn't.” She might not use words like those in her'column, but the. real’ Erma Bombeck thinks deeply about things. What's more, she acts on her - thoughts and beliefs. She’s involved in the women’s movement and sup- ports the cause of helping battered wives and children. She also serves on the Pres-. ident’s Advisory Committee Women, which was “Andl aman ERA person,” she says, re- ferring to her favorite sub- ject. “The Equal Rights Am- endment is the most mis- understood phrase since ‘one size fits all’ I'm really going to work on the unratified states. I did 35 speeches in one day recently. Liz Car- penter, an Advisory Commit- tee member, and I travel together monthly, holding press conferences in ele- vators, in laundry, rooms, wherever people will gather to hear us.” But she won't wave ban- ners in print; she doesn’t editorialize. “I don't want to do political commentary; I'm happy with the spectrum I've got,” she says. “it's comfor- table for me.” Still, the public image concerns her. “I have a horror of preaching. I don't want to be deep. Everyone likes to pontificate. Maybe it's a safety thing that I always include a_ serious section in my books to tell you that there is another facet. But the world is full of people with profound things to say.” "I recognize that not many people can write humor and there's a lot to be said for making people laugh — es- pecially in the light of one week's-worth of world news. Humor says, ‘Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel.’ Of her own writing she says, “I have a rule; when in doubt, sératch it out. You need to set your own boun: daries and establish your own taste. It does take a bit longer to be clean, but there’s nothing in my books that I wouldn't want my own kids to read.” my writing.” ( » she enrolled in an exercise class once and attended so reli- giously for two years that she says she automatically begins bending and_ stretching whenever she hears certain songs.) She quits writing at 4 p.m. to start dinner — she enjoys cooking — or do things around her house. “There's still plenty going on here,” she laughs. “The kids come home — I still take in laundry.” Mother's Day Starts Sun, May 11 at 4 P.M. Only SMORGASBORD 95 per person fireside place FOR RESERVATIONS PHONE 365-6000 is CASTLE Yes, the Sunday CasNews is being delivered FREE during May to all homes where we have carrier routes established. if you do not presently get carrier delivery of the Castlegar News for our two issues each week and would like to get both the mid-week and Sunday issues delivered by carrier, please call for details. Circulation 365-7266 XNEWS She pauses a, moment and adds, "I think there is a . 8quareness that people would like to believe still exists. I. count on it. “I'm not here to educate or teach people to work. crossword puzzles. I purpose- ly break down the big words; I want to make sure that everybody gets it, It's a free and easy style, almost. él- ementary, but it takes a long time to get it right.” Erma Bombeck worked hard at “gett right." She wrote thrée beat- sellers, she claims, “without ever knowing ‘how’ towritea book.” Her latest, Aunt Erma’ ‘Ss Cope Book has, at - this writing, unseated the Scars- dale Diet and Henry Kissin- ger’s weighty memoirs for the number‘one position on the bestseller lists, Now she’s considering writing either a television ‘sit-com or a spec- ial, (Her The Grass Is Always Greener Over The Septic Tank was a successful tel- evision movie last year.) . She says that there are plenty of challenges left. “I always remember Woody Al- len's comment that if you're not failing at something, you're not doing anything. ‘That's what creativity is all about.” This all sounds admir- able — in fact, it sounds downright intimidating. But take heart. Even Erma can't make everything work out perfectly. For one thing, weight is a constant hattle. Frowning at her hips and legs, she quips, “I carried my babies low.” She keeps a couple of’ emergency outfits a few sizes larger than her present slim size; for those times when the hot breads get the best of her. Erma downplays her cel- ebrity status and insists she doesn’t move in “fun circles,” but she does belong to a select, private society of hu- morists that includes Art Buchwald and Russell Baker. Some of their best work is socked away in folders, she says. “We try to outdo each other... we kill ourselves trying to outdo each other.” . But occasionally even her best efforts come up against a brick wall. Erma stillsmarts thinking about an erudite editor who turned up his.nose after receiving an assigned piece of hers, saying critically, “That's too Bom- beckian.” That's who I am,” she says hotly. “I know I'm on safe ground with dirty bed- rooms and laundry — things people can relate to.” Lately, “though, she has ventured out of the utility room. “I've undergone a tran- sition; I'm into new things. Tm writing from a different point of view now, not deal- ing with motherhood con- stantly. The growing status 22 Xing 5 No iets of women has broadened my horizons;, it's been great for me." Does she every worry -about running out of ideas? She ‘answers without hesl- tation, “I never hold back. If T s have three great ideas in one week, I try them all.” She sits quietly-a' moment and adds, “I do feel that the best part is in the struggle. You keep trying to get at more of yourself.” It's. obvious that this search for more creative out- Jets will occupy her for years. ‘Erma ‘Bombeck is a woman with tremendous confidence. She ‘knows herself and she knows her audience. Thanks to Erma, we can «see the humor in everyday events that might be thought of as only frustrating, ex- asperating and impossible. She-lets us know that every- one shares the same traumas and slie lets us see the funny side of them (with an oc- casional touch of serious- ness). It's tempting to call her an “everywoman” but she shies away from labels. While the public Erma likes to The mother, the writer, the personal person masquerade as .a regular ¢ suburban lady, the “inner { Erma” knows that’ image ie misleading. She's a housewife" happens to write bestsellin, books, a syndicated column’ vprofessional and nionologues for national television appearances. Erma not only lives life, , she plays. it back — in a" steady stream of instant re- plays in print and. on Tv? screen. Her images don’t just” ring bells, they set off whole, orchestras. Everyone can’ who also just’ i : t ; identify with “Bombeck-_ 1 isms.” That's what makes her * humor so popular. y It is very likely that one” + day Erma Bombeck will take her place alongside humor- ists like Will Rogers and Mark Twain, whose reflec- tions of modern life became, national treasures. Perhaps then she'll be immortalized in stone — standing like the Statue of. Liberty on .a mound of, wrinkled laundry, one hand. clutching a list of her best sellers — and the other hold-" ing high a dog-eared grocery list. + Full black glass door. . Glass-covered con- i Fluorescent console light . Deluxe elements . Optional rotisserie .. Delay cook keep sy Inglis Sterling Self- Clean Range FEATURES: 7. Large storagedrawer 8. Deluxe wood grain 9. Appliance outlet warm door and drawer handles (Timed on self clean WILL'S Low {Model JRP36700) West Kootenay Price ........eecceee a 8539 _WILL'S 1694 - 2nd Ave., East Trail Phone 364-2815 CASH & SAVE BOB BRANDSON POOL SCHEDULE Rec. Dept. Brandson Pool Mommy & Me — $5.00 Acquaint child with water in your presence a) May 12-16 — 3:00 - 3:30 p.m. b) May 19-23 — 3:00 - 3:30 p.m. Pro School — $7.00, Child learns basic water techniques a) June 11-25 — 2:15 - 2:45 p.m. Adults — $12.00 Open to men & women to learn basic stroke techniqués a) June 12-27 — 8:30-9:30 p.m... Bronz Cross — Age 15 years, Bronz Medallion a) June 2-13 — 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Monday to Friday Saturday &Sunday 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. 3: 365-3386 365-6424 MAY AND JUNE SWIM LESSONS - Tiny. Tots — Gives child opportunity to become Rec. Office Hours Mon.-Fri. 8:30-4:30 familiar with water b) June 2-6 — a) May 26-30 — 3:00 - 3:30 pm 3:00 - 3:30 p.m. Adults — $9.00 Open to men & women to learn basic stroke techniques a) June 11-25 — 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. Bronz Medallion — $20.00 20.00 PUBLIC SWIMMING 3:30 - 5:00 p.m, Monday to Friday Saturday & Sunday Students. Adults .. PUBLIC SWIM ADMISSION Singles Admission 406. z Register for lessons at the Recreation Offic Strip tickets available at the Recreation Office or at the Pool, y he Private Pool Rentals Minimum age 14 years a) May 19-30 — 7:30 -9:30 p.m.” Strip: Tickets $ 8.75 $12.50 $15.75 1 Office. Tourism ministry _ - looking for home to feature in film | , "How would you like to have Catherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda as house guests this summer? You can if you contact the ‘tourism ministry's film promotion office immediate- ly. There is only one stick- ler. You will have to have a mansion, on ‘a lake, sur- rounded by deciduous trees, And it must have a large, front porch, with a second- floor balcony, The tourism ministry is pee for ‘such a house in the province, for 20th’ Cen. tury Fox of Hollywood, Calif. . This summer 20th Centurs,; will shoot a major feature film on location in B.C. : The large house must, be. on a large Interior lake, and, be of turn-of-the-century vin-. tage. ‘The film will be an adap- tation of “On Golden Pond,” now playing on Broadway. . If anyone can be of as-. sistance they should contact Justis Greene’ at the Film, Promotion Office, Vancou- , ver, phone collect 668-2782, A place for Swedish Canadians to find ‘roots ALEX HALEY HAS MADE EVERYONE STOP AND THINK OF THEIR ROOTS. He reported it took almost a dozen painstaking years to trace his genealogical lineage. One ethnic group, Swedish-Canadians, won't have such a problem and for the most Patt can locate ‘their roots in one easy step. The Swedish-Canadian's : short cut on the road to his roots lies in a visit to the small town of Vaxjo (pronounced Vex- sha), located about 100 miles south of Stockholm. Re+ since 1965 have b piling a record of emigra- tion for the period between 1850 and 1930 when some one million Swedes, or quarter of the nation, d their 1 for the Ameri Their ings are letel: organized in-the ‘‘House of Emigrants’’ Museum in the town. Through a collection of emigration letters, diaries, press - clippings, photographs, church it maritime passenger lists and other materials, ten full-time « researchers have backtracked the routes taken by, Swedish families during the age of ‘‘America Fever.’* By visiting the of dish descent can employ the papanstiiy and their extensive files in tracing their families’ origins. Among a group of travel writers to visit Vaxjo recently was a Chicago man of Swedish descent who used the museum's services. They found the man had relatives residing in a* nearby village and he was able to meet with them. In addition to files of-family genealogies, the museum’s library contains research works tracing the origins of Swedish-named locations in North America such lakes and towns. Artif bilia and display the history of. Minnesota and the Pacific Northwest. Emigration i isa subject of particular i interest to Vaxjo as the town, and its: ty region of I suffered a heavy dose of ““amerita Fever,” * losing about half of its population during the. period. Since the second World War, however, Smaland has reversed the process to become one of Sweden's fastest growing areas with several thriving industries. Local interests are now anxious to develop the region’s tourism potential and are employing the ethnic ap- peal to the House of Emigrants as their top lure in attracting North Americans. f ito such ions as BUT WHAT OF CANADIANS WITHOUT ANY WEDISH LINEAGE? Vaxjo and Smaland are loaded with tractions for them as well. Most prominently, Vaxjo is the center of Sweden's ‘Kingdom of Glass,’ with many of the nation’s major lassworks located within a 50-mile radius of the town. Most recognizable of these to Canadians would be Orrefors, Kosta and Boda. ilable on items purchased ; at the factories and shipping i is handled directly. All glass is hand-blown i er centuries, ; The Kosta glassworks are Sweden's oldest still in opera- tion, dating from 1742, and their products are considered by any as the **Rolls Royce of glass.’ About a half-million sitors are attracted to the factory annually to witness firsthand the delicate p din forming glass by hand. : Adjoining the House of Emigrants in Vaxjo is a glass museum with one of Europe's most complete collections of glass and crystal. The glass museum is part of Smalands museum which, founded in 1867, is Sweden’: soldest provin- cial museum. : Another thriving industry in the Vaxjo area is the produc- . tion of paper and at one nearby mill, Lessebo Bruk, the rare craft of making paper by hand remains.a part of the Com- pany’s operation. ~ FOR ECOLOGY BUFFS, LAKE TRUMMEN IS LO- ‘CATED NEARBY. Once considered ‘‘dead”’ from over- pollution, a restoration project brought the lake back to life and into international prominence during the 1972 World Cc on d by the U.N. in Stockholm. Lake Trummien is only one of dozens in the region, which with 12 per cent of its area water, resembles a map of Minnesota. Many of the lakes offer boating, swim- ming and fishing. Other sports facilities available in the area include ten outdoor swimming pools, and 18-hole golf course, and sev- eral public tennis courts. The town of Vaxjo today counts some 63,000 residents. Reminiscent of the Midwestern farm towns that attracted so many Swedish emigres, Vaxjo is a slow-paced, unpretenti- ous community that appears to have assimilated well to its post-war growth, The Midwestern nature of the town is typified by —aLuth church and the town water tower. CASTLEGAR “Castlegar has inherited a name that commemorates a race of men who, as much as any other, opened ne this continent and built a better life for themselves as a result. With determina! what c ion and hard work, they accomplished in the New World in the old.” d them from The race of men were Irish emigrants driven out of their homeland by the notorious potato famine. Once again Castlegar is moving into a new building phase similar to the one that stiaped the town during its founding years. T During recent years, Castlegar's neigh- bours Trail and Nelson have experienced tremendous growth. Now the compo- nents have moved into place to allow Castlegar that same growth. It promises to surge ahead of any activity now found in the West Kooteriay area of B.C. Castlegar is situated against the Monashee mountain range at an altitude of520 metres above sea level and at the confluence of the Kootenay and Colum- bia Rivers at the southem end of the Arrow Lakes. In 1974, two small communities, rivals for government funding and i —Castlegar News, September 23, 1971. The road to real has CASTLEGAR NEWS, May 11, Reprinted with permission from Skyword, the May issue of Pacific Western Airlines’ inflight magazine. racquetball and squash courts over the convention centre and a pro shop, As well as commercial and residential growth in the offing, the town Is re- sponding to growth proposals from’ Industry. Amajor project that will impact heavily on Castlegar's socio-economic base is B.C. Hydro's proposal to build a dam at Murphy Creek. In. March, Hydro started additional seismic and drilling tests which would add to feasibility of a hydro-electric dam on the Columbia River, three miles upstream of the city of Trall and 25 miles downstream of the confluence of the Columbia and Kootenay rivers at Castlegar. Hydro's proposal Is to construct a 400 megawatt dam reusing waters from the Mica, Duncan, Keenleyside and Libby _ projects which were constructed on the Columbia. - The schedule calls for studies to be completed by the early 1980s after which Hydro will make a and points In E “Last year, it was a roaring success,” Oglow tells. Sponsored by the local Lion's Club, the event Is being boasted as the largest trade show between the Canadian and Pacific National Exhibitions, Stan Partridge, a long-time realtor in the Castlegar area, sees one area where growth is welcomed and soon. Housing Is tight. “Rental here is extremely tough. It's very close to 100 per cent occupancy. Virtually all the apartments are full and there are waiting lists. People are pretty well forced to buy.” The problem centres around multi- family zoned land, The majority has homes on it and because housing is ata premium buying the homes would be too expensive to tear down ard replace with apartments. It's a Catch 22 situation, Partridge agrees, Buying residential lots has become a whether to go ahead. The earliest pos- sible in-service date would be 1988 for the new dam, The dam is expected to flood a ‘portion pricey p ition. A 65 by 120 foot lot will run between $25,000 to $30,000 alone with service costs of $18,000 accounting for the steep selling price. High interest rates have made land of the city—15 to 100 acres, d upon the waterlevel. Mayor Moore willbe looking for compensation for any ad- versé impact on the town. She favours a ~system where Hydro is annually respon- - sible for the lot tax base in town land. “We will be.doing everything possible to see that the city is dealt with inca fair, ~ and equitable manner” Along with the flood waters will come dollars and diversity in the economy. Like many B.C. communities, the town's revenue hinges on Canadian Cellulose’s sawmill and pulpmill operation’ and nearby Trail's Cominco mine, 18 miles away. Another estimated 800 work in Canadian Cellulose’s woodland, sawmill, . and pulpmill. (The city is looking: at Canadian Cellulose to expand its pulp- mill in the future). “I would like to see the’ city develop without down-grading the quality of life. It's a town with Bemendous potential,” Moore says. Local merchants, newly orga ina h of the growth. The area ‘has a trading population of 80,000 within a fifty-mile real lus, been cleared by the town’s first woman mayor, Audrey Moore. Moore is a fighter, and scored a major coup in changing the area's water supply from well water to a.soft water system. * “Today, it's a pro-growth attitude. Pro- growth but organized, Moore maintains and for its size, Castlegar has the unique foresight of a full-scale planning depart- ment that-is preparing for the boom expected in the next five years. The town has taken in 1000 acres on the west.and east side to be used as. residential expansion of its narrow corridor, Three multi-million shopping centres are also being proposed with two in the final approvak stages. The centres in- clude First City Investment Ltd's pro- posal to builda 73,500 sq. ft. facility; First services, amalgamated to form the new town of Castlegar which, stretches over 12 miles in length and half-a-mile in width: The merger took in Kinnaird, now known as. the garden community be- cause of large lots and backyard gar- Commerciat P * plan to build a 92,000 sq. ft. mall, and Bofa Enterprises project which consists of a mall and hotel expansion valued at $8 million. Bofa Enterprises is run by local hotel owner Palil Boel who plans to add to his hotel a sh centre that will encom- dens. Ki d, a pioneer which at one time welcomedthe old river boats that plied the Columbia, now makes up one commercial centre of town while the other town centre of Castlegar sits at the opposite end of a two-mile stretch. Two years ago Castlegar, population 6800, was linked to the southern Trans Canada Highway and lies 380 miles each way from Vancouver and Calgary. The link-up has been a major building point for the town. pass 115,000 sq. ft. The inside mall area will consist of 93,000 sq. ft. with under- ‘ground parking. The complex will in- clude a food market, a junior depart- ment store, bank, drug store, and a variety of other stores. His Hi Arrow Arms Hotel will undergo an expansion moving it from a regional hotel to one that will cater to tourists and conventions from throughout B.C. A total of 62 rooms will’be added-upping the toom count to 112. (An interesting “Because of that central | we are looking for a lot of trucking firms to locate here,” city planner Andy Swet- tishoff says. The city is hoping to upgrade its’ secondary Industry to counteract its dependency now on local forest industry and mining. “Therefore we ate developing an eighty-acre industrial park in the south end (Kinnaird)," Swettishoff says. The site is expected to be complete by the end of 1981. With CP Rail service complementing the trucking route, the industrial site is expected to be a prime warehousing and light industry location. . Castlegar residents are also banking on the new highway linking to lead to increased tourism as travellers find they can drive from Alberta through. the scenic Kootenays and on to the Okana- gan before hitting Vancouver. The town has the distinction of re- cording some of the hottest tempera- tures in Canada as the thermometer has boiled over the 100 degree Farenheit mark. The hot weather makes the lakes and recreational area surrounding the city the only cool place to be. The 150 miles of inter-locking lakes, the Arrow Lakes and Slocan Lake, gives the boater, there will be a Toom specially d for handi Tom Oglow says the pore of the new chamber will be to collect a profile on the town’s resources and business that can be used to promote the area to new merchants and outside interests. and home building costly here as in every city across the West. ~ “We are running into the same prob- § lems they are running into in all parts of & Canada. It is difficult to get a new § three-bedroom home with an 11,000 to 12,000 square foot lot for less than $85 000 or $90, 000." is ico, 000 an-acre while ene is E _ going for $50,000 to $60,000an acreifit ¥ can be found. ‘There are also businesses for sale in town. “There isn'ta business thatisn'tfor sale—it's the same in most small towns,” Partridge says. “Ifsomeone is a willing andable buyer, we can find them a business or the land “ and buildings to start a business.” “Although housing is tight and expen- sive, local residents don't spend all their . time indoors. Mike Molnar.is the owner of Mike’s Mobile Homes Ltd., a company jthat. sells recreational vehicles (RVs) “tahging from tent trailers to luxurious homes on wheels. “This is a good area for camping,’ he says. “l would say at least half the people have an RV of some es Z RVs have held their investment yalue despite the high cost of gas as vacation- ers have found that having a kitchen ahd sleeping place has offset the high prices at the pumps. A true RV enthusiast uses the vehicle There are an ‘licences held inthe see with 50 going to out-of-t tors. C such as I stores are esti dat every kend, Molnar says. And others are finding unique but practical uses for them. 75 and p crews paid a living-out is done through the D 's A: atic “We expect that in the next year, if the two shopping centres go ahead there will be 32 new stores in one and 16 in the other plus others. There will be quite a _ change between this year andnextyear.” While the chamber is starting from scratch, it does have one event that has The hotel facelift will see a swimming poo! installed, convention facilities’ for nearly 600 People, a roof-top garden, b an A major industry, trade, and commerce fair is held in the city annually and attracts 15,000 to 20,000 from as far as Calgary and find they