‘ Aa January 17, 1988 -- ESTABLISHED AUG. 7, 1947 INCORPORATING THE MID-WEEK Mi Lv. CAMPBELL PUBLISHER AUG. 7, 1947-F00 19.1979 PUBLISHER — Burt Campbell EDITOR — Ron Norman PLANT FOREMAN — Peter Harvey OFFICE MANAGER — Linda Kos: ADVERTISING MANAGER CIRCULATION MANAGER — Heather Hodley TWICE WEEKLY MAY 4. 1980 PUBLISHED SEPT. 12. 1978 AUG. 27, 1900 - Gary Fleming Who's responsible? Just whos minding the store? That's one of the important questions arising out of the Celgar Pulp Co. woodroom controversy. Celgar's position on the woodroom closure is clear: It is cheaper to purchase chips from area sawmills than to operate the woodroom, where raw logs are made into chips. Therefore, the company plans to close the woodroom and buy its chips from the sawmills. For Celgar, it's a strictly dollars and sense decision. Some argue the company is making record profits (around $48 million in 1987) and can aftord to operate the woodroom, even though it costs marginally more Others argue that Celgar should be held accountable for promises made by the previous owners Perhaps there is a moral argument for that position. But there's no legal argument. Celgar is free and clear of any legal obligation to harvest decadent timber from Tree Farm Licence 23. But how did that happen, and who allowed it to happen? The first question is easy. When Westar Timber sold the pulp mill to a consortium involving Power Corp., Consolidated-Bathurst and the Chinese government in late 1986, the tree farm wasn't part of the deal; nor was there any long- term commitment by Celgar to purchase logs from Westar. That oversight is proving crucial — not without buyers. Westar is also af- fected by the Forest Act, which requires that for every tree it cuts on the tree farm, it must plant another. But there is no incentive for the company to go to the expense of cutting decadent trees it can't sell and then the cost of replanting the trees. Westar will likely simply quit harvesting the decadent trees while it focuses on cutting sawlogs for its sawmill, or it will end up with huge amounts of decadent waste. Either way, Westar won't be managing the tree farm as ef- ficiently as when the pulp mill took the decadent timber and made it into chips So who's reponsible for the present situation? Westar Timber is certainly partly to blame for selling its pulp mill without Ws eS receiving any written c from the new owners to take pulp logs from’ the tree farm. And Celgar Pulp Co. made the decision to close the woodroom. But there's o third party to all this which should have been looking after the public interest The Ministry of Forests. TFL 23 is Crown land, and so belongs to all of us. It is in effect rented to Westar Timber. The com- pany is allowed to take trees off the TFL and in return pays the government a stumpage fee. But one of Westar's respon- sibilities is to properly manage the only to Westar, but to loy on the tugboats that haul the trees down the Arrow Lakes, and to the 18 employees in the woodroom. With no obligation to harvest the decadent timber — which was the reason the pulp, mill was built in the first place some 25 years ago — the pulp mill has turned its back on the tree farm. That has left Westar holding the bag Westar which retained the tree farm after the pulp mill sale has three options for the decadent timber: It can harvest it and try to sell the timber on the open market; it can pile the logged trees and burn them; or it can simply leave the trees where they stand Westar has indicated it will try to market some of the logs — as long as there are buyers. But it says it can't harvest the trees indefinitely land. The company must prepare a five-year management plan which is reviewed by the public and ap- proved by the ministry (Westar is putting the finishing touches on its most recent five-year plan, which should be ready for public viewing (next month). But it is the ministry's job to en- sure Westar is managing the TFL in the possible way. Yet, the ministry appears to have failed us miserably. If the woodroom closes, the TFL will not be managed as well as when the woodroom was open it is clear the two private forestry firms are looking after their own interest first, but who's looking after the public's in- terests? No one is minding the store Ron Norman Mayor Audrey Moore was in an unusual situation Tuesday at Castle gar council as the lone opponent to a motion requesting Celgar Pulp Co. to reconsider its woodroom closure. It is rare for Moore to find herself on the outside looking in. In the six years I've covered council — all of them under Moore's tenure — I have never seen her so obviously and openly in disagree ment with the rest of council There may have been the odd occasion when Moore was on the losing end of a close vote, though I can't recall a specific instance. But I can't remember ever seeing Moore outvoted 61. Even her longtime colleague and friend Ald. Albert Calderbank lined up against her And it wasn’t as if Moore had to place herself in that situation. She could just as easily have stayed in the chair and not taken part in the discussion. However, she delib erately turned the chair over to Calderbank and waded into the thick of the controversy (The fact she turned the chair over to Calderbank is interesting. It effectively removed him as a possible seconder to her amend ment, which died on the floor. In fact, Calderbank said later he would have seconded the amendment just to help keep council peace) There are two prevailing theories as to why Moore was so stubbornly opposed to the motion — to the point of asking that her vote be recorded. One suggests she did it to send a message to Celgar manage ment, who were sitting in the council audience. The other says she did it with the confidence that by the sheer force of her personality she could woo three aldermen to her point of view and amend the motion. I tend to lean toward the latter. For more than 10 years Moore has directed council. She has easily turned aside any challenges, and as I indicated earlier, has rarely lost a critical vote. I believe she thought right until the end that she could pull this one out of the hat, too. The vote is interesting, not just because it is rare to see Moore on the losing end, but because it sends a clear message that she can no longer deliver council Part of the reason was a strong performance by Ald. Terry Rogers. For much of his rookie term Rogers appeared unable to take a hard stand. He seemed unsure of his position except perhaps for the library expansion and even then he wavered slightly However, it was clear Tuesday night that he was absolutely certain of where he stood. It also helped that he came prepared, quoting in his closing speech from an ancient Athenian oath and from a letter from Municipal Affairs Minister Rita Johnston. His performance marked the dif- ference between a well-meaning alderman pressing his point of view, and a politician. And judging from Moore's expression when read from the oath and Johnston's letter, she also recognized that. Letters to the Editor Closure bad business Arrow Forest District manager Ken Arnett says it is “ludicrous” to chip pulp logs from Tree Farm Licence No. 23 (Dec. 20, 1987 Castlegar News). Short-term planning in forestry is 40 years and long-term planning 100 years. These are said to be reasonable guidelines. So, T.F.L. No. 23 was created with a forestry strategy to harvest pulpwood and sawlogs, and replant and recycle all of T.F.L. No. 23. To this end, millions of dollars were spent to build a woodroom. Then, 27 years into the plan, this process becomes “ludicrous” and the woodroom is shut down with two months’ notice. Mr. Arnett does not speak about the things he is responsible for, such as the five-year management plan for the woods, which is to be approved and submitted by Westar Timber after public hearings. The T.F.L. No. 23 management plan was due in 1984, but a six-month extension to June 1985 was given at that time for Westar to finish details. The Forest Service then granted an extension until December "86; then an extension for a full year to December ‘87. Westar will have soon run a full five years with no manage ment plan and no public hearings — a situation the Forestry Act clearly did not intend All this is with the blessing of the Forest Service. It is “ludicrous” to run our forests without a management plan. Westar applied every 10 years for a variance from their obligation to their pollution requirements, so why not an exemption from the management plan for the woods? The Forest Service seems to be doing a “non-job” here while in the Queen Charlotte Islands it is ordering MacMillan Bloedel to reharvest its timber limits. The fact is tat it is not acceptable to simply high grade T.F.L. No. 23 for Don't T have never heard anyone accuse unions and those who appear to speak for them of having too rtiany brains. I do not intend to break with tradition. I would like to point out that it takes as much wood fibre to produce a ton of pulp today as it did 25 years ago. Furthermore, rotten wood cannot be made into anything except mulch for fertilizer. It is the intent (as it should be) of the Forest Ministry to get as many jobs as possible out of our forests. There fore, low grade logs are to be processed in area sawmills and the residual chips sent to the pulp mill. It not only generates more jobs in the bush, but increases revenue from stumpage on low grade wood. For every log now being chipped at Celgar's woodroom three will go to area mills when the facility closes. Since there are approx imately as many cubic metres of chips in a truckload as in a load of logs, there will not be an increase in trucks to the pulp mill, as Mayor Audrey Moore short-term gain and not reforest and address all the problems of &-T.F.L., especially in a time of record-breaking profits. I submit that shutting down the woodroom, and not harvesting and re- planting T.F.L. No. 23 are not good business decisions, and if they are con- sidered to be good ones, then we are in real trouble. Sweden — our main world com. petitor — uses a “wonder tree” with a turnaround time of 30 to 40 years. It is a Northern developed Remember When? 40 YEARS AGO From the Jan. 23, 1948 News Members of Kootenay Temple No. 87 and Twin Rivers Lodge No. 70 held a joint installation of officers in the Parish Hall on Wednesday evening when some sixty members and friends were in attendance. . . Motion picture patrons may get a cut of 16 2/3 per cent on their ticket costs if Ottawa will drop the 20 per cent war emergency excise tax. There will be no savings, however, if the Pro- vincial Government decides to pick up the tax. * . Mr. H.W. Herridge, M.P. address- ed the Castlegar Board of Trade on Federal Affairs, at the January meet- ing of the Board, held on Thursday Jan. 15th. * * . The W.A. to the Castlegar Robon Legion Branch 170 B.E.S.I. sponsored their regular monthly whist drive last Saturday night in the Legion Memorial Hall. There were eleven tables of whist and one table of cribbage. 25 YEARS AGO From the Jan. 17, 1963 News A move which see a repre sentative of the department of munici- pal affairs visit Castlegar to look ifto the transaction between the village and Oglow Brothers Ltd. with regard to the Castle Bar subdivision now possibly hinges on advice given the village by its solicitor and the action commis- sioners take on the advice. “ Building permits issued in Castle- gar during 1962 amounted to $683,146, works supervisor Norman MeNabb reported to council Tuesday night. . °« e A meeting was held at the home of Tony Denneus here Sunday evening to organize the Castlegar Flying Club. Twenty-seven persons, including nine members of the Nelson Pilots’ A iation attended. Fred Hirtle was pole pine pe and cloned in B.C. Sweden produces about 70 per cent annually of Canada’s production on approximately 10 per cent of the land base. This is because of intensive forestry and that is a good business decision. Mel McMullen Castlegar Province sure to continue coverage There has been some talk of dis. continuing partial fee coverage under the B.C. Medical Plan for such things as massage therapy. Many of us do not agree with such action. I'm sure our government will decide to continue coverage because of the benefits derived from such treatments. As usual, there are those that will rip off the system to a certain extent and this deserves looking at. But with massage therapy only 12 treatments per person per year are allowed for partial medical coverage and that is only upon a doctor's referral. Often, treatments of this sort, along with other natural healing methods, are of great benefit in disease and illness prevention. For example, treatments which relieve stress and tension in our fast-paced world will help prevent future medical problems these killers can cause. The small cost of a few treatments now can prevent the huge cost of a serious illness later. Rather than discourage natural type-healing by discontinuing partial medical coverage for those who are covered now, we should be working to encourage more alternatives to pills and surgery. This would not only confuse I don't know how many manu- facturing jobs are involved in area sawmills as compared to the 18 jobs at the woodroom but there should be more jobs in the bush. One-third of a leg manufactured into lumber is resi- dual chips. Therefore, for every cubic metre of roundwood not cut by the woodroom three cubic metres of sawlogs must be processed in area sawmills for the pulp mill to have the same number of cubic metres of fibre. Is it better to employ one logging crew cutting roundwood for the pulp mill or three crews cutting logs for sawmills? I think more employment is generated by employing the larger crews. This is where the new economic regions policy should decide the out- come. Regional employment in all areas and towns supplying wood chips to the pulp mill should have a say. The economic impact of forest utilization concerns more than just Castlegar. If Ed Conroy and Terry Dalton want more timber harvested on the Arrow create a happier, healthier, more pro- ductive society, it would bring our health costs down. I'm not saying B.C. Medical should pay for more of these services, but perhaps a campaign should be in place to| promote the advantages of natural and self-healing methods. I feel doctors should have more training in this field and should work hand-in-hand with those that are involved in natural healing, without professional jealousy. Many opera- tions, much pill-popping, agony and cost could be avoided with such co-operation. I also feel that though there are many qualified people out there who can genuinely help some problems, there are also some quacks who will take advantage of people. Partial medical coverage helps to control this problem to some extent because a doctor can recommend or refer to those that he knows are qualified. On the other hand, doctors should not be able to refuse to refer without a legitimate reason any patient who makes a request. Iris Bakken Salmo issue Lake Tree Farm Licence 23, they should be after Westar Timber to add another shift to their sawmill. Utiliza- tion of decadent wood has a nice ring to it but is utter nonsense. Decadent wood is just that — decadent. There appears to be more than just rotten wood generating fertilizer in the woodroom closure at Celgar. The sug- gestion that Celgar spend millions to modernize obsolete technology appears insane, to say the least. I do not contend that the loss of one's job is not serious; it can be devastating to those affected. But is the effect of job loss better cushioned at Celgar or in small local sawmills? It is a harsh choice to make for anyone but let’s not confuse the issue with spurious nonsense about reforestation. Celgar does not have any obligations with the Ministry of Forests. It is not engaged in logging. F.W. Peitzsche Fruitvale More letters, AS chairman, Bob Watters secretary and Tony Denneus, treasurer. * Castlegar village chairman Aage Sylvest is taking under advisement a “recommendation or request” by Comm. R.C. Maddocks that Mr. Mad- docks be relieved of the chairmanship of the planning and parks committee. 15 YEARS AGO From the Jan. 18, 1973 Castlegar News Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce once again has a woman at the helm. At Saturday night's installation ceremonies Mayor Landis of Castlegar gave high praise to the new president, Mary Anderson, and spoke of her previous term in 1969 with colorful reminiscence, stating the future of the chamber rests on tonight. . . Twenty-six additional jobs have been created in this area by the approval of two more Initiative Grants. Federal contribution totals $23,400 says Bruce King, manager of the Trail Canada Manpower Centre. . 8 Kinnaird's Mayor Colin Maddocks is again calling upon all citizens to support Minor Hockey Week in Can ada, which starts Saturday, Jan. 20. . 8 6 There was swift reaction last week to Kinnaird council's action in dropping Ald. G.S. Rust as the town’s regional district represeptative and Bill Ban ham as one of its Kootenay Industrial Development Association representa. tives. +. * 6 First bonspiel, in the not yet com pleted curling rink, is to be held this Saturday. * The man beaten out for the chair manship of the Regional District of Central Kootenay on Saturday had words of praise Tuesday night for the man who was successful. Ald. Ed Mosby told his council the new RDCK chairman, Ald. Hank Cole- man of Nelson, “is very capable and aggressive.” 5 YEARS AGO From the Jan. 13, 1982 News Most businesses survived 1981 in Pretty good shape despite the bleak i ditions. Sales for some, increased for others and stayed the same for still others, according to a survey this week |by the Castlegar News. . * Castlegar and Area I and J resi dents will go to the polls in exactly one month to decide on a new $1 million regional library proposed for the old arena site on Columbia Ave. . . The old Sandpiper Motel on Columbia Ave. at 11th Street could be coming déwn soon. Castlegar council Tuesday agreed to send a public hearing a proposal to build a 30-unit townhouse/garden apartment complex on the motel site at 1101 Columbia. FORESTS FOREVER What's it all mean? By FRED MARSHALL MeMillan Bloedel on its own, and the B.C. forest industry collectively, are spending millions of dollars ex- plaining their “Forests Forever” com- mitment to the general public. The gist of the message is that they have recog- nized, and accepted, that they “have a responsibility to ensure that the forest resource (they) use is properly cared for and replenished.” I must ask the question: “Is this a historical commitment?” The answer has to be no, because over the past years an area of between one and three million hectares of not satisfactorily restocked (NSR) forest land has ac- cumulated in B.C. The majority of this ANALYSIS occurs on the lands “used” by the forest industry. The next question is: “Is this then a current commitment?” The answer again is no. Every year an additional 100,000 hectares of NSR land are added to his already huge area of land that is not satisfactorily reforested. From the above it is obvious that there is only one interpretation. The commitment is a future one. If this is the case more questions must be asked. What percentage of the forest industry or how many companies in B.C. have actually made this commitment, either verbally or, more importantly, i writing? If it is in writing can we, the public, see it? Are there any strings attached or is this an unqualififed commitment that is not dependent on government funding, make-work pro- jects, stumpage adjustments, form of tenure or anything else? If this is an unqualified commit- ment (and I didn't see or hear of any strings attached in the ads) in writing, and in place, whose signature and stamp of approval is given? Is it the company forester, the wood's man- ager's, or that of the chief executive PM's research pledge a bust By EDISON STEWARD OTTAWA — Ofall Brian Mulroney's dozens of election promises, none has been a bigger bust than his pledge to double the percentage of the country’s economic resources spent on research and development. The prime minister has missed the target by $7 billion or soa year, a failure so total that even a Conservative MP admitted privately Thursday it was a dumb idea from the outset. Statistics Canada figures show that spending on re- search on development as a percentage product has actually declined since 1984, when it was 1.37 per cent, to 1.35 per cent in 1986, Figures are not yet available for 1987. The prime minister's announcement this week of another $1.3 billion for science and technology over the next five years underlines how short of its goal the government has fallen. The new money, the equivalent of $260 million a year, amounts to only about one-tenth of current federal spending in the area. Mulroney's 1984 promise was that during his govern- officer with the full support-of the company’s board of directors? For the forest industry's commit- ment to be a meaningful one, approp- riate actions must be taken and answers to the above questions pfo- vided. The historical record relative’ to reforestation (“Forests Forever") does not speak wellfor the forest industry. The Ministry of Forests and Lands has obviously considered this) It is not going to rely on this or future commit- ments, nor on professional foresters to ensure that the logged areas of B.C. are of gross domestic ment's first term there would be a doubling in the total spent on research and development, including that done by industry, other governments and universities. The reasoning was that if Canada joined the United States and Japan in spending about 2.5 per cent of GDP on research, it would create 1.25 million new jobs. But between 1984 and 1987, the direct federal contribution to so-called R and D — apart from tax incentives — has increased to only $2.4 billion from $2.3 billion. Mulroney said this week it’s the quality of spending, not the quantity, that counts. His former senior policy adviser has acknowledged that after more than three years of Conservative government, a glaring weakness in Canadian industry is the country's dismal record in technological change and the associated ies needed to cope with the dynamic world of science and technology.” in Business Quarterly magazine, MeMillan, now a professor of administrative studies at York University, adds that “by virtually all standards, Canada skills and Writing lags in technological prowess.” Charles SWIFT PREMIUM LIVER CHUBS adequately restocked. They have re- cently introduced legislation which, when enacted, will make reforestation (basic forestry) a legal requirement. This is one of the best pieces of forest legislation our province has seen for a long time. If the forest industry's “commit- ment” is genuine, it will undoubtedly welcome this legislation and give it its strong support. I sincerely hope this happens. (Fred Marshall is a registered professional forester and an instructor in Selkirk ‘Gollege’s Forestry Depart- ment): ee SANDWICH BAGS MORE LETTERS Human rights head in danger Wednesday's (Jan. 13) art icle in the Castlegar News describing the work of Ra mon Custodio Lopez, the head of Honduras’ Human Rights Commission, coincid ed, sadly enough, with an “urgent action” letter-writ ing request from the Chris. tian Taskforce on Central America on his behalf. Dr. Lopez's work in bring. ing to light ongoing and systematic human rights ‘vio lations by the Honduran army and police has put him in great danger. The Hon. duran army's secret death squad, “Batallion 316,” train ed by Americans and Ar. gentinian secret police ad visors, has made several attempts on his life and just recently has again threat ened to assassinate him. He refuses to be terrorized or intimidated by them and continues to call not only for the dismantling of this or. ganization, but also for a major restructuring of the administration of justice in his country. It is interesting to note that Canada still designates Honduras as a “priority country” in terms of aid des- pite the increasing numbers of state-sponsored killings, tortures and disappearances, and despite the fact that Honduras continues to allow the American-sponsored Contra to use its territory as a base for incursions into Nicaragua, where most of the victims are civilian doctors, health promoters, agricult- ural workers and innocent cy? TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1988 XR Generic, Dispenser Box of 150 MANDARIN ORANGES Segments Success 284 mi Tin PERRIER MINERAL WATER Assorted, 695 mi Bottle TOMATO CLAM JUICE Heinz. 48 or. BANANAS In 1984, Tory science critic Tom Siddon — now fisheries minister — estimated the promise could cost the federal treasury an additional “$2.5 billion or more” a year by 1988. presents a Anthony's Pizza & Steakhouse #1 . you PICK UP* January. Special! $2.00 off any pizza that Varieties, 250g Package fl aa" villagers. I strongly urge those read- ing this letter to take afew. minutes to write on behalf of Dr. Custodio Lopez. A few handwritten lines, asking that his life be respected and protected should go to: General Humbert o Re- galdo, Jefe de las Fuerzas Armadas (Chief of the Armed Forces), Teguicigalpa, Hon. duras Teguicigalpa, Honduras and to: Ambassador Ev. erett Briggs, United States NEW LOCATION 1761 Columbia Avenue, Ce astlegar (Old Shel Be FOR MORE INFORMATION Call Laurie 365-3952 Our Action Ad Phone No. 365-2212 Embassy, Tegucigalpa, Hon. duras. An additional letter on his behalf could be sent to our CENTRAL FOODS SPECIALS External Affairs Minister, the Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, House of Commons, Ottawa K1A OA. Included in this letter should be a request that Canadian aid to Hon duras be suspended until the BLACK FOREST OVERLANDER SLICED ....100G 99 SHAVED/ MILD CHEEDAR human rights violations cease. It is difficult to believe that our money can be being very effectively used in a country whose military is persecuting the very people who make the problems of the landless poor a priority. 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