Page 8A The Castlegar Sun Wednesday, August 17, 1994 The real value in ‘child’s play’ is the smile on their faces It's easy for parents to get caught up in the that is on the mise “super” Stores are full of toys, games and books that claim to help you faise a smarter, stronger or healthier kids. parents are urged phe eo sheng lah ccna activity. While it’s important to take little time left to just be them- selves. When every rule must be followed and every game teaches a skill, the joys of free play, are lost. Just having fun is reason enough for families to share some time together. Think for a moment of the simple, no-cost forms of play that all kids seem to enjoy. Why the job of p Y. Excellence in Service Every month The Castlega’ not some of these: HQRe yt, & the freedom to relax with their kids. The parent doesn't always have to take on the role of the making/flying P In a world of five-minutes meals, instant drive-through cameras and everything, there's a to hurry through the day without spending the time you want with your child. Building a little family time into daily life isn't easy, but it can be done if parents allow themselves When given the chance, kids are great at selecting the forms of play they enjoy most. For example, if your child is fat crayons and draw along? Make conversation during play only when it feels comfort- able to do so. Praising the child’s efforts rather than the outcome is always the best approach. Try, “You must have had fun doing that!” or favourite Children will feel proud of The Castleg r Sun Play along with them and resist the urge to set rules or rush them through a step they are par- content making small sand cas- tles with a single paper cup, sim- ly take the cue and follow suit. even the smallest accomplish- ments when recognized in this way. Offer help only when you ticularly enjoying. Make a tions or i du sugges- This is not the time to don an ion of ngineer’s hard hat and demon- are sure they really need it. Most of all, have fun yourself! Who do you call when you're a teenager and need someone to talk to about problems at home, in meeting their needs. The program is new, as is Youth Worker, Pamella Herndl, who just began in this position two months ago. However, she is not new to work- ing in this field and has had extensive experience working with youth in the Nelson area for the past eight years where, she says, she dealt with “every conceivable issue you can imagine.” She is a graduate of a three-year Community Worker Program from Humber College in Toron- to, and also completed two years of an honors Political Science degree at Wilfred Laurier Uni- versity, in Waterloo. Pamella worked in a Transi- tion Home, as a Child Care Worker, for the John Howard Society for Young Offenders, and Access Information in downtown Toronto, before moving to the Kootenays. Although she is still in the process of designing this new program, Pamella is already working with individuals, and their families and significant others, around issues such as substance abuse, par- ent-teen conflict, suicide, and self esteem. A vital part of her work in advocating for basic needs for youth with Social Services and/or fami- health, and éducation/raining services. Her ser- vice is lient. individual coun- selling, but she plans to move into group work as Someone safe to turn to lies, and connecting them with medical, mental . well in the future. Although most of her clients are self-referred, she accepts referrals from anyone, for anyone 13 to 19 years old. Currently referrals are also coming from Mental Health and Social Services. With the use of an office at Stanley Humphries Secondary School every Thursday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, she is easily ible to students. Street h is another component of her job, and she is also available to other programs in the area such as the leadership training workshop for young people at the Recreation Centre where she facilitated a ses- sion on communication. Pamella is enthusiastic about her work—and especially about meeting youth on their own turf. She notes that the traditional setting for coun- selling doesn’t appeal to them; they are not com- fortable phoning up for an appointment, even find it difficult to identify that they have problems that are “workable.” She is a strong advocate for youth, and feels they are under-represented. Currently, she is veloping a Youth, Voluntees, Program, and_apy-, one in joining is asked to phone i la at Castlegar & District Community 365-2104. Services at un fe on the i diversity of Castlegar. This month we're focussing on the hospitality . It’s a proven fact that your attitude is directly related to your successes, or your failures for that matter. So it’s fairly safe to assume that people in the hospitality industry, whether providing directions to a lost tourist, or checking in a family after a lengthy sightsecing tour, will ensure that tourists, when they return home, tell others of their Looking to Relax? You'll want to eat at our cozy, friendly, family restaurant Day & evening specials * Sunday Brunch Banquet facilities available Famnlly Dining at its best 4 e ™ 5 Pina RESTAURANT Featuring the scoreboard lounge 1810 - 8th Avenue, Castlegar - 365-3138 COME SEE US AND LET US HELP YOU PLAN YOUR BC VACTION! 1995-6th Avenue, Castlegar, B.C., Canada V1N 487 Ph: (604) 365-6313 © Fax: (604) 365-5778 According to officials at the local Chambers of Commerce and Infocentres, the summer of 1994 is proving to be one of the best in terms of tourism dollars flowing into the region. “We're definitely seeing an increase over last year of tourists coming’ into this area,” said Anita Midget, travel counsellor at the Castlegar InfoCentre. The fires in Washington are doing much the same, resulting in American tourists coming here in droves to escape the haze of a destructive fire. And their timing couldn't be more perfect, since the exchange rate is highly in their favor. “The Amercans who do spend their holdiays here in B.C., find themselves feeling pretty rich There are a for this. Last year’s weather was less than desirable as the Koote- nays experienced a summer that ‘was more like a wet spring. After missing out on d of the rate,” laughs Midget. “Their money is going a long way right now.” Aside from having the largest backyard in alt of B.C., the Ki activities last year, many tourists are more than making up for it this year. There is also a growing trend to enjoy and appreciate the natu- ral aspects of the outdoors. More and more families are living on tighter budgets, so when plan- ning a holiday, camping with the kids in B.C. parks is considered the perfect holiday. “There's definitely more campers coming out this year and the demand for sites is incredible,” said manager of the Nelson InfoCentre, Amber Kendall. Kendall points out what she believes is another reason for the increase in Kootenay campers— the fires in Penticton. “We're seeing a lot of people from the Okanagan coming out this way to camp. Many of them said they just wanted to get away are also rich in histo- ry, and many B.C. tourists, including those from our own region, are taking advantage of the summer to not only enjoy the outoors, but learn of the movers and shakers of the past. “Heritage tours are quite pop- ular, people enjoy the olds sto- ries and the sites,” said Kendall. In Castlegar, tourists are flocking to the Doukhobor Her- itage Museum, Zuckerberg Island and the Rail Station Museum. If not the history or the quiet scenery of a B.C. campground, passive recreation is also big. Fishing, hiking and mountain- bike riding are also gaining in “Most people spend between one and three days in the area,” continued Kendall. “While here they -use our campgrounds or sleep in our hotels, eat in our ae de It’s always nice when checking in to a strange place in a strange town to be greeted with a pleas- ant smile and hospitable manner. restaurants and purchase goods and Boundary area should be and services in our shops. Cus- taking full advantage of this tomer service at this time, more busy tourist season to write its than any other, is essential.” Own success story. So, as is true for individual aspirations, the West Kootenay Glance Circle tours jf wondering what to do with your friends and relatives who then save the Backyard Visitor tre or even take (or send!) your friends and relatives on! (there are a total of eight different tours!) This week we're headed around the Castlegar arca visiting all our attractions! New faces RHC Realty is pleased to announce that Russ Verhaeghe has joined their Castlegar sales team, Russ is returning to the Kootenays after 14 years in real estate sales in Peachland including being @ partner in the real estate company. Welcome back Russ! Top sales Ike Braga of Kalawsky Pontiac Buick GMC, one of the top five GM in Southern BC, has been awarded a trip to the Com- monwealth Games in Victoria for his sales performance. Congratula- tions Ike! More new faces Sunshine Radio CKQR reports that Rae Slavens is promotions coor- dinator for Sunshine Radio, Yanna Porter is the new copy writer and department head and Kevin McKinnon is the full time engineer for the network. Ray was CKQR’s advertising rep based in Nelson, Yanna is originally from the prairies and Kevin is originally from Grand Forks. Welcome to Castlegar! New equipment ‘West K Sand and Gravel Lid. has recently purchased a new dump truck to better service their clients. Finishing Touches Sign Tech Service and Pressure Wash of Castlegar has just put the finishing touches on the new A&W sign in Castlegar. They also assisted in the signage construction for the movie Golddiggers which was filmed in the Nelson area. Congratulations! New voices Rick Shukin is the new evening and kend at i Radio QR 760 with previous experience in radio. Rick is pleased to return home to the - Retired i to Carl and Doreen Knutsen on their recent retire- ment from the business. Thirty-four years ago, Carl and Doreen opened the doors to Carl's Drugs before the Castleaird Plaza was completed. Best wishes from all of us! iced up Of course Polar Pantry, Castlegar's frozen food sp ialists sells ice! Chicken Little comes to the Kootenays The sky is falling! Wal-Mart is coming! Start up the band! Wal-Mart is coming! Wal-Mart, the U.S. retail giant, has come to the Koote- nays. For those who like to keep their head in the sand hoping the world goes away, you missed it. For others, a sense of doom and despair has set in. Yet, for those astute business folks, who look at business as a series of chal- lenges and opportunities, Wal- Mart coming into the Kootenays is a blessing. So, how can one retailer be both a curse and a blessing? It’s all in how you look at them. Those who are following the Wal-Mart controversy in Cana- da and the U.S. will know that recent studies in the U.S. weak- en the argument that large retailers hurt the economy of the small communities. In one study done in a series of small towns in Iowa, an eco- nomics professor at Iowa State University discovered that while the number of small retailers did decline, other business was They sell ice cream cakes as well as a full range of frozen meats, fish vegetables. Finishing touches Kalawsky Pontiac GMC has recently resurfaced their show lot. New Business Ted McAfee has started Helpi service. Hands, a iP Summer Dreams For those people travelling on holidays this summer, don’t forget to take along a copy of The Castlegar Sun and have your picture taken showing you and your surroundings. Bring in the photo to The Castlegar Sun office before September 30, 1994 and fill out the form to win one of three great prizes, including a tune up at Castlegar Mazda, a subscription to The Castlegar Sun, or an Ainsworth Hot Springs Gift Certificate. The grand prize, of a trip for two anywhere Canadian Regional Airlines flies, will be drawn on October 3, 1994, from all entries received from both Winter Wishes and Summer Dreams. On your next vacation, remember to show us where your Castlegar Sun shines! Rumour explained BC Welding on 6th Avenue in Castlegar has gone out of business. OK Welders in the Castlegar Industrial Park vehemently denies the rumour that they are closing. In fact, OK welders are committed to and to icing their ‘icing Sign of the times The new Salmo/Creston way 3 near the weigh scales. It is a continuously moving reader board explaining road conditions on the Salmo Creston highway. Phone 365-5579 with your business brief d to the area. His conclusions? Apparently ' Wal-Mart stores attracted cus- tomers into town from a greater radius than had occurred before their entry, and those extra peo- ple took time to shop. Initially it will be Nelson busi- nesses, offering the same goods and services that Wal-Mart does, who will be hardest hit. So with Wal-Mart officially switching to its new design and merchandise this October, it will be tough to go head-to-head with Wal-Mart, they have bigger and better buy- ing power and their customer ser- vice is reputed to be top-notch. But Wal-Mart doesn’t have everything. They don’t carry all the brands nor do they carry all the products. And that’s where Furniture © Baby Items Collectibles Handmade Crafts 902 Columbia Ave. (Mad to Taylor's Place) ‘368-0272 - Tues-Sat 10-6 Aua 16 the smart merchandiser wins. As studies in the U.S. have shown, buyers from the sur- rounding areas will be drawn to the Wal-Mart store. And, while ran a series of ads or even a ign in a neighboring com- munity to draw customers in from that community? If you think you need some extra clout to bring people here, when was the last time you joined together with the other in your i vicinity and advertised as a group to have out-of-area customers they are there, they will also go to other shops and stores in that community and spend their dol- lars there. Especially if Wal-Mart doesn’t stock the particular item. So who wins? Initially the astute Nelson retailers who choose their lines carefully, offers products and services that compliment rather than directly compete with Wal-Mart and those who offer products and services unique to the area. After all, people will drive from miles around to Wal-mart; or so we are lead to believe. Does this mean there will be a mass exodus of shoppers from Castlegar to Nelson? The answer is yes, and no. Yes, because everyone wants to see a new store; especially one that has a large reputation preceding it. No, because there are people who realize that the 45 minute one- way drive and $8 worth of gas to save $4 is not cost effective. So what are you, the local Castlegar area retailer, doing to keep your customers from going to Wal-Mart and other Nelson stores and spending their dollars there? One of the easiest programs to implement is to market yourself to customers other than those who are in Castlegar. When was the last time you come to you in Castlegar? Will you be one of those who sticks their head in the sand or runs around saying, “The sky is falling! Wal-Mart is coming!” Turn it around. Start bragging about your advantages and bene- fits to consumers outside of Castlegar and then you can yell, “Start up the band! Wal-Mart is Travel, Transportation, RV's and more! EACH WEEK IN WZ The Castl gar Sun ATS ——— and soci im, Fourth Generating Unit Proposal +) Seven Mile Dam B.C.Hydro is proposing to add a fourth generating unit at the Seven Mile Dam on the Pend d'Oreille River. To meet that objective, Hydro will be initiating environmental studies this month at the minimal. Seven Mile site. Results from operational studies to date indicate the addition of a fourth unit would not require changes to current operating levels of either the Seven Mile or Waneta reservoirs. Therefore environmental impacts are expected to be ‘The dam and powerplant at Seven Mile were initially designed Winner of the People's Choice Award '94 We're here to make your stay more than just comfortable. The Sandman Castlegar Hotel - 133 rooms, _ femote controlled TV's, air conditioning, covered, heated indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna in the Tenter of the courtyard. Heartland Family Pp d 6:00 am - 9:00 pm Monday - Saturday, Sunday 6 - 8:00 pm. Dexter's Pub, Banquet facilities for 200 - 250 people. 1944 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 2W7 = EEEEEEEEIEEEEEE HOME-BASED BUSINESSES IF YOU HAVE A HOME-BASED BUSINESS THIS IS THE PLACE TO ADVERTISE e Hairdresser If you work at e Consultant home — ¢ Day Care you need to be ¢ Seamstress listed here! > g home-based busines: ) uld business name here! For info. call 365-5266 An economical way to get your m to accommodate four generating units and already contain an empty bay in which the last unit would be installed. The fourth unit is planned to meet future provincial electricity out to the community. The Castlegar Sun will design, print AND distribute your flyers for as little as 6.5¢ each.* Run them whenever you want, not on someone else's schedule, and your flyer won't be mixed in with other ones. And, depending on the package you order, we can also throw in an ad to remind people to look for your flyer! Call Cathy ¢ Nicole * Tracy 365-5266 TODAY! *some restrictions apply. Ask for details | BEhydro & I It would boost average annual energy output by about 270 gigawatt hours per year. This is enough electricity to supply about 27,000 residential customers. Once it has been determined that further energy resources are required, B.C.Hydro would obtain contracts for supply and delivery of the turbine and generator. On-site construction would follow approximately three years later, providing ities and ic benefits to ploy PP communities in the region. Hydro staff will meet with community representatives to discuss any issues and concems that may arise regarding the proposed ‘“ : For further information or to provide comments on the expansion proposal, please contact Colleen Kendall at 365-2450 or call toll free 1-800-663-1377.