Ms Casthégar News January 14, 1987 BRISCO CLAIMS Scarlett ‘in error’ gas sector,” Brisco said. “The government will go with direct By MIKE KALESNIKO Electric C Staff Writer vice-president Don Scarlett is “in error” in a statement he made.regarding the proposed purchase of West Kootenay Power and Light by the Missouri-based UtiliCorp. Brisco, in referring to a Jan. 11 Castlegar News article which quoted federal Minister of Energy Marcel Mass as saying Canada would never sell a healthy Canadian-con- trolled firm valued in excess of $5 million, said Scarlett used the quote out of context. “He's mii a acquisitions of oil and gas cqmpanies under $5 million, not anything over.” Brisco also says that water levels and utility rate In a brief to the B.C. are closely Utilities Commission regarding the WKPL sale, Brisco pointed out that water levels are strictly controlled by the Kootenay Lake Board of Control. Brisco also said that'rate increases are rigidly controlled by the B.C. Utilities. Commission. He said that both B.C. Hydro and WKPL must apply to the commission for rate explanatory note of any kind,” without Pp gz an " said Brisco. “He's been fully informed as to what the thing is about.” Brisco explained that Masse was addressing the American Stock Exchange's seventh annual oil and gas symposium. “He (Masse) was referring to oil and gas company policy * lly to attract new while at the same time furthering Canadianization gains in the oil and Gas, oil prices to rise | TORONTO (CP) — The cost of gasoline and home heating oil will jump,a few cents a litre by the end of next month as higher-priced crude oil works its way through the refining system, analysts say. While there is still some question whether the price of $18 U.S. per barrel set by OPEC in late December will hold, the analysts said Tues- day confidence is building. That optimism was reflec- ted on the New York Mer- cantile Exchange Monday when the price of West Texas crude, the major U.S. crude oil, topped $19 U.S. a barrel for the first time in nearly a year before slipping slightly NOTICE irene Mortimer it ROCKY VIEW TAX. * Personal is pleased to announce that she is back in this area and invites all her past and future clients to drop by and discuss their needs regarding their 1986 income tax returns. * Small Business and Contractors * Farm/Logging OFFICE LOCATED AT: No. 06-1545 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 1J1 rvice) Next door to the “Blue Top” Phone 365-2352 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Monday - Saturday process.” and UtiliCorp “will be just as bound to the “It doesn't matter who owns it,” he said. “The rates are controlled.” Brisco added that utilities are not government-sub- sidized but rather government-controlled. He said that by controlling the rate you control the profit. “Sure I would favor Canadian ownership,” he said. “But where is it?” below that mark Tuesday. A severe cold spell in Europe has forced up the demand for fuel oil, while members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries — as well as non- OPEC producers — insist they are committed to the new benchmark price. Prior to the December agreement, ‘prices hovered around $15 U.S., plunging to as iow as $10 U.S. per barrel last April. In late 1986, oil sold for over $30 U.S. a bar- rel. CONSUMERS SAVE The price drop meant sa- vings for consumers, as the cost of heating oil fell as much as 15 cents a litre from the 1985-86 winter prices. The average oil-heated home burns 3,000 litres in a heating season. Gasoline prices — which vary widely depending on the market — dropped sesveral cents a litre in most places. The higher crude prices are “good news to the re- finers if they can pass off the increases to the consumers, which we believe they can,” said Duncan Mathieson of the Toronto-based investment house Loewen, Ondaatje, McCuthcheon and Co. Ltd. “If you don't pass on the in- creases, it's going to come out of your pocket.” Since the more expensive oi] takes about 60 days to work through the system, consumers should start see- ing hikes of two to three cents a litre in fuel prices by theend of February, Mathi- eson said. Canadians were hit with a new one-cent-a-litre fuel tax Jan. 1, noted Terry Slack of En-Pro Associates, an Oshawa, Ont. company that tracks energy prices. SEE HIKES They can expect “across the board” price increased of two to three cents per litre from companies trying to recoup lost profits. The major companies re- fused to discuss future price moves, saying that to do so could be seen as an attempt to fix prices. Slack said the market — ineluding the retail side — remains “volatile” and he 7 im i 4 Pet frenart A Pe Saeed are keane at dae READY AND WAITING . . . Material for the newly expanded gymnasium (above) will soon be put to use even though the completion date has been postponed by one month. John Anderson (below) doesn’t expect ii in the price of crude to hold. “It’s a very tricky situ- ation. It’s like a time bomb waiting to go off. Thru January 31, 1987 Great savings on 32 patterns in fine Silverplate and Stainless. 5 pc. Place Setting —& SAVINGS UP TO 20 piece Set SALE! 20-Piece Service for 4 includes: four 5-Piece Place Settings each with Salad Fork, Dinner Fork. Dinner Knife, Dessert/Soup Spoon and Teaspoon. and f and Dan Verigin background) keep busy with in- Mati g touches. CasNews Photo by Michael Kalesmiko GYMNASIUM COMPLETION POSTP ONED By CasNews Staff ° The proposed comple- tion date of the $900,000 Stanley Humphries secon- dary school gymnasium expansion has been post poned one month, accord ing to Castlegar School District secretary-treasur. er John Dasher. The new date, now set for the end of March in stead of February, is due to a delay in the shipment of materials from Ontario. The Toronto company, responsible for manufac- factured: in Toronto and they are not expected to arrive at SHSS sometime next month. Renovations to the school, besides the addition to the school gymnasium, include a new physical education storage room, a new weight training room and a new staff room. There will be complete renovations to the shower and change rooms, along with renovations to the learning assistance room. ‘The provincial govern- turing app! door frames for SHSS, has been swamped with work and is unable to complete the gymnasium order on time, Dasher said. He added that the door frames can only be manu ment is exp: d to pay 90 per cent of the cost with local taxpayers picking up the remaining 10 per cent. Verigin Construction Ltd. is doing the work. Its low bid of $905,987 was accepted Aug. 8, 1986. Ottawa to consider plan | OTTAWA ada’s top arms control think- (CP) — Can tank says Ottawa should steer clear of the U.S. Star Wars missile defence pro- gram when it looks at prop: osals on new defence policy later this year. The Canadian Centre for Arms Control and Disarma. ment, in a statement on Tuesday, said the govern ment should also press the United States to adher strict. ly to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty with the So- viet Union. That treaty, in which both superpowers agreed not to develop or deploy defensive shields to block missile at- tacks, is considered by many arms-control experts to be in danger because of research by both sides. Washington's strategic de fence initiative, or Star Wars, envisions a space um brella that would detect and destroy missiles aimed at the Soviets plan for peace conference BEN GURION AIRPORT, ISRAEL (AP) — The Soviet Union is setting up a com mittee to prepare for a Mid dle East peace conference, a Tablespoon Gift Boxed | oa | Dessert Server | Butter Krite | Tablespoon fh & A Prercad Berry Spoon | Sugar Spoon | Tablespoon “tro Tablespoon Berry Spoon | Dessert Server & a Tabtespoon | Cheese Krite oe Place Settings, 5-Piece Place Settings 16-PIECE SETS: boom write, right Lite, Alter Dork 20-PIECE SETS: v Shenendoah, Bive Hill, we. Cate du Sor fon. Spell Binder CARL'S Plus Selected Open Stock Pieces ave 40% on our entire collection of IN-STOCK SETS pok for a_ three member delegation from the Soviet Union said Tuesday. The spokesman, Nikolai Bochkov, told reporters who met the delegation at the air port: “The Soviet Union is actively engaged at the present in trying to organize a preparatory committee to bring about a Middle East peace conference.” The delegates from the Soviet Peace Committee are guests of the Israel Peace Committee, formed by legis- ue Red Tag Special lators from left-wing political parties and other citizens of Israel. Bochkov, speaking through an interpreter, aiso said: “The immediate results of the new Soviet regulations concerning emigration will be noticeable in the very’ near future.” Jewish activists in Israel have condemned as propa ganda new regulations that the Soviets say will make emigration from the Soviet Union easier for those with families living abroad. Reports say that tens of thousands of - Soviet Jews want to leave the Soviet Union and emigrate to Israel or the West but they have been refused exit visas. INCLUDE NEWSMAN Bochkov, chairman of the Physicians Organization Against Nuclear Weapons, was accompanied by Boris Makarenko. Jan. 15 to Feb. 14 3-Piece Buffet Settings, 4-Piece 45-PIECE SETS: Shrewsbur ay DRUGS Brigette tord Range. til ° Castleaird Plaza 365-7269 okane's United States. And U.S. arms-control neg otiators have accused the Soviets of breaching the treaty by constructing a huge radar system at Krasnoy arsk, in the centre of the Soviet Union, that they say could be used for battle man agement to defend against an attack. John Lamb, the centre's director, says in the state ment that Canada should not endorse a shift in the current policy of nuclear deterrence to one of strategic defence. But if both superpowers decide they want to develop the highly advanced and highly expensive missile shields, then the systems could be introduced — but only by mutual agreement, Lamb says. The centre is not strictly against using space for de- fence. In fact, it urges the government to consider es tablishing a military space program using satellites to passively track and monitor military activities in space. In a related development, Defence Minister Perrin Beatty referred to the $600. million North Warning sys: tem Tuesday as a stop-gap until satellites can be de: veloped to identify and track suspicious objects in space. “The North Warning sys tem represents essentially a stop-gap; something which will help carry us through to the turn of the century,” Beatty told reporters. ECA upset with PENTICTON (CP) — The B.C. Utilities Commission has been undermined by provin- cial Energy Minister Jack Davis, says a consumers group opposed to the sale of Cominco's West Kootenay Power or UtiliCorp United of Kansas City. Barry Wilson, president of the Electric Consumers As sociation, said that Davis by saying recently that he ex pects the sale to go ahead has pre-judged the case. Wilson compared it to a justice min. ister commenting on a trial before a verdict is delivered Davis said that he believes Cominco's proposed $80-mil lion sale will be successful Davis JACK DAVIS . undermining BCUC and will not mean an elec. trical rate increase. SUNTREE 8 INN + Ap JANUARY SPECIAL Call Today — 365-3912 Carpets & Upholstery Need Cleaning? WHY WAIT FOR SPRING? With the Chem-Dry” Carpet Cleaning System, Carpets & Upholstery Dry in I Hour! SAVE 20% Wilson