OPINION
Castlégar News

PAGE A4, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1991

MEMBER OF THE 8.C. PRESS COUNCIL
ESTABLISHED AUGUST 7, 1947 TWICE WEEKLY MAY 4, 1980
THE MID-WEEK 12,

L.V. CAMPBELL — PUBLISHER, AUGUST 7, 1947-FEBRUARY 15, 1973

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ITOR — Simon Birch ~
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EDITORIAL

Constant brawls
discredit game

The National Hockey League appears to be returning to the dark
days of the Broad Street Bullies, the moniker hung on the
Philadelphia Flyers of the mid-1970s who brawled their way to two
Stanley Cup titles.

The addition of ‘‘enforcers,’’ more aptly called goons, by several
teams lately means we're likely to see more brawls such aé the one last
Sunday between the Washington Capitals and Flyers, with players
punching each other, goalies jumping on each other and fans trying
to get at players in the press box.

It’s stupid, and it’s not hockey.

With one new team — the San José Sharks — joining the league
this September and two more expansion teams, the Ottawa Senators
and Tampa Lightning joining the NHL the- year after, more marginal
players who keep their jobs with fists rather than finesse will likely
gain employment.

And the team owners pi ly won't di: the yh
because those three teams will be losers on the scoreboard so they'll
have to have something to sell the fans, right?

Unquestionably, hockey’s a tough, hard-hitting game at the
professional level and there’s nothing more exciting than watching a
clean, solid open-ice hit.

But dropping gloves and. pummeling each other at the slightest
provocation detracts from the game and the NHL board of governors
should once and for all clean up the game by legislating against
fighting.

Such a move won't rid the game of fighting completely because
tempers will always flare on occasion. But professional hockey
players should know that they’ll pay a price for losing their cool.

Maybe that way we'll see more Wayne Gretzkys than John Kor-
dics developing in Canada’s hockey system.

VIEWPOINTS

Trapper invents
humane solution

By ED KANIA and other early settlers of this coun-

Is trapping of fur-bearing animals try. The fur trade and trapping
becoming a thing-of-the-past in- brought the first white people to
dustry? Canada’s West and north country.

Fifty years ago — and before that It is Canada’s oldest industry. It
time — trapping animals for fur was paved the road for the rest of the
an added and, in many cases, the population who are now settled in
only source of income for farmers please see TRAPPER page AS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Review wastes time and money

From the beginning, I was one of the many
who were opposed to Celgar’s prop: i
project. Now, over one year later, with the
expansion going ahedd as planned, I would
publicly like to apologize to Celgar and its
supporters.

If I had only known then, when the project
was announced, what I know now, I never would
have spent time and money trying to get changes
made to Celgar’s proposals. What I know now is
just how much of a waste of time and money it
was for all involved.

The chip trucks will still be running down the
Slocan Valley and on other highways, the

useful purposes then trying to fend off us

s."’ For the Castlegar
Chamber of Commerce could have used its
$50,000 to try to lure other ‘‘money-making”’

and businesses; and the pulp and paper workers
union could have bought personal chlorine gas
masks for each employee who works at the mill.

whom I apologize the most. Just think of what
they could have done with all the money they

industries to Castlegar, perhaps a ferrochromium

plant; Mayor Audrey Moore and her close friends
could have spent their time pursuing their interest
in amateur photography of West Kootenay homes

As for Celgar’s owners, they are the ones to

done to try to lower pollution standards or to get
variances. Think of what they could have given
lawyers to fight the union or to get out of paying
a fine, if the Ministry of Environment should ever
charge them with pollution violations. And,
speaking of the Ministry of Environment, it could
have used its time to go on the road with its ‘‘You
Have to Have Faith that Things are Changing”’
show.

Unfortunately, things haven't changed, and I
am sorry about that. I am sorry for me, I am
sorry for you, but most of all | am sorry for our
children.

Frank

spent ing and ing their i

Columbia River will still be receiving dioxins and
plans. Think of all the lobbying they could have

furans, the forests will continue to be overcut to
feed the expanded mill, the mill will still not
produce or recycle paper, carbon dioxide levels
will still rise, and acid rain will still be a threat.
Nothing of any significance has changed as a
result of the whole review process. Therefore, all
the time and money spent could have been saved
and used for other things. Those who were
worried about chip truck safety could have used
their money to buy more auto insurance. Those
who were worried about acid rain.could have world is in the making, that it is possible to pull
spent their time painting their houses with acid- down the barriers. And néw we have this horribl
resistant paint. Those who were concerned about war,
their watersheds due to overlogging could have
saved up their money to buy bottled water. And
the people of Robson could have bought artificial
trees, shrubs and flowers to landscape their yards.
As for the expansion supporters, I am sure
that they could have put their energies into more

the latest American war. Like so many other
people, I too, am numb with the horror that the
Persian Gulf war represents. Just last year there
were events that seemed to tell us that a better

have changed. We do have big peace
longer thrown into dark dungeons or burned at

aside from that, little has changed.

I wish to respond, however inadequately, to

I agree with W.J. Lebedoff that some things
demonstrations in many countries and we are no

the stake if we disapprove of powers that be. But

Deer Park

War reverses progress

I forget who it was that made this statement,
when asked about humanity’s progress: ‘‘Yes we
have progressed,’’ he said. ‘‘We are not eating
each other any more.”’

There you have it, a slight exaggeration, but
otherwise right on.
le

The question to me is not so much about
peace, but how can I disassociate myself from
activities that perpetuate war and exploitation,
how to rise above the polished hypocrisy and
greed.

Anton Skerbine
Pass Creek

The last place I thought I'd see a clearcut was on
my own newly purchased property in the Slocan
Valley. It was supposed to be a sanctuary from the
Mohawk look favored by so many of B.C.’s
foresters, but it has become a testing ground for my
position on animal rights.

Two factors forced me to re-evaluate: One was
the unauthorized falling of our riverfront trees by the
portly rodent best known for its silhouette on the
Canadian nickel; the other was meeting a humane

rapper.
L-wish Lhad more than a few nickels for every

Catherine
Shapcott

tree on our property levelled by busy beavers. I’m not
talking here about the sacrifice of a few saplings.

told me. He figures it’s just a matter of time until

Beaver actually chomped through cedar trees two feet
in diameter. They bit the birch and cut the
cottonwoods without a thought to sustaining forests
for their grandchildren.

As the beaver pushed the limits of what I could
tolerate as an Annual Allowable Cut, I faced a
dilemma.

On the one hand, I am rather fond of the foliage
down by the river — it goes a long way towards
redeeming the house. On the other hand, I welcome
the blessings of wildlife.

My sheltered life in Toronto allowed me to
champion an ethical position from which nothing
could budge me, short of a bunch of Slocan Valley
beavers. These animals didn’t know the difference
between habitas and property, much less their
“‘rights,”’ but they skilfully put my dilemma on the
chopping block.

I tried protecting the most vulnerable trees with
metal girdles, but my hammer and nails were
over by noctural i of Critters with a
Mission. With a great deal of ambivalence, I called a
trapper.

Given their low status on the social pecking
order — which trappers are the first to concede — I
expected the guy who traps in my area to look a little
rough around the edges, and to be defensive about
his trapping activities.

Kania, who lives in Vallican and has a 60-
mile trapline that runs through the Slocan Valley,
. didn’t disappoint my expectations.

With more than 60 years of experience as a
trapper, Kania has been verbally and physically
abused by plenty of people who consider trappers to
be heartless and immoral killers. Before we'd even
met, Kania was defending himself on the phone.

“Trapping is so political and sensitive,” Kania

animal rights activists and anti-trappers kill the fur
industry, and trapping as a way of life and source of
income — especially for native people, who comprise
half the trappers in Canada.

Kania believes that people trying to ban traps
should be promoting humane trap development.
Even without fur markets, he,says, trappers are still
needed to deal with rabid and ‘‘nuisance”’ animals.

I was still resisting the idea of trapping, but
knew my problem was worse than a nuisance — it
was the Dilemma of the Nature Advocate. I invited
Kania to visit.

He arrived with a trap in one hand and a
cigarette in the other, looking every bit the stereotype
of the scrappy trapper. He seemed a bit wary,
bracing perhaps for the usual opposition to his role

as a trapper, but I welcomed him more as a Professor *

of Trapping.

From the open-air classroom of the riverback,
Kania pointed out several signs of beaver activity. He
talked about their habitat, food, behavior and
reproduction. His thoughts on trapping, traps and
trappers reminded me of academic debates in which 1
participated as a student.

I considered the rights of the beaver, but decided
not to raise Kania’s blood pressure — or his
eyebrows — by siding with anti-trappers. The mere
mention of those *‘gol’ darned animal rights
activists’ made Kania’s eyebrows bristle to attention.

Although I was struggling to feel more
comfortable with trapping, I had no difficulty with

Busy beaver bring animal rights issue home

Trapper Ed Kania works in his shop at his home in Vallican. — rrote by colin memechon

At the doorway to his workshop, Kania poséd
with his “Instant Trapper’’ for marten and mink,
the approved trap of the Federal/Provincial
Committee for Humane Trapping.~Ten years ago, the
B.C. government awarded Kania $4,000 for
developing the trap — now manufactured by the
Stoney Creek Indians in Vanderhoof.

While we looked through his albums of photos
and clippings, and the awards on the walls of his
home, Kania told me his traps are now distributed to

the trapper. What me was his
commitment to end cruel trapping. Kania has spent
the last 12 of his 72 years developing five different
humane traps.

More than just a trapper, more than an
educator, Ed Kania is a self-taught inventor.

the world: Norway, New
Zealand, Germany, England and the U.S.

More than a trapper, educator and inventor,
Kania is also something of a celebrity in the trapping
world.

The Norwegian Trappers Association, which

honored one of Kania’s traps as the best trap of 1990
in Norway, described his work as ‘‘of ultimate
importance,"’ as “‘genius work’’ and superior to the
widely used Conibear trap.

Kania finds it “‘shameful"’ that he still hasn't
been contacted by the federal government, even
though his award was presented to the Canadian
embassy in Oslo last August.

“It’s some trapper nobody ever heard about, so
who cares?"

With an irritated twitch of his eyebrows, Kania

iON 8 kU ae

PERSPECTIVES

continued from page A4

every province and territory and ex-
Ploiting our mother earth for
everything they can extract from it.
Oil, minerals, timber — just about
everything that can be turned into
dollars — with no respect for the en-
vironment or future generations.

The public is becoming more and
more aware of the destruction to our
earth that these industries are
creating. Our government is aware of
this — but government is more con-
cerned with the economy, Economy
comes first, as if to say: ‘‘We'll kill
ourselves for sure, but at least we'll
die rich,””

Right now, the country is in some
Sort of recession. High interest rates
are blamed; poor demand for
products is blamed; everything is
blamed. Everything but what deser-
ves the real blame — greed for
money. Bigger and faster machinery
has brought over-production. It has
reduced jobs. Production has ex-
ceeded the demand.

It is time to produce only what can
be consumed. Leave some of our
forests and oil and minerals for a
later time, and for future

generations. It takes 100 years to
grow a tree — up to 300 years at
higher clevations.. Thirty million
years or more for oil and coal,

in this

and hope it will become accustomed
to this diet; nor will a beaver survive
on hay.

What is needed more than

if
fashion, he would bgout of business
in one year.

The trapper is a farmer in a way.
He. will trap an area one season, The
next year he leaves this to reproduce
and does his trapping in a different
area, always observing animal sign to
pull out his traps while there is still
seed left.

On large traplines, it can take up
to five years before he comes back to
trap the area where he started. This
is a renewable resource, if operated
properly.

An old Indian trapper at Old
Crow once said: ‘‘The white man
works all year and puts his money
in a bank.’’ Waving his hand toward
@ marsh, he said: ‘‘These are our
muskrat flats. This is the Indian’s
bank. We will take only what fur we
need for this year. Next year we go
to the bank and get some more.””

These are the people who will suf-
fer most if we lose our right to trap.
It is their way of life. It is their right.
You can’t feed tree bark to a cow

hing are proper traps, Traps that
kill by impact, This is instant death.
No pain, no suffering.

Over the past 12 years, I have in-
verited five different styles of traps,
all of which are designed to kill by
impact. The traps are also designed
to position the animal so the strike
will always be in the proper place
each and every time. These traps
have been field tested and proven.

Canada is the only country in the
world to sponsor a program to in-
vent>and develop new types of
humane traps. After 18 years and
several million dollars, only two
traps met the required standards and
were approved. So far no legi ion
has been passed to condemn existing
non-killing traps.

Dozens of anti-trapping
organizations are staging demon-
strations and inducing the general
public'to ban trapping. These same
people are wearing leather clothing
that came from an animal,

They are harboring cats that have

highways and kill more wildlife
all the trappers in Canada. Do. t!
slow down fora sign along “that
highway that reads “Watch out for
Deer?" No! The sign is just @ waste
of money.

The general public will pour

its money is used for the develop-
ment of humane traps, maybe we
would finally be on the right track.
The native people of the north could
hold their heads up and say, ‘We
don’t need your welfare.’’

If these anti-trapping people suc-
ceed in accomplishing their goal and
trapping is condemned, beaver are
free to flood the highways; racoon
and skunk clean ‘out everyone’s
chicken houses; wolves kill newborn
moose calves; rabid foxes and
coyotes are everywhere; rats multiply
by the thousands, and no one is
allowed to set a trap.

What then, anti-trap activists?
Poison?

Ed Kania is a trapper who lives in
Vatican,

TRYING OUT BEST TO iy et wi

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REMEMBER WHEN

Shaved or Sliced

4 YEARS AGO
From the Feb. 15, 1951
Castle News

Tenders have been called for ex-
tension of and leveling of the
Castlegar Airport.

The Hon. Lionel Chevrier has ap-
Proved the application for the sum
of $25,000 to be spent on the field.

Plans for the work to be done
have been drawn up by the Depar-
tment of Transport.

owe

Snow control continues to be the
big item of expenditure says the an-
nual report of the Castlegar Airport
Committee. In past winters the snow
has been rolled which left the big
removal for the spring, but this year
the committee has attempted to
remove the snow during each fall
and it has been fairly successful.
Snow removed in 1950 cost
$2,204.54.

eae nee

The regular monthly meeting of
the Castlegar Board of Trade was
held fast Thursday night in the
Parish Hall. This was the first
meeting under the new president Mr.
W.T. Waldie.

A committee consisting of S.
Dower, M. Dalton and W.H. Reed
was formed to assist the school
authorities in the promotion of
Education Week in Castlegar.

25 YEARS AGO
From the Feb. 17, 1966
(Castlegar News

A bridge directly linking Castlegar
and Robson instead of the provision
of a road over the Arrow dam has
been urged by Mayor R.C. Mad-
docks as a means of ensuring ‘‘the
economic survival of Castlegar.’’

In a written report read at
Tuesday’s council meeting, Mr.
Maddocks said he viewed ‘‘with
serious alarm the future effect on
Castlegar as a community which will
be brought about by the change in
highway routes.”

. 8

An attack on —B.C.—_Hydro’s
privileged taxation position was en-
dorsed by Castlegar council on
Tuesday evening.

The resolution calls either for
Hydro to be assessed and taxed in
the same way as are municipalities or
else that a grant in lieu of such taxes
should be paid to the Central
Kootenay Regional District.

15 YEARS AGO
From the Feb. 19, 1976

Castlegar district's Good
Citizen of the Year for 1975 is Mrs.
Reg Bro of Robson.
‘wasannounced yesterday
morning by Phil Angrignon, chair-
man of the Castlegar Kiwanis Club’s
special citizen of the year committee.
The presentation of the award will
be made to Mrs. Bro this coming
Tuesday evening, at which time a
resume of the honoree’s community
activities will be listed by Kiwanis.
* 2¢ 6
No date has yet been set for the
official opening of the Castlegar and

ARROW LAKE

ELEVATION
1400.2-41. by Feb. 15
Forecast of
Elevation
1399.0-ft. by Feb. 22

District Community Centre. While
the opening date could not be
resolved at Monday night’s meeting,
called to have input from all local
clubs, organizations and interested
citizens, two persons allowed their
names to stand to spearhead two in-
dividual committees.

Mrs. Herb (Jean) Friedel of
Blueberry Creek i Com-

@ possibility, but the district's board
is taking no chances and is searching
for alternative supplies.

Trutee Fritz Kreil and Les Godber-
son will meet Tuesday with Castlegar
council’s works and services commit-
tee to discuss the possibility of
hooking up with Castlegar’s water
system, one of three alternatives

Suggested to the district in a study
conducted by a Victoria-based
engineering firm.

Kreil explained Thursday that the
disruption to the district's water
supply — Norns Creek — would oc-
cur if the provincial government
Proceeds with a widening and
Straightening of Pass Creek Road.

mission will contact the service clubs
to set the wheels in motion for what
could become the nucleus to forming
@ society.

The forming of a society would
give legal status to the group for
receiving money necessary for fur-
nishings.

5 YEARS AGO
From the Feb. 16, 1986
Castlegar News

The Central Kootenay regional
board voted Saturday to throw its
support behind a bid by small area
sawmills for the former Kootenay
Forest Products timber quota.

The board agreed to write to
Forests Minister Jack Heinrich sup-
Porting the bid by the existing
sawmills. 3

But Area E (rural Nelson) director
Wally Penner called the decision
“‘ridiculous,”’ and along with Nelson
director John Neville refused to take
part in the vote.

He said the board shouldn't be
supporting any proposals because it
hasn't seen any of them.

oe one

A disruption to the Robson-Rasp-

berry water district’s water supply

But onswers to a few questions by
family members should make the
decision easier.
1s it that the family answer
the tohewing qecntions bolore.
deciding where they would like to
and the type of home they would
ik to buy.

1) Is the distance to your place of
employment an important con-
sideration? It would be, especially
if one or more members of the
family must rely on public tran-
sportation, bus or car pool for get.
ting to work, schoo! or play. bs
ts the family more city or more
suburbon and rural oriented? It
sometimes proves difficult to ac-
climate yourself to a style of living
you are unfamiliar with. if rural is
@ consideration, will” i
require an extra car
prepared to take younger mem

ers to and from work or
facilities?

because of road is only

eal

WITH BARRY BROWN

LOCATION — LOCATION

°F’state

3) Would the family be unhappy with
‘only a small plot of land surroun-
ding the home, or does it need o
quarter acre or more’

4), Ace.the city’s cultural advantages.
important to your family? Some
families might feel “deprived” if it
took a trip of half houf or mor
fo get to theatres, museums,
libraries or cultural centers.

5) Are the schools, churches and
sports facilities. close enough for
all your family members?

Remember, you can always
change your home's size, appearan-
ce or decor but not it’s location:

y

Hf there is anything | con do to help
you in the field of real estate. please
call or drop in at

NATIONAL REAL
ESTATE SERVICE

Mountainview Agencies Ltd.
1695 Columbic Ave...
Phone 365-2111 or 365-2757

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