Casthégar News Avo: 24, 1998 Postal strike settlement near? | OTTAWA (CP) — Postal technicians, administra- tors and clerical workers walked out today at postal stations across the country in the third national strike over job security in just over a year. But federal mediator Mac Carson told reporters, after browbeating both sides through another all-night bargaining session, he expects the strike to be settled by the end of the day. Picket lines went up in numerous centres, including Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver, as time ticked out at the bargaining table and a strike became legal under the Canada Labor Code at 12:01 a.m. EDT. All 5,800 members of the Union of Postal Com- munications Employees were ordered off the job. “We didn’t complete it in regulation time — so now we're in extra innings,’’ Carson said as Canada Post presented what was described as another global offer to the union. “The shorter the time the better. As far as I'm con- cerned it should be finished today,’’ Carson added. Canada Post spokesman David Newman said he was also optimistic of a settlement. Union leader Stephen White was more cautious. “If we had 1,000 miles to go, I'd say we're 850 there," White said, Tempers frayed so badly as talks neared the strike deadline that a five-minute chorus of obscenities echoed through the closed doors of the hotel suite Canada Post says the strike will have no serious impact on mail movement because all other workers, including letter carriers and mail sorters will remain on the job, The striking union says that machines will break down quickly without adequate maintenance and paper work will swamp the agency's business offices without there to handle it. in Ottawa. Carson, upset at reports that some workers had walked out early, used nearly a dozen curse words in one 30-second outburst directed at White. Asked whether the venting of frustrations had / helped, Carson said today, ‘‘I think so . times it's necessary.’ White agreed, saying: “There were some things that had to be gotton out of the way. It was a pretty heated hi Harvie Andre, the minister responsible for Canada Post, called the strike regrettable but said he is that talks are \ The public should have no immediate worries because Canada Post has shown that it is determined to . There's\ move mail despite labor disruptions, he told reporters as he entered a Conservative caucus meeting on Parliament Hill. Union officials reported, serious slowdowns in the g of mail in Toronto, the biggest mail-sorting Calm was reported initially on picket lines, despite plans by Canada Post to bring in non-union substitute workers to help management keep the mail moving. point in the country. No immediate status report was issued by Canada Post. Canada Post, said late Tuesday union negotiators had been wasting time in the talks, refusing to respond to revised offers put on the table by management, White said his members could remain on the picket line indefinitely if necessary because they can draw on the $25-million strike fund of the 180,000-member Public Service Alliance of Canada, their parent union. ‘*The machinery is going to go down, the adminis- trators won't be there, and Canada Post will obviously suffer from that,"’ White said. ‘‘We will disadvantage the public as little as possible. We want to hurt Canada . We will." Post The last two strikes were in 1987 when both letter carriers and inside workers staged 17 days of rotating and national walkouts in major showdowns with Canada Post over job security. Those strikes were preceded by six years of labor peace in the post office. White said all other issues, including wages, would peovesy | be settled quickly if Canada Post would renew of labor relati for Harold Dunstan, 8 job. rity p in the pr contract. halts pu VICTORIA (CP) >~The controversial Knight Street Pub in south Vancouver will be closed following the ombudsman’s critical report into the said today. Hanson said a letter telling owner Valerie Mc- Robbie of the decision will be sent out today. made by Tom Venner, who was appointed acting general manager of the liquor control and licensing branch following the resignation of Bert Hi told reporters. Hanson said McRobbie can appeal the decision, and under normal circumstances, the pub would stay open during the appeal process but in this case, the licensing branch would likely go to the commercial appeals commission and ask for the closure to remain in effect. An independent lawyer has been appointed to examine the findings of an RCMP investigation in the wake of the report into polling ir ities by Critical report b license granting of its licence, Labor Minister Lyall Hanson He said the decision to lift the pub’s licence was “That’s my understanding, that he’s found a method that he thinks would shut it down,’’ Hanson “‘It’s been great,’’ she said. Meanwhile, Vancouver city council has directed its staff to withhold the pub’s business licence. That action would not have closed the pub, which has a receipt issued by the city that allows it to operate while the licence is being processed. Ald., Carole Taylor said city staff have stalled on processing the licence since allegations about irreg- ularities in a referendum asking nearby residents whether they wanted the pub in their neighborhood were made public. TWO RESIGNED Following the release of Owen's final report, David Poole resigned immediately as principal sec-. retary to Premier Bill Vander Zalm and Bert Hick re- signed as general manager of the liquor licensing branch. Owen found political interference when Poole phoned Hick to recommend that Delta Media Ser- vices, operated by Social Credit supporter Charlie Giordano, be placed on the government's ‘‘ap- Proved”’ list of companies to conduct neighborhood Ombudsman Stephen Owen. Venner said his deliberations took up much of the weekend and all day Monday. WAS BRIEFED “I've been consulting for some time with the provincial government but I've been here since pub refe . The pub was built on land owned by Peter Toigo, a Delta businessman who is a good friend of Vander Zalm. The preliminary approval for the pub came after Toigo phoned an official in charge of pub licensing and ‘gave him hell.”’ Toigo was a fundraiser for Social Credit in the Saturday, when I was briefed and given reading material,”’ said Venner, a 56-year-old former RCMP officer who abandoned early retirement in Ontario to take the liquor branch job. Prior to Venner’s decision, McRobbie said she had “no statement or comment to make’’ about recent events, including Venner’s appointment or Owen's final report on the granting of a licence to the pub. McRob! who was not available for comment after the decision was announced, said in a Tuesday interview she has been gratified throughout the 1986 provincial election Giordano was the tour manager for Vander Zalm during the campaign. Vander Zalm said he never discussed the pub application “in any way at all’ with Poole or Toigo until the controversy surfaced in the media. Among Owen's findings was that 13 relatives of McRobbie cast ballots. They all gave the same address. Owen found a government investigation into the referendum and the granting of the pub licence was “shallow and superficial,” leading to the appoint- se TREET “TALK A GOOD PLUG for Castlegar is contained in the September 1988 edition of Rider Magazine, a pub- lication directed at motorcyclists. Arlee Anderson of Castlegar had a friend in California mail her a copy of the article published over the byline of writer/biker Tim Yip. The excerpt which follows picks up the narration following Yip and his companion’s ‘‘warmup”’ ride from Revelstoke to Nakusp: “After stopping in Nakusp for coffee and fabu- lous fresh blueberry pie — don't forget we're close to British Columbia’s fruit belt — we eagerly continued from Nakusp on Highway 6 southeast through the Slocan Valley to Castlegar. “Highway 6 from Nakusp through the Slocan Valley to Castlegar is one of our very favorite sections of exquisite British Columbia highway: This road was built for sportbikes. The two-lane road descends, sometimes steadily, other times quite vio- lently, as you get nearer to Castlegar. One part of the road narrows down to one-and-a-half lanes of pavement which seem to be chiseled out of the , Mountainside. There are almost 90 miles of twisting \highway and Gary, who has toured in Europe, swears that parts of it are just like riding the Dolo- mites in the Alps. “The rain eased up as we approached Castlegar. By the time we pulled up to our hotel, the rain had finally stopped altogether. Tired but happy, we un- loaded our gear, showered, pigged-out on a supberb Toast prime rib with pasta at a trendy little restaurant called Gabriel's, and called it a night. “The next day was cool, but at least it was sunny with no rain in sight. An early-morning break- fast and a quick gas-up had us back on the road again with Vancouver our destination by day’s end. on C i iy 3, we knew from previous trips that the lush British Columbia forests around Castlegar would soon give way to the almost pe of h. 1 British Colum- bia.” CASTLEGAR LAWYER Key Wyllie has been elected as the Kootenay representative to the provin- cial council of the B.C. Branch of the Canadian Bar Association. Vancouver lawyer Jim Vilvang was elected president, succeeding Leigh Harrison of Trail. Vilvang’s one-year term begins Thursday. SEVERAL Castlegar businesses have changed hands recently. MacLeod’s is under new ownership. Grant McCluskie, formerly of Vancouver, has taken over as owner/manager. And the Castle Bowl has new owners. John and Erma Mykyte have given way to Roland and Velda Handley of Fruitvale. CASTLEGAR NOW has just one Petro-Canada gasoline station. Ever since Petro-Can purchased the Gulf retail stations several years ago, this community has had two Petro-Canada stations. But effective the first of this month, Sam’s Automotive became an independent dealer. That leaves just Columbia Auto as the only Petro-Can station in town. TIMES editor Keith McQuiggan has been replaced. Former Kootenay Journal editor Lynn Blanchard has been appointed interim managing editor of the daily newspaper. HAPPY TRAVELLERS . . . Nick Chernoff of Trowelex Equipment Rentals recently received @ t-shirt from tourists Dock and Thelma Dorris of Seattle. The gift was in appreciation of Cher- notf providing a comfortable place to wait (Nick's garden) while he fixed their car after it broke down. The announcement of the change came in Monday’s Trail Times with a brief two-sentence explanation on the editorial page. The Times and Nelson Daily News are published by Sterling News- papers Ltd. which is part of the Hollinger media group owned by Conrad Black. The Kootenay Journal was a weekly newspaper published by Sterling on Sundays from Nelson. It folded earlier this year after a five-month lifespan. THE CITY of Nelson just keeps getting the ink. First it was the movie Roxanne that sparked an avalanche of stories and TV clips. Then it was the movie Housekeeping. In between there were stories on how Nelson has managed to pull itself out of the economic doldrums. Earlier this year we saw features on the city’s new international college which trains Japa- nese students. The latest media mention comes in the Aug. 15 MacLean’s ‘‘Canada’s weekly newsmagazine.”’ In the cover story on home ownership, Nelson is given a plug as a community that hag become a retirement oasis. ‘‘For homeowners who have seen their houses mushroom in value over the past decade, retirement may come earlier and be far more rewarding. As a result, cities including Nelson, B.C. and Kingston, Ont. — where real estate is comparatively cheap — have become retirement havens for people who are selling high-priced homes in larger cities and then buying cheaper residences in less-volatile markets. Said Nelson Mayor Gerald Rotering: ‘We have many people selling their houses in Ontario and moving here.”” August 24, 1988 Good luck to all students in the upcoming school year! FRYING CHICKE WHOLE. FROZ. UTILITY ....... 2. 99° BARON v0: BONELESS - CANADA GRADE A «09675/ $988 ROUND STEAK womseanada onavt A tg. 9793), $319 STEWING BEEF. BONELESS ........... kg. De as PORK LOINS sxwecersss.:), $229 SAMPLING FREYBE ROAST BEEF HAM suceD OR SHAVED SLICED OR SHAVED ATH On oR. Canc eamnd Gad Eee FREYBE CENTRAL DELI DELITES FREYBE PASTRAMI SLICED OR SHAVED on 51" FREYBE CORNED BEEF $709 FREYBE. SLICED OR SHAVED . 100 G. GARLIC RING FREVBE. COWL .............100G. ¥ OVERLANDER HUNTER 66 ¢ SAUSAGE . . 100 c. HAM OVERLANDER SAUSAGE .. 100 c. 66° MEAT LOAF 100 G. "66° OVERLANDER COMPLIMENTARY NABOB COFFEE AND i cmecoee: NABOB GROUND yr TRADITION. REGULAR, 09 FINE, EXTRA FINE . 300 G. KERR WIDEMOUTH __ CANNING J TARS THIS 1S THE LAST WEEK TO COLLECT YOUR SAVE-IN FLY TRAVEL CERTIFICATES ALL TRAVEL MUST COMMENCE BEFORE JANUARY 31/89 DAIRYLAND COTTAGE CHEESE 'n FRUIT new PACIFIC Ss 175 G. coment RUIT PUNCH ENTER YOUR NAME FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A 2 PERSON DINGHY — DRAW AUGUST 28, 1988 FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA votume | WITH A $5.00 PURCHASE ONLY . SPIKE PROTEST . . . Pat Romaine of Castlegar used an old scarecrow Tuesday to demonstrate his feelings on the use of the herbicide Spike on area rail lines. Romaine said he feels harmful effects of the herbicide are not known, comparing it to Agent Orange. CosNews Photo by Bonne Morgan SPIKE continued from front page Michael Gilfillan of Thrums, adding that the protest has created public awareness about the potential dangers of pesticides. Gilfillan and several other protesters were escorted from the tracks by CPR security Thursday afternoon near Celgar pulp mill None of the protesters was arrested and CP Rail has indicated no other means of dealing with the protesters. “CPR says it may try to obtain an injunction against anyone interfering with the spraying,”’ Dalton said Mudry said she isa’t aware of any injunction although, ‘‘that’s not to say there won't be one in the future.” But Dalton says a B.C. Sup Court patrons. controversy by expressions of support from pub RCMP findings. ment of an independent Crown counsel to review SPIKE Spraying under way VANCOUVER (CP) — Spraying of the ial herbicide Spike, would affect protesters differently if they were charged. Charges would be covered by a civil law rather than criminal law, leaving protesters without a criminal record Dalton warned the group last week they could be charged with mischief and if convicted could be denied a passport As well, Dalton feels he can successfully fight an injunction. “*The toxic chemical on the injunction is misspelled, for one thing,’’ he said, adding: ‘‘CPR and the Ministry of the Envi have not y with the notice requirements of the sprayii “If they come with an ex parti junction we have these defences . . . the only way we can raise them is with advance notice,’’ said Dalton. ALTERNATIVE continued from front page fully assembled to block the spraying of Spike in Brilliant “We believe that manual means to control un. wanted vegetation should be employed by the CPR This would eliminate the use of toxic sprays," the proposal states. “Long-term solutions such as concrete ties. more frequent re-ballasting and inspections made more often on rail cars bushing and bearing boxes could be made.”* The group feels such methods would benefit the community by creating jobs. It says that initial costs to CPR would be high but would be returned to the company in long-term maintenance and replacement savings Citizens Against Spike believes Spike to be car- cinogenic and feel it threatens their wells and water systems and says ‘‘CPR gave no long-term warning of its intentions” to spray Spike “The Spike spraying, while saving thousands of dollars now, may be creating millions of dollars in future legal claims.”” Pro-lifers picket homes KAMLOOPS, B.C. (CP) — Anti- find anti-abortionists abortionists in this southern Interior city have taken their battle to the homes of local doctors who perform abortions. Gynecologist Dr. Clarice Baker said Tuesday she has awakened at 6:30 a.m. for the past two days to front of her South Kamloops home. Baker said the picketing came after a late-night call Sunday from a woman who warned that her home would be singled out if she continued to perform abortions. “My plan is to ignore them,” said Baker, who added she doesn’t be- picketing in lieve the activists are breaking any laws by demonstrating. Ellen Ward, president of the Kam- loops Pro-Life Society, said her group has started a program of picketing homes of doctors who perform abor- tions. Until recently they had limited their activities to picketing doctors’ offices. which touched off an environmental uproar in southeastern British Col- umbia, is under way this week along the CP Rail line between Kamloops and Vancouver, a company spokes- man confirmed Tuesday. A private contractor, supervised by a CP Rail roadmaster, began spray- ing the herbicide in Kamloops in the southern Interior Monday and it should be wrapped up in Vancouver by Friday, Jane Mudry said in an interview. Sprayed from a boom mounted on a rail car moving at about 15 kilometres an hour, the herbicide will PESTICIDE continued from front poge change its mind about spraying this fall. “This is the time to do it if they want to do it definitely and they have the budget,’’ he said. Lewis said the appeal board didn’t consider evidence submitted by the groups, which alleged there have been adverse side effects in humans following exposure to the herbicide. He is also disappointed that the board failed to provide a‘ ‘‘contin- gency plan’ for water sources in the event of contamination. The panel ruled that the permit is valid ‘‘to the extent is authorizes the use of a pesticide registered for silvi- cultural purposes in Canada under the Pest Control Products Act . Agriculture Canada sets the stan- dards for the testing, reviews results and determines whether the her! cide should be registered for use in Canada. The groups told the appeal board cover an area of about 2.5 metres on either side of the centre track. Some health specialists have ex- pressed concern that lab tests show the chemical causes genetic damage in animals. Mudry dismissed possible con- cerns about the safety of children or others who might be walking along the railway tracks or picking black- berries during the spraying, adding that spraying will stop at public crossings. ‘You won't get a sympathetic ear here,"’ she said. ‘Kids walking on the railway tracks have a lot more to worry about than pesticides. They could be hit by a train that glyphosphate has not been prop- erly tested, pointing to studies show- ing it breaks down into formaldehyde in soil samples, is carcinogenic and is not approved for use in the United States. The panel rejected the groups’ ing and weeding could be used in the area in place of the pesticide “It was clear from the evidence that the use of a manual method would not be nearly as effective as the treatment authorized under the permit and that several repeat man- ual treatments would be required to achieve the equivalent result,"’ the board said. It also said that manual methods are not risk-free because chain and brush saws are more dangerous than hand-held pesticide sprayers. The board said the decision on how to treat the site is the right of the permit holder and it is not a function of the environmental appeal board to favor one method over another. “This is an industrial site, and people shouldn't be there. It’s not an area that’s open at any time to the general public.” Last Thursday, the B.C. Court of Appeal dismissed an application in which the Central Kootenay regional district sought leave to appeal a trial judge's decision authorizing CP Rail to spray Spike on its right-of-way. The court noted that the Environ- mental Appeal Board, after exam- ining the district's objection to the tailway’s spraying program in the Nelson-Castlegar area in southeast- ern B.C., imposed additional restric- tions on CP Rail. Those restrictions require spraying be directly super- vised by an environment official. In that case, Ontario geneticist Dr. Joseph Cummins warned of ‘‘major information gaps about the long-term effects of Spik and said the chem- ical has caused genetic damage in animals. FERRY continued from front page does not involve charging tolls, and the government employees who worked on the ferry are rehired at their current wages Dalton said the committee also set down the condition that the provin- cial government provide the “*major"’ funding, but would not have to fully fund the ferry. He said the committee is investi- gating other levels of government funding and possible grants. \ Meanwhile, Dalton said the com- mittee also expects to file for liti- gation by the middle of next week against the ferry closure. He said the committee will agree to drop the litigation if the province will opetate the ferry until the committee can get all its funding in place. Here’s the Meus Way to Get Ahead... 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