Feb. Distributed Bright and Early Every Thursday Morning at “The Crossroads of the Kootenays” VOL. 81, No. 22 TWO SECTIONS (A&B) Pay CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1978 26 CENTS City Studies Agreement |. City council has forwarded to the city solicitor the proposed _terms for Castlegar's tie-in to the CanCel Arrow Lakes water supply. Council voted in a closed session last Tuesday to seek the solicitor's commonts on CanCel's proposed agreement and to send Municipal Affairs Minister Hugh Curtis a summary “with minor alterations suggested.” Contacted this weck, Mayor Audrey Moore confirmed that the proposed agreement concerned the Arrow Lakes tie-in but she declined to discuss its terms. “Negotiations are continuing,” she said. “And we hope the results of the negotiations will be satisfactory to everybody.” Powerless to Enforce Result of Referendum The city has the power to hold a public referendum on B.C. Hydro's proposed Koote- $ tay. Diversion, but not to ‘enforce the voters’ decision, city council members were told last week, __ City clerk Barry Baldigara, cinstructed early last month to investigate the legality of a vote on the planned diversion of the Kootenay River into the Columbia, told council city solicitor Galt Wilson said the city has the right to hold an opinion poll but under the Municipal Act is not permitted to deal with the outcome of the vote, NEC Won't Get $18,000 Grant About 20 unionized city workers will receive a six- per -cent across -the -board wage increase under a new -one-year collective agree- ment signed last Tuesday. City administrator Bill + Krug said the increase pro- vided under the agreement —retroactive to March 1— - is within federal Anti-Infla- ‘tion Board guidelines and will raise the base rate 38 , ° 343 Signs e e With City cents to $6.76 hourly for members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 343. Krug said the signing of the agreement, first an- nounced by Ald. Gerald Rust at last Tuesday's council meeting, also approved ad- justments to vacation time and “other non-monetary : Businessmen Urged To Join in The workings of the Koote- nay Boundary Visitors’ Asso- ciation and what the publication “Visitor's Guide to Kootenay Country” can mean to the indi- vidual businessman was ex- plained to Castlegar and Dis- trict Chamber of Commerce membergat its luncheon Thurs- day. Manager co-ordinator of the association, Denny Edgar, the to the Kootenay Boundary Chamber of Commerce to be . split between the east and west groups,” he said. “This means about $25,000 per annum into the West Kootenay.’ He said headquarters are now in Nelson, and not Kim- berley, as was the case in the earlier format. Edgar called attention to the province’ 's huge advertising gs of the asaociation which he said has arisen from the Kootenay Boun- dary Chamber of Commerce. “When it was allowed to fold, two -new associations sprung up. One in the east and one in the west,” he said. 7: The minister of tourism is ding to allow the former grant Ministry Asked To Exclude Land From Castlegar The city bas asked the municipal affairs ministry for exclusion of 80 acres of land mistakenly included within Castlegar's boundaries. City administrator Bil Krug told the Cae News city council voted in a closed session last Tuesday to seek removal of Kootenay District Lot 14559 on Sahlstrom Road, because it was inadvertently included in an advertisement listing properties which would be alfected by the city's boun- dary extension. The boundary extension’ maps did not include the property, Krug said. to get people into the province. “We won't get the people to this part of the Kootenay and particularly to Castlegar if we don't get our act together— first as a region and then as individual communities,” he told members. Edgar explained the value of the “Visitor's Guide to Kootenay Country” and urged members to contribute both as a chamber and as individual businessmen, “The more participation the more contents on this area will be devoted to the reader above and beyond the adver- tising,” he said. When asked what ratio of written material can be ex- pected in comparison to adver- tising, he replied 50-50." While the deadline for the material is today, Edgar told members he was available for last minute contact and would de whatever possible to accom- modate the local businessmen. “Visitor's Guide to Koote- “pay Country” is distributed on all government ferries, B.C. Tourist booths, through tour- ism shows and individual busi- nesses. TRAIN-CAR ACCIDENT Seared onthe Thrum Monday afternoon when a 1969 station wagon ey ‘on on of the rallway crossings. Crescent Valley RCMP sald no one u "Psat In the vehicle at the time of the impact. Driver Donald Cale of Thrums has been charged with falling to yield to an approaching tral .CasNawsFoto by Lois Hughes Firefighting Improvements Depend on Funds Airport Standards Up to MoT Fire suppression standards at Castlegar Airport are the responsibility of the federal transport ministry, city coun- cil's airport committee chair- man said this week. In response to questions on the local airport's inclusion in a list of. seven B.C, airports not. meeting minimum standards, Ald. Gerald Rust told the Castlegar News his. committee has in the past expressed concern about the lack of suf- ficient firefighting personnel and proper. fire equipment but can only wait until the ministry is prepared to fund the re- quired improvements. “Certainly as the financing authority behind the operation it would be up to them to finance it so that it could be brought up to those standards,” Rust said. He said the attention the recent inquest into the Feb. 11 Pacific Western Airlines crash at Cranbrook focussed on fire- fighting facilities at similar B.C. airports may help to speed up improvements at Castlegar Air- port. “I feel that as a result of the incident at Cranbrook there willbe considerably ‘mi Tore at- tention devoted by the ministry to this type of airport,” he said. “[ would hope the equipment required to operate this airport is more readily available.” Rust pointed out that at- though the airport's current firefighting crew consists of only one full-time fireman and four airport employees with some training in fire suppres- sion, it has an advantage over the Cranbrook Airport. “I think we're a little more fortunate here than in the case of Cranbrook in so much as this Group Plans Course On Nuclear Energy Members of a regional citizens’ group studying nuclear energy are talking with Selkirk College officials about setting up a course on the subject next fall, Ald. Bud Godderis said last week, Godderis, city health and welfare committee chairman, told city council that in a recent meeting with the committee group spokesman Doug Jack was told council would consider writing a letter of support for such a course after receiving more details about it. He said the committee also happening in the area,” he said. “We had to have an indication of what effect it would have on members of the community.” airport has an agreement with the city where we can dispatch fire equipment out there at very short notice," he said. Castlegar Fire Depart- ment personnel, who could be dispatched to the airport within 10 minutes, are not equipped with the foam truck required .. under ministry standards, Rust said. Butehe said a new fire truck ‘recently purchased for the fire department could be adapted to use the special fire extinguishing foam at the air- rt. Rust agreed the airport needed more full-time fire- fighters, but added that the hiring of eight firemen as required under ministry stan- dards would involve high costs. Earlier Story on Page BL Airport manager John Michelson said he “can't put a date" on upgrading of fire suppression facilities which would be required under the airport's "D” rating standards. “We expected the foam truck already,” Michelson said. “But there have been delays and malfunctions and we don’t know when it’s going to get of the proposed firehall and main- tenance complex which is under consideration by the ministry for funding in the 1979 to 1980 fiscal year would have to be completed before the truck atrives, Otherwise, either the foam truck or the chemical truck-eurrently, being used at. the airport—both required un- der ministry standards—would have to be kept inactive, he said. “We only have enough faci- lities now to get one truck in operation," he said. a ae Two-Car Crash Victim Dies In Vancouver Death has claimed 17-year- old Robert Wilgosh of Nanaimo, the critically injured youth who was taken to Vancouver by an - emergency flight here on May 20 following a two-vehicle head- on collision on Pags Creek Road involving 11 persons. Local RCMP received word of his death Tuesday. An inquest has been ordered and will be held here at a date yet to be eet. Supervisors Needed for Planned Centre Local Youths ‘Bored’ Local 13-. to 19-year-olds “really aren't that bad,” accord- ing to youth worker Joanne Power. Hired by the city’s youth committee to develop a work- agreed to iformation with Jack's group and would call upon it as a resource group to council. Godderis told council Jack was told the city “cannot really involve itself with a philosophi- cal discussion re nuclear en- ergy.” “We expressed to Mr. Jack that before involving ourselves we would have to have hard factual information on what is The Castlegar and Dis- : trict Chamber of Commerce tourist internation booth will open June 26. And for the firet time it will operate right in the legar area. : Vice - president Bill < Jones told chamber mem- ‘bers last Thursday that > three students had been + selected to run the booth— Tourist Information Booth Opens Here on June 26 located next to the Douk- hobor Village—after they. complete, under chamber sponsorship, a five-day trav- el counselling course at Sel- kirk College. Booth attendants Lori Nixon, Jodi Wigen and Mar- . la Kinakin will operate the booth on a two-shift sched- ule which will allow it to be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, Jones said. A booth was set up and operated two years ago at Christina Lake. Last year the present booth was situ- ated on Seventh Avenue . South near Valleymaid Foods but was never opened because the chamber lacked funds to operate it. ing hip with local ju- veniles, Power said in an inter- view this week that the prob- lems related to youth in the community are relatively small. “There isn’t that big a drug problem,” said Power, who has worked with youth in Powell River and Terrace and worked locally as a child care worker for the human resources minis- try. “And the drinking seems to be basically weekend parties— I haven't seen many kids who are alcoholics.” “There really isn't the violence here compared to what I've worked with in Powell River and Terrace,” she said. “But Castlegar is growing and when a community starts grow- ing problems start growing.” Push for Crackdown On Young Offenders The Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce will complain to Attorney-General Garde Gardom about the lack of deterrents for juvenile lawbreakers. Chamber members decided at a luncheon meeting last Thursday to express their concern in a letter to Gardom after being told by merchant Leo Bosse that a juvenile—as reported in , the Castlegar News—received a suspended sentence and 18 months' probation after appearing in court locally on nine counts of breaking and entering and theft, two counts of breaking and entering with intent and one count of being in possession of a narcotic. “Ridiculous, the police are doing t‘eir job and the courts are getting them off,” Bosse said. “These instances only make our insurance go up,” he said. “They should have to make restitution. If not, then at least their parents should.” Of the 14 chamber members attending the meeting, three voted in favor of sending the letter, two voted against and nine Peiciand Since her hiring in early May, she said, she has spent a considerable amount of time in the Wizard's Palace Funteria, and other premises frequented by local youth in’an attempt to build a rapport with them. She said she has also visited sec- ondary school classes to explain her role as a spokesman for youth in the community. Local juveniles’ main com- plaint, Power said, “is that they're bored.” She said youth committee members hope to “iron out,” at a June 14 meeting with the Regional facilities commission which runs the old arena, prob- lems involved in setting up a youth activity centre in the building. But the centre “can't ‘get off the ground unless it has a lot of community participa: tion,” Power said. Release Misleading By RYON GUEDES Cas News Editor The National Exhibition Centre here will not receive the grant of ‘‘up to $18,000" recently announced by the federal government, the Castlegar News learned this week. NEC director Bernard Bloom sald the figure—cited in a press release by Secretary of State John Roberts last month as the extent of core funding for this year from National Museums of Canada—was misleading. Bloom said the NEC had actually been promised $9,000 and an additional sum of up to $9,000 on the condition the centre receive at least $18,000 in funding from other sources. A May 10 letter to Bloom from Dann M. Michols, director of National Museums of Can- ada’s assistance programs, said the procedure for allocation of grants would start with pay- ment of $9,000 on the condition the NEC submit a revised budget and an activities pro- gram for the 1978 to 1979 fiscal year. The letter said a further grant of up to $9,000 would be paid to the NEC in return for a statement for its last fiscal year “and written confirmation that your centre will be receiving financial assistance equal to the grant being provided by Na- tional Museums of Canada.” “If your institution re- ceives less than $18,000 from other sources towards its 1978 to 1979 operating budget, the grant from National Museums of Canada will be decreased e B.C. Police Eyes Work The B.C. Police Commis- sion is interested in the work of Castlegar's youth committee and youth worker as a potential erime prevention program, city sonnel was told last Tuesday. . C. S. Fowler, pro- eae services committee chairman, said commission members meeting with the committee in mid-May request- ed further details on the youth committee’s and youth work- er's efforts to deal with the social problems of local juve- niles, Fowler said commission members indicated they were placing a new emphasis on “crime prevention rather than apprehension" and the efforts of the youth committee “may be in line with their thinking.” “I think this is good philo- sophy for them to be delving into,” Fowler said. He asked city staff to forward a copy of the terms of reference for the city’s youth worker, as estab- lished by the youth committee, to the commission. Discussions with the com- mission mainly concerned po- Council Backs WKHU Head's Expansion Bid + The West Kootenay Health Unit director's request to the provincial health ministry early last month for expansion of facilities at Castlegar's Rotary Health Centre gained city coun- cil Supper last Tuesday. Council da motion proportionately,” Michols’ let- ter said. (Con't. Pg A2, Col. 6) BERNARD BLOOM . +. seoks matching grants Commission With Your lice costs and their relationship to the city, Fowler said. He said he told commission members Castlegar was"a very small city to. be gradually assuming police costs,” and said he hoped the costs would not be excessive. THE _ INSIDE e FIRE: According toa sur- vey taken last week, Castlegar Airport doesn’t have the necessary per- sonnel or equipment to fight it. : Page Bi PROHIBITIVE: The price of Municipal Affairs Minister Hugh Curtis' pro- posed amendment to the Municipal Act. Page BO GOLF: The lineup for this weekend's Castlegar Sun- flower Open. Page Al0 Pulpit and Pew . . AnnLanders ... Page AS BiliSmiley . Page B2 Classified Ads, Real Estate, and Automotive. . . Pages Al2-A13-A14-A15 Editorial Entertainment Pages A4-A6 Sports ... Pages AG-A8- A9-A10-A11-A15, Telenews .. . Pages B3-B4 Page BS by Ald. Bud Godderis, health and welfare committee chair- man, that the city send the ministry a letter of support for an earlier letter by Dr. Nick Schmitt, who said growth of population and services offered in the area made f Weekend _ Weathercast SUNSHINE today with warm temperatures which should reach a high in the mid-20°'s, The ridge of high necessary. Dr. Schmitt's letter said growing staff at the centre, located on Castlegar and Dis- trict Hospital property, re- quired the addition of at least a storage room, a conference and waiting room and four offices. pressure for the warmer weather is expected to continue to build with warm dry weather expected -to continue for several days. For convenient home delivery of the Castlegar News, call 365-7266. Ayouth spokes- man interviewed by the Castle- gar News this week stressed the importance of finding volun- teer supervisors for the centre, which would be open from 3:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and stay open longer on week- ends, “We need about 50 volun- teers to spend three to six hours a month at the centre,” the spokesman said. City Hall to Open, Close 30 Min. Earlier Starting today city hall opens and closes 80 minutes earlier. City council last Tuesday approved summer hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for city hall until the end of August. But from June 19 to July 4 the closing time will be extended to 5 p.m. to accommodate tax collection, council decided.