lember 28, 1991 @ PAGE ;' Opinion Dave McCullough Publisher Simon Birch Editor Peter Harvey Plant Foreman Mark Davis Advertising Manager Warren Chernoff Accountant Heather Hadiey Circulation Manager Burt Campbell Publisher Emeritus L.V. Campbett Aug. 7, 1947 Feb. 15, 1973 OurWiEWS Got to give them credit Radical? Yes, unless you consider it radical to want to save the earth’s environment. Insignificant? Perhaps for the time being, but they’ve proved internationally that they can achieve some degree of political success. “They” are members of the Green party and while their ideas and political platform may make some voters cringe in discomfort, and other simply laugh, one haé to admire them for simply standing up for their principle belief that all governments must abandon a political system based on unlimited growth in favor of one that considers the long-term consequences of our actions. Although the Green platform endorses such principles as direct participatory democracy, feminism and non-violence, it’s environmental issues for which the party has become well known. Global warming, pollution ofall types, clearcutting of forests — those are just some of the things that Greens cite as examples of environmental mayhem taking place all over the world, things that Greens want stopped. They say it’s a choice between life or death, and that in some cases it may already be too late. The impression — right or wrong — most people are left with after listening to Greens or reading their material is that there can be no compromise where the environment is concerned. But voters in Canada are unconvinced that the situation is as serious as the Greens paint it. Maybe it’s because we don’t have in this country convincing examples like in Europe where crowded industrial cities have air so polluted one can hardly breathe and buildings are covered with a grimy black soot, where Greens have had moderate political success. That doesn’t mean Canadians, and right now voters in B.C. — and the other political parties — shouldn't listen to what the Greens have to say. If the Greens keep delivering their message, they may find success in ways other than at the ballot box. AdrianRAESIDE Trio a mixed political bag olitics is weird. How else do you explain the Chris D’Arcy-Iris Bakken-Connie Simpson tri- umvirate? The threesome can only be described as the oddest polit- ical alignment seen in these parts since David Thompson camped out on Zuckerberg Is- land 200 years ago. D'Arcy, as everyone knows, served 19 years as the Ross- land-Trail MLA under the New Democrat banner until Ron NORMAN Comments from the Crossroads isn’t “little-known” in B.C.?) is the chairman of the Ross- land-Trail Liberal party. What do a former New Democrat MLA, an ardent Socred supporter and a mem- ber of the local Liberal party executive have in common? (No, this is not a new joke.) They've all joined forces to defeat the New Democrat and Social Credit candidates. At first glance, this new al- liance looks about as stable ¥ asar he was dumped for Castlegar school trustee Ed Conroy. Bakken, as any reader of letters to the edi- tor or listener to radio hotline knows, But there is more to this new group than meets the eye. Let's see what we have. We have Simpson, a was one of Bill Vander Zalm’s strongest sup- porters. Heck, even the Vancouver media would call Bakken for a comment — that’s how well known she was. (Remember the stories of her setting fire to newspaper articles critical of the former Social Credit premier?) If anyone was a died-in-the-wool “Zalmoid,” it was the fiery Salmo redhead with the 1950s bouffant. And little-known Simpson (what Liberal proclaimed Liberal. We have D’Arcy, who is closer to a Liberal than a New Democrat. And we have Iris Bakken. She's certainly no Liber- al. (But then neither is Vander Zalm, though Vander Zalm at one time ran as a Liberal can- didate. Does that count?) A case could be made that D’Arcy is really just a Liberal in an Independent's clothing. It may explain why the local Liberals have asked please see NORMAN page A7 Sometimes discretion is better part of valor efending a friend and political ally who has come under attack may be understandable and even admirable, but sometimes discre- tion is definitely the better part of valor. When Donna Osatiuk, the NDP candidate for Surrey-White Rock, recently launched a broadside against Bill Reid in the Peace Arch News, Kent Smith, president of the Surrey-White Rock Social Credit Constituency Association, rose to a gallant defence of the for- Report from Victoria Hubert BEYER mer cabinet mini and t be former MLA. “We are proud of the service and aceomplishments of our MLA Bill Reid during these past eight years,” Smith declared in a letter to the editor. “Where were you when MLA ill Reid announced funding in- to the Surrey school dis- trict each of those years? Where me cane be he posoumeet the! feace Hospital expansion funding? “Where were you, Donna Os- atiuk, when Bill Reid helped fund the Seniors Activity Centre, the promenade, the ice arena im- P , the theatre, the park and ride facility, the Softball B.C. complex?” Smith asked. The spirited defence appeared in the Sept. 11 issue of the Peace Arch News. Five days later, Attor- ney General Russ Fraser an- The writ filed by the govern- ment in its continuing pursuit to against former premier Bill Van- der Zalm. I can assure Smith that he wasn't the only one caught off guard by the lawsuit against Reid. Premier Rita Johnston was equal- ly surprised, hinting at some con- fusion over the fact that a lot ofher regs are being eharged these lays. 4 The action against Reid has not been charged under the Criminal Code. It’s a civil suit. It’s simple. In criminal court, the Crown has to prove its case “beyond a rea- sonable doubt.” In a civil action, the judge will rule “on the balance of probabilities.” It’s a lot easier to get a convic- tion in a civil action than in crimi- nal court. So here we've got the govern- ment not only trying to get its lot- tery money back but attempting to extract punitive damages A3a SecondFRONT } converted to full- time equivalent) enrolled in the Castlegar school district, and the number of pupils 2,217 (15.9) Sept. 30, 1990 2,200 (15.9) Sept. 30, 1989 2,200 (16.1) Sept. 30, 1988 2,176 (16.9) Sept. 30, 1987 2,211 (16.9) Sept. 30, 1986 2,224 (17.0) Sept. 30, 1985 2,389 (17.2) ‘Sept. 30, 1984 2,459 (16.6) Selkirk College students take a break from studying Friday for a game of cards in the lounge. News photo by Ed Mils Trustees wary of gov't plans @ Minister's intentions questioned in the wake of announced delays to Year 2000 education programs Donna Bertrand NEWS REPORTER The West Kootenay branch of the B.C. School Trustees Associa- tion is growing suspicious of Edu- cation Minister Stan Hagen’s in- tentions for Year 2000 programs. Branch presi- dent Evelyn Voykin said the association is questioning Ha- gen’s intentions in the wake of his hes Evelyn Voykin one year while on os paren reviews the please see TRUSTEES page AS Parents continue fight for boundary change NEWS REPORTER A group of parents from the Shoreacres area has renewed its efforts to have the boundary be- tween the Castlegar school district and the Nelson school district changed. The Boundary Review Commit- boards that it’s the ministry's re- sponsibility, and by the ministry and Nelson-Creston MLA Howard Dirks that it’s a local matter. “If all four factions are abdicat- ing their responsibility, if they are in fact responsible for dong this, we really have no one to turn to,” Moreira said. A recent letter from Education tee wants the b dary to allow students living in the Shoreacres area to go to Nelson district schools — Mount Sentinel high school and Brent Kennedy el- ementary school — which are both within walking distance of the stu- dents’ homes. : Shoreacres is part of the Castle- gar school district. Students are currently bused into Castlegar. The committee argues that the students are being denied the ben- efits associated with attending schools in the community in which they live. and lobbying “whoever is ary. yi v is “I would just like someone to say ‘Yeah, it’s our responsibility, we're going to deal with it,’ though it may not be what I want,” he said. Moreira said he’s been told by the Nelson and Castlegar school Mini Stan Hagen to the B.C. School Trustees A iati which asked for clarification of the and specifi: c interest groups before School Act regarding says the act provides two opportu- nities for resolving the issue. Under Section 94, Hagen writes, the boundary “is clearly a matter to be discussed and re- solved b the two r i achange in bound- aries to the minister, who would then be responsible for the change, Hagen said. Castlegar board chairman Gor- don Turner said both opportuni- ties d boards of school trustees.” And under Section 190, the lo- cal boards would consult with mu- nicipal il ional boards pend on the Castlegar an: Nelson boards being willing to pursue a % “And we're not and neither is Nelson,” he said. please see BOUNDARY page AS Logging continued from front page Deer Creek supplies the com- munity with drinking and irriga- tion water and is the major spawn- ing bed supplying fish to Lower Arrow Lake. The community, about 15 kilo- metres upstream of the Hugh ide dam, is home to about 100 residents, most of whom live there y. But despite Westwood’s revi- sions, the residents would still prefer that a logging proposal be aband r. er. “Everybody's best scenario of this is that they decide they're not going to do a thing, they left and never .” seasonal resi meeting. “The least damage they do _— the better we'll like it, but fact they're going and doing anything is, well, we'd like it left of what is going to happen to the land re- > 150 which is between 100 and Fate of CP Rail land remains undecided in : inson said. “But who would maintain it is be- me. Hesaid CP should make a deal with the region to give them the land. “ “The concern right nbw is that the land be given to the ” Robinson said.