Wednesday, January 27/1993 Wi Lumber remanufacturers look for ‘bigger bang for their buck’ with help of provincial panel Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTER The government had its ear bent in Castlegar last week. Local remanufacturers and sawmill operators took the chance to sound off to an 11-member committee which is tour- ing the province this month. Rossland-Trail MLA Ed Conroy is joining 10 other members of the B.C. Legislature, some of which are from the Social Credit and Liberal parties. The all-party committee is gathering infor- mation on the remanufacturing sector of the forest industry. Remanufacturing is the section of forestry that takes raw materials from sawmills and refines them into items such as shelving and window frames. “I feel like I’m two-thirds of the way through a trial,” Conroy said. “I don’t have any preconceived notions about the outcome because I haven't heard all the evidence yet.” He said the feedback from stakehold- ers in the industry has been varied. “(Remanufacturers) want supplies and ma- 1 terials, and lumber pro- ducers want the biggest bang for their buck,” Conroy said. Concerns have been raised by remanufactur- ers that such a great quantity of the re- source — their potential supply — is be- ing exported overseas. “We want to be competitive and it might make more sense to do it here,” Conroy said. Although the hearings are open to the public, a number of producers were al- lowed to make private submissions — and Conroy said there’s a good reason why. Ed Conroy “If you're relying on a major producer you don’t want to say what a nasty com- pany they are and have them cut off your supply,” he said. Nelson-Creston MLA Corky Evans is the chair of the committee, but he was unable to attend the Castlegar event be- cause of constituency commitments in Creston. The committee’s last day of hearings is scheduled for Wednesday in Prince George. The group will then have until the end of March to make its recommendations the Minister of Forests. Conroy said with three different par- ties, coming to a consensus will be an in- teresting process. “So far, so good. Everyone knows we need to come to grips with (problems in See industry),” Conroy said. “(But) once we're behind closed doors there will be differences of a philosophi- cal approach to it.” ARROW LAKE ELEVATION 1391.6 ft. on Jan. 23 Forecast of Elevation 1390.7 ft. on Jan. 30 Klothes BOoRnuy Kieset PRE-INVENTORY SALE THREE pavs ONLY pC Lt; 2 SAVE UP hilothes Hootenuy s Bluetop Burger All Our Prices include G.S.T. Authentic Russian Menu WINTER HOURS — 10 A.M.-6 P.M. 1521 Columbia Ave. 365-8388 Call Ahead Drive Through Service JANUARY e Kleset 359 Columbia Ave., Castlegar ¢ 365-7589 1330 Cedar Ave., Trail 368-5454 SeScSc$eSeS$eS$SeSesese Won't buy you an @ Wednesday, January 27, 1993 AroundT OWN Our person for Our People Corinne Jackson 365-7266 HANGING BY A THREAD Selkirk College's Continuing Education program is offering a course in Brazilian embroidery. Students will work with 100 per cent rayon. Classes will be held Mondays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. beginning Feb. 1 and ending March 8. The $88 fee plus GST covers all materials. HELPING OTHERS World Vision Canada is asking people to participate in its 30-Hour Famine Feb. 18 and Feb. 19. During this time, participants collect donations and go without food to identify with hungry people around the world. World Vision is an international Christian humanitarian relief and development agency whose money goes to helping needy children. To call the famine hotline, or for more information call 1-800-387- 8080. PUTTING PAINT TO PAPER Diane Heinze’s exhibition of acrylic paintings entitled “Melting Pot” can be seen at the Nelson Museum from Feb. 5 until March 6, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Sundays. OurPEOPLE Cutting through THE RED :< TAPE Neil Rachynski _ | NEWS REPORTER Sometimes, in a sea of blackness, | you can make a difference. And sometimes, it’s simply preconceived notions which can be our own red tape. That’s why it’s heartening when somebody takes the initiative to force the government to act — rushing headlong into a world of bureaucracy. In Port Coquitlam there is a woman, known only as Linda Black, who called the ditch of a local highway home for some four months. Her age is unknown, though she appears to be in her 40s. Castlegar resident Lorne Barrass learned of the woman after a piece was aired about her over a month ago on BCTV. ‘I told him to ignore his training and qualifications and use a little common sense.’ —Lorne Barrass Thinking something would be done about the woman’s situation, Barrass let the issue slip from mind. But when the story surfaced again one month later, viewers were informed that the government claimed it could not do anything to help her. Officials said she was not a danger to either the public or herself, and nothing could be done. Even in the TV interview at her canvas-covered ‘home,’ Black said she was content where she was. “I have no money to buy a house so I live here,” she said. “I like to live here, I like to live by myself.” But Barrass said he couldn’t sit on his hands while Black withered away by the side of a highway. “If she wanted to be a bag lady or get away from society she would have retreated further into the bush,” Barrass said. “(But) by staying so close to the road that was her own way of crying for help.” Black was finally admitted to the psychiatric unit of the Royal Columbian Hospital, but it wasn’t until Barrass made some 75 phone calls to Victoria and Ottawa. He said the runaround he got began right from the start, with a phone call to the office of Health Minister Elizabeth Cull. Barrass was | shuffled from department to department, until he ended up at the mental health office in Port News photo by Neil Rachynski Lome Barrass was appalled at the condition Linda Black was forced to live in. Even worse, the Castlegar resident was disgusted that politicians said they couldn't help change her situation. lot of support and sympathy for the woman along the way, everyone claimed their hands were tied from doing something. Barrass finally called Ottawa to contact federal NDP leader Audrey McLaughlin to see what her office could to help. From there he tried to get a hold of the prime minister. Barrass said he explained the situation to someone at Brian Mulroney’s office and was told that a staff member would call him back. No one did. “Everyone I spoke to stated that the woman’s life was not threatened, that she wasn’t hurting anyone and she couldn’t be moved,” Barrass said. Fed up after five days of phone calls, he made another call to the mental health unit in Port Coquitlam. Barrass said this time he challenged their representative. “I told him to ignore his training and qualifications and use a little common sense,” Barrass said. Informed that Black had been examined before and seemed fine, Barrass urged the physician to get a second opinion. “I recommended that they take two qualified professionals to re-examine her right at the snowbank,” Barrass said. ~ In the end, that’s what happened. Barrass said the doctor phoned him back to thank him for his efforts, saying Black’s condition was indeed deteriorating. According to Barrass, the two doctors that examined Black agreed she was too sick to be on her own. But it’s unknown how long it will be before Black is forced back on the streets, and that has Barrass upset. “I feel the mental health act should be changed,” he said. “When human beings are incapable of making practical decisions, it is up to us to make decisions in the interest of their well-being. “You and I could be in that situation. All it takes is a car accident or an aneurism and your mind could } flip.” F ADULT BUS FARE ... SCSCOCSCSCSECSCSESESCSECSESESESECSESCSESECSE | Coquitlam. And while he received a