BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1995 Professional Businesse and Service ht shutdown / A2 8 for all / A6 The Castlegar Sun” ‘The weekly newspaper With a dally commitment’ B.C. government takes Its case to Ottawa over Columbia Treaty dispute. WEDNESDAY August 16, 1995 Business of the Month SILVERCREST PLUMBING & HEATING Vol. 5, No. 39 It’s a zoo out there — of Silvercrest Plumbing and Heating is a good person to call for your plumbing and WW: 25 years of experience and 10 years in business in Castlegar, Dennis Chernenkoff heating needs. From the start of construction to the finished product, plumbing, sheet metal and gas pipe fitting, Dennis is available at your convenience. Dennis apprenticed under Nick Koochin of Kinnaird Home Heat and has an excellent working relationship with local businesses dealing with his trade. Satisfaction with his service is guaranteed and Dennis invites you to call him at 365-3044 for your next plumbing or heating job. Call for your appointment today. 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Plumbing ¢ Heating ¢ Gas Fitting ( ~ (es |\' , ° Sheet Metal © Air Conditioning * Appliances SALES ¢ SERVICE « INSTALLATIONS Servicing Castlegar & area for over 30 years. 1008 Columbia Ave., Castlegar DEREK ZEISMAN _ Sun Editor The B:C. government took its case against the Bonneville Power Administration to Ottawa last week, arguing that the U.S. electricity authority has a clear obligation to honor the commit- ments it made last year under the Columbia River Treaty. Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Anne Edwards+led the procession of provincial representatives to Ottawa, appearing before the Per- manent Engineering Board (PEB) last Wednesday to set the ball in motion for a possible legal con- frontation with Bonneville. “It’s important to our position that we know how the treaty is going to be interpreted by the federal government and federal legal authorities, if the time comes when we need Ottawa's assistance in working out this mess,” said Edwards. “The hearing before the Engi- neering Board. is just the first step in a long process.” Talks between the province and Bonneville on B.C.’s down- stream power benefits have been at a standstill since May. At that time, Edwards said Bonneville “reneged” on a September 1994 agreement which addressed the question of how and where the province's future benefits were to be delivered form of cash. “Bonneville was bargaining in bad faith last year, absolutely,” said Edwards. “But B.C. no longer has the time or the resources to let this issue keep hovering in the air unresolved.” Edwards said regardless of Bonneville’s refusal to follow through on the 1994 agreement, mainly in the “Bonneville was bargaining in bad faith last year. But B.C. no longer has the time or the resources to let this issue keep hovering in the air unresolved.” — ANNE EDWARDS B.C: Energy Minister she expects that the terms of the original treaty will continue to be upheld in one form or another. “We still hope they may come back with a proposal that is as good or better than the original agreement. The Ottawa hearing was all about trying to convince them to do that.” Bonneville vice-president Judy Johansen was among the U.S representatives who attended the SUN STAFF The illicit drug trade and police surveillance both seemed to be in full swing last week, as numerous local residents were apprehended and charged by Castlegar RCMP on ici of a variety of drug-related offences. A search warrant was execut- ed on a 10th Ave. residence early Sunday morning, resulting in the arrest of Peter Nevak- shonoff, 32, Jason Keillor, 24, possession of cocaine for the Purpose of 4 , All three will be appearing in Nelson court this week. Police seized about 18 grams of cocaine from the residence, with an estimated street value of $3,600. Police also seized 38 grams of marijuana valued at $760, and a portion of LSD with a street worth of about $200. A large undisclosed amount of money was also seized in the search. The Sunday morning search followed the earlier arrest of a 31-year-old Robson man for alleged possession of cocaine, after he was stopped in the 200 block of Columbia Ave. early Sunday morning. About one gram of cocaine was seized, with’ an estimated value of $200. The man will Weekend drug busts net thousands in loot lappear in court Oct. 4. In an unconnected episode, a vehicle check on Pass Creek Road resulted in the arrest of a 51-year-old Castlegar man late Friday. He will appear in Castle- gar Provincial Court Oct. 18 on drug-related charges, after the seizure of approximately one kilogram of marijuana. The marijuana has a street value of more than $6,000. In related news, pulling weeds took on a new meaning last week when RCMP investi- gated a marijuana-growing oper- | ation in Ootischenia. Cpl. Dave Beach of the Castlegar RCMP said the illegal crop was spotted by RCMP while) flying overhead in a heli- copter looking specifically for marijuana patches. But by the time police arrived at the site, little was left of the plants. “By the time we got to it most of it was pulled.” All that remained were holes where the plants had once been and a few smaller plants. “They got the big ones — we got the smaller ones,” said Beach ruefully. It's estimated there were at least 24 large plants. The crop is estimated at some $5,000. The plants were growing on Crown land. “Flyovers” are common dur- ing the peak matijuana growing season, said Beach. Police are still investigating. Engineering Board hearing. But she was unwilling to comment on Bonneville's future plans for dealing with the B.C. govern- ment's ongoing complaints. “Bonneville is arguing for more time to examine its options. But the board will be releasing a report on the initial hearing with- in a week or two,” said Edwards. “We're asking for more formal hearings this fall, to give further substance to what we're doing, and the specific points we're try- ing to make. Meanwhile, we hope Bonneville will be willing to comeback to the bargaining table on its o But she admitted that if Bon- neville remains completely unco- Operative in reworking the treaty, the dispute could go on all the way to 1998 when Bonneville is legally required to return the excess power it has been generating for B.C., using water from the Canadi- an side of the Columbia River. “If that happens, the final result may well end up being less valuable than ander the original agreement — but it will since be immensely valuable,” said Edwards. Under the original Columbia River Treaty, the B.C. govern- ment had negotiated an up-front payment of $180 million U.S ($250 million Canadian) from Bonneville, in exchange for its excess power. The U.S. power authority is now refusing to pay this money — despite the fact that the B.C. government has already built it into its latest bud- get projections. Instead, Bonneville wants to retum the power to the B.C. bor- der by power line, for the province to pick up in any way it can. “In that case, I don’t know whether we would resell the power elsewhere, or just send it back home for doméstic use,” said Edwards. “It depends in large part on market conditions.” “But B.C. isn’t facing a short- age of power — in fact, we have a great excess of power.” No matter what, Edwards said Bonneville's actions will have no effect on the Columbia Trust, the fund set up for the West Koote- nay with part of the money the U.S. power authority was to have paid the government. “We intend to fully keep our agreement. We will honor our own commitments,” she said. Edwards admitted there has been no agreement just yet from the B.C. Treasury Board Depart- ment on where the money for the fund will now be coming from. “But we're just going to have to find some way to find it, aren't we?” motion. It was a beautiful sunny day as nine-year-old Taaryn, together with her companions Meige, a goat, and’pot-belly pig Odie, made the rounds during last Thursday's County Fair Day. The fair, held at the Castlegar Arena Complex, drew a strong crowd of young spectators eager to catch a close-up peek of farm animals in SUN STAFF PHOTO /Karen Kerkhoff Columbia St. pedestrian crossing leaves resident fearing for safety KAREN KERKHOFF Sun Staff increase in motor vehicle traffic, coupled with When Castlegar resident Maralee Tycquet crosses Columbia Ave. at 15th St., she never knows if she'll make it home without being flattened by a vehicle Tycquet, who has multiple sclerosis, relies on the use of a wheelchair or scooter to take her places such as the Columbia Plaza, located directly across from her home at Cedar Crest mobile home park. But a booming Castlegar and the subsequent inconsiderate drivers who neglect to stop at the crosswalk at Columbia and 15th, are.leaving Tyc- quet angry and afraid for her life “There's no way to get across [Columbia Ave.] safely. Sometimes I have to wait up to half an hour before anybody notices that I want to cross. It's like they don’t give a damn.” Tycquet said installing a stop light at the intersec- Please see PEDESTRIAN SAFETY a3 RCMP investigate rash of marina thefts KAREN_KERKHOFF Sun Staff Castlegar RCMP are question- ing a number of suspects in a recent rash of thefts from boats moored at the Syringa Park Marina Cpl. Dave Beach said the RCMP is investigating yet anoth- er theft — the fourth in less than a week from the marina some- time between July 30 and Aug. 6, in which a 15-horsepower Evin- Tude motor was stolen. Beach is declining to discuss Particulars until the suspects have been formally charged with the crimes. But he did say that it the thieves were after It seems that they were after food, liquor and anything that could be easily sold.” it’s possible all of the items recently reported stolen might have in fact been taken on the same day, with owners only discovering the thefts when they went to use their boats days later. Castlegar RCMP are request ing that anyone seving anything suspicious at the Syringa Park Marina area in the last two wecks, particularly during the Aug. 4-5 period, should contact the police at 365-7721 Harcourt to visit Premier Mike Harcourt will be im Castlegar Friday, making a presentation to the Columbia Basin Trust Wally {Penner of the Columbia Basin Power Project said Harcourt will make a “significamt announcement™ at 1:30, likely including a cash grant for the trust Welcome Babe Ruth World Series visitors and players!