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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, August 4, 1993 A

wie
The Castiégar Sun
oe IS
Ais
PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG
SHARL ENE IMHOFF CATHERINE ROSS

ADVERTISING REP.
MARGE LALONDE NICOLE BEETSTRA
CIRCULATION MANAGER,

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JOHN VAN PUTTEN CHRISTINE MOYER
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en 365-7762

465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C. V1N 1G8

1S POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A
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Established November 28, 1990

Published by Sterling Newspapers Lid
Weekly on Wednesdays
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B.C. Community Newspapers Association
and B.C. Press Council

editorial comment

They dare
to make a
difference

What is it that makes the average person
extraordinary and memorable? For some it is their
unending kindness, or the look that clearly says “I
understand” For others it is the small deed they
render without asking for acknowledgement or
praise. And for some people, it is a way of life
which is practiced daily.

It is very seldom that those people who strive to
live their lives in a compassionate, giving and
exemplary way are recognized either by those
around them, or by groups or organizations. But
wouldn't it be nice—if just once someone stepped
up to you and said “Heh, I really like what you're
doing. Keep it up.”

Two Castlegar residents, Marjorie MacBain and
John Charters received that praise August 3, 1993
when they were awarded the prestigious Canada
125 medal.

The medal, which is presented by the Govern-
ment of Canada is in recognition of significant
and worthy contributions to the community, fel-
low Canadians, and to their country. Both
MacBain and Charters have unfailingly and qui-
etly given more to the community than they
have taken.

Charters is noted for the active role he has taken
in assuring that the “Jewel of the Kootenays”,
Zakerberg Island was preserved and maintained
so future residents, and visitors to Castlegar could
appreciate the beauty and grace of an era past as
well as appreciate the life of Castlegar pioneer,
Alexander Zukerberg. He is also known for his
sometimes romantic, but always honest written
views of Castlegar and its heritage, as well as his
active role in such community organizations such
as: Rotary, and*the Worshipful Company of
Selkirk Vinters.

MacBain has been an active community mem-
ber for well over 40 years, and has contributed to
such organizations as: the United Way; Library
Board; Girl Guides; United Church; and the Kin-
naird Little Theatre. MacBain, and her husband
Bob, were also recognized as being Castlegar’s
Citizens of the Year in 1976.

It is people like MacBain and Charters who
make a difference in our society as they quietly go
about their business. These are the people who
dare to dream, and these are the people who help
mold and change the world so that it is a better
place in which to live. All too often these people
go through life with never a nod of acknowledge-
ment, or a thank-you

We at The Castlegar Sun would like to thank
MacBain, Charters, and the ten other Castlegar
residents who have dared to make a difference and
received the Canada 125 medal in recognition of
their efforts.

Good work—and thank-you. You HAVE made
a difference!

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accepted

John....... od

There's too much carnage on
our roads, For everyones’ safe-
ty drivers should be requiredto
take a driver's exam on a regu-
lar basis.

There seems to be two
extremes to drivers. First of all, I
have yet to find a driver who has
not had the experience of a
“Sunday Driver” in front.of
them doing less than half of the
posted legal speed limit. That's
against the law, just as speeding
along at double the lirnit is—and
those speeders make up group
two who also scares the wits out
of me.

A stereotypical “Sunday Dniv-
er” does not exist, there is no
given formula that allows it to
encompasses any given age
group. I have seen drivers whom
T consider hazards on the road, in
every age group. There is one
thing they all have in common,
they don’t feel comfortable being
behind the wheel, and that fright-
ens me more than a speedster.

There is one big problem with
super slow drivers—they cause
accidents. Their motto is, “I am
in front of you, and you can just
wait.” Unfortunately people
who are trying to maintain a
Steady speed try to pass. That's
when accidents occur and need-
less damage and death usually
happens. All the while “Sunday”
just keeps on chugging along
oblivious to what happened.

Karen, I have seen the way
you drive, maybe it’ would be
wise if you started to pay more
attention with that huge truck of
yours driving around the streéts
of Castlegar. If not you WILL
be the first person to fail the test
should the government bring in
this new System.

Our new ‘save lives on §ur
roads’ program could be phaged
in so when each person renews
their license they must also
Prove to the instructor they are
safe and alert enough during a
road test to DESERVE to drive
It should be started with older
drivers and then phased in to
include all drivers. Under this
System each driver would be
tested every two or three years
and our roads would be safer.

With increasing age, reflexes

unday Drivers

Sn

are slower, eyesight and hearing
start to weaken. Our senses start
to weaken with age. (Hey
Karen, did you hear me, or do I
need to talk a little louder) It’s a
fact of life—tlet'svall face it

All new drivers (no matter
their age) should be tested more
often to gradually éarn their
rights. A program such as this
would have many benefits, such
as: safe roads; lower insurance
costs through a decline in acci-
dent claims; and more peace of
mind knowing every drive on
the road has had to earn their
right to drive

It would be in ICBC’s best
interest to initiate this program
because they would save in the
long run (as would we). Our
licenses are renewed on our
birthdate, so an appointment
should. be made for the test

When it comes to safety on
the road, we al]l need to work on
it. I said all—including you
Karen. I have been with you in
that massive truck of yours, and
I admit I was so scared when the
ride was over I wanted to get out
and get on my knees and kiss
the ground

One thing I want all drivers
to remember. Driving is a privi
lege NOT a right, one which we
need to earn regularly, for
everyone's safety

Karen

or bad reputations. Yes, there are
old fogies out there whose driv.
ing licenses should be closely
scrutinized annually. Just as
there are young drivers out there
who speed too much and cause
serious accidents. Their licenses
should also be closely scruti-
nized on a regular basis

Would you like to submit to a
driving exam every year simply
because you are under 30? I
sometimes wonder about you
John. Sometimes, you almost
resemble a nice guy, but then you
come up with a suggestion which
is so far off the wall that I won-
der what planet you came from.

Instead of arbitrarily punish-
ing a person because of their
age, why don’t we punish them
because of their driving record

At your tender and inexperi-
enced age how can anyone
expect you to contemplate
exactly what it means to regu-
late such issues?

It’s easy for you to say—peo-
ple your age don’t think about
growing older, but remember, if
you're lucky, one day you will
be facing retirement and all the
privileges and pitfalls associated
with the golden years.

I can’t deny that I get ticked
off with the old grandma or
grandpa that creeps through an
80 kmh zone at 40 kmh. But I
also get ticked off at the younger
person that is in such a hurry
that they ride my butt, pass me
unsafely (and give me the finger
as they speed by).

What you are suggesting has a
name—discrimination. How
would you like it if we went back
to the old way of doing things? It
used to be that young drivers had
a higher insurance rate because it
was ASSUMED that because
‘they were less experienced they
would be more prone to acci-
dents, Do you like it when people
generalize about people in your
age group—such as, “Those
young kids, all they can think
about is getting drunk”.

What I am trying to say is
that there are always people who
give certain groups bad names,

Maybe ICBC needs to devise
some sort of guideline in which
ANY habitual and negligent
driver would have to submit
upon request to a driving exam,
optical exam, written exam or
any other exam which would
determine their safety behind
the wheel.

If it were then determined that
the driver was a risk then their
license should be suspended. If
the tests were indeterminate, the
driver should be put on a proba-
tion and warned that if any fur-
ther infractions occurred their
license would be suspended.

Maybe the RCMP also need
to be a little more vigilant, or
empowered so that if they see
someone putting along, unmind-
ful of the carnage (and frustra-
tion) they have caused behind
them, they have the right to sus
pend that license until the driver
can appear before ICBC and
prove their fitness to drive
However it goes, I adamantly
Oppose driving restrictions
based on age only—it is a bla-
tant example of discrimination
to the extreme

As far as my driving habits
go John, I've had 24 years of
accident-free driving. You've
driven, at the most, eight
years—and I KNOW you
haven't been accident free
especially since you just totalled
your van. So don't talk to me
about my driving habits.

if you have any

org if about this week's Cheek to Cheek, feel free to
send us your comments in a letter to the editor c/o The Castlegar Sun.

if you have a subject that you would like to see debated in the Cheek to Cheek
column, Karen and John would love to hear your suggestions.

Call the newsroom at 365-5579 or fax us your comments and requests at 365-7762

Wednesday, August 4, 1993

The Castlegar Sun

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor

in the community.

ter across from L.
sports car yelled out

me, introduced himself, and said

This is addressed to the general public, but
also to one young male in particolar, It involves
a certain incident which occurred by 1.G.A. on
July 27, and deals with the topic of homophobia

T am a lesbian. I am also the mother of two

young children. As I was walking with my daugh-

A., a young male in a red

ing Homo”, My daughter

is aware of my “lifestyle” but could not compre
hend why this person was “being mean” to me.

If this person had enough intelligence and emo-
tional maturity, I'm sure that he would realize that
his remark was totally inappropriate in the pres-
ence of children. Also, he might have approached

|Comments not appreciated

Y Dear Editor |

for
-. this educati:

effect of “Excuse me, but I have some questions
and concerns about homosexuality, and I was

ag tothe It di

of the gay

jected to even more harassment.

wondering if you would address them.
Asa

can speak for all of us when I say we are tired of
this type of ignorance and harassment, This world
will never know peace antil we can all put our
petty grievances and judgements aside.

I will not sign my name for fear that my chil-
dren, and my partner’s two children will be sub-

Gay, but not happy in Casti

I think 1

continue té%work

is treated with the respect they deserve.

I am'the partner of the person who wrote the
above letter. I have been an active community
worker in Castlegar for the last few years.

Tam a single mother. I am a health care worker,
who is currently disabled. I am proud that the
union that I have been involyed with, the Hospital
Employees’ Union, has chosen to make human
tights (racism, homophobia) an educational issue

its members. Perhaps Castlegar needs some of

ion.

‘There are many places in the world where we
would be put to death for our kind of love. When
incidents like this happen I wonder: Is Castlegar

iy ao calioh

How many people would even stand up for us?
the greatly that in 1993 there is still so -
much hate thrown at us, :

Tam proud of myself, and proud of my partner.
‘We just want to live our lives: raise our kids, buy
gr ies, go out to dinner at a restaurant, hold
down a job, perhaps walk in the park together on a
summer evening without being harassed.

Finally, when I look into my partners’ eyes, 1
know that no one in the world can tell me that the
Jove that we have between us is wrong, and I will

?

in the community until everyone

f you are f you are

nvestors

Petitioning on behalf of the preborn

This letter was submitted by
June Lepsoe to Castlegar and
District Hospital Annual Gener-
al Meeting held June 9, 1993.

Many BC hospitals have cho-
sen not to do abortions: Abbots-
ford; Chilliwack; Cranbrook;
Kelowna; Langley; Penticton;
Powell River, Prince George
and Richmond have hospitals
where all funding is used to pro-
mote healing or caring support
No health care dollars are spent
destroying preborn human lives
in those hospitals.

Vernon had a democratically
elected board which chose not
to fund abortions but in May,
1992, the New Democratic
Party government arbitrarily
rewrote the provincial law to
say that 33 hospitals would be
forced to do abortions.

When Vernon was put on that
list, its board resigned rather
than function contrary to their
society's wishes. Williams Lake
Cariboo Memorial Hospital
complained at the erosion of the
democratic process in Vernon
Did our board ever formally
write 10 question the govern
ment’s actions?

Since Castlegar and District
Hospital is not one of the 33
hospitals required to do abor
tions, I URGE ALL BOARD
MEMBERS TO IMPLEMENT

A NO ABORTION POLICY.
Two hospitals, Trail and Nel-
son, only a half hour’s drive
away, are listed to provide
abortions

How can you justify doing
abortions? Medical advances
have progressed so a woman's
life is rarely jeopardized by
pregnancy; medical care can
safely treat both patients, moth-
er and child.

Canada has no abortion law.
Until a federal election, there is
a legal vacuum—no law against
abortion and no legal right to
an abortion

Clearly then, the Castlegar
hospital is not required by either
federal or provincial law to pro-
vide abortions. As in Ontario
and Saskatchewan, the NDP
government plans to take abor-
tions out of hospitals and build
Regional Women's Health Cen-
tres which will provide abortion
facilities. Why not take them out
Ot our hospital now?

In a time when dollars are
desperately needed for true
health concerns, the Health
Ministry gave $1.25 million dol
lars to two private abortuaries

Does BC really need to
encourage more access to abor
tion when our province already
leads the nation in first-time
‘and repeat abortions? Did you

Protest the misuse of over $1
million health dollars?

All hospital and private abor-
tions are totally tax dollar fund-
ed. As a board you can make
the decision to return our hos-
Pital to its 100 per cent healing
image. Choose to support only
life-preserving policies by
using tax funds for true medical
care, not the destruction of
human life by abortions.

Last year in Castlegar Hospi-
tal there were 84 obstetrical
deliveries. No member of the
public knows how many preborn
babies died by abortion.

But you, as board members do
know. Monthly you are informed
of all hospital procedures, life-
giving and death-dealing. Will
you take the time to compare
the number of live births to
babies dead by abortion?

We acknowledge the high
standards of acute care provided
by this facility to accommodate
the néeds of our community.

Thank you for your many vol-
unteer hours as board members.
You are encouraged, instead of
providing abortions, to help
mothers choose life-giving alter-
natives by ensuring they are
referred by doctors to individu-
als and agencies who will sup-
ply pre and post natal assistance.

As a member of this Hospi-

tal Society, I know that Castle
gar Right To Life is willing to
aid in those referrals. We hope
each of you will give this issue
much serious reflection now
and soon adopt, a NO ABOR
TION POLICY that babies can

live with

June Lepsoe is a homemaker
with two children, and a Robson
Elementary school teacher. She
is also the President of the
Castlegar Right To
She has lived in the
area for 16 years

Life group
Castlegar

Gay,butnot. happy in C:

Setting the record straight

Dear Editor:

A recent article by Sterling
Wire suggests our new policy for
the export of long-term, firm
electricity ignores advice given
by the B.C. Energy Council.

The B.C. Energy Council
was asked to advise on this
issue because, until this govern-
ment took office, no public
input contributed to government
export policy.

We take seriously the advice
of the public. In many ways we
have recognized public con-
cerns about long-term, firm
electricity exports

Our policy is to allow electric
ity exports under carefully con-
trolled terms and conditions. The
BCEC recommended that both
utilities. and private power pro-

ducers be allowed to enter long-
term export contracts, subject to
conditions to protect the security
of supply of British Columbia
and preserve our environmental
values. Our policy does just that
We protect domestic con-
sumers by making sure that B.C.
utilities have the chance to bid
on the power offered for export,
that exports are not subsidized,
and that utilities, which forecast
and plan on a 20-year horizon,
must publicly demonstrate that
there will be no adverse impacts
on their customers before they
entertain any long-term exports.
Environmental values are pro-
tected by rejecting projects with
unacceptable impacts early in the
review process, and applying full
social costing principles to all

projects to ensure there are net
benefits to British Columbians.

Although we allow justified
standard maximum contracts
for export of 20 years, when
the BCEC recommended 10,
we did so in order to respond
to concerns that a 10 year
term would effectively block
any activity.

With protective measures in
place, long-term, firm electrici-
ty exports may proceed from
approved projects, providing
jobs, regional development, and
overall benefits to the province
through adding value to our
provincial resources

Your sincerely,
Anne Edwards
Minister

Demolition of historic trestles should
without public hearings

not be done

Dear Editor:

A disturbing rumour seems to
be floating around these days - to
the effect that officials of both
the B.C. government and Cana-
dian Pacific Railway are consid-
ering the demolition of the
trestles on the Kettle Valley Rail-
way, along the legendary stretch
west of Castlegar, known as’ Far-
ron Hill

The reason appears to be a
concern for safety and public lia-
bility - since cyclists and pedes-
trians are tending to use this
abandoned railway grade.

But what about the consider-
able value of these structures in
terms of history, heritage and
Fecreational potential?

Surely a way must be found to
avoid destroying these historic
trestles. Three of these shiny
black-painted structures can be
seen when driving the road to
Deer Park - where they span the
gorges of the rocky mountainside
across the lake

n from a mile away the
engineering marvel of these

e steel bridges - designed

rry the weight of loaded
railway trains (many thousand
of tons) belong to the very land-
scape in which they are set -
forming an inextricable part of
the fabric of the history and
heritage of the Kootenay-
Boundary region

I have been told that similar
good trestle-work on the old
Coquihalla Railway has been
unceremoniously demolished in
a military-style operation by the
Canadian Army - leaving the
shattered rusting wreckage to lit-
ter the abandoned canyons for
hundreds of years. If this is how

Engagement

Bouchara-Sandrin

Ed and Annette Waywood of
Castlegar, are pleased to
announce the engagement of
their daughter Suzette Bouchard
to Gord Sandrin, son of Tony
and Ann Sandrin of Castlegar

The wedding will take place
August 14, 1993

we treat our B.C. heritage this is
not good enough!

Few people would suggest
that the four steel trestles (and a
similar number of beautiful stone
bridges) on the Farron Hill route
are presently suitable (without
safety modifications) for general
public use.

But surely it would not be too
difficult (or too costly) to install
appropriate safety railings, if
permission could be obtained
from the government and C.P.R
- thus establishing confined
walkways across the centre of
the trestles, which are at least 16
feet in width.

And since these trestles were
well-maintained until recently,
they should be safe for pedestri-
an use for a fair number of years
- at which time alternative
options may be readily available.

There is good reason to
believe that a considerable vol-
unteer effort - similar to that now
underway at the Okanagan end
of this historic railway - could be
put together - in order to save
this “recreational gem” from the
execution block. The “rails to
trails” concept is already receiv-
ing good support from the people
of Kelowna and Penticton.

As for myself I have travelled
this historic route on only two
occasions. The first was in
August 1955 when returning by
passenger train from a small for-
est fire near the mile-long tunnel
at Mile 52, through which our
crew had walked with flash-
lights, on the way up.

As the train slowly and surely
descended the steady grade of
the legendary Farron Hill I
remember gazing down upon the

breathtaking beauty of the Arrow
Lakes - and noting several dis-
tinct arrow-shaped sandbars jut-
ting out into the deep blue water
- and wondering if that phe-
nomenon had given the lake it’s
colourful name.

Everywhere we go there are
structures (both man-made and
natural) where people could if
careless (or determined to do so)
fall off with dire consequences.

This includes bridges, build-
ings, mountain cliffs and castles
in Britain. Surely we are not
going to be forced to dynamite
all such structures to a “level
playing field” in response to that
legalistic paranoia which has
become so prevalent in the U.S

In conclusion I urge both
the government and C.P.R. to
ensure that no such demoli-
tion occurs without a public
hearing, where residents of
Kootenay-Boundary can have
their say.

HLF. Killough
Castlegar

| More Letters BA|

Consulting

Financial Counselling
and Qoal Settii

Thursday, August 12, 1993.
Location; Fireside Motor Inn
1810 - 8th Avenue

This is your

LIBERAL PARTY OF B.c.
LEADERS!

HIP FORUM

The public is invited to meet and listen to the candidates seeking the leadership
of the B.C. Liberal Party at an all-candidates leadership debate in Castlegar on

who will Become the

to ask of the
new Premier of British Columbia following the next election!

For further information phone 368-4932
To Jom the Liberal Party of B.C. call 1-800-567-2257

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