tive Library.
ldgs.-.

501 Belleville

Feb. 28.)

Hockey ~
Weekend

Castlegar Minor Hoc-
key Association is
holding its annual Minor
Hockey Weekend

++. photos BI

6-49 draw were 24, 26, 29, 40, 44
bonus number was

Provincial lottery draw is 4996379.

The six winning numbers in Saturday's Lotto

The $500,000 winning number in Friday's

and 46. The

en

Vol. 39, No. 8

CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 1986

weatuerncast KOKANEE CREEK
Basson senten

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Outlook is
Mondoy

Sunny with cloudy periods
today, tog ill per

2 Sections (A & B)

BURNS NIGHT . . . Piper Keith Langhorn helps pipe in
the haggis during Robbie Burns Night celebration at
the Royal Canadian Legion Friday night. A sell-out

crowd joined in the annual celebrations in honor of
the famous Scottish poet

Costiews Photo by Doug Horvey

The former senior loans officer of the
Bank of I's C ial Bank-

would be inclined to impose a sentence
greater than two years less a day,” the

he added that he was not

ing Unit was sentenced in Castlegar
provincial court Thursday to two years
less a day for ling more than

prepared to go against the advice of
Crown counsel Bill Heflin who had ree-
ded the

$84,000 from the bank over a four-year

Steven Frederick Basson, 40, had

guilty Nov. 26 after admitting

he defrauded the bank of the money by

setting up and maintaining a number of

phony loans and accounts from 1961 to
1986.

He was arrested Nov. 8 and charged
with one count of criminal breach of
trust and one count of fraud.

Basson faced a maximum sentence of
14 years for breach of trust and 10
years for fraud.

In passing sentence, Judge S.W.
Enderton said, “I'm satisfied that
deterrence to the accused is not neces
sary in this situation (and that) a
lengthy period of inearceration is not
necessary to bill him.”

i

z

punishment

Heflin pointed out that Basson, who
sat impassively throughout the pro
ceedings, was in a position of trust.

“What it actually ends up being is 2
theft from the community at large.”
Heflin said.

He said financial institutions end up

Enderton said his main concern was
to impose a sentence that would deter
others in a position of trust from
committing similar crimes.

“Because of the protracted period
ovér which the crimes took place, I

BURN WOOD WASTE

their losses in cases such as
this by increasing various service
charges to their customers.

“It ends up affecting all of us,” Heflin
said.

In information given to the court, it
was revealed Basson, in his capacity as

|

tl

Ministry gives permission

By CasNews Staff

B.C.'s environment ministry has
given Meadow Creek Cedar permission
to burn wood waste that will release a
small amount of lethal dioxins into the
atmosphere.

Regional director for the ministry.
Dennis McDonald, said Friday the
permission was given to the Kaslo-area
mill because the amount of dioxins
released will not be dangerous

However, McDonald said the burn
ing won't take place until after a public
meeting to discuss the issue Monday at
the Lardeau Valley Community Hall

He said “it's possible but fairly
unlikely” that the ministry will reverse
its decision “unless some dramatic new
technological evidence changes the
evaluation of the risk in allowing the
burning.”

About 30,000 cubic
wood was i

metres of waste
d jast fall after

SPORTS GROUPS

By CHERYL CALDERBANK
Staff Writer

Liability insurance for some amateur sports groups
across Canada have skyrocketed. But some groups have
been luckier than others.

Groups like golf clubs, ski resorts, hockey arenas and
riding academies are just a few of those finding their
it pr climbing dr ly — if they can
get coverage. School boards have also been caught in the
same bind.

‘The problem originates in Europe where most North
American liability insurance is financed. But Europeans

ATURE REPOR

don't have the same difficulty at home, since their laws
place the onus of risk on sports participants, not sponsors
or staging organizations

‘Amateur sports associations have no difficulty
getting insurance that covers medical expenses of injured
participants. But without so-called participant liability
insurance, the associations, their officials and volunteer
workers such as coaches are virtually unprotected from
being sued if an athlete in their charge is injured or
maimed

Pate Metge, director of the Castlegar Recreation
Department, says liability insurance is definitely a
concern among sports and recreation people.

In fact, the West Kootenay Recreation Association is
planning a seminar on liability insurance in February or
March

The Regional District of Central Kootenay carries
liability insurance which covers both Pioneer Arena and

Insurance a problem

the Community Complex in Castlegar

When the RDCK renewed its insurance policy last
August its total insurance package premiums jumped to
$64,000 from $18,000 — a 300 per cent increase. However
deductibles were held at $1,000

Regional district administrator Reid Henderson says
the problem of skyrocketing insurance stems from the
fact that the number of insurance companies offering
coverage has shrunk. At one time there were between
four and six insurance companies and as many as 24
re-insurance companies. But no longer

“Reinsurers in Europe are saying. ‘We don’t know
what's happening in North America for court settle
ments.” In addition, there is more demand from groups
for insurance coverage, because of court settlements.

“The risk is there,” said Henderson. It's a case of
demand exceeding supply.”

The regional district carries $5 million liability
insurance. What prompted the RDCK to go beyond $1
million was a case in Prince George where the school
district there was successfully sued for more than $1
million

But liability for the regional district goes far beyond
ice arenas. In addition the RDCK has six water systems,
numerous fire departments, building inspection staff, as
well refuse disposal systems. The RDCK funds three or
four ice arenas, as well as running the Nelson and District
Aquatic Centre.

“The area of potential risk is very
Henderson.

The regional district has never had any claims over
$100,000, but there have been minor claims, says

wide,” says

continued on page A3

Cominco
confirms
closure

By CasNews Stafi

Comineo Ltd. has confirmed last
fall's announcement that it will shut
down its Trail metals and fertilizer
operations this August.

A news release from the company
says Comineo will continue to operate
until July 27 and then shut down for
four weeks.

The original notice in October said if
market conditions worsened Cominco
would change its plans.

This week's notice says metal mar
ket conditions have stabilized, although
at a lower level than three months ago

Meanwhile, Cominco intends to ask
the federal government for an ex
tension of the original 90-day deadline
for acceptance of the government's of
fer to buy $69 million worth of pre
ferred Cominco shares to assist the
company with modernization of its lead
smelter.

Cominco wants the extension while it
continues negotiations with the pro
vineial government on water license
fees.

1d on page AS

workers at Meadow Creek Cedar
sprayed chlorophenols on the wood as &
preservative.

When burned, chlorophenols give off
dioxins.

McDonald said “no more than @
tablespoonful” of chlorophenols was
sprayed on the wood because the
chemical was diluted in a 100-1 ratio
before it was used.

He said that under waste

danger to the environment.
McDonald said the concentration of

25 parts per million.
“It's closer to two or three parts per
billion,” he said.

now before the government, a concen
tration of 25 parts per million of chlor
ophenols in wood waste would have to
be reached before the wood is classified
as a “special waste” that poses

distributed evenly, McDonald said.

“All we can say is the worst level of
concentration is far below what is
considered a safe level.”

Foreign student policy
receives criticism

By CasNews Staff

Selkirk College board agreed this
week to begin accepting foreign stu
dents. But the move was met with
some criticism by the Selkirk College
Student Society.

Society representative Derek Todd
told the board at a meeting Tuesday
that the college is trying to attract
“wealthy foreign students” while some
local students can't afford a college
education.

Todd pointed out that government
aid to students has decreased.

As well, he questioned the move to
attract international students when the
province has asked that foreign stu-
dents will no longer be eligible for B.C.
Medical Association benefits.

But board chairman Jack Colbert
told Todd the registration of five
foreign students will create enough
revenue to accommodate one local stu
dent

The new college policy states that
the college will give priority to Can.
adian students, but may admit inter
national students if:

@ they are sponsored through an
inter-governmental agreement,

@ have won an academic competition;

have landed immigrant status;

are dependants of persons who are
in Canada as citiziens, permanent
residents, landed immigrants or hold
ers of a work visa;

© are sponsored through an inter
institutional student exchange pro

gram. These students would pay
regular tuition fees.

Students attending under a student
visa and those under a separate
contract between Canada and a foreign
government will pay between $4,000
and $5,000 a year for tuition — about
five times the regular cost of tuition.
Taxpayers will not be subsidizing the

education of foreign students, the

board said.

Meanwhile, plans are progressing for
the recruitment of international stu-
dents.

College principal Leo Perra reported
that brochures have been prepared to
attract students for the English’ as a
Second Language and University
Transfer programs from Japan, Korea
and Hong Kong.

Perra said arrangements have been
made to meet with representatives of
post-secondary institutions and travel
agencies in Japan and Korea.

The college will also participate with
other colleges in a proposal to be sub-
mitted to the Malaysian government.
That government wants to place
Malaysian students in colleges which
operate an Enterprise Development
Centre. The objective is to develop
entrepreneurs for Malaysia.

In other news, reports
indicate that the current year is
“extremely tight” for the college.

College bursar Dale Schatz reported
that a number of areas are now
showing signs of being over budget

continued on poge A3