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SS
A2 Castlégar News January \4, 1990

Local briefs |

Lake residents fined $5,000

By CasNews Staff

Two of five Lower Arrow Lake-area residents charged with
cultivation of marijuana have been fined $5,000 each in Nakusp provin-
cial court.

William and Valerie Hockman received the fines while charges again-
st Elizabet and Robert Hockman and Deborah Loring, all related, were
stayed, a Nakusp court registry spokesman said.

The five were charged last July after Nakusp RCMP, assisted by the
Nelson RCMP drug section, seized 742 plants in Edgewood with an
estimated street value of $236,000 at maturity.

Murder trial to proceed

A Fauquier man has been committed to stand trial in B.C. Supreme

Court on a charge of second-degree murder following the completion ofa

|. preliminary hearingin Nelson provincial court Jan. 10.
No date or venue has yet been set for the trial of Leo Laser, 41, who
was charged last spring in connection with the April 7 shooting death in
Fauquier of Thomas James Gordon, 33, of Calgary, a Nelson court
registry spokesman said.
Laser elected to be tried by judge and jury.

Judge reserves judgement

Aprovincial court judge reserved judgment Wednesday in the trial of
a Castlegar man charged with possession of a narcotic for the purposes of
trafficking.

John William Vigue, 32, is slated to appear in Grand Forks provincial
court Jan. 17 for the conclusion of the case.

Vigue was remanded in custody until his trial after pleading guilty to
the charge in Rossland provincial court Dec. 4.

Vigue was arrested after an operation by Castlegar RCMP, the
Nelson RCMP drug section and the Richmond RCMP drug section
recovered 100 grams of cocaine with a street value between $8,000 and
$10,000, police said at the time.

Tarrys accident nets damages

Approximately $1,100 damage was done to two vehicles involved in
an accident Wednesday at about 7:45 a.m. on Highway 3 in front of
Tarrys elementary school, Castlegar RCMP said.

A 1981 four-door Oldsmobile rear-ended a 1980 Ford pickup as the
Oldsmobile made a quick stop, police said.

Both vehicles were travelling at a low speed and were affected by icy
road conditions, the police added.

No one was injured in the accident.

Extra inspector may be needed

Central Kootenay Health Unit director Dr. Nelson Ames said the

health unit will likely need another public health inspector if the proposed
expansion of the Celgar pulp mill proceeds.

Ames told Castlegar city council last week the health unit will face
additional work because of the spinoff construct ion — especially housing
— the mill expansion is expected to generate.

The health unit is resp ible for ing-new Cc! i

‘Ames also told council he has received calls from the public won-
dering how the expansion will affect public health. Emissions from the
pulp mill, particularly the pall of smoke and fumes which hangs over the
city several times Wuring the year, has long been a focal point of public
criticism about Celgar and is one of the reasons the company must
upgrade its mill.

«)’m assured by Ministry of Environment officials that it will be alot
better than now,’’ Ames said, referring to the situation after the mill is
modernized. He said the health unit’s role in the expansion will be “an
honest broker” of factual information on the health effects of the expan-
sion.

\
NEC request to be considered
Castlegar city council’s admini: ion and finance i will
consider a request from the West Kootenay National Exhibition Centre
foragrant of $5,000 this year. Last year, the city gave the NEC $3,500.
“We do have to ask that you increase your support to a level we un-
derstand is received by other cultural groups in other communities,”” NEC
treasurer Jacqueline Hamilton told council last week
She said the perception among other funding agencies — especially
the provincial government — is that the NEC “‘is undervalued by the
city.”"

Council accepts cha llenges

Castlegar residents will compete against residents of both Revelstoke
and Trail in the 1990 Participation Challenge May 30.

Castlegar council, which had already challenged Revelstoke council,
last week accepted a challenge from Trail Mayor Marc Marcolin who wat-
ched his city lose to Castlegar last year in the annual event.

«]’m sure the city can whup Revelstoke and Trail at the same time,””
Castlegar city adntinistrator Dave Gairns said.

Year 2000
discussion

to be held

More than 200 teachers, parents,
students, trustees and supportstaff of
the Castlegar school district have been
invited to a gathering Jan. 17 to learn
more about the proposed changes to
education in B.C.

Speakers from the Ministry of
Education and the B.C. Teachers’
Federation will explain how the
changes will affect educators and
students in the future, & school district
news release says. AS well as learning,
participants will present local respon-
ses of concern and support for the
ministry’s initiatives, the release
adds.

Superintendent of schools Terry¥ Eleven of the charges resulted
Wayling says the Castlegar school yte was a parish priest
board agreed to provide teachers time Church and a teac!

sentencing.

includedin the Year 2000 Paper,

“This forum is intended to assist
teachers, trustees and students to un-
derstand more clearly the major wi
changes being proposed by the
Ministry of Education,” Wayling says
in the release. .

Some of the proposed changes
suggest that schools be organized tp boy’s family and at
offer primary, intermediate and
graduation programs, while at the
same time emphasize meeting the
needs of the learnerand recognize that
students learn at different rates and in
different styles.

These initiatives have been
developed in response to the recom-
mendations included in the royal
commission“on education which was
released in August 1988.

Both the order's regional
Superior from Toronto
neither would comment.

mpanied

fondle the boy’s genitals.

CHURCH KNEW

the incidents.

By CasNews Staff
Nelson-Creston New Democrats
will hold their nominating convention
April 8, barring a snap election call by
Premier Bill Vander Zalm, a news
release from the local NDP iati March 9-11 in Vai :
says. The constituency is entitled to 17
Wayne Peppard of. South Slocan delegates, plus new provincial council
and Corky Evans of Appledale, who rep’ We Andy Shadrack and
lost to Socred Howard Dirks in the last provincial executive member Bonnie
provincial election, have declared their Evans.
intention to seek the nomination.
Prospective candidates must declare
themselves no later than 14 days before
the convention, the news release says.
The cut-off date for memberships is
Feb. 6, 60 days before the nomination.
And to enfranchise more
the association executive is working
toward implementation of a mail-in

ballot for those who cannot attend, the
release says.

In other news, Feb. 11 has been set as
a general meeting to select delegates
for the party’s upcoming provincial

Within the local executive, Marcia
Braundy of Vallican has been elected
first - vice-president, Bill Lynch of
Kaslo is second vice-president, Klaus
Offermann of Nelson is third vice-

presidi ‘gS k of Kaslo is
fourth. Simpson of Winlaw is the
president.

Celgar repor

The socio-economic impact report
by Celgar Pulp Co. concerning its
proposed $650 million expansion con-
tinues to raise more questions than it
answers, the newly formed Coalition
for Information on the Pulp mill Ex-
pansion said last week.

“This report leaves me wondering
just how much we, as taxpayers, are
expected to contribute to ensure the
success of this mill,” Bob Lerch, a
Passmore resident and member of
CIPE’s transportation committee,
said in a news release.

In the report, Celgar says ‘‘a good

Although the entire region will
benefit from an improved road system,
the coalition says it-appears that it is
the needs of Celgar that have made
these improvements a top priority and
it is Celgar that will gain the most from
these improvements.

“No one would risk putting $650
million into any business unless they
were fairly certain that those in-
frastructure requirements would be
met,” Lerch said. ‘What we want to
know is, what are we paying as op-

. posed to what our gov‘ ‘nment has
secured in exchange for it?

Plan

consultants who will talk to the mer-
chants, residents and city officials to
pap what the city wants to see in -
the downtown area and set goals, he
said. with downtown merchants and

as the DBA receives the funding and
the strategy plan could be ready in two
or three months once the consultants
begin their work, Parkin said

pleted, the next step will be a more
detailed concept plan which sets out
the plans for the city ina more concrete
fashion, he said.

the concept plan and any work that
follows may be collected through a
taxation arrangement with the city,
Parkin said.

continued from front pege
The money will pay for the hiring of

consultants.
The consultants will be hired as soon

property owners to discuss

place.

When the strategy plan is com-

The DBA wil apply to the ministry Parkin said.

for funding for the concept plan and
the merchants’ share of the costs for

changes to the city the plans may con-
tain but he did say all types of changes
_ from beautification to alterations in
parking — will be considered by the

The DBA has been holding meetings

revitalization program since October,
a DBA news release says, and in
December approval was given to start
the process for putting @ program in

w, revitalization committee was for-
med consisting of five downtown
businessmen along with Ald. Marilyn
Mathieson as the city’s representative,

Lottery numbers

Parkin wouldn’t speculate on what

22, 41,44, 47,48, $3 and 55.

The winning numbers in. Wed-
nesday’s Lotto 6/49 draw were 2, 5,33,
35, 47 and 49. The bonus number was
‘44. The jackpot of $1,974,292.40 goes
to the holder of a single ticket bought
in Ontario. The four Extra winning
numbers for British Columbia on

Canada Safeway
Overwaitea
Shoppers
SuperValu

Ww:
Zellers ednesday were 42, 50, 83 and 84.

The winning numbers drawn Wed-
nesday in the B.C. Keno lottery were 3,

if you did not +
flyers ond would

phone our Circulation Department ot
365-7266

7,13, 14, 19, 20, 24and 38.

unofficial

The winning numbers drawn Thur-
sday in the B.C. Keno lottery were 13,

These numbers, provided by The
Canadian Press,. must be considered

transportation system 1s the key toa
competitive advantage.””

‘A third crossing of the Columbia
River at Castlegar, a new highway
from Robson to Fauquier and im-
proved regional road systems are
among the infrastructure requirements
Celgar says it needs if it wishes to com-
pete ina world market, CIPE says in
the release.

CIPE also wants to know what im-
pact the estimated 115,000 trucks an-
nually will have on the region’s road

Sit-in—

continued from front poge

However, the officials did agree to
consider negotiations with the union to
avoid similar situations in the future,
he said.

The meeting was held shortly after
the union received a fax from Kroeger
that called the union’s occupation of
the CEC ‘‘serious illegal strike ac-
tivity.”

Kristiansen questioned whether the
term ‘‘illegal”” was being applied
properly, since a declaration of illegal
strike activity must be officially made
by the Public Staff Relations Board.

The declaration that the strike was
illegal ‘“‘appears to be the opinion of
the deputy minister,”” Kristiansen said.

Steve Barnard, a management
spokesman from Vancouver, told
reporters after the meeting with union
members that the decision to apply to
the staff relations board had been ©
made and the actual application in-
volves a great deal of paperwork.

However, the sit-in was an illegal
work stoppage and the government
didn’t need to wait for the situation to
tocomply with a demand fromapolice be declared an illegal strike before
officer for a breath sample and was disciplinary action could be taken, he
fined $500 or, in default, sentenced to said.

10 days in jail, Larsen is also
prohibited from-driving for 12 mon-
ths.

Court news

In Castlegar provincial court last
week, David Frederick Charlton
pleaded guilty to being at large before
the expiration of a term of imprison-
ment, failure to comply with a
probation order, mischief, theft,
driving while prohibited and resisting
or obstructing a police officer, and was
sentenced to a variety of jail terms, to
be served concurrently. Charlton will
spend a total of three months in jail.

. oe

Allan Erling Akselson pleaded
guilty to driving with a blood-alcohol
level over .08 and was sentenced to a
21-day intermittent jail tetm. Akselson
will be on probation while not in
custody.

°

.
Jack Larsen pleaded guilty to failing

The protesters were told they might
face ‘‘forcible removal” Friday mor-
ning if they did not end the occupation:
and return to work, union leaders said
‘Thursday night.

But all was quiet at the centre Friday
morning.

. . .
Virginia Cartmell pleaded

driving without due care and attention
and was fined $100.

‘The priest blushed deeply as circumstances surroun-
ding the charges were read aloud to the court. But he sat ex-
pressionless in the docket with his head slightly bowed,
resting his chin on one hand and watching the judge.

her at two high schools. The other offen-
to become familiar with the proposals ces tookplacein and near Radium, B.C.

The incidents — which took place between 1962 and
1982 — involved boys between 1lvand 17 who were altar
boys,church members or Whyte’s students.
fiyte is a member af the order of Basilian Fathers.

Court heard that, in most cases, ‘Whyte befriended a
t some point invited him on an overnight
excursion to British Columbia or to sleep over at the rec-
tory. The two would sleep in the same bed and he would

In some cases he asked the boys to pull down their pan-
tsand underwear so he could see how they were developing.

Court heard that few of the boys told their parents of
One mother alerted the church in 1977. Whyte was

sent to a treatment centre in Toronto for five months, but
returned to Calgary. He moved back to Toronto per-

elderly.

leader, a mort
from incidents in
at St. Pius Catholic

deliberate.’”

ve and the Father

him, to court, but

assaults.

munity.

IN THE RUNNING . . . Corky Evans (left) and Wa"

defenceless position,
He called for a stiff sentence
‘predatory in nature. The offen

Several young men in
troom cried as the charges were read.

One woman, the grandmother of one of the men, said
toreporters outside court: «*Hjust makes me sick."

Defence lawyer Noel O’Brien asked for a short jail
termalong with probation.

He said Whyte has shown & great deal of remorse and is
willing to continue therapy. He also said the priest’s con-
duct was ‘‘at the lower end of the spectrum of er

O’Brien said man
priests characterized him as &

Priest Whyte
to be sentenced

CALGARY (CP) — A Roman Catholic priest who
once explained his actions by saying God forgives all sin-
ners is to be sentenced next week on 18 counts of indecent
assault and one charge of attempted indecent assault.

Rev. Robert Whyte, 68, entered the guilty plea Friday
in provincial court, where hé is to appeanmext Thursday for

Crown lawyer Harold Hagglund said another mother
confronted Whyte and asked how he could say mass with a
clear conscience. The priest replied he went to confession
and that ‘‘The Lord forgives all sinners.””

Hagglund said the crimes were particularly offensive
because the boys trusted and respected Whyte.

“11's bad enough being molested by an adult, but to be
molested by @ priest — who is seen as & teacher, spiritual

guide — put the child in an even more

said Hagglund.

eppard have

yn
again declared their intentions to seek the NDP nomination in the

on-Creston riding.

t questioned

system and if there will be an increase
in individual ICBC
premiums.

“Discussions with the Department
of Transportation and Highways have
not answered this question,” Winlaw
resident apd CIPE transportation
committee member Craig Lawrence
said. ‘There is no mention in this
report of how this extra trucking may
effect tourism or how highway safety
may be compromised.””

Lawrence noted that last winter in
the Slocan Valley a chip truck lost con-
trol colliding with four passenger cars
and narrowly missed hitting a school
bus full of children.

Health

insurance

“Can we anticipate an increase in
such occurrences when truck traffic in-
creases by 180 per cent? There is no
mention in this report of the impacts
this project will have on the Kootenays
asa whole,’’ Lerch said. “This mill will
affect more than just Castlegar.’”
» CIPE also questions why the
railroad is no longer being used to haul
chips to Celgar

“<The railroad stopped hauling chips
in the spring of 1988 and truck traffic
increased to fill the vacuum,”” Lawren-
ce said. **Whatever the reasons, the
loss of rail service to the mill has
created the trucking concerns we are
dealing with today.

continued from front pege

ticulates (TSPs) are 120 micrograms
per cubic metre over a 24-hour period
and 70 micrograms per cubic metre for
a one-year period. A microgram is a
measure of weight equalling one-
millionth of agram.

He said particulate concentrations
near forest fires have exceeded 1,000
micrograms per cubic metre in 24-hour
samples but only rarely have such
levels been measured in residential
communities.

Also present in wood smoke are
chemicals known as P¥
hydrocarbons (PAHSs,), including
benzo(a)pyrene which Vedal said has
been shown to cause cancer,

He said no lower limits have been set
beyond which exposure to the
chemical is no longer considered a
threat to health. However, Vedab
noted that Washington state has set its
24-hour standard for the chemical at
an extremely minute quantity which he
said has been'exceeded in measuremen-
tstaken around Cranbrook

The chemicals and particles together
increase ‘the likelihood of adverse
health effects because the particles can
theoretically increase the deposits of
the chemicals in the lungs.

“PAHs and particles together are
more dangerous than each other
alone,’’ Vedal said.

Responding to questions from the
regional district directors, Vedal said
the Ministry of Health is “tone option’*
as a source of funding to undertake &

SVERRE VEDAL
. .. outlines risks

study on.the effects of wood smoke on
public health.

“They (ministry officials) have €x-
pressed an® interest-in-doing—it_for
several communities but nothing 's
firm yet,’’ he said

Meanwhile, the board referred back
to its newly formed air quality commit-
tee proposed terms of reference for the
committee.

Board chairman George Cady said
the regional district had received @
resporise from the Ministry of Forests
requesting that the RDCK “‘fine tune’’
the terms of reference:

yo onligri ete emARTN we

riefly

manently in 1982 where he worked with the poor and the

because the assaults were
ces were all planned and

their early 20s sitting in the cour-

y of Whyte’s friends and féllow
kind and gentle man, He read
several letters of reference, including one from one of the
boy’s parents who said they have forgiven Whyte.

“His ministry has touched the lives of many persons
who support him despite the allegations against him,” said
O'Brien. ‘‘It is not for the court to ignore that the accused
in fact has done some good as wellas the bad.’”

But*Hagglund said the priest fooled the entire com-

Chretien would keep free trade

TORONTO (CP) — Jean Chretien says he wouldn't necessarily tear
up the free trade deal if he were prime minister.

The former federal cabinet minister told Feporters at @ Liberal party
reception Friday he would renegotiate the deal if he were to lead the
Liberals to victory in the next federal election.

“In three years’ time, We will see what has been the devastation and
accordingly, go tothe Americans and repair what isno good.

** And if there are some parts of it that are good, we keep it."’

Wilson snubstabor, business

OTTAWA (CP) — Finance Minister Michael Wilson has told
business, labor and social groups he’s too busy to meet them to get their
views on what should be in this year’s budget.

Wilson spokesman Janice Charette said Friday work on the
proposed federal sales'tax has left Wilson without time for the routine pre-
budget consultations.

John Bulloch, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent
Business, said Wilson is simply trying to avoid his critics on issues such as
the seven-per-cent goods and services tax and high interest rates.

Ballards in court again

TORONTO (CP) — ‘The daughter of hockey millionaire Harold
Ballard won a court order Friday that effectively shuts his long-time com-
panion Yolanda Ballard out of decisions ‘about the care he receives ata
Miami hospital.

Under the 30-day order, Miami lawyer Paul Cowan has been appoin-
ted guardian in charge of Ballard’s care and safety when his three children
aren’t there.

«]’mconcerned that he gets good care and that his safety is ensured. 1
think it’s time the family took this kind of action,” Ballard’s daughter,
Mary Elizabeth Flynn, said after returning to Toronto from Miami.

Plant gets reviewed anyway

VICTORIA (CP) — A federal-provincial panel has been appointed
to review the impact ef a proposed ferrochromium plant in Port Hardy,
on Vancouver Island.

Vancouver lawyer Brian William will chair the three-member panel
to determine the social and environmental effects of the plant.

The ferrochromium plant was to have in the Nanaimo
area. An initial assessment of the project resul ‘oval
and loans were offered by both the federal and

However, local demands for an enviro!

study prompted the New Jersey-based own

proposal to Port Hardy. ‘When it appeared civic official

the project with open arms, Port Hardy residents also ded impact

Reward
for
service

10 for Mike Kur
year Sharon K

VILNIUS (CP) — Soviet President

Mikhail Gorbachev pleaded with

separatists today to give his reforms a

chance during a meeting with

Lithuanian Communists pushing for
d

studies. -

The panel now will conduct public hearings before deciding whether
the $45 million plant is acceptable. Ferrochromium is used in the produc-
tion of stainless steel.

B.C. film industry gets boost

VICTORIA (CP) — The prdvincial government is spending gis
million over the next three years on the development of British Columbia
films.
The money is coming from the B.C. Lottery Fund and is part ofa
program that began in 1987 when the B.C. Film Society was created.

The society spends up to $5 million a year providing grants oF loans
for films or tel projects originated by British C b

Money from other organizations helped boost the value of B.C
productions to $30 million in 1989 — compared with $1 million in 1986.

Telefilm Canada alone provided $12 million in investment money
last year.

Heart patient may go south

VANCOUVER (CP) — Provincial health officials are scheduled to
goto Seattle on Monday to see if they cat make a deal with U.S. hospitals
o clear up British Columbia's backlog of hear patients.

Officials admitted Friday their talks will focus on volume discount
prices

SL don’t like the term but that’s the idea,”” said Robin Hutchinson,
senior medical consultant for the B.C. Health Ministry

Czechs to make history in June

PRAGUE (Reuter-AP) — Czechoslovakia will hold its first free elec-
tion in more than 40 years in June and the opposition Civic Forum said
Friday it will play a pivotalrole

The movement said it will back a list of candidates for the June 8 vote
even though it isn’ta political party and doesn’t intend to become one

The decision means Civic Forum, the biggest “and best-organized
group in the country among dozens of small fledgling parties, is ina
position to influence the outcome of the vote fora federal parliament

Modrow scraps police plan

EAST BERLIN (Reuter) — Aft@ a week of virulent protest in
parliament and on the streets, East Gerimany’s Communist leader Hans
Modrow has conceded the first major defeat of his two-month-old
premiership.

Rebellious coalition partners and a distrustful opposition forced him
to scrap plans for a new security police Friday — 24 hours after he insisted
such a force was vital «

“Before May 6, there will be no new security services,"” Modrow told
parliament in a promise to hold back his plans until the country’s first free
elections.

Army controls Timisoara

BUCHAREST (cP) — Romania’s army has taken over
provisionally in Timisoara after all the local leaders of the ruling National
Salvation Front council resigned, the official Rompres news agency said.

Gen. Gheorge Popescu, commander of the military zone of Timis,
western Romania, announced that he has taken charge until a new
regional council of the front could be elected. The general said the election
was expected some time next week

The front took power in Romania on Dec. 22. as Communist dictator
Nicolae Ctausescu fled in the face of mass protests which began in the
Transylvanian town of Timisoara where thousands were killed.

Ceausescu and his wife were captured and executed on Christmas
Day.

Industry says ruling critical

VANCOUVER (CP) — Cedar shake and shingle manufacturers ¢x-
pect to wail until at least Tuesday fora federal court decision on @ Los
Angeles city ban against wood roofs.

Federal Court Judge Robert Takasugi said in December that he
would rule on oF about Jan. |l onan industry court challenge of the.city
ordinance. . :

The ordinance prohibits construction of new wood roofs or repairs
to more than 10 per cent of existing roofs.

City council passed the ordinance in July 1989 after city fire offietals
blamed burning wind-borne shakes for spreading brush fires among
homes in canyon areas.

The industry has raised technical arguments agaipst the ban, which it

more if other cities adopt prohibitions

eof their Baltic republic.
“You criticize yesterday's policies
and yesterday's situation, but it is not
yesterday,” Gorbachev told a meeting
of the Central Committee of the
Lithuanian Communist party which
bolted last month to separate from
Moscow.

Gorbachev said in @ sometimes
pleading, sometimes lecturing address
in Vilnius, the republic’s capital, that
Lithuania’s separation could weaker
the. process of perestroika — his
program of economic and political
reform

“Our society has changed
drastically and we are in front of the
most dramatic changes,” Gorbachev
said.

He asked Lithuanian nationalists,
who until now have been among Gor-
bachev’s strongest supporters: “What
is your place when the.country 1s living
through such difficult times?”

Only a united and peaceful ap-
proach in support of perestroika can
ead the Soviet Union out of its presen=
tsituation,”” hesaid.

Gorbachev said there 1s “deep
anxiety all over the country”” about the
Lithuanian party’s decision, and con-
demned ‘‘dangerous isolationist tren-
dns."” “

Lithuanian speakers at the meeting
were adamant about their demand for
independence.

“We made our choice,”” deputy
Lithuanian’ premier Kasimiera Prun-
skiene told a meeting of the Lithuanian
party’s Central Committee, attended
by Gorbachev, Gorbachev's wife
Raisa and other Moscow party of-
ficials in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania

The Lithuanian party split from
Moscow last month and declared its
willingness to lead the republic to in-

940, Josef Stalin ab-
sorbed Lithuania and the two other
Baltic states, Estonia and Latvia, un-
der asecret deal with Nazi Germany:

Prunskiené said Lithuanian Com-

republics on the basis of a free
market.”” 4

BELGRADE (CP) .— Visitors to
Albania returning to Yugoslavia have
reported no indications that @ state of
emergency has been declared in the
tiny hardline Communist state on the
Adriatic coast, the official Yugoslav
news agency Tanjug said

On Friday the agency, citing
“reliable sources,’’ said Albanian
‘authorities had declared a state of
emergency to forestall demonstrations
by protestors.

However, travellers
Albania’s northern frontier at Bozaje.
questioned by Tanjug, said there were
no visible signs of a'state of emergen

crossing

oy : .

Albanian police were making More
stringent checks of vehicles travelling
from the town of Skhoder, inthe north

estimates would cost mills as much as $75 million a year in business and

of the country, t0 the Yugoslay fron
tier, and passport controls.at the fron:
tier were stricter P

The Castlegar unit of the

rr
presented Kurnoff with a his
the plaque with Kurnoff is his

orbac

munists favor “a free confederation of ©

C. and Yukon Heart F

Jarvary 14, 1990

held an appreciation night Jan.

chairman of the local Heart Foundation for the last four
nting the B.C. and Yukon Heart Foundation,
es A renee ibaa tyseet

Prunskiene said she supported the
party split because she couldn’t work
in a party that no one in Lithuania
respected.

On Friday, Soviet Foreign Ministry
spokesman Gennady Gerasimov ‘said
Gorbachev's answer to the split in par-

iss -

tion and

‘ Holding

hev asks for a chance

recognize the realities of the world
today, it might just come off,”” said
Moscow sovietologist Dev Murarka
Gorbachev has faced ethnic turmoil
‘and other domestic problems as @
result of his program of, social and
policial reform, but Lithuania’s in-

that we split, but it’s the reality.””
Vladimir Kucharov, one of

breakup, blamed the split on

Sajudis.

ty. ranks is ‘‘dialogue d
dialogue.”
FREE PARTNERS
For two years since nationalist
problems began toemerge as one of the
main obstacles to his perestroika
reform program, Gorbachev has been
speaking of @ federation of free par-
tners to replace rule from the Kremlin.
“It is a gamble, but if he plays his
cards right and if the nationalists

: 1 is probably the
most serious crisis during his five years
in power

B.K. Yemelyanov, editor of the
Russian language newspaper Soviet-
skaya Litba — Soviet Lithuania —
said today that before the split, the
Lithuanian party was discredited.

“Today we feel the people trust us
and the party acquires authority.””
Lithuanians, he said, were tired of talk

Kucharov said.

Court bid fails,

Via

OTTAWA (CP) — Major cuts to the Via Rail network
will proceed Monday after a last-8asP bid to ward them off

failed Friday in Federal Court

But Justice Paul Rouleau, who ruled it is within the
government's authority to order the cuts, said in a personal
aside that he, ‘like most C anadians,”” was saddened by the

cuts

And the reaction from the people tr

cuts was: expectedly grim

vsy'm afraid we're going to start to see the gradual
demise of our rails starting Sunday night and ending
Tuesday midnight," said New Democrat MP lain Angus.

one of the parties in the hearing

He and others did not know whether there would be an
appeal, but lawyer Lawrence Greenspon indicated’ it is

doubtful.

Public demonstrations against the cuts are planned in

several cities this weeke

The ruling means the government can proceed with its
plan to cut 18 of 38 Via trains, starting Monday, and
eliminate more than 2,700 jobs with the federally-owned

railcorporation
Meanwhile in Vancouver,

couver Island

The B.C. Supreme Court ruled last month the federal

ying to prevent the

the British Columbia
government wonits bid to maintain the northern half of the
Esquimalt and Nanaimo passenger rail service on Van?”

cuts ago

Nanaimo to Courtenay had no such protection.

But Chief Justice William Esson ruled Friday that the

extension to Courtenay should also stay open

tions.

duity to maintain the passenger rail service

tat Justice Rouleau disagreed. He said there was 10

basis in law for reversing the cuts and that the Nati
Transportation Act gave cabinet the power toact

In a personal aside to his judgment, he said: “*Like
most Canadians I find it somewhat sad to see this turn of

events but if our government deems it necessary.

deems it necessary.”

and bus traffic
A study released by

would have little effect on the environment

government had a constitutional obligation to preserve the dismissed the sttidy as foo narrow

But these measures “cannot be
taken asa sign that the authorities have
imposed exceptional security measures
in this part of the country,”” Tanjus
said

The agency said it has ‘not received
confirmation from other sources 1n
‘Albania that anything out of the or
dinary was happening there."”

CLOSETO BORDER

A& demonstration was reported to
have taken place in late, December at
Skhoder, a town of 60,000 inhabitants
close to the border with Yugoslavia

A. senior Albanian
however, denied the accounts

Tanjug and Belgrade television said
Friday ‘something is apparently hap
pening’’ over the border in Albania
and that authorities hed taken
‘Gri easures against dissent
The reports id not elaborate

official,

Albania smouldering

* The news agency did not attribute its Foto Cami, a member of Albania’s “>
ruling Commungst party Politburo.
rejected recent reports in Y ugoslav,
Greek and other foreign news media ot
rare unrest in his country as “slander"’ and

information. Belgrade television cited
unconfirmed reports from diplomats
and travellers from Albania, who are

Milisav~Milic, a reporter for
Belgrade TV in Yugoslavia’s southern
province that borders
Albania, told The Associated Press on
Friday the ‘*frequent sound of firear-
ms’” was heard that day from the direc
tion of Albania

Milic, in a telephone interview,
quoted an ethnic Albanian returning
home to Kosovo from Albania as
saving demonstrations took place in

“anti- Albanian inventions -*

Koso with) Albanian state radio
Albanian news agency

monitored in Vienna, Austria

leaders lost power last year

Stalinism in Eastern Europe

the towns of Durres, Shkoder and

The witness also was quoted as
saying leaflets ‘by “dissatisfied
‘Ajbanian-military_officers’” appear ed
in Tirana, the capital. No details of

thier contents were available tries in the region

and empty dogmas. “It is not good

Moscow loyalists who opposed the
Lithuanian nationalist movement

“Not so long ago, Sajudis was
blackening the party. Now it works
together with the new party,”"

He said that because of Sajudis,
people who oppose Lithuania in-
dependence are afraid to speak up for
fear of losing their jobs. ‘They are
blowing smoke into your eyes when
they speak of a federation — what they.
want isto break up the Soviet Union.”

route between Victoria and Nanaimo but that the leg from

Angus and the environmental group ‘Greenpeace were
seeking an injunction against the cuts on several grounds,
including claims the federal government had not done a
proper environmental study of the impact of route reduc-

‘At the same time, a second group of municipalities and
interest groups argued the government had a constitutional

onal

Martin Mason, lawyer for the Angus-Greenpeace
alliance, said the government did not sufficiently study the
environmental effects of the cuts — such as increased car

Transport Minister Benoit
Bouchard — who announced the route reductions in Oc-
tober, saying the trains are underused — concluded the cuts
Mason

His remarks came in an interview

®
television, carried by the official
ATA and

Most of the east bloc’s hard-line

Albania Is viewed as the last bastion of

Some western analysts see it as the
Korcha ‘‘the last couple of days."" next country to undergo radica!
change, but its isolation and sm all
population of three million are amo?
the factors that make Albania dit
Terent from other Communist coun