Legislative Library, Bb. Parliaments Victoria, Cc. Bes 501 Belleville St Febi 28 Norman's predictions CasNews editor Ron Norman makes his predictions for 1988. . . a4 Premier warned Author David Mitchell says Premier Bill Van- derzalm risks losing everything with his one- man style of governing . AS LOTTERY NUMBERS he winning numbers in Saturday's Lotto 6/49 draw were 17, 20, 31, 38, 39 and 49. The bonus number was 34. The $500,000 winning number in Friday's Provincial lottery draw is 4369537. ~Th battle J numbers drawn Friday in the Lot- lottery were 3, 14, 27, 34, 43, 44, to West/The Pi 52 and 54. Ex-Rebels in Vernon Three ex-Castlegar Rebels, including Darcy Martini, are helping the BCJHL's Vernon Lakers 1 Sunday Vol. 41,No, 1 \WA Castlegar 60 Cents CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 1988 WEATHERCAST Cloudy with sunny periods today and a few snowtlakes. Highs near 3. Outlook for Monday is little change. Chance of precipitation is near tero through Mondby 2 Sections (A & B) Family escapes house fire FIRE AFTERMATH . . . Rosemary Condy (above) was on scene Saturday afternoon to inspect damage to home in New Year's Eve fire. Tony Goulart (left) and John Hall retrieve serial number of car destroyed in blaze. Police By RON SUDLOW Canadian Pres: 6 BURNABY, B.C. — Police are hunt fugitives “Very few of them are from Burnaby. Many are from smaller towns and don't have that many friends so on the V: area in calls them in to Crime their hunt for nine fugitives after the biggest jailbreak from the Lower Mainland Regional Correctional centre, a rundown prison known as Oakalla. RCMP Staff Sgt. Gary Schauer said Saturday police believe most of the men, sentenced or awaiting trial for crimes ranging from robbery to murder, are west of the Fraser Valley community of Chilliwack. Schauer also said he expects tips from the public will send most of them back to the 76-year-old facility that was the scene of several disturbances during the last two months. “The public is pretty well aware they're out there. They will be pro- viding tips and we will be following up on those tips. That's usually how these people are rpeaptured. “There's people out there who know some Of these guys. They'll call and say they're sitting in some bar or restaurant and we'll pick them up. stoppers (a police tip line that offers anonymity).” HAD HEAD START Three of the 13 escapers, whose New Year's Day breakout with a makeshift knife went unnoticed for 21 minutes, were recaptured Friday in a New Westminster beer parlor. They had one round of drinks before police burst in. Another facing a charge of first degree murder was picked up at his parents’ home in Chilliwack, 100 kilo- metres east of here. He offered no resistance. The prisoners escaped from the provincial prison's segregation unit only 50 minutes into New Year's Day when they overpowered a guard and took his keys. Police said those still at large are considered armed and dangerous. There were no injuries in the breakout. Two, of the inmates had previously escaped from Oakalla which is located in a residential area and near a large shopping mall Three escapers accosted a young Burnaby couple warming up their car in a parking lot “They pulled me out of the car,” said Colleen Cockerly, 21. “My husband Kevin put up a big of a fight and got punched in the face.” VEHICLES FOUND The couple's car was recovered Friday in nearby Surrey along with two sets of green prison clothes. A pickup truck stolen near the prison was found abandoned in the Vancouver bedroom community of North Delta but police could not confirm it was used by escapers. The fugitives were among those being confined in a below-ground con. crete isolation unit after a disturbance that caused an estimated $500,000 damage to cells. “['m——very_ troubled about the escape,” said Bernard Robinson. B.C.'s commissioner of corrections. By RON NORMAN Editor The year 1987 ended in near-trag- edy for a Castlegar family of four after their home was gutted by fire on New Year's Eve. Rosemary Condy was at home with her three children, Beth, 8, Alex, 6, and Angela, 4, and was babysitting 20-month-old niece Kristen Webb and eight-year-old nephew David Condy when she smelled smoke. "It started at 10:30 p.m.,” Condy told the Castlegar News in an inter. view Saturday afternoon outside the blackened remains of her home at 762 10th Ave. “I was trying to decide to go to bed or not.” Condy said she was watching TV when she smelled smoke and got up to cheek the upstairs bedrooms, where her niece and nephew were sleeping. She. then checked her three children in their rooms downstairs. On her way back to the TV something caught her eye. “I seen reflections of something through the dining room window and I looked out and my garage was on fire.” Condy said flames were shooting out of the garage. “It was pretty well underway.” FREE TRADE Condy said she immediately ran downstairs to wake up her three children and then raced upstairs to grab her niece and nephew. She herded the youngsters outside onto the front lawn where they were safe before calling the Castlegar volun teet fire department. The fire swept quickly through the house and Condy said later she was lucky she hadn't gone to bed. “The firemen said if I had gone to bed and gone to sleep I never would have gotten out alive.” Assistant fire chief Theron Isfeld applaudéd Condy’s “cool thinking.” “We're‘actually quite proud of her action,” Isfeld said in an interview. He said cause of the fire is un known. Castlegar RCMP said Saturday there is no indication the fire was caused by arson. Isfeld said the call came into the hall at 10:50 p.m. and 13 men and two pumpers from the north firehall responded. Fire Chief Bob Mann was out of town and Isfeld was working at the time, so Capt. Dick Dunlop coordinated firefighting. Isfeld said the crews responded in about five minutes, which he said is “very good”. He also called the blaze, which took some time to put out, “stubborn.” The Condy family is staying at a neighbor's home while they work out a more permanent arrangement. Condy said her children were frightened by the fire and are “very concerned right now. They don’t have a home and don’ t know where they're going to liv A single parent, Condy also said the children lost all of their clothing and Christmas presents in the blaze. “We did manage to save a Popple for her son, Condy said. As well, the Cabbage Patch dolls her daughters were given for Christmas were sal- vaged. “I think they're going to be fine,” Condy said. However, the 15 birds she kept, one kitten and one tank of tropical fish were killed in thé fire. “But we got out, that’s the main thing,” Condy emphasized. Friends, relatives and neighbors helped the family retrieve any items not ruined in the fire. In addition, residents were dropping off toys, clothing and donations for the family on Saturday Mulroney inks pact By TIM NAUMETZ Canadian Press OTTAWA — Prime Minister Brian Mulroney has promised to push legis- lation for his free-trade deal with the United States into the Commons as soon as possible. But minutes after Mulroney and U.S. President Ronald Reagan sep- arately signed the agreement Sat urday, New Democrat Leader Ed Broadbent declared his party will do all it can to stall the deal in Parliament and force an election. And Liberal Leader John Turner, responding to the official signing before it took place, said in Toronto: “We intend to fight it every inch of the way.” Mulroney signed the agreement in his Parliament Hill office before more than three dozen photographers, tele vision cameramen and reporters. He made a brief statement, first in French and then in English, calling the ceremony a “note of hope” and con fidence for 1988. Reagan signed the deal in private at Palm Springs, where he was ehding a New Year's vacation, but said. in his regular weekend radio address to the nation that the agreement is a “win-win situation for both countries” that will create jobs and lower consumer prices. No New Year baby By CasNews Staff Castlegar still doesn't have a New Year's baby. At this point, the Castlegar and District Hospital say a New Year's birth isn't even expected soon. Last year's New Year's baby arrived a little late too. Lisa Letnick was born to Dale and Robert Letnick of Pass Creek on Jan. 3, 1987. BRIAN MULRONEY _ will push pact The agreement, reached in early October, must still be ratified by the U.S. Congress. Legislation must also pass the Canadian Commons and Senate. Mulroney refused to answer ques tions about the agreement after signing two copies, one in English and one in French. He responded only to a question about a telephone conversation heshad with Reagan shortly before the cere mony, saying Reagan had expressed pleasure with the deal and that the call was “very pleasant and agreeable.” DRAFTING LAW In his remarks, the prime minister said his government has already begun drafting legislation for the pact and he urged Reagan on the telephone to draft U.S. law as soon as possible. Mulroney aides did not allow newspaper photographers to take pic tures while YY was call to excellence, with an affirmation of our competitive spirit,” Mulroney said. “We look to a new century with faith in our youth, faith in our country and faith in our future together as Canadians.” The prime minister echoed Rea- gan’s comments-that the agreement to end all tariffs between Canada and the United States in 10 years will benefit both countries. “We have negotiated this agree- ment on terms that uphold the national interest and strengthen the unique fabric of Canadian society,” he argued, But Broadbent told reporters later that the agreement is being rammed down the country’s throat and will harm Canadians. He said Mulroney has no mandate from the 1984 election campaign to go ahead with the agreement and accused the prime minister of smothering debate about it. While acknowledging that Mul roney is unlikely to call an election soon because of his party's low standing in public opinion polls, he said he would relish a campaign battle soon. “We will be opposing (the) legis lation right down the route, all the way,” Broadbent said. “I say to Mr. Mulroney, let him go to the people of Canada and let them decide.” Broadbent also came close to giving the Liberal-dominated “Senate his blessing if it’should decide to block the legislation “I think the Senate is entitled to use the powers it has traditionally used constitutionally,” the NDP chief said in response to a question. Broadbent said it is unlikely he and Turner will work out an agreement to co-operate in opposition to the deal. A handful of demonstrators voiced their opposition to the deal on Parlia- ment Hill shortly before the signing because they said the camera noise would interfere with the television crews. “We approach a new decade with a y. They accused Mulroney of selling the country out and hoisted a sign reading: For Sale, Your Broker, Brian Mulroney with the prime min- ister's telephone number underneath.