News March 9, 1991

oi
LOCAL/PROVINCIAL NEWS

B.C. natives have no claim, court rules

The decision took @ provincial Native Affairs
Ministry official by surprise.
“The ruling is one that has provided for a

VANCOUVER (CP) — The B.C. Supremé Court
tuled Friday that Gitksan-Wet'suwet’en Indians have
no claim to @ vast area of northwestern British Colum-

bia.

‘In my judgment the aboriginal rights of the natives
were lawfully extinguished by the Crown in the colonial
period,”’ Chief Justice Allan McBachern wrote in a

judgment that ran nearly 400 pages.

The ruling, in what has been described as the biggest
land claim in Canada, followed a three-year court case

that cost an estimated $25 million.

‘The claim included the salmon-rich rivers, minerals
and forestry in the Bulkley, Skeena and Babine river
systems in an area about the size of Nova Scotia.

About six dozen Indians' gathered at the courthouse
stood in stunned silence after the judgment was released,

One native leader put on a brave face, indicating

the case will be appealed.

“Regardless of what the decision is we as the Git-
skan and Wet'suwet'en are assigning it the dignity it

requires,”’ said Alice Jeffrey. ‘*This is just the first step

final decision."*

in the three steps that we have to make until there is a

in his j that

n also ack ry
his decision is not expected to be the last word. The case
will not likely be resolved until much later in the 1990s

‘Aboriginal rights lawfully
extinguished, says. Chief Justice

when it is referred to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Federal Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon described
the ruling as ‘‘a very important decision which will give

recognition Of certain aboriginal rights over unoccupied
Crown lands in the Gitksan area but does not

us important insight into the existence and meaning of shat
He said the province would likely need a few days to

aboriginal rights in Canada.

“*We will be studying it very, very thoroughly over
the next few days and I want to assure aboriginal
Canadians in particular that we intend to give serious

ion to the findings and recommendations of

considerati
the chief justice.’’

dge Gitksan ignty and
that land nor does it acknowledge aboriginal title in a
way that would recognize it as the Gitksan described it
in court,"’ said deputy minister Eric Denhoff.

over

study the lengthy ruling before commenting further,

The case began in May 1987 in Smithers — the cen-
tre of the vast area claimed by the Indians — as Delgam
Uukw vs, the Queen.

Most of the case was held in Vancouver.

Zalm blamed as
exodus continues

PORT COQUITLAM (CP) — The
second of two leaders of a bid to
force a formal review of Premier Bill
Vander Zalm’s leadership has
resigned as a Social Credit con.
stituency president.

“I’ve lost my enthusiasm to make
any more effort for the Social Credit
party,’’ Ken Tuininga said Thursday
night after quitting as president of

he said. ‘‘You get tired of it

Tuininga said he has not decided if
he will join the fledgling B.C. Pacific
party, which organizers announced
Wednesday as a free-enterprise alter-
native to Social Credit.

Tuininga and Donna Telep had
been the driving forces behind an un-
attempt to force a review

the Port C y
association.

He said four association directors
also resigned with him.

Tuininga said he made his decision
some time ago and Mel Couvelier’s
resignation Wednesday as finance
minister was not a factor.

“I feel the efforts we make at the
constituency level are simply
diminished by the actions of our

of Vander Zalm’s leadership.

Telep quit Monday as president of
the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows
Socred association.

Six nominated Socred candidates
have also withdrawn in recent mon-
ths. The latest was George Morrison,
who quit Tuesday as the- candidate
for Port Coquitlam.

One of the four departing direc-

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tors, Archie y |, 66, was one
of the founders of the Social Credit
party. He sold former premier
W.A.C. Bennett his first membership
in the party.

“My whole concern is with the
leadership of the party,’’ he said. _

“I basically feel that we. should
have had a review of thé leadership
— not necessarily a new leader —
but a review of the leadership when
all the controversy started about six
to eight months ago or a year ago."’

Beyerstein said a leader
traditionally has stepped aside during
controversy over his handling of
government affairs but Vander Zalm
has refused to do so.

Central Foods

(Prices effective

March 10-March 16)

Fields

(Prices effective

March 13-April 1)

Overwaitea

(Prices effective

March 10-March 16)

Shoppers

(Prices effective

March 12-March 16)

SuperValu

(Prices effective

March 10-March 16)

Thunderbird

(Sale ends

March 31)

Woolco

(Prices effective

March 9-March 16)

Zellers

(Prices effective

March 13-March 17)
Not all flyers receive full distribution.
Hf you did not receive one of these
flyers and would like to do so, please

phone our Circulation Department at
365-7266.

OK, WHERE'S THE MANUAL?

ployee Jim Willi had a mess of wiring to contend with
during the week as he and partner Bill Lewis (behind) installed a new, computerized phone
system at the Castlegar News. — cosnews photo

ek

Building bylaw in works

By CasNews Staff

City staff have hammered together
a draft proposal for a new building
bylaw which building inspector Phil
Markin told city council this week
will be easier for. people to under-
stand, will reduce the city’s liability
and will generate more money for
the city in the form of building per-
mit fees.

Markin led city council through
the proposed bylaw section by sec-
tion at a committee meeting
Tuesday.

Markin will put some finishing
touches on the document and find
answers to questions council raised
about the proposed bylaw before
council gives the bylaw the statutory
three readings at its regular meeting
Monday. Council has scheduled a
special meeting Thursday to vote on
final adoption of the bylaw.

The new bylaw proposes a permit
fee of $20 for projects valued at
$2,000 or less. After that, you'll pay
$4 for each additional $1,000 of the
Project’s value up to $50,000, if

council approves the fees:

You'll pay an additional $3 per
$1,000 of value if your project is
between $50,000 and $100,000, $2
for every $1,000 of value between
$100,000 and $200,000, and $1 per
$1,000 of value on projects exceeding
$200,000.

The lifespan of a building permit
is one of the conditions council has
to nail down before passing the
bylaw. A sample bylaw on which
Castlegar’s proposed bylaw is based
gives a six-month time limit before a
permit expires. .

However, the city is proposing a
24-month time limit.

“You might like to take a look at
that Mayor Audrey Moore told
Markin. ‘‘I’d like to know why six
months was there. Maybe there’s a
middle line."”

Ald. Marilyn Mathieson suggested

six months may not be Jong enough
because Castlegar’s climate dictates a
relatively short outdoor construction
season,

Markin said a longer time period
before a permit expires saves paper-
work created by builders re-applying
for permits every six months.

The bylaw also proposes

ions g ing the i i
of ‘‘fuel-burning appliances’’
tougher than Canadian and B.C.
codes.

However, Moore instructed
Markin to investigate whether the
city has the legal authority to impose
the tougher regulations.

The proposed 210-page bylaw also
lays out the authority of the
building inspector, the responsibility
of the owner, regulations about
fireplaces and chimneys, retaining
walls and swimming pools.

Celgar

continued trom front pege

extensive representation received on
the question of wood chip supply in
support of Celgar’s expansion.’’

The panel urged that ‘‘decisions
regarding harvesting take into con-
sideration the protection of high
elevation forests, community water-
sheds, fish and wildlife habitat, soil
quality and recreational and esthetic
use of forests in southeastern, British
Columbia."’

The panel said its pivotal recom-
mendations for approval were:

© The manageability of environ-
mental impacts of the modernized
mill on air and water quality,
through the adoption and perfor-
mance of best available control
technology incorporated in the
design of the mill, and the com-
Pany’s commitment to monitoring
environmental effects and solving
Problems;

* the scientific judgment that
current accumulations of
organochlorines, particularly dioxins
and furans, in fish and other living
organisms in the Columbia River
valley, could be reduced over the
long term by Celgar modernization;

© the commitments of Celgar,
Cominco, B.C. Hydro, and the
British Columbia government to an
integrated monitoring program, with
the potential involvement of the
Canadian government and United
States federal and state agencies;

© the substantial decreases in total
reduced sulphur emissions, with the
resulting sharp reduction of typical
pulp mill odor;

© the 90 per cent energy self-
sufficiency of the proposed mill;

* the need to reduce Celgar’s
continued pollution levels, with the
current mill allowed to exceed even
today’s government standards;

* the likely closure of Celgar, if
modernization does not proceed,
with severe consequences to the
communities and to those whose
livelihood depends on Celgar, as well
as the area’s sawmilling, transpor-
tation and forestry operations;

© the availability of transportation
alternatives to avoid trucking of
wood chips through the Slocan
Valley, with possible total public and
Private costs comparable to the costs
of highway and traffic improvement
measures which otherwise are
necessary to mitigate the transpor-
tation impact of the project;

* the substantial margin of wood
chips and pulp logs available, beyond
the projected requirement to support
Celgar’s expansion, and the oppor-
tunity to process them into pulp in
the region rather than to export or
waste chips.

The panel released its final report
this week. Copies will be available at
the Castlegar Library and the Selkirk
College Library.

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ARROW LAKE
ELEVATION

1403.87’ on March 9

Forecast of
Elevation

By CosNews IEF News Services

Costs cripple members

“Many of our ly mills are costs
above the level where, from a strictly financial viewpoint, shutting
down makes sense,"’ John Marritt said in a news release. ‘Our
members keep hoping, though, that eventually the government will do
something about stumpage costs and that interest rate declines will
lead to an improvement in the marketplace,

“If something doesn't relieve the economic Squeeze, further
cutbacks will be inevitable,"” Marritt added,

The Interior Lumber Mi A 42
companies in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, The
companies operate 59 separate production facilities in 40 communities
where they are often the only major employer. Member companies, in
normal times, employ more than 8,000 workers in their mills and
plants, and more than 5,000 workers are employed by their logging
contractors.

Opening postponed

‘The opening of Castlegar Hospital's newly built long-term care
wing, originally scheduled for early April, has been postponed until
sometime in May, hospital administrator Ken Talarico said Thursday.

's just taking longer to complete,” he told the Castlegar News.
“It's a combination of equipment and furnishings and (general)
project delays.’’

The $6.65 million project will house 60 beds, 35 for intermediate
care residents and 25 for extended-care residents.

The facility will staff the equivalent of 50-55 full-time employees.

Questions get answers

from Stanley A i E Ltd. of
Kelowna, the consultants hired by the Regional District of Central
Kootenay to prepare a solid waste management plan, will answer
questions about the plan March 13-16 at the Chahko Mika Mall in
Nelson.

Tom Willson of

Canada's South

‘Mnterio: th

the office at the Castlegar Airport. L
rds at the Hh

26 years of k ig fecords at

By CasNews Staff
It wasn't quite warm enough to
break out the suntan lotion, but
it was the mildest February in 26
years of keeping records at En-
it Canada’s

The consultants will be at the mall as part of a B.C.
Ministry environment education and exhibit.

Stanley Associates is preparing the three-stage waste management
plan in with Envii Ministry guideli the
company says in a news release.

The first stage identifies the solid waste management options for the
area ii i li i i and inci: jon. The
second stage evaluates the feasible options in detail and the third stage
outlines the selected option or mix of options and a schedule for
Putting the plan into action.

The company and the regional district will solicit public
comments on the plan through open houses and questionnaires after
the completion of each of.the first two Stages. Those comments will be
incorporated into the overall plan, the company says.

The first stage is now underway and open houses are planned for
June.

Concern sparks talk

Nelson-Creston NDP candidate Corky Evans will speak in
Appledale and Crescent Valley on Sunday about the Persian Gulf War
and what people can do to prevent future conflicts.

Evans will speak in the Crescent Valley Hall at 2 p.m. and at the
Appledale Hall at 7:30 p.m.

The candidate said in a news release he is concerned about
possible future conflicts in light of the devastation caused by the Gulf
War and will pose the question: Does might make right?

Although the fighting in the gulf has stopped, the financiai costs
of the high-tech war and Canada’s participation in it still must be
paid, Evans said. People in the Kootenays, many already suffering
from the ‘‘restraint’’ policies of the federal and provincial
governments, are not exempt, he said.

.. “The millions of dollars the federal government found to pay for
this war, despite the deficit, will come directly out of the pockets of
those Canadians least able to afford to pay,”’ Evans said.

Medical update

Ellen LeFevre, executive director of the British Columbia
Parkinson’s Disease Association, will be at the Central Kootenay
Health Unit in Castlegar on March 11 at 2:00 p.m. to meet with the
Trail Self-Help Support Group and other individuals and professionals
interested in Parkinson's disease.

The program will include an informal update on Parkinson’s
disease, and information about services provided by the B.C.

F it 's Disease A iation, th iation said in a news
release.

3 on Arrow Lakes Drive resulted
in minor injuries to the 16-year-old driver, Castlegar RCMP said.
Three other occupants of the vehicle escaped without injury,
police said. “s
The vehicle skidded Off the road and down the bank after hitting
a pothole. No charges have been laid, police said,

School taxes plateau

VICTORIA — Education Minister Stan Hagen says most
homeowners will see no increase in school taxes this year and some
will have them reduced below last year’s levels.

A limit on residential school tax revenues combined with a new
tax structure and enhanced homeowner grants have resulted in the tax
plateau, he says.

Homeowners will receive 50 per cent of school property tax in
excess of the basic grant. School tax revenues will be limited to 1990
levels with exceptions for new construction.

Hagen says the new structure for setting school taxes will be
phased in over three years and will be simpler and more predictable.
Taxing will be based on assessed home values but will take into
consideration differences in house values in each district.

There will be no penalty for districts with higher costs per
student, -Hagen says.

Freeze forces limit
VICTORIA — Municipal Affairs Minister Lyall Hanson wants

municipal governments to do their part to hold the line on property
taxes.

Interior weather office at the
Castlegar Airport.

The mean temperature of 3.1C
far surpassed the previous record
of 2C set in 1983. Normally, the
month would see a mean tem-
perature of -0.8C, the weather
office says

Precipitation for the month
was right on the average of 52.5
mm but because of the warm
temperatures, -most of it fell as
rain.

February's warmth gets
little help from sunshine

“The result was the total
amount of snow, 2.4 cm., breaks
the record for lack of snow set in
1987 when only 8.6 cm. fell,’’ the
weather office said in its monthly
report.

Feb. 27° was the warmest day
of the month at 11.6C. Record
high for February is 14.3C set on
Feb. 21, 1988.

The coldest day last month was
Feb. 23 when the therometer dip-
ped to -5.5C, well short of the
February record low of -19.8C set
on Feb. 2, 1989.

There were 16 days of
measureable precipitation in

office checks e thermometer
ast month was the warmest February in
Office. — Cosnews photo by Lovis Loroche

&.

February, three more than nor-
mal but fewer than the record 21_
in February 1979. February 1966
stands as the February with the
fewest days of measureable
preci ion — seven.

Last month was duller than
normal with 64 hours of sun-
shine. Normal for February is
73.1 hours. The brightest
February on record is February
1968 when the weather office
recorded 117.3 hours of sunshine.
February 1980 is the dullest of
37.9 hours.

Wind speeds were slightly
above average last month, the
weather office said.

Couvelier's resignation
diminishes confidence

VICTORIA: (CP) — Mel
Couvelier’s resignation as B.C.
finance minister clouds the provin-
ce’s economic future, say several
economic and business represen-
tatives.

Couvelier said Thursday his
resignation, the 11th since Bill Van-
der Zalm became premier in 1986,
was a matter of principle over
whether the premier should sit in the
legisigture while being investigated
for conflict of interest.

He was replaced by International
Business Minister Elwood Veitch, a
strong Vander Zalm supporter.

“‘It will be difficult for Mr. Veitch
to step into the breach, said Jim
Matkin, head of the B.C. Business
Council.

Couvelier was a prudent finance
minister how had the business com-
munity’s confidence, he said.

Leonard Laudadio, a Univeristy of
Victoria economist, said he didn’t
have as much faith in the gover-
nment’s economic integrity without
Couvelier.

“If there was a strong guy in the

Pack, it was Couvelier,”” he said.
“He was a good minister and very
conservative . . . I can’t say that
about Vander Zalm.””

The finance portfolio is the
toughest cabinet job, said Richard
Allen, chief economist of the B.C.
Central Credit Union.

“‘He’s constantly under pressure
from his colleagues for more money.
It takes a very strong minister to say
no.””

“Any finance minister is facing in-
creasing pressure from within cabinet
to spend during these politically
charged times,"’ says Kathy Sander-
son, B.C. and Yukon regional direc-
tor of the Canadian Federation of
Independent Business.

“*There’s a tendency for all gover-
mments to try to buy elections.””

Vander Zalm must call an election
by fall. But he appears to be priming
his Social Credit government for a
spring election by recalling the
legislature Monday.

He plans to deal with his
Previously announced taxpayers
Protection plan, a 12-point economic

continued from front pege
made,” he said. ‘‘It’s a good enough
business that people want to renew
(their permits) year after year.”’

The proposal packages are
available from the district manager
at the Ministry of Parks in Nelson. A
$50 registration fee applies.

“The package gives the history of
use and revenue, and the types of
materials and supplies we've needed
to operate that park over the past
five years," Price said.

“Everything they need to kriow
will be in that package, but over and

above, there will be
meeting held March 19.""

~ The deadline for
Proposals is March 27.

The permit is up for grabs because
the previous holders, a group of
former parks employees, weren't
renewing for personal reasons, he
said.

mandatory

submitting

The ministry usually expects about
three proposals on these kinds of
Permits, Price said.

““But I'm aware of five or six that
are interested in Syringa.”’

Program for British Columbia during
the recession.

Couvelier was to have been a
major player in the program’s
design, presentation and implemen-
tation.

He had been evasive about
whether he would bring in a new
budget for the fiscal year Starting
April 1 or even before an election.

And he suggested balancing the
budget again would require him to
drain the $1 billion from his Budget
Stabilization Fund, ‘the so-called
rainy day fund critics say is nothing
more than an accounting slight-of-
hand.

Couvelier boasted of three con-
secutive balanced budgets but his
outlook was less optimistic this year.

If a new budget isn’t brought in by
April 1, the government must us¢ an
interim supply bill, a law allowing
unspecified spending.

And if the house rises, the gover-
mment would have to rely on special
warrants, cabinet-approved spending
advances not debated in the
legislature.

Without the tight-fisted Couvelier,
Laudadio said, there may be a ten-
dency to abuse the special warrants
especially so close to an election.

deduction
bypasses
New
Denver

By CasNews Staff
Kootenay West-Revelstoke MP

”” a federal government decision
which gives an income tax deduction
but denies the benefit to residents of
New Denver,

The northern residents income tax
deduction was expected to end with
the 1990 tax year but the federal
government has extended the benefit
to residents of Silverton and rural
areas around Slocan Lake for
another four years, Kristiansen an-
nounced in a news release. But New
Denver residents are not included in
the extension because the village has
more than 500 residents, the New
Democrat MP said.

He denounced the decision as un-
fair and said it’s ‘“‘destructive to
community relations.’’

“I was happy to win the deduction
in 1989,”’ Kristiansen said. “But it’s
utterly maddening to see federal rules
leave an underprivileged hole in the
doughnut at New Denver. Those
people are equally deserving and
should not have been left out. Now
the benefit is extended on a declining
basis for an entire four years and
New Denver gets nothing. It’s in-
sane.”

With the phase-out the gover-
nment now plans for southern
regions across Canada, residents
eligible for the deduction can use the
entire deduction for tax years 1991
and 1992, two-thirds in 1993 and
one-third in 1994,

Kristiansen had won the deduction
for Silverton and adjacent rural areas
in 1989 by arguing that the Cape
Horn Bluffs section of Highway 6
had been closed just longer than
three weeks during 1988. He argued
that northern roads closed by snow
or; breakup were considered not to
exist if closed thaf long, so the same
had to apply to a southern location.
He won, and the benefit accrued in
the following tax year — 1989.

It_was -in 1989 that the massive
Cape Horn reconstruction project
proceeded, so the road was closed
much of the year. That fact yielded
the federal income tax deduction for
the following year — 1990. At the
time, that was thought to be the end
of the matter, Kristiansen said.

“The nightmare of all this is that
people in New Denver could be un-
derstandably embittered, with even
more jealously for their neighbors’
good fortune. This thing is not right,
and I wish I could make it right. I
managed to bend the rules through
interpretation on only one count. I
could not overcome the criteria that
people must live outside of any
commuinity of more than $00
residents.

“This can be destructive to com-
munity spirit, of which the Slocan
Lake has plenty. I very much hope
people won’t let a ridiculous
Program divide them. If nothing else,
New Denver. will enjoy extra retail
activity, employment and a generally
stronger economy for these years
because people outside town have a
little more money to spend. That can
benefit everyone,"’ Kristiansen said.

IN MEMORY

Arrow Lakes.

on the tugboat Elco.

Party

But if they don't, the province could regulate limits on
taxes, he says.

In an open letter to B.C. communities, he asks municipal
governments to limit the amount they collect this year in property tax
to last year’s levels.

+ He reminds

i that the
government has implemented a tax freeze as part of its so-called 12
point taxpayer protection plan,
Hanson says the province will monitor local tax levels.

fer vege
Rossland-Trail, was out of town and

Nelson-Creston’s Green party can-
didate, Andrea Wright, approved of
the new party.

Sutherland, is named after him.

Legion, Branch No. 170.

Gordon (Cap) Sutherland

Gordon Osborne (Cap) Sutherland passed away at age 100.

Mr. Sutherland was born Dec. 24, 1890, at River John, N.S., and
came to British Columbia in 1908 on a Harvest Trail excursion. He
married Rose Marion Sanderson in 1919. During his life he worked in
sawmills, the mines in the Slocan Valley and on the tug boats on the

He received his captain’s papers in 1919. In 1925, he moved to
Nakusp and in 1931 he began working for William Waldie and Sons

In 1940, he moved to Robson and lived there since. Mr.
retired at age 70 and Westar Timber’s tugboat, the G.O.

Mr. Sutherland was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Nakusp
and Castlegar. He was also a charter member of the Castlegar-Robson

He is survived by one son, Gordon Sutherland of Vancouver; two
Saughters, Kay Balfourof Trail and Ann Croft of Vancouver; 18

32 gr i
Sutherland of River John. He was predeceased by his wife, Marion,
son Bud and daughter Nettie Anderson.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, March 11, at 1 p.m,
at the Robson Community Memorial Church with Rev. Dorothy
Barker officiating. Cremation has taken place.

Funeral are under the

and sister-in-law Edna

Funeral Chapel.

of the Castlegar

as