OPINION SS | Ky The Castiégar Sun AS PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG SHARLENE IMHOFF CATHERINE ROSS MARGE LALONDE NICOLE BEETSTRA JOHN VAN PUTTEN CHRISTINE MOYER KAREN KERKHOFF MELODY SEMENOFF REPORTER ADVERTISING REP Direct Department Phones General Office Circulatior Classified Ads Display Advertis Newsroorr Fax AV The Eastidgar Sun ‘ y\s 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C. V1N 1G8 IS POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A MEMBER OF T ERLING NEWS SERVICE Established November 28, 199 Published by ng Newspapers Ltd Weekly on Wednesday Member of Canadian Community Newspapers Association 8.C. Community Newspapers Association and B.C Pres: inci editorial comment In a way he was one of our own Last Thursday, a tragedy occurred in our community He may not have been a resident, a local, a taxpayer, one of our own, but Robert Trent Lawrence was a recognizable face in the crew of workers who are revitalizing our downtown. The accident which resulted in his tragic and untimely death hit our community hard, and as locals, we talked about it all weekend long. Goer the most part, Castiegar residents h@¥e"been enthusiastic about the daily changes that are taking place in our down- town. Shoppers and pedestrians have been patiently putting up with the beehive of activity involving heavy, loud equipment and the unsightliness of a downtown turned to one huge sandbox. Castlegar residents have not been famous for their patience in the past, but they have exemplified an unusual tolerance during this project Maybe it’s because we know the outcome of this loud and dirty metamorphosis will result in something beautiful, or maybe it’s because this community is changing, and collectively therefore, we finally realize that Castlegar deserves better. Maybe it’s because the men and women who are work- ing in the dustbowl of downtown, whether they drive equipment or hold signs, have been patient with us—the pedestrians who forget to be courteous, or the shoppers who, in our rush to pick up items, forget to keep our heads up when so much heavy activity is all around : Whether offering a wave, a smile, a nod or a helping hand across the street, employ- ees working on the downtown revitalization project have been not only patient, but won- derfully courteous. So much so that we actually don’t mind the downtown, and con- tinue to flock there, despite the dust and the noise. For those of us who tread downtown ona regular basis, the workers’ faces have become familiar, and we even know a few names. Names like Rob Lawrence, who has been mentioned a lot this Past weekend by fellow employees and friends who w ill miss him, and local residents who now wonder if they were the recipients of one of his enthu- Siastic waves or cheerful nods of hello He might not have been a local, but he acted like he was: That’s good enough for us ERRORS The advertiser agrees that the put damages arising out amount paid for the sf advertisement in wt to the negligence of its serv liability for non-insertior paid fer such adve: All advertising subject to pul completed within one year tr accepted tracts must be > contingent orders Have you no pride in your country? . Karen it's people like you with Your attitude that are giving the majority of honest patriotic Cana- dians a lump in their throats and high blood pressure from trying to reinforce the benefits of support- ing local businesses. Each year there are surveys to see which country has the best living conditions. Canada ranks number one in these “quality of life” rankings year after year and to spend our money where no other Canadians benefit is bla tantly cnminal Do you not feel sad when a neighbor loses a job because their employer moved shop down: south? Why help this by continuing to shop south of the border? In a small town like Castlegar. the effects of the continuous migration of local money south of the border have serious conse quences to the local business people who are also our friends and neighbors. A small town has its draw backs, I admit; some items just are not available here because ill, there's no need to travel to a foreign country and support their businesses when our high unemployment rate exists. Home is where we spend the majority of our time where our friends live, and where we work It would be nice, if there were available to us Canadians of our size. § every product imaginable pro duced in our fine country, but much to my dismay lots of the things we need and use on a daily basis are not‘Canadian made. Even though they might not be made here, we can pur- chase them here so some of the money stays in Canada Karen, if we were to go through your house I wonder what percentage of your house- hold items came from the United States verses Canada. Don’t you feel guilty when another store closes here at home? You should! to Local stores sell their products according to their cost and the quantity that they are able to sell in a given period of time will determine that cost. Most local businesses try to be competitive with prices at par with other Canadian cities. If you know prices are lower in another city give the local merchant an opportunity to meet their competitor's price. I can't think of many stores here in Castlegar that would not try to meet the other price in order to make the sale. Hey it’s worth a try, give the local guy a chance to be competitive, it will save you time and money in the long run If new products are not quite what you thought, or a problem arises, would it not be easier to return it ty -the store, around the comer than to drive five or more hours to exChange that item? Next time you consider the “cost” of products, take into consideration, travel time, gas duty, border line ups, exchange on money and hassles in exchanges. When these other factors are taken into considera tion the actual cost works out to be higher by not buying close to home Do I shop in the U.S.? You bet I do! And I'm not afraid to admit it during a time in which cross-border shoppers are looked upon as Benedict Amolds Who has the unmitigated right to tell me how to spend money which I have worked long and hard for? Quite frankly, where and how I spend my money is nobody's business, especially my money local businesS Owners. I know what I’m about to say is not considered a very popular opinion, especially in a town that is so close to the border, but dang it, I for one think that if local businesses want to keep their clientele they need to take lessons from the Americans I for one don't like being gouged, and to be gouged by a clerk that couldn't be bothered to be courteous and helpful is downright insulting. I'll give you an example (and jf the shoe fits so be it), There is a local (and newer) store in town which offers large colored wine glasses. Those wine glasses struck my fancy, and so I know that in that store I can buy them for under $6 Can someone tell-me why I see those EXACT glasses in a local drug store for $16? Now tell me, where would YOU buy those glasses? The thing that gets me is that people say we should shop Canadian, but the items which we buy are usually marked as being made in Taiwan. So much for Cana. dian-made You KNOW that the item was made at a fraction of the cost, so why does:one store sell it for $6 and the other sell it for $16? You can't tell me that the profit which is made goes into the workers’ pock ets..No way! Instead it lines the pockets of the greedy capi talists who think they are doing you a favor, and that you OWE them the courtesy of shopping locally. Half the time when I walk into local stores I'm greet®d by aclerk who acts as if you owe them a favor. To try and find someone to help you is a feat, and when or if you do find them they act as if you have two heads and just asked them to stand sprout wings and fly. I for one am tired of this kind of service. I don't expect someone to treat me like royalty, but at least they could treat me as a human being If one store can sell an item at a lower cost, then it stands to’ reason that the competition should also be able to do so. If local businesses want to keep their customers, they need to learn to be competitive, in both price and quality of ser vice. Until that happens I plan on continuing to spend my money where it goes the fur- thest, and if that happens to be the U.S. so be it By the way John, are Volk swagon and Nikon Canadian products? If you truly: believe in shopping locally I suggest you get rid of your camera and VW and put your money where your mouth is! If you have any or qu ti 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 ts and req at 365-7762 Recently I read a book about anger because I was interested to know why OTHER PEOPLE (not I, of course), were hostile, impatient, challenging, abrupt, cross and generally miserable. It seemed to me such a pity that these people were ruining their health causing a rise in blood pressure and an increase in the stress hormone In chapter 1, they asked me to fill out a form to see “my percentage of hostility”. Are you angry at slow moving drivers or fast moving drivers? People who park in disabled parking lots? Teenagers who play loud rock music in their cars? Losing money in a phone booth? Those who monopolize the conversation? Shoppers who have more than 10 items on the express aisle of a super market? The answer for me was yes, yes, yes So here was an insight into the angry ME. I partially knew this, but maybe it was lodged between the sub-conscious and the conscious and had to take a passage in a book to bring itt the surface! What could I do about it? First I had to make a LOG BOOK OF ANGER AWARE NESS, i.e. when: 9 am, scene by my cordless telephone, feel ing: moderately sever, action muttered loudly and frowned By doing this analysis of dis- pleasure every time it happens, one gets a pattern of one's anger! Next was the tricky part. I had 5 MYSELF A FEW SSTIONS: Can I see it from their point of view: am I really listening, could my evaluation of others’ motives be wrong; am I trusting enough to give up con trol? Then the next method was REASONING: "I know she is “taking control” but could it be due to her insecurity?” “This is happening because we are too tired.” “This argument is so triv ial, it is not worth pursuing Another way to overcome anger is by DEFLECTION: Say “stop” before the larger, as stopping lowers the strength of the emotion. This i emotion gets unlike the old theory that rantin and raving gets rid of anger doesn’t, in fact, the emotic could become bigger! There is also another way to stop irritation by DISTRAC- TION: i.e. reading a book in the post office queue helps because you cannot focus on anger and reading at the same time. I have heard that a great method of anger dissolution is HUMOUR Someone suggested that I imag- ine my second half dressed up as a colourful clown and riding a pony but I haven't tried this yet If all this~ fails try BREATHING EXERCISES. It does wonders! I often wonder what changes would occur if I pretended that TODAY IS MY LAST. Would this have a bearing on my anger to those. close to me and would it change the feeling of conflict? Would my cynical, angry and aggressive thoughts melt away? I think so I often wonder how I can con tribute to harmony in the world without joining“bip associations If I learn to overcome anger whether it be through jealousy, pride, or any other unhelpful and others do the uld this ur own town and virtu contribute to Anger awareness and management ally spread out into the country and into the world? Maybe this is LOO naive, but I feel that this is somehow working for health and peace from the “inside - out Margaret Pryce ts a Castle gar resident and a retired phys totherapist. She 1s a hospice olunteer who also enjoy spend ing her time swimming, plavir tenmus and cycling Do you have a pearl of wisdom or a point of view you would like to share with our rea ders? If so, you are invited to submit it typewritten, 400-600 word to My Turn, C/0 The Castlegar Sun. Your comments are always welcomed. Wednesday, July 14, 1993 Letters to the Editor The Castlegar Sun Page 7A Cross border-shoppin Dear Editor, On Thursday, July 1, 1993, 1 witnessed the most sickening dis play of disloyalty, stupidity and selfishness I have had the misfor tune to see in quite some time Hundreds of Trail-Castlegar area residents (Canadians, I assume) flocked south to the U.S. to spend “Canada Day” in another country, accompanied by their pockets full of Canadian dollars, ‘soon to become part of the economy of another country. Are these people stupid, or what? Did they purposefully choose this day of the year to dis- play their callous attitude toward their home country, the provider of their high standard of living, a neighbours, members of their conimunities, themselves -and their children’? It ts their future that they are exporting ‘south, and they appear to take glee in doing so, a smile of ignorant bliss adorn ing their faces country consistently ranked as among the vety best in the world in which to live? Most people stayed home and honoured their country and its gifts on this day, perhaps just thankful that they are privileged to live in what I consider the greatest country in the world, despite its faults. Do they do this “cross-border hop” out of spite to some imagined government foe out of shortsightedness, out of greed, or simply because they do not understand or appreciate what this country gives them and how cross-border shopping in the U.S. hurts not the government, but the people who are the gov ernment: their friends, their Up at the crack of dawn, so as not to miss a single minute of this precious ‘day which, by the way, their government them off by declaring a holiday, and for which a Canadi an employer pays them in many cases, they rush to the border and travel south, while visions of cheap eggs, milk, beer, and butter dance in their empty little heads. Like children, they flock to gob: Dear Editor: Bouquets to truck drivers T would like to send a bouquet to-all the truck drivers out there For the school year, I was the crosswalk attendant at Tarry's School, The truck drivers - chiptrucks, logging trucks, big trans- port trucks, beer (Labatt's) trucks were just wonderful. As they came close to the school, they all slowed right down. Not so, “some” of-the “ordinary” drivers. Some of them just zoomed by way above the speed limit which is 80 km through there. Somie would pass where “No Passing” Signs are posted. But the truckers were just great. Thank you guys. Dear Editor: Tim Horton's owes this ¢om- munity an apology! June 19th was a dark day for those of us who respect and appreciate the abundance of wildlife that we in the Koote nays are blessed with. I find it inexcusable that Tim Horton's (4 newcomer to our ble up the goodies, unaware of and uncaring of the decay they cause at home This one day of the year, while they metaphorically slap the face of the country they call home and pay homage to the greal shopping Mecca of the U.S., should be spent instead reflecting - at home - upon all that Canada provides them: high wages, freedom; the best medical care system in the world; the best social welfare system in the world; the best educational sys- tem in the world; etc.; etc.; ete Sure, this country has its prob- lems and I for one think that we are supremely overtaxed, but the answers to these problems do not community) ignored simple advice and callously created a dangerous situation, not only to the bears, but to the community in general Castlegar is filled with peo- ple who care more about bears than they do about doughnuts! Tim Horton's better figure that out! N. Loukianoff Castlegar, B.C. Deficits and deception Dear Editor, The First Ministers have met andiwe shall have more talk about deficits. There is no ques- tion that deficits are a burden, but the plethora of slogans and posturing from all sides makes it hard to get to the bottom of it all The remedies used so far include higher taxes, job cuts, compulsory days off and others And we are led to believe that it is all necessary. It isn’t Job cuts increase UIC and welfare, decrease purchasing power and create tax revenue losses. Continual pressure on civil servants creates insecurity, low morale, decreased job per formance. There is a better way. Assured and stable low inter est rates on deficit borrowing is the surest way to reduce, the cost of borrowing, for both federal and other governments John Crowe, who sets the interest rates weekly has long resisted consistent low interest policies. A look at the structure of government financing pro vides some explanations In past decades the Bank of Canada, a publicly owned insti tution, supplied up to 50 per cent of government borrowing. In 1993 they loaned only about two percent; the rest was loaned by Private institutions. The banks love it. And we pay We must restore the Bank of Canada to its original role, which would allow consistent low interest rates as in the past But are deficits actually too high? The federal yearly deficit is actually lower compared to its proportion of the Gross Domes- tic Product than during the depression and war years, and relatively low compared to more normal years. The federal government has tried to convince us that it is catastrophically high, in part to justify attacks on social pro- grams to satisfy the right wing BMS Consulting Financial Counselling and Goal Setting Brenda 365-3487 6:00 pm City Centre Square Sun., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 365-3752 So the burden has been shift- ed from the corporations to the citizens through high taxes, GST and other charges. It is not fair and most citizens know it. Tax revolts are the result The start of a remedy is to get anew government For parliament, Jack Ross Clarke’s Pool Red Cross Swim Lessons All Levels Last session July 19 - July 30 Registration at pool Phone 365-5106 for information Green Party Candidate lie in the export of our dollar into the economy of another country on a wholesale and huge basis While this action strengthens the economy of the U.S., it weakens ours and puts in peril all that we hold dear and take for granted 1 think that it is time that all of these “Canadians” (I'm being generous here) re-examine their relationship with, and their atti tude toward, their real country Change may be indicated by that re-examination, but the type of change that will come about by the draining of our economy of its dollars will not be to the lik ing of those who have feathered their nests with cheap beer, c heap If these are the kind of corpo rate citizens Castlegar is trying” to attract, I think we need to re evaluate our policies I will not support a business that cares so little about the community it serves, and I know 6:30 - 8 p.m. Castlegar Library g on Canada Day a sickening display nintendos, cheap milk and butter, cheap gas, and cheap building materials I hope that they can have fun with all this stuff while they sit at home, out of work, with no UI, medical or welfare benefits left. If this country is really so bad, make a choice: work construc- tively to change it, or go live in the U.S. and try and buy all that cheap stuff with your earnings from that country. Don't try to call me at home, I’m not listed and I worked on Canada Day for my country and was proud to contribute. Richard P. Soltice Rossland, B.C. Tim Horton's owes Castlegar an apology of many who feel the same way. I don’t think I even want to hear Tim Horton's excuses! Just put a lid on it! Larry S. McKone Castlegar, B.C. THE MEETING PLACE CASTLEGAR’S ALZHIEMERS SUPPORT GROUP - meets last Wednesday each month. THE CASTLEGAR & DISTRICT HERITAGE SOCIETY will be hosting an afternoon concert in the park; Appearing at Zuckerberg Island July 17/83 from 2.- 4 p.m. Skip Fraser, Joe Irving and Sandrelle Fraser. Bake sale and retreshments will be available. linet 12 words ere $4 and edit veed lor headings charge is $4. Dendline i 1 UZ San The Castiggar Sun ATS Coming events of Castlegar and District non-protit orgenizattons- may be TleIee bere; The cod words (which must be ertion is halt-price. Minimum bring in or mail your 465 Columbia Avenue Castlegar, BC VIN 1G8 All Our Best Frora Castlegar Foods PRICES EFFECTIVE SUN. JULY 11 TO SAT. JULY 17, 1993 Castlegar Foods - 635 Columbia Ave., Castlegar * 365-5755 Royal Fancy CHICKEN WIENERS 450 gram 99° Burger Time LEAN GROUND BEEF 3,94 kg. © Family pack 17? Cut from Canada Grade A Beef T-BONE or WING STEAK 10.98 kg. © Family pack 4% ROAST BEEF 89%. Lily Dale Meal Makers SEAFRESH BATTERED FISH 109. "dee BC Grown #1 1.30 kg. HEAD LETTUCE 59: McCAINS SUPER SPIRALS , $1.49 INNING Time SUNSPUN VINEGAR California Grown #1 - 1.S52kg FRESH BROCCOLI SANDWICH BREAD 89° istlegar F | 295 vey *dhea 9D KERR WIDE MOUTH iit a DQ Imported #1] 5 lb. package CELLO CARROTS 89 ed. 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