A4 December 13, 1987 Va ESTABLISHED AUG. 7.1947 THe AAD. WEE Castlégar News AAMSABER OF THE B.C. PRESS COUCH wnch Wea MAY « 1900 1978. AUG. 27. 1980 Lv. CAMPBELL once OF corrmant: Fut belongs to PUBLISHER AUG. 7, 1947-F68, 15.1979 PUBLISHER — Bur! Campbell EDITOR — Ron Norman woe MANAGER — Lindo Kositsin CIRCULATION MANAGER — Heather Hadley MANAGER — Gary Fleming vested in anttg News Ud. provided, howe tony edvertanthont propored iim repre prowl belong 10 the edvertiser js. engrevings, etc. provided by the advertiser shall remoin in ond cad by ber ccprraght that port and that port enty ot Closure dire news Celgar Pulp Co.'s announcement remain But many questions d. What h to the this week that it will per close its woodroom is dire news, and not just for the 18 employees atfected by the decision, but for the entire community. This region is still not fully recovered from the devastating effects of the 1981-82 recession. Simply put, we cannot afford to lose any jobs — whether they ore as little as 10 as the com- pany indicates, or as many as 35, ‘as the Marine Guild suggests in o letter to the editor in this issue. Unfortunately, the closure was obvious from the day Westar Tim- ber sold the pulp mill. Celgar pulp mill had been tied to Tree Farm License No. 23 since the license was first granted in 1955. A condition of the license was that an integrated pulp mill and sawmill complex be built at Castigar, recognizing that the overmature, decadent forests of the Columbia wet belt could be used as the chiet source of fibre for the pulp mill. But when the pulp mill was sold last year and Westar Timber retained the tree farm license, the link between the pulp mill and TFL No. 23 was severed. With Celgar Pulp Co. no longer responsible for taking pulp logs off the TFL, the company could buy its chips where it wanted — and that is exactly what it is doing. decadent timber stands for which the pulp mill was originally built? As they to be left on the TFL? Is this what is best for the region's resources? Shouldn't the Ministry of Forests have foreseen this situation at the time of the pulp mill’s sale? If so, is it concerned? The onus will be on the ministry to assure us that TFL No. 23 is properly managed. Welcome to Vangar Welcome to Vangar. No one can be blamed for con- fusing Castlegar with Vancouver this week. Not only has it b wetter than any December in recent memory, it’s also been warmer. But there comes a time when enough is enough. While the mild termperatures have been pleasant, a look at the calendar shows only 11 more days before Christmas — and still no snow. Could we be in for a green Christmas this year? Let's hope not. While there is something to be said for this unseasonably warm weather, give us a white Christmas’ any time. Ron Norman If the Vander Zalm government's privatization plan is anything like decentralization, we could be in fora rocky ride. I had planned to write the second in a series on privatization this week, but have decided to put that on a back burner until the new year in order to take a look at the new decentralization scheme for the Kootenay Development Region (next week I hope to have a special Christmas column — that’s the last Sunday the CasNews will publish before 1988 is ushered in). Anyway, decentralization and privatization have a lot in common, besides sounding alike. The two concepts are concrete ways Premier Bill Vander Zalm intends to leave his philosophical imprint on this province. Looking at one can help us understand what lies ahead with the other. Decentralization, of course, is Vander Zalm's attempt to stream- line regional development. It is supposed to place each of the eight regions on an equal footing. And in theory it’s a great idea. Because each region has different problems and different solutions to common problems, each region should be governed by different sets of rules. For instance, rules that may help in the Lower i may be a major stumbling block to investment in Castlegar. Decentral ization is supposed to solve that by ensuring.each region has a develop- ment plan tailor-made to the specific area. And it allows for some pro- vincial rules to be bent to help attract development. But putting that theory into prac tice has proved a little difficult. Under the decentralization model unveiled last Saturday in Creston by Rita Johnston, Minister of State for the Kootenay Development Re gion, municipalities, school boards and regional districts along with business, industry, labor and com. munity groups will funnel their con cepts for economic development through two committees: a services development committee, and an economic diversification committee. Municipalities, regional districts and school boards will be dis. couraged from approaching indivi dual provincial ministries — as is the practice now. Instead, if they have a good development idea, they will approach cabinet through the committees. The committees will then take the idea to Tom Baybutt, the new reg- nal liaison officer in Nelson. Baybutt will take the idea to Tom Greene, the regional development officer in Victoria. Greene will pass it along to Nelson-Creston MLA Howard Dirks, the region's parlia- mentary secretary. Dirks will then turn it over to Johnston. Johnston will then take the idea to cabinet. All this assumes the idea hasn't changed along the way. Who knows, going through so mary hands, it may come back approved, but totally different than the original concept. Presently, Castlegar council can approach the government itself. For instance, Mayor Audrey Moore re- turned recently from Victoria where she spoke to the Ministry of High- ways about a bypass to Celgar pulp mill. She also discussed the in- dustrial park debt with the Minister of Finance and Minister of Municipal Affairs. Under the present format, council appeals directly to the people who can make things happen. As any businessmen will tell you, you don’t waste your time talking to those who don’t have the power to make a decision; you go to someone who can say yea or nay. The sad thing is, decentralization doesn’t have to mean another level of government and a whole new set of bureaucrats. It can mean cutting red tape if implemented properly. And the model unveiled last Satur- day, while unacceptable, isn’t with- out its good points. Certainly, one of the positive as- pects is having a cabinet minister represent each region. That means when Castlegar council approaches a ministry in Victoria, it has someone there already familiar with the issué and someone who can go to bat for the community. That means a lot — especially for the Ross- land-Trail riding which has been on the outside looking in for the last 12 years. One of the ironies of the new de- centralization plan is Castlegar council's dissatisfaction with it. When Vander Zalm trooped his pro- vincial cabinet into Nelson this fall, Mayor Audrey Moore and her aldermen fell over themselves tell- ing the ministers how much they liked decentralization — without having seen the plan. Talk about buying a pig in a poke. He celebrating! Last month we were down to number three in the polls. ‘Remember When? 40 YEARS AGO From the Dec. 18, 1947 News Castlegar The successful candidate for com- missioner, Mr. W. Rigby, was sworn in at the regular meeting of Dec. 15. Mr. ©. Walker expressed the thanks of the commissioners for Mr. Cheveldave for his services for the past 12 months. . At the Coop and Save store, coffee is selling for $1.15 for two pounds, boneless ham is selling for 65 cents a pound, cottage rolls are selling for 58 cents a pound, ripe olives are selling for 88 cents for a 16 ounce tin and floor wax is selling for 45 cents. . 8 « Men's dress shirts are selling at Wests for $3.75, $4.00 and $4.25, while electric kettles are selling for $12.50. Playing at the Castle Theatre is 18 Letters to the Editor 35 jobs will be lost What would the members of our lumber. No longer is there a necessity say if a prosp em- ployer was to start a business with a $1.32 million annual payroll?Surely, all the local dignitaries would be falling over each other to be seen with the person responsible for creating around 85 permanent jobs. Well, we're not getting these new jobs. In fact, we're losing them as a result of the woodroom closure by Celgar Pulp Co. It is not only pulp mill employees who will be affected, but loggers, truckers and towboaters who will also lose their jobs. Westar Timber, which became the proprietor of Tree Farm Licence No. 23 after the sale of its pulpmill,. is now only in the business of pi g or for Westar to cut timber stands with a high density of decadent hemlock, cedar and spruce. Thus, the areas being logged are primarily long-term forest for a Protests are being filed by the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce with the TV program Front Page Challenge and the federal cabinet minister re- sponsible for the CBC, against the “erroneous use of the word Douk- hobor” by Gordon Sinclair on that program Tuesday night. Herman Kemperman told the chamber last night that Sinclair said D. sare short-term chip surplus? Celgar has made many promises over the years that are not now being kept. Described by company officials as sawlogs, Wes- tar’s earnihgs, while depleting our prime, accessible sawlogs. It is not these high density sawlog stands that most need harvesting, but fimber with a large volume of old wood. Proper silvi in our PI ker since 1961, Coipar Pulp stands to make approx- imately $48 million in 1987. Certainly, we don’t question man- sesments right to manage, but there ” and re- are bein, against in B.C. as much as the Japanese were during the Second World War. If there is any discrimination, said Mr. Kemperman, it is that the Sons “are getting preferential treatment.” This is a reflection on the whole of B.C, he said, aa is Brossly unfair.” A close one-vote win in Castlegar's area make such forest management a must if we truly have an eye to the future. All of'us have seen the new media ads about “Forests for the Future,” and the commitment to, proper forest management by B.C. forest ies. Are we if Don't With the Christmas season almost upon us, we , the children of the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ, have a deep concern about the safety, happiness and future of all the children throughout the the world. Since Christmas is the time for giving, we appeal to all parents not to buy their children toys or video games of war and violence. Here is some information we would like to share with the readers of your newspaper. of the top six toys sold in the US., five are war toys; The sales of war toys have risen 600 per cent since 1982; According to Hasbro, the aver- age five- to eight-year-old boy was exposed to 50 ads for G.I. Joe in 1982. The increasing high sales of war and violent toys helps ensure that our society is saturated with the values of the military. Many of these toys boast the latest in military technology — weapons which are being used today against people in the Third World. Fraser's remarks resented I resent “Afex* Fraser, “former” minister of Highways, speaking out inst’ Bill Vander Zalm and_priv- tion. Is Mr. Fraser no longer a Socred who believes in free enterprise? I don't know if Highways maintenance will be privatized, but I do know that contrary to the propaganda being pro- moted, small business can do any job as well and likely for less money than the government can. After all, we employ most of the people and do most of the jobs in Canada. Alex Fraser is quick to speak out against Bill Vander Zalm, but where was he when Bill Vander Zalm was that must be lived up to. If the advertising by forest companies about their concern for forestry's future has any basis in fact, then what about our forests and our jobs? Conroy Spokesperson Arrow Lakes Tugboat Society buy war toys The military is engaged in 4 battle for the hearts and minds of our chil- dren. Play is one of the primary ways a child learns what the world is all about. What does a child learn from being given toys which symbolize weapons that hurt and kill living things4t is only logical such a child will grow up be- lieving war and violence are acceptable — even revered — ways of settling dif- ferences. The existence of guns that don't kill, tanks that are “just toys”, can make it easier for us to ignore what real guns and tanks can do. War toys “conscript” children into the military mentality long before they are able to comprehend what really happens in war. If you haven't done so already, visit your local toy store and take a good look at what's on the shelves. Then spend a Saturday morning watching cartoons. You will be ap- palled. May this holiday season give par- ents, grandparents and especially the leaders of different countries, the wis- dom to realize war is not the answer and that they hold the future for us, the young people of today. Please, let our voices be heard. Andrea Ozeroff chairman of the USCC Children for Peace Hats off to Smecher for opposing raise “Hats off” to Castlegar school trustee Doreen Smecher for voting “no” to the 25 per cent increase to the chairman and the vice-chairman of the school board. Gordon Turner: thank you for having the good sense to turn down the huge increase and for taking a four per cent increase instead. I know the trustees volunteer a considerable amount of their time and they certainly have my respect and gratitude, but there are many citizens in Castlegar who do the same and expect no financial reward, let alone a 25 per cent increase. I do not understand why any of the trustees have to be at the maximum end of the seale set by the Ministry of Education when the district seems to be in need of yet even more money. Talk of closing another school in 1988 does not sit very well with me, nor does the idea of the Grade 6 students moving to KJSS and the Grade 8 students to Stanley Humphries. Maybe vice-chairman Rick Pon- gracz should follow Mr. Turner's lead and settle for a smaller increase. 'm sure the money saved could be better spent. Wayne and Marianne Hurlbert Castlegar War toys teach hatred not love Several letters in your paper have taking all the flack for the C Highway?I feel the minister had the right to make the decision to go over budget to finish that highway (just as Bill Vander Zalm has the right to decide “if” and “what” could be priv- atized) but Mr. Fraser should have had the guts to admit to it instead of letting someone else try to clean up his mess and force taxpayers to foot the bill for the investigation into it. By the way, how many of these so-called Socreds who are supposed to be against priv. atization were present at the Socred convention, giving standing ovations as our premier announced the priv- atization plans? Iris Bakken Salmo ly why war toys and other toys of violence are un- desirable play things for children. Kindly permit me to tell your readers about a personal distressing experience. Last fall I was visiting with my nephew John in Edmonton. His young son, Daniel, a few days short of his second birthday, had found a toy pistol left there by a visitor. Coming up to his dad, Daniel handed him the toy gun and said, “Shoot me, Dad.” John did not take the gun but said, “Daniel, you know that I do not like guns. Please put that away.” In an aside to me John said, “I did not take the gun away from him because it could become more desirable.” Daniel walked away but came back soon after, stood in front of his dad, pointed the gun against himself, said, “Bang,” and fell down as if he were dead. I was very distressed that a child so young should have already learned that guns are for killing. I urge all parents, grandparents, other relatives and friends to boycott war toys and other toys of violence. Let there be such a backlog of unsold toys that the manufacturers, the media that advertise them and the merchants who sell them will realize there can be more profit in handling toys that teach love and friendship instead of hatred and violence. Pauline Romaine Castlegar race, a change in the face of the school board, a tie vote at Kinnaird, the passage of a sewerage acquisition bylaw there and what is expected to be an award winning turnout of voters in that community highlighted municipal elections in the two areas last Thurs- day. . 28 « Fred Gibson, manager of the Can- adian Imperial Bank of Commerce here, was elected president of the Castlegar and Chamber of Commerce last night. 15 YEARS AGO From the Dee. 14, 1972 Casthegar News Only one familiar face, that of Ald. G.W. Rust, remains at the council table in Kinnaird from a once non-changing scene which has in the past four years seen eager contenders stepping for- ward to serve. The big change began in 1969 when Car! Loeblich, Kinnaird’s mayor for 12 years running, went down to defeat to Mayor Colin Maddocks. * 8 « A $100,000 referendum for a new school at Pass Creek has received the approval of voters with 1,178 voting yes and 592 voting no. ‘These figures represent 65.37 per cent of the majority. naar Arrow I, a familiar lake boat that remained at the Robson Wharf for so many years, was destroyed by fire Tuesday night, ending in a watery grave. Fully operational, the craft was located at the Arrow Boat Club where it was undergoing extensive work by its owner Brian Jordon, who had been laying the groundwork for future summer excursions on the lake. Meetings between rival Douk- hobor groups is the first step in re- solving the bombings and burnings’ in the West Kootenay and in preventing further acts of terrorism, deputy attorney-general Robin Bourne said this week. Bourne was in Castlegar for three days as chairman for meetings between Orthodox, Sons of Freedom and Re- formed Doukhobors, and various gov- ernment officials to discuss fire, a problem which has plagued the groups for 80 years. The meetings were closed to the public and press. . 8 @ A Castlegar and District Teachers Association spokesman says teachers may be asked to take a seven per cent decrease in wages and administrative allowances during arbitration hearings scheduled for this week. CDTA president Bob Cacchioni told the Castlegar News in an inter- view Friday that the board will be asking for the decrease because of a projected school budget shortfall in 1983. + 28 « B.C. Timber’s Celgar pulp mill has rejected a proposal from the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada to move to a 36-hour work week. PPWC Local 1 president Rod MacKinnon said in an interview Friday that the shorter workweek would mean that 18 mill employees laid off earlier this year could return to work. MORE LETTERS New approach negeee A generation has passed since it became obvious to many North Ameri- cans that the culture needs a new Falcons were dying out, unable to reproduce because the adult birds were h hig! of DDT in their systems which caused the females to lay eggs with such delicate shells that they would break, before the next generation could hatch. The lesson for humanity was not whether we could save the birds by banning DDT, but that our whole approach to these wonder products of the chemist must change. Hundreds, if not thou- sands, of different chemicals were in widespread use and new ones were developed all the time. Here was direct evidence of an unforeseen property of a chemical in widespread use threat- ening catastrophe to a species. It could have been us. Too many of us bought into the idea that revolutionary change was not would not find itself in the position of having permeated the environment with a chemical that had some wild, devastating property that would haunt us all in the last days of civilization as we frantically tried to reverse the irreverstine generation later, this is a possi A related group of com- monly used industrial chemicals, the halogenated hydrocarbons, known also as CFCs and halons, have the rare, horrifying ‘side-effect of acting as a catalyst in reactions in the strato sphere that destroy ozone. This culture can't seem to substitute some of the many other more modern chemicals we know would work as well, to do the jobs we have to do. The grasp that the dominant culture has of the situation was clearly demonstrated as it banned aerosol sprays years ago to placate an aroused public while allowing in- creased production for new uses such as washing computer chips. Now we have to about global environ- mental ca’ he. / with an scale. We have reached our limits. The chemicals concerned, by recent historic international agreement, will be pro- duced at current levels for six more years. The clowns are sailing on. There were enough people a generation ago who would feel the call that this is. We must all still be here. Alienated from each other by the culture that risks all life on earth for slightly cheaper refrigerators. It can't be left while we do something else. It has to be stopped. We need a new vision; a new belief system as a foundation for new in- stitutions; a new culture — out of ‘ity. No wonder it was impossible We / required. Existing could be modified, we could learn appropriate ways to deal with this unprecedented reality before it was too late. Mankind shield for all life on aps ‘and have just blown a hole in it enough to see from Mars. Everyone familiar with what facts there are has to see a future. This culture has no future. David Lewis Crescent Valley Peace challenge issued I have been a worker for peace ever since my return home in 1945 from service in the RCAF. For the past 42 years I have joined thousands of Canadians who have opposed the growth of the military not only because of the danger of war but also because of its economic, political and social cost. From the Ban the Bomb move- ment (that was successful in forcing an end to atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons) to the Iran-Contra hearings, the struggle has gone on. We have seen the Korean and Vietnam wars, the blockade of Berlin, the Cuban crisis, Czechoslovakia and Hungary, Poland, Chile, South Africa, Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, the Middle East, Afghanistan, the Chinese rev- olution, war in Central America, and a hundred smaller but no less dangerous conflicts. Since,the Second World War 40 million have died and countless more millions have been tortured, beaten, starved and brutalized by military dic- tatorships or police states. In far too many of these instances the world was poised on the brink of nuclear war. Only capricious fate and good luck saved us from total disaster. During this period the militariza- tion of the world accelerated and grew. By 1986 annual world military ex- penditure was $900 billion — over $150 million a minute spent on arms. As a result of economic dependency on mili- tary spending the entire globe has been effectively locked into a war economy. Each day 40,000 children die from starvation. As early as 1952, Gen. Douglas MacArthur told the Michigan State Legislature: “It is part of the general pattern of misguided policy that our country (the U.S.) is now geared to an arms industry which has been bred in an artificially induced psychosis of war hysteria and been nurtured upon an incessent propaganda of fear.” That is where we were as recently as Monday of this week when Secre- tary Gorbachev arrived in Washington to meet President Reagan and sign the INF treaty. This meeting has engendered a feeling of optimism, joy and relief. it was hard to believe what we were seeing in Washington. The two most powerful men in the world were treading the path to peace and agreeing to destroy 2,000 nuclear weapons. The INF treaty, as vital as it is, is only a first step. We can now expect the promised moves towards the destruction of intercontinental ballistic missiles, towards a test ban treaty and an end to the making of more nuclear weapons. We have truly come to a historic moment. A future without nuclear weapons is suddenly a distinct pos- sibility. There is a good chance we can move away from militarism and towards the urgently needed solutions to oppression, hunger, ecological col- lapse and violence in our world. The changes have never looked better in my 42 years in the peace movement. I am satisfied that the move towards this treaty is a direct result of public peace activity. The leaders are now responsive. I ur, those who have supported peace’ ef- forts in the past to again become involved. I invite the many others, who I know want the move towards peace to continue, to join with us and accept this challenge at this Christmas time of peace. '.E. DeVito vale Peace park group bids Rowe farewell the next two months off and meet next at 7 p.m. Feb. 29, 1988, at the chamber office. Anyone in the community ing. who would like to help with the development of the park is invited to attend the next The Peace Park Initiating Committee held its final meeting of 1987 at the Chamber of Commerce build- Best wishes were extended to Andy Rowe who will be moving to Fort St. James after Christmas. He was a valuable member of the com- ducted was the turning in of money from the tickets so far sold for the raffle of the watercolor of the old Brilliant bridge. Sales have been slower than expected and the committee decided to set up booths at various locations around Castlegar for the final two weeks. The draw will take place at the Community Complex at 10 a.m. Saturday. One new member, Astrid Austin, joined the commit- tee. It was decided to take CHRISTMAS STORE HOURS Open: Monday-Friday 9:30-9:00 WEEKLY SEWING SPECIALS Dec. 14-19 ALL PATTERNS WITH CANADIAN $$ Dec. 21 - 24 All Fabrics ...... Dec. 28 to Jan. CARTERS SEWING CENTRE DOING OUR BEST TO SERVE YOU. 623 Columbia Ave., Castlegar 365-3810 YOU PAY THE U.S. PRICE . -25% Off 2 All Notions . ++20% Of BEER & WINE STORE Gift Baskets NOW AVAILABLE Beautifully Arranged. INCLUDES ASSORTMENT OF: Glasses Cheese & Crackers Fae Chocolates fancy Chocola Christmas Cheer PRICED $1.2°5,,$2195 Ideol Stocking Stutfer ° ° * Pins © T-Shirts © Sweatshirts Etc. HOURS: unday 1} a.m Christmas Eve Monday to Saturday 9 a.m.-11 p.m 10 p.m 9am Christmas Day CLOSED Take a look at donations gests that if you are in a high tax bracket and give to char- ity every year then it is to your advantage to make your gerenag, 19868 contributions before year end. The reason for this is the changes in j the tax laws. In 1988 the tax available, several local or- Now ‘ti rates will be lower and char- ganizations were contacted regarding their current needs. In Nelson, the Capitol Theatre Restoration Society is hard at work preparing for their grand opening next spring.-They are currently We Search For Unique Gifts , .!. -» - $0 You Don't Have To! stmas! Canadian attitudes to char- itable donations and reports that the amounts given per running a lottery for a one week show tour to London . “We always have than Lewis leads caroling The December Agiow cen- tered around Christmas and the events leading up to the CENTRAL FOODS SPECIALS Enter Now to Win A Turkey a Day... ‘til Dec. 24 (6-7 bg. Orede A Torker) 22 99°o 0 said said Helene McGaul, co-ordi- nator of the opening festivi- ties. In Castlegar, the West Kootenay National Exhibi- tion Centre is struggling to keep its head above water. “Our facility is at one of those stages when operating ex- penses accelerate. Unex- pected things keep happen- ing. We have advertised for volunteer help and the re- ingieg and praise song. The pageant dealt with Mary — sponse has been encouraging, but some financial aid from our community would cer- tainly make it easier to con- tinue bringing quality ex- hibits to our area,” was Helen Lee's res; . Lee encour- ages local residents to come out to the West Kootenay National Exhibition Centre to make their contribution. “We have a very interesting exhibit of Eskimo dolls show- ing until Christmas and our gift shop is full of lovely presents.” The centre is open Tuesday to Sunday. Jacqueline Hamilton Castlegar her meeting and conversa- tion with the angel and again with her cousin Elizabeth. Pearl Filipoff was soloist. The main speaker was June Read who spoke about what Christmas means. She brought in much about being mothers and how Mary must have felt in each circum- stance, from the time of con- ception until Christ's resur- rection. CAPICOLLI ‘ How would we feel? She ministered in song through- out her talk. For the January meeting Linda Hunt of Nelson will be the speaker. HYUNDAI'S LOW PRICES MAKE HEADLINES THE COMPETITION SAYS biSi—>, $6995" IS Don't miss your chance to buy a brand —_ with more standard features than any new Hyundai from just $6995*. There — other domestic or import automobile. will never be a better buyona newcar — Hurry, before it's too late! Ph eat prep nes ha ater spor fete EBD CASTLEGAR mah d J 4 Call |-800.332