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The Casti gar Sun

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PUBLISHER JON JARRETT

SHARLENE IMHOFF CATHERINE ROSS
EDITOR

DENISE GOLDSTONE
CIRCULATION MANAGER
DONNA JORY
ADVERTISING MANAGER
JASON KEENAN

REPORTER

BRENDAN HALPER
REPORTER

editorial comment
Are the feds blind, or
just feeling vulnerable?

Katrine Conroy and Bonnie Evans are two West Koote-
nay women who have much to be angry about.

Because they happen to be the wives of NDP MLAs, the
two women have received word that they have been barred
from sitting on the Central Kootenay Community Futures
Committee (CKCFC).

The CKCF, similar to an economic development board,
is a federal government initiative which began in this area
only five years ago. The board provides an economic vision
of sorts—it studies and reveals what type of employment is
needed in the area, as well as businesses and i .

Needless to say, there are specific types of people who
the government States should be recommended to the board.
Namely, those who represent diversity and equality. Gone
are the days when only members of the “old boys” club
were welcomed with
minorities, and people
their and

and Corky Evans might have their own Political aspirations,
these two women have succeeded in making their own
mark, setting their own goals and Producing results which
also benefit our communities.

Katrine, who is the administrator of the Kootenay
Columbia Childcare Society in Castlegar, is considered one
of the authoriti garding services and ion for single
mothers and their children. Bonnie Evans, executive director
at the Nelson District Community Resources Society, has
made some i strides regarding the i of
various community services, such as job placements, homes
for the de-institutionalized and drug and alcohol coun-
selling.

It would be asinine if the federal government failed to
Fecognize and separate the important achievements of these
two women from their husbands’ political careers.

Since when has the federal government ever taken notice
of what's going on outside of Quebec and Ontario anyway?
Could it be perhaps, that a local interest group made a lot of
noise within earshot of Berard Valcourt, the federal minis-
ter of Employment and Immigration who made the final
decision to accept or reject these applications?

If the big concem here is conflict of interest, the federal
government should say so—publicly.

A potential conflict of interest seems highly unlikely.

ity Futures is a society of volunteers, who adminis-
trate a federal program initiated and controlled by a Conser-
vative government. How could two women, who just
happen to be the wives of provincial politicians, for an NDP
Party, score one over the federal government? Maybe the
federal government is blind, or maybe it just feels a little
vulnerable these days.

BEN AMOREERINGS)

By Don Addis

You HAVE THE RIGHT
To REMAIN SILENT...

1S POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A
MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE
Established November 28, 1990

Published by The C: Sun
Weekly on W. jays

465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C. V1N 1G8

OPINION

————— . 7
: My, It is still a season

There is a nickname for Aus-
tralia, which is often called the
“Lucky Country”. After living
there, on and off, for the better part
of a decade, I am still unsure as to
why that country could be consid-
ered lucky, except that I know
about the Australian penchant to
call something the Opposite to what
it really is. Thus, red-haired People
and dogs are often called “Blue” or
“Bluey”. An Australian Blue Heel-
er is actually red! Straight-haired or
bald people are called “Curly”, fat
people are called “Slim”, and short
people are called “Stretch”. It
strikes one as very odd at first, but
you get used to it

1983 had been a very unlucky
year for much of Australia. The
winter had been very wet, with
almost continual rain for weeks on
end. Rivers and creeks were over-
flowing, fields and flood-

bush and grass fires broke out.
Grass fires in Australia can be
extremely dangerous because of the
Open terrain which assists in gener-
ating extremely high winds. These
winds can blow wild fire very
quickly into the eucalyptus trees,
the oil of which burns easily and
fiercely. A rampaging grass/bush
fire is no joke. There were many
wild fires that year. On the day
after Shrove Tuesday, there were so
many fires out of control it is
known as “Ash Wednesday”. There
were thirteen volunteer fireman
who lost their lives in our area that
day, while many other areas suf-
fered other lives lost and much
damage to properties. I shall never
forget that day.

We had been concerned enough
about local fires, as we lived in the
rural countryside, to have di

for

Temperatures dropped quickly, dra-
matically, and the south-east wind
grew in intensity, gusting and
swirling about the house. It was
then I realized that the fire, that had
been burning easterly away from
us, had changed direction and was

now headed, quickly, directly at us.

Being of prudent nature, I advised
my family members of imminent
danger, the proposed evacuation
plan, and to prepare. I quickly
packed a small bag with our few

‘i i I

ed and some homes, those not on
high ground, had to be reached by
boat or abandoned. Many parts of
Australia do not have “high
ground”. When the rains stopped,
the wind blew and the ground dried
out quickly. First there was a pesti-
lence of snakes and rabbits, those
that had not drowned in the floods.
Then, as summer came, there was
drought, as the hot north wind
blew, tiny white puffs of clouds
sped across brilliant blue skies, and

c gency plans and evacuation
routes. I had decided I would take
the dog and jump into the pool or,
if threatened from another direc-
tion, take the dog and drive east.
Over Easter holidays that year I
had family members visiting and
tried to impress on them the seri-
ousness of the danger in the tinder-
dry hills. So it was with
considerably relief that, on “Ash
Wednesday”, I watched the wind
shift south-easterly, for this meant
we were due for a “cool change”.

MLAs should take

JIM NIELSEN

Sstituency matters, as would be
d, alth with the micro-

I may have a very slight role to
Play in a study presently underway
with respect to the job description
of an MLA. Nothing official in the
role I and other former members
might play, but a certain amount of
input may be sought.

In reviewing the question in my
mind and in conversation with a
few other former members, I began
to lament the role our members of
the legislature are Performing these
days. This is not a condemnation of
those 75 members nor is it a decla-
ration of superior insight. Most
people have a general understand-
ing of what an MLA does and is
expected to do. Constituents most
expect assistance in resolving prob-
lems relating to a ministry, crown
corporation or agency of the gov-
emment.

A lot of time is spent with con-

Another reason why this countr

If you have had occasion to deal
with a federal office, you will have
noticed that you will be answered
in franglais, sort of, “Department of
National Defense, bonjour.”
Indeed, those of us who speak a lit-
tle French have occasionally
indulged in some harmless fun-
poking by trying to coax a little
more than ‘bonjour’ from the hap-
less receptionist, who usually says
something like, “Un moment
Please, je will trouver un person
francois.”

No wonder British Columbians are

GORDON WILSON

Travelling the province this sum-
mer, it has become clear why so
many British Columbians. feel so
frystrated with our political system
and our economic conditions. From
the East Kootenays, to the Interior
and the North, to the Fraser Valley,
the Lower Mainland, and to the
shores of Vancouver Island — the
message is loud and clear. After
only nine months in office, the peo-
ple of British Columbia no longer
trust the word of Premier Mike
Harcourt and his government

The Liberal opposition caucus
will become much more vocal and
aggressive in its fight to protect the
interests of all British Columbians
and keep this NDP government
accountable to the voters. In his
short tenure as premier, Mike Har-

population totals, thanks to the last
review by Judge Fisher, our MLAs
have a more workable task. More
members with féwer constituents
each to service.

Back to the point. The purpose
of choosing representatives to sit in
the legislative assembly on our
behalf is to have these people bring
forth legislation and a tax regimen
which will best serve the needs of
the citizens in this province. The
main function of an MLA is to leg-
islate, that is, to take an active role
in the formulation of law, taxes and
expenditures.

From personal experience I am
aware of how few members take
part in exploratory debate and
examination of proposed laws or
Produce concepts and ideas with
Fespect to the punitive tax system
we have employed for a long time.

Once, in a of unb

ly passports.

was gathering up family and dog
when a mighty gust of wind hit the
tall front windows, swooshed
upwards and lifted the roof com-
pletely off the house! The metal
roof peeled right back and blew
into the yard, taking electrical
wiring, pictures, cushions and
everything loose with it! Because
the wind was now Pushing the car-
pet upwards in great billows, it
gave the illusion of the walls and
floor collapsing.

Our intrepid dog stuck close to

storms

my side and was visibly upset. We
tushed out to the carport, but my
little “Alfa’ was hidden under part
of the roof. While my sister took
the dog and climbed in, my broth-
er-in-law and I picked up that roof
and moved it aside as if it were a
marshmallow! I drove out of there
as fast as I have ever driven. I did
not look back.

When we had all calmed down,
we found a motel for the night and
organized a crew to help restore
order at the house. ‘It had not
rained, so there was no damage, but
the house looked as if a tornado
had hit it. The electrician who came
to replace the electrical wiring
remarked that I was sure one
unlucky Canadian lady! This elec-
trician had already replaced the
wiring once before when the house
was hit by lightning! I replied,
“Well, what next? Floods?” We
both looked out at the immense
valley below us and acknowledged
that it would have to be some
gigantic flood!

When the crew arrived to repair
the damaged roof, it took four
strong men to lift it, and it was still
a struggle. Thereafter, the “Little
River Band” and their popular
song, “Cool Change”, have always
had a particular meaning and
memory for me. Especially while it
is still storm season.

a more active role

It is the cabinet ministers and their
critics who usually devote their
time to a particular segment of leg-
islation or budget and when fin-
ished feel they have done their
thing. That is unfortunate and I
believe it will get worse.

Every member of the legislature
should understand each act intro-
duced in the house and should
equally understand every line in the
budget. It is not good enough to
take part only in a portion of the
Proceedings. I may be accused of
wearing rose-colored glasses, but
there is a very real concern among
those who understand and worry
about the integrity of our system.

I was part of a government
which created the Ombudsman's
office. The NDP had created the
Rentalsman’s office. There are
other officials with enormous pow-
ers, all of whom can take care of a
constituent’s problems. That is the

rub. By creating these offices the
MLA can simply act as a traffic
cop and point people in the right
direction. The difficulty is elected
members can be sheltered from
these concerns since they no longer
need resolve them themselves.

When W.A.C. Bennett was pre-
mier of the province, he rejected
the need for an Ombudsman. He
said every MLA was an ombuds-
man and should take care of their
constituent’s problems. He was
correct. As we establish more
offices and officers to assist the
People in their ongoing battle with
provincial rules, regulations and
policies, our elected people become
more remote from the issues. That
is too bad.

I spent some time watching the
debate this past session and 1 was
less than impressed most of the
time. We could be losing out to
indifference.

y is in trouble

ing levity, I phoned up a chap with
whom I was on cordial terms and
affected to be from the language
Police, just checking to see that his
French was flowing freely over the
phone.

I have just discovered that this
feeble jest has been superseded by
a grimmer reality, namely that there
really is a language police, which
does exactly what I was teasing my
acquaintance about.

Yes, there is a shadowy govern-

The citizens of British Columbia
must be able to trust their elected
officials to look out for the best
interests of all in our society.

As the people of Kamloops
learned during the last election, the
leader of the Liberal Party of
British Columbia will always give
an honest and direct answer to
questions concerning the future of
this province. As Mike Harcourt
and Rita Johnston toured the
province promising cancer clinics
to the people of Kamloops, Kelow-
na and Prince George, the leader of
the Liberal party stated clearly that,
as Premier of a Liberal govern-
ment, the Interior cancer clinic
would be built in Kelowna. All the
studies and research showed that
locating the clinic in Kelowna rep-

d the best medical decisi
for the citizens of British
Col 5 pte

court’s only ach s has been
to raise the level of cynicism and
distrust among the people of British
Columbia.

The desire to serve the people
should be the only motivation for
someone to enter into politics. Poli-
tics should be a calling and an hon-
orable profession, not an
Opportunity for self-interested peo-
ple to hand out favors to special
friends, insiders and interest
groups. Honesty and integrity must
be restored to our political system

P ig the people of
Kamloops that they would receive
the cancer clinic would have been
an opportunistic political manoeu-
vre and an outright patent lie
The leader the Official Opposi-
tion of British Columbia will
always give an honest and direct
answer based on sound research
and logic. The people of British
Columbia may not like all of those
answers, and they may not vote for
the Liberal Party of British

ment di which employs a
Person or persons to do nothing but

Apparently, if they do it right,
the I

Nigel
Hannaford

Syndicated

Police identify them-
selves and give them a polite pat on
the back. If however they forget
their French, they get a good bol-
locking in the official language of
their choice. At least they do in
Angloph Canada. I’ve no idea

Col

what they say to government

Phone up ‘swivel’ servants and
make sure that when they answer
the phone, they use both official

right. But, the Liberal opp

‘mployces in Quebec if they forget
their English.
T don’t know what this costs, but
I know it’s too much.

so frustrated

will not lie to the people of this
Province. Furthermore, the Liberal
caucus is firm in its commitment
not to fall into the old style of B.C.
Politics focusing on personalities
and scandals, senseless name call-
ing and juvenile debate.

Restoring honesty and integrity
to the political process in this
Province will not be an easy task,
but is a task to which the Liberal

PP itted. The cyni-
cism the Harcourt government has
created by misleading the citizens
of British Columbia through its
endless desire to break every
Promise it made to the voters of
B.C. is troubling. Now, the Liberal
Opposition will become much more
aggressive and take the government
to task over decisions that will neg-
atively impact on the lives of
British Columbians.

Columbia. That is their d

Wednesday, August 12, 1992'

The Castlegar Sun

Page 7A

petters to the Editor

Choose health now and avoid

“ Dear Editor:

€ In the interest of not offending
any of my collegues or patients I
‘ould prefer that my name be
withheld from publication, espe-
‘eially as this issue is extremely
Controversial.

‘ With so much attention
focused recently on the new BC
‘Health Care legislation, and with
the threat of B.C. doctors to opt
tout of the Medical Services Plan,
one has to wonder whether the
true crux of the matter has been
adequately addressed, and that is
the question of who is ultimately
responsible for Health Care. The
government? The doctors? Cer-
‘tainly in a country that boasts of
‘ene of the highest standards of
living in the world, it would
seem appropriate to offer all the
citizens a free, universal health
care system. However the fact
that health care is free (or at least

would seem that the government
had accepted that responsibility.
Now the new legislation tends to
put the responsibility on the doc-
tor, forgetting one vital fact that
seems to have been ignored over
the last 30 years, and that is the
individual's responsibility for
their own health. You are respon-
sible. You have the choice to live
as healthily as you please, you
also have ithe choice to act
responsibly in utilizing Health
Care services. You have the final
say whether to follow the doc-
tor’s advise or whether to ignore
it. The present B.C. government
would have us believe that doc-
tors are money grabbing and
unethical, that they are coercing
patients into their offices and
emergency departments and oper-
ating rooms. Which anyone who
has visited their doctor knows is
not the case. You choose to make

lable at a
does not absolve those ultimately
tesponsible
For the last 30 years — since
the introduction of Medicare, it

the app nt. It would be a
tragedy if the present govern-
ment’s plan to restrict your access
to your physician is allowed to
succeed.

Well it is obvious that there is
not enough funds to continue
with the old system, so some
revision is essential. However,
since it is your health at stake,
you should be most concerned,
talk to your own doctor about
what the new health care act
means. You could address your
concerns to the Minister of
Health, or your own MLA, and
insist On a negotiated more
thoughtful new system. In the
meantime then, let's all start tak-
ing responsibility first for our
own health and second for our
Health Care System. Perhaps one
should think twice before using
emergency services for minor
Problems. Perhaps that cold will
gO away on its own after all.
Indeed, after-hours consultations
tend to be very expensive for the
health care system, perhaps extra
effort could be made to be seen
during regular hours. This serves
an additional advantage in freeing
the emergency personel for those
Cases that are truely life threaten-
ing or unbearable. (like your

costly problems later

child's earache or severe abdomi-
nal pain. What happened to Mer-
curochrome and moms kiss to
make those scrapes and bruises
better? We seem to have forgot-
ten how good Tylenol is for those
pains, and those aches from those
frustrating viral infections, and
simple gravol for nausea, and
immodium for diarrhoea, all
available without Prescription.

There are many publications
available, with medical advice,
indeed the Canadian Medical
Association with Readers Digest
has just published a medical
encyclopedia that would be most
useful in the home. So, by being
more responsible for our own
health, and thoughtful about
using after-hours services, and by
respecting what is indeed an
excellent concept — free, acces-
sible health care for all, perhaps
some of the over utilisation can
be avoided

A local physician

Castlegar Foods

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Letters Policy

Letters to the Editor are welcome on any topic of local or general
interest. Letters should be double-spaced, typewritten, or legibly hand-
wnitten, and no more than two pages if possible. Letters will be edited in
the interests of brevity or taste if necessary. All letters must be signed,
with address and telephone number, although names may be witheld
from publication for valid reason by the approval of the editor. Send
letters to: The Castlegar Sun, 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C.,
YIN 1G8, or drop them off at the office.

Obituaries

My two cents

Dear Editor:

With worries of the Free Trade deal with the United States and
which Mull

now Mexico, the c

can not leave alone, the GST and unemployment, etc, I think we
should all just get a bit of fun out of life.

y (sorry, y),

John Gibson
Castlegar

Dinner

On Monday, August 3, Edith
“May” Dinner of Castlegar, B.C.
passed away at the Trail Region-
al Hospital at the age of 94 years.

Mrs. Diner was born March
30, 1898 at St. Austell, England
She moved to Saskatchewan in
the 1930's and moved with her
husband to. Trail in 1941 and to
Castlegar in 1950. She married
John Walter Dinner in 1918 in
England, Mr. Dinner passed
way on July 30, 1972, Mrs. Din-
fier was a member of the Ladies
Auxiliary of the Castlegar
Legion Branch #170 and served
as its President many different
times. She was a founding mem-

Evin

Annie Evin passed away on

Thursday, August 6, at Mountain
View Lodge at the age of 78.
Born on November 15, 1913 at Win-
law, B.C., Annie was the youngest
of three children bom to John and
Mary Polonikoff. The Polonikoff
family moved to Rossland in the
arly 1920's where the family was
involved in logging. Annie attended
school in Rossland and spoke fond-
ly of her school experiences. The
family moved to Slocan Park when
Annie was in her teens.

On February 26, 1935 she
married William John Evin and
moved to Thrums. Within a few
years, the family returned to Slo-
can Park. Annie resided here for
most of her life except for the last
two years. She was a resident at
Willow Haven and recently at
Mountain View Lodge. Prior to
her illness, Annie was active in
local community activities. She
enjoyed Russian meetings,
singing and psalm sessions. She
was always willing and volun-
teered to assist her friends, neigh-
bours and relatives when a need
afbse. In addition to her garden-
ing, Annie found time to sew,
embroider, and crochet. However,
her favourite pastime was spend-
ing time with her grandchildren
who she loved ever so dearly.

She is survived by the husband,
William, of 57 years, son and daugh-
tet-in-law, Bill and Natalie of Slocan
Park and son John of Cranbrook, and
from the immediate family seven
grandchildren; Monty, Cindy, Ray-
mond, Kelly, Chris, Karen, and Kim
and four great grandchildren; Lacey,
Tasha, Nikki, and Misti. Annie was a
very special person loved by all her
family. Her gentle, kind, under-
standing and compassionate man-
ner was very comforting and will
be remembered by all people with
whom she associated. Funeral ser-
vite was Sunday, August 9, 1992
and continued to Monday, August
10, at the Slocan Park Community
Hall with burial at the Slocan Park
Cémetery. Funeral arrangements
were under the direction of the
C4stlegar Funeral Chapel.

ber of the Eagles Lodge in
Castlegar. She also enjoyed Cro-
cheting, Knitting and Gardening.

Mrs. Dinner is survived by one
son and daughter-in-law, Ed and
Virginia Dinner of Blueberry
Creek, B.C. Three grandchildren
and one great grandson

In lieu of flowers, contribu-
tions may be made to the Chil-
drens Hospital, 4480 Oak Street,
Vancouver, B.C.

Funeral arrangements were
under the direction of the Castle-
gar Funeral Chapel

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