November 23, 1986 ANDRE PREDICTS EVENTUAL BILL ACCEPTANCE By STEVE KERSTETTER Canadian Press OTTAWA — A controversial Conservative bill to give new brand-name iption drugs more patent protection will eventually be accepted by voters, says Harvie Andre, minister of consumer and corporate affairs I don’t think the bill will be unpopoular with voters, and I genuinely mean that,” he said in an interview. “It's not quite as hard to sell as some might indicate, albeit it's not going to be that easy, either.” Amendments to the Patent Act introduced in the Commons last week would normally give brand-name producers 10 years of protection from competition by jess expensive generic or no-name drugs. The government hopes the companies, most of them subsidiaries of multinational firms based in Europe or the United States, will double spending on research and levelopment and create 3,000 jobs in Canada within the next decade The Opposition and groups representing consumers. ynions, women and the poor all fear the changes will lead to substantial increases in the amount people pay to get riptions filled. CONDUCTS POLL A Gallup poll in early August found 57 per cent of espondents in favor of existing patent arrangements t allow generic copies of new drugs to come on the market relatively quickly Andre said the poll amounted to little more than asking people if they wanted to pay more for their drugs. The legislation also provides for payments of $100 million to the provinces over the next four years to offset increases in drug costs and the creation of a “patented medicine prices review board” to keep tabs on the industry and ensure drug prices aren't excessive. Andre said safeguards for consumers had to be built into the legislation because it's difficult to predict what would happen to prices. The money for the provinces is intended to cover any added costs in their drug subsidy programs that arise because of ti iti PI in the Under those provisions, about 15 drugs already on the market would get between one and five years additional protection from competition. Andre said the federal government estimates the added cost to the provinces at $65 million, but decided to “round up” the estimate to $100 million. Generic companies predicted losses to consumers will grow annually under the Conservative proposals and will eventually be $650 million a year by 1995. Andre said it's the assumptions used in the cal culations that determine whether the supposed impact of the legislation would be to give consumers a break or make their drugs astronomically expensive. BAR ACCESS The Canadian Press and NDP health critic Neil Young have both been denied access to the cost-impact studies done for the Conservatives. Andre said much of the work of the proposed drug prices review board will be open to the public except for detailed information collected by the board that'll be kept confidential to protect the commercial interests of tng] companies involved Interested parties such as consumer groups will be able to bring complaints and concerns to the board, but there won't be full public hearings common in some regulatory agencies, he said. The bill provides for the drugs in Canada and abroad, the cost of manufacturing and marketing and the amounts spent on research and development. Companies which fail to co-operate with the board or which charge excessive prices could lose patent pro- tection and face early competition from generic producers Four years after the bill takes effect, the federal cabinet would have the power to reduce the amount of patent protection provided by the bill or to scrap the new system outright A further review would be done by a parliamentary committee before the new system is 10 years old Nelson, Trail and C Thanks to All To the citizens and friends that supported me at the polls and during the campaign. . . all was greatly appreciated. LAWRENCE CHERNOFF Learn To Fly For Pleasure or Career Catherine Caines. Irene Gempton (left) and Pot COMMUNICATING . ae Twenty-five People from di Castl. Citizen's Advocacy groups drama workshop featuring communications exercises Ferguson practice e of the many methods of com- munication skills. PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL PILOT COURSES led by Vancouver's Promoter offers worthless gems VANCOUVER (CP) — Tiny diamonds might have been a promoter’s best friend, but they got him in trouble with advertising watchdogs, a provincial court trial was told this week. Court was told a promotion headed by Montreal busi nessman Pierre Benoit ad vised recipients they had won either $25,000 cash, a diamond ring or $5,000 cash The diamond rings were hailed as “super prizes” but eager consumers who res ponded to the mail promotion received .Ol-carat diamond rings made from industrial diamonds and worth about Benoit, who faces mislead. ing advertising charges un der the Combines Investiga tions Act, called the rings “the nicest one-size ring I've ever seen. He said people participat- ing in the promotion were not obligated to buy anything from his mail-order cata jogue. STATEMENT FALSE Benoit faces charges that from Sept. 30, 1985, to April 1, 1986, he and his company, Muralex Distributions Inc., promoted the supply or use of a product sold by the company through its mail order catalogue by making a representation to the public that was false or misleading. Crown witnesses have tes tified that Muralex, doing business under the name of Orford Collection, distribut ed a brochure through the DRUG MART. NOTICE RE. MOVEMBER CIRCULAR, VOLUMN 19. mov. 23. Ove to shipping delay by the monutac oo ony ie moy hove covsed our customers New Feature AT CASTLEGAR SAVINGS CREDIT UNION Plan 24, our popular Daily Interest Savings Account is now even more attractive. Earn interest daily on every deposit dollar and now receive your interest monthly. For details of our full financial services, inquire at our branches CASTLEAIRD PLAZA 365-7232 re: SLOCAN PARK 226-7212 ADVANCED RATINGS Night, instrumental, Multi-Engine, instructor NEXT GROUND SCHOOL STARTS JANUARY 6, 1986 HOMEGOODS FURNITURE WAREHOUSE Tues.-Sat., 9:30-5:30 China Creek “Drive a Little to Save a Lot TRY OUR $20.00 INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT Gov't. Approved Flying Schoo! Courses are Tax Deductible. mail informing recipients they had just won a diamond ring or cash. Available A mail-order catalogue was ASTLE! distributed with the bro G a 365-7701 chure A 365-3035 is with participating Castlegar Merchants b, Nov. 24-Dec. 23 “> OVER ax Including... Anda... -*150 *669 GIFT CERTIFICATES FROM . . . At Sunshine Village in Banff From West’s Travel =2=22:= — TOENTER — * When you shop at the participating Castlegar merchants you will receive an entry torm for every $10 or more you spend (eg if you spend $20.00, you get two. etc.) Fill out the entry form and deposit it in the entry box ot either SAFEWAY or WEST'S TRAVEL at your eorlies! convenience LOOK FOR SHOP 'N WIN POSTERS IN PARTICIPATING STORE WINDOWS! PARTICIPATING MERCHANTS Ginette’s Boutique Rose's Boutique /Sithovette Suntan Studio Lion's Head Sports Pete's TV Mountain Sports Hut Macleods Wool W ond more to come! In Prizes Value Holiday Package * Draws will be held Dec. 9, Dec. 16 and Dec. 23, 1986 © LOTS AND LOTS OF PRIZES, LOTS AND LOTS OF WINNERS. * Prizes ore not for cash duo! MAY or MAY NOT exchange prizes * Official Entry Forms Only con be used Phormesove West's Dept. Store 2 Maison Legistative Library, Parliament Bligs.,. 501 Victoria, ve8v ix4 Library project in jeopardy By RON NORMAN Editor The proposed expansion of the Castlegar and District Public Library is in danger of being scrapped unless more funds can be raised within the next month. Ald. Terry Rogers told Castlegar council Tuesday night that despite reducing the size of the expansion by 20 per cent, funding for the project still falls $40,000 short. The library board has a $400,000 budget — $200,000 from a provincial Expo legacy grant and a matching $200,000 grant from the city. But Rogers said if the library board proceeds with the lowest of three tenders for construction, the expansion will cost about $440,000. Cas Vol. 39, No. 95 Rogers explained that the six initial tenders for con- struction came in too high so the library board instructed the architect to redesign the 8,360-square foot expansion, elimi- nating 1,700 square feet. The six contractors who bid on the original plans were then invited to resubmit tenders for the smaller expansion which totals 6,660 square feet: 5,100 square feet on the main floor and 1,560 square feet in the basement and service areas. Only three of the contractors resubmitted bids. The lowest was William Berg Construction Ltd. of Castlegar at $395,700. Nu-Tech Const Ltd. of C: da bid of $396,761, while FJ. McLeod Construction Ltd. of 60 Cents AS AD. légar Castlegar came in at $419,000. “Certainly the bids came down from the initial ones,” Rogers said. However, he added that when the $30,000 in archi- teetural and engineering fees and another $10,000 to $20,000 oi secre’ lends are included, the total is more like Rogers told council the library board met Monday night after the tenders were opened to discuss its next move and has decided to continue to look for alternative funding Rogers pointed out that the board has been exploring ways to raise the additional $40,000 since the first tenders were opened last month. Council agreed to Rogers's suggestion that the latest bids be postponed for up to 30 days to give the library board time to come up with is obvious.” go ahead. News CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1986 nae Ald. Len Embree agreed, but also pointed out that the figures are “pretty clear.” “There's a considerable shortfall,” he said, adding that if the library board can't obtain more funding, the “conclusion In an interview following the council meeting, Embree explained: “If the funding is not available, the project cannot He ruled put reducing the size of the expansion a second time, saying that for the board to build a smaller library than continued on poge A? SPECTACULAR CRASH . . . RCMP Const. Jim Stroker examines accident scene early Sunday morning in which driver and passenger escaped with only minor injuries. Truck careened off Highway 3 exit ramp. flipping twice betore landing on roof behind Castleaird Plaza. Full details, A2 RESIDENT OBJECTS TO NEW LIBRARY By CasNews Staff The Castlegar and District Public Library's proposed $440,000 expansion came under fire from a resident Tuesday night at Castlegar council Stan Franks, said he can't understand why the library proposal is going ahead when Castlegar voters twice rejected referendums on a new library Evidently that is not good enough,” Franks said during the 15-minute question period that follows each council meeting He suggested the majority of voters have indicated they don't want a new library and asked why council is proceeding with the expansion Ald. Terry Rogers, council's representative on the library board, defended the library expansion. saying the present library facilities are inefficient and small Rogers also pointed out that in one referendum the new library was included in a municipal complex along with «new city hall and didn’t accurately reflect voters wishes. After the library referendums were defeated, the library board decided to push for an expansion of the present facility, Rogers said. However, it concluded that the present building cannot be expanded Rogers said he personally looked at the prospect of expanding the downtown library, but said it wasn't feasible “That was explored really thoroughly.” he said Rogers also said that council hasn't ignored the referendum route, but that the $200,000 municipal con tribution does not require council go to referendum Ald. Len Embree added that the 1983 referendum on a new $1 million library “was' a considerably different proposal.” Embree also defended the decision to proceed with the expansion, pointing out that the library board recom mended the expansion and the board represents 4 cross-section of the community Embree said the city is also getting a much needed facility for only $200,000 “['m not just speaking for myself. He pointed out that when he ran in the Nov. 15 continued on poge A2 Embree said Ski hill workers OK pact By CasNews Staff Fred Long. Members of the Red Mountain Em a mediator from the Labor Relations Board in Vancouver operators, ski patrollers, cat drivers. and maintenance workers. Overall ployees Association ratified a contract agreement with the Red Mountain Ski Society Saturday which will see a 20-cent per hour reduction in em ployees’ wages Raymond Gaudard, president of the RMEAC told the Castlegar Tuesday that the official signing of the agreement is expected to take place Thursday Originally, the ski society asked for salary cuts ranging between four and 14 per cent and wanted bar and 20 to 25 per cent of to be contracted out. News cafeteria services all employees was called in to help settle the dispute but his proposal was rejected by a vote of 291 The proposal consisted of a three year contract with a wage rollback of 50 cents an hour the first year. but a 25-cent-increase in the next two years. Gaudard said though the present agreement consists of the 20-cent wage reduction across the board for the first year of the two-year contract, the re duction will be returned to the “skilled outside employees” during the second year Included in that category are lift approximately 55 employees, including cafeteria workers, fall under the contract agreement As well the association has agreed to the lower starting wage for new em ployees. Gaudard explained that new employees last year may have started earning about $7.20 per hour, whereas now they will start at about $5.90 per hour The ski society, for its part. has agreed not to contract out for the life of the agreement, “something we felt we needed guarantees on,” said Gaudard. RICK HANSEN here in April Hansen coming to Castlegar By CasNews Staff Wheelchair marathoner Rick Hansen will be bringing his Man in Motion world tour to Castlegar next year. Recreation director Pat Metge sayus Hansen will wheel through Castlegar next spring. Hansen is scheduled to be in Castlegar sometime in April A local committee is being formed to coordinate events and fund-raising acticities Hansen is currently wheeling through southern heading for London via Windsor and Sarnia, a roundabout route he has adopted to make up mileage His tour is 40,073.9 kilometres the circumference of the earth. And because Hansen was not allowed to wheel in places such as East Germany. he has to make up those kilometres. Ontario. He is aed. MLA ‘political’ By CasNews Staff The sale of West Kootenay Power and Light Co. to U.S.-based UtiliCorp United Inc. is a political question rather than a legal issue, Rossland- Trail MLA Chris D'Arcy told a B.C. Utilities Commission hearing in Pen- tieton Monday. “One cannot find fault with either Comineo or UtiliCorp for going by the rules laid down by the duly elécted provincial and federal governments,” D'Arcy said. “To my knowledge no legal action has been taken to halt the sale or recover costs of preparing bids. There- fore, I must assume the takeover is above board as far as both the laws and policies of both govern. ments are concerned.” D’Arcy's comments came during the first day of a two-day hearing into the sale of West Kootenay Power to Utili Corp for $80 million Cdn. The hearings in Penticton were scheduled to run Nov. 10-14 but were reconvened for another two days — Monday and Tuesday — because of the large number of intervenors D'Arcy noted that there is wide spread public conern the WKPL sale will result in higher electricity rates and foreign control of an essential service. However, the provincial and federal governments don't share that concern, D'Arcy said Both senior levels of government welcome foreign investment, “provided Canadian and B.C. corporate law is not broken, and the investing source is legitimate in its own country,” he said. D'Arcy also pointed out that since the sale was announced, voters in the West Kootenay Power service area voted substantially increased support for Social Credit party candidates in the Oct. 22 provincial election INSIDE FRONT ROW SEAT: Mayor Audrey Moore says TV comeros didn't catch all the action at the first ministers’ conference in Vancouver lost week. Moore was one of five observers there at the invitation of the provincial government... A2 “This does not necessarily mean popular support for the sale. However, it does mean that the sale of UtiliCorp was not a reason for the public to oppose the government on that issue alone,” D'Arcy says. At the same time, D'Arcy says he is not pleased with the prospect of “our friendly neighbrohood electrical util- Montreal to UtiliCorp’s headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. “Ideally, utility ownership should reside in the service area,” he said. But D'Arcy also says there is a problem with idealism. “Neither thewilling vendor nor the willing purchaser wish to make the utility available to other interests,” he said. “In short, WKPL is not for sale except to UtiliCorp.” D'Arcy's concern over potential rate increases was more directed to West Kootenay Power's reliance on B.C. Hydro for surplus power than on Utili Corp raising rates. “The high cost of peaking power purchased from B.C. Hydro is a major factor in putting upward pressure on rates,” he said He suggested West Kootenay Power develop new generating facilities if it is to eliminate a growing dependency on B.C. Hydro for winter peak power “If it is within the Commission's mandate, I strongly urge the Com mission to ask WKPL for a statement of intent regarding general or even specific plans for increasing generating capacity within the system,” D'Arcy said. If West Kootenay Power doesn't in crease generating capacity. economic development and increased population will push rates up, D'Arcy said FILMING BACK ON: Street Talk says Screen Gems Canada hos received the green light from CP Rail to tilm a scene for the movie Housekeeping at the Castlegar railway station A3 COMPUTER MEETING: Tuesday night's meeting to discuss computers in schools was poorly attended = AT PSST! WANNA TICKET? VANCOUVER — Ticket speculators hoping to cash in on Sundy's Grey Cup football games have been thrown for a lose The city is awash in tickets tor the Canadian Footbal! League title gome between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Edmonton Eskimos atter the Eskimos whipped B.C Lions 41-5 in Sundays western tinal There is an overwhelming surplus of ticke! Grey Cup.” said Stan Garrison, owner of Row One ticket brokers He said that on Tuesday alone he purchased $6,000 worth of tickets wishing to attend the gome tor this year's from people not