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Parliament
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B.C.

Vol. 39, No. 97 CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1986

ads

Rural firehalls ‘hurtin

By RON NORMAN
Editer

Dam and the Kalesnikoff sawmill from the Electoral Area I
assessment roll.

That, coupled with a recent drop in assessment values,
has placed the electoral area's two firehalls in jeopardy.

“We are losing quite a few dollars that are necessary to
operate our firehalls,’ Voykin said.

He explained that in 1982 a six-mill levy in Area I raised
$134,000.

“That's what we based our fire department on,” he said.

However, by 1986 that had dropped to only $123,000
because of falling assessment values.

Now with the removal of the machinery and equipment

One proposal called for the province to allow the
regional district to increase the tax rate from $1.228 per
$1,000 of assessed value to $1.674. The rate would still only

tax, a six-mill levy will raise only $90,000 — a drop of $44,000
from 1

Rural fire departments are fighting for their lives in the
wake of the provincial government's removal of the
machinery and equipment tax on business, says a Regional
District of Central Kootenay director.

“This removal of machinery and equipment is
bankrupting our firehalls,” Area I director John Voykin told
the Castlegar News. “We're hurting.”

At the same time, the costs of operating the firehalls
have increased, Voykin said.

He said that while the firehalls could operate on just
$123,000 a year, it is impossible to run them on $90,000.
Pik be bankrupt by probably May at the latest,” Voykin
sald.
He said the regional district is in the midst of
negotiations with the provincial government over some way
to resolve the crisis.

resolve the situation.

Voykin said the regional district still hasn't decided if it
will ask rural voters to increase the tax rate, but he said if
referendum is necessary, it will likely be held in February.

Voykin said that by eliminating the tax, the province
has removed West Kootenay Power and Light Co.'s Brilliant

KAY JOHNSON
beot Anutooshkin

Johnson
re-elected
chairman

By MIKE KALESNIKO
Staff Writer

Castlegar school trustee Kay John
son was re-elected chairman at the
board’s inaugural meeting Monday

night, but not without a fight
Johnson beat trustee George Anu
tooshkin in a secret election for the

board's top post

A disagreement over nomination
procedures though forced the board to
repeat a call for nomination of a chair
man

Johnson and trustee Gordon Turner
but neither

like their
list for the
chairmanship until after nominations

were initially nominated.
was asked if they
names to remain on the

would

closed

Turner subsequently declined, say
ing he did not have enough time
function effectively as board chairman
thus leaving Johnson uncontested

Trustee Doreen Smecher, who had
nominated Turner, questioned the val
idity of the nomination procedures. She
argued that should h
been asked if he would like his name to

Turner
remain as a nominee prior to nom
inations closing.

After consulting Robert's Rules of
Order, a procedural manual, nomina
tions were subsequently reopened and
Smecher nominated Anutooshkin. But
he was defeated in a confidential vote
count

After assuming her position as
chairman, Johnson praised the energy
and hard work of the board

‘Community involvement, input
from parental groups and continued
improvement,” were only three of the
Johnson stressed as the
board's renewed commitment

Turner later re-elected
chairman

The following are the trustees ap
pointed to the individual standing com
mittees:

Management
and Johnson;

Buildings, Energy and
Smecher and Anutooshkin:

Transportation and Safety
roy and Smecher;

Education: Turner and all trustees.

Communications and Planning: An
utooshkin and Tony Guglielmi;

Policy: Guglielmi and Conroy

In addition, the following trustees
are assigned to represent these indi
vidual schools:

Castlegar primary school: Anutoosh
kin.

Kinnaird elementary school

resolves

was vice

Rick Pongracz, Turner
Grounds:

Ed Con

Guglie
Imi;
Open Roads alternate school
tooshkin;
Robson elementary school: Johnson
Special education centre: Turner;
continued on page A4

Anu

GRAND OPENING . .

. Richmond MLA Nick Loenen
cuts ribbon officially Castl 1

president Mike Arnett, SHSS student council

Transit System Monday at Selkirk College. Lending
a helping hand were: (from left) Area | director
John Voykin, Selkirk College student council

OFFICIALS
OPEN NEW
BUS SYSTEM

By CasNews Staff

Castlegar's bus system was given its official send. off
Monday morning in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Selkirk
College

‘It's been a cooperative venture,” Mayor Audrey
Moore told about 40 students, instructors and residents
who turned out for the ceremony in the main foyer.

Moore credited the city, Selkirk College, the
Municipal Affairs Ministry, the Regional District of
Central Kootenay and “especially the student body of
Selkirk College

I'm sure the transit system is going to be a help to
us all,” she said

Moore pointed out that while the system is only one

bus, she hopes it is just the beginning of a larger transit
system for the area

“It had to begin somewhere,”
begin with one bus
But Area J regional director Martin Vanderpol was

critical. Vanderpol said he attended the official

opening with “mixed feelings

I'm happy we've got a bus service,” he said, “but I'm
not happy we haven't got a good bus service.”

Vanderpol said the original transit system planned in
1981 called for two buses which would also serve
Ootischenia, Thrums and Shoreacres — areas not served
by the current single-bus system

However. he said the area had little choice

Either we have this half-service or we
for another five

she said, “and it had to

more

have no

ervice years

resident Devon R y. Castlegar Senior
Citizens’ Association president Florence Laycock,
Mayor Audrey Moore and Areo J director Martin
Vanderpol.

CosNews Photo

He urged residents to use the bus and prove to B.C.
Transit that a second bus is necessary

Vanderpol also made special mention of Ald. Albert
Calderbank's role in securing the bus system. Vanderpol
said Calderbank had the “vision” to see the need for a
transit system as early as 1977

Moore also noted Calderbank's contribution, saying
he first suggested a transit system nearly a decade ago.

Area I regional director John Voykin said the bus
system is a “beginning,” adding that he hopes an
expanded system will soon serve areas not included in the
present system.

College president Leo Perra called the bus system
timely, pointing out that the college has a number of new
international students who will make use of it.

Mike Arnett. president of the college students’
council, said the system has been “long-awaited” and said
it will be well used by eollege students.

Arnett said there will be “no more hitchhiking and
trudging through the snow and riding our bikes in wet.
cold weather.”

Richmond MLA Nick Loenen stood in at the ribbon
cutting for Municipal Affairs Minister Rita Johnston.

Loenen told the crowd Johnston was “genuinely
sorry she can't be here with you,” but said he was
delighted to take her place.

We're happy for you and with you.” he said, adding
that he will keep Vanderpol’s comments about a second
bus in mind “and do all that we can to expand this
service

Loenen also pointed to the economic benefits for the
community, especially the downtown core. He said
residents from outlying areas will now be able to ride the
bus to shop in the city

The actual ribbon-cutting also involved Florence
Laycock. president of the Castlegar and District Senior
Citizens ion, and Devon Romney. prime minister
of the Stanley Humphries secondary school students’

Associat

council

Oglow confronts Lalonde

By CasNews Staff
Kootenay

West delegates added
their voices to the shout of approval to
retain John Turner as leader of the
federal Liberal party, according to
Castlegar delegate Nick Oglow
Ogiow, one of nine delegates elected
from the West Kootenay to attend the
Liberal Ottawa last
weekend, told the Castlegar News that

convention in

local delegates were seated “right up
front” at the convention “and we were
very vocal.”

“The B.C. delegates were enthusi

astic.” said Oglow. “We obviously

Oglow said Quebec may have been
justified in its complaint that party
power was poorly distributed with
both Turner and party president Iona
Campagnolo representing B.C., but he
added that since Campagnolo's retire
ment, the new party president, Michele
Robert, is a Quebec Liberal

For the very first time we have
representation from the east and
he said. “We are going to be a
strong party

west
that Turner
the Liberal
away with

I was very pleased
that

stands for doing

made it very clear

party

Library

campaign
kicks off

By RON NORMAN
Editor

The Castlegar and District Public
Library board's campaign to raise
$46,000 to cover a budget shortfall for
the proposed library expansion got off
to a quick start Monday with more than
$2,000 in donations.

“We're well on our way,” board
chairman Deb Chmara told the Castle-
gar News in an interview Tuesday.

Chmara said the board held a special
meeting Monday night to map out
strategy for the campaign, dubbed “46
in '86.” She said the campaign will be
similar to a United Way campaign.

Volunteers have already sent letters
to various community organizations,
including all the service clubs. The
letters explain the library's predica
ment and ask for donations.

Another six volunteers will canvass
the business community while a sev
enth will seek help from the profes
sional groups.

Chmara said she will approach dis
trict teachers, and instructors and staff
at Selkirk College.

“We have a lot of people working
very hard,” Chmara said

The board has just three weeks to
come up with the $46,000 otherwise the
expansion may have to be scrapped

The expansion has a budget of
$400,000 — $200,000 from an Expo
legacy grant and a matching $200,000
from the city of Castlegar. However,
the expansion is estimated to cost at
least $440,000.

Chmara said Rossland-Trail MLA
Chris D'Arcy is investigating the pos-
sibility of a $25,000 increase in the
legacy grant, leaving the library board
to cover the remaining $25,000

Chmara said Tuesday she hasn't
heard back from D'Arcy on the legacy
grant increase and she is still to contact
Kootenay West MP Bob Brisco about
possible federal assistance.

Chmara added that the board has set
itself a Dec. 28 deadline to raise the
funds.

Asked if she is optimistic about the
board's chances of getting the funding,
Chmara replied: “I'm as optimistic as I
think I should be at this time.”

She acknowledged that the board
faces a major obstacle, but added: “We
have nothing to lose and everything to
gain.”

In an earlier interview, Chmara
pointed out that the proposed expan-
sion is not elaborate and will alleviate a
critical situation.

“The situation is atrocious,” she said.

She noted that provincial library
standards call for a minimum of 3,500
square feet just to house the library's
book collection.

But the downtown and Kinnaird
branches have a total of only 3,000
square feet for everything — closets,
storerooms, desks, and office space

The provincial standards also call for
a minimum of 150 square feet of office
space for each full-time equivalent staff
member.

But Castlegar has a total of 100
square feet shared by four staff mem
bers, Chmara said.

“(Volunteers) don't even have a place
to put up their coat or have a cup of
coffee,” she said

She added that the Kinnaird branch
has just one bathroom which is also
used as a coffee room, janitor’s room
and cloakroom.

As well, there's no office for the
librarian.

“That's disgusting,” she said

Chmara also dismissed suggestions
the library buy a parcel of land and
build on it. She explained that the
board has only $400,000 and if it has to
spend $100,000 to purchase property, it
have $300,000 to construct a
library building

INSIDE

CP AIR SOLD: Pacific Western
Airlines has purchased CP Air
tor $300 million. The sale comes
lass than a week after Air
Canada purchased AirBC. Both
PWA and AirBC serve Castlegar
Airport A2

GIFT FOR TURNER:

Street

TOP TEAM: Kinnaird
volleyball team captur
weekend... B1

Junior

SCOUT DINNER: About | 40 people atter
District of the Boy Scouts of Canada s ann

VANCOUVER
starts to wear out
lots of spore parts

Talk
delegates to the Liberal party convention |r
leader John Turner with o special gift

secondary
the West Kootenay

It Expo Ernie. the robot mas
former Expo chairman Jir

< Pacific
Western

reports that Kootenay West

Ottawo presented
A3
Grade

school s

8 girls

hampionship over the

Jed the Kootenay Columbia

ner meeting

1 of Expo 86
have

nmy Pattison wil

wanted Turner because he represents
the west.”

Oglow, who admitted to being a
Chretien supporter previously but
converted as a personal step toward
party unification, said he confronted
former cabinet minister Marc Lalonde
about his opposition to
leadership

“He was standing in the hall of the
hotel we were staying at and I asked
him why he wanted a (leadership) re
view,” said Oglow. “One of the reasons

Turner's

NICK OGLOW

wanted Turner

he gave was that Chretien would do a
better job in Quebec than Turner

Both Lalonde and Senator Keith
Davey, another prominent Liberal to
oppose Turner, have since conceded to
the majority vote of the party and
come out in support of Turner

food banks.
it’s not

line ups at said Oglow
He just right that
churches and volunteer organizations
must provide the help for the needy.”

Ogiow added that Turner was
specific” about maintaining old age
pension and family allowance

He also said that one of the more

said

very

important resolutions supported over
the weekend was the party's opposition
to continued cruise missile testing and
a resolution to make Canada a nuclear
free country

Three Expo Ernie copies hove beer handed to Pattison as git
ts. He had paid $53 000 for one Expo Ernie at an a
fair items
It was just o judgment call
the Expo disposal committee
Pattison had. after oll
Jimmy didn't ask for them or anything
good conscience
Newton acted for Pattison when he
against two Vancouver businessman
Newton said the three additional
tioned because they werent working

ction of worlds

said John Newton. chairman of

paid a lot for the first one, he said

We shipped them over in
bid tor the first Ernie

ERnies could not be auc