Page A4 Exhibition Centre facing big funding loss, DEREK ZEISMAN Sun Editor Representatives of Castlegar’s National Exhibition Centre came to city council with an urgent message last Tuesday, warning of the dangers facing the NEC fol- lowing federal funding cuts. The delegation, comprised of NEC board members Shelley Hancock, Myma Cobb and Carol Oglow, is looking to increase its The Castlegar Sun Wednesday, September 13, 1995 no longer provide the fledgling cultural facility with its tradition al yearly grant of $25,000. “We're definitely facing finan. cial problems. We were already operating on a shoestring and pro viding a great service, so this cut has been devastating,” said Cobb “We've cut staff contracts at the centre, we've cut our advertising, ‘and we've cut up to a dozen of our travelling exhibition shows now we're reaching out to.the local funding levels, ng a 35 per cent funding cut imposed on the NEC when the federal government announced it would y to buy a . The NEC has been open to West Kootenay residents and visi- tors since the mid-1970s, as the Can you lower your taxes? Learn how you may be able to lower your taxes at H&R Block Register now for our income Tax School For more information call: HR BLOCK (© 3655244 = We have your next appliance! You can count on Will's to have the quality appliances you need — WILL’S FURNITURE & APPLIANCES at prices you can afford! Your authorized dealer for INGLIS — FRIGIDAIRE Wesley Manor Sofas & Loveseats 2990 Highway Dr. Trail Ph. 364-2815 Fax 364-2977 result of a Trudeau government initiative designed to bring cultur- al events and displays from urban to rural areas. Cobb stressed that despite the deep federal funding cut, the NEC remains a viable and dedicated operation. “We've got a good working base of volunteers, ahd we're get- ting good support from the gener- al community,” she said. “So we're committed to fundraising as our hext activity.” Cobb pointed out that the NEC received 24 new and renewed memberships in the month of August, as well as $340 in visitor donations. She said the money will go toward replacing the centre's federal-funding loss, in order to help fulfill its original mandate to show exhibitions drawing on local, national and international sources. “We want to get the communi- ty more involved in keeping the facility viable, maybe with more of a local flavour by doing more Doukhobor cultural displays.” Cobb also pointed to the cen- tre’s recent Barbara Spohr pho- Airy Mountain Appliance Service call onLY *20 For friendly service anytime call tography exhibit as a good exam- ple of its local relevance. Spohr is a deceased photo artist formerly based in Nelson NEC board member Carol Oglow pointed to the strong efforts of volunteers in getting the word out about the need for more gov- emment suppor, if the exhibition centre is to survive over the term, “We've contacted politicians at all levels of government,” said Oglow. “We've gone to the Region- al District. We've written fundrais- ing letters to more than 50 national companies, We've written to old members, We've written other tourism cities asking for advice. And we've sent 200 questi i Oglow said it would be benefi- cial to receive money from other communities. But she pointed out that 40 per cent of the NEC's membership roster comes from the Castlegar area, with another 40 per cent coming from area schools. ’But we'll go to all municipali- ties and make a pitch for support.” Cobb admitted the NEC may have become too used to receiving its federal funding over the years, creating a real problem when it finally disappeared earlier his year. “Complacency has taken over in recent years, but despite the crisis we're in we'll make a dif- ference,” st said. “The publicity he fi off to our current sponsors. But Oglow stressed there is a limit to the time and resources of the NEC volunteer team, as it searches desperately for new sources of funding. “We can still only do so much. We need our local level of gov- ernment to help out so the federal and provincial levels can see we need help,” she said. “It’s really the local govern- ment support that Ottawa and Victoria use to determine the extent of their contributions.” City council was not unsym- pathetic toward the NEC’s finan- cial concerns, but stressed that surrounding municipalities should be doing more to support the centre as well. “Why don’t Trail and Nelson put in any money?” asked Mayor Mike O*Connor. GIRL GUIDES ® OF CANADA = CASTLEGAR DISTRICT WEDNESDAY, Registration and Uniform Swap at Kinnaird Hall and Robson Hall 13th from 7 pm to 8 pm Fee: $35 per girl ’95.clearout. Year end Value Pricing means great deals for you. s best Selling car in its class! 3.1L V6 engine nti-lock braking system i air bag @ air conditioning MSRP B.C. Pontiac Dealer discount © @ power door locks and windows li rear spoiler SmartLease $278/mo 36 month plus a down payment of $3,617 and $325 refundable security deposit. Includes freight and PDI. Total obligation is $13,625 $22,230 $3,242 MSRP PONTIAC FIREFLY 1ada's fuel efficiency leader 1d transmission dual SmartLease $218/mo sow nt ot §: 2.2L multi-port fuel injected engine 1 4-whee! anti-lock braking syster 5 1 air bags agressive ride suspe 760.000 km platinum-tipped spark plugs rear deck lid spoiler lM complete gauge package sur di ding cut is making people aware that there is something they might lose.” Councillor Ron Armbruster queried the delegation as to the delegation tells council future of NEC, in a worst-case funding scenano. “What happens if your grant requests don't come through?” he asked “It would change the nature of the institution,” said Cobb, “For instance, we couldn't have any more travelling exhibitions. But we're optimistic right now.” Regardless of the outcome of the National Exhibition Centre's latest fundraising efforts, howev- ér, Cobb promised she and her fellow organizers will do every- thing in their power to keep the NEC a top-notch cultural facility for the people of West Kootenay. “The NEC plans to offer'a high level of work, no matter what. It provides educational opportunities to let people learn about the world of art.” KAREN KERKHOFF Sun Staff A strike by CUPE Local 1729 caregivers, who work at Creston’s Endicott Centre, has been narrowly averted with the release of a promised six per cent salary increase. Peter Wegener, President of Local 1729, said members of the local, and other caregivers in Creston, Nelson, Castlegar, Grand Forks and Trail are ready to sit down again with Community Social Services Employer's Association (CSSEA) officials Sept. 20 and 21 to hammer out a deal. “With this six per cent final- ly resolved, let's hope that CSSEA is ready to sit down and design a fair and equitable contract for CUPE caregivers Caregivers strike narrowly averted hand that notice in on Tuesday and by the end of that week we hear on the news that the money will be released this week.” Pearson said bargaining committee members are com- mitted to successfully negotiat- ing a contract, especially since they have been without a con- tract for since Oct. 31, 1993. “We will be at the table pre- pared to bargain. We are not going to leave the table. We're committed to hammering something out no matter how long it takes. “They [CSSEA] say they’re frustrated that bargaining is slow—they’re not the ones who have nothing.” In Castlegar there are some 30 caregivers for two group homes and Community Options, a program which sees those with ghout the Ks 3 Nova Pearson, a regional bar- raining representative for the Cc legar sub-local—CUPE Local 1729-05—said it's curi- ous. that after waiting months for the promised, increase, fupds were released shortly after Endi- cott filed strike notice Aug. 29. “Tt seems really funny that we mployed within the community. Overall there are 300 caregivers in the Kootenays represented by CUPE Local 1729. Earlier this year CSSEA Agreefl \6 interim wage increas- es of two'per cent effective April 1, 1994 and six per cent effective April 1, 1995. a earns mL {wor KELOWNA | soy At SAFARI INN | Located near Costco & Orchard Park Mall * Off highway * 2 bdrm. suites Cable & HBO « Private Courtyard * Golf Packages RESERVATIONS 1-800-989-9399 5 OCCUPANCY | f msRP B.C Pontiac Dealer discount Since 19988 SmartLease $298/mo B spor appearance package 1631 Powick Rd., Kelowna eons yun 27, 1996 a Te ie MeKkay School | of Dance DIRECTOR: Carole McKay-Bonin, A.R.A.D., A.T.C. Associate of Royal Academy of Dancing Advanced Teacher's Certificate MEMBER AND REGISTERED TEACHER: Dancing Royal Academy of Cc Dance T BALLET: Exams - Festivals - Performances Preschool fo professional training L INQUIRIES AND REGISTRATION 364-1785 ] Seng! Wednesday, September 13, 1995 The Castlegar Sun Page AS Residents angered over lack of park space DEREK ZEISMAN Sun Editor Just about everyone loves a walk in the park But.are they going to be there when you need them? That's the question some resi- dents of the City of Castlegar are asking themselves, as the munici- pality comes under close scrutiny for the amount of parkland it's providing in and around the municipality's fast-growing neighbourhoods. Ethel Chmara, co-chair of a south Castlegar residents’ com- mittée opposing the cutting of trees in Kinnaird Park for the installation of new ball fields, says Castlegar's outdated and erratic parks policy is selling the city’s future down the river — threatening to create a local green space crisis. “The problem is that there has been_no policy established as far as where parks in the city should be, and how much space there should be,” said Chmara “But a little dab here and there is definitely not the way to go. There's a real need for better ‘planning on this.” i Chmara complained of a lack ‘of provincial assistance in proper- ly directing the planning of municipal park space. “The government doles out BC21 grants for ball parks and jPlaying fields without even knowing if they're needed. Mean- jwhile, true park space is becom- jing more sparse than ever.” | Chmara said it is particular- ily alarming that city council is !choosing in many cases to take |cash in lieu of the dedicated ;park space that land develop- ers are required by law to pro- jvide for new subdivisions ' being constructed Such a decision was recently made concerning Phase II of Castlegar's Birchlands Subdivi- sion, in which the five per cent land grant for parkland ‘dedica- tion was cancelled, replaced with a cash payment to the city of $3,350. “Developers shouldn't just be allowed to waltz in and take a huge piece of land like that [sub- division) without giving any green’ space back to the commu- nity,” said Chmara. “But city hall doesn't have a clue where they're going with parks. They're just shooting from “Remember that once you acquire the parkland, you have to look after it, That can get very expensive in terms of grass cut ting, playground equipment and other factors.” As a result, he said there are many financial restrictions facing the city in-terms of how much park space can be created for the use of local residents. “Yes, municipalities recog- nize that you have to have these neighbourhood parks,“. said Gustafson. “It's not a lot of money to buy private land for parks, but once the city owns it there's obviously an onus to scenic piece of land in excess of 70 acres that is cusily accessible from the downtown area. But she described the plan as being “extremely expensive to implement” and simply not fea sible until the possibility of ris. ing water levels on the Columbia River (due to ming considerations) has laid to rest “That new park is a real wait and-see sort of thing,” said Bin nic, “We have some absolutely beautiful plans and we tried to get them going, but everything's basically just died for now. “There's no sense in building it if it’s just going to flood.” “Developers shouldn't just be allowed to waltz in and take huge pieces of land without giving any green space back to the community.” — ETHEL CHMARA South Castlegar resident the hip because they have no direction whatsoever.” But city administrator Jim Gustafson says Castlegar’s parks development is being hindered to a certain extent by financial limi- tations and matters of simple practicality. “Green space is seen as impor- tant, but sometimes it doesn’t make good economic or planning sense to install it in certain places,” said Gustafson. “I know $3,350 [for the Birch- lands Subdivision] seems like a pittance, but that’s what the Municipal Act says we can do.” Gustafson said it may not cost a lot of money to create a small park in a new subdivision, but upkeep for the land over the long term is another matter altogether. look after it.” Castlegar Councillor Brenda Binnie, who oversees city Ccoun- cil's recreation policies, says council has a well-developed parks plan in place, one that will provide for the growing commu- nity’s long-term needs. But she stressed that a complete set of fully-developed parks cannot be put in place overnight. “This city has a good amount of viable park space, but of course we could always use more,” said Binnie. “I'd rather see kids playing sports and hav- ing fun in a park than just hang- ing around downtown.” Binnie said the city has been pinning much of its long-term park development hopes on the proposed Twin Rivers Park, a Binnie said she would like to see more cooperation between the city and the regional district in developing a well-coordinated long-term plan for parks like Pass Creck, Kinnaird and Twin Rivers, but added that such a concept is unlikely given the cur- rent tension between city council and the region “We sat down together and worked out some initial details, but then all hell broke loose between the two sides,” she said “But the bigger parks should be regional, because they're regionally used. The city itself just doesn't have access to the funding for green space that a joint effon would have.” City clerk Dianne Hunter says that parks in Castlegar “are just not one of the highest priorities of _— TAXES + TAXES * TAXES Learn How To Work Smarter! Not Harder! Keep More of What You Already Make PREE SEMINAR MARILYN STRONG __ The Castlegar Sun ‘Downtown revite “down to the wire” Phone poles to come down by Oct. 15 splice the new underground lines together with the for a few touchups and building ject will be After four long:years of hard work, it all comes down to B.C. Tel and a deadline of October 15. According to Castlegar city administrator Jim Gustafson, B.C. Tel has promised that all the tele- phone poles and lines strang out along C bi: ‘Ave. will be removed by Oct. 15, At that time, except owners completing facade work, Castlegar’s $5.3 million That building lines. Then when the systems are up and running, the utility will cut down the old overhead wires and take down the poles. “I expect it will take four days to remove the poles,” said Davison. “It'll take most of the week ‘of Oct. 15, but we believe we're on track.” date will come none too soon, says the group now planning the festivities for the grand opening of Castlegar’s revitalized downtown core. ‘The i h for V the new downtown i project For B.C. Tel, its work could not start until all of cables for the at long last. elec- » Oct 25, will include a visit from B.C."s Minister of Municipal Affairs, Darlene Mazari. A group of underground trical grid had been laid. “{Our} work started on July 25, when all the conduit was done,” said Doug Davi- gon, B.C, Tel's Castlegar construction supervisor. In addition to placing a new set of cables in the |, B.C. Tel will revamp its telephone wires into all buildings in the area, and le, in with city hall staff, will be meeting over the next few days #t with him or any other committee. member. Thurs.,Sept. 14 7 p.m. Castlegar Rec Centre fone es * 1-800-255-5215 Confirmation sages the city,” according to the wishes of most local residents. Although the city still has a three-year-old open-space study in place designed to create a long-term parks strategy for Castlegar, Hunter: pointed to. financial limitations as the main reason for its lack of major suc- cess to date " We're not aggressively pursu: ing the recommendations in the plan,” she said fBut the money, we try to follow them as closely as possible.” when we have at NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE is hereby given that a Public Meeting will be held on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH, 1996, at 7:00 p.m., receive representations from all persons who deem ‘it in their interest to make representations regarding the following Bylaw Mo. 422, 1984, Electoral Area “J” Bylaw No. 1122 The intent of Bylaw No. 1122 is to add @ zone of Bylaw 422 to permit, one additional dwelling unit on a temporary foundation for a relative of occupants of the principal dwelling. This proposed amendment will allow this use on the following property: District Lot 4598, Block 18, Kootenay District, Plan 2949, except part included in Pian 6262. Ootischenia, as shown on the map below Written submissions for or against the proposed amendment can be read, or verbal submissions made, at the Public Hearing written submissions must be delivered (or faxed: (604) 352-9300) to B. Baldigara, at the Nelson address below, prior to the Hearing. The aforementioned proposed bylaw may 26th, inclusive, at the locations and times as follows: Planning Department Office, Regional District of Central Kooter ay, 601 Vernon Street, Nelson, B.C, V1L 49, between the hours of 8:30 am to 12:00 noon, and 1.00 pm to 4:00 pm daily, except Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, and Castlegar City Hail, 460 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C. V1N 3B2, between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily, except DATED at Nelson, B.C. this 7th day of September, 1995. , at the Ootischenia Community Hall, to proposed amendment to R.D.C.K. Zoning new section to the Commercial Special C4 Barry Road, Kootenay River Kampground ans ested “ke of “X SUBJECT ."<__ PROPERTY a Con ischenia If you are unable to attend the Hearing, be inspected from August 21st to September Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. B. Baldigara Sectetary/Assistant Administrator (ND Reg. value $12.00 to FABRI FALL $29.95ea- FUN FAKE FUR Negotiations continuing between Doukhobors and B.C. government SUN STAFF Terms of reference for negoti- ations have been ratified between a local Doukhobor organization and the B.C. government. A news release issued recent- ly by the Reformed Sons of Freedom Communal Doukhobors stated that the pur- pose of the negotiations between a number of New Settlement res- idents and the provincial govern ment is to “seek agreement for the legal occupation of and pay- ment for government services for the New Settlement land”, located near Krestova. Last October several residents of the New Settlement were arrested and sent to jail after they refused entry to a government surveyor to survey land for tax purposes. Those residents claimed that the land belonged to God and was therefore untaxable. Since that time, representa- tives and facilitators have been appointed to a negotiation pro- cess which is expected to see a form of tenure which is consis- tent with the Doukhobors’ faith and tradition while delineating a method of payment for services which is also in keeping with their principles. Negotiations began July 1, 1995 and are expected to be com- pleted on or before Sept. 30. 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