14 Castlegar News Updote '91 Chamber an effective voice for business The 1990s have ushered in a decade of for the business community of the West Kootenay. In Castlegar, the membership in the Chamber of Commerce is now at 136 which represents a substantial component of the local business community. Jim Craig, chamber president, is quick to point out that membership in the chamber reflects the growing realization that small business needs an effective voice at both the local and provincial levels of government as well as a business-oriented voice of opinion in the com- munity. During 1990, the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce made representations on behalf of its membership to the provincial cabinet, senior bureaucrats and to the quasi- government bodies set up to define the local com- munity’s future, Clearly, as never before, the respon- sibility of decision making which impacts the future must not be left to chance or a few individuals who have unlimited time to attend commissions, hearings and write endless letters to the editor. Craig is adamant that the only secure way of staying on top of all the issues is through effective organization, a challenge he sees the chamber capable of. Recent announcements by, Premier Bill Vander Zalm that the government is moving towards a system of referendums on major issues is a reflection of the future “The future of the economy depends on clear un- derstanding of the issues, a responsibility a chamber of commerce can tackle both in the local community and outsid » the immediate area,’’ Craig said. The chamber efforts in this area were rewarded ing a year-long of the issues surroun- ding the modernization and expansion of the Celgar pulp mill. In keeping with Craig’s direction, chamber director Dale Donaldson made a presentation to the Vancouver such as the chamber which requires the infusion of new talent and enthusiasm, The system of committees through which the chamber main- tains contact with the issues is open to all, Chamber manager Bev Kennedy*can explain how to get involved on a committee of interest to you. In addition to volunteer participation, the chamber has a defined role in the community, Under contract to the city, the chamber operates a Tourist Information Centre as wellas a Business Information Centre under contract to the Ministry of Regional and Economic Development. The importance of these community services has grown with each passing year. Business inquiries at the centre, located at -1995-6th Avenue, totalled one during January-February 1988, 20 in January-February 1989, 73 in January-February 1990 and 179 in January-February 1991 Another successful chamber program which has been promoted by Kennedy is the provincial gover- nment’s Superhost program. Kennedy has delivered this course to current service industry personnel as well as students and volunteer community workers, In 1990, Kennedy delivered the course to ap- Ly 70 ii duals in the “Course participants gain self- confidence anit basic interpersonal skills necessary to deal with customers, co-workers and supervisors,’’ Kennedy said. The Castlegar Chamber of Commerce also makes available a medical and dental package to small businesses locally at group rates. The chamber acts as a facilitator tq the local, provincial and federal gover- nments in disseminating information on various programs to the community at large. This may take the form of a luncheon meeting, a television forum, such as Chamber ‘Chat, or attendance or representation on or at various committees or meetings of importance to the Airport Panel on the Castlegar perspective on a parallel runway. y = ‘raig extends a personal invitation to business and. Unfortunately, the number of panels and inquiries appears to be increasing exponentially as we enter the 1990s. This situation taxes the resources of I men and women in the community who are not Sess involved to contact the chamber and become more involved with the chamber and its future. Bonnett’s Mens Wear aims to please Bonnett’s Men’s Wear in Castlegar hair, | takes pride in the courteous, honest service it’s to The since Oct. 31, 1965. Opened that year by Fred Bonnett, who dreamed for years of having a men’s wear store, Bonnett’s remains good.”’ management of Fred’s daughter, says Heather Bonnett. ‘Although I’m taller with, more hope to build as followers as he did,” Bonnett quips. jon to customers is also reflected in the company’s motto: the kind “When he looks good, we look “After all, we want to be proud of a.family business, now under the our walking billboards,”” The store itself, Columbia, Aye.,.has been dressed. up, many during the past year, undergoing full renovations inside and out. Future plans are simple: provide of. merchandise which pleases as many people as possible, from the working man to the executive type, whether a smaller or a more mature build, Bonnett says. On staff to help is Ellena Carew. “She adds a sparkling personality anda cating attitude,’ Bonnett says Bonnett located at 233 25 years ago, Fred Bonnett founded Bon- nett's Mens Wear. He started the business with a dream of honest, courteous sevice and good value for your dollars. Today, we still uphold these same values. We've updated our look through renovations but still offer you a wide selection of merchan- dise with dress wear, workwear, casual wear and oversize. P.S. Our smiles are free! When He looks We Look Good! opening of the West Trail The new snips a ribbon, with help from Tammy Poznikoff, 7, of Rossland and footer Trail mayor Marc Marcolin, marking the official Pp h last O By SANDY SANTORI Mayor of Trail In 1987, there was a strong message from the people that it was time for change and, as a result, it became the new coun- cil’s mandate to set a new direc- tion for the city, a direction which would focus on a more proactive and aggressive ad- ministration; directiow that would put emphasis on planning and the development of short- and long- term strategies for city im- provements and less involvement in the day-to-day operations of the city. Th change in direction over the last three years has been ex- tremely positive and the new ap- proach in administration has resulted in a number of im- Improvements planned for Trail and its surrounding area. Top priority is water to ensure completion within the next three to five years. In response to the urgency to improve our water system, a water distribution task force has been created under the chairman- ship of Ald. Gordon DeRosa. Serving on the task force will be former mayor Marc Marcolin and former alderman Jerry Paul. The mandate of this task force will be to work closely. with government and outside engineering and consulting firms to ensure a safe and efficient water distribution system, with the Columbia River as the principal source. Beautification must be on ongoing process throughout the city, but some specific areas would include refurbishing and the city We have come a long. way in the last three years, but we still have a long way to go. The city’s NO. 1 priority should be the city’s domestic water supply and distribution ~system:-The current system has been slowly deteriorating and the situation will only get worse Therefore, action must be taken of some of the city’s existing flower beds, development and of Is one of many purpose. Revitalization should also ex- tend-to the East Trail business area and the Waneta business area, and preliminary work should commence in 1991. Revitalization is essential in im- proving our local economy and in attracting mew investment. Council must invest in developing additional residential housing tots. Preliminary work has taken place with plans to ex- tend the current Miral Heights subdivision and, barring any un- foreseen circumstances, new bulding lots should be made available this spring. These are only a few of the areas that council must focus its energies on. There are a number of others. Some specific projects would include an aquatic centre, highway lighting on the new West both the east and west side of the river and, something that many may not_ associate with beautification but adds to the overall esthetics of the city, is road improvements. In. 1991, there is a proposed budget of ap- proximately $600,000 for this Trail app ; ion of the sidewalk replacement program in the downtown area, completion of the sidewalk on Highway Drive in Glenmerry, new lighting from Gyro Park to Sunningdale, a parkade in the downtown core, and much- needed renovations to city hall. Schneider’s continued from page 11 customers, it needed this larger warehouse. The warehouse today has a great assortment of every type of building product from panelling down to the common nail. New products are always arriving at Schneider's, and the store prides it- self on its tremendous selection of goods. If by chance they don’t have what the customer needs for home im. provement, new construction, or the do-it-yourselfer, Schneider's staff will get right on the phone to find the product. Schneider’s caters to contractors as well as do-it-yourselfers. No project is too large or too small for the firm and the company encourages customers to buy Canadian building, electrical and plumbing products as building codes and Canadian stan- dards are in place to provide quality workmanship and safety. Staff working in Schneider’s departments are particularly qualified. They can give advice on new products — how to apply or in- stall them, discuss problem areas, and so on. The firm encourages employees to specialize in areas of their own in- terest in the store and to learn more. about products they’re working with Employees work as a team or a family unit, helping each other out when it’s necessary, lending a hand when times are busy (which they are most of the time). Schneider’s employs with Glenn Schneider Gladdish as managers. The conscientious and capable staff, the same people who won Sc- neider’s the award, have many years of combined experience in the building supply business. Schneider said the Trail area is a good place in which to do business, 16 people and Will and he’s optimistic about what the future will bring. He believes there’s always room for growth, but his main objective has always been to expand his and his staff's knowledge to best serve the public. Right from the beginning in the early years the company stressed ser- vice to the public — service, fair pricing, and a pledge to carry the best selection of goods. Schneider’s attributes its growth in the area of these combined elements. One condition.of the Store of the Year Award is participation in the community. Schneider’s more than meets this requirement. The business supports many tournaments in the area and the business and its staff contribute, as best possible, both time and donations to clubs and sports any any local activity. Schneider’s Building Supplies — excellent products — friendly, knowledgeable staff — the first stop for any building supplies. THE CASTLEGAR & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Your ) > FUSINESS NFO Red Mt. ‘the skling secret of N. America’ The changes that have occurred at Red Mountain Ski Resort in the past 18 months will be small when com- pared to those that will occur in the coming years. With a master plan completed last summer, The new owners (as of June 1989) of Red Mountain have established a direction for develop- ment. Now steps to develop the in- frastructure to permit development must occur. In the short 18 months that Red Mountain has been owned by Red Mountain Resorts Inc., the company has acquired a backhoe and winch cat for excavation and grooming, added another snow cat to the grooming fleet, renovated the in- terior of the day lodge, purchased a MARS descending —_ (chairlift evacuation) unit for the ski patrol and embarked on a summer grooming program which has seen crews and equipment working out on the mountain for the past two sum- mers. A marketing department has also been developed and a large-scale marketing program undertaken. The results have been better s! rf and more visitors. Fears that private ownership would soon produce overwhelming crowds and a faceless corporate feel have faded. The rus- tic and friendly character has only been enhanced by the improvements. The incredible variety of terrain found on Red and Granite moun; tains has been discovered by many skiing enthusiasts through the sports media. Powder Magazine featured an article on Red Mountain in_ its January 1990 edition. AS a result, skiers from across the United States and all the way from New Zealand and Australia have come to discover the place Powder Magazine calls ‘‘the skiing secret of North America:”" An editorial on Red in ap- It Isn’t only skiers who've discovered the joys of Red Mountain Burton team of professional riders, along with Adventurescope Films, came to Red Mountain to film the next Burton promotional vidoe. It is obvious to the sports enthusiast that 1 peared in the December issue of ski magazine, one of the top U.S. ski magazines. Writers from several other top ski and sports magazines have been through this season, in- cluding Outside Magazine. Greg Stump Productions was scheduled to visit in March to film segments for its next movie. During December, world champion snowboarder Craig Kelly and the Red in offers a Id. ski product and more and more casual skiers are recognizing this. With the construction of a day lodge at the top of Granite slated for this summer, Red Mountain seems to be responding to its potential. Ecosign of Whistler, a ski area plan- ning company which has worked with such major resorts as Sunshine, Lake Louise and Schweitzer Moun- tain, completed the Red Mountain Resort master plan in the fall of last year. In it one can see where the proposed hotel and condominiums will be, the tennis courts and the rest of the amenities found in a recreational resort. The plan also contains potential placement of new and present lifts. Development takes investment, permits and thought’ which all mean time. It will take time-to see Red Mountain reach its full potential. In the meantime, local skiers are treated to ‘the skiing secret of North America’’ in their backyard. Set your dreams afloat... Moorage fark. With sales é& Marine Hardware Quick Silver Accessories Grab a piece of the action! 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