WEATHERCAST

Vol. 39, No. 73 CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 3 Sections (A, 8 &C)

sinaemmennammenell

Arson damages chapel house

By SIMON BIRCH two-storey structure, which is insured under the City of
Staff Writer Castlegar's blanket insurance policy.

The fire also damaged the outside wall on the upper
storey, Charters said, adding that there is also a certain
amount of smoke and water damage.

He said he could not estimate the cost of the damage.

But the fire could have been worse, he said, if the
Columbia River had been higher and blocking the causeway
leading to the island, as it was last month.

“If the water had been up, the fire engines would not
have been able to get across,” he said. “The flames were
within a minute or so of taking the roof. Another five
minutes and we'd have lost the house.”

‘Although the island has a hydrant — put in place about
a year ago — and a fire hose in a building adjacent to the
chapel house, the delay in getting to the house would have
meant its loss, said Charters, who added that Tuesday's fire

underlines the need for a raised causeway to the island.
Three fire trucks and a dozen,men were at the scene
within five minutes, said fire chief Bob Mann, who pointed

start, said several other visitors to the island were trying to
put out the fire with styrofoam cups of water.

Charters said the fire will delay the completion of the
restoration project by at least a month.

Still to be completed before the fire was about half the
upstairs flooring, followed by the sanding and varithaning of
both floors, he said.

As well, the chapel house's windows have yet to be
installed.

Charters said 980 visitors signed the chapel house's
visitor book in July. Adding the Castlegar residents who
regularly visit the island and the out-of-town visitors who
didn't sign the book, Charters estimates well over 1,000
people visited Zuckerberg Island in July.

Charters added that he luckily removed the visitors’
record earlier Tuesday.

Castlegar RCMP said today the Tuesday afternoon fire
that damaged the restored chapel house on Zuckerberg
Island Heritage Park in Castlegar was a result of arson.

“We're satisfied now it was an arson,” RCMP
spokesman Const. Pete Redekop said. “We have a couple of
things to follow up on.”

Redekop said the RCMP are looking for people who
were in the area at the time of the fire, which started just
before 4 p.m

“We'd like to speak to them,” he said.

The flames destroyed the roof of the verandah and part
of the outside wall of the log building, said John Charters,
who spearheaded the restoration project.

Charters said part of the inside walls wilf have to be
replaced as well as part of the ceiling of both storeys in the

“I don't think we could have saved it (the house) without
the hydrant,” Mann said.

The fire was first spotted by Marlene Rovers of
Thrums, who was visiting the island with friends from
Williams Lake.

Rovers said that as soon as she saw the flames she
rushed to the house nearest the island to call the fire
department.

After unsuccessfully trying two houses, she got Alf
Johansen of 868-7th Ave. to place the call.

Meanwhile, Rovers said, two men carried a garbage can
of water from the river in an attempt to douse the fire. And
Charters, who also arrived at the fire within minutes of its

Firefighters
battle blaze

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE? . .. Castlegar firefighter Lin
dsay Anderson (top) gives a blast of water into the
root of the Zuckerberg Island Heritage Park chapel
house to make sure any smoldering embers are
doused. A fellow firefighter (right) emerges trom the
smoky interior of the house

—INSIDE

ENROLMENT TROUBLES: Castle
gor school board is facing finan
cial problems stemming from a
dromatic decrease in student

City won't
tear down
old hotel

By CasNews Staff
The owner of the old Castlegar Hotel

OWNERS APPLY TO REZONE

Sunset Drive-in
plans campsite

By RON NORMAN
Editor

The Castlegar area could be getting
another campground this one
privately-owned

The owners of the Sunset Drive-In
Theatre in Ootischenia have applied to
the Regional District of Central
Kootenay to amend the zoning bylaw to
permit a 54-site campground adjacent
to the drive-in

A public hearing on the proposed
campground will be held tomorrow
night at the Castlegar Community
Complex.

Plans submitted by the owners of the
drive-in, Mike and Michael Lebedow, of
Ootischenia, show that the camp
ground, caretaker's quarters and office
would be located just behind the
drive-in's movie screen on two of the
drive-in's 8.8 acres

However, opposition to the proposed
campground has already started to
surface.

The Ootischenia Improvement Dis
trict has asked the regional board to
reject the proposal until it is known if
the campground will have any impact
on downstream wells.

The improvement district's concerns
echo those of Mike Harnadek, chief
public health inspector for the Central
Kootenay Health Unit

In a letter to the regional district's
planning department, Harnadek points
out that hydrology and soils infor
mation have not been provided on the
impact the campground will have on
downstream wells.

In addition, Harnadek says no infor
mation has been provided regarding

the maximum water level of the

Kootenay River in the area of the
campsites.

Harnadek also says the probable
location of the ground sewage disposal
field for the proposed campsites is not

shown in relation to the drive-in

However, the Ministry of Lands,
Parks and Housing recommends the
campground go ahead. In its report the
ministry said a campground on High
way 3A would provide tourist accom
modation closer to attractions such as

theatre well, the prop Pp
well and the Kootenay River's maxi
mum water level.

He recommends against approving
the campsite proposal until the con.
cerns have been answered

Harnadek also interjects some per
sonal comments in his official report,
noting that as a camper, the minimum
900-square-foot size of the individual
campsites is too small

“I would suggest that a 1,400 square
foot space be considered,” he said.

the D hobor Village and National
Exhibition Centre.

As well, it notes that the location
next to the Kootenay River is
physically attractive

The Area J Advisory planning com
mission recommends the campground
go ahead subject to a public hearing

The regional district planning de
partment advises that the campground
not proceed until the owners satisfy
the requirements of the ministries of
health and environment.

Council g

By CasNews Staff
council gave itself a pay
raise Tuesday night.

Council unanimously approved a
recommendation from the admini-
stration and finance committee to
increase indemnities for the mayor
and six-aldermen by 2.7 per cent.

The increase — retroactive to
Jan. 1, 1986 — matches the wage
hike the city awarded its employees.

Ald. Len Embree pointed out that
council indemnities have tradition-

ives itself
2.7 per cent hike

-ally been tied tothe increase

Mayor Audrey Moore now will
receive $8,337 a year, about a $220

year. up about $130 from 1965.

Moore will also get a $125 a month
car allowance beginning Sept. 1.
1986.

CAMPBELL TO
SEEK SOCRED
NOMINATION

enrolment, but education com
mittee chairman Gordon Turner
says the board is doing every*
thing itcan... A2

PUBLIC HEARING: The B.C. Utilities Commission has scheduled a
public hearing into a request by West Kootenay Power and Light
Co. tor arate increase A2

FALL PREVIEW: The first of a two-part special feature on the new toll
TV programs... A6

BEAGLE BRIGADE: WASHINGTON — A Beagle Brigade of unitor
med. trained sniffers 1s being examined as part of the Agriculture
Departments airport war against illegal entry of items such as
mangoes and pepperoni, Agriculture Secretary Richard Lyng on
nounced Tuesday

The trained beagles are part of a pilot “detector dog project
storted more than two years ago at international airports in New
Los Angeles and Son Francisco
Wearing leashes and distinctive green USDA*ackets the
beagles demonstrated a news conterence how they sniff incoming
luggage for prohibited meat and fruit items which might harbor
crop pests and diseases that could jeopardize U.S

York

foreign livestock
food production

SLOWPITCH CHAMPS: A team trom Coeur dAlene captured the
second annual Castlegar Slowpitch Tourney title 8)

NEW AUTHOR: Robsons Katherine Armstrong has published two
new books 83

has until midnight tonight to ensure
the rundown 3rd Street property is
made safe or city crews will do it and
bill the owner for the cost. Castlegar
council said Tuesday night

But council rejected a request from
the Castlegar Downtown Business
Association to demolish the old hotel
site

“We can't destroy people's residual
value,” Mayor Audrey Moore said
adding later: “We'd put ourselv
position of being sued

The city informed the hotel's owner
Webchris Enterprises Ltd. of North
Vancouver, last month that the site

regu

es ina

must comply with fire safety
lations

But the DBA argued in a letter to
council that simply boarding up the
windows of the old hotel “is not the
answer to the mess which presently
exists.

Instead, DBA secretary Grace Me
Pherson suggested the city take it on
itself to demolish the site

But Ald. Carl Henne pointed out that
the city’s solicitors have
council not to level the property

“| don't think we should get into a

situation where we should tear it down

advised

continued on poge A2

By CasNews Staff

Former Credit MLA Burt Campbell an
nounced today he will seek the party's nomination in
Rossland-Trail at the local association's nominating con
vention Sept. 29.

Campbell, 49, a member of the Rossland-Trail Socred
executive, was elected in 1969 in the former Revel
stoke-Slocan riding when he defeated the NDP’s Bill
King

“It's time to end 14 years of too little and do little

Social

Campbell said in a prepared news release announcing his
candidacy

He added that should he be chosen to represent the
Socreds in the general election rumored for this fall he
will be “totally committed” to the growth and economic
stability of all parts of Rossland-Trail

Campbell said his job as Castlegar News publisher
regularly takes him to all parts of the riding. He said he
knows the riding well, having lived in the constituency
since attending kindergarten in West Trail

Noting that Rossland Trail has brought great wealth
to British Columbia. Campbell said that in his day-to-day
travels throughout the riding. and in daily discussions
with people, he sees great human and economic potential
everywhere

He said his energetic representation would help
bring even greater wealth to our province and to our
immediate area

Married, with three children, Campbell said his
candidacy “was sparked in large part by concern for our
young people was well as concern for our older residents.

AUDREY MOORE

non-committal

BURT CAMPBELL
knows riding

He said jobs will flow optly from new and innovative

economic policies and expressed confidence that Premier
Bill Vander Zalm w

He has the great

provide those policies

ability to set realistic goals -and
work steadily towards them

Meanwhile
with hats in hand ready to toss them into the ring, Carl
Price. a member of the Rossland Tra
today
Between Friday and Monday we'll have
bunch more to think about.” Price said

He added that “there's a number (of party members)
working in the background, planning
thing

Price said the possible candidates are

seyeral other local Socreds stand poised

Socred executive
said
a whole

doing their own

sincere” but
want to handle the timing of their news releases
But he added that he thinks the candidate will be

continued on poge A2