aa Castlégar News February 18, 1990 \— OPINION No room for language zealots There's a disturbing movement reportedly growing fast in B.C. which we hope doesn't find a foothold here in Castlegar and the West Kootenay. i We refer to the Alliance for the Preservation of English, in Canada — APEC — an anglophone-rights group which has been lob- bying school boards in B.C. to drop, or not implement, French immer- sion classes. “It's spreading like wildfire, or cancer,” said Marie Bourgeois, president of the Federation des Franco Colombiens, an association of French-speaking people living in B.C. Ms. geois’ second is fhe more accurate — it's cancer. “Our basic policy is to prevent the French language from being rammed down the throats of English-speaking Canadians,” an APEC education policy statement says. That's nothing more than thinly disguised racist hogwash. Canada is a multicultural country, with French and English being the two dominant cultures. The curent acrimony between English- speaking and French-speaking Canadians, first inside Quebec and now spreading to other parts of Canada, is most disturbing. We're not about to solve the problem on this page but we do know that education can play a large part in helping create understanding, par- ticularly between two cultures. We believe French immersion classes can be a small but impor- tant step in that education for children of English-speaking parents. Isolating, segregating and hurling insults does no one any good. With that in mind, we hope local parents show-enough interest in the Castlegar school board's proposed French immersion classes for Grade 7s in the district. And we hope the board, if the interest is there among parents, isn’t swayed from implementing the program even if the language zealots surtace locally. ~- Project doesn't make The proposed $630 million expan- sion of the Celgar pulp mill in Castlegar does not appear to make one heck of a lot of sense. 1 do not propose to be an expert on either the pulp and paper industry or the en- vironment, but, I do happen to possess a high degree of common sen- se. Why is a seemingly archaic and en- vironmentally damaging form of manufacturing paper from actual wood resources being expanded when North American and European con- sumers are clamoring for, and often unable to purchase, recycled paper products? Does it not make sense, cents, and therefore long-term future jobs, for Celgar to expand into this decade and oncoming century with vision by being perhaps the first com- pany in B.C. to enter into the large- scale manufacturing of recycled paper products? Proponents of the proposed expan- sion cite the use of scrap wood chips, an undeveloped recyctec products market and the creation of needed jobs as three good reasons to support the old way of doing business. Firstly, scrap wood chips are a by- product of the further, and possibly increased, large-scale harvesting of trees. Therefore, Celgar would be in- sense the media’s to tal issues. It is now fashionable to be environmentally conscious. Is that not a marketing executive’s dream? The popularity of Pollution Probe- endorsed Green Products in the Loblaws supermarket chain, as well as , front-page newspaper declarations by Prince Charles concerning the necessity to preserve our world’s forests, are all forms of free adver- tising indirectly, yet firmly, endorsing a future for a recycled Celgar paper product. Thirdly, if Celgar expanded into recycling, long-term jobs with built-in integrity would be created. Everyone loves to feel as if they are actually doing something of benefit to pick up a paycheque, whereas the present Letters to the editor Remember The monthly meeting of the Castlegar and District Board of Trade was held in the Anglican parish hall on Thursday night with the president, Mr. J.R. Biliot, in the chair. The board confirmed the action of the executive in writing the district postal inspector and negotiating tem- porary twice-weekly postal service by plane for Deer Park and Renata in place of one trip weekly as first set out by the post office authorities. This service is to continue until the boats are again able to run. A letter was written to the. motor vehicle licence issuing office at Inver- mere for further particulars in an ef- fort to obtain a similar’ office in Castlegar. In response to a request for aid from the Boy Scout movement, a special committee is to be appointed to lend assistance. The Scouts are being advised to this effect. The board reported that its efforts in prompting action on the power and light situation are being rewarded in the addition of a number of new tran- sformers. A letter was forwarded to the village commission regarding the removal of certain poles. Two Robson families who accepted a ‘forced settlement’’ from B.C. Hydro for their homes and properties will be laying a new development in their dealing with the Crown agency before Judge McLeod M. Colquhons when he visits Castlegar tomorrow. Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Havdale and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Webster — who also own property in the damsite area Ignorance not bliss I would like to point out to Craig of the Coalition for_Infor- mation on the Pulp Mill Expansion and Selkirk College students. that Celgar is a pulp mill and does not Pp to create natural resource-dependent and depleting employment. How long can we expect such resources to last at present-day har- vesting and replanting rates? Ten, 20 years, maximum? What will happen ‘of that created employment? __ And, lastly, citizens would be much happier seeing loads of used and compressed paper driving to and through Castlegar rather than wit- nessing an increase in truck traffic hauling wood along our highways. So, I ask the people who are direc- directly i ing its sup- port of that type of harvest. Secondly, the market for recycled products is not undeveloped, it is merely unserviced. The market exists tly involved with promoting the P d Cel Is there not a way of motivating and directing the intelligent and caring aspects of your human resources beyond the short-term gain and long-term drain within the of and people already purchasing paper products (everyone from McDonald's to freelance writers). Not only does the market exist, but it is being firmly reinforced through y? The prop could be a national and international example of the use of such wise foresight. Sandra Mitchell Nelson Expansion chance to be imaginitive I am concerned that we are still holding on to the antiquated idea that the earth can still take care of itself and be abused at the same time. We are in a position of power in that we can do something that will benefit everyone from shareholders to bystanders. As a designer of homes, I am con- cerned about the places we choose to live, in terms of environment, lifestyle and economy. I am not against resource development; it is one of the major building blocks of our society. I think the proposed Celgar pulp mill expansion in Castlegar is the perfect opportunity to be i inati using an already serviceable railway system, and using a combination of **state-of-the-art’’ technology with “new ++-which will become. tomorrow’s state-of-the-art. It is only our sense of priority and unwillingness to be creative that keeps us bound to our competitive dogmas and locked ‘in our personal in- securities. We are shortchanging our- selves by thinking we can trade one effluent for another and by believing that the best already exists. The Celgar expansion proposal is a gift with great potential for us and in the development of a totally in- tegrated resource management business which would involve recycling wood fibre already clogging the system, reducing the energy requirements needed to keep going, the next ity that has to deal with a similar project. I don’t want to see this gift turn into just another gilded trinket on an boat paper. Pulp is the raw material in the paper-making process, not the end product. The cellulose fibre-as produced at Celgar has to be flattened, split, frayed, etc., without breaking before i i is only after made into paper. It is only after resin, ane Musee SS prolonged” Tol being this beating cycle that the fibres will cling and-mat together in strong but thin sheets. Clay, various adhesives, pigments, etc., may be added to make the final product. Recycled fibres, on the other hand, need little flattening, splitting, fraying and refinery and consequently paper mills using recycled fibre almost exclusively require less heavy machinery in the beater room. Because of the variety of links and other objectionabie non-fibrous material in wastepaper, any de-inking plant must be wide in scope to handle a variety of pulps. Because of the problems assiciated with the waste water_and the disposal of the solids removed from the waste water, any de-inking plant has to be fairly large to get the benefits of large volume to offset the costs of extensive pollution- control equipment. In adhesives alone, one may en- counter five or six different classes of compounds each requiring a different treatment. Even casein, derived from milk, is insoluble in water but is im- portant in the labelling of beer and soft drink bottles. Modern high-speed printing also uses many classes of ink, some of which present de-inking problems. One heat-set ink, resin hardened by neutralization with lime and zinc oxide, gives a compound tess soluble in water than the sodium soap of resin, and caustic soda solution doesn’t readily attack it. boiling, sometimes with the addition of a soap or detergent, is required in the drinking process. The more chemicals required in the de-inking process results in more equipment in the control of pollution from that process and the more costly the process becomes. Even a small plant processing 100 tons a day of high- grade waste paper may have to dispose of 4,000 to 5,000 pounds a day of loose bale wrappers, 0 pounds of baling wire and strapping, 300 pounds of tramp metal (such as paper clips and staples) 200 pounds of centrifugal cleaner rejects, 2,000 pounds of sorting rejects, 500 pounds ef_floor_sweepings and three million gallons of very dirty water. There is a defipite market for some of thes rejects, hdwever, may contain highly toxic materials depending upon the types of ink and adhesives used. Incineration produces dioxins and many metropolitan dump sites refuse such waste. The waste water, depending upon — say they never did come to an with the B.C. Hydro on the purchase of their properties but that with the expropriation of their properties facing them, they accepted a “forced settlement."’ . *e -8 Ratepayers in the Castle Bar sub- division have won average assessment cuts_of $400 representing reductions of about $16 per year in taxes. The were marker type and sewer stages, can contain from 450 to 600 pounds per ton of suspended solids, 220 to 370 pounds per ton of dissolved solids and a biological oxygen demand (BOD) level of 80 to 100 pounds per ton. Thus, the total BOD for a 100-ton-per-day mill would be 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of _oxygen to reduce the effluent to a zero level. _ I can understand Mr. Lawrence or Calvin Him being ignorant of the pulp-and-paper-making process and the difference between a recycled fibre and a primary one, but for a college student, member of an eco/recycling committee fact finding for the public to be equally dense is inexcusable. Gentlemen, please become more in- formed about pulp mills, paper mills, de-inking plants, sources of dioxins and other pollutants, as well as the waste disposal limitations of modern technology, before attempting to in- form the public about what is going on. One can expect tittle morethan corporate bashing from the Slocan but college people should at least gar- ner a few facts before talking to the press. 7 Fred Peitzsche Ross Spur Future at stake 1 am writing as a member of the “silent majority’? as mentioned in Ron Ross’s letter (Castlegar News, Feb. ff). Many people liketilyself have been silent until now, either to gather as much information as possible, or to wait for someone to speak up for them. So far, I have heard very extreme arguments for both sides of the Celgar expansion issue. Let’s face it, if Celgar closes down, the Westar sawmill will follow. If those two with no captain. David Dobie Nelson — ESTABLISHED AUGUST 7, 1947 Lv. CAMPBELL Castlegar News IAEAABER OF THE B.C. PRESS COUNCIL a INCORPORATING THE MID-WEEK MIRROR PUBLISHED SETPE PUBLISHER, AUGUST 7, 1947 FEBRUARY 15, 1979 TWICE WEEKLY MAY 4. 1 m2. 980 ABER 12. AUGUST 27, 1980 the K dam won't get generators and the Site C dam will definitely not be built. There goes 12 to 20 years of heavy growth for this area. Castlegar won't become a ghost town, but it sure won't be pretty living here either. For those of you dead set against the expansion, imagine for a moment driving all the way to Trail or Nelson every time you want a litre of milk. Or think about how much of a budget our local hospital will receive given @ That’s about the population that will be left here (if that) and that amount of people will not support two large grocery stores, five or six clothing retailers and the restaurant and hotel competition we enjoy now. At that population, one or more schools would have to close or severely cut back. Students from Kin- naird may have to be bused into Castlegar for school. There will not be enough people left to support Castleaird Plaza, or the latest proposed outdoor mall. There goes another 200 jobs. On the other hand, Celgar pumps out enough sulphur dioxide as it is. I’m not sure I could live with 37 times more. The expansion looks like a strong project, and I’m sure the sulphur dioxide emissions could be reduced with a small amount of extra “‘scrubbing.”” For those of you still trying to make up your minds about this issue, con- sider that-this is not just about a pulp PUBLISHER — Burt Campbell! EDITOR — Simon Birch PLANT FOREMAN — Peter Horvey ADVERTISING MANAGER — Wayne Stolz HCE MANAGER — Lindo Kositsin CIRCULATION MANAGER — Heather Hadley mill trying to make more profit. This local population of fewer than 1,000 ca is a complete refit of « large plant that e Deople. More letters, page A5 has been ordered by the Environment Ministry. Celgar must expand or close. Now it is no wonder about Celgar but about the future of the en- tire area. As with Ron Ross and Dr. Mark Mealing, my job is not directly con- nected with Celgar and I can get work in my field anywhere. If the expansion does not happen, I may have to. Tom Mairs Castlegar Orr thre won at the recent court of revision held here by-officials of the provincial land and assessment department. . 28 6 Mahy Castlegar and district people, along with those in other West Kootenay_school districts, are busily working to ensure the largest possible turnout of voters for the referendum Thursday. One of the major purposes of the proposed college will be to provide two-year courses in semi-professional and technical subjects at the post- secondary level. An- increase of 19.59 per cent has been experienced by School District No. 9 with final approval given at special meeting recently to its 1975 operating budget totalling $3,335,841. Last year’s operating budget was $2,789,458. “ 8 6 A questionnaire on Russian language classes will be circulated shortly by the board of trustees for School District No. 9. . 8 6 Chairman. of the B.C. education committee of the British Columbia Heart Foundation, Mrs. A.O. (Max) McBean, will be one of several visitors to the area this weekend to take part in the Keep Fit Clinic Heart Ball this weekend. . 6 6 A capital expenditure proposal totalling $505,300 has received ap- proval of the board of trustees for School District No. 9. The outcome of a meeting between the Castlegar and District Teachers’ Association and the school board tomorrow will influence whether the teachers will escalate their work-to- Tule protest, says teachers’ association president Mike Rodgers. . 8 « Please address all Letters to the Editor to: The Castl The vi of the Castlegar school board and the president of the News, P.O. Box 3007, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 3H4, or deliver them to our office at 197 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar. Letters shoul double-spoced a1 words. Letters must be signed and include the writer's full name and oddre: be typewritten, ‘not longer than 300 Only will letters be the writer must be disci piri isclosed to the The Castlegar News reser ‘to edit letters tor brevity, Sori. hee “4 ‘end grammar teachers’ have both at- tacked a proposal by Education Minister Jack Heinrich to allow school boards to raise funds by local referendums. . ee @ Central Kootenay Regional District board agreed to undertake a study on the Teasibility of a $2.5-million ex- pansion at the Doukhobor Villagé. The study will cost $10,000. The City of Castlegar has agreed to pay $4,000 with the other $6,000 coming from the regional district planning department. February 18, 1990 Castlégar News AS a MORE LETTERS Ferry users We of the Robson-Raspberry Ferry Users Ad Hoc Committee wish to tee’s activities that have been published. However, there is one point in the Feb. 7 story about the meeting held Feb. 4. that requires clarification. It is the committee’s position that a river crossing at Robson is vital to the Celg As a member (longstanding) of the “silent majority,” I have watched with interest the controversy surroun- ding the proposed Celgar pulp mill expansion. But certain comments and actions have made me realize that there are people around who are in- tent on destroying my income and some hundreds of other families’ livelihood on the pretense of “caring.”” This made me decide not to be silent anymore! Who are these people? People in Nelson who drove out the last sawmill from their community? People from the ‘‘Valley’” who oppose everything well-being of Robson and of Castlegar, particularly the older business section of Castlegar, and ‘that the ferry should never have been shut ‘down. There is absolutely no quarrel with the proposal to build a bridge to replace the ferry service we have enjoyed for over 70 years and that has influenced the pattern of growth in our communities. A bridge, though, will take at least back bridge two years t6 construct, plus another “Tight now jo arrest-and reverse the year up front for the planning, designing and the. letting and evaluating of tenders — some three years in all. The committee sees the bridge proposal and the restoring of ferry service not as an_ either/or Pp but as y projects, Our community needs a Columbia River crossing at Robson upported opposed to logging in “‘their”’ valley, they have complaine! about the road conditions around Cape Horn and now that the gover- nment is doing something about it, they are complaining about the “‘loss’’ of their lifestyle. What lifestyle? I dare to guess that they are so stewed.in protesting something since the 1960s that they must have something to gripe about just to fill their empty lives. Of course, there are people closer to home who are against this development. Take the pulp mill em- ployee’ who went to Vancouver to for the sake of opposing something? drum up opposition to the expansion Apathy disappoints It appears that the campaign of Canada Posts’ three lackeys to strike ful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that -‘question-next—_— apathy into the hearts of Robsonites ‘was a success. In the last two weeks, less than a dozen letters have gone out from the ever has.”” Canada Post knew this when they attempted, through the lackeys (very successfully apparently), to give our Robson post office to the app’ authorities in Ottawa. Our committee members are very disappointed because we can’t win this battle without massive support, especially in the form of handwritten and jn- dividually posted letters. As Margaret Mead said: ‘Never - doubt that a small group of thought- the iP that keeping our facility was no option. It’s up to us to prove them wrong. A hint to Castlegar postal users — with the future of Rossland’s post of- fice now apparently in question, Castlegar’s may not be far behind. The Ad Hoc Committee to Save the Robson Post Office Taxes opposed Seniors should be exempt from the escalating school taxes because they are a burden to most seniors who must live on fixed incomes. Seniors paid taxes before they reached age 65- Most of the seniors have enough expenses of buying medication for groceries, and so on, are priced as to the average wage earner who gets $10 to $15 per hour, which is no com- parison to seniors’ incomes. The time is coming when we seniors. should get organized and go on strike against escalating school taxes. their variety of sickness which seem to Everybody else does when they want accumulate at the time of the so- called Golden Age. In fact, some seniors go without medication as they cannot afford it. Everything else, better benefits. Nick Bayoff Castlegar TURKEY FAMILY PACK $1.62/kg. ... eee cere tb. PORK SPARERIBS «..<» POST ALPHA BITS wo. RAISIN BREAD «< FRENCH BREAD «xc wo MEXICAN GROWN GRANDE no. | $1.30/kg LAKE LAND MARGARINE» rox BLUE LABEL APPLE JUICE...» FRUIT DRINKS cies tve Asiorree POST HONEY COMB OVEN FRESH BREAD wine o wots whee ..at0 0 tewven 5 ror $1.99 99¢ — CENTRAL FRESH PRODUCE — CUCUMBERS GRAPEFRUIT 5 1B. $499 wane e $1.88 $1.19 Ne. 2 ALTA. RED POTATOES 20 Ib. $999 FOR and is also trying to drum up support for his cause in Washington state, as if the people in this community would not have the capacity to decide what is good for them. And all the while this person drawing wages from his terrible and irresponsible employer. Shame on him! I believe that Celgar must be sen- sitive to our environment and to the well being of this community. But I also believe that they are. Why else would they order an independent en- vironmental study before it was required by the government? Why would the company send its people (at great expense) all over the world to study and find the most. up-to-date and f-the-art 7 deteriorating of our amenities that is 80 plainly seen to be going on. + The restoring of our ferry to service is the only thing that can be done to provide such a crossing in the next few weeks. Fred Marsh Castlegar Chamber endorses expansion The membership of the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce fully supports the proposed expansion project of Celgar Pulp Co. : The overall benefits to our com- munity vastly outweigh any perceived negatives of the project. However, because of some negative thinking and recent delays imposed by process, the project is in jeopardy. To delay or lose this project will place our city ina financial situation from which we may not recover. As the residents of Castlegar know, the past owners of Celgar lost their Certainly not to find ‘‘shortcuts.”” Why else is the company sending ‘union’ employees on these trips and ask for and incorporate their opinions? 7 =<. At this time, I would like to ask all people who are concerned about this project and are for its success to speak up. Write to this paper and the provincial and federal governments and help this project to succeed and help us maintain our jobs and with their poor environ- mental record. However, the new owners are now trying to correct the “ problems of the past and proceed to the future as a responsible and stable fixture in our community. To the small-business employers, this expansion will allow them to provide jobs and grow as the city grows. It has to be all our respon- sibility to get behind the project with all our support and allow our city to thrive rather than die. cosstully to create o proper scenario Thelude: eal we. RES state WITH BARRY BROWN SHOWMANSHIP — OPEN HOUSE could offer smalt portions on an at- tractive plate Placing mirrors in rooms to create the illusion of space ‘of bulky clothing number one priority on your open house preparation list should be to ho condo the ound Putting @ pot of coffee on. In ad- dition to fresh-boked cake, it fills the house with a comfortable “homey” smell Placing new soaps, towels ond toiletries in the bathrooms Setting the dining room table with ‘attractive china, wine glosses and areas. Some tips that have been used suc * Leaving on the lights or increasing the wattage to brighten the rooms. * Lighting the fireploce * Airing out the house thoroughly For problem odors, you agent should be able to provide you with Your realtor should be able to provide you with a checklist for o successtul open house ~ Wf there 1s anything | can do to help ettective air-cleaning methods yeu in the tield of real estate, please * Placing bouquets of flowers call or drop in at + Placing © drop of vanilla extract on NATIONAL REAL ESTATE SERVICE @ hot burner or in a warm oven to bring about the smell of a just. Mountainview Agencies Ltd. baked cake. if you have time to 1695 Columbia Av: bake cake in the morning, you Phone 365-211! o the right to limit quantities. 59: FEES CENTRAL Fons 10 0.m.-6 p.m. aw PRICES SFPECTIVE SUN. MON... Bryan Loewen 1st Vice President Accessories Be W-5 POOL = SERVICES 226-7386 or 365-2584 R.R.S.P. 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