ra 5 tiament storia, B “CA STL Published Bright and Early Every Thursday Morning at “The Crossroads of the Kootenays” Section “'C"’ VOL. 31, No. 37 30 Cents CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1978 aeEe. Three Sections (A,B&C) Premier Pledges Aid for New Water Supply Weather May Nix Opening Bad weather could delay the opening of the Castlegar- Salmo highway until next sum- mer, the Castlegar News was told-this week, Terry King, chairman of a committee of Castlegar and Salmo representatives appoint- ed last. week to co-ordinate plans for an opening ceremony, said Oct. 6 “could be an open date" for the event, but if its completion is delayed by the weather the opening would be put off at least until next spring. He said the highways min- istry is not prepared to allow traffic to “destroy” the bottom layer of the highway during the winter. The ministry also would not open the route ‘before erecting rail guards and paint- ing traffic lines, he said. The ceremony will be held as close to the opening date as possible, King said. “However, we wish to bring no pressure to bear on the highways department to open it early,” he said. “It's our tax money they're spending.” King was commenting on reports that Sept. 30 had been chosen as the date for the opening ceremony. Rossland- Trail MLA Chris D'Arcy earlier Tuesday said deputy minister Bob Harvey indicated the cere- mony would be held at the highway summit at ministry expense. Contacted later, Harvey confirmed that he had discussed the opening with D'Arcy but suggested the Rossland-Trail MLA had misunderstood his. statements. He said Oct. 6 was a tentative date for the cere- mony but it has yet to be set by the ministry. Selkirk Well Ideal Ootischenia Supply +If the environment minis- try tests proved anything, they proved the Selkirk College auiler is a feasible water ‘supply for Ootisch will be required to install the Arrow Lakes pipeline, it indi- cated the aquifer was a logical choice, for 2 new system for and That was-Mayor Audrey Moore's reaction Tuesday to the provincial government's decision to fund the _city's ~ “Proposed ‘Arrow Lakes iipeliné rather than the groundwater source investigated in June as an alternative supply. _ Although the cost cited in the report on the aquifer tests did not prove the groundwater source would be significantly cheaper for the city than the more than $3.5 million which Saale Airport, Moore told city council. She said she was relieved’ that the proyineial government “did not favor taking’ Water trom that area to supply Castlegar. “If we had laid claim to it and built a pipeline and more or less brought that water across the Columbia River we were in essence saying to the people in Ootischenia ‘we feel our needs ae erential than yours,’ " she PROMISE OF AID for a new Castlegar water supply won Premler Bill Bennett a standing ovation hare Tuesday. Ina 20-minute speech to a Rotary Club lunehean audience the ‘premier also and federal ‘constitutional reform as well as announcing that local Rotarlans would receive a $17,430 grant to cover one-third of the cost of « of four publ! innis courts. —Kelth Meaulggen Photo “Me Rotiations over ¢ fil inaneish participation” in Bets city’s planned: tie-in to .the. company's Arrow Lakes pipe- line will begin next week, city council decided Tuesday. In response to the pro- vincial government's decision— announced publicly by Premier Bill Bennett earlier Tuesday— RDCK Board May Face Risk Of ‘Unlawful’ Referendum Holding a Central Koote- nay referendum on B.C. Hy- dro's proposed Kootenay diver- sion may be unlawful, according to regional district administra- -tor Reid Henderson. « Robbed Bank After Being Refused Aid + Only minutes after being refused assistance at the local human resource ministry office a Ladner man was arrested at the Cana- dian Bank of Commerce on Columbia Avenue for bank robbery. Louis Henry Nickerson, tt the this week told the Castlegar News he warned a meeting of the RDCK board Saturday that because the planned referendum is on an of any regional function, the expenditure incurred from the vote could be interpreted as unlawful. If the expenditure is ‘unlawful ‘the individual direc- tors of the areas participating in the referendum will be responsible for the cost, he said, RDCK directors Saturday gave two readings to a bylaw horizi: the inclusion in the plebiscite after being told by city clerk Barry Baldigara that the referendum bylaw would be rejected by the municipal affairs ministry if the ministry considered it unlawful. oe “Excuse is Now Gone’ _CanCel Financing Now Sought aid the tity in finanelnge the: tie-in, ebtineil approved'Ald. C. * S: Fowler's motion that the city. staff and_ solic CanCel's solicitor at the’ Union of B.C. Municipalities in Pen- ticton, Fowler, who as_ select water committee chairman also gained council support for his recommendation that city staff take steps toward preparation of a bylaw, said municipal affairs ministry representatives will also be in Penticton during the meetings, “Since they promise their support in our negotiations, the committee feels the long-anti- cipated three-way discussions. will take place next week," he said. : “I think we're finally mov- ing,” Fowler said. “I think Mr. Ootischenia Dump $46,245 Under Budget Operation of the Ootische- nia dump by Castlegar and Areas H, I and J is $46,245 under budget, according to Mayor Audrey Moore. Ina report to the Regional tiene of Central Kootenay joard was a of the ‘bank by anne J.F. Schell after he had held up a note to teller Elizabeth Farrier and received $500 in cash. Schell held the man until police arrived. No weapon was involved. Nickerson appeared in provincial court in Rossland on Monday and was sen- tenced to 30 months’ im- prisonment. It is believed Nickerson, who police said is Castlegar’s first bank robber, had also unsuccessfully sought social assistance at Grand Forks. which would give voters in the region a chance to approve or disapprove of—but not have i y on the garbage fans Moore, the city’s rep- resentative on the board, cited revenues of $76,092 compared itures of $29,847 up to any control of the Kootenay River into.the Columbia. Third and final reading of the bylaw was tabled until Sept. 30. Voting Tuesday on wheth- er to participate in the Novem- ber referendum, city. council’ supported Ald, Bud Godderis' recommendation that the RDCK be sent a letter of consent. Council members voted for the end of August. Revenues showed .an un- budgeted $12,813 in govern- ment grants and $2,279 over the estimated $20,000 surplus from the previous year in addition to the $41,000 acquired through a three-fifths-mill levy of the participating areas. Under expenditures, $120 of a budgeted $1,000 was spent on administration, $2,942 was spent on summer employment and $4,137 out of a budget of $12,000 went to repairs for the site’s front-end loader tractor. OF $2,500 allocated for mis- cellaneous expenses, $250 was spent while operating expenses, which included trenching at the site, amounted to $4,398 more than the $18,000 allocated. Contacted this week, Moore said about $11,000 worth of trenching done at the dump this year would meet the operation's trenching needs for the next three years, Asked about the Ootische- nia Refuse Site Commission's plans for use of any surplus, she said a portion of it would ° probably be carried forward into next year’s budget, re-_ sulting in a reduced tax levy. “We're also contemplating putting up a building to house the machinery,” Moore said. ‘Diversion Opponents ‘Acting in Interest of US.’ Critics Tipping B.C. Poker Hand Opponents of B.C. -Hy- dro's proposed Kootenay Diversion are only strength- ening the U.S. hand in the Columbia River Treaty “in- ternational poker according to Premier Bill Bennett. In a press Sonteradce here Tuesday the premier said B.C.’s option under the treaty of diverting the Kootenay River into the Columbia is “a tremendous benefit” in bargaining over common waterways with the U.S. and “should not be of alarm to anyone at this particular time.” Critics of the proposed et hci ee re Ta Tr diversion—which would take generating capacity away from U.S. states and affect Montana's agricultural base —are acting in the interest of the U.S., he said. Bennett said Montana and other -states which would be affected are pie- pared to negotiate and “pay handsomely’ to buy out the province's benefit. He said negotiation of a tradeoff between the U.S. and Canada of the flooding of + B.C.'s Skagit Valley for the Kootenay Diversion was a ‘possibility under the Treaty. “The payments the U.S. (Con'd. Pg. A2, Col. 1) ir meet’ with | “Bennett's saying “what he did today is every reason to expect that the stalling will stop.” The water. committee chairman said he believed the city could start on construction of the new system next spring. Asked by Ald, Len Embree about his justification for re- commending a money bylaw so early, Fowler said the city will require a money bylaw in order to secure the government's share, under the Water Assis- Students Get Unexpected Day Off An unexpected day off from school was given 45 pri- mary pupils and two kinder- garten classes Monday after smoke activated the sprinkler of the fire prevention system. Responding to the 8:15 a.m. call to Valley Vista School _ on Fourth Avenue, South, fire- men found themselves not fighting fire but vacuuming up water. Fire chief “Rene Archam- baull told the Castlegar News the motor of the furnace wouldn't go, causing a belt to smoke and setting off the sprinkler system in the furnace room. The teachers had arrived but the pupils were not yet in the building. School was dismissed for the day. Archambault said there was no excessive damage. Committee. Gears Up For SunFest ‘79 The fall meeting of the Castlegar Sunflower Fest com- mittee takes place at 7:30 tonight at the Hi Arrow Arms. The committee seeks par- ticipation by residents of Castlegar to prepare for Sun- flower Fest '79. “The success of this year's Sunflower Fest with its Captain look, “Salute to Discovery" theme was aided in large measure by the active involve- ment of the Castlegar service clubs, whose events during the weekend afforded a variety of activities for everyone to en- joy.” said chairman Mary An- derson. People and ideas are wel- come. tance Act, of the more than $3.5 million the new. supply is ex- pected to cost. “There's no: need ‘for a money bylaw if CanCel meets its ‘obligations," Embree said. “If the provincial government has now met its responsibil ty tinder the legislation, which is 75 per cent. of capital costs ex- ceeding three mills, that leaves 25 per cent.” “I think it's important we get a commitment out of (Con'd Pg. A2, Col. 5) City ‘Gets its Choice By RYON GUEDES CasNews Editor To a standing ovation here Tuesday, Premier Bill Bennett announced his government will help pay for the city's proposed Arrow Lakes water supply. The premier told an audience of more than 100 at a Rotary Club luncheon that the estimated costs of two prospective sources—the Arror Lakes supply and the Selkirk College aquifer tested in June as an alternative to the city's proposal—were so close the provincial government decided it ‘‘will go alolng with and supply the support from whichever project the community chooses." “We will give Castlegar its choice,” Bennett said. “And the government with its funding ‘Programs will support your city | council and your community in finding the water system you need,” Bennett, who noted the long series of meetings and negotiations; which had taken place between the city and several provincial ministries over the proposed tic-in to CanCel’s Arrow Lakes pipeline, said the decision reflected the efforts of his government to visit communities throughout B.C. and “try to resolve some of their long-standing problems.” The premier did not say at the luncheon how much pro- vincial aid would be available to . the city. Asked later by the Castlegar News about the (Con’d. Pg. A2, Col. 1) Repairs to Sawmill Ahead of Schedule Efforts to repair about $6 million damage sustained by CanCe!'s sawmill here in a June 17 fire are about a month ahead of schedule, Rossland-Trail MLA Chris D'Arcy said Mon- ‘y= j D'Arcy, chairman of a joint: five-member committee of union, company, Canada Man- power and provincial labor miri- istry Dec. 5 and the smallwood ‘mill will open up by around the same time,” D'Arcy said. “And the fir side is expected to be open by Dec. 15.” The Rossland-Trail MLA said the dates “could move back and forth either way” but he added they were “pretty well confirmed.” Sawmill manager Chuck to find new jobs. for sawmill. workers left unemployed by the fire, said repairs originally heduled .for ion’ in Tuesday, ‘very pleased”, with the company's progress in re- ~ building the main sawmill and mid-December are now expect- ed to finish earlier. He said the latest confir- mation dates given by suppliers of the sawmill's ‘machinery indicate the pine side—the deck in the main sawmill where pine Jogs are cut into lumb mill, but stressed. that the new dates were target dates rather than firm dead- lines. Saying he would rather be “more conservative’ in his estimates, Dinning said the planer mill would probably not. be back in ion until late be ready to resumé operation Nov. 15. “That means that the pla- ner mill will open up around December or early January becuuse the pine side would not be able to produce enough lumber to keep it busy. $8,000 Area Recreation Study Plan Due in November Castlegar'’s $8,000 master plan for use of area recreation facilities in the next five years is scheduled for completion in November, city council's parks and recreation chairman said Tuesday. Ald. Jim Gouk told council the plan—which will include a survey of more than 800 house- holds in Castlegar, and Areas I and J this week—will be in rough draft form in the third Rotary Gets One-Third Tennis Courts Grant Castlegar's Rotary Club will receive a $17,430 provincial government grant for construction of four tennis courts, Premier Bill Bennett announced here Tuesday. Speaking at a Rotary Club luncheon, the premier said the grant will represent one-third of the capital week of October and will be presented in its final form sometime in the following month, os Gouk said about 30° per cent of the data required for the plan, to be designed by the consulting firm Stevenson and Kellogg, has already been col- lected. Data already compiled includes program and facilities inventories, various climatic and topographical considera- tions and population and age distribution, he said. *° In addition to the ques- tionnaire which will be sent to 408 city households and 402. holds in outlying areas, costs for the new tennis courts, which are now under construction beside the Regional Recreation Complex and will be designated for public use. Bennett noted that the grant was made under the provincial recreation facilities program, which provides one-third grants for capital development costs up to $400,000 for provision of recreation facilities throughout the province. the survey will also involve polling local clubs and organi- zations in a separate ques- tionnaire about their recreation priorities for the next five years, Gouk said. (See story on Page Bl. ANSWERS: More than 800 local house- holds wiil be asked to supply them today and Friday. ASPHALT: B4 The soon-to-be-completed link with Salmo, and Castle- gar's coming of age. ANGLING: Herb Wiliams on how to hold onto your lure. ies, Classified Ads, Real Estate and Automotive Pages Al2-A13-Al4-A15-A16 AB. WEEKEND WEATHERCAST CLOUDY today with showers in the vicinity. It will remain unsettled through the week- end. Temperature’ highs near 20° with overnight lows near 8°. Ann Landers Bill Smiley iy Editorials .. . Entertainment. . Pages A4-A5 Erma Bombeck . . . Page Al5 Home onthe Range . Page BS Interior Tips Outdoors PulpitandPew ... ‘ Sports .... Pages AG-A7-A8"