216 Saturday, May 23, 1992 Thave three questions for the Cana- dian government relating to its feder- al task force report on sport in this country. To wit: What does it mean? Why was it done? And can I have my mon- ey back? Now Ihave a couple of questions for you, gentle reader. To wit: did you have any idea this report was in progress and just recently completed? Or, like myself, are you numbed by stories about what the government is wasting your tax dollars on lately? To be honest, I vaguely remember when this task force was formed and why, but I had long since forgotten about it until, surprise! it was an- nounced last week that the report was - Entitled Sport: The Way Ahead (Personally, I would have named it Sport: For the Brain Dead), the report was compiled over the last year by a three-member federal task force. the 1990 Dubin Inquiry, which, you will remember, was Canada’s unique- ly hysterical overreaction to the Ben Johnson steroid scandal in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. Apparently the recommendations in Sport: For the Brain Dead will shape Canada’s future and new. direc- tion in sport. Anew national policy on sport is ex- pected to be unveiled by federal sports It is the government's response to. minister Pierre Cadieux after, you guessed it, he spends more of our mon- ey on a cross-country tour consulting with amateur sport groups, provincial governments, athletes, coaches and the public. So, see you in five years then Pete? In the meantime this lame report sits there just dying for people like me to take.a few pot shots at it. So, let’s do that, shall we? The report lists several key recom- mendations and is chock full of pithy statements like: “Sport is a significant part of Canadian culture, leisure time, health, the economy and education.” Shocking, isn’t it? I wonder ifit took them a whole year to come up with that. Then there’s the recommendation that Canada develop a national sports plan? Whoa! Now I know why these guys get paid the big dollars as brain- stormers. As usual whenever the government is involved in something like this, what is produced is long on bright ideas and puny on how to implement them. For instance, the report says the government should focus its spending on.a few “core” Canadian sports ,but conveniently neglects to say what con- stitutes a core sport. I mean, this country has Olympic medals in syn- chronized swimming, but if that’s a Wimpy report, Big Ben’s core sport then so is cribbage and one act plays. The recommendation I like best is the one that basically blames sports shows on U.S. television-for Canadi- an apathy when it comes to support- ing local, amateur sport. The report writers say Canadians have to be ed- ucated in the “intrinsic values” of sport so that we develop “a deeper un- derstanding of the nature of sport in Canada.” I think what the writers need is a deeper understanding of the Canadi- an sports fan. I mean, intrinsic value or not, I’ll be damned if I’m going to give up Michael Jordan on NBC to take in the thrills, spills and non-stop action of rock climbing at Selkirk Col- lege. As much as I enjoy this, I have to legacy admit the report did, amazingly enough, put forward a few good ideas. Lagree with recommendations that funding should be increased to the country’s top athletes, and that we should develop a professional coach- es system. At least those are things we can focus on and achieve. I’m ambivalent about the report’s recommendation to eliminate govern- ment control of how organizations spend the $60 million in taxpayers money they get every year. I like the idea of less government in anything, but throwing the money at sports or- ganizations might be just like taking a credit card from your ex-spouse and giving it to your new one. Ialso have mixed feelings about the proposal to support the participation of women, natives and the disabled in sport. I support the idea, but I get the feeling that when the government says “support” what it really means is another five bucks off all of our pay- cheques. Sure, support native women in wheelchairs, but don’t just throw money at them and say the job is done. Perhaps the best idea in the entire report was the one about the govern- ment getting out of the sports busi- ness altogether and letting the people who know what they’re doing handle it. It can start by not wasting money that could be given to sport on mean- ingless reports that nobody cares about anyway. DOING IT HIS WA Bankers : : News photo by Ed Mills - Brandon Grant, 9, demonstrates his unique style of pushup during'a Castlegar Aquanauts dry land training session at the Community best on ball field NEWS STAFF For the second time in the last three years the Castlegar CIBC Classics are the best bank in the business on the ball field. The Classics made it two out of three last weekend in Nakusp where they rolled eas- ily'to victory in the company’s annual mixed slo-pitch tour- ney. The Classics outscored the opposition 106-49 in putting together a 5-1 record in the 12-team tourney. The Classics , who finished second in the tourney last year, beat arch-rival Vernon 15-4 in the final Simon Birch and Linus Pakula split pitching duties in the tourney. The team, made up of bank employees and their spouses, includes Stewart and Andrea McCullagh, Holly and Richard Smith, George and Val Fontes, Janet McNairn, Susan Giles, Sandra Varga, Roxanne Shelfontiuk, Randy Martin and Dave Munns. The team will defend its ti- tle next year in Kamloops. i ad Saturday, May 23, 1992 if Bomb squad blows away Mi It was utter destruction for the op- bs ; = opponents in tourney position at the hands of the Bantam - Reps girls fastball team. NEWS STAFF After what they did, the Castlegar Industri- al Equipment Bantam Rep girls fastball team might be due for a name change. Calling them the bomb squad might be ap- propriate after the girls outscored the competi- tion 120-28 last weekend to win a seven-team tournament in Kelowna. “We pretty well outclassed them,” under- stated Reps coach Ron Bartsoff. Saying the girls went undefeated in six straight games is accurate, but doesn’t come close to capturing the magnitude of the victo- ries. The girls opened the tournament Saturday with a 21-3 win over Kelowna No. 1, then beat Kelowna No. 2 19-2. The routes continued on Sunday with Castlegar pounding Vernon No. 1 15-3 and bombing Rutland No.1 28-10. Kelowna was the victim again in the semi- final Monday as Castlegar beat up that city’s No. 3 team 18-8 to move into the final against Rutland. The final deviated from the norm up until the fourth inning when Castlegar returned to the script by scoring 14 runs on the way toa 19-2 win. : Susan Roosa, Stephanie, Rezansoff and Shawna Harshenin split pitching appearances in the tourney, each picking up a pair of wins. One thing for certain, Bartsoff said, there’s a few Okanagan-based teams who won't soon for- get their meeting with Castlegar. “Some of the girls on other teams were say- ing hopefully they won’t be seeing us in the provincials,” he said. The team includes, Lisa Fomenoff, Lisa Datchkoff, Paula Bartsoff, Carrie Plamondon, Takaia Casler, Christina Street, Cynthia Bart- . soff, Jan Holden, Shannon Gienger, Karen Ak- selson and Elysia Samarodin. The Bantams will try to make it two in arow when they travel to a tournament in Warfield . SPOKANE EVENTS ' May 28-31 Spring Fest June 27-28 Hoop Fest $39%° US. BRING THIS COUPON. Expires July 1, 1992 Call collect for reservations ni: 4212 Sunset Bivd., Spokane, WA 99204 1-509-747-2021 News file photo Bantam Reps pitcher Stephanie Rezansoff picked up a pair of wins last weekend as Castlegar cleaned up at a girls fastball tourna- ment in Kelowna. ADULT GOLF LESSONS BEGINNER AND INTERMEDIATE Beginning Sunday, May 24 | 3-4 p.m. & 4-5 p.m. 6 Lessons only $5Q° é SEASON OPENER SPECIALS 7-Piece Starter Sets. Junior $4 1 0 or Adult. Reg. $125 .. NOW 11-Piece Set of Decca 10. Reg. $450 ...........NOW Accuform Irons, 3-PW. Reg. $1,000 Nike or Etonic Golf Shoes. NOW LESS .......... Taylor-Made Golf Clubs. NOW LESS MENTION THIS AD AND GETA 10% DISCOUNT ANY ON CLOTHING PURCHASE! regarding tee times, merchandise, golf equipment or lessons Call 365-5006 CASTLEGAR GOLF CLUB this weekend. Shri Upholstery & Mp A VARIETY OF FABRICS: Have your RV cushions recovered and get 15% orr Labor Costs $7.00 Suggested retail (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) Castlegar Sportscards Lar BUY e SELL ¢ TRADE 636-18th Street Castleaird Plaza Castlegar + 365-7556 1116-6TH ST., CASTLEGAR OFFER EFFECTIVE THOUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JUNE tar At rear of Oglow Building 365-7787 MINOR HOCKEY ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN COACHING Rep, Pee Wee, Bantam and Midgets. Please help out by submitting your application by May 30 to: COACHING CO-ORDINATOR CASTLEGAR MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION P.0. BOX 3264 CASTLEGAR, B.C. VIN 3H5 Application forms at the Rec. Centre Castlegar Aquanauts ae aa License No. 770019 Fausne"s 8TH ANNUAL GIANT BINGO! SATURDAY, MAY 30 Castlegar Complex Arena Floor LAST GIANT BINGO WE PAID 3-51000 jackpots $1000 BONANZA 3-*400 Express costs —— EARLY BIRDS $20 ¢. uP BOOKLET $100 REG. GAMES $ Peeiere hege $7,500 TOTAL PAYOUT so2 AusSEsnv eros TIME- 6:00PM, |* SO REE.