30 Castlegar News Update '9! Regional initiativ Provincial government initiatives, strongly supported by local gover- nments, regional interest groups and industry, are continuing to benefit the West Kootenay region. Three ministries — Regional and Economic Development, Tourism, and Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Culture — have joined forces in working with area residents to strengthen and diversify the regional economy. The Kootenay Tourism Develop- ment Opportunities Strategy is one example of a positive initiative. Strategy to the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Task Force led to the for- mation last fall of the group that has now become the Tourism Action Society in the Kootenays (TASK). ‘We will assist people to realize these projects that will attract tourists,"’ said TASK chairman Marc Marcolin, former mayor of Trail. He said TASK will advise on project possibilities and act as liaison with various government agencies to help regional projects get off the ground. “We'll also assist in a small way with financial help to make certain preliminary studies,” Marcolin said. He said TASK's role is that of facilitator TASK has now hired Maureen Gardner as tourism development coordinator to work with local Project teams on specific proposed projects. “She will be assisting people to get organized, adyising them where they might get funding and coordinating their activities,"* Marcolin said, TASK's first act was to tour the region to find out “more dbout the opportunities identified in the tourism Strategy. Out of those meetings emerged 17 projects covering a wide range of sites and subjects. One major project several communities and various heritage groups is a proposed heritage theme route which would link West Kootenay communities as visitors explore some of the area’s involving prime heritage sites. The possibility of establishing a c bi facility, es benefit West Kootenay area tee investigating the feasibility of such a centre. To back'wp these activities, TASK is with tourism opportunities strategy as a p new tourism draw, is also receiving much attention. “This is a project which could in- crease the number of visitors and keep them in the region longer,’ said Castlegar Mayor Audrey Moore. She said she’s pleased with TASK’s input and is looking forward to working with a local implementation commit- band to ex- pand the athount of local tourism data available to'tourism industry operators, as well as to local and regional agencies. And there are other initiatives. Regional task forces continue to work with the communities. regional Golf club WALL FLOWERS focuses on quality Personal and professional service is what members and visitors find at the Castlegar and District Golf Club, home of a challenging 18-hole course nestled in one of the West Kootenay’s most spectacular settings for golf. In their three years as owners of. the club, Brian and Myra Stevens have brought a high level of quality and cleanliness to the facility. Break- fast, lunch and dinner, full banquet facilities as well as full bar service are available at the club. The dining room now features an air conditioner to make dining a more pleasant and comfortable experience on Castlegar’s hot summer days. “All of the staff create a very warm and friendly working at- mosphere and know the customers by name,”’ Brian Stevens says. Stevens says he and his staff are always trying to get input into what the club can do to improve as it tries to develop a reputation’ for brighten up your home. Carol Oglow holds the roll while Tom Oglow points out an ign on wallpaper, one of many products Oglow’s Paint and Wallcoverings carries to Shaw Cable growing fast Shaw Cable, through growth and system acquisition, now serves more than 530,000 homes across Canada, making it the fourth largest cable operator in the country. Systems ad- ded recently include Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Vernon, Merritt, Cranbrook and Creston. Since the Canadian isi and T Commission approval of the West Kootenay expansion last October, Shaw Cable has been extremely busy. The engineeri: for this project .is nearly complete and crews should be ready to begin installing the necessary cable and equipment soon. Service is expected to in some areas as soon as July or August of this year. This project is unique in a number of ways, one of which is its sheer size. The service area has been ex- panded to include virtually every home between Nelson and Castlegar and as far up the Slocan Valley as Passmore. In total, Shaw Cable will be installing over 150 miles of mainline cables. Service will be Radio- quality and consistency. 1,300 provi to Yapp: rural homes. The technology being used here will include a state-of-the-art fibre- optic transmission system, the first such installation by a cable operator in the Interior of B.C, This technology, which Uses solid-state lasers to transmit TV signals over thin glass fibers, will eventually link up to Nelson. This fink will bring improved quality and increased channel selec- tions to Nelson subscribers in ad- dition to serving the rural area in between. The signals will be sent from Castlegar to the South Slocan junction over a single glass fiber, smaller than a human hair! Wyllie continued from page 25 upgraded to provide a more ac- cessible and efficient service, minimizing some of the delays which may have occurred in the past. It is hoped that fire protection will in fact be extended to the area above the Keenleyside dam and, moreover, the construction of the Ootischenia fire hall will be able to commence soon. Hopefully, the new fire hall in Ootischenia should be fully operational and ready to commence fire protection service mid-year. I am not suggesting that I believe that we are about to find solutions to everyone’s problems, but I do believe that there is a dedicated and ongoing effort to deliver local government services as requested by residents. These services must be provided in the most efficient and accessible level as possible. We must ensure, however, that the era of growth and prosperity which we now confront is undertaken in such a manner that may best safeguard the interest of our future generations. ay ) Oveqa a8 Beer and Wine Store Open Monday throughSaturday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Open Sunday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mel's Steak House Monday through Saturday: Lunch 11 to 2— Dinner 5 to9 Dinner Sundays 5p.m. to 9 p.m YOUR HOST: MEL SMELAND the new Vale \ale/ Vahey ro TT Tlititlivit voll SIT LLiitiiit Rotel pililitt trail b.c. 1399 Bay Avenue, Trail VIR 4A7 — Phone 368-8232 Fame Construction Ltd. GENERAL CONTRACTORS Mono and Paul Ferro © Commercial © Industrial Box 481, Trail, B.C. VIR 4L7 © Phone 368-3388 Fax 368-3357 37 YEARS Bob MacDonald, Syl Benedetti, Dispensing Opticians © Frames and Eye Care Products © Serengeti and Bolle Sunglasses Emergency Repairs Lenses manufactured on the premises by Certified Opticians “If your glasses aren't becoming to you, you should be coming to us!" TRAIL OPTICAL “Across from the Colander” 1490 Cedar Ave., Trail VIR 4C4 — Phone 364-2911 Rob Dunlap and Mary Hunter — 11 Years Famous for our Soft Crusty Buns * Cakes ore our specialty * Breod, baked fresh daily. Buy 9 loaves, get 10th Free! lection of tarts and squares and see our election! 1447 Bay Ave., Trail VIR 4A9 — Phone 364-1013 35 YEARS Neon and Plastic Signs Two on-staff artists for your personal lettering Truck lettering, banners, showcards etc. Computerized Lettering INTERIOR ADVERTISING LTD. 1205 Bay Avenue, Trail, B.C. VIR 4A5 368-6919 ROGER CATALANO Owner/manager Awards for any Budget ]BBONS —» SIGNS. « T-SHIRTS & HATS PRINTED * COMPUTERIZED ENGRAVING * GRAFIXMAKER DIGITIZER TROPHIES & ENGRAVING System 300 Computerized Engraver You will be pleased-with the range of items we can engrave: * Dials © Signage Trophies STAR GROCERY Pasquale and Gino Amantea “Largest Selection of Italian Foods in the Kootenays” Over 50 Different Varieties of Pasta Imported Meats and Cheeses Fresh Meat Cut the Way You Want It! Wine and Beer Suppli 50 Vai of Beer Kits Wide Variety of Fish “Large Selection of Portuguese Foods” 328 Rossland Ave., Trail, VIR 3M8 © Phone 364-1824 Aeune WE ARE A FULL SERVICE TRAVEL AGENCY Marion Bruggencale, Manager 1410 Bay Ave., Trail ¢ 368-5595 a 4 ” © Tags © Directories *® Plaques * Control Panels ¢ Arc Engraving ° Name Badges ¢ Nameplates Scales . Ld Items . © Metal Marking New to the Trail-Castlegar area... Sublimation! ag __ ILLUSTRATION OF ROSSLAND COURTHOUSE Sublimation be used os: Hats, Mylor, T-Shirts, Custom Metal Pleques, Sockets, Sweatshirts, Decals, Custom Clocks ‘ . 1897 Bay Ave., Trail, VIR 482 — Phone 364-2888 ¢ Fax 368-8788 ‘tn 1908 there were seven hotels at the foot of the hill from Kootenay Hotel, . them to the corner UNION HOTEL siS72RASS ‘Shoe, revs, oxen counma. invests LICENSED COFFEE “Bowery.” A number of who operated o Brewery the Boy View Hotel ‘ ictoria St., at Cedar Ave. The union of these two SHOP * DINING ROOM © PUBLIC HOUSE * BANQUET ROOMS * SAMPLE ROOMS # PARKING LOT * DD TELEPHONES »