CASTLEGAR NEWS, June 7, 1981

Vancouverites in housing lull

By Lealle Shepherd

VANCOUVER (CP) — The
never-ending rain has re-
placed skyrocketing housing
prices as the major topic of
cocktail chit-chat for Vancou-
verites this spring.

Housing prices, beyond the
reach of many first-time
house buyers last year, have
dampened along with the
weather.

Housing remains more ex-
pensive in Vancouver than
anywhere else in Canada, but
realtors say there's been a
softening or correction of the
1980 market in which houses
earned more an hour than did
most of their owners.

Frenzied buying increased
prices by more than $1,000 a
week. Before it was over,
average house prices in
Greater Vancouver had dou-
bled to $158,053,

Today, this has changed
due to a huge increase in the
number of houses for sale and
a decrease in the number of
buyers willing or able to pay
record mortgage interest
rates.

Maurice Butler, president
of the Real Estate Board of
Greater Vancouver, said sel-
lers have lowered their ex-
pectations — and their asking
prices — between five and 10
per cent since the beginning
of the year.

EXPECTATIONS SOFTEN

“People have been prob-
ably asking too high a price
and are coming into line,” he
said, “That isn't a softening
of the market, it’s a softening
of expectati ns of likely fa-
vors to come.”

Board figures showed
4,000 houses on the March
multiple listings sheets, dou-
ble the number for sale at
that time last year and al-
most four times the number
available at the height of the
boom last October.

Many listings represent
the swarms of people still
trying to cash in on the
equity built up on their
houses last year.

“I would suggest that as
high as 30 per cent of the
houses on the market are not
people being transferred;
they're people saying, ‘Hey,
if I can get $100,000, I'm
going to sell,’ * Butler said.

Herman Wiebe, vice-presi-

, dent of the real estate board,
said many Vancouverites are
selling so they can move
elsewhere in B.C., “find sim-
ilar accommodation for half
the price and invest their
money or have retirement
income.”

The increased listings
mean that buyers can shop
around and have more lev-
erage to bargain. Last year
they were lucky tosee two or
three houses in their price
range and bidding wars,
above the asking price were
common,

BUYERS SHOP AROUND

“I had an open house on
Sunday with about eight
people through,” Butlér said,
“and they were all merely
doing market comparison,
shopping around looking at a
dozen houses or more to see
what was the best value.

“This wasn't happening
until January of this year.
People were rushing in and
saying, ‘Quick, I've got to get
me a house.

Houses that would have
been snapped up within 24
hours last year now are stay-
ing on the market two and

Took 11 people
to contian

dental patient

BIRMINGHAM, ALA.
(AP) — Memphis was in no
shape to just grin and bear it.

“You can't get him in the
chair — that’s the problem,”
said Dr. Rogers McDaniel,
the dentist who removed the
abscessed tooth after the
five-year-old polar bear was
sedated,

‘The bear, on breeding loan
from Overton Park Zoo in —
appropriately — Memphis,
stands eight feet tall and
weighs about 650 pounds.

‘You're talking about an
animal that can do some ser-
ious damage if you don’t have
him contained,” said James
Peavy, assistant director of
the Birmingham Zoo. “Polar
bears are one of the few
animals that stalk and kill
people."

Zao employees used a blow
gun Lo give Memphis an ane-
sthetic, Eleven

three months,

“It's not uncominon to see
houses on the market for two
or three months and still not
selling, where before, pre-
February, I think it was pret-

y safe to say they were
selling within two weeks to a
month,” said George Oikawa,

vice-president of Cumberland
Realty Group. “Some were
selling the day they were
listed.”

Butler said many buyers
have been eliminated from
the market by high prices
and interest rates. Some
banks now insist customers

Amax says tailings
not polluting

VANCOUVER (CP) —
Amax of Canada Ltd. said
Friday independent test re-
sults support its claim that
tailings sumped into Alice
Arm from the Kitsault moly-
bdenum mining operation
have not polluted the water’
in the ocean inlet.

W.D. Lenton, Amax vice-
president and general man-
ager, said’ the tests com-
pleted Friday support what
Amax has been saying all
along.

’ “There is no difference be-

tween the natural stream
sediments into Alice Arm
and our sand tailing.

The test results show no
difference _in measurement
between Radium 226 con-
tained in natural stream
sediments and that in the
tailing said Lenton.

A. scientific panel, ap-

pointed by the federal gov-

ernment to review the Amax -

operation, has requested the
report,

The federal panel, headed
by Dr. JOhn McInerney,
chairman of the biology de-
partment at the University of
Victoria, concluded its public
hearings Wednesday in Van-
couver, and is preparing a
report to present to Federal
Fisheries Minister, Romeo
Leblanc, on or before July 1.

The Kitsault mine mill was
reopened June 8 following a
warning by LeBlanc that
federal standards for the dis-
charge of tailings must be
met, .

The operation had been
closed down for seven days at.
the urging of the minister
after a tailings plume was
found to extend into the arms
beyond a distance allowed in
federal regulations.

prove they could handle in-
terest payments well above
the prime rate of 20 per cent,
he said.

“If they’re looking at some-
one for a mortgage, they'll
say, ‘Well, let's see if they
ean qualify for a 22- or
23-per-cent mortgage. ~

“This'is a way of ensuring
that the people ~ if they
have to refinance a year
down the road — are ‘not
going to be embarrassed.”

Butler said many potential
buyers are waiting until fall
when they expect interest
rates to drop.

“This stops people, ob-
viously, from engaging now
in a $100,000 mortage at 20
per cent if they think that in
afew months it’s going to be
reduced by three points.”

However, Chet Starr, mar-
keting services manager for
AE. LePage Western Ltd.,
said people will continue to
buy houses even if the inter-
est rate continues ‘to climb.

“A lot of people are in the
market for a house, waiting
ta see what happens, and if
it’s not going to go down
right away, they still have to
make a move.

“If it starts to go up they
will go ahead and buy, think-
ing that this is an indication
that the rates. will be going
even higher yet.”

If rates slide, Starr pre-
dicts consumers will post-
pone their purchases because

Size 6 to 10
veeeereere ses PAIR

Scotch Buy

“they think if it’s going down
more, I don't want to buy at
this rate.”

SCOFFS AT NOTION

The notion that people buy
houses when interest rates
fall is an old wives' tale, said
Jerry Jackman, manager of
AE. LePage's suburban Co-
quitlam office.

He said that when interest.
rates fall, demand rises, fol-
lowed by prices. The price
increase more than offsets
any savings in interest.

Most tealtors say the cur-
rent slump is temporary and
that prices will rise again

when supply diminishes —.

not at 1980's hectic rate, but

about one or two percentage :'

points above inflation,

Oikawa said. Vancouver
house prices will always be
buoyed by the high cost of
land, Vancouver, unlike the
boom cities of Edmonton and
Calgary, has a finite supply of
land.

The city is bounded by

mountains to the north, the |

Pacific Ocean to the west, the
U.S. border to the south and
fertile agricultural land —

much of it in a reserve — to”

the east.

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CHECK AND COMPARE
THESE VALUES

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- CHICKEN |

“FROZEN
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ASSORTED
MUSHROOMS

- Taste Tells

x Whole x Sliced x Batten *
Save 20¢ Tia.
10 fi. oz. (284 ml) Tis.

CAMPBELL ’S
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INTHE CASTLEGAR STORE.

CANADA SAFEWAY LIMITED

SALES IN RETAIL QUANTITIES ONLY

q ietering:
i 738 ws si

> ‘The Vancouver | Foundation

has offered a $12,500 grant, °
but with the co: Aha

outa cura rathed upthe ae

. clety and that the renova-

tions aré completed ‘and: the”
equipment. bought by
18.

Society members
“themselves. as:.“very .con-
pet sbout bins able to.

eg i
that the money. will be avail:

able. They cannot wait longer ;
+ than that, because they esi

he. Castlegar,
raffle and a tug-of-war‘ are:

being: organized -by the’ soci:

”Sety. ‘for Sunfest:'61

ey raduaaie ali
dl 0's pi
the ‘Hobbit ‘Hill "Geatro: for

tre and nursery. school with

35 Cents -

catleaar élass:

Morgan. The” “Middl

panied’ by
rofessional

two-man band from southern Oregon on

spaces for 26 children is also.

run at.the centre.
> Funding to start the'centre*
in’ 1971 came from. federal

‘and: provincial . government
ts,

come has barely eaverod the the
day-to-day

operatin;
since then and the, 7 ara im: ©

provements have: been _con-
tributed to. the ‘community or
been on petd for.by fundraising.

equipment for its
special néeds' program. The

‘atid floors are'in-podr 7

carpets a1
condition after 10 years of
use, and the basement was
never designed to be used for
a children’s program.
* The special needs program
has never. been able to buy
the equipment and toys it
should have.
The child care society also
has applied for a $25,000 B.C.

Lotteries Fund t to fund -
oon - petition to move. the classes

a,major upgrading‘ of the
playground, but it has been
warned that’ its application
may be turned down, It was
told the fund is reluctant to:

Hobbit: ‘Hills yard include a

major landscaping effort, to
prevent a.recurrence of the
recent flooding in the build-

ing’s, downstairs .area,.and | -

upgrading ' the. playground:

- The play fort and the fence

around the-lot are rotting, -
and most of the playground
equipment is unsuitable for
the special needs. children.

Society members are‘ con-
fident. they..can. raise ‘ the
mioney needed for the ex-
terior renovations by sum-
mer of 1982 if their appli-
cation for a lottery Brant is
turned down.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Teach us, O God, tohavea
cheerful heart, because it
is a good madicine.

cation has decided to cut back
‘funding commitments to the

age the growth. of career. |

,Oriented programs.

Hardest ‘hit ‘has been uni--

versity’ transfer ‘courses in
outlying - communities of

‘and | Nakusp, “says ‘College -

Principal Leo Perra.

He says about 20 classes
have been cut from this falls

el ‘The el are
attended by ‘about 200. stu:

dents, half of them held:in ~
Trail... :

board < re-

quested money. from” the bus service between. Trail.

ministry: in its-.budget but
-there hasn't been enough to
go around, Perra' says.

He adds that there, will be:

little change to the rest of the
seollege courses, although ‘the

number of class sections may. °

have to be cut in some areas,

There will--also’ be new.’

‘activities added. to:the .cur-

‘was' sponsored. by’ the: Cast!
munity Arts Council. 0

cl legal
stenography arse, it the’
Trail

“"In addition, the college is:
investigating the idea of a’

and: Cestlegar- for Say: time

“students,

-Perra says the Nelsonto-.
Selkirk service would be re- ,

duced’ to-a morning. ‘and:

evening trip and a .Trail-to-
Selkirk trip would be estab-
lished, Tunning as frequent as
the. Nelson’ servi

Kindergarten move rejected»

Kind rgarten students ate
tending Valley Vista: School
will remain: there “despite a

to the new Kinnaird Elem-
entary School, the Castlegar’
Schoo! Board decided at its”
regular. meeting | Monday.
night it

Fox readhitied: fo

NEW: WESTMINISTER
(CP)!'\—Marathon ‘of Hope

‘runner. Terry Fox was re-

admitted to Royal Columbian
Hospital Friday“morning for
treatment of an infection, his,
doctor. said. i

-“Terry has. been | read-
mitted’ a for ‘treatment of an:
infection and re-evaluation of |
his ‘ condition,” Dr. Robert
Heffelfinger said in an inter-
vier.

“Terry .will be in hospital
for several days,” -Heffel-
finger said. “He is at present
off interferon, but. will -be
starting it again. His condi-
tion is not mych. different.”

The. board’ received & peti-

: tion-from 18. Parents of kin-
dergarten popils wanting the:
asia

morning and afternoon’

to be moved'to the new Kin.

naird Elementary School...

As well, a petition was Fy
ceived from 10 parents, and a’
letter. from one other,’ wish-

A hospital spokesman said
of. the 22-year-old. national
‘hero: “As previously, he re-
mains in serious but stable

_ condition.

Fox raised $24 million for

‘ing the classes to remain at
the. Valley’ Vista School,

" Superintendent of Schoola «te

John Holden said’ he had
spoken with Hazel Kirkwood
who teaches the two classes ,
and others involved and they
preferred the larger space at’.
Valley Vista to the cramped:
spot in the new school:

hospital -

cancer research when he
completed: 6,000 kilometres
of his attempted cross-Can-
ada Marathon of Hope run on
an artificial leg last Septeni-
ber.

Objections from the rural °.

area surrounding: Nakusp
have ‘led the: Regional Dis-
trict. of Central Kootenay to’
delay moving towards adopt-
ing its Arrow. Lake Fegional
Plan, Hey
The directors voted during,
the’ last‘ board meeting to°
leave the plan bylaw tabled,
after a delay was requested
‘by Francis Sadd, the director
Tepresenting Area | K (Upper
Arrow Lake). The bylaw had
been’ acheduled. led to receive
thd reading.
mmunity grou] fa Bur.
ton and Fauquier, the Area K
advisory ' planning~ ‘commis-
“sion, and a Nakusp resident
have written the RDCK ex-

regional

point out’ that ‘the plan's
recommendations. for the
east side:.of Lower Arrow
Lake. can carry little weight,
because the area lies inside
the boundaries of: the com-
pany’s tree farm licence.

The company wrote. it is
concerned” abouts recom-
mendation in the plan calling
” for formation ofa scenic cor-
ridor along the east side of.
the lake, because it could in-
terfere with future plans for
logging. «

The protests from ‘Area K
say.the plan will, placs too
many - restrictions on the
area, and it will Umit font:

Cominco opens special plant

TRAIL ( cP) — Cominco
Ltd. is ane C. achance to
compete in the high tech-
nology electronics industry,
Science Minister Pat MeGeer

‘said here Friday while open-

ing the company's ne 10
Mum arsenide plant. a

Cominco says the $1.2-mil-
lion plant will be one of only:
two in the world producing
gallium arsenide fomicon:
ductors,

‘The plant will use gallium

eir
‘ area because it would violate

‘special conditions attached to‘:

*Spokesmen ‘for “the ime

provement district, -- which

;: . permit
staked the: Pesticide. Control
Appeal’ Board. to: either
“amend the permit, so it will
state the spray

Although
inside the permit area;

‘Spec-
ial tems fing erlen| it‘ ares ent ‘to?
{permit enough

cannot, be ‘used on’

Togram can-
not . start” within 10 < kilo-:. has” no
metres of the. viewpoint on:

._ the Castlegar-Meadows Junc-

‘The board’
appeals ‘should be! banded
down within two weeks time,
Dr. Frank Hillier, the board

said, after.: the ,

chairman,
hearing was adjourned,

Allan Sheppard, a member -

of the Ootischenia -Improve-
ment District board of trus-

tees and Alex Cheveldave, :
sub-

the board, - chairman,
mitted a seven-page brief to
the hearing, ig against
the use of Tordon 22K in the
area.

They cited research show-
ing picloram, the active
chemical in’ Tordon, could
cause cancer, and a number.

“ of local conditions in Ootis-

Cominco’ smelting opera-
tions,

The metals are refined ia

chonia that would create
hazards if the chemical is

used:

Thoy also argued that the
chemical should be kept off
the right-of-way. for 10 kil-

Toaizletlons attached to
answat the. residents’ “con:

i Peder the
eau

th the rare
trict and Lang had submitted

ite inspections
himself, ihe fish and wild-

erament is reconsidering ple sa ih branch, and waste man-
loram to see if it is safe, and agement branch, he said.

the board should be cautious
in-allowing the use of the.
chemical until the tests are
completed, Cheveldave: said.

However Cheveldave. and
Sheppard were not’ reas:

Cheveldave ‘said after’ the.

Sheppard's summary " hearing, he believes the min-
stressed. thi ntial

dan- istry, of highways represen-.
“'tatives only learned. about

vironmental quality are pri-

‘orities is in his mind, and re-

search indicates picloram can
cause cancer, he told the

ie
board. He sald that while the

plocal conditions in: Ootisch-

enia when’ they. heard « ithe,

evidence in the hearing, and

the area would’ have -been’:
2aprayed ifthe appeal waa not