aos PVPS SS PINION wily, The Casti gar Sun ATS PUBLISHER JON JARRETT SHARLENE IMHOFF CATHERINE ROSS EDITOR ADVERTISING REP MARGE LALONDE NICOLE BEETSTRA CIRCULATION MANAGER PRODUC TIONOFFICE LINDA ANDERSON PRODUC TION MANAGER, CHRISTINE MOYER ART DIRECTOR MELODY SEMENOFF ADVERTISING REP. Direct Department Phones General Office -365-5266 Circulation 365-5266 Classified Ads --365-7848 DONNA JORY ADVERTISING MANAGER JASON KEENAN SPORTS EDITOR JOHN VAN PUTTEN REPORTER tj a MEE alo eae Wednesday, September 16, 1992 The Castlegar Sun Letters to the Editor B.C.'s economic health de Dear Editor: Where is all the highways money going? Not into highways construction based on new information we've just obtained from the Ministry of Transporta- tion and Highways. istry tell us that only $83.4 mil- lion of that will be spent on actu- al capital construction Where's the rest going? To administration, native land settle- ments, policy and research initia- lives, inventory systems, and all talk about fiscal restraint Apparently such restraint doesn't apply internally in government At atime when domestic vehi- cle"registration, tourist traffic and the movement of goods on our highways are all increasing, how People waiting for imp . ments to the Warfield Hill near Trail may want to ask their MLAs and the Cabinet why? Last March, in the budget, Finance Minister Clark slashed money for capital works to improve the provincial highways network to less than half what it was a year earlier. The provision fos-Capital works, he said, is $181.4 million. Now in response nr ing. While of road builders are unemployed and hundreds $f Costly road building machines sit idle, the government maintains and, in fact, increases its spending on the ministry's payroll When we ask the provincial government, the Premier, Finance Minster Clark, Attorney-General Gabelmann, Transp ion and can gov justify investing only $83.4 million in actual capi- tal constriction of roads through- out this vast province? That's barely one-third of the $240 mil- lion the government expects to collect in motor vehicle licence and permit fees this fiscal year! And it’s just a little more than half the $125 million provided Highways Minister Charbonneau for hig) ys ministry ad trative salaries, one item in the pends on good roads the 9,000 employees of BC road builders are without jobs. Mil- lions of dollars worth of equip- ment sits idle while owners pay capital tax on it, We're ready to go to work but our ability to do sO competitively is in jeopardy because of this government's di graceful neglect of a vital pub! infrastructure Sure, as road builders we have a vested interest in highways expenditure. So does everyorte else in British Columbia because our economic health depends heavily on good roads. We've talked and written to the government They've responded but the responses Mofye letters this — unless there is a loud pub: lic outcry. I urge you and your readers to lend your voices to that out cry. Write, phone or fax your demands to your MLA, the Pre- mier and other members of Cabinet 1480 COLUMBIA AVE. CASTLBOAR, B.C. VIN 3K3 (04) 365-7616 Res 365-3253 John Pankiw, P. Eng. hairman to a request from the BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association, the highways min- leave no room for confidence that government will give good roads any higher priority next year than and others in Cabinet about sore- ly-needed improvements to the province's roads and bridge, they ministry's budget that do go up from last year. Right now, more than half of Display Advertising 365-2278 Newsroom ..365-5579 FAK eee cccsssccsneecsessnssneensusseeesee SO5-7762 ~ SNS Ss ~ DOWNTOWN SHELL nS editorial comment It’s about time! To all residents of the greater Castlegar area It's high- ume you took some interest in what happens in your com- munity. It's time for some progress, and action. Take the last referendum which involved paving of your | own city streets as an example-who would not want paved + streets ? Obviously Castlegarians did not! For that referendum only 22 per cent of the p of Aron \\ NDP has never understood GORDON WILSON The summer of '92 will soon be behind us, but unlike many other tourist destinations, British Cc voting age tumed out. What is wrong with this community? It's bad enough there was such a low turnout, but I find it hard to believe only 10 per cent of the citizens would support something as necessary as better paved roads. Is Castlegar too cheap to allow improvements to the area, where we all have to work and spend a majority of our time? When there is a city council meeting here, usually only k council and several of the area media are present. Only recently (since January), has there been any sort of active citizens group here that attends council meetings. However, CURB (Coalition Unaccepting Rash Bureaucracy), has only a few visibly active members? Where is the rest of you. Do residents not care what hap- pens to their money? Is there any interest out there in what the city council is doing with taxes’ I am a recent addition to the area, but I find it hard to believe that people, who have been here longer than myself, do not, or are not willing to put any heart or soul into issues that will affect us all. I come from am area with concerned citizens. When something affecting a great number of people comes into the foreground, there is such a public tumout at city council meetings there is standing room only. When was the last time the doors at a Castle gar City Council meeting had to be closed because they could not fit any more people in?From what I am told, the: last time this happened was in January That was almost 10 months ago. Now is your opportu- nity to Once again take part in a community issue. On October 17 there will be a referendum dealing with the construction of a new RCMP building. For the last couple of months, the RCMP building has been open to the public to allow residents a chance to actually see what the issue is really all about. If you lived in a house built for four, but lived with 16 other people, would you feel cramped? You can bet the RCMP do! One way or another, the RCMP in this community will get a new building—if Castlegar supports the referendum in October, the cost will be well considerably lower than if the federal government builds a new one in three years and hands us the bill. No questions asked. No input sought | Get involved. Participate in community issues. Help make a difference John Van Putten GENSRORFERINIGS THE FIRST FAST FoobD By Don Addis WU The Casti gar Sun = Ne AAS |S POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE Established November 28, 1990 Published by The Castlegar Sun Weekly on Wednesdays 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C. VIN 1G8 will not experience the same exodus of visitors usually associated with the end of summer. Our province is becoming a year- round tourist destination because »with our spectacular natural beau- ty, our exciting cities, quiet rural retreats and fascinating cultural mosaic we provide our visitors with an unforgettable experience However, in many ways tourism as a province-wide industry is an underutilized resource — an eco- nomic potential that could easily be realized through effective co- operation between government, business and the industry. As the second largest industry in British Columbia, tourism injects over $5.2 billion into our provin- cial economy, providing jobs for thousands of people across the province. In fact, more people work in tourism related industries in B.C. than in any other economic sector. Tourism is taking on a new importance in our economy, and with the current crisis in our resource sector, we may have to rely on tourism more and more to provide revenue and jobs. Critical to the future success of tourism is promotion. Half the tourists who criss-cross B.C. are from other parts of the province, and while overseas tourists who visit Our major centres may be very visible, they play a relatively small part in the overall picture. Thus, tourism should be promot ed more within British Columbia We also need to:target our second largest market: the neighboring jurisdictions of Alberta, Washing- ton and Oregon. It is an old axiom of marketing that to sustain, you promote your existing markets: you know where they are, you know how they work and by pro- moting, you should be able to increase your retums. Tourism investment should have a particular attraction to govern- ment because fer every dollar spent by government, the industry typically invests another dollar — a double retum on your I the importance of tourism that before you spend, you earn, and before you earn you invest Tourism marketing dollars are not expenditures, but rather invest- ments in this province’s economic future. The NDP has. never really understood the importance of tourism, or supported either man- agement or labor. Tourism is free enterprise at work; independent, competitive businesses, with many believe the NDP government made a serious tactical error when they gutted the Ministry of Tourism budget last spring. It is true there is a recession, and with a growing provincial debt, spending must be cut. But the con- ventional wisdom of business is not to gut your marketing budget when times are tough — don't cut off what remains of your market The government must understand small entrep 's and a largely self-supporting labor force; The Ministry of Tourism should be given higher prominence, and the government should assist the industry by working with business to strengthen familiar markets while developing new ones. We must aggressively promote our province, because in the myri- ad of tempting destinations, B.C. must continue to rise above the rest Politicians neglect fiscal survival JIM NEILSEN istries. Health, Education, Social Services still eat up most of the budget Finance Minister Glen Clark is not a whiz kid in B.C. fell further into debt by about half a billion dollars. The prospects for the fiscal year are not bright, perhaps a $2.1 billion deficit. Not good enough People in the province have little faith in the economy, the tax system, or future value of pen- sion plans. We are buying more booze and lottery tickets. We are spending less on merchandise, opting to pay off debts and save some money. It is not easy for any government to control costs in a society where many governments are elected because they promise to give more and more. It is not good enough for the NDP, while in Opposition, to chastise the Socreds for their finan- cial planning and then come up with a worse set The latest quarterly report says we of numbers themselves. Any solution? gure:-Same solution which has been before all governments in B.C. for years. You must cut costs in the Social Services Min- A house for all Typical Canadian children grow up ina family home with their own space, which can be solely their own bedroom or shared with sib- lings. Depending of social circum: stances, growing children’s spaces reflect their maturing interests and can be quite elaborate. By the time the child leaves the parental home, and faces the realities of costs their living space may again have to be shared, and their individual space may once again be restricted When two adults decide to form a lasting relationship, they move together, into a small unit or a small home. Very few newly weds own palatial homes. When the cou ple decide to have a family, theu needs change and more bedrooms are needed, so the family home becomes larger. As the process repeats, the fami ly home becomes too much space for two adults. “Empty Nesters for a variety of reasons. come to view the family home as too large for their changing needs and look for smaller living accommodations Whether that smaller home 1s an apartment, a condominium, a townhouse or a separate house depends on individual tastes and choices. The story of the average Canadian family home is one of 2 POL RRP PP increasing their spending well ahead of the rate of inflatiOn, population growth and other indexes used to chart our fiscal progress. It is impossible to lure the votes with promises of limitless spending while pretending you will keep taxes low and actually present an honest, practical financial plan. Politicians are not yet ready to honestly identify the problems facing us with respect to the universal social program we all love to cuddle up with. Our most sacred of all cows, Medicare, is in some trouble because we in Canada and in most provinces are running out of revenue. If the feder- al government didn’t owe billions and billions and we Canadians did not change, flexibility, and different needs and desires. Unlike the gen- erations before us, most of us will not die in the same house to which we came as infants. Few of us would choose to spend all our adult lives in our par- ents’ home, nor do we, though the “Generation Xers” are increasingly more reluctant to leave. The desire tor a home of your own is very strong, a part of the Canadian psy- che. At the point when we pur chase a larger family home, we do know that, one day, it will become redundant, too large, too many rooms to clean and too much to maintain. There are individuals who spend their entire lives caring for a house We used to all them “housewives as if they were marned to a house! I have always disliked the word housewife”, and especially when I realized that I did not want to be married to a house, much prefer- money to service the debts in Ottawa and provin- cial capitals, there would be adequate funds to ensure Medicare and other programs survive. So, perhaps, it is a catch-22 situation. No politician, in a position to do anything about any- thing, is prepared to be honest enough with the seasons Pe Pe Be BP OHO nbs F and these ministries are power have to pay out tons of voters to say it like it is for fear they may not be elected. When it comes down to the real meat of the issue citizens are always regarded as voters by those in offic Voters will buy security, even if it is a lie Now we know Mr. Clark is not a magician as he portrayed when the opposition critic, and no one should be shocked. The last balanced budget in B.C. was more than a decade ago when we had a good government in Victoria, but times have changed. It is acceptable to be in debt up to your earpits, as Don Phillips used to compare different degrees of depth. The thought of responsible fis- cal management is_a ghost from Christmas past. To me the most important statement made by the quarterly report is the fact the Socreds of Rita or the NDPers of Mike had nor have a greater degree of skill than the other when it comes to raising money or spending it. It is a matter of political survival and being elected and then re- elected is more important than the fiscal survival of our province. and seeking office. Voters have take away your power. Voters ring the friendlier, blooded alternative Once you have placed a house in the proper perspective, your life can open up to encomp: all the other things you can do with your time and energy, rather than cope with the millstone of a large house, which is, after all, simply more concrete and timber and plastic. It gives you absolutely nothing back! Having realized the tyranny of a house, many people, especially as they mature, are happy to trade the time and energy previously spent on a house, on things that are far more important, like time spent with grandchildren or on recreational exercise voluntcerism and golf! Ask any active mature woman where she would rather be, at home cleaning the bathtub or out on the golf course or tennis court. You all know the answer to that! If this is true, why are we, then, so reluctant to part with the monster family home? In Castlegar and surrounding more warm- areas we have very few chowes Well, we could sell the house and move away, to the Okanagan or Vancouver Island, or south. But why should we leave our commu: nity. our family and friends? If we moved to Arizona, providing that the Free Trade Act results in our J. ee ability to live there twelve months of the year, how often would we see our grandchildren? At Christ- mas only, when they come to visit? No, there have to be better alterna- tives The Seniors Action Committee will begin in October to survey seniors and near seniors in our communities. We have a lack of affordable, accessible housing that is suited to adults. Before develop- ers build too many more inappro- priate dwellings, perhaps we could discover just what our options are. We know we don't want to be liv- ing three floors above the street without an clevator. We're tired of having to climb up on chairs to reach store arcas. We're fed up with coping with inadequate light- ing over work areas, such as kitchen counters, or inadequate storage for the few precious items we still have There are many more ideas about user friendly housing for adults that, put in place, would permit us to stay tm our smaller, compact yet Comfortable living Jong time. When the voluniver cally on you for your input, take a moment and fill out the survey form and let your ideas be know There in no such thing as a home for all seanons! Spaces fora tony Dear Editor: During Labour Day Weekend my family and I were full of enthusiasm as we watched the Labour Day Parade in the little town of Northport, Washington. Amidst a mixture of Ameri- cans and Canadians we were all oohing and ahhing over the vari- ous entries that paraded ‘before us. That is, until the Castlegar Royalty was driven in front of us in what not only I called an embarrassing display, but those all around us felt as well. Picture this: All other Royalty weré paraded in beautiful gowns atop gorgeous floats with their home town displayed prominent- ly on the float. Castlegar drifted by sitting in the back of a pickup truck, gowns not visible and only a sash reading their home town. I give the girls credit for smil- ing when I'm sure inside they were mortified. Maybe it was a blessing that there was nothing on the truck to- associate it with Castlegar. Hopefully some are still wondering where the Royal- ty was from, as an American truck had to be provided for them as well. It makes one wonder if the city only found out about the parade that morning. We were told that a truck or driver could not be found to haul our float. I wonder how hard an effort was Royal treatment an embarrassing display on Castlegar's behalf put into it. If it was made public I'm sure many Castlegar citizens would have come forth to pre- vent such an embarrassment As with many comments from both sides of the border this may have been one time when Castle- gar would have been better to have not been represented — One who thinks our Royal- ty deserves better Elaine Whitehead, Castlegar Coverage appreciated Dear Editor: On behalf of the Castlegar and District Heritage Society, I would like to thank Sharlene Imhoff of the Castlegar Sun for taking time in what must have been a very busy day last Satur- day, to drop in on our Fall Windup at the C.P. Rail Station Museum. We had nearly two hundred people enjoying the bake table offerings, a large number of which were baked by Leonard and Doreen Howe, our always generous supporters and mem- bers, as well as other tables on the station platform outside. The folk songs of well-known musi- cians Joe Irving and Skip Fraser added a festive note through the afternoon. Many toured the museum and took the opportunity to admire the hand-woven curtains made especially for the stationmaster’s quarters upstairs by the Selkirk Weavers and presented that morning. Stories of the days when the C.P. Rail Station was part of the fabric of downtown Castlegar were shared and videos ran through the day of the Castlegar Story by Lorraine Pazsty and The Minto and oth- ers. All in all it was a resound- ing success and we thank everyone who helped out Though our staff will reach the end of their contracts in mid- See HERITAGE SOCIETY 141A Ask for help if you need it On Labour Day weekend our Royalty went to Northport, Washington to represent Castle- gar in their Labour Day Parade, minus the float A driver couldn't be found and the float stayed in Castlegar. A truck was hastily set up with lawn chairs and the girls went past the crowd on their smiles only. We chose these.girls with "standing room only" crowds, to represent our city, and I feel that in those hundreds of people we could have come up with anoth- er driver or the alternative—a convertible Please Queen's Committee, let us know how we can help. I am sure the radio station would be happy to announce any needs you have Karen Hughs Castlegar Silver Rattle Antiques 301-11 Ave. Castlegar (in Tulips Building) 365-5191 Ke ALIFICATIONS planning, selection of staff management operations effectively within groups communication techniques ALSO RECOMMENDED. 8. Familiarity with the BC goals of the Festival TERM throug the Host Committee and are SALARY The salary provided by the DEADLINE FOR APPLIC AT Applications must be sent to Mrs. C. Blacklock, Co-Chair 1993 BC Festival of the Arts 1145 Cedar Ave Trail, B.C. VIR 4B8 POSTING: ) Applications are being accepted for the position of Host Community Festival Co-ordinator, a position for the Committee organizing to host the B.C Festival of the Arts to be held in Trail May 26-30, 1993. staff Applicants should provide a resume including a record of recent similar activities, indications of training and/or experience, and three references familiar with the applicants work in the context of this position. This position will be of interest to those who meet the following requirements. Training and/or successful experience in large scale event management Training and/or successful experience in office supervision including supervision of work plans. and time Familiarization with effective budget management procedures. Familiarization with computer based word processing and data base Superior human relations skills and the demonstrated ability to work Superior communication skills including familiarity with media 7 Acommitment to and understanding of community arts development Festival of the Arts including the philosophy and This is a term appointment beginning approximately Oct. 15/92 and lasting h to June 30/93 The hours are flexible as determined by the Chairman of byect to change intract wall be in the $25,000 range depending on experience and qualificatons to be paid in monthly installments ONS October 1, 1992 has EXPANDED To Better Serve You! 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