a2 Castlegar News June 8, 1988 uwaitis bid for Consolidated By ALLAN SWIFT Canadian Press A Kuwait government agency has made an offer for a stake in. Consolidated-Bathurst Inc., the Montreal based pulp and paper company that is one of three partners in Celgar Pulp Co. which operates the Celgar pulp mill. minority positions in companies — low enough to avoid disclosure rules in the countries where it invest: Few details of Kuwait investments in Canada are available, It's known that it holds five per cent of Gordon Investment Corp., which owns half of Gordon Capital corr: . the dealer managers who organized the offer for The offer of 10.3 per cent for Consoli shares worth $200 million is believed to be the largest single investment in Canada by the Kuwait Investment it shares. Kuwait has put $17. 8 million in a private placement of treasury shares fa CEL Industries Ltd., the based b Office. It's a drop in the bucket for the i arm of the government of oil-rich Kuwait. Published reports have put the Kuwait govern- ment's worldwide investments at around $100 billion us. Vancouver It also has under 10 per ‘ont of Horsham Corp., parent of gold producer American Barrick Resources Corp. of Toronto, and 30 per cent of Highmont Mining Co., a copper producer in British Columbia, half-owned In other the Kuwait I Office caused an uncharacteristic stir last year when it paid $5 billion for 22 per cent of British Petroleum Co. Last month, British authorities announced an investigation to determine whether the investment harms the public interest, The Bathurst deal was an arrangement with Power Corp of Canada, which controls ted-Bathurst with its 4 per cent ownership of the stock of the large pulp, paper and packaging company. Power has set up a five-year voting trust agree- ment with Kuwait provided Kuwait gets the 10.5 million shares it has offered to buy for $19 each. Power president Frank Knowles said the Kuwaitis sought out Power and made an arrangement with its “They look on Power as a reputable organization which knows the Canadian market,” Knowles said in an interview Tuesday. The agreement would give the Kuwait Investment Office the right to nominate two members to the 18-member Consolidated-Bathurst board, but Knowles said he didn't know if it would exercise the right. “They are passive shareholders, they don't attempt to become actively engaged in the running of the business.” Canada Bill said the federal agency hasn't reviewed any purchases by the Kuwait Investment Office. Consolidated-Bathurst earned $214 million last year from seven pulp and paper mills in Canada and one The Kuwait Investment Offi-e tends to take Acid spill charges laid By CasNews Staff Castlegar RCMP have laid charges against a 59-year-old Langley truck driver in connection with an accident April 3 in which 3,700 litres of sul- phuric acid spilled onto Colymbia Avenue at the intersection of High- way.3. Svend Jensen has been charged with driving a vehicle with defective brakes, driving too fast for road conditions, and driving an unsafe motor carrier. The accident occurred when the trailer Jensen was pulling behind his transport truck flipped on its side while he was attempting to turn from Columbia Avenue onto the Highway 3 westbound access road. The trailer split open, spilling acid onto the roadway. The spill was con tained by quick action by the Castlegar Volunteer Fire Depart- ment, the RCMP and the Ministry of Highways. Kootenay choir at UN By CasNews Staff The Kootenay Youth Choir re- ceived a warm reception when it sang at the Canadian United Nations mission in New York Tuesday. Peter Samoyloff told the Castlegar News in a telephone interview from New York that the audience included Canadian ambassador Stephen Lewis, disarmament ambassador Douglas Roche, Vancouver Mayor Gordon Campbell and several Con- servative members of Parliament. “Our students sang a couple of hymns,” said Samoyloff, adding that it was “very exciting.” The 48-member choir is in New York as part of the UN's Third Special Session on World Disarma ment and Development. -Samoyloff said the choir's day started at 8:30 a.m. “in the shadow of the UN building” with a prayer session The Canadian UN mission hosted the students and the 15 parents who are travelling with the choir at a luncheon. At that time Lt. Col. Alex Morrison gave the choir a rundown of Canada’s position of nuclear disar. mament. Patsy Popoff, chairman of the parent group, called the visit to New York “very frightening.” “It's such a huge place,” she told the Castlegar News. The choir and parents toured the UN building before taking in a New York Yankees’ baseball game Tues day night. The choir will be in New York until Sunday. It left Castlegar last Sun- day, arriving in New York on Monday. Lottery tickets increase KAMLOOPS (CP) — Although it instituted.more games and higher jackpots, the British Columbia Lot- tery Corp. saw its sales increase a modest 5.3 per cent during the 1987-88 fiscal year. In a report that will be submitted to the provincial government next month, the Kamloops-based corpor. ation reported sales of $469.6 million, an increase of $24.7 million over 1986-87. The lottery corporation paid out more than $216 million in prize money. by Teck Corp. HOOKED UP. . - An RCMP officer looks on as one of two vehicles involved in an accident Sunday chairman, Paul Desmarais. Bae gets towed away. Four people were injured in the accident and two remain in the hospital. Cosews photo Crash victims recover in Trail hospital By CasNews Staff A 71-year-old Trail man and his wife are in satisfactory condition in Trail Regional Hospital following a spectacular two-car head-on crash Sunday afternoon on Columbia Aven: ue near Kinnaird Hall. Reggie Rapley and his wife, whose name was not released, were taken to Castlegar and District Hospital and then transferred to Trail Hos. pital, where they are in the intensive care unit. The accident occurred in the middle of Sunfest weekend and traffic on Columbia Avenue was de- layed for some time. Castlegar RCMP say Rapley was driving his 1987 Dofge Aries on Columbia Avenue about 1:45 p.m. Sunday when it “was found to be on the wrong side of the highway” and was hit head-on by a vehicle driven by Glen Ambrosio, 19, of Castipgar. Ambrosio and an uniderfified SUSPECTS NABBED female passenger suffered cuts, bruises and abrasions. RCMP say the injuries were “mostly due” to not wearing seatbelts. Police also say loose, homemade speaker boxes on the rear seat may have contributed to the injuries. Ambrosio's 1973 Nova sustained $3,000 damage, while damage to Rapley’s car totalled $4,000. RCMP say charges are pending against Rapley. The police investigation con- tinues. Drug shipment found VANCOUVER (CP) — In a plot right out of The French Connection, high-grade heroin worth millions was seized by customs agents in-British Columbia and suspects were nabbed by police in Ontario and Quebec. Four people were arrested in Windsor, Ont., and three more in Montreal after officers followed a shipment of heroin in much the same way they did in the best-selling book which became a popular movie. Customs agents in V: be. Langley said the smugglers had drilled holes inside the granite rocks, stuffed them with heroin and re- sealed the boulders. The rocks were coated with a dirt and sand mixture with a green tinge to make them look like jade. ~“It was a very good job,” said Langley. The RCMP removed most of the heroin and replaced it with a powder resembling the drug. In The French Cc came suspicious over the paperwork involved in a Bangkok, Thailand, shipment listed as jade rocks and bound for Montreal, said Terry Langley, director of intelligence for Canada Customs. It turned out that the jade was fake but the shipment also carried 20.5 kilograms of 87-per-cent pure heroin police said was being im- ported by organized crime and is worth $190 million on the street. “A check with the customs com. puterized data base indicated that an intelligence file already existed in Montreal on the suspect importer,” Langley said. He said the bonded shipment of rocks, packed in five wooden crates and weighing 420 kilograms, was taken to Vancouver International Airport and X-rayed. CAVITY FOUND “The X-ray sereen clearly indi cated a cavity in one of the 17 rocks and customs officers therefore de- cided to examine the shipment,” he said. “When they broke one of the rocks, they discovered the heroin.” police acache of heroin inside the door panel of a luxury car and followed the vehicle to the scene of a major drug deal. That heroin also had an international route as it was bound for New York from Marseilles. In The Canadian Connection, the RCMP followed the shipment to Montreal and waited for the owner to claim the rocks last Thursday. The path eventually led to the Windsor area where the arrests were made. “This is the biggest heroin ship- ment ever seized in Western Can. ada,” said RCMP Staff Sgt. Smokey Stovern. “It is of national importance in view of our war on drugs. It repre sents a tremendous amount of heroin in any man's language anywhere in the world.” TRIO CHARGED John Laudicina, 42, of Sandwich South Township near Windsor, Jo- seph Guaragna, 23, and Antonio Zambito, 46, both of Montreal, appeared in Ontario provincial court Tuesday and were charged with po- ssession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. The charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. All three are being held for a bail hearing later this week. The two Montreal men will be returned to their home city where they face additional charges, said Supt. Marcel Huot of the RCMP drug squad in Montreal. The arrests were made during a raid Monday night at a home about 20 kilometres east of Windsor. The shipment was intercepted by Canada Customs officers May 9 after it was trucked across the U.S.-Canada border from Seattle, police said. Langley said the phoney jade rocks were a first for local customs in- spectors, “We've never really come into contact with this type of concealment before. The majority of our exper- ience in the past has dealt with false-sided suitcases and body packs for heroin.” He also said a crackdown on drugs in the United States is diverting shipments to Canada and Vancouver is a prime port of entry because of its proximity to Southeast asia where many of the drugs originate. The latest seizure was the third largest in Canadian history. The two largest occurred in Montreal — 60 kilos in, 1972 and 382 kilos. in 1986. “To make such an importation, you have to have financial backing,” Huot said when asked about the involve- ment of organized crime in the latest seizure. “You can make your own presumption.” in Britain. Paper baron looks after his business. TORONTO (CP) — Hollinger chairman Conrad Black says he doesn't want his newspapers to deteriorate the way others have — including some in the Thomson chain. Black said Tuesday it is a fair as- sumption that some small- and medium-sized newspapers in the United States where circulation has declined — have either been “gassed” because of their local dominance or the parent company has “just put it to their market a little bit too severely.” “I'm not critical of that,” he told reporters after the company’s annual meeting. “Thomson (Newspapers) has done that in some places. It's their call. That's what they want to do.” Hollinger owns the Nelson Daily News and The Trail Daily Times. Thomson Newspapers Ltd. direct- ly and indirectly owns 137 daily newspapers in Canada and the United States. It also owns 10 weeklies, and several other papers of various frequencies, mostly in small- er cities and towns. The company has 1987 net income of $230.7 million on revenues of $1.1 billion. Black, an ardent admirer of Thom- son's performance as a profitable newspaper giant, said the actions caused some papers to decline. “They know what they're doing and they may feel they can rebuild later and meanwhile the earnings they've gained doing it, they've re- applied,” said Black, Hollinger’s lar- gest single shareholder with a 48.7 per cent interest. “['m not questioning their strat egy. I'm just saying that sort of thing (Hollinger) we can't get into.” Peter Bogart, vice-president of finance for Thomson Newspapers, would not comment on Black's re- marks and said other company offi- cials would be unavailable Tuesday night. However, company chairman Ken Thomson said last month the chain has been spending to improve the papers, particularly in the editorial department. “We don't do any talking about this and that's maybe a weakness of our company,” he said after the com- pany’s annual meeting. “We let everybody else slam us — unfairly, we think — and yet we do spend the money. And we are prom- oting and we are getting our cir- culation up.” Hollinger has been concentrating on newspapers, having sold most of its interests in oil, mining, farm machinery and food in recent years. The Toronto-based firm now owns 146 newspapers, including 58 dailies, in Canada, the United States and Britain. Its flagship is the Daily Telegraph in London. OUTLINES POLICY Black spoke to reporters aftér telling shareholders that “unlike some other companies in’ this field, we will neither strangle our fran- chises through excessive exploitation or tolerate prolonged financial under- performance.” But Black, asked by a reporter to explain that statement, said: “If you look at certain smaller and medium-sized newspapers in towns in the United States where cir- culation has declined quite drasti- cally in the last 10 or 15 years, it is a fair assumption that either they've been gassed . . . or they've just put it to their market a little bit too severely. CELGAR continued from front poge right here, then they would like to expand.” Rogers said the cost would be in the range of $300 to $400 million, but he stressed that there was no firm commitment to an expansion. As well, Rogers said even if there is an expansion, it may not be located in Castlegar. “There wasn’t a commitment that it definitely would be here,” he cau tioned. MacBain added that while they discussed possible expansion, “I didn't get a positive on the exp. ansion”. SUNFEST continued from front poge Tracy Carr and Deanne Rourke. The names of second place winners are unavailable. Just up the road, Kinsmen Park featured entertainment for kids with the Esso Science World, the 16th annual Frog Jumping Championship, and the Kids’ Olympics. The science show delighted youngsters with the wonders of science and featured among other things a $50 bill being set on fire and a bed of nails act. David Pereversoff received a mountain bike for his first-place entry in ghe 16th Annual Can. adian Frog Jumping Champion- ship. “Freddie,” a Florida Keys frog, hopped’ 1.52 metres. Cory Meridith’s frog “Hoppi” was runner-up with 1.45-metre jump, and Greg Hiebert's Loui- sianna Swamps champion, “Bambi” placed third with a 1.36-metre leap. Liz Avila placed first in the adult division with her cham pion, “Alf” jumping 1.48 metres. Gordon Turner came in a close second with his “Boom Boom” finishing at 1.47 metres. A Rotary exchange student won the boomerang contest at Kinnaird Junior secondary school. Johanna Makelin beat out the other two finalists. Shawn Horcoff placed first in the under 12 division and Bert Rourke placed first in the adult competition. They each won a boomerang for their efforts. The winners were judged on audi- ence reaction from the almost 200 spectators. The sheep-to-shawl, in which weavers took wool which was sheered from live sheep and competed in ‘spinning and wea- ving, was another popular event. The Lttle Bo Peep team from the Selkirk Weavers and Spinners Guild placed first. Ba Ba Black Sheep from the Selkirk Weavers and Spinners placed second and a group of Kimberley Weavers placed third. Meanwhile, the West Kooten- ay Sailboat Club gave free sail- boat rides on the Arrow Lakes to anyone who showed up at the Open Cockpit and Sailboat Rides. The Slo-pitch tournament was a big success with 29 teams from the Kootenays competing. Mountain Brew, the canine beer commercials, was honored by the Town of Creston recently for his contribution to the community's profile. Castlégar News TREET TALK SOMEBODY PULLED the plug on the Kootenay Broadcasting System. The KBS gang rented a houseboat for the first annual drag boat races Saturday afternoon and moored it on the Columbia River opposite the Robson wharf. The T: based radio station reported on the racing activities, but when it came time to call it a day and return the houseboat, they found it had been left high and dry on the river's bank. And there is still sits. Apparently somebody at the Keenleyside Dam reduced the water flow through the gates, lowering the river level. The lower water level also created ~havoe with the racers trying to launch their boats from the Robson wharf. IF YOUR apples look a little pale come fall, blame the weather and the bees. Heavy rainfall and low temperatures last month have left fruit trees bedraggled, apples colorless and bees battened down in their hives. The trees are blooming despite the rain, but a bee expert says the blooms are not getting the attention they need from bees, which are critical to the process of pollination. Mark Winston, a bee expert from Simon Fraser University, said that bees are cold-blooded and unable to warm to sufficient temperatures to fly in cold weather. Bees can't get going in good flight unless temperatures are over 16 C and won't fly at all if the temperature is under 12 C, says the biology professor. A FORMER Notre Dame University alumnus returns to Nelson later this month to star in George Ryga’s One More for the Road. Dick Clements was awarded the NDU Drama Award in 1971 for his performance as Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. A former president of the NDU Student Drama LEAPIN' LIZARDS... Castlegar News reporter Brendan Nagle gives the CasNews/CKQR media frog a few words of encouragement (“When | say, ‘JUMP. you say, ‘How high? during the annual frog jumping championships Sunday afternoon at Kinsmen Park. The media frog turned ina disappointing pertor- mance, placing well back in the large field of entries. Liz Avila captured top spot in the adult category. CosNewsPhoto Creston Mayor Lela Irvine presented Brew with the key to the town. Kokanee is a product of the Columbia Brewing Co. of Creston f DICK CLEMENTS . back in Nelson Club, Clements has appeared in lead and support roles in The Beachcomber and other CBC-TV Productions between 1972 and 1983, including Gold and Mountain Fever, for which he was d for STEAK BEEF BLADE. . CANADA GRA\ A.,.°35°/ Ib. $159 CROSS RIB saa CANADA’ CANADA GRADE a 6), 92 29/6 GROUND BEEF sooceckg $493/y, $919 STEAKS PORK BUTT GOVERNMENT INSPECTED . ae bed PORK CUTLETS,..., $919 PORK RIBLETS..... 89° FLETCHERS. BUDGET. ..... 2 kg. $5 95/0) DINNER HAMS 9299 MAPLE LEAF REGULAR OR ALL BEEF .. CRYOVAC H NALVE - 4506. CHILDREN OF ALL AGES... ENTER OUR MAPLE LEAF COLORING CONTEST AND WIN 1 Or 3 BIG STICK SWEAT SHIRTS $ DAD! BACO MAPLE LEAF SLICED. ASSORTED FLAVORS. — FRESH FRYING ca — BREASTS gus. $99 $4.39/kg. ib FRYING CHICKEN $3.95 /kg. Ib. THIGHS $479) scx WINGS $449 Drumsticks rang 3] 59 FRYING CHICKEN $3.28 /kg. Ib. — CENTRAL DELI DELITES — BEEF SALAMI oven ouuer. an ACTRA award. Among the songs that appear in the One More for the Road is Lovin’ You, composed by Luigi Del Puppo and Tina Tschumlovich of Nelson. The show makes five stops in the West Kootenay, beginning June 14 in Edgewood. ROSSLAND native Nancy Greene Raine has been selected an “ambassador of tourism” for 1988. Raine is one of three well-known British Columbians honored for their “untiring work” in promoting tourism and travel industries in B.C. Nanaimo Mayor Frank Ney, who founded the Nanaimo-Vancouver bathtub race, and Karl Schutz, who inspired the murals at Chemainus, were also selected as tourism ambassadors. The ambassadors are selected annually from nominations made by the industry and are chosen for activities which have distinguished B.C. as a tourist destination. 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