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recruit

Dougles Forrest of
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top in his course at the
Canadion Forces Recruit

Castlégar News

SUNDAY —

VOL. 39, No. 66

CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 1986

2 Sections (A & 8)

3

KEEPING COOL . . others Fernando (right) and
Hilberto Amaral didn't seem to mind getting wet
during warm weather Saturday. The two were taking

GOOD NEWS XPECTED
ander Zalm to

visit Castlegar

By CHERYL CALDERBANK
Staff Writer

Premier Bill Vander Zalm is planning
to visit the West Kootenay during the

B.C.

Trail Mayor Chuck Lakes expects
that while in the smelter city, Vander
Zalm will make an announcement on
Cominco's application for assistance
with lead modernization.

a break from washing cors at o cor wash to raise funds
for Castlegar Stars soccer team.

Costtews Photo by Chery! Coiderbonk

CABINET
GETS WARM
RECEPTION

By RON NORMAN
and CHERYL CALDERBANK

Premier Bill Vander Zalm’ cabinet appointments —
especially Jack Davis as Minister of Energy, Mines and
Petroleum Resources — have been warmly received by
West Kootenay politicians.

“['m encouraged by new people coming in,” said
Chris D'Arcy, Rossland-Trail MLA and NDP energy
critic.

D'Arcy says Davis could be important to the West
Kootenay because he supports taxing B.C. Hydro.

Under a 1968 provincial order-in-council, Hydro's
dams along the Columbia and Peace rivers have been
exempt from taxation.

“If he hasn't changed his mind over the last nine
years I hope this longstanding injustice will be rectified,”
D'Arcy said

George Cady, chairman of the Regional District of
Central Kootenay board, agreed

“T'm really delighted,” Cady said of Davis's appoint

ment.

Cady recalled comments by Davis where he said he
sees no reason why Hydro shouldn't pay taxes “like any
other corporation.”

Earlier this year the RDCK launched a lawsuit
against Hydro and the province in a bid to force the
Crown corporation to begin paying taxes.

Meanwhile, D'Arcy has wasted little time in writing
to Davis, asking the new minister to consider installing
generators in the Keenleyside dam

Davis only this week said he opposes building the
Site C dam unless there is an “exceptional export
market.” And D’Arey's hoping that will open the door for
Keenleyside

In his letter to Davis, D'Arcy points out, “This
summer and every year enormous quantities of water are
spilled from the Keenleyside dam at the foot of the Arrow
Lakes. Please give urgent consideration to the immediate
construction of a power house and generators to tap this
wasted bonanza.” é

D'Arcy notes that the dam itself is already in place

and is close to the border, so transmission losses would be
minimal.

“No environmental damage would ensue. Unit cost of
Keenleyside power is competitive with known alter
natives,” D'Arcy adds.

Elsewhere, D'Arcy says he sees two other cabinet
changes that “can be very important to us here -

One involves Rita Johnson as minister responsible
for transit. D'Arcy says that despite repeated requests
for a bus, Castlegar’s transit system is still not in place.

“[m hoping Mrs. Johnston . . - is going to do
something.” he said.

D'Arcy said Castlegar has had promises for too long
and residents now are looking for action.

The other change he sees as beneficial is in Vander
Zalm taking on the finance portfolio.

D'Arcy said he is looking for Vander Zalm to make
some “positive changes” regarding front-end taxes that
have hurt the B.C. economy — especially in the West
Kootenay mining industry.

“| think that will be good for our lead smelter
modernization in Trail,” he said.

D'Arcy also said he is “quietly hopeful” about Tony
Burmmet's appointment as education minister.

“The only way is up,” D'Arcy quipped.

While pointing out that Brummet is a former school
principal, D'Arcy added, “He's also a fairly forceful guy
he's certainly no wimp.”

D'Arcy welcomed Jack Kempf as the new Forests
Minister, saying he was concerned that former forests
minister Jack Heinrich was leaning in favor of reducing
the Westar Timber’s allowable cut in Tree Farm License
No. 28.

“T'm hopeful Jack Kempf . . . is going to understand
the importance of guaranteeing a sawlog supply for the
mill in Castlegar,” D'Arcy said.

Cady was also pleased with Kempf's appointment,
pointing out that Kempf has pledged to review the bids
for the 310,000-cubic-metre timber supply that once
belonged to Westar’s Kootenay Forest Products mill in
Nelson.

Cady said the bids had been sitting on Heinrichs
desk for months awaiting a decision.

Castlegar Mayor Audrey Moore called the new
cabinet “interesting.”

“It's interesting to see some old hands still in
cabinet,” she said.

Moore also said she thought it interesting that
Vander Zalm has decided to take on the key finance
portfolio himself.

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agenda of a

As well, Lakes said when Vander
Zalm was in Trail during the Social
Credit leadership campaign in July the

do it in person.

But Melville wouldn't confirm that
Vander Zalm will be making en
announcement regarding Cominco.

“You'll have to wait until he \gets
there,” Melville said.

Melville added that when Vander
Zalm was elected at the Social Credit
leadership convention he said he
wanted to “get out and visit regions (of
the province).”

“This is the first of fulfilling that
commitment,” Melville said.

An itinerary for Vander Zalm is
being put together but hasn't been
completed yet, Melville said. Plans are
for Vander Zalm to visit the area “for a
couple of days” beginning Aug. 25, he
added.

BILL VANDER ZALM

Melville said Vander Zalm will also
meet with Castlegar council. However,
he noted that Nelson will not be
ineluded in Vander Zalm's itinerary.
The premier will also visit Cranbrook
and Kimberley in the East Kootenay.

50 fires still burning

By CasNews Staff
and News Services

Fires caused by a bout of lightning
last weekend were still being detected
later in the week in the Arrow Forest
District.

Ted Evans, fire information officer
and district planner, said the weekend
lightning was the cause of about 40
fires in the district.

He said until last weekend the
district had recorded only 45 fires so
far this year. That total has now
jumped to 96. But that’s still a far cry
from the 231 fires recorded at the same
time last year.

The Forest Service has a total of 31
men actively fighting fires. This in
cludes both hired firefighters and
Forest Service personnel.

‘There are 50 fires still burning in the
district, but Evans explained that this
doesn't mean that all of them are being
actively fought. Some of them are
being monitored to ensure that they
are completely out, he said.

The Arrow Forest district has spent
$320,000 on fires so far this year
compared to $4.5 million at the same
time last year.

This year’s fires have burned 177
hectares compared to more than 6,200
hectares last year

Johnson concerned
about applications

By CasNews Stafi
Castlegar school board hasn't had
any news on its applications for funds
provincial

board chairman Kay Johnson is con
cerned.

“Time is getting close,” she said,
noting that school will be starting in *
few weeks.

She said she's called Victoria several
times and the Ministry of Education
doesn't know any more than the board

The school board im the spring
applied for funds for a number of
programs including teacher upgrading.

computers in the schools, and a
computer coordinator.

Johnson said the board hopes to get
some indication of funds before the
school term starts so the board can put
the new programs into place

She said the going rate for funds
granted under the program is about
$80 per child. With about 2,000
students in the Castlegar school
district, the board is hoping to receive
between $150,000 and $160,000.

She noted the Nelson school district
received word about six weeks ago on
the funds it applied for

“I guess we are at the bottom of the
list,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Castlegar area is ina
high hazard while the Pend
Oreille area south of Trail is rated
extreme. Nakusp, however, has moved
into the moderate range.

Campfire bans are still in place in the
Cranbrook and district.
There are no bans in the Arrow district
and Forest Service personnel aren't

Evans notes that though the light-
ning detector system helps spot fires,
statistically more fires are reported by
‘people than by other means.

“It's a significant way of finding out
where the fires are,” Evans said.

Elsewhere, an out-of-control slash
fire. fanned by winds of up to 50 kilo-
metres per hour earlier this week, has
burned through 420 hectares of prime
timber northwest of Prince George.

Slash is the debris resulting from the

taining the blaze, which erupted from
an intentionally lit fire, before today.
said Ken Magee, Prince George West
forest district manager.

“We won't have it under control but
we expect to have a guard completed
around it if the winds do not pick uf
again,” he said.

High winds hit the area Thursday
and then slackened to 15 kmh Friday,
Magee said.

The forest service has 85 men and 14
bulldozers fighting the fire, which is

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