OPINION ESTABLISHED AUGUST 7, 1947 THE MID- WEE Castlégar News PAGE A4, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1990 MEMBER OF THE 8.C. PRESS COUNCIL LV. CAMPBELL PUBLISHER, AUGUST 7, 1947.-FEBRUARY 15, 1973 PUBLISHER — Burt Campbell DITOR — Simon Birch PLANT FOREMAN — Peter Harvey ADVERTISING MANAGER — Wayne Stolz OFFICE MANAGER — Linda Kositsin CIRCULATION MANAGER — Heather Hadley TWICE WEEKLY MAY 4, 1980 12. EDITORIAL Where are all the challengers? Rossland-Trail Social Crediters meet in Trail tonight to name their standard-bearer for the next provincial election. At the time of -this writing,- only Walter Siemens, a Trail businessman and the party’s 1983 candidate, has declared he is seeking the nomination. In fact, Mr. iemens announced his decision some months ago and immediately vacated the riding association’s presiden- cy because he believed it was the ethical thing to do. It’s too bad the Socred nomination isn’t being c PA j AS 7g YY Yyy3 yy Yj ee TLL ddl, Mlddddiis' ( y Wye Cae IAN @ : = Y d because the essence of democracy is the right of choice. However, it certainly isn’t the fault of Mr. Siemens there are no other candidates. His elec- tion committee has been busy for months and any other LETTERS TO THE EDITOR can- didates should have learned from this that they should get active or lessen their chances of being the convention’s choice. With the NDP candidate already in the field, the Socreds are smart in nominating now. If Premier Vander Zalm hadn’t gotten himself into yet another controversy over Fantasy Gardens, the likelihood is local Socreds would be nominating in the first few days of an election cam- paign, just as they did four years ago. The Socreds have much to be proud about in Rossland-Trail — the catscanner at Trail, completion of the West Trail approach, the Celgar expansion and modernization review program nearing an end. But they have some problems, too. Provincially, voters here share the concern that is general over the government’s leadership role while the Robson ferry is a festering local issue that we haven’t yet heard the last of. Mayor Audrey Moore — who has indicated she won’t run — could still be nominated from the floor this evening. Certainly, as the Socred candidate last time she has every right to go for the nomination again even if she hasn’t been as active within the local party during the past four years as some would have liked to have seen her to be. This, say, some, is countered by her high public profile. Genelle’s Sid Crockett, runner-up to Mrs. Moore in the nomination race last time, is also an outside possibility to be nominated from the floor tonight. A Cominco worker and Steelworker, Mr. Crockett has strong party credentials, but the fact he took over the riding presidency from Mr. Siemens would indicate that his decision not to seek the nomination had already been made. Whoever emerges as the Socred candidate tonight faces an uphill fight. But when Chris D'Arcy won the NDP nomination in 1972 there were well-known NDPers (then Trail Mayor Buddy DeVito being the most notable) who thought the NDP nomination wasn’t worth having, and didn’t seek it. The end result was Mr. D’Arcy got the nomination, won the elec- tion, and went on to serve 18 years in the legislature, his time ending only because his own party has decided it should. Strange things happen in politics, and the memory of voters is notoriously short. The candidate the Socreds pick tonight could con- ceivably be our MLA after the next election, regardless of which of the two major parties actually wins the general election. Mr. Siemens obviously has that kind of certainty, while others have been somewhat more reluctant to display it VIEWPOINT Celgar pulp mill the wrong target By CHRIS D’ARCY Rossiand-Trail MLA The Celgar expansion community hearings have happened. The Gypsy Road Show, as panel chairman Jill Bodkin described it, has left town and the Kootenays. The purely technical version resumes on Oct. 18 Some things need to be said Logging and forest of B.C. merely pick over what is left in sawmill yards and forest landings after saw logs have been felled and sade into lumber and plywood. Those who fervently believe that the forests are being overcut should direct their comments to the Forest Resources Commission, 747 Fort Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 3E7 (fax Out of context A famous statesman, or was it a stati: once said ‘‘figures and statistics don’t lie. of.its holdings to get by. Our list of prospective expenditures for the Celgar expansion shows Stone footing the whole $630 million bill for the hysterical. Who cares about the long-term effects as long as a paycheque is coming in? All is well because the B.C. forest industry has promised “Forests Forever.” : But Celgar is With that in mind, I would like to present owned by three CITIC and Therefore, chips forever. Right? So, why cor some “‘facts’’ with regard to Mr. Johnston’s letter to your paper about Ed Conroy, the Rossland-Trail nominge for, the New Democratic Party. When one wants to pick and choose, mix and match numbers and quotes, the possibilities are limitless. If things are taken out of context, the sky’s the limit. Thus, it appears as though the Socreds are so desperate for an issue this is what they’ve done in attempting to invent one to serve their cause. If politics is a profession that is deemed as one of low esteem, it is letters such as Mr. Johnston’s that help keep it that way. If Rossland-Trail can’t solve its problems through meaningful dialogue, honor and respect for opposing views, we'll be faced with a never-ending saga of Meech Lakes, Okas, and GSTs. Let’s put some dedication and honor into Politics, Mr. Johnston, and deal with real people and real issues. We’ve got a potential MLA who isn’t afraid to take a stand, yet is flexible enough to listen to the views of others. In short, people are tired of old-style ‘‘muck-rating”’ politi¢s no matter what side of the fence your feet happen to be on. Janice Stalker Castlegar Questions remain Your reporter’s article on whether Celgar would have to close the mill if it can’t expand was very balanced and gave due recognition to these important issues. We would like to thank the Castlegar News and Celgar for providing the company’s net yearly earnings and other financial data. I want to stress that in this, as in other issues, Celgar should provide factual documentation, and this should be this area. ploughing into other areas jobs the expansion will pro’ supports 400 jobs. Its next permanent jobs. crash. fibre used. A paper mill or used to support the present Anne Sherrod see Morals inconvenient financial analysis in the Alberta-Pacific mill turned up significantly different employment figures than what the company’s consultants had provided I do not agree at all with Celgar that the review panel should only review only one proposal Celgar has put forward. As I said in my presentation in Nelson, the taxpayers of the nation have not provided this review process so we can all sit back and listen to all sides and then conclude that we have no alternative but to approve a project which will have powerful environmental and social impact. Rather, we have a responsibility to find a way of correcting the past problems without creating many others. If Celgar cannot find a way right now to clean up the mill without it p can do so if we insist that it be done. Once there was a pulp environmentalists wanted t conditions and promises set Power Corp. Are they contributing, and if not, why? What is the total salary of the top-level executives of these corporations — probably it would take the breath away from many residents of What kind of investments have they been on their full earnings? Surely three corporations with multiple holdings in multiple countries can swing the funding for a one-time investment in the neighborhood of $400 million. Pulp and paper workers or loggers should think twice about the 30 permanent, direct extra metres of fibre will support only 30 direct If we accept using double the amount of fibre for approximately the same amount of jobs, we will have to live with that forever, if the mill isn’t eventually closed for lack of fibre or a market We must not accept that there is no alternative but to get fewer and fewer jobs for the amount of manufacturing facility for solid wood products would provide many more jobs. Keeping the mill the same size will conserve the wood supply to be owners, part American and part communist Chinese, came up with a plan to brainwash and intimidate people into believing that the only way to reduce pollution was to double production They claimed abundant chip supply but just in case also applied for a pulpwood agreement. A few doubts were raised about this scheme and the owners brought out the big stick: ‘‘If you don’t agree, we'll close the mill."’ So, just about everyone panicked and Promoted the idea to accept without question the - But again, when the shortsighted Profiteers could almost hear the cash register worry, the government and the corporations have only our best interest at heart and doesn’t that make you feel good? However, there is that small detail about huge profits from the mill going to a corporation in Beijing and isn’t that the place where the brutal régime oppresses and kills its own citizens? Ah well, when it comes to money we have to consider morals as inconvenient. Let's just hurry up and get on with it so that we can continue with our lifestyleand ignore the facts! Gunter Retterath Winlaw to prevent paying taxes vide. We stress again that Celgar’s first 1.1 million cubic metres of fibre 1.3 million cubic Trucks unpleasant With reference to the proposed Celgar expansion and the need to substantially increase the number of chip trucks travelling on Highway 6, I agree with Mayor Audrey Moore that the highways are for everyone. I do not, however, agree that they should be monopolized by industry. Meeting these large trucks on narrow stretches of road, or finding one right on your tail, is not a pleasant experience. It is equally unpleasant to see them driving through the small villages in the Slocan Valley where peace and quiet is a way of life. To allow these highly visible, sometimes obnoxious, smelly trucks to invade the quiet Slocan Valley is an obomination and I sincerely hope the residents stand up as one in putting a stop to it. I am not an ‘‘environmentalist.’’ lam, however, sick and tired of people being trod on in the name of progress. We all pay taxes — not just the drivers and owners of industrial trucks. There are other ways of transporting chips. Rita Morrison a secondary jobs longer mill which polluted the environment so bad that even the most ardent anti- ‘0 see a cleanup. So the Please address all letters to the editor to: Letters to the Editor, Castlegar News, P.O. Box 3007, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 3H4, or deliver them to our office at 197 Columbia Ave. in Castlegar. Letters should be typewritten, double- spaced and not longer than 300 words. Letters MUST be signed and include the writer's first and last names, address and a telephone number at which the writer can be reached between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The writer's name and city or town of residence only will be published. Only in exceptional cases will letters be bli: without the writer's name. 1 out by the apparent Celgar’s financial statement left many ringing, a few 356-7888). This is still were not part of the terms of referen- ce. This outraged expansion opponen- ts. Yet federal and provincial en vironment officials set the rules. Why not consider the ability of Kootenay forests to sustain the enlarged Celgar? Good question. As it happens, there are lots of good answers. Celgar owns no forest land. The company has no cutting permits, Celgar does..not log. It owns no trucks. Celgar buys its chips and tran- sport services on the open market. Pulp mills are the scavengers of the forest industry. Every sawmill has hog fuel (sawdust and bark) that it cannot dispose of. The new Celgar will be so energy efficient ‘t will not need the small amount of wood fuel it buys now Every sawmill has chips it cannot dispose of here. Kootenay sawmills will continue to have this problem even after Celgar expands. It’s jyst that the chip piles won't be quite as high. Every logger has pulp logs he can- not dispose of. These will still be mostly surplus after expansion. The amount depends on chip species availability For logging opponents, the pulp mill is the wrong target. The Celgars receiving b from the general public Hearings were held in Castlegar last May, six months after the Celgar ap- proval process got under way. These hearings elicited little of the heat and q . By whose estimate did the company quote the price of the cleanup? What kind of aloan, by whom, are they talking about? By now it is well known that Stone Container Corp., part owner of the mill, is in financial trouble. Experts speculate that Stone may very well have to sell some Pointed out conflicting data, misleading statements and confusing analyses by the mill owners. An environmental review process was ordered but out came another big stick: “Hurry up or we'll withdraw the financing and you'll lose your jobs.”” Additional panic ensued and the mood became Nevertheless, the name, address and telephone number of the writer MUST be disclosed to the editor The Castlegar News reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity, legality, grammar and taste. interest in forest matters that we all have witnessed in the recent Celgar hearings. Yet the Forest Resources Commission was and still is the appropriate body to hear the valid and heartfelt concerns that some Kootenay residents have about what they allege is abuse of the forests and their land base. Ah, you say, what about the pulp wood harvesting licence process? Not surprisingly, it is on hold until the forest commission reports. What happens then? You guessed it Another round of hearings Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be loggers. There's a lot more money to be had in consulting fees. Betier job security too, according to the latest trends. No wonder the federal and provin- cial_ governments unanimously _ in: sisted that they not be drawn into yet another debate on sawlog supply sustainability in the Kootenays. There is one such “public process going already, with another yet to start please see CELGAR page AS Garbage-free lunches cut waste The buzz. words of waste management are reduce, reuse, recycle. We hear a lot about recycling these days. But with no major recycling project started in our area, recycling sometimes seems to be nothing more than a good idea. What can we do right now in our own homes? How can our families Participate? Our children are aware and interested in environmental issues, but feel powerless. How can they help? Well, school is in. Why not pack garbage-free lunches? Who packs garbage for lunch? We all do! Garbage-free lunches seem like such a small contribution, yet if we compare the garbage generated by the average lunch to the zero garbage from a garbage-free lunch, and multiply that amount by all the students in the school district for a RECYCLING one year period, we would have enough garbage to fill a good sized school gym. Yes, it would make a dif- ference! When planning garbage-free lunches keep in mind a few tips that will help your ‘‘reduce”’ ‘‘reuse’’ and **recycle.”” © When shopping, avoid items with excessive packaging such as juice in tetrapaks or yogurt in single servings. © Buy in bulk and break it down at home into single servings. © Use containers and plastic bags you can wash and reuse. This sounds ¢ a chore but once started becomes a regular part of ‘‘doing the dishes.”’ © Compost food scraps returned in funch kits or bags. By comparing two similar lunches, one average and one garbage free, you can see that it really matters how it is packaged and how the waste is later disposed of. In garbage lunches, the plastic wrap or plastic bags from sandwiches gets thrown away, orange peels are thrown in the garbage, boxes and straws from tetrapacks of juice and plastic con- tainers from single servings of yogurt are thrown away. In garbage-free lunches, plastic bags from sandwiches go back home and are washed and reused, orange peels go back home to compost, con tainers or thermoses used for juice go back home and are washed for reuse, and yogurt is purchased in larger volumes and scooped into a single cup saved from buying yogurt in single- serving containers which are washed and reused. In garbage lunches, packages from single servings of cheese and crackers are thrown away and lunches are Packaged in purchased paper lunch bags. In garbage-free lunches, cheese and crackers are assembled at home in a reusable container which is brought home, washed and reused. Lunches are packed in a lunch kit or a durable pack or bag Packing garbage-free lunches does make a difference. It involves your kids, makes you feel good about the environment and saves you money. With fits like that, who wouldn't Want to pack a garbage free lunch? The preceding column is supplied by the advisory recycling committee of the Castlegar and district sub- region of the Regional District of Central Kootenay> . October 3,1990 Castlegar News As ENVIRONMENT Activists denounce proposed law OTTAWA (CP) — Environment activists have issued a sweeping denunciation of the federal gover- nment’s” proposed environmental assessment bill. “Canada will return to the dark ages of environmental law if (the bill) passes in its present form,’’ said Brian Pannell of Manitoba Environ- mentalists Inc., one of 35 activists and legal experts who signed the statement Tuesday When the bill was tabled last June, environmentalists were cautious in their opinion of the proposal due to its complexity. After a three-day conference to discuss it during\the weekend, they have turned sharply negative. “(The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act) doesn’t withstand careful second thought,"’ Elizabeth Swanson, a lawyer with the Alberta Environmental Law Centre, said in an World security at EDMONTON (CP) — The en- vironmental problems of the future may be more of a menace to world security than the arms race, ‘says Stephen Lewis, former ambassador to the United Nations. Developing nations cannot be ex- pected to protect the rain forests or to cut down:on burning fossil fuels if most of their people are barely scraping by, he told an audience at the Edmonton Space Sciences Centre Monday night. Lewis placed the blame for Third- World poverty on the shoulders of the industrialized nations. For example, he said in 1980 in- dustrialized nations transferred $50 billion annually to the developing world through loans, grants and trade. But now the developing world is paying $40 billion a year to the in- dustrialized nations. “‘That’s a switch of $90 billion an- interview She said the bill would undo everything that has been achieved through recent} court i and made on the basis of politics and other bureaucratic considerations."’ The present federal guidelines on many times in the legislation, it is always followed by some subjective test, she said. Weekly Special DELUXE BURGER would makg”it impossible for en- vironmentalists to use the courts in future controversies. ‘When you read it section by sec- tion you begin to get the message loud and clear: no going to court. “It would take us back to atime. . . when decisions about projects were risk nually in just 10 years,’ he said. “We're creating- a fourth world of permanent impoverishment. And the result of that will be environmental devastation.” Lewis said changes are needed at every level in| western society, especially at the political level where economic and environmental decisions are made. But he had little good to say about the so-called round table format that most i have adopted to help Dairy Queen ® CASTLEGAR ° 365-5522 TRAIL © 364-2444 URBO * We Serve, You Save! 1335 Columbia Ave. Phone 365-7111 DEXTERS PUB In Sandman Inn “Play Break Open Pull Tabs” AUG TIRE, 2141 Columbia Ave. 365-3311 them make environmental policies. They are usually made up of non- governmental organizations represen- ting industry and public interest groups. “Round tables are completely bogus, manipulative frauds,’’ said Lewis, who was asked by former On- tario Premier David Peterson to sit on that province's round table. He pointed to the pulp mill con- troversy in Alberta as an example of how industry responds to environ- mental concerns. Celgar__ = UPCOMING GAMES Fri., Oct. 12 SPOKANE Sat., Oct. 13 NELSON. Tues., Oct. 23 BEAVER VALLEY K.1.J.H.L. Junior Hockey Action family back home in Prince George. \ 208 Castlegar isn't as big a city as he's PROFILE CHAD ALDERSON — LEFT WING Hometown — Prince George 11 didn't take long for Chad to make his mark with the Rebels since coming to Castlegar last week from the training camp of the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League Chad scored twice, added an assist and was named the team’s outstan ding player in the Rebel’s home opener at the Complex last Saturday Not bad for a 16-year-old who played bantam hockey in Prince George lost year Chad says his role with Rebels is simple: “Skate up and down my wing and score a few goals." Judging by his performance in the team’s first three games, it appears he's got those two tasks mastered already Though he misses his friends and sed to, Chad says he’s settling in and enjoying himself A student at Stanley Humphries secondary school, the 16-year-old says next to hockey, lacrosse is his favorite sport. He also waterskis, hits the weights and golfs He says his favorite television shows ore Cheers and, of course. Hockey Night in Canada, ond his favorite food is steak Though he’s looking forward to playing a season with the Rebels. in the long term Chod really has his sights set on taking another shot at cracking the Winter Hawks lineup. FRIDAY OCTOBER 5 at 8:00 p.m. Castlegar Community Complex Rebels vs. Nelson Maple Leafs The real issues around Celgar are: Should Celgar be allowed to clean up over 90-per_cent of the pollutants it currently releases into the air and water of the Kootenays? Celgar boosters say yes, and why was Celgar not allowed to start its cleanup last spring, while the review process con- tinued? That one remains as the best new environmental question this year. Only in the Kootenays, you say. Further, should sawmills be forced to send most of their chip wood waste to mills in the U.S., Korea, and Japan? Do Celgar opponents really want Kootenay wood to be pulped in mills not nearly as environmentally friendly as the new Celgar. And by foreign workers’ with poorer wages, benefits, and in-plant health con- ditions than B.C. workers insist on? Apparently so. But then it’s not all bad. Many Celgar opponents are sure that Japanese, Korean and American workers will spend the wages they earn pulping Kootenay wood by visiting us as tourists. After all, won't they want to get away from the fumes? See where the trees grow? Sure. As that great IWA wordsmith Jack Munro says, ‘‘Hell, we can’t all sell Popcorn to tourists.”” Amen, Jack. family of six Pastry Terri CARSON'S PRALINE PUMPKIN PIE A bit unusual, yes, but the crunchy praline that tops this traditional pumpkin pie has made this dessert an all time favourite with Terri and her say that where a project may cause significant adverse effects, the initiating depar tment shall refer it to the minister of the environment for a public review Ail boot says, ‘The responsible authority shall, if it’s considered appropriate, do thus and so."’ “Each and’ every decision made Under the new bill, there is no such throughout the process is dependent statement of clear obligation, said on discretion. Where there is Swanson. divcretion it is impossible for the Although the word “‘shall’” is used courts to order “ NEW HOURS 10 A.M. iM. 152) Columbia Ave. 365-8388 AHEAD DRIVE THROUGH SERVICE We have some answers about your new property - assessment. = Property owners will receive a property assessment in the mail within the next week or two. You may have some questions about your new assessment — and if this ad doesn’t answer all of them. please give us a call at one of the numbers listed below We want to help. If my assessment is sharply higher than the last one, will this cause a similar @ sharp increase in my property taxes? valued by an experienced appraiser who looks at the selling price of similar real estate in your community. (This is the same process used by Mortgage companies and realtors.) Assessment Authority staff have computer access to the details of all real estate sales in Bntrsh Columbia — including those in your neighbourhood. Probably not A The assessed value is only one side of the tay picture — the other is the tax rate applied to that value. Generally speaking. large overall increases In assessments are usually offset by local governments setting lower tax rates. This has happened in the past when large assessment increases occurred in British Columbia. This year assessments have increased significantly in most areas of the province — and once again this will not create automatic lay increases. What if I think my assessment might be @ wrong? Call us. A We will try to help vou. If we agree there is a problem. we will ask the Court of Revision to make a change. If we cannot agree to the change you suggest. we will still help you by providing practical information on the formal appeal process. Everybody has the nght to appeal their assessment to the Court of Revision — but our experience 1s that many concerns can be resolved simply and quickly by calling us first. Please read both sides of your assessment notice carefully before you call us. This will save you some time when we are discussing details. How do I know my assessment is @ accurate? A Check local real estate prices. @ The “assessed value” is the actual market value of your land and buildings if they had been for sale on July | of this year. The BC Assessment Authority has detailed information about all land and buildings in the province. Your property is ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY For your convenience, we have extended our telephone hours into.the evening during the month of October. Call us 8:30 am - 8:30 pm Monday to Friday. In Castlegar Rossland & surrounding areas call 352-5581 (collect if necessary ). or call our province-wide toll free Help Desk at 1-800-667-3900. Beat all filling ingredients. Pour into pie shell. Bake on lower oven rack in a pre heated 450° F (230°C) oven for 15 minutes. Torrinc then reduc heat th 350°F (180°C) for 25 1/3 ay granulated sugar 5 mL. ee 30 minutes or until set. (Insert knife in 1/3 cup lightly- packed brown sugar 75 mL : - centre: if it comes out clean, the pie is done.) 3 tbsp evaporated milk or light cream 45 mL Mix together topping ingredients 1/2 cup pecan halves 125 mL . - - Sprinkle evenly over pie. Cover pastry ed) phonal) MITCHELL AUTO PARTS 707.13th Street Bus: 365-7248 FIRST IN SPORTS “THE CHOICE OF THE KOOTENAYS!" Rye Castlegar News TENDERFLAKE Perfect Pastry dough for double-crust & (23 om) pie (see TENDERFLAKE lard package) Finuinc es lightly-packed brown sugar salt cinnamon nutmeg 400 mL 1-3/4 up YORK Canned Pumpkin loup evaporated. milk or light cream 250 mL £2| Nothing Makes It Flakier. Every Time. NUTRIWHP. whipped with foil. Broil 5” (12 em) from heat until Roll out half of dough and fit topping is bubbly and broumed. Serve warm into 9” (23 cm) pie plate. Trim edge or cooled reith Nubvitohip topping even with pie plate. Roll out remaining pastry. Cut out small leaf, heart or circle shapes of dough using small cutter or sharp knife. Place shapes around dampened pie crust edge and press lightly bo secure.