DNESDAY, March 1, 1995 OPINION WZ The Castlegar Sun AIS Serving the 10,000 people of the Castlegar Area, The Castlegar Sun is published every Wednesday by St Newspapers Lid. at 465 Columbia Ave. Castlegar, B.C. VIN 1G8. The Castlegar Sun is politi cally independent and a member of the Sterling News Service, Canadian C B.C. C Assocation, and the B.C. Press Council. Established 28, 1990 Mail 10420, PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG RON NORMAN CHRISTINE MOYER ACTING EDITOR PRODUCTION MANAGER: KAREN KERKHOFF TRICIA LAKTIN REPORTER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JEFF GABERT CATHERINE ROSS SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER = ADVERTISING REP. MARGE LALONDE NICOLE BEETSTRA OFFICE/CIRCULATION MANAGER ~=— ADVERTISING REP. CARI ROHN FRED JACK CLASSIFIED ADS ADVERTISING REP. Direct Department Phones General Office ............. 365-5266 Circulation ....... . 365-5266 Classified Ads 365-7848 Display Advertising 365-2278 Newsroom 2.0.2... 365-5579 PO icidicidcnctagiey 965-7762 Wednesday, March 1, 1995 The Castlegar Sun ‘Letters to the Editor Meetings a good start Dear Editor: I have now completed town hall meetings on social program reform at 11 locations throughout the riding. It has been an exhilarating and worthwhile experience. While it would have been nice to have even higher attendance, it was a good start for a process intended to bring information to my con- stituents and receive opinions and. direction from them. The questionnaires that were handed out are starting to come back and the information that they contain is very useful. There is a very definite trend in the way that they have been answered. It indicates support for changes in many areas and also indicates some areas where I thought there would be support and there isn’t. After a reasonable time period, 1 will analyze the results and use them to guide me in my action on the subject of social progtam reform as well as pass the results on to the party, In the future, 1 will continue to hold town hall meetings of this type; as well as try out new meth- ods to effectively reach people and hear their concerns. The two main problems that I experienced this time was.adver- tising the events and finding loca- tions that reached the most people. A riding this size creates a real challenge in choosing the right locations which balance between constituent access and the total number of meetings that is practi- cal to hold, In future meetings, I will try to-reach those areas that may have felt left out this time Letters Policy mp One of the new methods that I Castlegar Sun, be published, be double-spa ‘edited int the dahee Set eae the approval of the editor, Send 13 to: VIN 1G8, of drop them off ut the office. will try in the future is video-tap- ing my presentation and asking the cable system to broadcast it on the community channels. If this works out, I will provide notice of the cable schedule in each area through my periodic newsletter from Ottawa and include a questionnaire in that newsletter. I will then hold actual meetings in those areas without community channels, During the summer, I intend to visit every community in the rid- ing to ensure that everyone has direct access to me so that I can Jearn of their concerns and opin- ions, Democracy works, but only if we work together. Jim Gouk, MP Kootenay West-Revelstoke Dear Editor: I couldn't agree local-hire initiative for all more. with Mr, Aastin. Local 170 of the Building Trades is committed to a Local work by local residents usurped by other than local residents, it is a biter pill to swallow. I urge Castlegar council to form firm policies ing the letting of contracts which would within our jurisdiction. I believe that the opportu- ensure that local work is done by local residents. EVERYONE WELCOME! to the INAUGURAL MEETING & GALA EVENT for the TRAIL - CASTLEGAR 1996 B.C. SUMMER GAMES Thursday, March 2, 1995 at 7:00 p.m. at the Trail Memorial Centre, Cominco Gym nity for a person to work at or near their home All citizens of Castlegar and Trail and areas are invited to attend and Participate in the election of the Board of Directors of ‘the Society. Entertainment from Trail and Castlegar will make this a gala event, with a reception to follow. Mark this date on your calendar as the editorial comment It's a miracle! Business Agent United Association of Phimbers and Pipefitters It’s not a marriage made in heaven come to some sort of agreement. To say that Castlegar council “Our administrator later ~ comment on them. The latest environmental study showing that the Columbia River is retuming to its former state after decades of pollution and mistreatment is nothing short of miraculous. And it is good news. But not only for West Koote- nay residents. The Columbia River is one of the largest rivers in westem North America. It is the main stem of a river system that stretches into B.C., Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Nevada and Wyoming. To paraphrase one of the comments made in the introduction to the study: being at the river's head- waters, we in the West Kootenay have a particular Tesponsibility to protect the environmental integrity of the river. In the past we didn't do that. We used the river for our Own purposes without much thought for the “consequences. i The result was a very sick river. \ It was sick with deadly dioxins and-férans from a pulping process that used chlorine. These in tum worked their way into fish and aquatic life. It was sick with wood fibre from pulp effluent Pumped directly into the river. This prevented plant growth on the river bottom. It was sick with heavy metals from a smelter that poured its slag into the river. And this showed up in the water and sediment, and thus in the fish and plant life. It was sick with phosphates and mercury from a fertilizer plant. But that has changed with improvements at the two main causes of the pollution: Celgar pulp mill and Cominco's lead and zinc smelter and fer- tilizer plant. Like a bed-ridden patient that is finally able to shed the poisons that have been making it ill, the niver is on the road to good health again. It's not there yet. There are still improvements to be made. Water quality can be better. There is still a fibre mat on the river bottom and a sediment mix of metals. But the river is retuming to what it once was, again supporting a wide diversity of natural life. * Ron Norman Welcome addition Castlegar council on Tuesday awarded the final phase of the downtown revitalization program. We have already seen the benefits of earlier phases and the effects on downtown businesses Businesses have transformed their storefronts with new trim, paint and facades. A number have erected awnings that give the downtown a distinct look. One of the most notable changes has been to West's Department Store, with its unique covered walkway and.trim Now Pharmasave is matc hing thevtrim and walk way. It is a welcome addition and helps connect the two sides of Columbia Avenue Ron Norman ERRORS: The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in any advertisement beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of its servants or otherwise... and there shall be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount Paid for such advertisement. All advertising subject to publisher's approval. Contracts must be completed within one year from contract date. No contingent orders accepted and the regional directors for the electoral areas surrounding the city have a rocky relationship is like saying Karl Malden has a big nose Or Liz Taylor has been mar- ried before. Or Roseanne Amold likes to eat In other words, a massive under- Statement The relationship has historically been as up and down as a Coney Island roller coaster ride, depend- ing on the issues of the day and the Particular personalities of the coun- cil and regi directors A few years back, for instance, the regional directors for the outly- ing areas weren’t even on speaking terms with the council representa- tive to the regional board. It hasn't quite reached that point with the present council, but it isn’t much better. The low point came last week- end at the regular regional board meeting when Ken Wyllic, the director for Lower Arrow- Columbia, submitted a report on his meeting with the Regional Dis trict of Kootenay Boundary con cerning the possible takeover of the Castlegar Airport. Mr. Wyllie didn’t hold anything back. He told of how the city was going its own way on the airport Operation issue and not cooperat- ing with the two regional districts He pointed out that council turned down his request that he and Area I director John Voykin attend a special in camera session in which council was to discuss the airport issue. Sustainable forests—the debate Future generations will look back on this decade as the time British Columbia saved its forests or destroyed them. From all indicators, we have only a few years left during which we can place our forests on a sus- tainable basis. If we botch the job. our forests will go the way of the Grand Bank cod fishery. Nowhere is the debate over sus tainable forests more evident and lively than among professional forksters. Once Perceived to be merely a tool in the hands of gov emment and industry, the Associa tion of British Columbia Professional Foresters is flexing its muscle as an independent arbiter in the heated battle over the use of the province's greatest resource The last five issues of Forum. the association's bi-monthly newsletter, have addressed the question of sus tainable development. The associa. tion invited contributions from its members as well as from outsiders on how to achieve sustainable development, and the response has been extraordinary. The latest issue again features several articles on sustainable development, and while the advised us that the city had con- firmed that we were expressly being excluded from this meet ing.” Mr. Wyllie wrote That wasn’t all ‘It is quite obvious,” he con- tinued, “that the city has no inten- tion of entering into any consulta- live process in tegard to this decision, Frankly, these developments are profoundly conceming.” And & 201 worse. He ridjculed the city “It is quite clear that Castlegar is unable to properly manage and develop its travel corridors (let alone take) on the responsibility of the air- port management and operation.” Mr. Wyllie accused the city of grasping beyond its reach “To initiate this process in cam- era and to deliberately exclude regional representation, in my view, reflects both a naive and irre- sponsible attitude towards address- ing this issue and smacks of “backroom politics’.” The interesting thing is that when Councillor Kirk Duff, who is the city’s representative on the regional board, was asked-by another regional director at last weekend's meeting to respond to the charges, he declined. He said that since the city’s discussions about the airport have been in camera, he cannot authors may disagree on how to achieve that goal, most agree that achieve it we must. Brian Evans is completing his Masters degree in resource -and Environmental Man- agement at Simon Fraser University. He foresees a decline in the influence of large forest companies And that, he argues, will lead towards better stew- ardship of our forests. “Forests grow slowly, and sharcholder-driven mstitutions, which look too closely to profit-making as their motive, will quickly conclude tha forests are poor investments,” Evans says “The creation of a diversity of smaller-scale tenures such as woodlots and community forests will allow a lot more people to apply their sweat, skill and ethics to the land. New art are (The whole idea of the city keeping the airport takeover behind closed doors is slight- ly bizarre Who does it fear will mis- use the infor- mation? The Provincial RON government NORMAN has already said it doesn’t want the air- port with its $650,000-a-year deficit. The city and regional dis- tricts have the next right of refusal The regional district has been mak- ing its discussions public all along—that’s why Mr. Wyllie’s let- ter was available to the media. So what's the city have to hide?) But the airport is just one of the Many sore spots between the city and outlying areas. Waste manage- ment is a another. The city and regional district have been squabbling over the city’s decision to slap a $200 fee for regional district residents who want to dump their septic sewage in the city’s north-end lagoons. I think the city has a point on this one. It is faced with new and stricter standards imposed by the Ministry of Environment..These standards ‘will cost money to meet. Since rural residents use the facility, they should help pay for those costs. N But the city could have chosen a better way to introduce the fee, such as sitting down with the regional directors and trying to forester and consultant to First Nations and rural communities He is an advocate of “ecosystem- based management.” In a broad sense, that means basing extraction of resources on the ability of the forest to continue func- tioning as an ecosystem rather than society’s HUBERT BEYER needs. “Rather than trying to sustain development, the time has come to Sustain ecosystems. In doing so, we recognize that our society is a subset of an ecosystem and our €conomy a subset of our society. In other words, the forest sustains us, we do not sustain the forest,” H. needed to encourage people to develop a sense of place, to man- age forests with a little less eco- nomic rationality and with a bit more care and compassion.” Herb Hammond is a forest ecol ogist with 20 years’ experience He has worked as an industry I says. Gordon Murray has spent his entire career as a professional forester either as an employee or as a consultant on behalf of the forest industry. He admits that at the end of the day, his pay cheque depends on his ability to assist his employers acquire tim- Instead, the regional directors got their backs up and played tit- for-tat. They blocked the city's access to the Ootischenia dump, which the city needs to dispose of the sludge from its south-end treat- ment facility and will need again later this year for the sludge from the north-end lagoons. The regional directors had the city over a barrel. The city needs to get rid of the sludge in order to finish upgrading the two sewage facilities. Talk about poor timing on the city’s part. So council backed down on the $200 septic dumping fee—for now, anyway. Mayor Mike O'Connor has said on more than one occasion that he wants to review all the city’s func- tions that it shares with the region- al district, such as economic development, the recreation com- mission, etc. * It’s not a bad idea. These disputes between the city and outlying areas point up the fact that we really are very much inter- dependent communities. We share sO Many services because it makes sense to do so. We are more regional than either council or the outlying area direc- tors might want to believe: When we begin to think Tregion- ally and then act regionally, we will find it is of benefit to every- one—city and rural residents alike. So a review of our relationship is perfectly in order—but to enhance it, not tear it down. continues ber to run their mills. His views, as he himself admits, are more industry-oriented. Murray doesn't believe that government is able to make intelli- gent land-use decisions. Nor does he consider consensus to be a real- istic goal. In fact, he Ss, there 1s no way of telling what society really wants. “We must have a Process to determine for sure that Sustainable development is something society really wants. My experience has been that we usually hear only from those who shout the loudest,” he says. Al Chambers is a Professional forester.and ecologist who became convinced years ago that the prob- lems which Plague resource man- agers originate in society rather than in natural systems. Chambers points to two widely- held perceptions, one that we are exploiting our resources at a rate that cannot be Sustained in the long term, and two, that the bene- fits derived from resource man- agement aren't fairly distributed “Even the most skeptical among us are forced to admit that there is evidence that supports these perceptions.“ Pioneer stories sought Dear Editor: Our Trail History and Heritage Committee would like to bring the community up to date in regards to our ongoing efforts to collect the pioneer family stories of Trail for future publication. The pioneers of 1895 - 1945 were the backbone to building our community and the Home of Champions. Everyone was important , for example: the gardener, milkman, merchants, rock wall builder, house builder, teachers and of course parents, who struggled The true definition of democracy Maybe we should think on that one a little. Dear Editor: Re: Justice Minister Allan Rock's new firearms bill. A defi- nite pattern seems to be emerging. That is the attitude of the different regions and their news media. T believe in giving credit where credit is due. A definite “yes” must be given to the local papers, including this one, for giving the public the opportunity to present both sides of the issue. These realistic néwSpapers and their courageous editors occupy a vast expanse that extends from Vancouver to Toronto. The news media in these two larger cities, on the other hand, have seen fit not to allow the right to freedom of speech and are continuously printing half- truths and misleading data. It seems that in these larger areas, whether right or wrong, being politically correct takes priority over everything else. An increasing number of non- firearm owners are also begin- ning to see that what the Liberals have in store for us is far removed from what they are pre- senting at this time. Kootenay West-Revelstoke Complete Body & Paint Facilities ‘Auto Glass Reptacerns Towing 2316 - 6th Ave., Castlegar 365-5114 Located Playmor Junction Come in & visit us!! through the tough times of build- ing a home from scratch and pro- viding a happy, healthy environment for the family. We want to hear about the fun times, like the concerts and the dances, that led to the develop- ment of the character and friend- liness of our co — 2 The Trail District Chamber of Commerce has been very sup- portive of the project by provid- ing some part-time employees last summer to interview over 60 pioneers. We are also very pleased with MP Jim Gouk said at one of his recent town-hall meetings: “Democracy only works when everyone participates.” the continued support of Trail council by allowing us space for filing, doing computer work, etc Now Councillor Gordon DeRosa 18 Our Council support person. ries and you can contact us at the city hall at 364-1262, ext. 223— 10:00 a.m. and 12 noon. dreds of Trail pioneers very soon. We welcome many more sto- ay or Thutsday between We're hoping to hear from hun- Lorna Nutini, chairperson Trail History and Heritage Committee Ron Lee In attendance will be: first step in joining us in the Spirit of the Games! Mr. Ed Conroy, M.L.A., Rossland - Trail and Mr. Roger Skillings, Executive Director of the B.C. Summer and Winter Games Society The 1996 B.C. Summer Games will be held throughout the communities, july 25 to.28, 1996. Planning for the project will begin immediately. It is anticipated that more than 3000 volunteers will be required to stage the event. THE CITY OF TRAIL Sandy Santori, Mayor THE CITY OF CASTLEGAR Mike O'Connor, Mayor BCYGAMES Salmo “There's good news on the horizon: : 21 Power Smart Being Power Smart has always been good for British Columbia, saving water, energy and % part of the natural beauty of y our province. Now, through BC 21, part of the provincial government's job creation and economic development strategy, the government has joined forces with a number of B.C! s electric and gas utilities, and ¢redit unions, to bring you the BC 21 Power Smart project And you can be a part of it.* . Soon, you'll be able wf ‘w the BC 21 Power Smart team assigned to your neigh- borhood. You'll get valuable Power Smart products that will increase the energy- and water-efficiency of your BC 21 Power Smart is sponsored by the Government of British Columbia, B.C.Hydro, B.C. Gas, Centra Gas. Greater Vancouver Regional District, Pacific Northern Gas and West Kootenay Power. Glen Clark, Minister responsible, BC 21 and B.C.Hydro. All to take advantage of the project by calling home. When we all do our p&&, the effects will be felt for generations. * The BC 21 Power Smart Team'will install your BC 21 Power Smart products, including: a hot water tank insulating jacket, pipe insulation, faucet aerators, low-flow showerhead, toilet flush reducer, door weather-stripping and draft proofing, all at no charge * They'll conduct a check-up of your home to show you how to make your home even more energy- and water-efficient * Call the number below to participate in the BC 21 Power Smart project {enrollments are limited). Please have your electric utility account number available when you call. Hart/Huntingdon Industries (toll-free) 1-800-900-4322 IV af 7s ISMEBIA Preserving resources.( ‘reating jobs. * Offer applies to single family dwellings, duplexes, triplexes. 4 plexes, townhouses and mobile homes must be detached, semi-detached, or row housing with their own separate outside entran This program may be modified or discontinued without notice