LOCAL BUSINESS LEGIGLAT IVE PARL LAMENT VICTORIA Bl SPORTS 1@ I ARARY JILDING Pete’s Power Punch promises to pack ’em in! Fi ver sound off gaining speed More than 2,000 expecte The upcoming Regatta— get out the lawn chairs! 0 attend/9A WEDNESDAY May 6, 1992 The Castlegar HOT Weather 3A Vol. 2- No. 23 ‘Leading the way in supporting local business’ 75 Cents + G.S.T. Glance Fire Hall officially opens Volunteer firefighters, their families, dignitaries and mem- bers of the public attended the official opening of the Ootis- chenia Fire Hall, last Saturday. Construction of the fire hall began in May 1991, and the first stage was completed in July. The second stage of con- struction was recently complet- ed last month. Also last month, the volunteer firefighters from that department completed new fire department training exer- cises sponsored by the Justice Institute of B.C., and the cities of Nelsou and Castlegar, See photo on page 2A. Women's Association The Castlegar Women's Asso- ciation will hold a general meeting May 11, starting at 7 p.m. in the Castlegar Library. Patricia Lakes, administrator and counsellor at Castlegar Community Services, will pro- vide an update on the newly established safe home system as well as plans for fall activi- ties. Any woman wishing to join the association is welcome to come along Sunfest draw winners Winners of the Festival Soci- ety's recent ticket raffle to raise money for Sunfest are; First prize to Sean Rode of Kam- loops, for a Caribbean Cruise for two. Second prize to Dave Broughton of Rossland, for one hundred 6/49 tickets and third prize, which was fifty 6/49 tickets, was won by Randy and Kelly Davis of Castlegar. The Castlegar Festi- val Society is busier than ever, planning for Sunfest, which will take place this year June 26-28. The diversity of all activities planned will hopeful- ly draw a large number of tourists to the area. Judge to rule on Celgar trial proceedings May 25 After hearing arguments from the defense and crown counsel, Judge Donald Sperry will make a ruling at the end of May as to whether Celgar Pulp's $6 million in pollution charges will be stayed. Proceedings, which took place Thursday and then again yester- day, wer held in Castlegar provin- cial court. Celgar Pulp was charged March 15, 1991 with six counts under the Waste Management Act, and one count under the federal Fisheries Act. H.A. Simons Ltd. of Vancouver, a contractor employed by Celgar Pulp at the time, has also been charged with three counts under the Waste Management Act, and one count under the federal Fisheries Act. The alleged incident, which occurred while the plant was shut down, took place April 23, 1990. Almost two years later, the case is still before the courts, one of two reasons why the three defense lawyers, John Carpenter and Michael Kew for Power Consoli- dated (Celgar owner) and Ross Switzer for HLA. Simons, want to have the charges against their clients stayed and court proceed- Lumber baa pecs unreasonable delay in court Proceedings, argued Switzer, has resulted in an unfair trial for their clients. As well as this, defense lawyers are saying they have been preju- diced against because Crown Counsel has withheld relevant information and has also failed to Judge Sperry ruled in earlier proceedings that all materials in the crown's possession must be disclosed, except those items which are protected by privilege. “Even after your ruling was made, the crown still fails to make | of i tion," said Switzer. Crown Counsel Steen Bleching- berg, said there was no wilful act of non-disclosure made by the crown in any way. "Blame is being laid at the doorstep of the crown without rea- sonable explanation," said Blech- Eg. Judge Sperry will make a deci- sion May 25 in Rossland Provin- cial Court as to whether the trial will continue. (Just for mom Kinnaird Elementary students (I-r) Michael Stan, Steven Price and David Walden, all age 9, work studiously on some wooden planters they will present to their mothers on May 10. The soil for the class project was donated by Trowelex and the cedar was donated by Scotties Marina. SUN STAFF PHOTO / SHARILENE IMHOFF Pope & Talbot anxiously waiting softwood decision JASON KEENAN _ Sun staff expected to issue a formal defini- Pope and Talbot is watching the current round of softwood duty hearings in Washington D.C. closely. “For now, it’s a wait and see situation,” said Abe Friesen, pres- ident of Pope and Talbot. The U.S. Dep of Ci tion of injury within a month of the deci Current feeling in Washington is that the decision will come down against Canada. And that could be bad news for the local forestry industry. Friesen explained that in stronger market periods, the mar- 1 would absorb the cost. hearing, known as the Public Hearing on Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada, will release its decision on whether Canada unfairly subsi- dizes lumber sometime around May 19. If that decision goes against Canada, the U.S. International Trade Commission can be Council finalizing 1992 budget SHARLENE IMHOFF Sun Editor Castlegar City Council is entering the process of finaliz- ing this year's budget, after reading a number of bylaws during last night's meeting. One of these included a Tax Rate Bylaw, which imposes rates on all taxable land and improvements according to their assessed value. The municipal residential tax rates for general taxation has dropped by two per cent. The Major Industry overall rate has dropped one half of one per cent and all other classes have increased by four per cent. One main reason for the lower rate this year in residen- tial tax is the Celgar worker's camp, which is classified as residential—thereby expanding the tax base though lowering the rate Readings were also heard regarding water and sewer frontage taxes. In a memorandum to city council, it was explained that the rate for water has increased from $.84 a foot to $1.01 a foot in north Castlegar and from $1.69 to $1.86 in south Castle- gar. City council maintains that the sewer and water systems must be self-supporting and this is one reason for the increase in rates. In 1991, the total for the city's revenue and expenditures was $9,402,095. The 1992 bud- get calls for that figure to reach in excess of $10 million. More than $3 million will be delegated to cover the cost of capital projects in the city, a few of which include; $10,000 for a Victim Assistance pro- gram, $15,000 to upgrade needy parks, $28,000 for a per- manent solution to the Mead- owbrook subdivision drainage problems and $15,000 for the preliminary design of Wood- land Drive as an alternate route to Columbia Ave. Council will hold a special meeting to officially pass third reading and adopt the new bud- get. This meeting is planned for next week. In bad times, he added, whatever the duty is will come off the top for the producers. “In poor times, you'll have mills shut down,” he added “Right now we're in marginal times, so it's a toss up.” He also said that right now, without the tariff, the prices are low. Friesen said that the hearing, and the trade commission deci- sion are not the final step. “If it all goes against us [(Cana- da], then we go to the Free Trade Mechanism.” Kerr also said the dispute has already had its first hearing in front of GATT in Geneva. -The perfect spot—__ Castlegar students were busy last week working with the local forestry department in planting seedlings. ‘In poor times you'll have mills shut down. Right now we're in marginal times, so it's a toss up.’ — ABE FRIESEN Pope& Talbot Last Wednesday's hearing was a bit of a shock for the B.C. lum- ber industry. Former B.C. forestry minister Jack Kempf, testifying on behalf of the Coalition for Fair Lumber Photo submitted Imports, an American lobby group that supports a special U.S. customs duty on Canadian soft- wood lumber products, told the hearing that B.C. subsidizes its large lumber companies by charging below-market prices for tree rights on government land. “Jack Kempf is a very strange individual,” said John Kerr, the owner of Lignum, which owns the large sawmill in Williams Lake. Friesen said that Kerr is a highly respected forestry industry spokesman, and that Pope and Talbot consults Kerr on difficult forestry issues like the current round of softwood lumber duty hearings. Kempf was forests minister from August, 1986 until March, 1987, when he resigned in a con- troversy over office expenses. This past March, he was fined $10,000 and put on one year’s probation for breach of trust. He used constituency allowance funds in a matter involving a mobile home. “He's not a wonderful guy,” added Kerr. “He’s not a man of great principle.” Emergency room has slight increase during local doctors’ protest Patients inconvenienced but no danger SHARLENE IMHOFF Sun Editor plete early morning rounds, and then two doctors were on-hand Although some patients might have felt inconvenienced when local doctors trimmed their services last Thursday, the emergency room at the Castle- gar and District Hospital saw only a marginal increase in the number of patients treated. “If someone needed medical attention, the doctors’ offices were closed, therefore the other alternative is the emergency department at the hospital,” said Administrator Ken Talarico in explaining the slight increase. The increased number of patients in the emergency room however, also means an in equip PP and processing medical files. “We still did not have to bring in additional staff,” Talarico said Doctors closed their office doors last Thursday to protest the NDP government's decision to place a ceiling on doctors’ salaries, and cut pensions with- out any consultation. Doctors in Castlegar still arrived at the hospital to com- at the pital in case of any emergencies. Talarico also said that no surgeries had been scheduled for that day so none had to be cancelled as a result of the protest. “Appointments might have had to be re-booked, but I believe that people were still well-looked after,” Talarico fin- ished. eeaggesee r all the local news and sports the Castlegar Sun \ t