PS gee ee aa The Castlegar Sun Wednesday, January 8, 1992 “Page 7A Letters to the Editor = Robson vandals should seek out serious help — January 8, 1992 OPINION Being peeved off (that’s pet peeved off) The other day, as I was finally applying for household insurance, I noticed I was asked all kinds of goofy unanswerable questions, Like, how far is the nearest fire hydrant. I thought about it for about ten minutes or so and answered, “Uh, I don’t know.” The agent said, “Don’t you have a dog?” I answered, “No.” “How come you don’t have a dog?” he asked. want to know why I do this to myself. -And the neighbour! Once, this neighbour showed up on my front step- He was dressed in this as‘an opportunity attitude and finally stand up for myself. I my finger in the air in the general vicinity Of his ity to change my usual wimpy stabbed barrel chest. . “Listen,” I yelled, “First of all, he’s big- Barker’s Scratches ger than both of us. Second of all, he doesn’t do it very often. Only once a month or 80. Thirdly, if my husband wants to scratch at the door and how! at the moon all night, why, that’ perféctly fine with me” editorial comment The homeless is Castlegar’s problem too | We all know how cold it can get in the Koote- nays in January. We all know Castlegar is growing. | What we don’t all know, is that there are people in this area who, for whatever reasons, are home- less. : The thought of people pushing shopping carts full of meagre possessions and drinking out of brown paper bags might be the scene in a metropo- lis such as Toronto, And maybe the few people in Castlegar who have no place to call home might seem trivial to some—but th e when it really isn't any less a ed to big city housing is just one symp “Because he wouldn't go to the darn fire And now I have Foo-foo. What a pain. Imagine all the times T’ve had to say “no” to world tours and appointments in Ottawa because my pet needed me at home. I've shovelled more than I want to think @bout, nearly collapsed under the blast of doggie-breath, and have enough fur on my furni- ture to knit several afghans and sweaters .... I - Selections ca bedroom slippers, a robe and a terrible, angry red face. He loudly protested the noise. Well, I saw Lynn Barker His eyes widened, he took off on the run, and I haverr't seen him at all since then. Sometimes I see the curtains move. a little and his car's in the parking lot so I know he still lives there. I'm so proud of myself! I was fearless and I scared the heck out of that big guy! Why, maybe I'll even teach courses in assertiveness. There's just no telling how far this will take me! CC of acity which is experiencing growing pains. The di lation, brought on by Celgar and other promising developments, has not only decreased the vacancy rate, it has caused some property owners to become rather greedy. : The simple rule of supply and demand applies here. The demand for accommodations has increased, while the availability (or supply ) of accommodations is virtually non-existent. Hence, the housing that is available becomes more and inore costly. This can lead to drastic measures if the individu- al expected to shell out more for rent is a senior on a fixed income or a person on social assistance. Sometimes the only alternative is to move out com- pletely. ‘ Social services officials in Castlegar know this is going in our ity. Beli it or not, there bre people who would otherwise be classed as homeless if not for the generosity of those who make space available in their own homes to accom- g housing for single people under 65. And because the general popula- tion is increasing in age, the situation will likely not filter unless action is taken. In an age when Menchen's description has sadly become rule, Wells is the In a candid year-€nd Sunday what governments at all levels can do. “I think the year 1991 has had the effect of making realists out of us from both the constitutional and an economic point of view,” he said. “I think Canadians have become ... prepared to ... moderate their expectations” as far as both the constitution and the economy are concerned. “Moderating expecta- tions” is not what Canadians have been used to. Inflation had begun to creep up in 1973 after Liberal finance minis- ter John Turner brought down Canada’s last balanced budget. Conservative leader Robert Stan- field argued for 4 90-day prices and incomes freeze to allow the econo- my to cool off. “Nonsense!” scoffed Prime Min- ister Pierre Trudeau, who rode on to victory in the ‘74 election lampoon- ing Stanfield’s freeze idea. A year later, the cost-of-living index was going through the roof, Turner had quit, and the Trudeau government imposed, not a 90-day freeze, but a three-year program of wage and price controls. The Liberals had promised Canadians missionaries, and after winning the election, put the nation on a vegetarian diet For years they pulled the same trick.Every time a problem popped up,t hey spent money. Billions of dollars we didn’t have. A s aresult of past policies, Ottawa is tapped out and drowning in a sea of debt. Wells recognizes the problem. “We can't spend the way we've been spending in the past.” The problem is so bad, he said, we have no choice but to seriously reconsider the basics of liberal thinking such as universal social ‘ograms. “If we're going to provide the level of help to those who genuine- ly need it ... we'll have to look at the extent we'll have to limit uni- versality in order to be able to con- tinue to provide assistance to those who need it.” Limiting universality of social ‘Outspoken exception’ may be this year’s man to watch “There are some politicians who, if their constituents were cannibals, would promise them missionaries for dinner!” — HL. Menchen. Don’t put, Newfoundland Pre- mier Clyde Wells into the same boat as other politicians! programs? This from the Liberal premier of Canadas’ poorest province! “We have to face the new reality. And we may well have to adjust a number of our positions? on issues like medicare and social welfare “in order to find the right balance for this country in the future.” He said Canadians want the straight goods, “people understand the difficult times and they’re pre- pared to play a proper role in help- ing us solve these problems. “They're prepared to moderate expectations and realize there are limitations on what governments can do. If we're frank and with electorate, they'll respond fairly” he predicted. Straight talk from politicians? It’s a revolutionary idea — but an idea Wells believes is right for Canada as we enter our-125th year. And an idea that makes Clyde K. Wells a man to watch in the year ahead. By Don Addis Now THAT You MENTION IT, You COULD Do WITH A LITTLE LEG MAKEUP MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE Established November 28, 1990 Published by The Sun Weekly on 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, 8.0. VIN 168 PSAC/Nupge produce response to constitution The Public Service Alliance of Canada and the National Union of Provincial Government Employees have what they describe as "a public sector response” to the current discussions ‘on the Constitution and, having heard from "246 people who came to talk to us,” produced, as a companion piece, a digest of their opinions. ‘All of this has been assembled, tidily packaged and dispatched in a green box under the impri- matur of Daryl Bean and James Clancy, respective- ly presidents of the PSAC and the NUPGE. Bean and Clancy, they inform readers of their rial and await all and Constructive criticisms" in the interest of further discussion. Having read almost every word of the report - under the evocative title of "The Way Home” - and ploughed through the constitutional proposals in “Our New Home,” the initial com- ment as one respondent would be there is nothing in any of it that did not strike me, one way or another, as i ive-p ive or i Indeed, in any critical assay of the mountains of bumph circulated under the rubric of Now Hear This About the Great National Dilemma, the effort by the lic sector unions must be ranked among the most coming revealing, although hardly any have any direct bearing on the Constitution. “The Way Home” is an di of i ng, Midst bursts of striking hyperbole, some of it tolerable, some not. As exp given the sp ip. there is a good deal of Mulroney-bashing, frequent tirades against free trade, invocations to make the rich Put another way - as did a “citizen” from St. John's - "Canada is young as a country . This gi pay, and much grovelling and many pi at the feet of all those against whom others, dead or alive, have sinned. ~“"Abusing women is nothing less than a way of life in Canada today,” one woman is quoted as say- ing. Another says, "We are being held hostage by a government that is not working for Canada.” Perhaps because, as a Haligonian observed, "Culturally, we are an occupied country.” Or, as someone else asked, "Who will be left to tell Cana- dians who they are when the writers and artists of Canada finally die off?” A union member in Thunder Bay reminds us, "There are in this country today 1,121,000 children living in poverty and the numbers are increasing.” She wants an end to child poverty; so do L To risk a generalization, so would all Canadians: union presidents Bean and Clancy may not want to hear it, so would the Prime Minister. It is the difficulty with all this, sorting out what is relevant and what simply is nonsense. Surely. abusing women is not a way of life in Canada, and the country would have a long way to go before running out of writers and artists. But what is really going.on, among these Glow- ing Hearts, is a celebration of the belief that every citizen's complaint or lament can be parcelled up and delivered at the door of the government of Canada. * It would appear the Constitution might be agree- ably reformed with ‘one brief amendment. Tt would read: "Give them all whatever they want.” ry PP ry enough for everyone to have the things they need.” There is freq ion in the i of “compassion,” a word most people link directly to money: compassionate citizens seck compassionate governments to meet real needs. It is generally these days there are no compassionate gov- ernments out there since none of them has any peo- ple, since they flourish in the Canadian climate, but compassion without rational limits becomes thetoric and a form of self-indulgence. Possibly it does no harm that government is defined by some as an eternal provider, and truce democracy is never saying no, or wait a minute, or go do it yourselves. Certainly, all those voices speaking on "The Way Home” sound familiar, friendly, compassionate and i Furthermore, their wishes would be guaranteed by the PSAC/NUPGE Constitution (“Our New Home’) as “rights of all Canadians," includ- ing income security, housing, education, health care, a safe environment, and much more. The merely querulous may ask, "Who will pay for all this?” No problem: There will be constitu- tional protection for all federal/provincial agree- ments and mechani i to and finance programs and services to meet the social and economic rights of all Canadians.” Sign here. Dalton Camp is a political columnist and commentator. Dear Editor: To the persons (heathens) who rf their acts in Robson the evening of December 22, 1991. You have desecrated three of the things we as free Canadians consider, hold and treasure, very dear in our lives; our Church, our homes and families, and our flags. You must come under the dis- tinct tittle of “sick, sick” people and I would strongly recommend you seek help for your ailment as soon as you can. (I apologise to the medical profession.) You should also know that you are rapidly building a sound case against yourselves as you leave your finger and footprints behind on each of your hideous escapades. For your sakes, may you soon be placed under the treatment and care you so richly deserve. I, along with others countless thousands of women and men, once donned a uniform for over six years to fight against and defend the very things you see fit to vandalize and destroy. The very things we consider priorities in our lives. Many thousands of those women and men gave up their lives for this cause. We were told we were fighting for the gen- erations to come. Presumably you come under the latter. I thank God the majority think as I do, don’t suffer from your complaint and that they have not taken on your image and character. Between 6 p.m - 8 p.m. on this Sur. tay evening, you saw fit to pull down our metal, three-way flag staff, steal our our Union Jack and BC Flags and because you cold not in the time you had allotted, detach the Canadian flag, « you chose to show your paddy and walk on it in the mud and snow. You completed the “job” by twisting the flagpole like a pret- zel, around itself, Sick? I pray you will take a good look at those flags from time to time and pon- der on just what they stand for. The very freedom you will have to give up shortly. Next, not too far away, you We could treat our bodies better in the future through education in the public school system Dear Editor: “The government and the peo- ple on top can'jAlo everything — they've realifed that the average guy on the street may be able to do something to help cut costs.” quoted from a letter which appeared in The Castlegar Sun December 31, 1991. Think about it. Government tests make hint of a finding that certain foods can bring down your cholesterol count and high blood pressure - for the next few months sales go up on those particular foods. People are listening. Yes they will try i thod: the advertisement “Good for you food.” ially when the A good examp methods have failed and the ill have been sent home from the doctors office with no more than a simple pain killer or aspirin. It's difficult to spread the word on proper diet and good food and have it realized by the public when the allows such “garbage” that they call food to be put on the market and sold with - low in fat, and offers a good alternative to red meat. But after filling it with car- cinogenic oils, BHT's, artificial flavours and colours, there’s more in that food that your body wants to throw off than it can make use of for nourishment. Canned soups are another example of misguiding the public. “Soup is good food” soup is Appreciate the value of a customer Dear Editor: Please publish this. I’m confi- dent that retailers in the West Kootenays don’t realize this: What is a Customer? + A customer is the most impor- tant person in any business. + A customer is not dependent on us. We are dependent on them. + A customer is not an interrup- tion of our work. They are the pur- pose of it. + A customer does us a favour when they comes in. We aren't doing them a favour by waiting on the: Let's get past the ferry Dear Editor: I find it somewhat disturbing to see the Robson Ferry Ad Hoc Committee attacking the politi- cians again. The new NDP govern- ment has tough economic choices to make. Presenting the ‘Walk and Chew” Award and calling the pre- mier 4 “typical politician” dées not seem to be the best way to gain the government's sympathetic ear. I don’t believe this committee speaks for the majority of Robson residents when it persists in using negative tactics in public. Their actions may very well evoke an equally negative reaction from government, ensuring that not only the ferry, but also the bridge, is also lost. Will they then wonder why? If this committee can not use ¢ Library staff and volunteers praised Dear Editor: One of my many thanks for 1991 goes to the staff and volun- “gers of the Castlegar Library. I cannot but praise their helpful- ness, cheerfulness and hard work. I feel privileged to be part of a library that has such excellent facilities; a great variety of books and especially such a selection. of new books that continue to arrive regularly. positive tactics, then maybe they should at least be quiet. After all, we do not want the ill-advised actions of a few people to reflect on the rest of the community. Perhaps a better approach might be to work together with our elect- ed M.L.A. to ensure that the bridge projects proceeds as sé on as pos- sible. Let’s all face reality. The ferry is gone. For good. Let's move for- ward. Yours truly, Kootenay Video Productions, 669 Baker St., Nelson A personal, professional Video Production Service. Birthdays + Parties & more 54-4487 Bluetop Burger ECIALS i ‘Introducing’ CHICKEN $A95 « chips includes G.S.T. Seasoned chicken breast patty served with homemade fries and dipping sauce. SP + A customer is an essential part of our business — not an outsider. A customer is not just money in the cash register. They are a human being with feelings and deserves to be treated with respect. + A customer is a person who comes to us with their needs and their wants. It is our job to fill them. + A customer deserves the most courteous attention we can give them. They are the lifeblood of this and every business. They pay your salary. Without them we would have to close our doors good food, but not after it has been overcooked, coloured, thickened, preserved, and then sealed into an aluminum container. (Which is now advertised as a major contrib- utor to Alzheimer Disease.) C'mon people we can’t turn our backs and let this continue. It doesn't take much to pick up a book and find information or include courses in our public schools to educate our young on better ways to treat our bodies — before it’s too late. L. Floyd decided to break in to a small house. This young couple are struggling to build themselves a lit- tle home. What in the world could you possibly gain by looting this home? The young couple are actu- ally in “first gear” at the moment, maybe “bull low”. Because of their station in life you could not find anything of value to take. I am told it must have been a stupid fit of spite, for you wrecked their little Now for the ultimate in degra- dation. I am informed you broke into our Church, here in Robson and finding only a very small amount of cash — you performed what we Christians would consid- er the ultimate and lowest form of desecration. You pulled a Cross off the wall and threw it to the Seek help at once — for you undoubtedly need it. You are sick. rome causing much damage. I C.HLR. (Andy) Andrew Robsoa, BC Notice is hereby given that it is the intention of the Council of the City of Castlegar to undertake works, under the Specified Area Section of the icipal Act, to plish a D Project. Unless within one month after the publication and mailing of this notice a majority of the owners of parcels within the Specified Area, Letters Policy Letters to the Editor are wel- come on any topic of local or general interest. Letters should be double-spaced, typewritten, or legibly handwritten, and no more than two pages if possible. Let- ters will be edited in the interests of brevity or taste if necessary. All letters must be signed, with address and telephone number, although names may be witheld from publication for valid reason by the approval of the editor. Send létters to: The Castlegar Canadians in the Registration - January (POLITICAL SCIENCE 11 3 ) This course will include discussions on: Canadian Political Parties and Elections Canadian Foreign Policy » Aboriginal Peoples Policy Planning + Trade Unions « Free Trade Judiciary « Business - Women Start date is Monday, January 27, 1992 For more information contact: ~ —-- HOME STUDY SELKIRK COLLEGE BOX 1200, CASTLEGAR, B.C. VIN 3J1 (604) 365-5408 Political Process 6 to January 17, 1992 Sun, 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C., VIN 1G8, or drop them off at the office. Don't ever forget it. Author Castlegar Foods ~*T UMBO | or SPRITE || TOWELS Regular or Diet. 2 L. plus deposit, 2 Limit of 2 with this coupon. Limit of 2 with this coupon 99. .99. ee ee ee ee en LR ee ee ICE LEAN CREAM GROUND ig Dipper. BEEF L Pail. 5- Ib. pkg. 3.70 kg 1 o POTATOES 15 lb Wholewheat. bag 570 g. Loaf. f ea. Come on in and check out our many in-store specials for extra savings! Watch for more great savings in next Wednesday's Castlegar Sun. ee ‘ Limit of 1. 2””. SLICED Castlegar Foods Castlegar Foods will honcur all competitors in-store coupons while stocks last. core aon. » Vee. & Se on oe Friday 9 am - 8 pm « Sunday 10 am - 5 pm ry at least 1/2 of the value of the parcels which are liable to be specially charged, petition of the Council not to proceed with it, the works may be as a local imp’ GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORKS: * The Works are to be ken to ibute to the ification of the downtown core of the City of Castlegar and will include u 2 di ion of telep icity and ion cables, improvements to the water system and storm sewer system, street lighting, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, paving, trees, plants, signs, benches, bollards, line painting, irrigation, topsoil and all ancillary and incidental things therewith. LOCATION IN WHICH THE WORKS ARE TO BE EFFECTED: The Works will take place in the area commonly referred to as “the Downtown Core” and is more specifically as detailed on the plan. tener x x Ww ONY OF CASTE ms q = SPECIFIED AREA \ 7 \ \ y \ LY sy ‘ \ The area is also generally defined as: *Columbia Avenue from Crescent Street south to Reference Plan 926121; +13th Avenue from 3rd Street to Columbia Avenue; +1 1th Avenue from 2nd Street to 4th Street; +2nd Street from 11th Avenue to Columbia Avenue; +3rd Street from the lane east of 11th Avenue to 13th Avenue; 4th Street from the lane east of 1 1th Avenue to Columbia Avenue; and -Wood Street from Columbia Avenue to 3rd Street. THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE WORKS IS $4,951,497. The proportion of the total cost to be borne by owners within the specified area is $1,662,500 which proportion constitutes 33.58% of the total cost ($1,662,500 is also only one-half of the amount to be borrowed from the Province of British Columbia). Annual charges will be imposed upon owners within the specified area for a period of 15 years. <- Copies of Downtown Revitalization Specified Area Establishment and Loan Authorization Bylaw 599 as well as further information regarding the project are available for inspection at: City Hall, 460 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C. from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.