by vested in ond balpnge to Contle Mews Lid. provided, however, thet copyright in that port and thot port Prepared ony odverieement belong 10 the adver tweer from repre proots, engravings, etc. provided by the tiser shell remain Will protest work? It's difficult not to support the Robson and area residents who oc- cupied the Castlegar-Robson ferry Saturday to protest the provincial government's decision to discon- tinue ferry service April 1. After all, the facts are in the residents’ favor. The ferry is the second busiest in the Interior, carrying well over 300,000 vehicles a yeor. It serves a community of some 1,500 to 1,800 on one side a city of more than 7,000 on the other And it only costs $225,000 to operate. That's a drop in the bucket of the Ministry of Highways’ multi-million dollar budget. But the most basic fact is thet the ferry is needed. People use the; ferry now and have used it for 65 years. What will Robson residents without vehicles do? Word is that many Robson renters without tran- sportation have already given notice and decided to relocate in Castlegar where they will be within walking distance of shop- ping, entertainment, and emergency serv! What's maddening is that after deciding there isn't enough money to operate the Castlegar-Robson ferry any more, the provincial government is reportedly ready to announce that it has come up with $175 million to extend the light rapid transit system into Surrey. That's in addition to the $854 million price tag for the other parts of the system. In all, the gover- nment plans to spend nearly $1 billion to construct the transit system on the Lower Mailand, but can't afford $225,000 to keep the Castlegar-Robson ferry operating. Despite oll that, it isn't easy supporting the Robson area residents who occupied the ferry Saturday — not because they aren't justified, but because their actions will likely have little effect on the provincial government. Wt is a sad day when voters begin to feel that whatever they may say to their government, it will be ignored. But that is exactly the feeling around this area, and in many other areas of the province. It is only too obvious that when the provincial government has made up its mind, nothing will change it — no matter how reasoned some of the arguments and no matter how loud some of the protests High-profile protests on the lawns of the legislature are as ineffective as low-key backroom politicking. That. realization is finally starting to sink in around this crea. The unfortunate aspect of all of this is that residents will grow more cynical and feel more powerless in their dealings with the provincial government. It's not unthinkable to see it gradually reach the stage where whatever the government does is accepted with neither approval or disapproval by voters because they will feel whatever their reaction, it doesn't really matter anyway. Celgar gain is our loss No matter what Mayor Audrey Moore and Castlegar council may say, the decision by the B.C Assessment Authority appeal board to reduce BC Timber's tax assessment on its Celgar pulp and saw mill operations by $10 million going to cost Castlegar taxpayers. Someone has to make up that difference or else city services will have to be pared drastically. Either small business or residential property owners will foot the bill. But whichever way you logk at it, BC Timber's gain is our loss. Fred Merriman It is no wonder the hot blooded Latin Americans change dictators like the seasons because here in sane, sober and peace-loving Canada we have ordinary husbands and wives — good hard working family folk — talking about occupying the Robson ferry. What a mind set. If I tried that at work I would be fired in less than five minutes. Let me expand on the occupation theory: It is 7:30 a.m. April 1. A Depart- ment of Highways crew reports at the Robson side to cut the trans- porting cables. Three hundred an- gry citizens have gathered at the site to protest. The local RCMP have been re- quested to attend at the cable cut- ting just in case there is any trouble. At least 100 men, women and chil- dren have boarded the ferry by wading through the water and climbing the rail. The ramps have been raised to discourage that sort of behavior. Several agile young lads have scrambled up the elevated steel loading ramps which places them perhaps 20 feet above the ground. The crowd grows larger by the moment; a veritable traffic jam with cars, trucks, bicycles, kids and dogs. School will be a write-off this day as this public demonstration is the big- gest event to hit town since the ur- anium protest at China Creek when 50 policemen showed up to quell the rioters. A mean, unemployed woodwork- er grabs the cutter from the High- ways worker. A 10-year-old boy named Russ watches as his dad, the Highways worker, grabs back. The boy tum. bles froth.his perch high on the ele- vated off ramp. The lad is badly injured, a mother on the ferry screams. Tempers seething for weeks over the closure announcement, boil over. The Highways worker know- ing that Russ had fallen as a result of this public gathering hits the woodworker. Friends from either side join the fray and a police officer fires a warning shot into the air. The police now become the enemy and all hell breaks loose. It’s an exact replay of the Estevan Massacre, only in that instance, a member of the marching mob had grabbed the only pistol in the place from a policeman and fired a shot into the air which killed a woman watching from a hotel room above the street scene. The newspapers dubbed the inci- dent the Estavan Massacre. Surely more reason than that which we read about in the morning Castlegar News must prevail in the quiet piece of suberbia named Rob- son. I believe that more reasonable minds than that abide in that beau- tiful place. Newspapers will name this event the Robson Riot. The after- math will read something like this: “The minister announces that the ferry will be withdrawn for an in- definite time for repair and inspec- tion as a result of vandalism. “Repairs are expected to take more than a year as the ferry must be dismantled for removal to a major repair station in Vancouver. “Some felt the removal was un- necessary, others felt that it was a good move to allow tempers to cool and for those so affected to adapt to life without a ferry. Two years later, the Robson Rec- reation Society wins a bid to own and operate the ferry. Letters to the Editor CITY BEAUTIFICATION Proper tree care urged . News: I read with interest your editorial in the March 4 issue concerning beau- tification plans for our city. I could not agree with your more, especially on the issue of proper tree care. I have been gradually reduced to a state of near i iti by the I assumed that it was all necessary to protect those lovely power lines, al- though I am at a loss to explain why such a desperate trimming is necessary where the removal of an offending branch would suffice. It was only re- cently when I noticed that the same continuous assaults by the local tree butchers on our community. The many stately trees which used to grace our ity have been lly re- duced to a pitiful collection of oversized stumps with the odd branch left for the birds to perch on. was imposed on a group of mature trees growing along the north wall of city hall — and nowhere near a line — that the awful truth stuck me. I realized with a sense of disbelief, that someone actually believes that trees are better in that condition; and How concerned are local businesses? Editor, Castlegar News: On Saturday, March 3 a public meeting was held in the Robson Hall regarding the provincial government's decision to remove yet another way of life from the “opposition area” of the West Kootenays — thé Robson/Castle- gar ferry. Representation from the public and businesses of Robson, Raspberry, Oot- ischenia and Thrums were evident. To these people, congratulations on stick- ing together as a community. What I seriously, wonder about is just how concerned are the downtown Castlegar businesses? Yes, there were two representatives from council, Mr. Bob MacBain and Mr. Albert Calder- bank, but what about the other indi- vidual businesses? Do you really care whether or not your businesses continue to thrive? When the ferry is removed, undoubted- ly most of the residents on this side of the river will stop at the plaza for their shopping needs. With the exception of a liquor store — and it probably won't take long to move that — everything for shopping is at the Kinnaird end of the city, for example: clothing, food, sporting goods, banking, laundromat, health food, bakery, barber and hair dressers, garages, drug store, yardgoods and a travel agency. You've enjoyed our support from this side of the river for the past three- quarters of a century, but when it comes to your physical support to at- tend a public meeting to support us, it's too much of an effort — a typical response from an expanded city where everyone is looking out for himself! We're fighting to keep a conven- ience, shouldn't you make an effort to support ‘your livelihood? Sooner or later the residents of north Castlegar are going to end up paying higher prices to subsidize your businesses and it won't take long to lose them, busi- ness is where the bargains are! Shame on you business people of north Castlegar, you deserve everything you are not going to get! C.L. Schuepier Robson Disaster poised to strike Celgar Road Editor, Castlegar News: Friday night on all too common drama unfolded on the Celgar Road. A car slid out of control on black ice and crashed end-over-end down the rocks to end up straddling the pipeline carrying heavy bunker fuel to the pulpmill directly below. The passengers stepped unhurt from the smashed remains of the car; spared injury because they were riding in a sound vehicle and all were wearing lap straps and shoulder harnesses. The four young women in this car were fortunate for there was no traffic coming towards them when they spun out of control or there could have been a head-on collision; or perhaps the pipeline could have broken, flooding the area with bunker fuel; or they might not have worn their seat belts; or if any of the many variables had shifted then there could have been a tragic end to the drama. This potential for tragedy is what prompts me to write. A major disaster is poised and waiting to happen on the Celgar Road. When the Castlegar ferry closes there is going to be a marked increase of traffic on this dangerous stretch of road, thereby raising probability of disaster to certainty. There will be people hurrying to work, heavy trucks, and most significantly there will be school buses with their cargo of kids sitting without the protection of seat- belts. The short-term economic gains to be found in the closure of the ferry are going to be very insignificant when balanced against the price of the lives which will be lost when the trap which is Celgar Road slams shut on some un- suspecting travellers who have no choice but to drive this hazardous route. ‘The Celgar Road is not an acceptable alternate to the Castlegar ferry even if it is upgraded but if we are going to lose the ferry then surely we must at least have the furthermore, that this is a worthy pur- suit under the present times of re- straint. As a taxpayer, I find this wasteful, and asa lover of nature I find it painful to contemplate. If we are to plant trees again in the future, let us choose trees that will be able to grow to their full natural poten- tial without us trying to modify their size and shape later to fit into areas which confine their growth. With this thought in mind, it seems foolish to consider planting Colorado spruce along Columbia Ave. As anyone having seen one knows, this tree maintains branches to the ground level and a mature tree would require close to 20 feet of room around its base. They would look great in a boulevard seeting, but Columbia Ave. is too narrow to allow the development of such a wide median strip. Much more watable_w to let our city fathers know how they feel about this situation. W.O. Volousek Castlegar Ferry closure opposed Editor's Note: The following letter was written to Highways Minister Alex Fraser: 1 am writing in support of retaining the Castlegar/Robson ferry service. As a resident and taxpayer of Robson for the past 15 years, I have seen both our community and the neighboring com- munity of Castlegar grow and prosper. The closing of the ferry will, in my opinion, cause a depreciation of prop- erty values here and ultimately a decline in the resulting tax revenues in Victoria. Closure would also cause hardships here for residents and businesses. I am concerned also with the safety of Robson children, who will undoub- tedly be using the railway bridge to cross to and from Castlegar to take advantage of recreational facilities, shopping and extracurricular school activities. The foot portion of this bridge is in poor condition, as are the approaches. There is no lighting, nor is there a fence to prevent: access to the tracks themselves. I am afraid it would only be a matter of time until serious injury or death resulted. I note that Castlegar council is to attempt to hand over maintenance of the highway from Castlegar to the Keenleyside dam back to the Ministry of Highways, as it will need upgrading due to the increased traffic from Robson and tourist traffic using Syringa Creek Park in the summer. If they are successful, the cost of necessary imp to the road done before the ferry is closed. 1am not a resident of Robson, so I do not often drive this road but it was my daughter and my car which fell off the road; our cost in learning about the dangers of this road is relatively cheap, a good car reduced to junk; others are not going to be as fortunate. I urge all persons who must use this road to make every effort to retain the ferry and if that is not possible and you have to drive the Celgar Road then please wear your seatbelt and be very careful. EB. Crosfield and ing this road must be weighed against the savings achieved by closing the ferry. In concluding, I would ask that you also note that this ferry is the heaviest travelled inland ferry in the province, with the exception of the Albion ferry across the Fraser River. To close it will doubtless cause severe hardship on local residents and businesses. With decreased revenues and higher high- way -eosts,the actual savings by closing this ferry are questionable. With this in mind, I would ask that you kindly review this possibly hasty decision. Don McDowell, Robson ‘The school board travelled to Grand Forks last week to inspect the Leitners:When you buy 4 suit, go to the man who makes them. Remember Kiwanis Glee Club concert Sunday, the Queen Alexandria Solariam. The next meeting, a social, will be held March 16 at the home of Mrs. A. Buie. . 8 © Everybody is busy in Kinnaird these days. With a Kiddies’ Show at the St. Patrick’s Tea on Thursday afternoon and an adult Floor Show at the dance on Friday, March 18, there is a lot of preparation necessary. Some are train- ing children in dancing, others are making costumes and Mr. Thompson, the school teacher is training, is train- ing a children’s choir. . * * In session with the commissioners The Allis-Chalmers Tractor-Shovel which was ordered, has arrived and was unloaded at Castlegar last Mon- day. With this piece of equipment we are hoping to do some long-needed road work and improvements. 25 YEARS AGO From the March 12, 1959 News Castlegar The Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce is endeavoring to have the Pass Creek area at the bridge set aside as a campsite for tourists. Letters have been forwarded to Ministers and Don Brothers, MLA. * 8 @ A total amount of $910 was allotted in grants Tuesday night at the regular directors meeting of Kinnaird-Robson- Casth Welfare and Ri 8o- ciety. The B.C. Heart Foundation and the Canadian Conquer Cancer Clinic each received grants of $100. . 8 * Competing Friday night in the open- ing sessions of the West Kootenay Music Festival in Trail, the Stanley ui High School Band placed fi its class with marks of 166. band earned high praise Trém adjudicator Lawrence Cluderay who mentioned particularly the high “qual- ity and blending” of their performance. . 8 « Two low-power CBC transmitters similar to the booster station at Castlegar will be installed at Slocan City and New Denver this year, H.W. Herridge, Kootenay West MP an- nounced today. Mr. Herridge said further installa- tions at Proctor and Nakusp are now The West Kootenay junior girls’ curling champions from Castlegar have won the right to represent the East and West Kootenays at the B.C. play- downs to be held in Vernon the middle of this month. They defeated the East Kootenay represenatives from Kimberley in three games played here recently. The girls who will be making the trip to the provincial playdowns are skip Patsy Van Yzerloo, third Marlee Tris- chuk, segond Lynn Archambault and lead Sharon Kinakin. . 8 « The Hon. John Munro, federal Minister of Health and Welfare, has agreed to keynote the B.C. Rec- reational Association annual confer- ence being held in Trail on May 10. Mr. Munro was invited because of his responsibility in planning for education of Canadians to enjoy increased leisure time. Three Genelle men arrested July 10 after their sit-down blockade of ma- chinery being used in uranium explor- ation near China Creek were given an absolute discharge in Rossland provin- cial court Friday. e 8 8 B.C. Hydro has confirmed that it is taking a new look at its proposed Murphy Creek dam on the Columbia River at Hannah Creek, but has not confirmed a report that it has set any dates for when it might be built. . 8 « Cominco has begun work on a $6.9 million effluent treatment plant to clean process and waste water entering the Columbia River from the com- pany’s metalurgical operations in Trail. * *« « The United Church in Castlegar has given the green light to build a new church. At a special congregational meeting held last Monday, it was decided to proceed with the new building to be located at 620 6th Ave. S. Located at 1721 Columbia Avenuc. MEAT SPECIALS TUESDAY Gainers Sausage Sticks Assorted Varieties. Fletchers ieners Regular. 450 9 Pkg. 600 Deals available. 500 9 Pkg. 180 Deals Available. a ssese==Liver Chubs Prices €ffective March 12 - 17, 1984 In Your New Castlegar Safeway Store Only. Located at 1721 Columbia Avenve. We Reserve the Right to Limit Sales to Retail Quantities. THURSDAY Fletchers ologna Sliced. 175 g Pkg. 600 Deals Avaliable. Freybe Liver usage 192 Deals Available. sqo2 é Olympic. leners Regular. 450 9 Pho. 672 Deals Available. 99° ATURDAY Sliced. Pride of Canada. ¥ 175 g Pkg. “Cooked Ham o>