January 12, 1991 ss Conte Nore NATIONAL NEWS Meeting angers citizens HALIFAX (CP) — The Citizens’ Forum. on Canada’s Future was taken over by the citizens when it rolled into Halifax. About two dozen angry people complained that they weren't invited to the forum's session in the city and couldn't get information about the meeting from the commission's toll- free telephone numbers. “We didn’t even know if we could get through the door,’ Owen Carrigan, a history professor at St. Mary's University, said to reporters before the meeting began. “You call that checking on public opinon? That's ridiculous.” Chairman Keith Spicer invited par- ticipants to break into small discussion groups that the forum is using to gauge public opinion about the future of the country. “This is the procedure that is totally different from the traditional royal commission,’’ Spicer told about 75 people who showed up at a university lecture theatre.. ‘You don’t have to be invited; you invite yourself.*” But that wasn’t good enough for those who came clutching prepared speeches detailing their versions of what’s wrong with Canada. So Spicer had to improvise. “If you want to'stay here and have maybe five people give speeches while the rest of you listen we can do that,”’ he said. ‘Some of us can sit up on the stage. We will not have a discussion. We will have an old-fashioned royal commission.” Saint John, N.B., Mayor Elsie Cemmission off to peor start in east tried to soothe feelings by pointing out that the hearings were launched in the Maritimes and not some other part of Canada. “We had to convince them to come here — that this is where it should be — and I thought it was rather gracious of them to say yes,"* she said. That only infuriated the forum's critics, some of whom booed Wayne. “Should we kiss Mr. Spicer’s ring for meeting here?’* Carrigan shouted. ‘Come on.” Others called the forum ‘‘subver- sive’* and ‘‘a conspiracy’’ and ac- cused operators of the toll-free in- formation lines of lying about the Halifax meeting. Eventually, about 50 people left the room to form -the smaller discussion groups and Spicer remained to listen to more complain- ts about the forum and Canada’s grim future. The flamboyant Spicer, a former commissioner of official languages, said tater the hijacking of the meeting was a good sign, despite the, hostility. ie bit messy, but it’s very ul. “No one had'to kiss my ting.’” ‘The WRKkT Was’ darker "tr sone” of the di as participants ‘ions the forum had devised to spark debate on such matters as aboriginal rights, multiculturalism and Canada in the global community. EDMONTON (CP) — Public distrust of the federal gover- nment will-undermine efforts by the Citizens’ Forum on Canada’s Future to find common ground among Canadians, Reform party leader Preston Manning said. “‘They're operating in an at- mosphere of great cynicism and pessimism; people don’t trust the government that set them up,”” Manning said about the national soul-searching commission headed by Keith Spicer. “The commissioners can be as sincere as they want, but that’s a real liability to operate under,”’ he told the Edmonton Journal in Reformer skeptical an interview in Ottawa. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney set up the citizens forum to sear- ch for solutions to Canada’s con- stitutional problems. Known as guide the debate, the forum sent 14 questions for concerned (Canadians to answer. They ranged from what it means to be a Canadian, to the the Spicer hearings this week Maritimes, and heard Canadians of bili i the BRIEFLY Pesticides found OTTAWA —P des are showing up in groundwater in several nin says a federal Environment Department in recent years found traces of the chemicals irrigated lands in the Prairies, in southern Nova Scotia, says the report. pesticides are being found in groundwater is .”" said Environment Department official Tony a recognized problem. “*Hf the groundwater is being weed for drinking water supply, there would be quite a lot of concern.” He said pesticides don’t degrade as quickly in groundwater as they do at the surface. ++ Passengers increase OTTAWA — The last three months of 1990 gave Via Rail a lot of optimism for the future, executive vice-president Jim Roche said. A big surge in the number of riders from October to Christmas meant Via carried 3.6 million passengers and collected $135 million from fares in 1990. It took another $453 million from the government to pay off the bills but that was $3 million less than was budgeted. Roche said the company fell short of its projected four million passengers and $144 million in revenue for the year, but he didn’t offer any apologies. The pfedictions were made in 1989 when economic conditions were rosy, and before the government’s decision to cut Via services half last Jan. 15, **The turnaround at the end of the year was more than we ed,"’ Roche said in an ihterview. ‘The worst of 1990 was at the of Quebec snive Peoaeas and the division of anger, fear, and hostility. Manning Y wished Spicer well in the cross-country exercise, although he said it would have been far more fruitful if a formal “democratic convention had been established at arm’s length from Ottawa to seafch for changes. To stimulate discussion and powers. grintota suggested a 15th question should have been added: “*What does it matter? How can you convince us governments will respond to our views? “You could ask that question at the end. It’s the one that comes to the mind of the skep- tical citizen.’” start. “*That meant we went into the your in a good position. We hope there will be modest growth this year.” The ion is hurting all Roche said. To keep attracting passengers, Via has to make good service to of its trains the norm rather than Defence the key issue Wayne, one of 12 forum OTTAWA — Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced the i he ITH A “1991” 20-Pces. of Golden pono Chicken Reg. $24.' — SALE EFFECTIVE. 2816 Columbia Ave. “Anytime is Chicken Time” pyaar phew adli BARREL SALE! SAVE $5.08 ...ONLY 1 9. 91 EFFECTIVE ALL THE MONTH OF JANUARY — 365-5304 s, ~\ME g Nv Grits to take pulse of country OTTAWA (CP) — Liberal MPs and senators will criss-cross the country to hear from Canadians who are losing their jobs, businesses and homes to the recession. “OS i are by the senators hope to visit are Saint John, N.B., Sydney, N.S., Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Regina, _Ed- monton and Vancouver. We feel that the government has both an and an — LICENCED DINING ROOM — D-sar-D DINING LOUNGE R THEH Weight Scale in Ootischenio Season's Greetings to all our valued patrons! 365-3294 New PERSONAL CHOICE Program TOTAL Program today -, the first time, Weight VWsatchers’ offers 3B new food plans in a breakthrough program. REGISTRATION PAY ONLY $9.35 Plus G.S.T. ($0.65) $10.00 WEEKLY FEE Now for the first ume. you can Nave a weight loss program that gives you three different food pians to choose from it’s the new Personal Choice Program from Weight Watchers. Each Personal Choice food pian can be as structured or as flexible as you wish. so staying on the Program 1s easy. It puts you in control. And you can eat all your favorite foods from the vety first day Finally, the Choice is yours Call us about this exciting new Matchers. fact that their hurt is not being felt by the Canadian “government and their voices are not being heard,” Liberal caucus chairman Sergio Mar- chi said. Liberals will conduct hearings for a month in more than 35 cities and towns, concluding Feb. 15. They then plan to present their findings at a special three-day meeting of Liberal parliamentarians. The group’s complete schedule has yet. to be determined. But among the communities the MPs and LOTTERIES ‘Unwillingness to'listen to what people ate ‘saying,”’” Liberal MP John Manley said at a news conference. The Liberal party hopes to draw on a vast reservoir of opposition to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the Conservative government to fuel its attack when Parliament resumes. Mulroney said Thursday that Parliament, which is in recess and wasn’t expected to resume sitting un- til Feb. 18, will be recalled next week to deal with the crisis in the Persian Gulf. Despite a growing risk of war in the gulf, the falterning economy remains the main concern among Canadians, outranking the country’s troubles in public The winning numbers drawn Thur- sday in the B.C: Keno lottery were 5, 9, 26, 28, 35, 40, 43, and 47. The winning numbers in Wed- nesday’s Lotto 6-49 draw were 2, 5, 9, 17, 22 and 38. The bonus number was 12. The $1,627,590.60 jackpot was not won. The four Extra winning numbers for British Columbia on Wednesday were 21, 22, 48 and 73. The winning numbers drawn Wednesday in the B.C. Keno lottery were 12, 26, 38, 41, 46, 49, 53 and 35. In the event of a discrepancy bet- ween these numbers and the official winning numbers list, the latter shall prevail. Action Ad Phone Number is 365-2212 Central Foods (Prices ettective Jan. 14-Jan. 20) Overwaitea (Prices effective Jan. 13-Jon. 20) Sho D (l Prices Cree dan. 15-Jan. 19) SuperValu (Prince effective Jobs are still being lost and another round of deep spending cuts in the next federal budget could end up prolonging the recession said Liberal MP Joe Fontana. He will co- ordinate the hearings. “*We will see whether or not this government continues to inflict this pain and whether or not in fact they want to help this country and its people back to work,’’ said Fontana. Finance Minister Michael -Wilson has held a round of meetings with business and labor groups as he Liberal--MPs said their hearings could provide a last chance for or- dinary Canadians to make their own pre-budget submissions that the op- position can relay to the finance Asked what the Liberals would do ig moves ng a fe meeting with senior cabinet ministers and military officials on the Persian Gulf crisis: © The House of Commons, which was slated to remain in recess until Feb. 18, will be recalled next week. MPs may be back in Ottawa by mid-week to address Canada’s role in the gulf crisis, said one vernment official. © Mulroney and British Prime Minister John Major will discuss today a request by the United Kingdom for a 500-member field hospital unit. A decision is also likely on a Defence Department request for an additional six CF-18 jet fighters. © Canada will pull its ambassador and three diplomats out of the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Saturday. © A meeting was arranged for Sunday in Ottawa between the prime minister and U.S. Secretary of State James Baker. © Mulroney cancelled scheduled visits to London, Jan. 19-21, and to Germany, Jan. 23-26. Saudi Arabia to help with costs ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia pledged Friday to bear 40 to 50 per cent of the. costs of confronting Iraq in the Persian Gulf, but U.S. and Saudi officials declined to provide a price tag on the contribution. Prince Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, announced the pledge after U.S. State Secretary James Baker met in Riyadh with Prince Saud, the foreign minister, and other Saudi officials over breakfast today. Bandar and Baker declined to specify how much money was involved or whether the Saudis are increasing their proportional share of the costs of Operation Desert Shield. But in an ambiguous reply, Baker said he is satisfied with the results from the pitch he made for more Saudi help to finance the U.S.-led coalition of more than 400,000 troops now stationed in the gulf region. “The kingdom has been very generous during 1990,’’ Baker said. ‘ Carl Lewis arrested HOUSTON — Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis was arrested early Friday on drunk-driving charges and remained in custody pending posting of bond which a police officer estimated at $800. The American spring champion was pulled over at 2 a.m. in west Houston. Lewis, 29, was driving an Audi carrying four men. One of the other men was also arrested after becoming belligerent. Authorities said Lewis, who did not resist arrest, was taken into custody after failing an on-site sobriety test. A test at the police station put his blood-alchohol level at 0.12. In Texas, the legal limit is 0,10. Police said Lewis was pulled over after officers in a patrol car sav his vehicle make a turn, strike the curb and blow out both right-side tires, disabling the car in the middle of the street. Lewis received the 100-metre gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics after Canadian Ben Johnson tested positive for anabolic steroids and was stripped of the medal. Mortgage rates easing OTTAWA — Mortgage rates will ease this year but must drop two full percentage points before there is any revival in new home construction, economists say. The current one- and three-year mortgage rate stands at 12.50 per The possibility of lower rates raises hope for the beleaguered industry and frustrated would-be owners of new homes. But the economists also said any real drop in mortgage rates won't start to appear for another six months. Residential last year fell 16 per cent to 180,000 units from 1989 — its lowest level since 1985. Bari Sweet, a Royal Bank of Canada economist, said ‘‘a cut of two percentage points from current levels would perhaps get things ARROW LAKE ELEVATION 1422:90' on Jan. 12 Forecast of Elevation 1419.62’ by Jan. 19 & y \--