Castlégar News March 4, 1990

ainy-day fund not piggy bank

VICTORIA (CP) — The B.C, Social Credit gover-
nment boasts about its Budget Stabilization Fund, the
Opposition New Democrats scoff at it and most others
don’t understand it.

Everyone, including Finance Minister Mel Couvelier,
refers to it as the B.C, Fund.

“I think it is one of the most confusing things,’’ says

federal budget reduced the rate at which transfer paymen-
ts to the provinces will increase.

Couvelier estimates that will cost British Columbia
$120 million this year and $1.25 billion over the next five

‘s. .
With the provincial government looking at either
raising taxes or cutting programs, he was pressed about

one Finance Ministry “People are
to go look in the piggy bank and see money."’

But the rainy-day fund is not in a piggy bank or even
tucked away in some interest-bearing account.

Suppose you plan to use credit to buy a new stereo,
but out of the blue, win a lottery.

Now able to pay cash for the stereo, pay off debts
and balance your cheque book, you haven’t added to
your debts and still have credit.

Simply put, that is what the Budget Stabilization
Fund is like.
The fund came under scrutiny after last month's

why the g it didn’t tap the fund.

“The money is not in the bank,’’ sighed a frustrated
Couvelier. ‘‘It’s not a source of money. That money has +
been spent as we got it in every day of the week to reduce
our borrowing or interest costs.””

**I listened to the finance minister and I wonder if he
himself understands it,’’ said Leonard Laudadio,
pI of ics at the University of British
Colum!

“I think there are members (of the legislature) on
both sides who don’t understand it,’’ said auditor general
George Morfitt.

What it boils. down to, say. Finnance Ministry

spokésmen, is shifting funds between the Budget
Stabilization Fund and the general fund to keep the
budget balanced.

The government can get the money if needed. The
government can use credit.

Government estimates peg the overall accumulated
debt at $17.3 billion this year. Had unexpected revenue
not come in, that figure would be higher.

Here’s how finance ministry staff say the fund
evolved.

© During the 1987-88 budget, the province got an ad-
ditional $740 million from accelerated federal payments
on the province’s share of collected taxes and increased
revenues.

© The next year the government received an ad-
ditional $748 million from higher than — revenues
and other sources.

© In 1989 the government balanced its budget for the
first time in a decade using $375 million from the fund.

© The government says the fund now sits at about

at te sed its unexpected revenue to
the it ut is

make purchases, it would normally have bought on

credit, It balanced its"budget, paid off some debt and cut

down on the amountat had to borrow.

Yet it keeps a separate entry in its books still main-
taining that extra money as a fund. The fund is only on
paper and can only be turned into cash by borrowing
money.

The NDP insists this is an accounting illusion
designed to make the government look good because it
has a balanced budget and a rainy-day fund.

Finance Ministry staff say had that unexpected
money been put into general revenues to create or expand
programs, it would make budget cutting more difficult in
poor economic years.

jAn alternative to maintaining the fund, staff say, is
to lower taxes in periods of strong economic growth and
raise them when revenues are down.

Morch4,1990 CastlégarNews a3

Briefly

Letter
doesn't
satisfy

group

By CasNews Staff

A letter from provincial ombud-
sman Steven Owen's office glosses
over the question of whether the B.C.
government reneged on a promise to
the Robson-Raspberry Ferry Users
Ad Hock Committee and the commit-
tee will write Owen again asking that
he look ‘into the matter, committee
member Les Schultz said Saturday.

The letter included government
press releases on the proposed bridge
between Robson and Castlegar and
on the plans for the former Robson
ferry to be put into service at Arrow
Park on Upper Arrow Lake and
didn’t deal with the issue of whether
or not the committee legitimately
bought the ferry in 1988, Schultz said.

“*He seems to have said we should
be satisfied with that and we're not,’”
Schultz said.

Owen was asked-to-look-into the
government’s proposal to sell the
ferry for $1 in 1988. The committee
sent in its $1 and the government
returned it about three months later,
Schultz said. Nothing ever came of
the offer to sell the ferry.

“As taxpayers and citizens, we
have a right to know where we stand
on the issue and get a yes or no,”
Schultz said.

« J
ALONG WAY DOWN

digging for oll, Jim Pen
dal

seb tapes
ling comeett s are digging the hole that will become the

It looks as though they're
}) and Leo Litwin, with a Kelowna

Film location to be
oved to Kamloops

By CasNews Staff

Lack of cooperation from Vernon’s
municipal government was part of
what led a movie, company planning
to use the Okanagan city as a location
for a film abdut the Doukhobor
people in Canada to move to
Kamloops, film p John Stark

Clarke has accused thé regional
district of raiding and says she is
angry the film commission contacted
Stark six months ago when Vernon
was chosen as the shooting location.
Clarke said she will investigate
whether _the regional district's film

said.

receives grants
from the provincial government for

“*Minor di ion and
Started to arise’’ over the picture,
Stark said in an interview from his
Los Angeles office.

However, there was no single
reason for the move, said Stark, who
originally wanted to film in the
Castlegar area. The decision was
made after a ination of

and if so she will write to
Provincial Secretary Howard Dirks to
protest the use of the funds to take
the project from her city.

Stark said Vernon merchants and
residents were ‘‘100 per cent’’ behind
the project but ‘‘I couldn’t afford the
negativism"’ being generated after all

including the lack of a film com-
mission in Vernon. The Thompson
Nicola Regional District around
Kamloops has a film commission.

Vernon entrepreneur Judy Sellin,
who along with her husband Willy is
acting as associate producer on the
picture, said the lack of an established
film commission in the city blocked
the project and the existence of the
regional district film commission was
the deciding factor in shifting the
film’s location.

However, Vernon Mayor Anne

the pi that have plagued the
film.

Stark has been trying to drum up
financial support for his project for
some time and last year complained
bitterly over his treatment by Telefilm
Canada, the federal government's
film development agency. The issue
ended when Telefilm turned down
Stark’s request for $5 million in
production funding.

Stark is still working to secure
financing for the movie which he'said
may begin filming in late spring or
early summer.

The foreign distribution rights were
recently sold to a company out of
Beverly Hills and Montreal for
$400,000, boosting the guarantees for
the film to just under $1 million, said
Stark, a native of Rossland.

The $5-million budget is being
revised to about $3.5 million in light
of the guarantees that have been
secured and a possible deal with the
union representing crafts people on
the film, Stark said.

The union suggested its members
would be willing to take deferrals or
credit rather than salaries during
filming, he said, adding that similar
deals with other creative people are
being looked at.

Potential financial backers are
“serious now'’ about providing
money for the film because of the
guarantees, Stark said. The Royal
Bank of Canada is still interested in
financing the film, he said.

As well, the actors who were in-
terested in the picture last year — a
list that includes Christopher Plum-
mer and Megan Follows — are stil
terested and Leonard Cohen has
already begun working on the musical
score, Stark said.

elevator shaft of the new C

for
extention, on what used to be 9th Avenue past the hospital,

th
began last week. —cosnews proto

He said the told the
committee some time ago that the
provincial watchdog agency cannot
investigate ‘any decision made by
cabinet and therefore the committee is
not asking for a review of the ferry
shutdown itself.

Man, 19,
wanted in
Manitoba

By CasNews Staff

A 19-year-old man thought to be
from Revelstoke, who js in custody in
Nelson awaiting his next court ap-
pearance after being charged in the
stabbing death of a Nakusp man, has
been using a false name and is wanted
for being unlawfully at large from
Agassiz prison in Portage, Man.,
Nakusp RCMP said.

Shawn Sousa, whose real name is
Sean Benoit, is in fact from Winnipeg
and was serving time in Agassiz on
two counts of breaking and entering
and theft in Winnipeg when he was
released on a pass to look for a job
and didn’t return, police said.

He was arrested again in November
for being unlawfully at large and was
released on a promise to appear in
court but did not do so, police said

Benoit appeared in Nelson provin-
cial court last week on a charge of
second degree murder in the Feb. 24
death of Jason Christian Ambrock,
19. Benoit’s next court e is

DOWN TO MINUS 1

7.4C

Feb. 14
day of

By CasNews Staff

Valentine’s Day saw the mercury
dip to minus 17.4 C, the lowest tem-
perature of the 1989-90 winter season,
as a week-long outbreak of cold Ar-
ctic air blanketed the West Kootenay,
the Castlegar weather office reported
in its monthly weather summary.

The low came just three days after
the warmest day of the month, Feb.
11, when the temperature hit 7.7 C.

The record low for February was
set Feb. 2, 1989 when the temperature
plunged to minus 19.8 C. The war-
mest day recorded in February was
Feb. 21, 1988 with a high of 14.3 C.

The mean temperature last month
— the average of all the highs and
lows for the month — was minus 1.6
C, more than a degree below the nor-
mal mean of minus 0.5 C for
February. The lowest mean recorded
in February was set last year at minus
5.1 C. The warmest February on
record is February 1986 when the
mean for the month was 5.9 C.

February, 1990’s rainfall of 13.8
mm was only half the normal 27.5
mm for the month but still well above
the record low of 2.0 mm set in

coldest
winter

February 1969. The rainist February
on record is February 1983 when 83.6
mm of rain fell during the month.

Snowfall was above normal last
month. The weather office recorded
57 cm of the white stuff, well’ above
the normal 38.4 cm for February but
mot even close to the record 98.cm
which fell in February 1969.

The snowfalls brought February
1990's total precipitation to 53.6 mm
— 85 per cent of the normal 63.1 mm
for the month. The wettest February
on record is February 1979 when the
area was deluged with 162.7 mm of
rain and snow. The driest February
ever recorded was February 1966
when the weather office recorded just
14.7 mm of precipitation.

Last month was also sunnier than
normal. The weather office recorded
83 hours of sunshine, about 15 hours
more than the normal 67.9 hours for
February but well below the record
117.3. hours recorded in February
1968. The dullest February on record
is February 1980 when the sun shone
for just 37.9 hours during the month.

scheduled for March 3Q in Nelson

The same charge against Derek
Ronald Henton, 18, of Winnipeg,
also originally believed to be from
Revelstoke, was withdrawn in Nelson
provincial court last week.

The police investigation into Am-
brock’s death is continuing.

Canada Safeway
Overwaitea
Shoppers
SuperValu
Thunderbird
Zellers

Not all Hyers receive tull baer ype

Ht you did not receive one of th:

fifers and would like to do so, please
pltone our Circulation Department at

Court

News

ROSSLAND, B.C. (CP) —
Laurence Fullerton, a minister of
the Evangelical Covenant Church,
was acquitted Thursday on three
charges of. touching fot sexual
purposes and three charges of
sexual assault.

The charges stemmed from
alleged incidents at a Bible camp
and a public beach north of
Nelson—during the summer of
1988.

“There is reasonable doubt that
the incidents actually took place,””

Fullerton acquitted

said provincial court judge
Donald Sperry. ‘I am unconvin-
ced.””

The case was tried without a
jury.

The judge said Fullerton, 52,
had led a ‘‘morally and socially
exemplary’’ life and that the
evidence of the children diverged
in several respects.

After the verdict, Fullerton em-
braced his lawyer, Leigh
Harrison, while _ supporters
hugged and kissed each other in

the courtroom.

“We've never been involved in
anything like this before,’’ said
one church member, who sat
through the trial. ‘*It was long and
gruelling.””

Crown counsel Dana Urban
said there will not be an appeal.

Outside the courtroom, Fuller-
ton—expressed gratitude to his
wife, lawyer, church and friends
across the country he said had
supported him during the trial.

Board

continued from front poge

* No further action be taken in
relation to the RDCK’s complaint to
the provincial Environment istry
that the time allowed for public input
on the expansion project was insuf-
ficient.

RDCK resources committee chair-
man Josh Smienk, whose committee
thrashed out the recommendations in
what was described as a ‘‘rather
lengthy’? meeting March 1, said
Saturday the board has a respon-
sibility to comment on the major
Project review process to try to im-
prove it.

“There are flaws in it,’ Smienk
told the board. ‘‘I think we have a
responsibility to try to make it as
good as possible.’”

However, not all the recommen-
dations sailed smoothly through to
approval.

John Anderson, RDCK director for

the village of Silverton, questioned

Open——

whether the board’s that all
concerns about the Celgar expansion
be resolved wasn’t ‘‘a bit presum-
ptuous.””

“You're putting yourselves into a
hole here,’’ he told the directors. ‘‘I
just think the wording is poor.””

However, Anderson’s amendment
that the concerns be ‘‘reasonably”’
resolved was defeated.

Salmo director Ned MacNeill ob-
jected to the request that the provin-
cial government help provide inter-
venor funding.

front poge
consideration of public opinion will
be left to the politicians when the
committee submits its recommen-
dations on the expansion to a cabinet
committee sometime this month, he
said.

Blasetti said the submissions —
which will have to be bound in two
volumes because of the number
received — have been given to all the
members of the committee and will go
out for public viewing, likely this
week, in places such as libraries in the
West Kootenay.

Delay

continued from front page
pansion project
However, the directors made it
clear they favor the extension only

In Castlegar provincial court,
Angela Rebecca Jardine pleaded
guilty to forgery and was sentenced to
a 24-day intermittent jail term and
probation with conditions until the
sentence is Jardine also

Frank James Steven pleaded guilty
to fraud and was given a conditional
discharge and probation for three
months with conditions.

pleaded guilty to three counts of
failing to comply with conditions set
by the court and was sentenced to
three 24-day jail terms and probation
to be served concurrent to the first
sentence.
eee

Robert Bruce McAllister pleaded
guilty to possession of a narcotic and
was fined $500 or, in default, senten-
ced to 12 days in jail.

Lawrence MacNeil was fined $75
for exceeding a posted speed limit

For the record

In the Feb. 28 Castlegar News it
was reported in the Street Talk
column that the Central Kootenay
Community Futures Committee will
receive additional funding for its
Programs from the provincial gover-
nment.

In fact, the funding is provided by
the federal government through the
Ministry of Employment and Im-
migration.

Lottery numbers

The winning numbers drawn Thur-
sday in the B.C. Keno lottery were 5,
15, 24, 33, 38, 43, 50 and 52.

The winning numbers in Wed-
nesday’s Lotto 649 draw were 10, 16,
32, 35, 36 and 42. The bonus number
was 15. There was no winner of the
jackpot prize of $2,085,998.90. The
four Extra winning numbers for
British Columbia on Wednesday were
16, 27, $8 and 87.

The winning numbers drawn Wed-
nesday in the B.C. Keno lottery were
2, 3, 5, 19, 25, 29, 48 and 53.

These numbers, provided by The
Canadian Press, must be considered
unofficial.

if the is delayed while
the provincial government com-
pletes the second stage of the
major project review process
Celgar’s proposal is now going
through.

Regardless of whether the ex-
pansion proceeds, Celgar must
begin meeting provincial gover-
nment pollution standards begin-
ning in July 1991 under a variance
order the government granted the
company in the mid 1980s. Area J
director Ken Wyllie said he thinks
residents of the area would agree
to an extension of the deadline if
they will be assured Celgar will
build an environmentally clean
mill.

*

“I think my constituents would
be prepared to endure an ad-
ditional period of pollution to be
ensured that the pulp mill. is
brought up to standards,"’ he
said.

Celgar general manager Jim
Browne told the Castlegar News
Saturday it’s difficult to say
whether public hearings would
delay the expansion project. ‘‘I
really don’t know,’’ he said. ‘I
guess it would depend on how
many and when and where.”’

Browne said the critical issue
facing the company now is
whether construction can start this
summer. If the project is delayed
until Aug. 31, for example, it will
Probably set the project back by a
year, he said.

Browne said only Celgar's
owners could say if such a delay
would jeopardize the project

Anti-abortionist jailed

VANCOUVER (CP) — A Vancouver anti-abortionist was senten-
ced Friday to six months in jail in the stiffest sentence to date for anyone
involvéd in a blockade of the only private abortion clinic in British
Columbia.

Laird Swanson, 31, was convicted of two counts of contempt of
court for blockading the clinic. He served four months in jail last year
for the same offence — defying a court order not to block entrance to
the Everywoman’s Health Centre:

“If you're protesting against a law you don’t agree with, you have
that right,”” Justice Alan Macdonnell said in sentencing Swanson ini
B.C. Supreme Court.

“*But you have to pay the penalty."”

Swanson was sentenced to six months for each of two incidents, on
Jan. 4 and Jan. 10. The sentences will be served concurrently.

Gallup puts Copps in second

HALIFAX (CP) — Jean Chretien has the support of 38 per cent of
Canadians in his bid to become leader of the Liberal party, an increase
of four percentage points since January, a Gallup poll suggests.

Hamilton MP Sheila Copps is second at 20 per cent, a jump of nine
Percentage points, while Montreal MP Paul Martin dropped one point
to.nine per cent, the poll indicates.

The results, published in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, are based
on 1,003 personal interviews conducted between Feb. 7-10 and are con-
sidered accurate within foyr percentage points, 19 times in 20.

Bulgarians want faster change

SOFIA (Reuter) — About 50,000 people, many waving blue pro-

opposition flags and shouting ’’down with the Bulgarian Communist

party,’’ massed in central ‘Sofia on Saturday to support a faster tran-
sition to democracy.

“*We have had enough experiments in our history not to try again

to accept the C ’ proposal for ‘d *”* Union

DETERMINATION . . . Twelve-
year-old Eric Ismay stands tall
and keeps his eyes forward
during opening ceremonies of
the Dairland Sportsmanship
Jamboree peewee hockey
tournament at the Community
Complex Saturday mornin:
Ismay and more than 180
plover , coaches and managers
rom acro: C. took part in the
tourney which concludes
with closing ceremonies at the
Complex Sunday at 11:45 a.m.

CosNews photo by Ed Mills

Trudeau lament for a nation

TORONTO (CP) Pierre
Trudeau says Prime Minister Brian
Mulroney is ‘ready to trade Canada’s
soul for ‘an electoral victory,” and

of Democratic Forces president Zhelu Zhelev told the crowd outside the
Alexander Nevsky cathedral.

“Even blind people could see the crisis of socialism in the socialist
countries and the triumph of the liberal western democracies,’’ the UDF.
leader said.

Since giving up their right to rule late last year, the Communists
have been holding roundtable talks with opposition groups. But the op-
Position has accused them of delaying agreement on urgent changes
leading towards democracy.

Bus strike won't affect Canada

DALLAS (AP) — Stranded Greyhound bus passengers were run-
ning out of money and patience waiting for buses to roll past lines of
angry pickets after drivers went on strike against the only countrywide
bus company in the United States.

The strike’s first day was mostly peaceful, but in Chicago two
people were slightly injured on Friday by flying glass when a snipér fired
two shots at a Greyhound bus leaving the city, Illinois State Poli id.

Greyhound Lines Inc. said it was operating 20 per cent of its system
with 700,newly hired replacement drivers, plus an unspecified number of
union drivers who crossed picket lines.

Greyhound Lines of Canada is not affected by the U.S. strike,
John Munro, the company’s vice-president of operations said Friday in
Calgary. ‘‘There are no disruptions to our service.”

Greyhound Lines Inc. — serves more than 1,100 Canadian towns
and cities and operates Greyhound Courier Express and a charter fleet
with service throughout North America.

UNO returns confiscated land

MANAGUA (AP) —
nmentig
those
said.

Confiscated land now idle will be rented and priority will be given
to its previous owners, said Francisco Mayorga, a senior economic ad-
viser to president-elect Violeta Barrios de Chamorro.

Mayorga told reporters Friday that 40 per cent of Nicaragua’s one
million arable hectares is owned by the Minisiry of Agrarian Reform.

People working that land will receive title to it, Mayorga said, ad-
ding that former owners will be compensated with government bonds
based-on-p tax values —- that-may be painful
for owners who deliberately undervalued their land.

The new United National Opposition gover-
planning to turn land seized by the leftist Sandinistas over to
king it and compensate the previous owner, UNO officials

Slavs getting set to vote

MOSCOW (CP) — The Slavic heartland of the Soviet Union holds
elections today and voters are not expected to be much kinder to the
Communist party than citizens have been in other republics.

When voters in Provideniya on the Bering Sea have finished casting
ballots, polling stations in Kaliningrad, on the Baltic Sea 7,500
kilometres and 10 times zones to the west, will have just opened.

In Russian alone, more than 100 million voters are eligible to cast
ballots for 6,757 candidates running to fill 1,068 seats in the republican
legislature. Ten of the candidates are priests.

Elections are also being held in the western Slavic republics of
Byelorussia and Ukraine, choosing among candidates representing a
wide variety of views, from orthodox communism to environmental ac-
tivism

Voters will not be marking the balffrwith check-mark} or x’s, In
the Soviet Union, voters cross out the names of candidates they oppose
and a candidate whose name is not crossed out gets the vote.

Disabled dislike abortion law

TORONTO (CP) — Canada’s proposed abortion law would

discriminate against the disabled by setting different rules for fetuses .
showing signs of future handicap, says a national group representing ~

mentally disabled people.

The Canadian Association for Community Living says the bill
would permit abortions at any time in a pregnancy if the fetus has a
diagnosed abnormality, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported.

The non-profit group submitted a brief to the federal government
saying the law would extend the misconception that a disabled person or
fetus is a devalued person, the Globe reported.

Under the proposed law, abortions would be permitted only if, ina .

doctor’s opinion, a woman's physical, mental or psychological health
would be at risk if the pregnancy continued.

Although the law, known as Bill C-43, never refers to disability, the
issue is raised in Justice Department background notes, cited by the

Globe.
B.C. to fight fish ruling

VANCOUVER (CP) — The B.C. government will aggressively
fight the recent Canada-U.S. agreement on salmon and _ herring,
Premier Bill Vander Zalm said.

The premier made the comment after a meeting with labor leaders.

Under the ruling, U.S. buyers have access to 20 per cent of
Canadian-caught salmon and herring this year without the fish first
being landed and counted in British Columbia.

The figure can increase to as much as 25 per cent in 1991-93.

Vander Zalm wouldn't be specific about what action the gover-
nment planned to take.

Jack Nichol, leader of the fishermen’s union, wais at the meeting
along with Ken Georgetti, president of the B.C. Federation of Labor,
and Jack Munro, president of |WA-Canada.

“Canada for the benefit of
the provinces’ with the Meech Lake
accord, a newspaper reported.

*Quoting from his new book, the
Toronto Globe and Mail said the
former prime minister also described
the Canada-U.S. free-trade deal as a
“‘monstrous swindle” that gives up a
“*large slice’? of Canadian sovereign-
ty.
© The newspaper said it obtained a
typescript chapter from the book,
titled Towards the Just Society: The
Trudeau Years. It will be published at
the end of the month

Trudeau also wrote that Quebec
was more distant from Canada in
1984, after the Conservatives were
elected, than in 1968 when he became
prime minister. Trudeau stepped
down as Liberal leader in 1984.

In making his case, he said op-
position in Quebec to membership in

Mulroney
raps
Crosbie

BAIE-COMEAU, Que. (CP) —
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney rap-
ped John Crosbie’s knuckles Thur-
sday for the ‘‘Pass me the tequila,
Sheila’’ remark that the trade minister
now says was aimed at nobody in par-
ticular.

But the quip that has outraged
women’s groups won't cost the out-
spoken Crosbie his job as inter-
national trade minister.

“If you got rid of all the politicians
that put their feet in their mouths,
there wouldn’t be a single person sit-
ting in the House of Commons,”’
Mulroney said during a visit to a
school in his hometown.

“The fact of the matter is that we
all, from time to time, make
statements that we régret.’”

Crosbie touched off the tempest
Tuesday night when he told a Conser-.
vative fundraiser in Victoria:

“Sheila Copps is running in a cer-
tain race for the leadership of the
Liberal party. It reminds mé-of a — |
don’t know whether you've heard this
— old song. It goes: ‘Pass me the
tequila, Sheila, and lie down and love
me again.’

“Now this is just a song;
happened.””

The remark was

it hasn't

unagceptable,

Mulroney said

“When I found out, I reached Mr.
Crosbie and even with the genuine
apology that he put forward (i
said) that kind of humor and that
kind of statement was unacceptable.”*

In Ottawa on Thursday, Crosbie
said he said nothing derogatory about
Copps.

“I said the name Sheila reminded
me of this song and then I gave the
song. Sheila Copps did not figure in

Canada became more articulate and
visible with the appearance of a
separatist party, the Parti Quebecois.

“*But each time the Quebec elec-
torate had been called upon, it had
rejected independence as such, and
year in and year out the hard-line
separatists kept getting the same low
score in the polls — about 15 per
cent.””

of 1984,”

whom he had

Rene Levesque described federalism
as a good risk, said Trudeau
“I can only conclude,
that the fragmentation of Canada
began after the election of Brian
Mulroney as Prime Minister in the fall

* he writes.
“*He was elected thanks to the sup-
port of the provincial premiers, to

This meant settling ‘‘all federal-
provincial disputes to the satisfaction
of the p Ce policy
to please the Western provinces, of-
fshore resources for the Atlantic
provinces, an end to foreign invest-
ment screening for Ontario, and for
Quebec, an invitation to co-chair in-
ternational meetings — for Quebec

In 1984, former Quebec premier _reconciliation.’’’

‘national of are almost
everything.”

Chretien rolling with two-
thirds of B.C. delegates

VANCOUVER (CP) — Jean Chretien won most of

But Chretien organizer Colin Hansen, B.C. cam-

the B.C. delegates up for grabs Thursday at
meetings for June’s federal Liberal leadership-convention
but got a sharp rebuff in the riding of his old rival — for-
mer leader John Turner.

Chretien slates won in three Vancouver-area ridings,
picking up 35 delegates out of a possible 48. A one-
delegate contest in a Vancouver Liberal women’s group,
also won by Chretien, is being challenged.

Although they won only one delegate in Turner's
Vancouver Quadra ‘riding, Chretien forces managed to
knock off the former leader’s wife, Geills, who was a
candidate.

But Turner’s friends in Quadra rejected the rest of
the 12-member Chretien slate, opting for a group of un-
commited delegates endorsed by the former leader.

Chretien organizers ran their own slate, despite at-
tempts by the Quadra party executive to keep partisanship
out of the selection process and elect veteran riding mem-
bers. The move brought out lingering resentment against
Chretien’s local supporters, some of whom sat on the
sidelines during Turner’s five-year stewardship.

PARTING SHOT

The outcome was Quadra’s parting shot at Chretien,
a thorn in Turner’s side throughout his leadership, said
Dove Hendren, co-chairman of Paul Martin's B.C. cam-
paign.

“‘John Turner's last shot is in June at the conven-
tion,”’ she said. ‘‘This is Quadra’s shot.”

Leadership candidate Sheila Copps, in Vancouver
for the leadership forum this Sunday, made a surprise ap-
Pearance at the meeting to shake hands and be seen. But
her supporters kept a microscopic profile, not even han-
ding out campaign literature.

“We aren’t here to run anyone on a Copps slate,”’
she said

Martin’s people greeted the 224 voters at the door
with pamphlets but accepted the non-aligned slate.

paign co-~ and an: Quadra delegate,
said the majority of B.C. Liberals favor Chretien.

‘‘The only way that you can fulfil the wishes of the
membership is to offer carididates they can vote for,’’ he
said.

Geills Turner, who wasn’t at the meeting, missed
being an alternate delegate by only three votes, said riding
president John Kenny.

Chretien supporter Doreen Braverman, a high-
profile Quadra Liberal, spoiled the uncommitted slate’s
shutout. Maureen Lyons, another Chretien backer, edged
Turner for the alternate delegate’s spot.

SAYS NO SLIGHT

“I think what you saw here was people in the riding
voting for people who have been living and working in the
riding for years,’’ said newly elected delegate Michael
Hunter. ‘‘I don’t think it’s a slight at Geills to be defeated
by Doreen.”*

Chretien is the clear front-runner in British Colum-
bia, Hendren acknowledged.

“*T accept that; I know it (and) I’ve known it for a
long time,’’ she said. ‘*But I still believe you don’t allow
one person to dominate.

“I think you have to put up a challenge and meet
them head-on throughout the province.*

Chretien’s chief B.C. strategist, Ross Fitzpatrick,
said he was satisfied with Thursday’s delegate haul.

“Our objective overall is two-thirds, so we're happy
with the results,’’ he said

The Chretien campaign also claims the support of 42

— riding and
former parliamentary candidates.

Fitzpatrick said he saw nothing significant in the
defeat of Geills Turner, but Kenny said Chretien forces
made a concerted effort to keep her out

“It’s going to cost them votes all over the country to
defeat the leader's wife.""

Alta community split

as mill pla

ATHABASCA, Alta. (CP) — Four hundred residen-
ts sat dumbfounded Friday in a crammed community hall
as the Alberta government announced a $1.3-billion pulp
mill planned nearby won't proceed for months — if ever

Environmental fears raised by a public review panel
were shared by Premier Don Getty and his cabinet, which
agreed the Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries’ project
should be delayed

A majority of the crowd heckled, booed and some
shed tears after Environment Minister Ralph Klein an-
nounced the project’s delay.

Mike Cardinal, who rept the Athabasca area in

n shelved

moratorium on Athabasca River projects while further
studies are carried out — a process that could take a year

“All mills would have to be subject to a process
similar to this one so, basically, nothing goes ahead until
they've been given a thorough environmental review,"”
Klein said

The chief concern shared by the review panel and
government was with high levels of cancer-causing toxins
found in past studies on fish pulled from the Wapiti and
Athabasca Rivers. Both rivers are already home to pulp
and paper mills and the Alberta-Pacific mill would

the legislature, called the report ‘‘biased and unfair."” He
said delaying the mill condemns native people and the
in his riding to reliance on welfare.

my speech. I’m not in
Sheila Copps one way or the other.””

Liberal Leader Herb Gray seemed
baffled when told of the most recent
statement in Ottawa

“You mean he insulted another
Person called Sheila in our caucus?"’
he asked.

“That explanation doesn't make
any sense at all and is no less accep-
table than his original attenipt at
apology.””

While not condoning the original
remark, Mulroney said everyone
makes mistakes.

“That's what Christian charity is
for. Humans aren't perfect. He
apologized frankly, sincerely. So |
don’t see why we wouldn't accept his
apology.””

after the Friends of the
Athabasca, a 150-member environmental organization,
poured champagne at a pre-planned party
“We knew what was going to happen last Tuesday
when we had a private meeting with Klein and (federal
Environment Minister Lucien) Bouchard,’’ said a
beaming Louis Schmittroth. ‘‘They said it would be
political suicide to go against the report, and everyone
knew the report was going to be critical.’’
EMOTIONAL SPLIT
The emotional split in the community was revealed at
an earlier meeting where a county councillor broke down
and cried when told the news.
can understand the frustration,"’ Klein told repor-
ters4‘‘I can understand the disappointment and I'm sad
we couldn't have a total win-win situation.’
“Some people say the report is tough,”
Edmonton
tal rules.""
The decision effectively imposed a development

Getty said in
“Well, I say good. I want tough environmen

more toxins into the Athabasca River system.

The report calls for an exhaustive study of water
quality issues and a full public review of the forest
management agreement under which Alberta-Pacific will
be granted its authority to cut down trees to feed the mill

FURTHER STUDIES

Further studies of the river system, as recommended
by the review panel, will be conducted by both levels of
government

The delay, according to earlier warnings from Alber-
ta-Pacific, could kill the project, which would have
brought some 1,000 jobs to the Athabasca region about
150 kilometres northeast of Edmonton,

Alberta-Pacific spokesmen could not be reached
Friday

Cardinal said he had ‘100 per cent’? assurance from
Alberta-Pacific it will not abandon the project

Getty suggested the mill will go ahead after studies
are complete.

Panel member David Schindler said it could take six
months to a year just to plan the required studies, and five
or more years to collect data on the 1,000 kilometres of
river into which northern pulp mills discharge their ef.
fluents