——"GPINION~— Castlégar News PAGE A4, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1991 MEMBER OF THE B.C. PRESS COUNCIL ESTABLISHED AUGUST 7, 19047 TWICE WEEKLY May 4, 1980 1978-AUGUST ‘27, 1980 V, CAMPBELL ~ PUBLISHER, AUGUST 7, 1947-FEBRUARY 1 BURT cauPoeL PUBLISHER EMERITUS - PUBLISHER, FEBRUARY 16, Mero May 1 PUBLISHER —Dave Sy EDITOR - Simon Birch eo PLANT FOREMAN ~ Peter Harvey OFFICE MANAGER —Warren Chemoft CIRCULATION MANAGER - Heather Hadley SENIOR SALES: TIVE — Gay Fleming EDITORIAL Policy changes We've decided to change our policy on how we report cases of sexual assault. From now on, we will not report the name of the accused, even if the court does not place a ban on publication of his or her name, unless and until the accused is found guilty of crime. sae Beatrice we reported 1 the name of the accused unless the d a ban on publication of his or her name. owe’ ‘ve decided to change the policy for two reasons. First, the courts are not consistent. In one case, a judge may agree to a defence lawyer’s request to impose a ban on publication of the accused’s name. In the next case, the judge may deny the request or the lawyer may not request the ban. That leaves the media in an awkward position. Of course, we can take the hard-nosed approach and publish one per- son’s-name but not another's; saying we're only abiding by a judge's orders or lack thereof. While we may be perfectly within our legal rights to do that, we’ve decided we don’t want to be a part of the inconsis- tency. Seco - and this had a great deal of impact on the first reason for our decision — a charge of sexual assault carries with it a stigma unlike that of any other alleged crime. Even if a person is found not guilty, the damage to his or her repu- tation from merely being charged is difficult, if not impossi- ble, to undo. We feel we must also be sensitive to the trauma a family must endure when one of its members is charged with such an offence. Therefore, it seems vastly unfair to subject one person and his or her family, but not another, to the intense public scruti- ny. such cases generate. hile, we will i the id of the alleged victim or victims in psi assault cases and promise to continue reporting the proceedings of such cases with taste and with sensi y to the dards this VIEWPOINT Experts predict bleak future REVENUE CANWDR\ =” + \ \ COMPLAINING... NTA BAD wolf MS a FRANCE, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR By LARRY WELSH Get down to cold, economic facts and Canada is in a mess. That’s no surprise to 1.4 mil- lion jobless looking for work while debate over the Consti- tution drags on and Quebec pon- ders leaving the country. But what’s really scary is that some leading academics believe things will only get worse. Imagine paying your own doc- tor’s bills, being unable to move to another province to find a job and no more national unemploy- ment insurance. Or picture the rest of Canada with ong federal government and no more provincial govern- ments if Quebec separates. Worse still, consider singing the American anthem and becoming a U.S. citizen. That’s the future seen by some of the country’s most Prominent academics at a con- ference on the Constitution held last week in Kingston, Ont. “Simply put, Canada no longer works economically,” declared Queen’s University , chene suggested. But two other economists argued that would be a recipe for the end of Canada. It would unleash a destruc- tive competition as provinces try to make their own trade deals with the United States and cut off migration of companies and workers from other provinces, said Richard Harris, a Simon Fraser University economist, and Queen’s University econ- omist Douglas Purvis. Allan Gotlieb, Canada’s for- mer ambassador to the United States, suggested to the confer- ence stripping power from the federal government would lead to a break up of the country and the remaining pieces would join the United States. But those dire predictions really don’t help Canadians clean up the economic mess already on their plates. The pain of the recession has already drained some support in Quebec for separation, said Pierre Fortin, an economist at the Universite du Quebec at as a frequent adviser to the federal government. Still, Courchene sees hope for Canada. : “The good news is Quebec iwon’t go. The | bad news is i won't ; He believes staggering costs tof ral +y sedprennd will force Ottawa fand the provinces to rebalance iConfederation, pitting rich pprevinese against poor provin- a The federal government's in job after handing more “When times are tough, peo- ple are allergic to change,” said Forti in. Last week, Quebec Premier delayed legisla- tion to hold a referendum on sovereignty. Marcel Cote, a former federal government economist who now works for Montreal-based con- sulting firm Group Sector, believes the door may finally be open for Quebec to remain in Confederation. “If you want to deal with the real world, the most relevant option in per mactin kag opinion is improved Pia Welsh writes for Canadian Press. Cash cow Have any other patrons noticed a longer lineup and fewer clerks on the wickets at the Castlegar post office? I questioned some of the postal clerks, who are personal friends of mine, and have come to the conclusion that this reduction of service will continue into the future. Apparently, the number of people helping out at the wickets is being reduced by about this. A feeling of uncertainty and fright i is cut corners in manufacturing or knowingly hipped defective prod: wouldn’t have to mingled in to create these things pass and then the pee stress of not knowing who did these things or why they did them comes along. Our two sons have suffered through these ordeals along with us and up until last night were coping well. However, all of us now are wondering again why we have been singled out for this treatment. Try as you will to explain this behavior that hurts people and there is no answer. Our faith and trust in 20 per cent, due to a change in policy at Canada Post. The past practice of adjusting the wicket help to the number of customers needing service is abolished. No matter how busy it will get, considering the growth of Castlegar, the amount of help will not increase. The post office is in need of increasing its profits, above the $142 million of last year. The yearly increase in postal rates is not enough. The average user of the postal sys- tem will see a reduction in service as this is the easiest way to save money. The increase in box rental of 90 per cent and the doubling of the charge to register a letter in the past couple of years is insuffi- cient to meet the corporation’s goals. The policy is to reduce the public’s expectations to the point where people will applaud when the postal system is sold. The making of large profits will be the norm. The old con- cept of a “public service” will be a fond mem- ory. The Canada Post of the future will undoubtably be held up as a true example of the conversion of a service for all to the cash cow of a select few. Anne McFarlane Castlegar Can't fix bad drivers The city, I see, is still going ahead with the Columbia Avenue mess up. The producer of this plan must not have lived in Castlegar very long as he-or she has not thought about the effect it will have on many businesses on the avenue. I know that many of the changes will be returned to the present status in future. As I have written before, you cannot accommodate bad drivers. And as to the $3 million to be spent on downtown, all I can say to that is, “A coat of paint on a rusty car does not remove the rust.” John C. Gibson Castl people was d last fall and was just now starting to improve. Now again, a meaningless act has wiped it out. We know that for a time two people enjoyed the fruits of their labor after break- ing into our home. I hop2 the person or per- sons who took our flower urns enjoy them as much as we did - at least for a time. By the way, if you doubt the ability of the Castlegar RCMP, be they office staff or the staff sergeant or in between - don’t. They are some of the best people for the job, ‘nelndi : A ind a: pay one penny in compensation. everyone is now safe - the insurance companies, the nuclear industry, our gov- ernments - everyone, that is, except you and the rest of the Canadian public,” writes Rubin. “Financially, your means of livelihood could be wiped out, and your property destroyed. You and your family could be ruined. And there is no way to protect your- selves, because the government has seen to it that you have no recourse. “Its legislation guarantees that in the event of a nuclear accident, the GE’s and Westinghouses have absolute, 100 fer cent protection and you have virtually none.” According to Rubin, “No other industry has the freedom to destroy the health or property of innocent third parties, who can neither insure themselves beforehand nor sue for compensation afterwards.” Because the Nuclear Liability Act is so an during their investigation. Glenn Bryson Castlegar Nukes excluded Have you checked your insurance policy lately? No? Not many of us have reason to. We pay our money annually for its renewal, until someone wakes us up or we need to make a claim. I was h d today and I checked my policy. Sure enough, under “Exclusions” are the words “This Policy does not insure against loss, destruction, or damage caused directly or indirectly: ... (b) by any nuclear incident as defined in the Nuclear Liability Act, or by nuclear explosion or contamination by radioactive materials.” I received a | newsletter from Energy today pointi out the fact that insurance companies find nuclear power too risky and they won’t insure anyone at any price against a Chernobyl-type accident in Canada. Norman Rubin, director of nuclear research for Energy Probe, goes on to say: “Insurance companies aren’t the only ones deathly afraid of a nuclear accident. GE, . ingh and other fe 0 nuclear equipment so fear bankruptcy fol- lowing a meltdown caused by one of their products that they a 100 per cent Theft wipes out trust For the fourth time since September 1990, our home and the people who live there have been victimized. The first three times our home was bro- ken into and certain items stolen. The fourth time was last night (June 9). This time, flower urns were stolen from our yard. In each and every case came a feeling of absolute rage that anyone would dare to do g against any liability whatsoever. “And the Parbeessy reid gave it to them, through federal ema called the Nuclear Liability Act. So even if an accident kills and injures hundreds of thousands of people, their bot- tom line won't be effected. But what about ffensive to basic justice, Energy Probe began a court case in 1987. This court case “has become an endurance test, with the nuclear industry disputing our right to pre- sent evidence at every turn,” writes Rubin. The Energy Probe team of lawyers, headed by Clayton Ruby, is pitted against the com- bined resources of the federal government, the utilities and the corporate giants of the nuclear industry. Rubin believes that all Canadians will financially benefit as soon as the Nuclear Liability Act is struck down because if there is a nuclear accident, those responsible would be forced to pay for damages. Other benefits would include a tightened safety standard, better training to reduce human error leading to catastrophe, and the eventual phase out of nuclear reactors. If anyone wants more information or to send a tax-deductable donation to Energy Probe, the address is 225 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto, Ont. M5S 2M6. Kathy Knight Robson Please address all letters to the editor iz pouere to the Editor, C; r News, 3007, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 3H4, * = ver them to our office at 197 GCotumbia Ave. in Castlegar. Letters ear be —— doublie- spaced and Letters MUST be ona and include the writer's first and last names, address and a telephone number at which the writer can be reached between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The writer's — and city or town of only will be Only in exceptional cases will letters be published without the writer's gph Nevertheless, the name, telephone number of the writer MUST De disclosed to the editor. The Castlegar News reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity, pane grammar and taste. Armed Forces face major cuts ba Paul Mooney ferent The Canadian Press OTTAWA (CP) — The long- awaited defence policy review, slated for release within days, will mean fundamental changes for the Canadian Armed Forces, say defence analysts. Deep cuts in the Forces will a very different military mean structure. Fewer troops in Germany will mean a very dif- it army. The policy will shape the pretty substantial reversal of a defence 86,000. Some senior officers fear Mulroney's recent pledge to leave some Canadian troops Europe, Marteinson said he e in pine, in of Westar's WOODEN WHEELS of the wood to CasNews photo Paul Medvedeff (third from right) presents Jim Cavailero of Westar Timber with 1935 Ford, Iaineseastewree:hsicnrarbariacindsy iad class at Junior y 's Grade 8 school. Sitting with thelr creations are (trom left) students Dan Parker, » Chrie Bloler, Darzan Pottle and David Shingler. From John Hughes and Chris Cobumbee ONLY THE a sat eee BOARDWALK ENTERPRISES Specializing in . . +» CUSTOM WINDOWS & DOORS + KITCHEN CABINETS + RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL CABINETS QUALITY MATERIALS AND ied ea 4 650 Recycle Advisory Group Almost everything we do generates some sort of waste. Waste is usually unsightly and undesirable. Often it is a health hazard. Our society is generating more wastes than ever before in history and it's ng serious problems. Solid wastes are wastes with insufficient liquid content to be the landfills in the province. In fact, many B.C. communities are starting to get alarmed at the rate at which their landfills are being used up. In addition to being an envi- ronmental problem, there are huge costs attached to finding new places for solid wastes to be dumped. Even in nearby Nelson the taxpayers pay sub- stantially more for garbage removal than we do in the free fl ng and include the typical items we put into the garbage containers in our homes and places of work. They eventually end up in our community landfill - the ia P. Our landfill is gradually but surely filling up, as are most of area, since Nelson’s garbage is now trucked to a site near Salmo. We can save a lot of grief — in terms of environmental problems as well as fi: ial which particularly comes to mind is “disposable” items. These items are intended to only be used once, or perhaps a few times, and then they are thrown o out. They are usually burden — if we can reduce the input to our landfill now. One category of garbage to b garbage after only a brief usage. You can help reduce the input to the landfill if you Landfill problems eventually translate to financial burdens avoid using such “disposable” items as non-returnable bever- ..age containers, disposable razors, paintbrushes and dia- pers, paper plates, styrofoam cups and paper towels. Remember the old saying: “You reap what you sow.” The same applies to the situation at ~our landfill. Eliminate the mii - uy Factory Direct and . SAVE $$$ JERRY ENEWOLD 1762 THRUMS ROAD WATCH FOR OUR SIGN 5 MILES EAST OF CASTLEGAR ON HWY. 34 CHEWELAH , WASHINGTON Play fora. 1991 Bayliner Boat WHY SHOULD YOU PLAY AT SPOKANE INDIAN BINGO ? Forces continued from page A4 There's also concern among army supporters that most of Canada's aging Leopard tanks in Europe will be sold or given to a NATO ally such as Turkey. When __ tthe policy is announced, most public atten- tion will focus on the closing of four to eight military bases in Canada, the impact on the affected communities and what the government will do to assist them. Retired rear admiral Fred fears the gov Sri close enough bases, leav- ing the Forces saddled with too much infrastructure and not modern equipment. “When the dust settles, I still think we'll see defence cuts in a ” says Crick I SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM at Chickentime re AY 2816 Columbia Ave. Ph. 365-5304 It's Fun In In The Sun Time Are You a Frequent Traveller? We have a great annual policy for singles or families. POOR BOYS Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners 365-2488 367-6234 Included SENIORS DISCOUNT SPRING SPECIAL Living & Dining Paes Stainguard Standard Chair & Chesterfield 2925 8995 wx * We move furniture “Free estimates "No charge Living & Dining ig fioht preci 1. Maximum seating capacity 400 Great CASH PRIZES — GREAD ODDS! 2. Largest pull Tab payouts available! 3. 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All interested citizens are invited to participate. at this is ws betinietbe 10 Cor Cotes we wits te conetine the future of Kinnaird Hall. scapes bgp anes yt pts «lyre amiga will be on hand to p The of options for the future use d at City Hall (460 4x “5X7 PRINT Bring your graduation film in for developing and + NOW PROVIDING 4X6 PRINTS AT NO EXTRA COST WITHIN AN HOUR. + 31/2X5 PRINTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. JUMBO PRINT y TREASURE NC PRINTS \ Have your favorite photo permanently mounted on beautiful collector HOUR ‘The | q PHOTO Picture “Place