9 goa sitetakive:tideary. Parliament Sidgs., SOL Bellevilte st Victoria, B. C, ver im | répi 28 The Castlegor News ad- ds a new wrinkle to its sport yell with oa regular Su column by Surj Rattan... 81 Vol. 40, No. 5 Munro bows out WA leader Jack Munro says he won't contest | the New Democratic’ Party leadership . . ; A2 CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 1987 The winning numbers in Saturday's Lotto 6/49 draw were 7, 15, 16, 18, 31 and 44. The bonus number was 46, The $500,000 winning number in Friday's Provin- cial lottery draw is 6319448, U.S. ’ rain industry doesn’t like the environmental controls it has to meet canal acid rain... WEATHERCAST Cloudy today with o few light snow Hlurries. Highs -1, Lows -4 to 7. Ovi itlook for is also d with a tew flurries. Chance ‘of precipitation today. is 70 per cont. _> 0 Conts 3 Sectioris (A, B& C) FIRST TOUR . Doukhobor Benevolent Society, tours Social Services Minister Claude Richmond through Rosewood Manor Pete Oglow (left), a director of the Tour was first for Richmond who couldn't make it to manor's official opening last October. CasNewsPhote by Suri Ration IT'S ‘EXCELLENT’ ichmond tours Rosewood Manor By SURJ RATTAN Staff Writer Social Services Minister Claude Richmond said Friday that Castlegar’s Rosewood Manor is “typical” of the kinds of facilities the provincial gov- ernment is building throughout the province to address the needs of the elderly and handicapped. Richmond was supposed to officially open the 10-unit building last October but cancelled out when the provincial election was called. He paid'a visit to the facility Friday to-see-first-hand-how the tenants have been getting dlong. “It's just am excellent facility. It’s very good and the people here seem to be happy and comfortable and that’s the main thing,” Richmond told the Castlegar News. He added that the provincial gov- ernment continues to build facilities like the Rosewood Manor “all the ‘i ‘Wednesd: i 's that welfare recipients should be paid the normal industry rate. time.” On ministry announced more than 1,400 units in subsidized housing will be built throughout the province. On another topic, Richmond brushed aside concerns about a pilot project he announced earlier this week aimed at getting people off welfare and back into the work force. Richmond's ministry has granted $300,000 towards a program to match prospective employers in his home riding of Kamloops, .and Surrey. and White Rock with qualified people on welfare. The welfare recipients would work at jobs they are qualified for but they would only be paid welfare rates, not the normal industry rate for the job. Critics of the program have argued But said the only thing the program is designed to do is “compu- terize” the existing welfare programs the ministry has. He also lashed out against a Vancouver newspaper for suggesting the ministry is cracking down on welfare recipients. “We're not doing anything differ. ently than we've done before, except it is being put on computers se we can be much more efficient. There's no change in philosophy_and_there's no, as the there’s no sinister pl take people's children. How the Province could get to a conyoluted headline like that is beyond me,” said Richmond. He added that the idea of the program is to get employable people off continued on page A2 Moore welcomes changes By SURJ RATTAN Staff Writer Giving local governments more ABOUT DISPATCHING City to meet attendants By CasNews Staff Castlegar council plans to meet with local ambulance attendants to discuss the provincial government's recent move to consolidate the area’s ambu- lance dispatching in Kamloops. ABC Answering Service of Trail had handled ambulance dispatching for Castlegar. Council's action follows on the heels of a letter from a Fruitvale resident. Peggy Jinkerson complained that area residents “should be very concerned over the placement of our ambulance service in Kamloops.” Jinkerson said simply because the communications system is electronic doesn’t mean there won't be any dis ruptions. “If such an interruption should occur, and any one of us should need an ambulance for any reason whatsoever, we would be cut off completely,” Jinkerson said. “Every town along the way would be one more weak link in the chain and I for one do not want to take a chance on losing a loved one because I, cannot reach Kamloops.” Jinkerson said the present dispat ching system relies on the local tele. phone system “which is usually repair ed very quickly. “But how long would it take to find a trouble (spot) between here and Kam. loops and get it repaired? she asked. Meanwhile, Highways Minister Cliff Michaels didn't turn down Castlegar council's proposal for a highway link from Syringa Creek to Fauquier — but then he didn’t agree to it either. In a letter, Michael acknowledges Steelworkers claim labor review rushed VANCOUVER (CP) — The United Steelworkers of America says it is concerneg@/about the rushed manner in which the British Columbia govern ment is conducting its review of provincial labor legislation. Len Stevens, Western Canada dir. ector of the union, said in a submission to Victoria that it is difficult to take the government's intentions seriously be- cause it allowed a little over a month for submissions and part of that period included the Christmas holidays. The union also called on the govern. ment to reinstate the automatic certi- fication procedure which was elimin. ated in 1984. As a result of eliminating that pro- cedure, the proportion of organizing drives which have resulted in certifi- cations has dropped while the fre- quency of unfair labor practices by employers has increased, the submis sion said The Steelworker brief also called for legislation guaranteeing workers their, jobs back after a strike and a relaxation of picketing restrictions. council's support for the highway, but points out “there is also another pos- sible corridor via Koch Creek which is more desireable because it presents less construction difficulties.” Michael also points out that “along- side all the priority highway trans- portation needs throughout the prov- ince and the limited resources available to my ministry, it is impossible to indicate when a new connection might be considered.” He added that he will emphasize the West Kootenay area when funding allocations are made. Mayor Audrey Moore noted that the Koch Creek route is at a higher eleva- tion and would require higher main tenance costs. In other council news, the Olympic Torch Relay will not be run through Castlegar despite objections from council and the chamber of commerce. Chamber president Gary Pearson says ina letter to council that the route was chosen for two reasons: to pass power and is a welcome move, but the provineial government must foot the cost for any transition in power. That is the message both Castlegar Mayor Audrey Moore and Regional District of Central Kootenay chairman George Cady will be delivering to Premier Bill Vander Zalm at a meeting Jan: 23. Vander Zalm and Municipal Affairs Minister Rita Johnston have called the meeting to discuss recommendations contained in a report by Jeff McKel vey, a consultant hired by the provin- cial government. Among his Me- them the money to carry out the additional responsiblities,” Moore told the Castlegar News in an interview. “Municipalities just cannot take on additional responsibilities without the Sheing jal government giving us the extra money.” {She ddded that she thinks the meet ing in Vancouver will provide a “fair discussion” between Vander Zalm and Johnston about the McKelvy report. Moore said when she goes to the meeting she will not only be represent- ing the interests of Castlegar, but also the Union of B.C. Municipalities, of which she is an executive member. “When I go to the meeting I will be acting as the mayor of Castlegar, a local citizen of Castlegar and an itive member of the UBCM. I'll be Kelvy is proposing that the provincial government hand over control of sev- eral services such as health, education, liquor licencing and labor relations to municipal governments. “If you give municipal governments more powers then you also must give wearing three different hats.” Cady said regional districts should be given more power to do things because it is hard to govern the entire province from one location. “In some conditions I agree with the premier that it is hard to govern the whole province from Victoria. It makes sense to set up committees in local areas where the problems are. The local people can deal with these prob- lems better than the provincial gov- ernment can,” said Cady. But at the same time he warned Victoria not to shift the cost of a transition in power from provincial to regional governments onto local tax- payers. “There sure will be a howl from the regional districts and the people if we have to pay for any additional powers. Anything that comes our way in the form of added powers should have a funding plan with it,” said Cady. He added that it is up to the provincial government to decide how to pay for any transition in powers. McKelvey, a former executive direc- tor of the UBCM, said it is time for the provincial government to recognize regional differences and aspirations and “act to fulfil those needs on a regional basis — even though they differ from one another.” WKPL SALE ‘ANGERS’ Kelowna. though commission hearings haven't been completed. The third round of hearings begin Monday Davis added he thought no rate increases would result from the takeover Bob Brisco, Progressive Conservative member of Parliament for West constituents on the issue Kootenay, recently polled his RESIDENTS By The Canadian Press NELSON — The normally easy-going residents of i uth n British Columbia are angry through the i in the least time; and to go through his. toric, or “Olympic” locations. Peatson said the Olympic Torch Relay committee in Calgary chose the route through Rossland and Warfield because Rossland is considered an “Olympic” site due to Nancy Greene's ski accomplishments in the Olympics. But Ald. Len Embree was still un happy with the route. Embree asked if Castlegar national team downhill ski er Felix Belezck wins a medal at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, will the torch route then come through Castle- gar? about plans to sell the area's electrical utility to a U.S. firm which people here believe is the first takeover of a Canadian-owned utility by a foreign firm. They believe the federal and provincial governments are backing the sale of West Kootenay Light and Power to UtiliCorp United of Kansas City, Mo., for $80 million Cdn., despite residents’ objections. Opponents say Investment Canada, the federal agency which monitors foreign investment, has already rubber stamped the deal even though Energy Minister Marcel Masse has stated federal policy is to discourage such takeovers. They're also upset that B.C. Energy Minister Jack Davis has said he thinks the B.C. Utilities Commission, which has final say on the deal, will approve the sale even About 80 per cent of the 2,470 people who responded opposed the sale, particularly since the utility's four hydro-electric dams are closely linked to control of the area's water supply, the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers. “The Progressive Conservative government is so frightened of displeasing the Americans during the free trade negatjations, that there is nothing in Canada that’s not for sale,” said Don Scarlett of Kaslo, a vice-president of the Electric Consumers Association, a 6,500-member group formed last August to fight the takeover. Scarlett said Masse told a Toronto meeting of U.S. stock hi: officials last that C. H remajned concerned about the acquisition of Canadian- controlled firms by foreign companies. “Our policy calls for us not to approve a direct acquisition of a healthy Canadian-controlled firm valued in excess of $5 million,” Scarlett quotes Masse as saying, West Kootenay Light and Power is obviously worth continued on poge AZ *; ape e ky