OPINION re ) tlégar N PAGE A4, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1990 MEMBER OF THE B.C PRESS COUNCR ESTABLISHED AUGUST 7. 1967 weeny May 4, Toso (OCORPORA TING THE RIO WER MOPROR SEPTEMBER 12. 1978 AUGUST 27. 1980 LV CAMPBELL — PUBLISHER, AUGUST 7. 1847 FEBRUARY 15, 1973 CRON THE ERS GUL THe ed 6 xa ea | EDITORIAL Heap of trouble The provincial cabinet’s cancellation of town-hall meetings scheduled for next week in Kelowna and Vernon and the decision to hold the Social Credit annual ion Oct. 11 in V: as plan- ned seem to indicate Premier Vander Zalm is going to dig in for a long, cold winter and face the voters in the spring rather than call a fall elec- tion. The premier is in a heap of trouble over the way he sold his Fantasy Gardens biblical theme park to a Taiwan-based company and the sub- sequent jon by a V: spaper that Mr. Vander Zaim was still the majority shareholder in Fantasy Gardens after saying he wasn’t. The premier had continued to maintain his wife, Lillian, was the majority owner. Boxed into a corner, Mr. Vander Zalm now says he was a victim of his own “‘stupidity’” by not realizing he was still the majority owner. The premier also lashed out at the media — a favorite target — for what he calls a “‘sleazy”’ smear campaign over the sale. But whether he intentionally misled the public about his owner- ship in Fantasy Gardens or not, Mr. Vander Zalm’s handling of the sale — hosting the buyer at the premier’s office and then wining and dining her at the li BF nor’s id — raises serious questions about the premier’s judgment and integrity. Mr. Vander Zalm has weathered the scandals that have tainted several of his ministers but this time it’s he who faces the storm and we wouldn't be surprised if there are once again r of di LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Report inaccurate The Nelson Daily News article on the Ceigar review hearings in Nelson paraphrased me as saying that “‘according to a pulp and paper workers’ about his leadership at the upcoming convention. The premier has shown he’s not a quitter, refusing to step down even after his party lost six consecutive byelections. But it’s almost cer- tain he couldn't lead the Socreds to a win in a fall election and it’s doubtful he’ll be able to do it in the spring. The best thing he could do right now for his party is to step aside while there’s still time for another leader to court the voters. If Mr. Vander Zalm stays on, loyal supporters such as Nelson- Creston MLA Howard Dirks — and whoever. the Rossiand-Trail “Socreds choose to carry the banner — will find their campaign time spent defending the premier rather than focusing on successful initiatives, such as the reconstruction of the Cape Horn Bluffs portion of Highway 6 in the Slocan Valley or the completion of the West Trail approach, both of which were officially opened today. That hardly seems fair — unless you're a New jocrat. research 16 areas in B.C. have elevated rates of cancer due to deadly poisons in drinking water."” This is extremely inaccurate. I did say that 16 areas near pulp mills in B.C. have elevated rates of cancer mortality, and I did say that pulp mill poisons have been discovered in the tap water of several municipalities downstream of B.C. pulp mills. However, I did not connect these two facts to- gether in the way stated in the article. Consider that one of the 16 areas listed was Castlegar, a fact which I cited in my presentation. This would make it appear that I have claimed that ‘Cagtlegar has contaminated drinking water which is tausing the eJgyated rates of cancer. Such a claim would be oftrageous. To my Knowledge, Castlegar’ water has not even been tested for at all, a point which I specifically VIEWPOINT Theme park has troubled history By BRENT JANG RICHMOND — With no hint of sarcasm, its new owners call Fantasy Gardens a ‘‘national people's treasure.” The biblical theme park. homé of B.C. Premier Bill Vander Zaim and his wife, Lillian has been sold to Tan Yu conglomerate of Taiwan, which promises to be a faithful custodian of the property in suburban Richmond.* But British Columbians don’t seem to think they have a national treasure in their backyard. “If 1 owned Fantasy Gardens,” said a letter to the editor of a Van couver newspaper, ““I would burn it to the ground in a sequel to Gone With the Wind entitled Gone With the Windmill."* At the time of the sale to Tan Yu, arson seemed unnecessary to bring on the downfall of Fantasy Gardens. Even as the pr Stressed in my presentation. Nor has there been any direct proof that these cancers came from organochlorines produced by pulp mills. However, the fact that the elevated rates occur in 16 pulp mill areas, as well as in many other pulp mill areas in the U.S. and Europe, is highly Suggestive. These facts are certainly more than enough reason to be seriously concerned that the plans for the expanded mill propose to put at least 500 tons a year of organochlorines into the environment BILL VANDER ZALM bloomed in the last three years, the 8.S-hectare theme park wilted under the stress of political protests outside the premier’s home by groups ranging from dairy farmers to doctors. In mid-September, eight merchants were leasing space in the theme park’s European Village retail centre, a far cry from 1987 when 27 shops signed contracts. Greg Halsey-Brandt, a Richmond alderman, says he liked the flowers, but it wouldn't bother him if the rest of Fantasy Gardens moved to some other Vancouver suburb. “It's something you could reproduce anyplace. There’s nothing irreplaceable. They could move it into Burnaby or Surrey;', says Halsey- Brandt “In today’s hectic world, not many Places offer tranquillity and respite,”” the Vander Zalms say in a souvenir booklet What the booklet doesn’t say is that many people are bemused that, in a province sometimes referred to as La La Land, the premier lives in an ersatz castle at Fantasy Gardens. The Vander Zaims bought 1984 for about In the beginning, the main attrac tion was the botanical garden featuring 230 plants, trees and flowers mentioned in the Bible Fantasy Gardens also features 2 windmill, miniature railway, petting z00, wedding chapels, a Noah’s Ark, go-carts, bumper boats and a miniature Sea of Galilee fed by a tiny River Jordan. The biblical garden depicts in Statues the birth, life and death of Christ. Larger-than-life hands made of fibreglass make for good pictures should a tourist want.to shake hands with Jesus For the premier, the controversy hasn't died with the sale of Fantasy Gardens. The Opposition NDP says that by using the premier’s office to wine and dine the Tan Yu group, Vander Zalm Steered the visitors to his family business Vander Zalm dismisses charges of conflict of interest, saying they're out of step with reality Meanwhile, at a garden pathway dubbed the Lily Walk, messages of optimism abound: “*A cheerful thought for a lovely flower can add beauty to any day.” Brent Jang writes for The Canadian F I did not and could not say that it would be less expensive for Celgar to clean up the mill without expanding. To say this would be ridiculous, since Celgar stands to make huge profits from doubling its capacity. However, I did offer “some reasons to believe Celgar could get by without expanding, including studies which show that the new pollution control process is more economical. One last complaint. The language attributed to me and enclosed in quotation marks was actually and sloppy ing at that. Friends who know me were puzzied that language in quotation marks conveyed a tone very unlike me. All of these inaccuracies are well-meaning and'close approximations of the things I actually did say, and I certainly appreciate the reporter's effort to call attention to these important issues. But the failure to use precise language in these complex matters can be disastrous. As the person representing the Valhalla Society in pollution matters, | have examined an enormous amount of technical material and endeavored to translate it to the public as accurately as possible. One inaccuracy has been pointed out in Our newspaper and in my talk. Since the elevated cancer mortality rates were studied in various school districts, I thought it meant tHat school children had the cancers. It has been brought to my attention that, although the statistics were compiled according to school districts, the cancers were in the general population. | appreciate being corrected on this. However, I do not appreciate statements made by various people to the effect that the Valhalla Society ‘‘misrepresented"’ this information. It is a wry situation to be forced, through lack of intervenor funding, to try as hard as possible to review these issues ourselves, and then when the first small mistake is made, to be accused of “*misrepresenting™’ facts and seeking to deceive the Apology owed The Vathallla Society owes the people of the West Kootenay a forthright, immediate and unequivocal public apology Last week, the Valhalla Society proudly published its Information Bulletin No. 18 attacking the proposed modernization of the Ceigar pulp mill. The bulletin contained an alarming headline, “*Cancer in Castlegar School Children,”’ and went on to claim that district children showed elevated cancer rates. This is simply not true. The public should know that the claim was repudiated by the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers union before the Ceigar Expansion Review Panel on Sept. 21. This blatant, cynical manipulation of parents’ anxieties is a shocking example of the lengths the Valhalla Society is prepared to go to incite public alarm and divide our communities to serve the Valhalla leadership's interests. Shame! Dorothy Bagg Castlegar Rally a success Last Thursday, Citizens for a Clean Celgar Modernization held a rally at Castlegar’s Community Complex in favor of Celgar’s project. Because we wanted the rally to be positive, we planted some cedar trees to be left as a legacy for the City of Castlegar’s future citizens. The rally was a huge success. More than 400 citizens turned out with shovels, trowels and wheelbarrows. Mayor Audrey Moore and Rossland-Trail MLA Chris D’Arcy planted the first two cedar trees, donated by Mr. David Swain of Pacific Regeneration. An hour later, the good citizens of Castlegar and their neighbors had planted 1,000 trees in beds prepared by the city. A big vote of thanks goes to Mr. Swain for his generous donation of 1,000 cedar seedlings. Thanks is also given to city engineer Mr. Kenn Hample and the hard-working city crews for preparing the planting beds and mulching and watering the trees after planting. Their efforts will ensure the survival of these healthy trees. The last big “‘thank you’ goes to the 400 citizens of Castlegar and area who came out and publicly showed their support of Ceigar’s modernization and cleanup project. Membership of CCCM has grown to more than 3,100 in less than six weeks! This must indicate that the “silent majority’’ has demonstrated its support for the project. The excellent turnout of area citizens confirms this. In today’s world, we all realize we must be environmentally conscientious. Thanks again to everyone who showed faith in the future of our community. Don McDowell Co-Chairman CCCM Help appreciated The Castlegar and District Public Library sponsored yet another successful summer reading program this year. A total of 136 elementary school-age children took part in the program, which was very capably operated by two students, Sheri Chernenkoff and Wayne Stupnikoff. The program is designed to : © stimulate young people’s interest in reading; © promote the library; © develop a “library habit;"" © maintain their literacy skills over the summer months; and © provide a pleasant occupation and entertainment which some of them might otherwise miss. Since its inception in 1983, the program has operated under a federal Challenge grant, which provides funding to employ summer students. However, last year the grant was reduced so that the library could employ only one student. This year the grant was rejected outright Part of the reason the library's application for funding was rejected is that the Challenge program suffered a 56 per cent cut in funding. However, that wasn’t the only reason. The library was informed that its application had a lower “‘subject priority.”” The government's favored areas were drug and alcohol abuse, AIDS education, urban crime and the environment. The library board finds it ironic that 1990 is International Literacy Year, yet a reading program of proven success (nearly 850 students enrolled over seven years) and which promotes and maintains literacy skills should not be at least equally deserving as programs on AIDS education and urban crime. But | am not only writing to inform the community of the federal government's failure to fund a valuable community program. | am writing to thank those community groups that donated money to enable the program to continue. The Castlegar school district and the City of Castlegar both came through with $1,000. The Castlegar and District Arts Council also stipulated that its yearly grant of $400 be earmarked for the program. Various school parent groups also threw their support behind the reading program. They imcluded the Twin Rivers Parent Group, the Woodland Park Parents Group the Tarrys Parent Group, the Robson Parents Group, the Castlegar Primary Parents Group and the Special Education Association. On behalf of the library board, its staff and in particular the students who took part in the summer reading program, thank you all for your (Castlegar and District Public Library y Youth need place I am writing to you regarding the warning to parents from the RCMP about teenagers hanging about at the Woodland Park Sheil. 1 am fully aware that this is a very big problem for the owners as well as the RCMP. The teenagers need a place to meet and because of the location and visibility they have chosen the Shell station. I have a simple solution to this problem but it will involve some planning, research, parent involvement, teenager involvement, as well as support from our city and RCMP. This city, like probably every city in B.C., spends thousands of dollars every year on “vandalism.” I believe that if we work towards finding our youth a safe place to meet and give them a fun and positive thing to do, it will get them off the streets. Hopefully it will stop the destroying and vandalism from lack of something better to do I won't promise that it is the sole answer but it will certainly help. I believe the RCMP have more important work to do than crowd control, breaking up fights and being harassed by teenagers. | know that they need our help with this problem and we, the parents of this community, should be taking more interest in our youth because they are our future. So let’s all work together and come up with a solution that will combat this problem before it mushrooms into something that no one will control. I look forward to hearing from parents, RCMP, city officials or any concerned citizen who feel that now is the time to get gOing on a positive idea for our youth. Janet Neumann Castlegar Vote lost 1 am mot sure what Celgar is trying to prove with all the heavy smog we have had recently, but if it is the company’s way of trying to convince people to lean in the company’s direction, Celgar just lost my vote. The public should not have to be subjected to these sorts of tactics, and it most certainly is not doing any favor to the people who have lung problems to have to deal with the smell. It can be very aggravating to them. I say clean up your act Celgar Diane Cawiin Robson LOCAL/PROVINCIAL NEWS The Persian Gulf Crisis, natives in Oka and world-wide military agg were some of the topics discussed by local residents Saturday at a peace vigil held outside the Castlegar courthouse. World peace subject of vigil By KEITH THIRKELL Special to the Castlegar News Approximately 25 people atten- ded a peace vigil Saturday evening in front of the Castlegar Cour- thouse. CasNews photo by Keith Thirkel! C.She“added that group prefer to hold the vigils there rather than in front of a private business or other location where their message might not be ap- preciated and group members might risk arrest. People attending the vigil discussed a wide range of topics, most notably the situation in the and to Koot West-Revelstok MP Lyle Kristiansen. in the United States needed a new The letters addressed the con- enemy now that the Cold War is tribution Canada is making to the over and Iraq’s invasion of military effort in the Gulf and Kuwait in August came along at stressed that the only appropriate just the right time. The U.S. role for Canada to take in the economy is on the verge of matter is under the auspices of the bankruptcy with its staggering United Nations and not in debt, Richards said, adding that He added that arms producers Olga Kittson, one of the organizers of the event, said the vigils, which the group holds September 26, 1690 FERRARO’S Your satisfaction is our main concern CASTLEAIRD PLAZA “Better you bet” Please address all letters to the editor to: Letters to the Editor, Castiegar News, P.O. Box 3007, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 3H4, or deliver them to our office at 197 Columbia Ave, in Castlegar. Letters shouid be typewritten, doubie- spaced and not longer than 300 words. Letters MUST be signed 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 name and city or town of residence only will be published. Only in exceptional cases will letters be Published without the writer's name Nevertheless, the name, address and telephone number of the writer MUST be disclosed to the editor The Castlegar News reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity, legality, grammar and taste. ° regularly, are open to anyone who wants to make a contribution to world peace The group holds the vigils in front of the courthouse because group members feel it is public Property and is openly visible to Passing motorists, Kittson said- Persian Gulf. Everyone present agreed the world is on the brink of a major military conflict unless something is done to relieve the tension in the volatile region. At the group’s last vigil, mem- bers agreed to send letters to Joe Clark, minister of external affairs, aggressive Western military force, said George Richards of Castlegar. Richards said the real motivation behind the current crisis is purely financial. “*The bottom line for the West in all this is oil,’’ Richards said. if massive layoffs occur because of arms reductions, the face of the U.S. could change overnight. Other issues discussed at the peace vigil included the standoff in Oka, Que., between natives and the Canadian Army as well as other native concerns. Deal splits rail unions VANCOUVER (CP) — Unions representing about half the workers at Ready’s proposals, three of the railway’s seven unions decided not to BC Rail are their members reject a proposed deal to end a strike that began Sept. 4, says the chairman of the joint council of unions. After 12 hours of studying in- dustrial inquiry commissioner Vince r » Clyde Mulhall said Tuesday. The decision by the three unions, which represent about half of the 1,700 unionized railway workers, jeopardizes ratification of Ready’s deal, he said. CASTLEGAR SAVINGS INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD. Castlegar 365-3368 purchases the proposed GST. You ‘Il learn about: @ Rebates on the Federal Sales Tax @ What is taxable and tax-exempt @ How to recover the GST paid on business e Available options for filing GST returns e@ Where and how to get additional assistance Canada’s GST. It’s good business to prepare now. Your business and the GST Free Business Information Session for people in all types of business. 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