Saturday, June 27, 1992 @ 7 i & PAGE INiON S Dave McCullough Publisher Scott David Harrison Editor Mickey Read Composing Room Foreman Warren Chernoff OurVWiEWS Adrian RAESIDE Free trade fiasco t’s time for Canadians to elect a [evernmen that is prepared to stand up for the people it represents. Thursday, the Progressive Conservative Canada that we have come to know got kicked again when the U.S. International Trade Commission voted in favor of a 6.51 per cent tariff against imported Canadian lumber. Surprise, surprise. The U.S. ruling is just another example of a Free Trade Agreement gone awry as the Canadian economy continues to stagger into an American-generated abyss. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Free Trade Agreement isn’t working in Canada’s favor. Our American cousins have used it to wipe out Ontario’s once-thriving manufacturing industry. Now they have B.C. in their sights. The U.S. ruling means further losses to our already-hurting forest industry. A provincial news release estimates losses of $150 million each year. It’s high-time the Canadian government shelved its constitutional fetish and paid attention to things that are happening outside of Quebec. And when — or if — it decides to lift its politically-out-of- touch head, our Progressive Conservatives would discover that the Free Trade Agreement is systematically dismantling the very . country it professes to lead. Dump the Free Trade Agreement before it dumps the nation we know. DOYOU FAVOUR EXNMIGRATING TO BORA BORA “sttb REGION REPRESENTATION IN AN ELECTED SENATE PRANIINCIAL REPRESENTATION NN AN ELECTED SENATE PUTTING SENATORS TO WORKON A CHAIN GANG SENDING SENATORS TO ANOTHER PLANET BUDGEONING THE NEXT TOT WAN) BRINGS ve THE cONSTIUMON {|_| FOLD HERE Ed Conroy keeps on ‘trucking’ Memo to Ed Conroy: the newly-expanded Are you crazy? Or do you have some kind of political death wish? How else do you explain the plan to reroute huge semi-trailer trucks loaded with slag for Cominco through the streets of Castlegar? I understand there is a problem with the Rossland- Trail hill, a problem made even more pressing when an 18-wheel truck crashed Ron NORMAN Comments from the Crossroads Celgar Pulp Mill. Just how many more chip trucks can we expect when the mill is up and running next year? Around 42,000 a year. That works out to 115 a day or one chip truck every 12 1/2 minutes | rumbling down the Nancy | Greene Highway or across | the Kinnaird Bridge and | onto Columbia Avenue. That doesn’t count the through the front door of that Warfield family’s home last month. But, Ed, think about the people of Castlegar. Just so we all have it straight, let’s review the events ofthe past few months. First, Highways Minister Art Charbonneau tells us there won’t be a new bridge going up across the Columbia River south of downtown. The bridge was to alleviate the increased chip truck traffic to trucks taking finished pulp from Celgar (another 3,000 a year) or the 6,000 to 8,000 logging trucks that will travel to the Pope and Talbot mill annually. That would make it a truck every 10 minutes. But Mr. Charbonneau said there is no money for a bridge this year and possibly not next year. The trucks will just have to continue to roll down Columbia. Then there was the Robson ferry, for please see NORMAN page 7 Heather Hadley Circulation Manager Street TALK Burt Camp Publisher Emeritus L.V. Campbell Aug. 7, 1947- Feb. 15, 1973 Marie Wild Castlegar “No, I think it’s up to the two sides to work it out.” Fernie affair.” Alex Zaitsoff “No, I don’t think it’s the government’s Jason Davis Castlegar “No, it’s between the workers and the management.” Question: Should the government legislate an end to the pulp strike? * Diane Kurtz Castlegar “No, I feel the union has the right to strike.” Don Pongracz Castlegar “Not yet. Leave the bargaining up to the workers.” SNE ASE AR TI @ Saturday, June 27, 1992 Other VIEWS | Please address all letters to: Letters to the ditor Castlegar News P.O. Box 3007 Castlegar, B.C. V1N 3H4 or deliver them to 197 Columbia Ave. Letters should be typewritten, double-spaced and not longer than 300 words. Letters MUST be signed and include the writer’s first and last names, address anda telephone number at which the writer can be reached bety ’ Letters toWHE EDITOR Grad ’92 won’t soon be forgotten “Every year injuries or deaths occur with grad nights throughout the province, usually involving drinking and driving.” However, lack of sleep from late parties, overcrowding in a vehicle and other distractions while operating a motor vehicle on grad night have also contributed to such accidents. The effects of an accident on grad night are felt throughout the community. Parents, families, friends, teachers and students are devastated. This is never more apparent than in a small community where the loss affects virtually everyone.” eee This is an excerpt from a letter written by the British Columbia ambulance service “Ride of Your Life” Graduation Transportation Service. This program is endorsed by the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Premier and other public and community agencies all over the province. The ambulance service in Castlegar implemented this program for last year’s grad. They worked very hard to ensure that our kids could have a good time but be safe. A lot of the grad parents volunteered time and efforts to the same end. It worked very well and all our children came through grad weekend safe and very much alive. The ambulance service tried to do the same for this year’s graduating class, but found that their hard work, and that of the parents, met a stumbling block — the RCMP There were roadblocks — two of them — set up between town and the party sight, and the police were searching every vehicle that tried to get to the party. Parents going there to provide food and security services for all the grads, had their cars searched. There were no roadblocks last year. There were no incidents last year. Everyone was well behaved and the night was a success. It is beyond my comprehension why the police were so intent on making it a difficult evening for everyone. Just flexing a little muscle, I guess. I fully understand the position of the police about minors drinking. It is against the law. But the reality of it is that the kids are going to drink regardless. In my opinion it is easier to have 200 kids confined in a small area to party, where they can be supervised and driven to and from their homes by competent people, rather than having 200 partying kids out on our highways where they are a danger not only to themselves but to many, many others. I'd have thought that this program would make grad weekends less of a headache for the police, as the responsibility for our children’s safety is in our hands, not theirs. But it seems they can’t leave well enough alone. . ; So in closing, I'd like to thank the RCMP for making graduation 1992 one that the grads, parents and dedicated ambulance drivers will not soon forget. Maureen Chernenkoff Castlegar sorry, but there’s no excuse for graduation abuse First of all — no one, more than me, is against minors drinking alcohol, or even adults abusing it. But, I am appealing to all the people who, in my opinion, have wrong attitudes toward alcohol at grad celebrations. Those who say that it’s their duty to punish, to the fullest extent of the law, the grads who had admitted to having a couple of beer. I respect law officers doing their duty — protecting people from getting hurt and educators in forcing discipline and strictness. Isn’t it also important that our children respect their superiors and use them as fair people? Come on, lets face reality. Too many young people have been killed or seriously hurt during grad celebrations in the past. I am not saying that all tragedies are caused due to drinking alcohol but many of our children have to get the ‘celebration’ out of their system, if not on the grad weekend, then right afterwards. Possibly in the wrong locations and unsupervised. Why not let them celebrate in a safe place, under supervision and not allowing them to drive out. Then let them do their drinking if they choose to. Even if that made them sick, is that not much better than getting seriously hurt or killed? The officer who was proud that they had prevented an accident or death has spoken too soon, wouldn’t you say? Why not put our control over people aside a bit and possibly prevent family tragedies. We do each have our conscience to live with. Anne Polonikoff Castlegar Bill Vander Zalm’s good name will be cleared I believe we will soon see Bill Vander Zalm’s good name was possible, other than. death. Bill would have stayed there that the people he loves know the truth in their hearts. He was because of his Christian principals. The rest was only a totally vindicated. There is a hand far greater than ours and He looks after His own. All the prayers have not been in vain. I believe that God took Bill out of a terribly wrong situation in the only way that till the:end, killing himself trying to please everyone, and there is now way he could have done it no matter what he did. I don’t believe it is fair to just worry about whether Bill Vander Zalm will be cleared of criminal charges. He deserves deserves an apology from the people who should have stood behind him. I’m not just talking about Social Credit. I’m talking about people who profess to be Christians. Everyone knew the real reason Bill was being attacked smoke screen. If we don’t change our ways and stand behind people who are willing to take a leadership role we will only get what we so rightly deserve. Iris Bakken Salmo 9a.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 anonymously. Even in those cases, the name, address and phone number of the writer MUST be disclosed to Norman continued from page 7 which there was also no money. Meanwhile, the car traffic clogs Columbia. And now his ministry wants to reroute heavy truck traffic through Castlegar. Fifty to 80 more trucks a day. That would bring the number of trucks on Castlegar streets to one every six minutes. And that a oy the editor. The News reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity, legality, grammar and taste. t all the other trans- port trucks like those heading to the grocery stores, car lots, etc. (To be fair, Ed, you didn’t sup- port either the bridge of the ferry decision. In fact, you fought darned hard to get both of those projects, recognizing their impor- tance to the area.) Just to let you know, Ed, I’m not alone in my feeling about this. Opposition is starting to mount. Already a petition is circulating that makes the point that rerout- ing the trucks isn’t a solution, but merely a “relocation of a life- threatening traffic problem to an area that is already struggling to maintain a bare minimum of resi- “Life-threatening” may seem a ‘bit strong, but not in light of re- t figures from the Ministry of Highways dhoudig that ink taco inspection in the Terrace area nine of 10 commercial vehicles had faulty brakes. Remember, too, that brakes were the cause of the accident on the Warfield hill. Reassuring? Hardly. Also not very reassuring is the recent-published remarks by the station master at the Castlegar weigh scales. He said there have been a number of instances when he’s had to help put out fires on trucks coming off the Nancy Greene highway. The reason? Their tires caught fire from overheated brakes. Do we really want those trucks trying to turn that sharp corner onto Columbia Avenue, Ed? A cor- ner, by the way, that has been the site of numerous truck mishaps over the years. Think about it, Ed. You say the situation would on- ly be temporary — until runaway lanes and arresters could be built on the Rossland-Trail hill. How ape You say as long as two years. But given the Highways Min- istry’s track record on promises in this area, two years could easily stretch to five. _ We've got our own truck prob- lems, Ed. We don't:need Warfield’s as well. Rerouting isn't a solution.