o. a2 Castlégar News October 11, 1987 Rotering sees major institute NELSON (CP) — A former university campus in Nelson will be the site of what Mayor Gerald Rotering says will become “the major Western Canadian Pacific Rim institu tion.” Rotering said the campus, former site of the David Thompson University Centre until it was closed by the provincial government in 1984, will become a post-secondary institution for Japanese business students. “It’s going to have a major economic impact, not only in Nelson but in B.C.,” Rotering said. “The provincial govern. ment his been working on establishing Pacific Rim trade. » “SPretty soon we're goin, to realize that Nelson has established a major Pacific Rim institution here.” ‘The annual tuition fee will be about $20,000, including room and board, but Rotering said the figure compares favorably with what Japanese universities charge. The city of Nelson bought the 7.3-hectare campus from the provincial government for $1 and has spent about $300,000 on improvements, Rotering said. WANTED LEASE A group of Winnipeg investors had wanted to lease the facility from the city to operate it as a private high school for Alberta students. “But with the oil market being bad it fell through,” Rotering said. “Nelson had been pursuing Japanese connections in tourism and edutation. We were working on a Japanese summer school for English-language training so the people at the college who leased it from us pursued the Japanese connection.” Roterjng said the Winnipeg group formed a partnership with an English-language institute in Japan called the GOIN’ FISHING . . . Young irl tries her luck at the fishpond during the Robson elementary school fall fair Thursday. Fair also featured a cakewalk, hockey shoot and other events. CasNews Photo by Chery! Calderbonk Teachers turn to tube VANCOUVER (CP) — After a spring and summer of bitter political confronta' “Frankly, we're trying to press emotional buttons in launched an instruction-only campaign to protest new with the provincial govern- ment, British Columbia tea- chers are using television to polish an image they say has been badly tarnished. The 32,000-member B.C. Teachers Federation is spending $300,000 on a series of low-key commercials de- signed to restore the tradi- tional folksy image of tea. chers, said Arnie Myers, media relations officer for the federation. “It's to show teachers in a positive light,” said Myers. “As good people doing a positive job and doing it well.” He said in an interview the two-month campaign is the least political in the fed eration's history and the first to attempt image-building. this ign. Usually we have a specific political mes- sage to put out but this is all very non-political.” MILITANT GROUP Teachers in B.C. have been among the most militant in Canada, playing a role in general strikes and often taking high-profile positions against the Social Credit government's restraint pro- gram which they say has re sulted in larger classes and less money for education. “Teachers feel their image has been bruised and bat- tered for the last five years and they're tired of it,” said Myers. “We've been political because we've had to be. But a lot of people thought tea chers shouldn't get involved in that type of activity.” Just this year, teachers Community Futures receives funds By CasNews Staff The Greater Trail Com munity Futures committee has received an $80,280 fed eral grant under the Self. Employment Incentive Op- tion. The grant is in addition to the $97,920 in SEI funds that have already been approved for the Trail area. The money will be used for the Trail, Rossland, Montrose, Fruit vale and Warfield areas along with Areas A and B of the Regional District of Koote. nay Boundary “Demand for SEI partici pation in the Trail area has exceeded original expecta. tions. That is why the funds have been increased bringing the total SEI monies for Trail to $178,200,” Kootenay West MP Bob Brisco said in a press release. “The Greater Trail Com: munity Futures Committee chose the Self-Employment Incentive Option as the one best suited to this com. munity’s needs,” added Brisco. The Self-Employment In centive Option is a feature of Community Futures which is geared towards helping workers in communities which have serious economic problems but show potential for growth. The community futures committee in Trail, chaired by Mare Marcolin, has as. sessed community needs and has examined the options available under the program. It may recommend one or more program options under community futures to sup- port small business develop- ment and to help workers start businesses learn new skills or relocate to seek jobs. setting up local bargaining groups which they say is intended to erode their political power by re ducing membership in the federation. Myers said the instruction. only campaign, which re- sulted in most teachers re fusing to work after school or organize extracurricular ac- tivities like school dances, was unpopular with many people. “It made a lot of people angry,” said Myers. “Parents hate that sort of thing and in fact so do most teachers. I think we've been made to look bad from government legislation and been shown in actions that many people object to.” Two commercials have been broadcast around B.C. in recent weeks, both steer- ing clear of any political issues and stressing personal relationships between tea- chers and students. One commercial has a cre tion of adults turn- Bridge results Seven pairs of duplicate bridge players competed in the Joy Ramsden Bridge Club Oct. 5. Winners were: first — Grace Donaldson and Agnes Charlton; second — Stan Jenkinson and Hubert Hun. chak; third — Clara Johnson and Louise Whitehead. Eight pairs played Sept. 28. Placings were: first — Sally Walters and Clara Johnson; second — Rita Per. rier and Heather Pottle; third — Bev Swain and Phy- llis Matteucci. Winning at bridge Sept. 21 from the eight pairs that participated were: first — Rita Perrier and Heather Pottle; second — Henry John and Bill Gorkoff; third — Mary Stewart and Helen Batchelor. Weather ing to the camera and an- nouncing the surname of their favorite teacher. The other depicts teachers in- structing students. Other commercials in a similar vein may be pro- duced, Myers said. Berg awarded work By CasNews Staff A Castlegar construction firm has been awarded a con- tract worth nearly $3 million to build a new RCMP sub- division building in Nelson. William Berg Construction Ltd. won the contract with a bid of $2,802,440. In addition, Kootenay West MP Bob Briseo said that he has received verbal confirmation that the Trea- sury Board has approved a cost overrun of $200,000 for the project. au Berg, spokesman for Sunny skies for today and Monday with highs today reaching between 16°-18° and the lows near -2° Probability of precipitation is zero per cent and the sun will set tonight at 6:10. ion firm, said pais that between 10 and 15 tradesmen willbe em- ployed on the project for one year. He added that construction is to begin “almost immed- iately.” Cherry English Institute, which has about 80,000 students in Japan, to create the Canadian International College. ‘The college, whieh will open in April 1988, will initially have 260 Japanese post-secondary students, Courses will be taught in English, Rotering said. It will offer a Canadian degree in business administration, starting with a two-year program and later expanding to four years. “The idea calls for the first year or two in Nelson and continuing for a year or two, depending where you are in the program in Vancouver, They're looking for a Vancouver campus but we're starting with what we call a soft cultural landing in Nelson. “So you're in a small, safe community, you can get the feel of Western culture, and learn your English before jumping into Vancouver.” The city is leasing the campus to the college, meaning it . ,ahret retains ownership of any improvements to the facility, and also shares in any profits, Rotering He said $8 million is being spent to set up the pregram, and $1.6 million is going to promotional work in Tokyo. ‘The campus has residential space for several hundred students, Rotering said, adding that the facility might be expanded. “We're talking in long-terms here about 500 to 1,000 residential students per year. “We expect the Nelson campus will develop into a two-way campus where the Japanese who want to become the forerunners of their industrial expansion in the West will be trained here. We expect Nelson will become a centre for people hoping to invest in Japan to get their first immersion courses in Japanese and understand Japanese culture before heading overseas.” Vander Zalm to talk on privatization VICTORIA (CP) — Premier Bill Vander Zalm will break the silence on his plans for privatization and government restructuring in a major address to the Social Credit party's annual convention Oct. 23. A senior government official and another source with ties to the government said Vander Zalm will give details oof about 10 items that will be sold or transferred to private companies. But they told The Canadian Press there won't be a “big bang” — no major sell-off as there was in Britain. The first stages of the plan will focus on some smaller things like the Highways Ministry's sign shop in Langford, which employs less than people. Expected among the 10 items are: some High Ministry services like paving and snow removal, mapping; test laboratories that now are scattered within various ministries, and the Queen's Printer. In Otario, when Liberal Premier David Peterson took office in 1985, he appointed a special adviser on what Crown corporations should be sold. Most notable was the 1986 sale of Urban Transit Development Corp. to Lavalin Ine. of Montreal. WRITES OFF SHARES The Liberals investigated selling off the Tories’ 25-per- cent interest in the oil company Suncor Inc., bought in 1981. Because of the collapsed energy industry, the $650-million purchase price could not be recouped so the shares were written off the provincial books and will be sold when the oil industry rebounds sufficiently. After Premier Robert Bourassa was elected in Quebec in 1985, he promised extensive privatization and set up a minister responsible. The main action has been privatizing Quebecair, a regional air carrier. The Saskatchewan cabinet is looking at privatizing the cominercial portion of the government's’ insurance ebtpot. ; jon, \ H ‘The Victoria sources said the Insurance Corp. of Britis Columbia and B.C. Steamship Corp. are not likely candidates for privatization. The steamship company would be difficult because there are casinos on its ships and the Criminal Code allows only governments or their agenices to operate gambling facilities. The insurance company has been studied extensively since it was first set up by the New Democrats more than a decade ago. A study in 1983 found the public did not want compulsory vehicle insurance returned to private hands. The insurance corporation sold its general insurance division in 1984. David Poole, Vander Zalm’s principal secretary, con- firmed the speech will reveal details of the privatization plan, but gave no details. In the speech, the premier will lay out the targets — Crown corporations, government agencies and services — that will be offered for sale over the next few years. Vander Zalm has said that one-third of the province's 35,000 civil servants will be affected. Poole said the total restructuring which includes the plan to decentralize government to eight regions will take up to 15 years. Sources said the gas division of B.C. Hydro is under review for the second round of sales. The gas division, which has 802 employees, 421 of them unionized, earned $385 million last year and made a $14-million profit. The B.C. privatization plan involves a mixture of options — a direct sale of the business to a private company, contracting out of services, employee purchases, and public share offer In the Highways Ministry, paving crews and snow removal operations are likely to be privatized. 'y testing for health, marine, science and technology are also expected to be either contracted out, sold to employees or simply dropped from government. DOLL continued from front page “He will not be mass-produced,” warns Page. Each doll will be handmade by local artisans. As well, the music for the cassette tape was written and per- formed, by loca], mysicians. Even the story and illustrations in the booklet were written and drawn by local artists. Woaney said the concept for the doll started “as s lark.” She initially wrote a “simple story” for a Genelle newsletter “to bring a chuckle to the area people.” The story was so well received, she was asked for more. That led to the creation of the Mesome Wares doll, dressed in red coveralls and a bright yellow checkered shirt. And how did the name Mesome Wares, comé about? Wozney says it is derived from Mesome being the first travelling salesman in B.C. When he stopped at people's homes they would ask him to “sell me some wares.” Forest fires spread VANCOUVER (CP) — Two forest fires on Vedder Mountain in the Fraser Val- ley spread to engulf a total of 170 hectares Saturday. Laura Stringer, a spokes- man for the British Columbia Forest Service, said the fires, Stringer said the fires caused on the southwest and south- heavy smoke in the area near east sides of the mountain 80 the Cultus Lake resort. GEOFF BALL HEDDA BRECKENRIDGE kilometres east of here, re- mained uncontained although fire guards were built over- night. The blazes were being fought by 100 men plus tanker trucks and bulldozers. GARY KOOZNETSOFF CRAIG LUKER who is studying Sciences a Selkirk College on the Uni- versity Transfer program. He plans to enter Engineer- ing at UBC next year. Gary Kooznetsoff, who is attending Simon Fraser Uni- versity in the Engineering Science program. Craig Laker, who is study- ing Engineering Science at Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont. after com- pleting boot camp and a re- cruit term. Denis Peregrym, who is studying Engineering No property was threat- and the cause of the second ened and there were no blaze was still being investi- evacuations but one of the fires came to within 400 metres of a farm house before it was halted by a fire gated. Stringer said the blaze will be costly to the Forest Service because it has burn- The forest service said a discarded cigarette was planted by the government blamed for one of the fires agency. Stanley Humphries winners By CasNews Staff Six Stanley Humphries secondary school graduates have been awarded provin- cial government scholar- mee The six are: Geoff Ball, who is attend- ing Selkirk College on a Uni- versity Transfer program. Ball plans to attend the Uni- versity of B.C. next year. Hedda Breckenridge, who is studying Chemistry and, Physics at UBC. Michael Chevel MICHAEL CHEVELDAVE Science at SFU. ¥ Briefly Stein pledge VANCOUVER (CP) — The Lytton and Mount Currie Indian bands pledged to “maintain the Stein Valley asa a endorsed by the 196-band Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs meeting here this week. However, the native Indian leaders again refused to say how they intend to stop tree-cutting in south- western British Columbia's largest unlogged water- shed. “That's the agenda for another day,” president Saul Terry told a news conference. WINNIPEG (CP) — A total of 20 military and civilian aircraft were searching Saturday for a plane and its two Saskatchewan occupants missing since a snowstorm Thursday in northwestern Ontario, a military spokesman here said. Maj. Bob Butt, information officer for the hi and Ontario region, said officials have had no word from pilot Vern Ball and passenger Leonard Lukenoff, both of Saskatoon, since shortly after a refuelling stop Thurs- day afternoon in Marathon, Ont., about 200 kilometres east of Thunder Bay. Show postponed POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) — oe Pocatello city council pon union { a program d by wits supre- macists that links blacks and Jews with the spread of AIDS. The program was originally scheduled to be shown Tuesday on the local, city-financed public-ac- cess channel as part of the Race and Reason videotape series sponsored by a local chapter of the Church of Jesus Christ Christian-Aryan Nations. ‘The Aryan Nations tape features J.B. Stoner of the Crusade Against Corruption, and White American Political Action Association founder Tom Metzer saying AIDS is carried by blacks and Jews. The two use the allegation to justify racial separation. Stoner also said God is intervening on behalf of whites and AIDS is a “blessing from God.” Arms pact rapped THE HAGUE (AP) — A tentative superpower arms limitation pact would break the link between the defence of western Europe and the United States, former state secretary Henry Kissinger said Satur- day. He told a defence forum that he's uneasy about the pact, and called on the West to prepare sanctions to retaliate if the Sovieta violate such an agreement. He didn't spell out possible Under an agreement reached in principle in Washington last month, the United States and the Soviet Union pledged to remove all medium-range nuclear missiles from Europe. Tamils kill 10 COLOMBO (Reuter) — About 15 heavily armed Tamil guerrillas killed 10 people in an attack on a Sin- halese village in eastern Sri Lanka early Saturday, a senior Sri Lankan military officer said. He said Sri Lankan troops — confined to barracks under the terms of a peace accord — rushed to the village of Mollipathana when they heard gunfire. “We are not supposed to go out but we did not wait for orders because the whole village of about 50 families would have been massacred,” said the officer, who asked not to be identified. He said the 10 dead civilians were shot as they tried to flee. Six others were injured. President sought SUVA (CP) — Fiji coup leader Col. Sitiveni Rabuka said Saturday he wants veteran politician Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to be the first president of the Republic of Fiji. Rabuka told Reuters he had offered Mara the presidency before the former prime minister made a trip to London to try to preserve Fiji's ties to the British throne. “I have offered him the presidency, and if he refuses then we just won't have a president for a while,” Rabuka, 39, said in a brief interview. Baghdad rocked MANAMA (AP) — A powerful explosion shook Baghdad early Saturday and residents of the Iraqi capital said it sounded like the impact of a long-range miele, such as Iran has used against Baghdad in the "However, neither yeas. nor Iran's official media, which generally report the firing of missiles on Baghdad, made any mention of such an attack. Iran continued to lash out at the United States for a helicopter attack on Iranian speedboats Thursday, sinking one and disabling two. One Iranian official said the action is a “declaration of war.” Kim declares SEOUL (AP) — Kim Young-sam became the first South Korean opposition politician to declare his candidacy for president Saturday, saying he wants to “end 26 years of military dictatorship.” The elections, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 20, will be the first direct presidential balloting in 16 years. Kim, 59, president of the main opposition Re- unification Democratic party, told a news conference he decided to run because he thinks he is the best choice to achieve “a democratic revolution through election.” Space flight on MOSCOW (AP) — A couneil of experts decided officially that an Earth-orbiting monkey’s free paw and blocked food tube can cause no trouble and the scientific spaceship flight will keep to its schedule, the official news agency Tass The council reviewed the latest data from the mission, which blasted off Sept. 29 and is scheduled to return Monday, Tass said. October 11,1967 Casthagar News a3 Postal strike turns quiet. By The Canadian Press Striking inside postal workers began a quiet vig: outside mail stations across the country on Saturday in anticipation of a federal back-to-work law that could come as early as next week. Buses loaded with strikebreakers were allowed into major sorting stations in Toronto, Winnipeg, Montreal and Edmonton with no sign of the scuffling and shoving seen on Friday. The workers, called replacements by the post office and seabs by the union, will be used ug union vi who is in Edi The protests aré scheduled mainly.on Tuesday when Parliament returns to deal with the Conservative govern- ment's back-to-work legislation. ‘The 23,000-member Canadian Union of Postal Workers which had conducted rotating walkouts plunged the country into a national strike when the bill was tabled Friday in the Commons by Labor Minister Pierre Cadieux. OBJECTS TO POWER The legislation, severely criticized by the Liberals and the holiday weekend. “We will have shifts depending on merit,” Deborah Saucier, a post office in Ottawa, said the strike entered its 11th day. “If there n'mail to sort, they will be brought New D and several labor specialists as heavy- handed, would force strikers back to work under penalty of heavy fines and loss of employment. + The union is particularly incensed the government has drdered special attention be giyen to a conciliator's report last September that said Canada Post should be allowed to in the strike and neither side bas indicated any plans to return to the bargaining table, Meantime, Canada Post bas won court injunctions limiting picketers in several British Columbia centres and in two Toronto-area stations, In Vancouver, a union spokesman said striking workers would no longer bar public access to the main post office after two men were injured Friday when they tried to break through heavy picket lines. Marion Pollack, president of Vancouver's union local, said the action was taken to avoid any further provocation by Canada Post. In Toronto, five workers inside a postal sorting plant were sent home from hospital Saturday after sitting on a caustic substance during coffee break. Protests aré planned for in major centres across the country in the next few days, said Darryl Tingley, national sell franchises. TAKING THE OATH . . . Eigh new Canad The plan to franchise postal operations is the main issue d their citi: during a ceremony in Castlegar on Friday. — ConNews Photo by Surj Ratton New citizens sworn in Eighteen people, including three children from countries ranging from Czechoslovakia to Thailand, were sworn in as Canadian citizens at a ceremony in the Castlegar provincial court house Friday. The other countries from which the 18 new Canadians came from Germany, England, Laos and New Zealand. Citizenship judge Robert Mona- ghan presided and told the new citizens it was an “historic” day for all of them. You will find out what Canada is all about. You've had a privilege of meeting many new Canadians; you've algo had @ chance to meet people from many, many other cultures and that is the history of Canada,” said Monaghan. ‘He said they have the right to vote at all three levels of government, adding “The beauty of voting is that it is the one time you have a chance to change things.” Monaghan added that becoming a Canadian citizen means anyone can attempt to become the prime minister of Canada, even if they were not born in Canada. That system does not exist in the United States, he pointed out. “Canada has one of the more liberal constitutions in the whole world. You have all the freedoms that are entrenched in the constitution,” said Monaghan. He added that the one thing new citizens to Canada do not have to give up is the citizenship of their home countries. “You are not just citizens of Castlegar and Trail, today you are citi- zens of Canada,” said Monaghan. Kootenay West MP Bob Brisco told the group they should feel they are now part of Canada. “It gives you a sense of belonging in a real way that you may not have experienced in your homeland,” said Brisco. Acting Castlegar Mayor Albert Calderbank said the new citizens bring to Canada new blood and new ideas. Zone summer school attracts 42 students Lach Farrell, Castlegar school district assistant schools superinten- dent, told a recent school board meeting the 1987 West Kootenay Zone summer school program attracted 42 students. Thirty-seven of the students passed in core Grade 9 and 10 English and Math courses, and Grade 11 Math. Farrell said that he felt students did not fail junior level courses because of lack of intelligence or ability, but rather “lack of application, immaturity, not doing assignments, and not sepa- rating their i with the and expenses were taken. Two stu- dents were not able to pay the fee but were included in the program. wi"No one was excluded because of lack of money,” said Farrell. , Superintendent Wayling noted that the district had 60 more students then the province had budgeted. “The government's going to have to come up with another quarter million dollars for the area,” said Wayling. “Their estimates were out cee to three per cent. I hope their weren't out 2/2 to three per teacher with the importance of passing the course.” The summer school paid for itself. Parents of 40 students paid the $100 registration fee, from which salaries Brisco says deal By CasNews Staff Kootenay West MP Bob Brisco says the recent free-trade deal signed bet- ween Canada and the United States is “great.” Brisco added that the pact will provide an opportunity for “technical diversification” and that it will remove Briseo said he does not agree with people who think the free trade deal will benefit B.C. at the expense of other areas of the country, such as Ontario. “I don't see that at this stage. We're dealing with two different Ontario area relies. heavily on the economic sector. I would hope, ultimately, that it (free-trade) would clear the forest problem out. The shake and shingle tariffs are still there. That problem will have to be resolved separately by the provinces,” said Brisco. He added that consumers will benefit “significantly” from the free- trade pact. “There is no free-trade agreement in the world that is not of benefit to both parties involved.” Rossland-Trail MLA Chris D'Arcy disagreed with Brisco that the free- cent all-over the province.” The Sullivan Royal C on A union spokesman said no union members were in the plant at the time of the incident. SUPREME COURT LIMITS POSTAL UNION PICKETS VANCOUVER (CP) — Canada Post was granted an injunction Saturday that limits picketing by the Can- adian Union of Postal Work- ers in the Vancouver area. At an unusual Saturday sitting of the B.C. Supreme Mr. Justice John Spencer. put limits on the number of inside workers picketing in Vancouver and Westminster counties, ex- cluding Langley in the Lower Fraser Valley. Otherwise, the injunction covers an area north of Van- couver to Powell River, east to Hope and south to the United States border. The injunction allows only five pickets at any entrance but the union will be allowed to have up to 100 pickets at the main Vancouver plant in areas away from entrances as long as they don't impede anyone entering or leaving the post office. Canada Post spokesman Mike Bradshaw says it now is up to the Crown corporation to decide if the injunction will pave the way for the bringing in of replacement workers. Union spokesman Marion Pollack said she expects her members to obey the in- junction. Pollack said earlier that union members would not hinder the publie seeking to enter the main post office building as long as they demonstrated they were on busi iness and not strikebreak- That decision was made by the union after two men were injured Friday when they tried to break through heavy picket lines. Pollack said the action was taken because the union wanted to avoid provocation by Canada Post and she hoped the Crown corporation would not try to take ad- vantage of the union by bringing in replacement workers. Union | pickets said one man suffered a cut hand when a pane of glass broke while he was scuffling with strikers and another man suffered minor injuries while trying to break through the picket line to enter the building. Postal workers had been picketing five sites in the sought to stop mail trucks, and a warehouse in suburban Richmond. Canada Post circumvented mass picketing at the main post office in Vancouver Fri- day by using a helicopter to move mail containing pen- sion, social unemployment insurance cheques. The airborne approach came after the Crown corp- oration's bid for an injunction was adjourned to give the union more time to respond to it. Canada Post was granted earlier injunetions limiting picketing in the Kamloops area, the Kootenays in south- © western B.C. and in the Nan- aimo area on Vancouver Island. Commonwealth heads assemble VANCOUVER (CP) — While Commonwealth leaders begin assembling here this weekend, some of the crucial issues they face will be examined at a series of pre-conference events. Tougher economic sanc- tions against South Africa and increased aid to the black states surrounding the rac- ially divided country are ex- pected to dominate discus- sions when the leaders begin their working sessions Tues- day. While considering aid to poorer member states, sup- port for an education net- work and enhanced trade, the leaders will also grapple with what to do with coup- stricken Fiji. The Pacific island's future Education will not be coming to Castlegar Oct. 18 because it did not receive enough briefs from the area. ‘great' trade deal will not hurt other areas of the country. “I think it'll improve our trade in B.C. with the States, but I think it will be at the expense of other places in Canada,” said D'Arcy. He added that he is concerned about the dispute-solving mechanism provided in the pact. “It appears to be favoring the U.S. side. If we're subject to U.S. law, then that does not sit well with Canada and B.C. interests.” He added that it will be “inter- esting” to see if the free-trade deal succeeds in removing tariffs. in the Ci will be of particular concern to the Queen, the Commonwealth's symbolic head, who earlier accused the coup leader of disloyalty. The Queen, who meets privately with Com- monwealth leaders but does not take part in the working sessions, arrived in Victoria on Friday afternoon. The South African di- lemma will be the focus of a two-day conference which started Saturday and spon- sored by the Canadian Coun cil for International Co-op- eration and ti Canadian church and labor leaders will speak. Or- ganizers hope the conference will generate new ideas to support further Common- wealth action against South Africa, which left the Com- monwealth in 1961 after harsh criticism of its apart- heid policies. Current sanctions involve direct air links and the pro- motion of tourism to South Africa. Also on the weekend, will meet to formulate a common stand on Fiji's status within the 49-member or- ganization. Coup leader Col. Sitiveni Rabuka, who moved to put political control in the hands of minority Melane- sians, has declared Fiji a re- public, with himself as in- terim head of state. Fiji is not expected to send a representative to the Com- monwealth conference. As of Friday, the only confirmed no-show was the tiny Pacific nation of Vanuatu. The large Sikh commun- ity in Vancouver will hold a groups in British Columbia. Zambian president Ken- neth Kaunda, representative of the African National Con- gress, the most radical group fighting for majority black rule in South Africa, and to create a Sikh homeland.