August 23, 1995

WZ
The Gastiégar Sun
>

Serving the 16,000 people of the Castlegar area, The Castlegar Sun

is every by Sterling Lid, at 465

Columbia Ave. Castlegar, B.C. VIN 1G8, The Castlegar Sun is politi

cally independent and a member of the Sterling News Service,

Canadian C y BC.C

Newspapers Assocation, and the B.C, Press Council, Established
28, 1990. Mail

VAN COMMU,
is # CNA

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PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG
DEREK ZEISMAN CHRISTINE MOYER
EDITOR PRODUCTION MA.WAGER
KAREN KERKHOFF GARY SCHNEIDER
REPORTERPHOTOGRAPHER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
JEFF GABERT CATHERINE ROSS
SPORTS REPORTERPHOTOGRAPHER = ADVERTISING REP.
MARGE LALONDE NICOLE BEETSTRA
OFFICE/CIRCULATION MANAGER = ADVERTISING REP

CARI DOLGOPOL FRED JACK
CLASSIFIED ADS ADVERTISING REP

Direct Department Phones
Gereral OFf10@ ........2..:c00.00+ +000 965-5266
Circulation rf eee 365-5266
Classitied Ads .. 365-7848
Display Advertising --1365-2278
Newsroom < -.365-5579
Fax ~ . 365-7762

editorial comment

Lack of support may
mean end of the line
for city bus service

Castlegar councillor Kirk Duff has a sobering message for local
residents: use the local transit service, or lose it. Plain and simple

And he's right, though his words might seem a bit blunt to those
More accustomed to political bafflegab.

Castlegar has been growing at a rapid clip lately, with no end to the
expansion in site. But economic growth does not necessarily mean the
: people of Castlegar are entitled to whatever big-city conveniences
they choose, no matter how ineffective they may be cost-wise

Unfortunately, it seems that local transit service may end up
being one of those unrealistic conveniences the city, received
without ever really growing into i

And that’s why Kirk Duff is right. He points out that “if the city’s
money 2001 $77,000 for 1995 alone} isn’t being well-utilized for
this service, it can certainly be utilized elsewhere.”

No doubt about that. We have before us a booming community
almost bursting at the seams, like a growing baby that’s long outlived
its new-born clothes. Streets, sewers, schools, lighting, park
are in serious need of increased funding to handle the city t-
paced expansion

Now, in the big scheme of things, $77,000 may or may not seem
like a lot of money to City Hall. To you and me, it’s a pretty big
chunk of cash. But when
you're dealing with an annual
budget in the range of $10 mil-
lion, a mere $77,000 might
tend to come across as pocket
change.

That would be a terrible
attitude for the city to have
But luckily, Kirk Duff is
showing the city does not
have that sort of thinking in
mind. As he points out, the
reality of it is that $77,000
could be put toward an infi-
nite number of municipal
improvement projects, if the
local Transit Committee's
upcoming coupon and advertising promotion does not succeed in
bringing more residents around to the concept of “busing it”

But where would a cancellation of our bus service leave those
who make the best use of the system as it now exists — students
and seniors? That is a very difficult question to answer, something
Duff himself acknowledges.

The odd shape of Castlegar and the surrounding area long and
thin, like a slithering snake — means it is practically impossible to
get around town conveniently without some sort of day-to-day
transportation, be it tar,-truck, motorcycle or otherwise. Yet many
residents, young*and old alike, simply do not have access to such
amenities. What are they to do, in the event of a transit shutdown?

A number of options are being tossed about at present, ranging
from organized municipal carpooling to bus service specifically
designed for large pools of students at Selkirk College or resi
dents at a number of local seniors’ homes. But the first option
may turn out to be impractical, the second far too expensive on a
per-person basis

Yes, Kirk Duff is mght that the great Castlegar transit expeni-
ment, while well-intentioned, may be about to enter the twilight
of its short-lived existence That is understandable. We are not
Vancouver, Victoria or Kelowna, and hopefully never will be. But
this also means fewer of the big-city luxunes available in such
meuopolitan areas

Still, Castlegar should not leave needy citizens high and dry in
any transit-cancellation plan. Perhaps the city should direct a por
tion of tts new $30,000 municipal transportation study toward
how to best deal with the ramifications of losing a service that,

while expensive. 1s nothing short of vital to some DZ

Economic growth
does not necessarily
mean the people of
Castlegar are entitled
to whatever big-city
conveniences they
choose, no matter
how ineffective they
may be cost-wise.

ERRORS.
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ut of errors in any advertisement beyond the
actually occupied by that portion of the
‘or occurred, whethur such error is due
to the negligence of its servants or otherwise... and there shall be no
ability for non- insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount
Paid tor such advertisement. Ail advertising subject to publisher's
approval. Contracts must be completed within one year trom contract
date No contingent orders accepted

Five Liberal caucus wresties

WiTH HOW To CHANGE THe
GoT:

GIVE HIM
A POODLE

Development woes

Blueberry resident expresses concerns over
possible industrial development in area

With reference to the article
written in the Aug. 9 edition of
The Castlegur Sun entitled.“City
and B.C. Lands fish for
investors” permit me to submit a
few thoughts on the subject

Last year we purchased proper-
ty in the area
known locally
as Blueberry
Creek, for rea-
sons” which
include the
integrity and § ‘
status of the
neighborhood
we live in —
with its nicely
kept, detached
single family dwellings, in a
pleasant, quiet, rural part of
Castlegar.

We are most concerned about
the potential investor interest (or
“catch” in fishing jargon) in the
20-acre chunk of Crown Land on
the eastern side of Highway 22,
as mentioned in the article

The reasons for our concerns
include

* Compromised local real
estate values as a result of possi-
bly combining industrial/com-
mercial zoning in what is
currently zoned as a rural resi-
dential area.

* Potential changes in traffic
flow patterns, ultimately causing
increased volumes and safety

MY
TURN

COLLEEN
| KENDALL

hazards for children playing,
walkers, jc 2rs and bikers on
access roads of! Columbia i.e
Dubin Road and 100th St: Gust
before the bridge)

+ Possible overuse and com-
Promised quality of the local
water supply,
reducing avail-
ability and
water pressure
in the event of
too many new
owners/tenants
making use of
the city’s water

Grosvenor Place/Forest Drivet
fiasco — i.e. noise bylaws not
being adhered to, increased dust
problems, etc.

* Yet another repeat of
attempting to combine new
development and subsequent
rezoning in previously zoned res-
idential areas. The area around
the Recreation Complex is
another good example.

+ Running the risk of having
Castlegar being cited as an exam-
ple of poor planning/zoning prac-
tices, thereby being a less
attractive location to newcomers.

+ The problematic situation
between West Arm Trucking and
the local residents of Ootischenia
is well known ... need I say

more... other than that a prece-
dent has already been sct

Why would further develop-
ment that would fall imto this
mixed zoning (and not necessari-
ly compatible) category even be
contemplated? Isn't it the idea of

P effective c y
planning, to segregate these areas
as much as possible? Isn't this the
purpose of having zoning laws in
the first place?

I have worked in the area of
community relations and public
consultation for many years, both
in the private and public sectors
and am well aware of the process
that is needed to

above mentioned land be des-
ignated for use, for example,
by a trucking company that
perhaps requires easy, off-road
access.

Bottom line? Perhaps the City
of Castlegar and B.C. Lands
should consider taking their fish-
ing poles and casting them in an
alternate direction — specifically,
a site well away from an estab-
lished residential area.

Further, soliciting public com-
ment on this potential develop-
ment opportunity, at the peak of
the summer season when few
people have been around to

respond to B.C.

take place
before any such
changes could
or should occur.

I .therefore
have a particu-
lar interest and
commitment in
ensuring that
Blueberry
Creek remains
“status quo”
and not be neg-
atively impact-
ed by any of

girsyrpoend —_ well be con-

consider taking their
fishing poles and
casting them in

another direction —
specifically, a site
well away from an

established

residential area. ject, or who

Lands in Cran-
brook, could

strued as being a
bit clandestine to
Say the least. Just
some food .for
thought in plan-
ning future pub-
lic participation
activities.
Anyone con-
cerned about the
above noted sub-

the above men-
tioned conditions. It should be
noted that) garnering full, local
community Support in this
regard would hardly be a diffi-
cult task, especially should the

would like to
have their position and comments
on record, please contact myself
or my husband Michael at 365-
6073 and leave a message. Your
call will be returned.

Wednesday, August 23, 1995

Bicycles deserve
more respect on
B.C.’s crowded
highways

Dear Editor:

Paul Hundal’s resort to name
calling in his recent letter on
bicycle safety (Castlegar Sun,
August 9) obscures the fact that
he makes some valid points. Will
our MLA, Ed Conroy, respond to
them?

Leaving aside helmets and sig-
naling stops, Hundal is vague
about what he considers the dan-
gers inherent on the roads at pre-
sent, but in my experience a lot
of the roads in the West Kootenay
are not bicycle friendly,

My preference for highway rid-
ing is a clean, paved shoulder,
separated from the traffic lane by
a painted line. Highway 3A east
of Castlegar offers a good exam-
ple. But on other highways:

* Paved shoulders disappear
when there is a passing lane (e.g.,
Blueberry Paulson) or a bridge,
forcing bicycles into the traffic
lane. The hot breath of a chip
truck millimetres from your left
cheek gives new meaning to Par-
ticipation.

+ Paved shoulders are some-
times broken or grooved, appar-
ently the result of incomplete or
improper maintenance, or neglect
during resurfacing. This is the
case between Castlegar and Trail,
where shoulders exist at all on
that busy highway.

+ Paved shoulders may be cov-
ered in gravel. This is common
where the main traffic lanes have
beet sealcoated, where there are
crash barriers, at intersections,
and in the spring. Gravel has the
interesting tendency to turn into
ball bearings under your whecls
and contribute to higher health
care costs.

+ Paved shoulders may be non-
existent, so that bicycles and
motor vehicles have to share the
same space. This is unsafe for

Letters Policy

Letters to the Editor are wel-
come on any topic of local or
general interest. Letters should
be double-spaced, typewritten,
or legibly handwritten, and no

both, especially on busy streets
and highways.

+ Paved shoulders contain
storm drains, which in some

Page A7

Dear Editor:

The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are
upon us, Will you go camping, swimming.
hiking, boating, fishing, soak up the sun on
the beach, or barbecue with friends?

We, the Doukhobors, are in the midst of a
year-long commemoration honoring our
ancestors’ noble action a century ago. Coura-
geously, they layed down their weapons,
refusing to serve the military machine, refus-
ing to take the Jife of any creation of the
Heavenly Father - human or animal.

In 1895 young and-old Doukhobors in
Imperial Russia d iption notices,
rejected the bearing of arms, then, gathered all
their i of death ~-- guns and swords

cases are deeply and gt
recessed and have wheel catcher
grates set parallel to the direction
of travel. Check out the Brilliant
bridge.

In addition, I cannot say
enough bad things about sealcoat-
ing. It provides a jackhammer-
like expérience for the cyclist
travelling at, say, 20 km/h or
more, and sometimes a real con-
{rol problem because of the
uneven surface.

In the ojty, gravel is common
at intersedions, especially after
heavy rains. But the streets only
seem to get swept once a year,
whether they need it or not, so as
summer goés by the risk of road
rash rises rapidly. Don't exit
Highway 3 at 14th Avenue too
quickly, for instance.

The painted shoulder lane
along Columbia Avenue, even
though not designated a bicycle
lane, serves as such and takes a
lot of the fear out of riding in the
traffic, at least until one hits the
downtown war zone. It’s some-
thing that the City should include
in all future street improvement
plans.

Finally, the provincial govern-
ment’s legislative actions on
bicycle safety, whatever Mr. Hun-
dal may think about the compe-
tence of the legislators, at least

in three areas and set them afire. In this

and the teachings of Christ

For their deep spiritual commitment to life
and light, the Sixth Commandment, "Thou Shalt
Not Kill’, they received, from the world of man,
torture, prison, rape, starvation and exile to
Siberia. All this could not deter them from their
spiritual understanding, which holds that all life
~~ big or small, rich or poor, noble or peasant, of
any color or race — is precious. We continue to
share our ancestors’ life-affirming faith today.
We honor our forebearers’ gift of brotherly
Jove and remember their fortitude in the face of
anger, hate and bigotry exhibited by those pro-
fessing Christianity 100 years ago.

‘The Canadian Mission to the United Nations
sponsored the performance of the Voices For
Peace at the United Nations, in New York City
on Ang. 11, where representatives of the
Doukhobors presented an ‘appeal to the world’
to end bloodshed. After the New York perfor-
mance, the Voices For Peace travelled to Rus-

Lend a helping hand to the cause of peace

Sia to present concerts in Moscow, Tula,and
Rostov-on-the-Don. The proceeds frorh these
performances in the land of our forefathers, in
the section of the globe where peasants made a
decisive stand against all forms of violence and
murder, will be dedicated to Russian
D for d P pup

Please brothers and sisters, support our plea
for global disarmament and true peace. Atiend
@ commemorative event, a concert, and con-
tribute in some way — let your voice be
heard. Help yourself and future generations to
enjoy the lazy, hazy days of summer, for cen-
turies to come. Say ‘NO!’ to violence and

power,

harmony though toil md penesli Nae ..
ful .

. Laura Savinkolf

Heart Foundation
thanks big bikers

Dear Editor:

The Heart and Stroke Founda-
tion of BC and Yukon wish to
publicly acknowledge and thank
all of the participants, sponsors
and volunteers of the 1995 Big
Bike Ride.

The Big Bike Ride is a fun-
filled event promoting healthy
lifestyles, active living and heart
healthy awareness and raising
funds for the Heart and Stroke
Foundation. Teanis of riders col-
lect pledges and earn great
rewards such as T-shirts and
sweatshirts. The bike is built for
30 people and a typical route is
3-4 km long.

Our event, which took place
on Friday, July 28, 1995 had 2
teams of riders starting off from
the Castleaird Plaza, going along
Columbia to the Complex, and

indicate that g is start-
ing to realize that bicycles are
serious form of transportation —
vehicles, not teys.
Robert Jackson
Castlegar

Located Playmor Junction
Ph: 359-7770

more than two pages if possible.
Letters will be edited in the
interests of brevity or taste if

gar Sun,
Ave, » B.C, VIN 168,
or drop them off at the office.
Poetry will not be published,

FREEDOM OF CHOICE
for only $35.95 a month.

returning to the Plaza. Through
the hard work and diligence of
our pledge collectors, our Big
Bike Ride raised $2,113.68! Fora
first time effon, this represents a

A Woes
Ve Team
Uniforms
& Jackets
365-2210
‘Side entrance Gerck
pots Col. ve, Casa

own Service Centre

Ph: 365-1107

Located at the corner of
4th Street & Columbia Avenue
(Downtown Castlegar)

Speaker’s Corner

Castlegar student Tamara Terry is pounding the pavement in search of
answers to questions that correspond with news stories that have appeared
in The Castlegar Sun. If you see Tamara, it could be your opportunity to
appear in Speaker's Corner, which is published each week.

There's never enough
But it really depends on
how many more people
come into this area.
—Darlene Edwards

No. The community is
growing so fast, and the
prices are so high, it
really shocks me

—Annette Briggeman

No. I have a rental, and
I'm almost afraid to
advertise it because of
the amount of calls.
—Mike Phipps

Question:

Are there enough
affordable rental
units in Castlegar?

4

No. Rents are really
high right now. For
single mothers, there's
not much available.

—wNoreen Nicholson

No. Younger People are
having.a hard time find-
ing places. They're too
expensive or run-down.

Freedom to choose. Your choice of two brand new cellular phones -
the Nokia 10I pocket phone or the Motorola flip phone.
Each only $99 while supplies last.

Freedom tonight. From 6pm every evening until 7am the next day,
Freedom offers free unlimited local calling.

Freedom this weekend. Every weekend from 6pm Friday
to 7am Monday local airtime is free.

Freedom to start. BC TEL Mobility will waive both the activation fee
and your first year's system access fee, a combined saving of $108.

Freedom for the first 30 days. Sign up before August 31st, 1995
and you also get all of your local calling free for the first 30 days.

uy PETE'S TV wo.

| 279 Columbia St. “6455 B.C.

Sees *” Ph: 365-64

This breakthrough plan is based on a 36 month transferable contract. Regular rates of 65¢ a minute apply
during non-free periods. Long distance charges and taxes are extra. Offer expires August 31, 1995.

BCTEL
44 Mobility

significant accomplishment.

Door prizes donated by local
businesses were given out after
each ride, while riders had the
opportunity to purchase heart
healthy snacks at a concession
operated by Youthspeak.

The Big Bike Ride is coming
back to Castlegar in September
of 1996. We look forward to con-
tinued support from our sponsors
and even greater participation
from the community next year!
For more information, or to
become involved in the 1996 Big
Bike Ride, please call either 365-
0944 or 365-7315.

Once again, our heartfelt thanks
to all our sponsors, riders and vol-
unteers! See you next year...

Donna Rodrigues, Robson
Jane Parece, Castlegar
Big Bike Coordinators

The ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
BRANCH #170
2 Would like to thank all the sponsors, donators
and volunteers who helped make the 10th
Annual Can-Am Golf Tournament such a
success

Kel Print

Castlegar Selkirk Lions Club
Marg and Dave Hinton
Castlegar Foods Ltd.
Canada Safeway Ltd.
Super Valu - Castlegar
Super Valu - Trail

Legion, Branch LI - Trail
Lion's Head Dining Room
D-Bar-D

Gardeli's Restaurant
Castlerock Cafe

O.K. Welders

Kat's Trophys and Signs
Regional District of Central
Kootenay - Area "J"

Celgar Pulp Company

B.C. Tel

Labatt's Brewery - Creston
Castlegar Realty Ltd,
Vancouver Distillers

NRS Realty

John Carpenter

B.F. Roofing Ltd.

Frank King

Strand Appraisals

Martech Electrical Systems Ltd.
Scharf Carpentry

Wayne and Donna McKenna
Lori Schmidt

Grace Wilson

Coast Testing - Larry Dahl
Brian Brown

A special thank you to Dot Byrne, Sports Officer and Glenda Hunter
for all your hours of work and creative ideas!

NOME AVE

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