I -_ — | Proposal, and should be easy for home developers and buyers alike | OPINION Wy The Cast! gar Sun ATS Serving the 16,000 people of the Castlegar area, The Castlegar Sun is every by Sterling Ni pers Lid, at 465 Columbia Ave. Castlegar,,8.C. VIN 1G8, The Castlegar Sun is politi cally independent.gnd a member of the Sterling News Service, Cana dian C y Ni pers Associat Bcc y Newspapers Assocation, and the B.C. Press Council, Established No’ 28, 1990. Mail R 10420 PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG DEREK ZEISMAN CHRISTINE MOYER EDITOR PRODUCTION MANAGER GARY SCHNEIDER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT CATHERINE ROSS ADVERTISING REP. NICOLE BEETSTRA ADVERTISING REP. FRED JACK ADVERTISING REP. KAREN KERKHOFF REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER JEFF GABERT SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER MARGE LALONDE OFFICE/CIRCULATION MANAGER: CARI DOLGOPOL CLASSIFIED ADS. Direct Department Phones General Office . ease 365-5266 Circulation . 365-5266 Classified Ads ‘ .365-7848 Display Advertising 365-2278 Newsroom ..... . 365-5579 Facsimile ......... 365-7762 & CNA ccNA oy ry editorial comment School sites bill no ‘land grab’ Parks and schools ... who needs ‘em? That seemed to be the question of the hour in a recent news article concerning Larry Gillander, leader of the all-but-defunct B.C. Social Credit Party. Gillander was complaining about a new NDP government bill tabled in the Provincial legislature just before the end of the spring sitting. Bill 43, more formally known as the School Sites Acquisition Act, allows municipalities and school boards to claim five per cent of a piece of property when a dev eloper subdivides it, with- out any finan compensation to the developer The bill, if passed into law this fall, would apply to all new sub- divisions with more than three lots Developers would have the option under the bill of giving up tive per cent of theif land, or Providing an adequate amount of cash in lieu of the Property itself So what's the big deal? Well, for starters, realtors are complaining that the new bill will turn out to be yet another obstacle in the way of home owner- ship — “just something else to increase the cost of home owner- ship for buyers,” as one put it Just like sewers, roads and underground electrical wiring, one might assume. In fact, the B.C. Municipal Act already grants cities and towns the right to demand that five per cent of a developer's land be hand- ed over for park land purposes — or, if a municipality so chooses, an amount equalling the current market value of that land. So it’s not like Bill 43 is any new concept. It’s all been done before, though for slightly different purposes. From the sound of the bill's critics, you’d think schools and parks just popped up out of the blue, with no assistance from local governments con- cerned about their citizens’ health, education and general well-being. Giving up private land otherwise destined for subdivi- SION Construction is a costly and useless concept for such people — people who might very well be tempted to advocate the priva- tization of schools and even parks during the next round of gov- emment cutbacks. Yes, taking away land from Private-sector developers is bound to increase the cost of property and ultimately, home construction If not thought out logically, this sounds like a terrible thing. Shame- ful! some might say. Yet another government tax grab! Well, yes it is. So what's your point? Subdivisions are more than mile after mile of identical matchbox houses, much as they might often look it. The people living in those areas need certain basic amenities, just like everyone else amenities like decent green space (especially for seniors. young children and pets) and uncrowded schools to provide youngsters with a good education But where are these facilities supposed to come from, if not from the land developers themselves, before their land has been built up and paved over? Governments from coast to coast have been forced into a state of ught-fisted budget consciousness in recent years They simply don’t have unlimited funds to dedicate to Public works projects that land developers should be willing to spend money on them- selves. After all, it ends up being the families who move into those developments who utilize these facilities, not far. away resi- fents in already-established neighbourhoods With this in mind, a five per cent land levy is an entirely fair A five per cent land levy is an entirely fair Proposal, and Should be easy for home developers and buyers alike to swallow. '0 swallow Not that a non-party with only one seat in the B.C. leg- Mure should be expected to understand this fact. DZ ERRORS advertiser agrees that the publisher shal damages - not be hable for nt beyond the Portion of the arising out of amount paid for the sj in any advert >ccupied b ON OUR HOUSE. F wep LIKE TD TAKE OUT A FOURTH MORTGAGE "PATA eR Aerosols no threat to ozone layer Dear Editor: In the June 14 edition of The Castlegar Sun, you ran a story about ozone depletion over B.C. While the story was well-inten- lioned. it implied that aerosols pose a danger to the environ- ment. That is simply not true Aerosols are not a danger to the environment. The Canadian acrosol industry reacted quickly and voluntarily to scientists’ concerns about the effect of CFCs on the strato- spheric ozone layer and began removing CFC propellants from aerosols in 1976 — some 19 years ago. The Canadian govern- ment banned the use of CFCs as aerosol propellants in 1990. Today, all household and per- sonal aerosol products sold in Canada are CFC-free. Aerosol cans are also recy- clable. More than 2,000 commu- nities in the United States recycle aerosols. Several European coun- tries, including Britain and Ger- many, also have aerosol recycling programs in place. In Canada, pilot projects are fa @ Ve. KIDS ARE YOU OUTFITTING FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL? Guided nature walks, anyone? Dear Editor: The Castlegar Recreation Cen- tre will be offering guided her- Mage nature walks during the month of September. These walks are the result of coopera- live planning by a’ group of peo- ple from several organizations. who have pooled ideas for utiliz ing some of the existing trails and heritage sites we are fortunate to have mour area. This idea is in accord with the T.A.S.K. Conference held in Cranbrook on May 31, under the theme “creative Partnerships” The partners who worked on this Project include Deb McIntosh at the CPR Museum, Marlene Krueckl, manager of the Castle- gar Chamber of Commerce: Pat Metge and Verona Walker at the Recreation Centre; Christine Faminoff at the Doukhobor Vil- lage. Area J" regional director Ken Wyllic (Lower Arrow- Columbia): and Mark Zurek at the Lions Club All have given full suppon to this congept wn excellent way to jointly show off the attractions of downtown Castlegar and its surrounding heritage — both man-made and naturally-made Please call Deb McIntosh at the CPR Museum (365-6440), or Dear Editor: I was absolutely appalled when I listened to the news this morning and heard that the Canadian government has announced that Canada is plan- ning to spend $800 million to buy mobile military equipment to defend ourselves. It makes one wonder — who are we defending ourselves from? The Bosnians? The Serbs? The flying saucers? It was just a few years ago that the Conservative government was prep to spend millions up and running in Edi |, as well as Centre and South Hast- ings County in Ontario. The results are being closely watched by other communities anxious to Start their own aerosol recycling programs. Tom Duncan, Chair Canadian Aerosol Information Bureau Toronto on submarines and helicopters, only to have Jean Chretien Promise to cancel this silly scheme — something that made great political mileage in the last clection. Do we really need the expen- diture? During these times of restraint when the Federal Goy- Why the weapons, Jean? ernment is cutting back on health care and hospital beds, reducing the light houses, cuts in grants for universities, sav- ing on housing costs and unem- ployment benefits. Can they justify spending millions of dollars for military purposes? Just a few short wecks ago we in Castlegar commemorated Hiroshima Day. We planted a Peace tree and pledged that never again would we kill people and repeat the sarne mistakes, Our meeting afterward at the Brilliant Cultural Centre was totally inspiring, with a cross culture of students from Asia and our own kids to grandfathers and mothers. All races and religions were Tepresented, and we all loved one another. Pat Romaine Castlegar myself at 365-2202 if you are interested in participating. We will be taking part of the Pass Creek Walk. Elaine Robinson Friends of Trails and Parks Castlegar Rock File goes on the offensive Dear Editor: Re: Margaret Hill's letter to the editor (Castlegar Sun, Aug. 16): Jugs, jugs, jugs, jugs, jugs, Jugs, jugs, jugs, jugs, jugs, jugs, jugs. And jugs. Relax, it’s just a word. Besides it's the cow, not the bull that feeds the calf umil it can feed itself. Sexist language? I toned down the phrase from its original form to placate Politically cor- rect readers. Besides, “useless as a screen door in a submarine” just wouldn't have been any fun. Words by themselves cannot be sexist, they just are. What makes them sexist is our Ppercep- tion, so perhaps I could accuse you of being sexist...but I won't. You can say whatever you deem to be acceptable. So can I> Live and let live. Thank you for reading Rock File, Margaret ... as you only sin- gled out four words for criticism, I take it you enjoyed the column overall, and I look forward to hearing from you again! Keep On Rockin’ In The Free World. John Kereiff Castlegar Speaker’s Corner Castlegar student Tamara T erry is pounding the pavement in search of ‘spond 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 publis| answers to questions that corre. hed each week Question: What does being a Canadian mean to you? Wednesday, August 30, 1995 a) Good news for exiled Guatemalan musicians Dear Editor: We're writing this to Pass on some good news to those of your readers who in past years have attended concerts given by the exiled Guatemalan group “Kin Lalat” The band has travelled through the Kootenays on Several occasions on. cross-Canada tours and has also performed at several Vancouver Folk Music Festivals. The good news is that after some 13 years of exile, the group is returning to Guatemala from Aug. 22 to Sept. 2 to give several performances in various centres throughout, the country. They'd received invitations to return to Perform in Guatemala in previous years, but had not felt it was safe to do so until now, This group of talented musi- Go golfing Dear Editor: T am writing to thank Castlegar- area residents for helping to make @ province-wide success of the British Columbia Lung Associa- tion’s 1995 Golf Privilege Card. Your support of the card helps fund advanced medical research, health education and other pro- grams — all right here in B.C. Your readers can get more details by calling the Lung Association Employment cians first came together in the early 80's after being forced to flee Guatemala because of the army sponsored violence They've spent the years since in Mexico, Nicaragua, and, mote recently, in Canada. Although Guatemala is still essentially controlled by the army and a small ruling elite, a peace Process overseen by the United Nations is underway that many hope will lead to greater respect for the human rights of the citi- zens of the country. The return of thousands of Guatemalan refugees from Mex- ico is one indication of the hoped for peace, and Kin Lalat's return is another very positive sign that the “space” for Ppartici- pation of civilians in their soci- ety is growing. There is a strong and well established solidarity network in the Kootenays that has long sup. ported the Guatemalan people in their struggle for peace with jus- tice. Several West Kootenay folk, including Anne Pellerine and Gail Ogley of Trail and Kevin McK- echnie and Valerie Huff of Nelson, have accompanied Guatemalans retuming to their homeland. Many of the solidarity network members first learned about Guatemala through the songs and music of Kin Lalat. It is indeed a time to celebrate and to hope that Kin Lalat’s tour of Guatemala will proceed safely and peacefully. Certainly their friends from the i i =a Page A7 Dear Editor: for making our Summer Acti cess. This p We would like to congratulate our community ive Events such a suc- d how local b youth ol hildren of her and Recreation Dep’t congratulates | community for making Summer Active events a big success our Canada World Youth Exchange Students along with the G Marimba Band, the Tompki Dancers and Castlegais’ Multicultural Society The Pope & Talbot County Fair gave 125 chil- dren the opportunity to experience pony rides cour- our will be carefully watching. Bud and Ann Godderis Castlegar for long-lasting lungs toll-free at 1-800-665-5864. The B.C. Lung Association is proud of the Golf Privilege Card Program because it allows us to return something of value to our supporters. We are grateful to the participat- ing courses which have added value to the card by giving benefits to cardholders — especially these nearby courses: Rossland Trail Country Club, the Birchbank and Centre says thanks for all the help Dear Editor: The Canada Employment Cen- tre for Students would like to ‘thank The Castlegar Sun for its continuing support of the Student Employment Centre and students throughout the West Kootenay area. Without your help. the centre would not be nearly as well Skniown in the Castlegir-area. + With our limited funds any other promotional material was greatly appreciated. Most any- thing I asked for or submitted was quickly accepted by you. It is good to see that some peo- ple still are concerned about the many difficulties facing students. and better still that some people are willing to help. Again, thank you for all your effons. Jeromy Schmidt Sammer Employment Officer Canada Employment Centre Trail Big Screen Extravaganza HITACHI 31DX12BC * Ultra BLACK High Contrast Tube * Slim Genius Remote Control with Cursor Control * Easy Guide OSD © S-VHS + 2 Video/Audio Inputs (1 Front/1 Rear) *1199°5 31DX22BC * Ultra BLACK High Contrast Tube * Slim Genius Remote Control w/Cursor Control * Easy Guide OSD * S-VHS + 2 Video/Audio inputs AED (1 Front/1 Rear) Flow * Picture-in-Picture 1p | I * Ultra BLACK High Contrast Tube * Slim Genius Remote Control w/Cursor Control 7 © PLP. w/Quick Freeze * S-VHS Input * 3 video/audio inputs 50EX10B * Easy Guide OSD w/Self Diagnosis Slim Genius Remote . with Cursor Control * Speaker Matrix Surround Sound 35TXSOBC ° Lay Abeer Guide OSD © PIP. W/Quick Freeze *2999°° Rossland Course, the Champion Lakes Golf and Country Club, the Salmo and District Golf Course, and Granite Pointe at Nelson. We thank you all, Castlegar area residents and courses, for helping us fight lung disease in B.C. by supporting the Golf Privilege Card. H. D. (Don) Joy Volunteer President Vancouver Crafts & Wedding Supplies Favors our specialty nee. our new locaton p> Just Ev's CnocotaTe Girt Suop 185 Columbia Avenue Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 65-754 ity can come togr P @ summer of fun, education and community Spirit, Our Summer Active Program attracted 1,170 children to the seven events, which were spon- sored by seven local businesses, Our Street Smart Day created an opportunity for the RCMP, Provincial Ambulance, Gerricks Cycle, and Mallards Sports to encourage safety on our streets, Our Celgar Pulp Mexican Fiesta gave children the opportunity to enjoy our great Aquat- ic Centre and enjoy Casilegar’s recreational sur- The Ace Disposal Earth Day combined knowl- edge of recycling with the expertise of our local Forestry Department and Kalesnikoff Lumber. Peoples Drug Mart Silly Summer Games was a prelude of our 1996 B.C Summer Games. Our B.C. Hydro Multicultural Day brought together tesy of the Hi ‘s Club.as well as the joy of a petting zoo. Our final event was Savings Circus Circus. Youth Speak played a major role in Providing games, crafts and fun for all. The events co-sponsorship by the Castlegar Sun, provided a great means for and attracting participants. Without their involve- ment we realize these events would not have been as successful as they were. We would like to congratulate the City of Castlegar Public Works Department, Selkirk Lions Club, A & W and Carl Linkletter for their involvement in each event. Nelson Homes are designed to meet the evolving lifestyles of today’s modern families. We know you expect more from your home and that's why you can expect more from us. | Custom Home Planning with Nelson brings all of your dreams and ideas together to create an exclusive home you'll be happy with for years to come Building better homes for changing lifestyles. CITY/TOWN: POSTAL CODE:__ Ask us about our Starter Kit which includes blueprints, sub-trade tender forms. information on how to proceed with construction, plus your GST rebate form % Call: 604-868-067) today Ss sean pi Nelson Homes 2263 Leckie Road Kelowna, B.C. VIX 6YS “Better Homes by Design” Brochure r more than 15 years, Brian and Su Wong and their friendly staff at Eastgate Gardens have been Serving up delicious Chinese food. __ th and Western meals, their noon smorgasborg (Tuesday to Friday) has a city-wide reputation for good food Chinese food fresh from our wok... Lunch Smorg * Tues, - Friday 12 pm - 1:30 pm Saturday & Sunday Smorg * 5-8 pm Open Sat., Sun., Mon., Holidays + 4-9 pm Tues - Friday + 11am -9 pm ene 982 Columbia Ave, Castigar Eastgate Garden 368-7414 CE am Seger Psee Saturday and Sunday, Eastgate offers an evening smorgasborg from 5 to 8 pm and judging by the cars in the parking lot and street in the Pioneer arena, Specializing in Cantonese _ it is one of the more popular places to dine. With banquet facilities for larger groups, and smaller tables for more intimate EASTGATE GARDENS ose parked across the great to tw dining Eastgate Gardens has continued to dish up traditional Chinese food including some spicy and curry items, along with Western menu items 0 generations of Castlegar area residents. Open Saturday, Sunday from and Monday from 4to9 pm and Tuesday to Friday 11 am to9 pm, the friendly staff and cooks at ‘Specializing in Mexican & Western Cursine ENJOY OUR LICENSED OUTDOOR PATIO. PEN 5:30 AM TO 6 PM Monday to Saturday & 8 pm on Friday CASTLEROCK CAFE 330 Columbia Ave., Downtown Castlegar 365-2519 Eastgate are ready to prepare your funch or dinner either off the menu or from the smorgasborg. Try them soon! Su Wong stirs some of the delicious hot items on the famous Eastgate smorgasborg Sunday is Senior Night 25% off any meal for seniors KIDS MENU AVAILABLE Featuring fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere Open 5 pm Tues Across the new bridge “Sat. * Sun. at 4 pm © Closed Mon in beautiful Robson 365-0181 SOMETHING SPECIAL! Ken can cook right in front of you at your table for your most enjoyable dinner. With reservations only CHINESE & WESTERN CUISINE Steak » Seafood Specializing in Chinese Cuisine £ Reo La SAD. £O LANTERK RESTAVRANT (Hi Arrow Hotel) 651-18th St 365-5020 TWO Medium BBQ CHICKEN PIZZAS tee | 7. (PAN AGOPOULOS ¥ PIZZA PLACE © ) - 365-5666 @ Nay ‘Russian & Vegetarian Food THE SPINNING WHEEL ¢ All you can eat borscht, all day! By Vegetarian Batery © Homemade bread ¢ Fresh juices ¢ International cuisine ¢ Open for lunch & dinner advertisement in which th to the negigence of its habiltty for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid tor such advertisement All advertising subject to publisher's approval Contracts must be completed within one year trom contract date No contingent orders accepted ee ss—S It means living in the most beautiful country in the world, with a very high standard of living — Matt Gallo It means having the greatest number of Opportunities avail- able to you — Dave Carter uch error is due there shall be no To me it means livi in a free country, where PETE'S TV wn. 279 Columbia St. Castlegar, B.C. Ph: 365-6455 | Living in a bilingual country, a country that accepts many cultures and traditioy With Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce 2305 Columbia Ave., Castiegar, B.C OR 1 medium BBQ Chicken Pizza J & 1 medium, 2-topping Pizza for the same price. Reservations appreciated ¢ 365-7202 Located across from the airport, beside the Doukhobor Museum . beautiful place that is not crowded, with lots of clean air. — Aaron Edwards } can make choices Whenever I want — Dave Murray