CASTLEGAR NEWS, Thursday, March 1, 1979

CHICKEN COOP rald paved fatal to this

roung linx who was downed by a single shot
rom a .22 rifle after it had killed about 20
one-year-old hens In Robson at the Bill

| two weeks ago-at the time cougars were

dominating the news. Whitehead said the
linx was shot in the daylight hours, around 10
a.m. Its size can be judged in relation to the
36-Inch-wide doorway in the background.

__( Voice of the People -

Nay Lose Bus Privileges

Editor, Castlegar ‘News:

Recently it has been
brought to the attention of the
hoard of school trustees that,
frequently, bus behavior of
students has been less than
satisfactory,

Students who fail to ca-
operate in this safety endeavor
and who continue to misbehave
will be suspended from riding
school buses for a lengthy
period of time, or may lose their,

bus riding
nlelely,
John Holden
District Superintendent
School District No.9

privlloges com:

‘Quality Shoes

“for the “entire family
Dress — Casual - — Rely

Eremenko’ sit willy

Shoes
Aw

B.C,

Students are reminded that
from a behavioral point of view,
the bus is simply. an extention
of the classroom and, hence,
unacceptable behavior will not
be tolerated,

On a number of occasions
lately, because some students
have not adhered to the bus
regulations relalive to good
conducl, bus drivers have‘been
unnecessarily distracted with
the result that the potential for
serious accidents .has been
encountered. In an altempt to
avoid a serious bus ‘tragedy,
parent(s) or guardian(s) are
asked to impress upon their
child or children the mandatory
behavior required,

COURT

NEWS . 7

Ty provincial court on
Tuesday of last week, two
separate charges of heing in
possession of a narcotic were
heard. Pleading guilty were
Robert Owen Lamont, 24, of
Robson and Gregory J. Sofo-
noff, 18, of Grand Forks. Each
were placed on three months’
frobation.

eo

John Soha: 17, of Cas-
tlegar, pleaded’ guilty: toa
charge of being a minor in a

ing guilly to being a minor in a
licenced premise.
+ 8

David A. Beninger, 26, of
Castlegar, pleaded guilly: to
driving without i insurance. He
was fined. $250,

*

Allen D. Carmichael, 19, of
Castlegar, was placed on one
months’ probation after plead-
ing guilty to a-charge of failing
lo report a motor vehicle acci-
dent.

. *

Instant Skirts
Now $7.00

“| (iain is ‘Presupposed’

Rol scohnial expertise in

CASTLEIRN

Today ts Thursda'

fl yy; March: 1),
the 60th oy of 11979. There‘are
305 doys left in the yegr. On this
date ‘In’ 1867; Nebraska become‘
the 37th U,S.'state.

_ SECTION Wad

Thursday, | March 1, 1979

The provincial govern-
; ment commission appointed
to investigate uranium min-
dng safeguards: ts “presup-
- -Bosing” such mining’ will:
[.:<ontinue, +
vc. That was how ‘nuclear,
+ industry ceritic John Moel-, .
eaert, in an interview. last
week with’ the Castlegar
News, described the 'man-
date ofthe three-member
body’ scleduled to hold its
inaugural meeting Tuesday.

the field.

“I don't have. all the,
answers but'I haven't met.
anyone else‘who does have
the answers," he said. “I
think I have enough answers
+, to base'a major concern on.”

“When it comes to ere-
dibility it's a legitimate ques-
tion for people to say ‘who
do you believe?’ " Moelaert.
continued. “But the analogy
that seems to work is that if

talions similar - io. Genelie
residents’ clash with a ura- ,
nium exploration crew con- .
ducting tests: near. their
China Creek water. shed
could .occur elsewhere in
B.C., Moelaert pointed ‘out
that the’ Minerals Act "of
B.C., the provincial ‘legisla-
tion governing uranium min-
ing, “dates back to 1893,"
“This is the reason it is
now a problem, ‘because the

Castlegar - Al Leavitt, Branch Manager -

365-3375

South-Slocon——Panshil- Joshi, Branch-Manager-= 359-7221

OUTLINING PLANS for. proposed $2.7 million nn. room
hotel complex on'300-block Seventh Avenue South ts: ‘Don

4

Bice at ;
ded into counel h

than 100
the and as

to hear,
(on subjects: ranging

The incident d licenced premise. He was fined
7 $100.

regulations are’ completely

An identical sentence was
out of date,” he said.

given Ehor Mike Wynnychuk

Hall, :. standing, Northland Properties Ltd. fro labor

to
, at last Thursday's Publ le sinenetod More Page Al. eCesNewsFote by Ryon Guedes

“+ Now $3.98 m Moelaert, a journalist _you want to know whether (se story on

Printed Jersey, 60'’ Reg. $6.98.......

Uranium Information Officer Here

Audience of 35 Come to Hear

By ANN HOLDEN

“Is uranium mining in the
public interest?” was the ques-
tion posed to an audience of 35
Castlegar residents last Thurs-
day evening when John Moel-
aert, uranium information offi-
cer of the United Church gave a
fact-filled talk and slide show on
the subject.

Moelaert introduced the
evening by tracing the history
of the use of this material from
the first discovery at Rabbit
Lake, where the uranium was
eventually used to build the

: Hiroshima bomb, to the present

texplorations taking place in
southeastern B.C. — the Gen-
elle claim being the one closest
to this community.

He then discussed two
major aspects of the question —
one being the effects of ex-
ploration and mining activities
on people and the environment
and the other the uses to which
uranium is ultimately put.

Moclaert described in de-
tail the effects which explora-
tion can have on the environ-
ment and people, Because there
are no established standards
for exploration companies to
follow, no requirements for
clean-up after exploration has
taken place and no provision to
protect the environment and
people from the special hazards
from low level radiation re-
leased during exploratory drill-
ing, damage can be severe.

The problems were graphi-
eally illustrated in a series of
Slides showing the disturbance
to the land during exploration
at Beaverdell, and the lack of
precautions to prévent radio-
active materials getting into
the surface water in the area.

He pointed out that the
inquiry which has recently been
set up by the provincial gov-
ernment will eventually make
recommendations for explora-
tion standards, and he sug-

Natural pi such as leach-

reflect the available

ing and air movement would
then carry the radioactive sub-
stances into water and soil
systems, into the food chain
and, eventually, into the human.
population,

There is no way to reclaim
this radioactivity once it has

+ moved into the environment.

Moelacrt went on to say
that the effects of increased
radiation don’t show up imme-
diately after a human has been
exposed. Statistically speaking,
cancer rales are likely to in-
crease afler seven years, con-
tinue to increase to 14 years
after exposure, and then de-
cline. He indicated that at
Beaverdell, for example, where
the mine is expected to be open
for 10 years, the mining com-
pany will bé long gone before
the effects of the radiation from

the operation and the tailings *

are felt.

It will be the taxpayers of
B.C. who will pay to clean up
the environment, attempt to do
something with the tailings and
pay the increased medical costs
lo look after cancer victims. It
will be* the general public who
will suffer the devastating
effects of leukemia and other
forms of .cancer that will
appear.

He explained that the
present pressure to develop
uranium mines in B.C. is due to
the fact. that the price for
uranium is presently very high
‘— about $50 per pound as
compared to $4 a pound a few
years ago. This price means
that the relatively low-grade
ore deposits such as those in
B.C. are attractive to investors,

He predicted, however,
that the bottom will fall out of
the market in about five years,
since, in fact, uranium is a
relatively common material
found on all five continents. The
high price does not therefore,

supply of uranium,

He wenl on to state that at
the proposed Beaverdell mine,
at present prices, there is at
least $600 million of uranium. It
is estimated that $50. million
will be spent on developing the
mine and another $30 million
will be allocated for a payroll of
140 people for the 10 years the
mine will operate: The mining
company will make a gross
profit of at least half-a-billion
dollars.

Moelaert concluded that
there appears to be few, if any,
benefits to the public in a
uranium mine. It doesn’t em-
ploy many people, and the
environmental.and health haz-
ards are great, with clean-up
costs having to be picked up by
the taxpayer years after the
mine has ceased to operate. The
only real beneficiaries appear
tobe the mining companies and
the stockholders.

Uranium is used in two

major fields — to- build bombs
and to fuel nuclear power

plants. It should be noted that
substances other

radioactive
than uranium are used in
medicine. Moelaert was of the
opinion that neither use justi-
fied development of .uranium
mines in B.C. because neither
use was in the public interest.

Again, it will be. the
general public for generations,
who will ultimately pay the
costs of _ coping with these

elaert concluded his talk
by making an eloquent plea for
people to consider whether our
addiction to energy — lo
lighting our buildings 24 hours
a day and constructing glass
towers in our cities — was
worth risking the tives of

. fenerations ‘of people to come.”

More information concern:
ing this subject and John

gested that a ium on
exploration for uranium should
be declared at least until these
standards have been set.

In many areas of B.C,
uranium is located near fe
earth's surface and would,
mined, be extracted by a sirip
mining process. At Beaverdell,
for example, where a mine is
proposed, some 12 million
pounds of uranium may even-
tually be extracted, leaving five
to 10 million tons of uranium
tailings.

These tailings would still
contain 85 per cent of the
radioactivity originally in the
ore in the form of such toxic
substances as Thorium 230,
Radium 226 and Radon gas.

NOTICE -
Betty Bergeron

formerly of the Hair Annex is
now working for Beauty Lane,
Monday to Friday. All her
customers are welcome.

Thank you for calling
365-6700

Treat yourself to lunch at the
Fireside Place, and Update
Fashions will eset you...

Monday, March 5 & 12

Moelaert’s work can be obtain-
ed from Rev. Ted Bristow of
the United Church in Castlegar,
or Joan Reynold and Jim Terral
from the Kootenay Nuclear
Study group.

Terry Morrell, 27, of Cas-
Ulegar, was given a 15-day
intermittent jail sentence and
placed on probation for the
duration of that time for
driving with a blood alcohol
count over .08,

* 8 6

Sandy-Rose Keillor, 17, of
Robson, was placed on three
months’ probation after plead-

who pleaded guilty to driving
with a blood alcohol count of
08,
* # e

A male juvenile was fined
$25 and placed on six months’
probation for driving while im-
paired. He was also given a
suspended sentence and placed
on probation‘for three months
for being in possession of a
narcotic.

Plain Jersey, 60"’ Reg. $5.98 . Now $2.98 m

Cottons, 45" Reg. to $5.98
Wool Blands Reduced to HALF PRICE

REST OF STOCK REDUCED.
fram 15% to 30%

CLASSIC FABRICS

Open Mon. - Sat. | 82 Maple Street

Now $2.98 m

UNITED PHARMACIES

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HEAD AND SHOULDERS

.COLGATE TOOTHPASTE
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NEO CITRAN adult 10's...
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SCOTT TOWELS 2s

PUREX TOILET TISSUE
white 4's .

~ Whose travels throughout

hazards of nuclear  tech-)
nology are sponsored by the

covered as a member of a
delegation... which: met -re-

Environment Minister Rafe
Mair how “narrowly” com-
mission of inquiry’s terms of
Teference will be.

“The inquiry's: charged “.
with. making recommenda
tions for the setting of
standards for the explora-
tion and mining of uranium,”
he said. “If you. set. stan-
dards, if that is your man-

, date, then you are in fact
: presupposing you're going
ahead,” * Y

“We feel the key. ques-
tion‘that should be answered
before‘any. other was whe-
ther ‘or ‘not uranium mining
should proceed at all,” con-
“tinued Moelaert, who is-also
+! associated with the Cana-

dian Coalition for ‘Nuclear
_ Responsibility. “In.

. the province to discuss the .
United Church, said he dis-.’:

-cently in Victoria \ with Mines :
Minister’: Jim’: Hewitt ‘and.

other |

JOHN MOELAERT
Inquiry “narrow”
words, whether it is in the
public interest.”

“What we want to know
is whether it’s in the inter-
ests of every resident of B.C.
now and in. the years to

,come,” he said,

ov ST.think, that could and
‘should be demonstrated if
the government would fully
“respond to the suggestions
of the United: Church, B.C,
Medical Association and the
§0 other groups which asked
for a full - public, judicial
independent inquiry getting
all the facts out’ in the open
rather” than limiting it: to-
setting standards.”

He said he has written
about and discussed uranium,
mining and exploration and
nuclear ‘power for “quite.
few years,” although he has

~ full

‘it’ should: be limited to a

“smoking is bad for ‘your

health do you go to a tobacco
salesman and ask his advice
or do you go to a doctor?",

Asked about his audi-
ences’ attitudes toward ‘the
uranium mining issue, he
« said the ‘most commonly. held *
opinion “even among people
who don't share my views
but have an‘ open mind" is
that all available facts should -
be made public. Members of .
the public feel. uranium |
mining “is a significant issue
and has far-reaching impli-
cations,” he said.

“The decision should be
made on that basis and with
public. : participation,”
Moelaert said. “I don’t think

handful’ of cabinet’ minis-
ters.”

-' ‘Persons to whom he has
talked in his travels through
the province are generally
“becoming more ‘and more
informed and more and more
concerned about the issue,”
Moelaert, said.

Asked whether confron-

British Columbia's 114,000
welfare: recipients will get at
‘least an average of $9 more
each month starting April 1
under a:revamped welfare pro-
gram announced last week. -
Human Resources Minister
Grace MéCarthy said the new
program replaces volumes: of
; exemptions, programs and
» benefits with a simple “over-all,
over- viding three-page’ pro- _
gram.
She told a news conference’
her budget for welfare, which is

government, had been in-
* ereased by $31 million to $323.2
million,

McCarthy ‘said the pro-
gram was revamped to make
income ‘distribution equitable
and to provide benefits to those

pecdlne, them.

« Funeral services were held

. Tuesday in Kelowna for W.A.C.
- Bennett, the former British
. Columbia premier who died in

the Okanagan city late Friday
night.

At the same time,’ me-\~

morial services were. held in
Vancouver and in Victoria
where Bennett directed his

* Social Credit government be-

tween 1952 and 1972 when his.
political career ended with a

* defeat by the New Democratic -

Party.

Bennett, 78, the father of,
current B.C. Premier Bill Ben-
nett, died in ‘his sleep ‘at
Kelowna General Hospital after
a lengthy illness. He had béen
in, hospital for two weeks.

: Bennett's wife May, his
daughter Anita Tozer. and“son

- J. Bennett» were at his
bedside when he died. Premier
Bennett flew there from Van-
couver, where he was to have
attended a regional Socred
convention Saturday, after re-
ceiving word of his fathers
death. ‘

. The former premiers body
will not lie in state, but
Provincial Secretary Hugh Cur-
tis said the public will be able to
register their condolences in a
book placed in the rotunda of
the ‘provincial legislative buil--

ings.
Political friends and foes
alike paid tribute to the man
who became ‘premier after a

surprise Socred victory in 1952, °

then: led his party to seven
consecutive election wins in the

: 1950s and 1960s,

Dave Barrett, who led the
NDP to its upset win in 1972,
said the former premier's death
marked the passing of an era.

‘ "He will be missed,” said
Barrett. “I hope that every
citizen recognizes the great
contribution he made to this
province.”

16 years and chief. aide to:

- Bennett when the former pre-,

mier retired, said that despite
the image he cist, Bennett was

. 8 sentimental man.

“Most of the time he tried
to fool people that: he wasn't a
sentimental man.” '

“Gordon Shrum, ‘who “be

came head of B.C. Hydro after
it was nationalized by Bennett,

praised the former’ premier's ‘

hip and vision.
‘It will be a long time

before we have another man of:

his’ particular qualities asa
ol

Shrum said power projects “

on the Columbia and‘-Peace

Rivers and’ the building of

Simon Fraser University would
rank as Bennett's major ‘ac-
complishments.

Human Resources Minister -

Grace . McCarthy, a cabinet
‘minister under Bennett and one

“of the keys. te. the Socred’s

rebuilding after the 1972: de-

“feat, said while building pro-
jects were his most obvious

+ accomplishments, Bennett was

most.proud of his’ efforts in
establishing medical coverage
,and increased hospital services.

Mrs. McCarthy's emotional
tribute to Bennett, which she
delivered asa last-minute re-
placement speaker for Premier
Bennett at a. regional Socred
convention Saturday in, Rich-
mond, B.C., drew tears from

~ many of the 200 delegates.

Bennett's former. Socred
cabinet colleague Phil Gaglardi
said Bennett’ took over a

’ have-not province and “from

the day he started until 1972
the ‘Province never looked
back.” i

“That ‘era could 5 never be
duplicated if we last a million
years,”

Robert Strachan, leader of
the NDP . opposition for 13

years, said “while we differed .

on many things, we also agreed

; on many things.”
“It was a great experience |

sitting across from him."

Dead -

Born in New Brunswick,
Bennett moved west and built.
upa chain of hardware stores in
the, B.C. Interior, communities
‘of Kelowna, Rainloops,. Vernon
and Penticton.

He was first lected lo the |

legislature in .1941-as a Con:
servative, then participated in
a Liberal-Conservative _coali-
tion government. When’ that
coalition collapsed, he took on
the Socred label and was named
premier after that party sur-

prisingly won the most seats in |

the 1952 election.

During his 20 years as
premier, Bennett's consuming
passion was the fight against

* socialism, He saw election
battles against, the NDP and ils
predecessor; the Common-
wealth Cooperative. Federation
(CCF), as holy wars. 5

As well as his wife, daugh-
ter and two sons, Bennett is
survived: by two sisters —
Olivia Drysdale of Edmonton
and Cora McCauley of New
Brunswick. — and 10 Brand:
children.

You're ‘Looking

Good With
TRAIL .
_ Optical Co.
-' Complete Opticat
a8. All Prescriptions
ae Be Repairs

shared equally by the federal *

The minister said. simpli-
fication of the welfare program,
part of the government's de-
regulation process, means the
case workers will be able to use
one rate table and only have to
fill out one simple form for each
person,

She said the age categories
were revised, and idifferent
rates for support and shelter
will be paid to those under 31
years, between:31 and 59, and
between 60 and 64. b

People over 65 are not
affected by:the changes.

Mctarthy said. single: peo-

” ple under 31 will-get about $60

a month less than those over 31
because “they are far more
mobile.‘to seek out work, and
have far more ability to get
themselves off the social assis-
tance category.”

She said her. ministry's
incentive program, which will

Human Resources Minister
Unveils New Welfare Rates

encourage recipients to find
work, will concentrate on the
under-31 age group, and its
budget will be’ raised by .$2
million to $4.7 million.

Attention Men & Boys!

It’s
Boys &
233 Columbia

Remember 10%
OFF for Cash

365-6761

For All-Seasons_

y oP
. Bonnett Ss; Mens. Wear

The Offices of

Waldie’s Plumbing & Heating
will be closed from: Monday, February 26,
to Friday, March, 30.

We regret any inconvenience to our customers.
‘For further information please call

365-7531

-

68-6727 or Se4-zatt
190 Cedar Ave., Trall

iad HOLDERS

HOSPITAL
BUDGET
_ RESTRICTIONS:

They’re going to cost

us our jo

bs.

They could cost you

your life.

Last year our Union was “awarded a contract which was the product of
the Essential Services Disputes eet legislation enacted by the provincial

government.

That contract acai us an cight per cent increase in pay and

benefits for 1979.

‘After that contract was awarded, the same provincial government told *
British Columbia's hospital boards they couldn't increase their 1979
budgets by more than five per cent over last year's. -

That's not enough to keep up with inflation, Iet-alone pay the wage
increases promised to us and our fellow hospital workers.

Something has to give .

+ and that something, at most hospitals, is

our jobs. People are being laid off, or aren't being replaced when they

tetire or quit,

The figures vary, but the provincial average could be as high as one in
every 10 health care workers tops their jobs, or not being replaced, ©

in 1979.

That concerns us, for obvious reasons: these are, after all, our jobs, our

_ Means of making a living; and we care about health care.

It may surprise you to learn it also concerns most hospital boards and
administrators, our employcrs, people who are every bit as concerned

as we about budget restri

ions and the lowered standard of patient

care they must inevitably bring about.

Who's going to be the real loser i in this round of clection moncy games?

You are, You're the one who could desperately need that tenth worker

MAGNOLAX

450 mi. regular or mint .......0..

CREST TOOTHPASTE

>. Dan Campbell, a member.
of the provincial legislature for

TRIUMPH
‘SPITFIRE
wor

when you, or your loved ones, ntust be in hospital this year. You're the

Also, don’t miss this big event.
one-who isn’t going to get the care that tenth: worker could offer.

Spring Fashion Show
"at the Fireside Place
Monday, March 19 - 9:30 p.m.

100 ml. regular or mint . 88
Admission $3.00 ‘Wine & Cheeso ’
Tickets at Update Fashions

Presented by he Dy R U

UPDATE FASHIONS! OPEN THIS SUNDAY from 12 noon- 1 p.m. & 6-7 p.m.

Columbia Ave. Castlegar

If you have merchantable timber on your property, we wil purchase removed
volumes at competitive prices. i

Think about’ it. Go to the next meeting of your hospital board and ask
the trustees there about’ it, Then write to Robert McClelland, the
Minister of Health . + tell him what you think about it.

HOSPITAL
EMPLOYEES’
UN 10 LOCAL

180

We will ‘also cruise your timber for you and provide & technical and professional
advice on forest management.

Sale Days
Feb. 28 - March 10

Yarding and hauling services are available. Make your reservations, now!

Stan S. Dol
‘ Woodlands Division
Slocan Forest Products —
SLOCAN, B.C. VOG 2CO
Telephone 355-2216

Phone

NORTH SHORE 352-2929]
SERVICE, ee

Dealer Licance No. 003300