sLorarye Parliament Sligs-. 501 Bellev Victoria, B. Ce uoy .ys rer Rossland Warriors handed the Castlegar Rebels an 11-7 loss Friday night... 81 o 4 Report lauded Dan Compbell's re. port on regional dis- tricts gets good marks from Central Kootenay regional district chair- man George Cady The six winning numbers in Saturday's Lotto 6-49 draw were 7, 14, 16, 34, 46 and 48. The bonus number was 49. The $500,000 winning number in Friday's Provincial lottery draw is 4178756. There are also subsidiary prizes. suggesting doctors fees for tions to nui ot criticism trimming abor- reduce the abortions aaaiaaanil S Castlégar News =! Vol. 39, No. 102 CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1986 _ 60 Cents 2 Sections (A & B) Ae ay WINTER WONDERLAND .. . Railway tracks wind their way up Kootenay River near Thrums | DOWNTOWN PROGRAM IN ‘JEOPARDY’ By RON NORMAN Editer The $650,000 revitalization plan propoged for Castlegar's downtown is in danger @ being scrapped unless more property owners suj it, the Castlegar News has learned “We're in jeopardy of losing the program.” said Brian Pritchard, a member of the Downtown Business Association's revitalization committee. The committee unveiled the revitalization plan last May and has been working for the last eight months to solicit. support from the approximately 30 property owners involved. The program needs the approval of 60 per cent of the landowners who represent at least 50 per cent of the assessed property values. The City of Castlegar has already pledged to pay half the cost or $325,000. The first hint of problems with the revitalization plan came in Mayor Audrey Moore's inaugural address last week. Moore gently rebuked downtown merchants for dragging their feet. But Pritchard went further in an interview this week, laying the blame for the plan's delay at the feet of two major 'y owners: o. > whe owns a major mt store and the other who has a group of eight stores stretching from Rose's Boutique on Columbia Ave around to Tulip’s Floral Co. on 4th Street. “Those are the two big holdouts,” Pritchard said. “If we had (them) we'd have the project in hand.” Pritchard wouldn't name the owners, saying instead, “Those people who need te come forward know who they are.” He said one of the landowners indicated he couldn't support the revitalization plan because he can't afford it. The other said Castlegar's downtown is already better looking than either Nelson or Grand Forks “That. isn't _ “We eo bs $53,200 and West Kootenay Power and Light Co. lines at a cost of $22,913. The plan will also consider new lighting, landscaping. u planters and sidewalks where needed “What we're is not a huge project.” Pritchard said. In fact, he sitd his committee is hoping continued on poge AZ site AT ELIPTICAL SITE $6 million mall given go-ahead By MIKE KALESNIKO Staff Writer After six years of waiting, Castlegar will finally see the construction of a new $6- to $7-million enclosed shopping The mall will be built on the “eliptical site” behind Castleaird Plaza near Highway 3. An announcement made Wednesday by the provincial Highways Ministry regarding an access to the site was the only hurdle First Commercial Man- agement Inc., the mall's Winnipeg- based developers, had to overcome. Ted Charne, president of First Com- mercial, told the Castlegar News in a telephone interview from Winnipeg Thursday that he feels Castlegar is a sound place to construct a mall. “I think it's the centre of a trading area,” said Charne. “It's a need that wasn't currently answered in Castle- “A good part of your (Castlegar’s) retail dollars are being spent else- The mall, which is expected to be between 9,290 and 12,077 square metres (100,000 and 130,000 square feet), will have space for up to 20 stores and should employ some 200 full-time and part-time workers during the con- mercial acquired the land for the mall in 1980 but the key to the city. “Tm in favor of any development as long as the city does not become involved ly in any way,” said was access. “We could never design properly before because we didn't have an access before,” explained Charne. ‘The new access, agreed upon by both the Highways Ministry and the City of Castlegar, will connect Columbia Avenue to Highway 3 near the Monte Carlo Motor Inn. Traffic heading east on Highway 3 will then approach Columbia Avenue by the new access where a stoplight will be installed. Ald. Nick Oglow, chairman of the council's planning and development committee, said the main purpose of CASTLEGAR LIBRARY Expansion to p By RON NORMAN Editor The Castlegar and District Public Library expansion is going ahead, but just where the new facility will be located is apparently still up in the air. Mayor Audrey Moore announced at a special Castlegar council meeting Wed- nesday afternoon that the provincial government has agreed to increase its $200,000 Expo legacy grant by $22,500. ‘The additional funding makes up any budget shortfall that had threatened to scuttle the expansion project. The expansion had an initial budget of $400,000 — $200,000 from the prov ince’s Expo legacy fund and $200,000 from the city However, when the six tenders all came in overbudget, council asked the library board to scale down the expan sion by 20 per cent. But despite reducing the size of the expansion, the lowest tender still came in $45,000 over budget The library board embarked on a three-week fund raising campaign in which it raised $26,000. The provincial government then agreed to cover the rest of the shortfall with an additional grant of $22,500., “This is the only Expo legacy appli- cation to receive additional funding,” Moore said. “I would like to give recog: nition to the library board and to the people of Castlegar for their tremen dous effort and generosity in raising the additional funds necessary for this project.” Library board chairman Deb Chmara, who attended the special council session, was delighted with the news. “Needless to say I've been smiling all day,” she said. “I am just so proud of our community. Everybody, everybody under the sun has come forward.” Chmara thanked council for its support and said the board looks for ward to having the new library, “very. very shortly.” She said any excess funds from the Highways and city council to come to a unanimous agreement over access,” said Stan. “And that was really the “We've stated that we feel it is a much-needed catalyst to the area,” he said. “And that’s aside from the continued on poge A2 roceed expansion will be used for furnishings and equipment such as new book shelves and chairs. The expansion is expected to cost about $445,000. Chmara said the board expects to have raised more than $30,000 by the time all the pledges have been submitted. Ald. Terry Rogers, council's repre- sentative on the library board, was also pleased that the expansion will be pushing ahead. “I think we all have a fulfilling sense of what has taken place in our com munity,” he said. “People have really dug into their hearts and their pockets to raise this in such a short time. What the community has done is remark able.” Rogers also said the fund raising campaign has stirred in him a new sense of pride and a sense of ownership of the library Council agreed to have city staff prepare the necessary bylaws allowing continued on page A2 Province eyes Hydro taxes By SURJ RATTAN Staff Writer The controversial issue of B.C. Hy dro’s exemption from paying taxes on its dams on the Columbia and Peace rivers will be reviewed by both the Municipal Affairs and Energy minis tries, Regional District of Central Kootenay chairman George Cady told the Castlegar News in an interview Friday Cady, who just returned from a trip to Victoria where he met with Municipal Affairs Minister Rita John ston and Energy Minister Jack Davis over the taxation issue, said both ministers have instructed their staff to look into the matter and prepare a report for cabinet “After 20-years we're hoping for a settlement on this long standing issue We were very encouraged with the meeting with Rita Johnston and Jack Davis,” said Cady When the Columbia River Treaty was signed in the 1960s the provincial government of W.A.C. Bennett passed an Order-in-Council exempting B.C Hydro from paying any taxes on its Columbia River dams. Last year the regional district launched court action against the Crown corporation and the provincial JACK DAVIS reviewing taxes government, using Section 15 of the Charter of Rights. Cady charges that the regional dis trict is being discriminated against because other areas are benefitting from the power generated by the dams while the Columbia and Peace River areas are left with nothing. He added that B.C. Hydro pays taxes on all its other properties in the province. “The City of Vancouver gets $3.7 million a year in taxes from B.C. Hydro for the utility poles, transformers and other Hydro equipment housed in Vancouver and it’s all from the elec tricity sent down from this area,” Cady said “We think that is most unfair. The transmission lines not only take power out of this area, they also take out all the walth and jobs.” When work on Keenleyside dam began in 1962, politicians of the day assured area residents of a boom in economic activity Then Rossland-Trail MLA Don Brothers was quoted in the Dec. 21, 1961 issue of the Castlegar News saying: “Castlegar is going to have prosperity of which it has never had and never envisioned.” We never saw that glorious day They (B.C. Hydro) left us owing money,” replied Cady In a brief sent to former municipal affairs minister Bill Ritchie in August, Cady charged that the Columbia River school districts are still owed B.C. Hydro back taxes”“for spending fund: continued on poge AI ;