Saturday, October 3, 1992

Your business is
our business
Neil Rachyski

365-7266

QUESTIONS

ABOUT
CARS
ANSWERED

Do you have
problems making
sense of your
car? On Oct. 6,
Kalawsky
Pontiac Buick in
Castlegar is
hosting a free
“Women at the
Whee!” seminar.
Presenter Mary
Jackson will
teach the
necessary
vocabulary to
communicate
with the
mechanic.
Complimentary
refreshments will
be served from 6
p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The seminar
begins at 6:30
p.m. and ends at
9 p.m. For
reservations call
365-2155.

GRAMMAR
GURUS

A workshop on
“Business
Grammar and
Usage for
Professionals” is
planned at the
Trail campus of

_ Selkirk College

on Oct. 22> Ways
of making oral
and written
communications
more concise

and dynamic will
be one of the
many topics
discussed. The
course runs from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
at a cost of $130.
Contact Kerry
Sims at 368-
5236.

B.C.
BONDS

orRPLACE

Women in a blue collar world

Neil Rachynski
NEWS STAFF

There’s a movement for
gender equality in the
workforce that has gone largely
unnoticed.

For years the white collar
woman has been the focus of
equal opportunity issues.

But there are support groups
that advocate the integration of
woman into trades — a blue
collar movement.

“The people who do call are
either very supportive or it’s
simply fine with them.”

MacKenzie says attitudes
towards women are beginning
to change compared to when she
was first apprenticing 10 years
ago.

“I don’t get a patronizing
attitude going into a building
supply store,” MacKenzie said.

“(WITT) certainly works. The
group has been really important

‘The fact other women haven’t been involved in
these fields is not by chance.’

-Sally MacKenzie

One of those is the Kootenay
Women in Trades and
Technology Association.

Sally MacKenzie is a cabinet
maker from Crescent Valley
who appreciates what WITT
does for its members.

“It acts as a support network
for women in_ trades,”
MacKenzie said. “We help
women who are new to the area,
give some leads on jobs, and
just give support when things
get rough.”

MacKenzie says she has seen
some progress made for women
in trades over a number of
years, but she still encounters
bias.

“’’'m not on a job site with
other people,” MacKenzie says,
“so people who wouldn't want to
hire a woman just don’t call me.

for me to get through the
roughspots. They understand
that it wasn’t always easy.”

There are about 20 area
woman in the local
organization. But WITT goes
further than the Kootenays.

MacKenzie says local WITT
groups across Canada united to
form a Canadian contingent —
the WITT National Network.

Based out of Winlaw, the
network boldly states that it
“works from a feminist
perspective.

“There’s something about
women working somewhere
that you have to mark your
place,” MacKenzie said. “The
fact other women haven't been
involved in these fields is not by
chance.

“We know the need for calling

a spade a spade.”

CN Rail, the Department of
National Defense, the Canadian
Labor Congress .and. the
Southern Alberta Institute of
Technology all work with WITT.

Together they focus on
recruiting and training issues
that face women in the trades.

WITT is preparing for its
annual general meeting in
November. MacKenzie says at
that time the group will
evaluate its goals for what lies
ahead.

“We’ll decide what kind of
energy we have for events or
projects in the upcoming year.”

The Women in Trades and Technology Association is providing a
strong support network for blue-collar tradeswomen.

Local chamber a facilitator for constitution

Our local Chamber of
Commerce doesn’t want to take
sides in the unity debate.

Castlegar and _ District
Chamber of Commerce
manager Renee Read says she’d
rather help inform people than
tell them how to vote.

Read says at a recent
Canadian chamber conference,
the federal contingent decided
to take a position of ‘yes’ on the
Charlottetown Accord.

But Read doesn’t want to tote
that line.

“Personally I'd like to see us
not take position either for or
against (the accord),” Read
said.

“We're not supposed to get
involved in the political process.
“I’d like to see us making
sure more information is
available,” she said. “We have
brochures that have some

ighlights on the accord in the

| Nei/RACHYNSKI

office. I want to provide both
sides of what’s happening.

“We should be more of a
facilitator and less of a dictator.
Who are we as a chamber to tell
someone they should vote yes.”

Good idea, Renee.

We've got just over three
weeks to get as informed as we
can about this package. Every
effort to make ourselves
knowledgeable about the accord
will go a long a way.

Hindsight is 20-20 so it’s
time to look ahead at what
exactly the deal has to offer us

as Canadians on a whole.
ece

Just some chamber dates to
make a note of:

Oct. 20 and 21 the chamber
will be offering a seminar to
help home-based businesses
market themselves. The
evening workshops will show
you how to nurture a home
operation to a full-fledged
storefront business.

Remember that the week of
Oct. 26 is Small Business Week.
Stay tuned for activities and
highlights.

eee

The Kootenay Business
~Journal is out with its list of
the Kootenay’s Top 50
Companies for 1992.

It kind of reads like Billboard
Magazine’s charts.

The top four positions remain
unchanged from last year with
Cominco’s Trail operation

holding down the number one
spot and reported sales of $516)
million.

Celgar Pulp Co. has slipped
two notches from last year to
eighth place while Pope and
Talbot climbs from seventh to)
fifth.

Kalawsky Pontiac Buick Ltd.
remains at 21 with annual
sales reported at $10 million.

Only one retailer made the’
list. Mallards Sports is ranked
49th with $1.5 million in sales.
Even still that drops them two
spots from last year’s list.

There are 13 companies that’
appear on the list for 1992
which don’t have a ranking for
their 1991 results.

Folks at the publication
weren't available for commen
to say whether that was
because it’s the first time fo
them on the list or if they just
weren't rated.

t

@ Saturday, October 3, 1992

THE NEW CONSTITUTIONAL AGREEMENT

THE
HIGHLIGHTS

Over the past two years, federal, provincial, territorial and*Aboriginal
leaders have consulted with thousands of Canadians and concerned groups from
Coast to coast. These consultations included Royal Commissions, participatory
conferences, parliamentary hearings, and hearings in the provinces and territo-

ries held by provincial and territorial legislatures.

: Federal, provincial, territorial and Aboriginal
A Social leaders have agreed unanimously on August 28,
and 1992 in Charlottetown on a package of constitu-
bs . tional proposals that recognizes the equality of
Ze Mellie all Canadians and represents all of our interests.
The agreement is now before Canadians.
aaa , The agreement proposes that the new
Constitution would contain a statement of key economic and social objectives
shared by all of the governments in the federation. The objectives include
comprehensive, universal, portable, accessible and publicly administered health
care, adequate social services and benefits, high quality primary and secondary
education and reasonable access to post-secondary education, collective bar-
gaining rights and a commitment to protecting
the environment. The economic policy objec-
tives to be entrenched would be aimed at
strengthening the Canadian economic union;
the free movement of persons, goods, services,
and capital; ensuring full employment and a
reasonable standard of living for all Canadians;
ensuring sustainable and equitable development.
Exclusive provincial jurisdiction would be recognized in the areas of
forestry, mining, tourism, housing, recreation, municipal affairs, cultural matters
within the province, and labour market development and training. In addition,
to ensure the two levels of government work in
harmony, the government of Canada commits to
negotiating agreements with the provinces in areas
such as immigration, regional development and
telecommunications. Federal-provincial agree-
ments On any subject could be protected by the
Constitution from unilateral change.
, - The new Canadian Constitution would
recognize the distinct nature of Quebec, based on its French language, unique
culture and civil law tradition.

Avoiding
Overlap and
Duplication

Distinct
Society

; In the reformed Parliament, the’Senate would reflect the li
provinces while the House of Commons would be based more pgs tore
representation by population. As well, various

provinces would be assured a minimum amount

of seats in the House of Commons.

The proposed Senate would be made

up of six elected senators from each province
| and one from each territory. Additional seats

— agony representation for Aboriginal
—_ peoples. The reformed Senate’
significantly increase the role of the elected Senators in the ls ieee 1"

; The proposals recognize that Aboriginal peoples have an inherent
right to self-government and that the Constitution should enable them to
develop self-government arrangements and to take their place in the Canadian
federation. The proposals recognize Aboriginal governments as one of the
three constitutionally recognized orders of government in Canada. In addition
the proposals provide for a negotiation process between Aboriginal leaders and
provincial and federal governments to put this right into effect. The recognition
of the inherent right would not create any new
rights ‘ land, nor dilute existing treaty rights.

jow that Canada’s federal, provincial, igi

territorial and Aboriginal leaders plo reached Aboriginal
a econ is the right of all Canadians to Self-
understand the new proposals. Call the toll-free
number below to receive an easy-to-read Government
booklet on the new constitutional agreement
or a complete text.

It's your right to know what the constitutional proposals
voting on October 26. proposals say, before

FOR INFORMATION CALL:
1-800-561-1188

Deaf or hearing impaired:

1-800-465-7735 11100)

Parliamentary
Reform