OPINION Castlégar News

PAGE A4, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1990

MEMBER OF THE B.C. PRESS COUNCK.

ISTABLISHED AUGUST 7, Twice: INCORPORATING THE MID WEEK MIRROR PUBLIGHED SEPTEMBER 12, ere AVQUST 27, 1980

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EDITORIAL _ Study needed

On a number of occasions over many years, this newspaper has called for the building of a highway along the Arrow Lakes linking Robson/Syringa Creek with Fauquier.

In correspondence as recently as June 12 of this year, we were ad= vised by Premier Bill Vander Zalm that such a road extension ‘ ‘would bea very costly undertaking . . . and it may (even) te environmentally sensitive.’

Therefore, we were pleased to see the Castlegar Chamber of

, & long-ti pr of the road, calling for a feasibility study to examine the potential for such a north-south link.

The special regional transportation committee set up under the provincial government's pt ive in fact iden- tified the road proposal as requiring a feasibility study, and this would seem a logical first step in evaluating the need for such a link.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

On July 21, 1983, the late Alex Fraser, at the time B.C.’s ig! minister, advised the CasNews that ‘‘many priority improvements to the existing trunk highway system must take precidence over any new links which are being suggested.”’ The only new routes which were then under consideration, he wrote, were “routes which would alleviate severe congestion on existing routes due to saturated traffic con- ditions.’’

“The proposed Syringa Creek to Fauquier route does not meet these criteria and I, therefore, have not authorized any reconnaisance or preliminary engineering on the route,’’ he concluded.

Things have changed a great deal in the seven years since Mr. Fraser penned those words.

The Coquilhalla Highway has been built and the Okanagan con- o be op ed on Oct. 1. At about the same time, the long and ji Iti lion dollar Cape Horn B section of Highway 6 will also be completed.

Improvements to the Hope-Princeton Highway are well advan- ced, and other improvements along Highway 3 have been completed or are being carried out.

The chamber’s timing appears excellent in asking for a

Price tag too high

I feel the recent proposal to builda highway from Fauquier to Castlegar, using the rationale that it will become a corridor for chip trucks, begs for a response from one who resides on this avenue.

First, let me clarify one point, which is that the highway will join Robson, not Castlegar, with Upper Arrow Lake. Therefore, it is Robson which will receive the truck traffic, not Castlegar.

The City of Castlegar has made it amply clear that it does not desire the industrial traffic; nor do

he residents of the Slocan Valley. It is fair to assume that Robson has no great desire to foster that traffic which has been vigorously rejected by surrounding communities.

Since the ill-advised closure and subsequent piracy of the Robson ferry, the provincial

study, and certainly Transportation Minister Rita Johnston (the first regional i for the Koot region) can be expec- ted to be sympathetic to the study request. The minister of highways portfolio has always been a very politically sensitive one and now as deputy premier Mrs. Johnston can be expected to be even more politically attuned.

There’s no question whatsoever the new highway would have its benefits: diversion of some truck traffic from the Slocan Valley, im- proved access to the North Okanagan and the Trans-Canada Highway at Revelstoke and consequently increased tourist traffic in the West Kootenay, which would benefit our area economically.

But we must be realistic: There will be opposition as well as other suggestions. NDP candidate Ed Conroy, for example, suggested a road connection from the present Castlegar-Christina Lake section of High- way 3.

And Robson resident and pro-ferry stalwart George Stein makes very clear in a letter on this page that the new highway would link Fauquier and Robson (not Castlegar), although access to Castlegar would be provided, we assume, by a new bridge.

Moving a problem doesn’t solve it, and it would be naive for this newspaper, the chamber, or anyone also to expect Robson residents to warmly welcome the chip-laden semi-trailers which the City of Castlegar and Slocan Valley communities are so anxious to be rid of.

Nevertheless, that’s what a feasibility study is all about. It might well be that clever engineering can route the new road away from Rob- son’s built-up areas and mitigate any possible problems there.

With Premier Vander Zalm seriously considering an election call, the chamber’s call for a feasibility study commitment from the gover- nment should be pursued vigorously.

VIEWPOINT Debate growing

By TERRY O’SHAUGHNESSY

It’s hard to think of another coun- try more frequently defined by its landscape than Canada.

For many, the incomparable natural beauty of the land — the vast north, the great forests and win- dswept seascapes, the pristine lakes and awe-inspiring mountains — places Canada squarely in the middle of the growing public debate on en- vironmental issues. It’s no stretch to imagine Canadians playing a natural leadership role on the frontlines of the battle to save our swiftly sickening environment. A recent poll, conduc- ted by the Angus Reid Group, lays the groundwork of the debate to come.

According to Reid, during most of the 1980s concern for the environ- ment attracted less than five per cent of Canadians. However, during the last months of the decade, increasing numbers put the environment as their leading concern. And there is little doubt that that number could have gone even higher if the intense final days of the Meech Lake debate had not understandably overtaken the hearts and minds of the public. The Reid results broke down current at- titudes to the environment issue into seven camps.

Eleven per cent of those polled were characterized as “‘hostile,"’ believing the issue to be artificially played up in the media and elsewhere.

The bulk of the pro-environment group, at 20 per cent, fell into the “privileged optimist’’ category. They included the trendy consumers ap- pearing more and more often these days touting the benefits of com- posting and ‘‘buying green’” who op- timistically feel that the environment can be repaired and will become more healthy in the future. The ‘‘en- thusiasts”’ (nine per cent) and the ‘‘ac- tivists’’ (18 per cent) shared a com- mon belief in the overriding impor- tance of environmental issues and seemed to differ only in their public approach with the enthusiasts inten- ding to work behind the scenes while the activists aggressively make public waves. The final 15 per cent, charac- terized as ‘‘anxious,"’ were gravely

has ded that a bridge would be

built to restore the historic link, contingent upon the Celgar pulp mill project. What is not said is that the bridge will draw industrial traffic from all

i into Robson, i link is built. If this is the government's perverted idea of placing a price on the bridge, then I say no thanks! George Stein Robson

Honesty wanted

The first and foremost requirement from a government — any government — that people want, I believe, is honesty. Every government cabinet member is in a position to abuse powers and finances.

The most glaring recent example of abuse of power was in the Philippines, where Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos borrowed millions of dollars from international banks, used the money to buy personal property in downtown New York, Vancouver and other parts of the world, expensive art and other items, and left that poverty-stricken country to repay these banks.

Our own B.C. government has been caught in many very questionable practices. The Toigo affair in setting up the Knight Street Pub, the Cliff Michael promotion of private business, the way the prosecution against Bill Bennett was handled, and the latest, the questionable use of lottery funds by Bill Reid and the attorney general's handling of that matter, are the most obvious examples of matters that British Columbians are justified in questioning government members about.

But the worst thing this government has done, in my opinion, is its reaction when these matters were brought to their attention: they brought ina bill governing or guiding ‘‘conflict of interest,” Bill 66. What should stick in the craw of any honorable person is that the main thrust of that bill was that it tried t6 prohibit anyone making government irregularities public. It even restricts the press from commenting on such matters.

This shows this government has learning nothing from recent events. It has learned nothing from all the losses in the byelections. It only regrets that these matters came to the public’s attention.

if the Fauquier ~

This should be unacceptable to everyone, oe

_ The 1990 moose season — Some of the

were d that an open

to this 's Own sup; vote for them now is to say it is OK to conduct business as usual. The only chance a person has to tell a government that its actions are unacceptable is at elections, and to vote for this group of Socreds is to give them encouragement to continue to conduct government as though this is a third- rate, underprivileged backward country. And, if | might add, shame on those who are attempting to make it appear that the wrong-doing in the latest Bud Smith-Bill Reid scandal was the fact that a law-abiding MLA made publi ometning (ar carr ands the questionable conduct by! thé top law eafotcer of the province. One of the basics of our law is that if.a person has knowledge of some criminal activity and does not report it, that person is in fact aiding and abetting that crime. Shame on those who would Suggest that Moe Sihota should have done nothing with the information that fell into his hands!

Vera Kristiansen Nelson

Info provided

This letter is intended as a follow up to the May I public meeting in Kimberley with Minister of Environment John Reynolds and the public meeting with wildlife staff in Cranbrook on July 10.

At both of those meetings, the two major topics of discussion were public input into big-game hunting regulations and the proposed limited-entry hunting season on bull moose.

The concerns raised were mainly that public input into the development of big-game hunting regulations is inadequate, and that in the general open season which replaces limited-entry hunting of bull moose, all bulls and calves were included in the minister's open season instead of mature bull moose only.

We wish to comment as follows:

Public input — The consultation process that was used to arrive at decisions on last year’s hunting regulations was identified by some people as inadequate. The minister of environment has asked for recommendations for increased public involvement. Accordingly, we propose that a small task force with representatives from wildlife organizations, the unaffiliated hunters, guides and trappers make recommendations to the Ministry of Environment on how this process could be improved. We are awaiting recommendations for names of participants for this committee. When we have received the names, we will submit the list to the minister who will select the participants and establish the terms of reference for the committee.

This committee will report back to the ministry by the end of October, identifying a process for increased public involvement. These

season for spike bulls and calves, as well as mature bulls, would result in more moose being shot, with the result that limited entry would be even more supportable in future. We have examined this in detail. Our main concern in the past has been to reduce pressure on mature bulls and to adjust the sex ratio of the herd. If there is a completely open season for mature bulls only, then only mature bulls will be shot legally.

Since many hunters in the region are admittedly meat hunters, leaving the season open hunters will be satisfied with one of these, thus reducing the potential for overharvest of larger mature bulls. The spike and calf season thus makes good biological and management sense and we have decided to retain it. Since our main concern now is the older mature bulls, not the moose population as a whole, harvest of spikes and calves is not a major consideration at this time. Any proposal for limited entry next year would focus primarily on what happens to the harvest of mature bulls.

Hopefully this clarifies the issues that were raised at both public meetings.

Hard to believe

Intervenor funding — can you believe it? From the same valley that swindled us all with the infamous ‘‘Vallican hole,”’ we now have a group asking to be funded in its attempted to eliminate our jobs.

Lhope group members realize that the welfare system is paid for by the sweat of honest workers.

Fred Castle (Castlegar

Please address all letters to the editor to: Letsere te to the Editor, Castlegar News, P.O. Box 3007, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 3H4, or deliver them to our office at 197 Columbia Ave. in Castlegar.

spaced an should be typewritten,

ind not than 300 words.

a MUST be signed and include the writer's first and last names, address and a telephone number at which the writer can be reached between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The writer’s name and city or town

of only will be Only in exceptional cases will letters be

will be revi and, if app’ by the minister, will be implemented. We must

without the writer's name. Nevertheless, the name, address and

stress again that the role of this process is to provide a vehicle for increased public input to big-game hunting regulations in the

Kootenay region. It is not intended to be a forum for discussing all aspects of wildlife

number of the writer MUST be disclosed to the editor.

The Castlegar News reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity, legality, grammar and taste.

NATIONAL NEWS

GST ads ruled deceptive -

OTTAWA (CP) — Two gover: nment radio

ditional tax.””

the goods and services tax were decep- tive to ordinary taxpayers, the Adver- tising Standards Council has ruled. The council told the Department of Finance of its ruling and asked the federal government Aug. 2 to keep the ads off the air because they violate the Casiadian A

The si has not yet responded to the ruling, she said.

But it may be academic because the ads were scheduled to run only until June 16, said John Fieldhouse, press

Code.

At issue is the government’s claim in the ads that the GST **is not an ad- ditional tax"’ because it is taking the place of the 13.5 per cent mantifac- turers’ sales tax.

Not true, says the standards coun- cil, which represents the private- sector advertising industry in a self- policing role. As of Jan. 1, 1991, the new seven-per-cent GST is intended to apply to all sorts of services — from hair cuts to funerals — not now subject to any sales tax.

“That wal deceplive.””

cannot force the government or any

other advertiser to accept its rulings. In cases of the coun-

tising. Speaker John Fraser gave the

cil will publicize its ruling in the hope of embarrassing the offender into complying, Burke said.

Liberal MP Don Boudria, who complained to the council about the ads, released the council's ruling T 5 It’s the second time Ottawa has been embarrassed by its GST adver-

@ tongue-lashing over newspaper ads that presented the tax asa fait accompli before MPs had a chance to review it, let alone pass legislation.

“*They have been caught handed,” Boudria, Liberal gover- mment operations critic, said in an in- terview.

Green tax not discussed

OTTAWA (CP) — Talks on @ national environmental plan ended Tuesday with no clear recommen- dation on the most controversial issue — whether or not the federal gover-

council vice-president Susan Burke said Tuesday from Toronto. ‘‘To the lay person, this is a mew and ad-

subsidies, or pollution fees — ran out of time. **We didn’t get on to the subject (of

Gays can preach, Church reaffirms

LONDON, Ont. (CP) — Stressing the need to “‘walk together in har- mony,’’ the United Church of. Canada voted Tuesday to stick by its controversial policy of allowing homosexuals access to the pulpit.

Delegates to the church’s 33rd general council voted 302 to 74 to reaffirm a 1988 statement that recognizes the right of all members of the church, regardless of sexual orien- tation, to apply for the ministry.

The delegates also voted to con- tinue discussing the question of homosexuals within thg church, stressing the need for “struggle, dialogue and prayer.””

The statement, adopted at the last general council in Victoria, has divided the church, which has Canada's largest Protestant denomination with more than 800,000 members.

Several congregations, ministers and individual members have Jeft the church over the issue.

And Rev. Walter F the

But church spokesman Randy Naylor said the church’s soul- searching on the issue has resulted in a much more progressive attitude toward homosexuals among church members. He also predicted the new endorsement of the statement will at- tract new members.

“There had been predictions from the start that the statement would devastate the church, but people see now that that hasn’t happened.””

On Monday, delegates defeated a

original statement by dropping the words regardless of sexual orien- tation.”

Debate Tueday lasted 3% hours, mostly about discussion of various “olive branch’’ amendments.

Two of the proposed amendments passed. One, drafted by Agnes King of the London Conference, urges

“the church to seek unity within diversity."”

In i her

elect, said the Tuesday may alienate some church members.

“‘Some (church members) will leave. Some have already chosen to leave. But others have come in,” Farquharson said. ‘‘Together, we have to walk, talk arid try to achieve understanding.”’

King said a simple affirmation ‘‘fails to address the derision, hostility and exclusion aimed at those traditional members”” who have had difficulty accepting the report.

Congregations and presbyteries (county-like divisions in ther church) retain their right to determine a can- didate’s fitness for ministry.

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Settlement of claims a priority

By LYLE KRISTIANSEN Kootenay West-Reveistoke MP

New Democrats believe the set- tlement of native land claims is a priority for our province if we are to put an end to the uncertainty and

about the envi but were waiting for some leadership. Certainly the poll does not say anything we hadn't already known or suspected. But the environment is going to become more of an issue in the months and years to come, and these categories will no doubt overlap and merge together as public debate escalates. But one aspect is already very clear — the health of the en- vironment has become a luxury that no one can afford to ignore.

that has plagued B.C in recent years.

But to reach that settlement, negotiations must begin as soon as possible, involving native bands, the province and the federal government. We further believe that an essential precursor to any meaningful negotiations must be the recognition of both aboriginal rights and title.

province’s bargaining clout for the simple reason that, as premier, Mike Harcourt would sign no deal unless it was in the best interests of all British Columbians.

of tithe is

not something that is negotiable — it is something that already exists. In- deed, the highest courts in our land have said over and over in their judgments (that is, the recent Sparrow

will be negotiated is the nature and ex- tent of aboriginal title, and the costs

dy recognized title. If he wasn’t in one form or another recognizing native land claims, why would he even be saying he wants to go to the table?

But rather than deal with this issue fairly and openly, the premier is trying to turn it into his election issue by distorting the meaning of

aboriginal title. Only the premier suggests aboriginal title will mean that natives ‘‘own the province lock, stock and barrel.’’ He does this to inflame the situation and to pit natives against non-natives. Aboriginal title is simply a recognition that natives are the first peoples of this province and this country and have rights that aren’t being recognized.

By refusing to recognize aboriginal title, Bill Vander Zalm is again im- posing his personal views over the laws of the land. Remember the 1988 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that blocking a woman's right to legal

itutis He

The premier is trying to further ex- ploit this issue for his own political Purposes by throwing out huge dollar figures or land values when talking about compensation to natives. For example, he continually speaks of handing over two-thirds of the

between $6 billion and $10 billion. This is pure political rhetoric on the part of the premier. What natives are seeking is a settlement to the question of how they and non-natives will co- exist throughout the province. People’s private property is not

was ignored the courts then by doing all he could to restrict a woman's right to choose on abortion. Similarly, here, he’s refusing to acknowledge the same court's ruling that aboriginal title must be recognized.

nor is their way of life. What these negotiations will do, though, is to restore to native people their way of life.

‘These are issues that are 150 years old and which should have been ad- dressed long ago.

FAX (403) 250-6827

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