214 : Reflections of 1991

Compiled by News Staff

JANUARY

Eight former Johnson Matthey employees end

a 32 1/2-hour protest New Year’s Day after a second —

injunction is issued. The demonstrators were protest-

ing the company’s offer of a severance package after

operations at the Warfield plant were shut down and moved to Spokane, Wash.

Harrison Edward Winegarden is Castlegar’s 1991 New Year’s baby. He is born at 6:04 p.m. on Jan. 3 to Tracy arfd Harry Winegarden.

The City of Castlegar hikes water rates by 20 per cent and Sewer rates by 20 per cent in south Castlegar and 25 per cent in north Castlegar. Coun-

it€xpects the increase to make both systems self- supporting. 4

A residential fire in Ootischenia leaves one man homeless and further proves the need for fire protection services in that area.

Over 500 local residents attend vigils held at

the Brilliant Cultural Centre and the United Church to express hope for a peaceful resolution to the war in the Persian Gulf. .

The results of a Central Kootenay health sur- vey are released showing air and water pollution as the main concerns among 2,300 residents surveyed.

“Negotiations between Celgar Pulp Co. and

the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada union, —

local 1, over a $634,000 arbitration award come to a halt after the two sides failto reach an agreement on training and seniority issues.

Adastra Aviation Ltd. pulls its service of flying emergency medical patients out of the area. Presi- dent Dale Nielsen tells city council he can no longér afford the aircraft with the increased use of provin- cial government jets:

Union employees of Trail Transit Inc. reach agreement with their employer for a new three yee contract. The employees were-without a contract for nearly a month and had voted in favor of a strike if negotiations failed. ( :

Castlegar city council approves changes to Columbia Avenue which include a reduced speed lim- it and the creation of a two-way left-turn lane down the centre of Columbia Avenue between’6th Street and 20th Street.

FEBRUARY

~Vancouver developer Sandy Reid_revives plans fora $7 million shopping mall pending federal and provincial approval of Celgar Pulp Co.’s expan- sion and modernization project. Reid says if Celgar’s plans are approved, construction will start in the spring and be completed by October. :

The federal government says Celgar Pulp Co. can proceed with its expansion and modernization project provided it meets more than 40 recommen- dations made by the Celgar Expansion Review Pan- el. The recommendations deal with air and water quality, -wood-chip supply, transportation, the im- pacts ofthe project on the community and the process of m: pulp.

The Ministry of Highways hires a consultant to draw up preliminary plans to improve the High- way 3-Highway 22 interchange in Castlegar. The con- sultant, Gordon Sutherland, said designs will take

about six months to prepare.

Celgar Pulp Co. is given the green light to pro ceed with its $700 million expansion and moderniza: tion project. _ ae

Transport Canada approves installation of run: way reflector markers and a strobe-light system at Castlegar Airport to help pilots land safely in emer: gencies after dark. ;

The Selkirk College board of governors ap proves tuition fee increases ranging from seven to 26 per cent for the 1991-92 academic year. College ad ministrators say the new fees are still less than wha many other community colleges in the province ar

Local truckers, construction workers an heavy. equipment operators protest the hiri practices of contractors for work at the Celgar pulp mill construction site. The locals say they are being

* : t Saturday, January 4, 1992

passed over in favor of out-of-town labor despite their

support for the project during the review process. -

"my Saturday, January 4, 1992 :

Reflections of 1991

MARCH

Westar Timber Ltd. converts operations at its Castlegar sawmill to metric from imperial measure-

ments at.a cost of about $100,000. The conversion is -

being done in an effort to open up markets in the United Kingdom and Japan to relieve some of the pressures of dealing in a weak U.S. market.

The Arrow forest district invites representa-

_ tives of various resource users to join a new commit-

tee. Forming a committee is a ministry initiative to- wards integrated management of B.C. forests.

Strong community attachment to Kinnaird Hall leads Castlegar city council to seek public in- put on the fate of the deteriorating centre. The city’s engineering department estimates it will cost about $167,000 to bring the building up to current building, fire and health code standards.

Mayor Audrey Moore says Vancouver develop- er Sandy Reid is raising unreal expectations among the public for his proposed shopping mall to be built as early as October. :

Castlegar city council unveils a plan for a 28 hectare riverfront park on vacant land stretching be- tween Inland Gas Park and Zuckerberg Island along the Columbia River.

The owner of Wizard’s Palace pool hall and ar- cade and residents of the area meet with city council to help solve problems caused by the presence of the arcade and its young patrons. :

The Ministry of Transportation and Highways holds an-epen house for the public_to review-and com- ment on five potential sites for a proposed bridge’ across the Columbia River.

A Spicer Commission hearing in Castlegar draws a small but emotional response from local par- ticipants.

Bill Vander Zalm (then premier) visits the West Kootenay and doles out $200,000 to Castlegar for the city’s proposed riverfront park and $90,000 to the Oo- tischenia fire commission towards the construction of a new firehall.

The B.C. Ministry of Environment lays charges against Celgar Pulp Co. and H.A. Simons Ltd following an investigation into the alleged unautho- rized discharge of effluent into the Columbia River near Castlegar on April 23, 1990.

Bill Vander Zalm steps down as premier three

.days before_conflict-of-interest_commissioner Ted Hughes is scheduled to release a report of his inves- tigation into Vander Zalm’s handling of the sale of Fantasy Gardens. Se

The Robson-Raspberry Ferry Users Ad Hoc Committee pins its hopes for the return of the Rob-

Ra hh

’ 82, the provincial government’s wage restraint law. are enthusiastic but concerns over proposed changes However, because the Castlegar school board bar- to parking prevail. ... gained in good faith with District No. 9 teachers, the

Castlegar Hospital’s expansion project will local protest doesn’t get under way until after school exceed its $6,6 million budget but the overrun isn’t is out to avoid any classroom disruptions. expected to.be serious. 5 : Castleview Care Centre officially opens with Alexia Turner of Castlegar receives a 1991 Ci-—-a full house of politicians; health professionals, con- tation for Citizenship award for making outstand- tractors, friends and area residents joining in on the ing contributions to multiculturalism and citizen- celebration. ship. ; AB.C. Supreme Court jury finds Castlegar fire Castlegar teachers join thousands of other ‘chief Bob Mann not guilty of two counts of sexual as- * teachers around the province in a protest against Bill ~ sault.

%.

ferryon either an NDP g:

~—~or the B.C. Court of Appeal.

APRIL

Rita Johnston is sworn in as Canada’s first fe- male provincial premier in Canada to replace dis- graced Bill Vander Zalm. Local politicians say the Fantasy Gardens scandal won’t affect their cam- paigns once one is called.

Residential tenants in Castlegar are out- raged at landlords who are imposing large rent hikes to cash.in on the flood of tenants brought into Castle- gar by the Celgar pulp mill expansion and modern- ization project. :

Asavage windstorm uproots more than a dozen 100-year-old trees, rips apart a hay shed and flings a Pass Creek family’s patio roof into the bushes. Mi- nor property damage and tree damage is also report- ed in other areas of Pass Creek, Thrums and as far away as South Slocan. ‘

Jim Waldie is named the Castlegar District’s Good Citizen on the Year, the youngest ever at 44 years old.

The Castlegar school board finds enough places to cut corners to keep district staff working

- despite a considerable shortfall in the Ministry of Ed- ucation’s allocation of $13 million.

Consultants hired to draft plans for down- town revitalization unveil prelimi drawings at an open house meeting. Most people in attendance