By Gary Larson

TheFARSIDE

Ls

~“Gareening through the neighborhood with reckless abandon, none of them suspected that Tuffy was still tied up.

Conroy prepares

for lumb

@ Local MLA embarks on cross-province hearings

Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTER Ed Conroy is joining 10 oth- er MLAs for a January tour. The Rossland-Trail MLA will be travelling the province for the next month, listening to the concerns of people in the secondary wood products in- dustry. Secondary manufac- turers produce goods from lumber and sawmill products.

“The industry relies on spe- cialty products,” Conroy said Wednesday. “It’s difficult for remanufacturers to get the grade and cut they want.”

Called the Select Standing Committee on Forests, Ener- gy, Mines and Petroleum Re- sources, it will report to the legislature the concerns of mostly independent small re- manufacturers. A news re- lease states “many remanu- facturers claim that the lack of adequate lumber supply is limiting the growth and pros- perity of the sector as a whole.”

The committee will be in Castlegar at the Fireside Inn Jan. 20-from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Conroy said the committee is targeting its audiences.

“We're going into con- stituencies that have the most amount of that kind of activi- ty,” Conroy said.

Leslie Boldt, a researcher from the Office of the Clerk of Committees, said submissions are being taken from the from people who want to voice their

opinion. “It’s strictly a forum for peo-

er tour

ple to make presentations,” Boldt said.

She said people who would like to make a submission will have 15 to 20 minute time slots. In Castlegar, Boldt said the response so far from peo- ple who wish to make a pre- sentation is “pretty moderate.” She said only two presenters have signed up to make sub- missions.

Boldt said with these types of hearings the response is greatest about a week before it is held. .

“We're not prejudging how many people will attend it at this time,” she said.

Schedules permitting, the 11 MLAs will travel to 11 con- stituencies. Boldt said the committee is covering some relatively new ground by us- ing MLAs from all three par- ties. she said similarly con- structed committees have been somewhat successful, largely because they are inde- pendent bodies.

“There are no executive members of the committee,” she said. “(The MLAs) are in- dependent of cabinet.”

Boldt said she could not de- termine at this time what the cost of holding the province- wide hearings would be. But Conroy said even his commit- tee has felt budget restraints.

“We had a trip slated to Japan. (But) due to budget cuts we cancelled it,” Conroy said.

She said the final report from the committee should be ready for the spring session of the legislature, although noth- ing has been confirmed.

89

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SecondFRONT

@ Trail operation may pay additional $220,000 as B.C. increases water rates

Scott David Harrison EDITOR .

Cominco could be facing higher water fees.

The province announced that effective Jan. 1 it will be up its water licence application fees and rental rates. This could spell a one to two per cent increase for the financially-troubled Trail operation.

“We’ve taken a look at Cominco’s situation,” the Environment Ministry’s Gary Robinson said. “We don’t think there will be any real implications to Cominco’s overall operations. The increase could be about one or two per cent, if anything at all.”

A one to two per cent increase could come

as a surprise to Cominco, which is presently in negotiations with the provincial government in hopes of having its water rates reduced. Based on the $11 million Cominco paid the proyince for water fees in 1992, the-increase could equal as much as $220,000.

“Not that any one industry has been singled out, but we have been looking at Cominco and we know there are negotiations ongoing,” Robinson said. “We'll let the negotiations continue.”

Neither Cominco nor the province will comment on the negotiations.

Cominco.is asking the province to wave its environmental licence fees — a savings of $3 million annually — and link water rates to the Trail operation’s profits.

Those requests were endorsed by a Job Protection Commission Report issued on

Cominco facing another water hike?

April 30 which outlined how tax breaks from provincial, regional and municipal governments could ensure the long-term viability of the Trail site. Those breaks were contingent on Cominco restructuring its Trail operation — something the company initiated a year ago — for a total savings of $50 million annually.

The City of Trail and the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary have already approved tax cuts for 1993 which could equal some $3 million.

Meanwhile, the prévincial water hikes will also affect the Regional District of Central Kootenay and various regional water improvement districts.

According to the provincial plan, the RDCK and improvement districts can expect a 10 per cent increase in water fees

CLIFF WHO...?

‘a

- News photo by Corinne Jackson Don't mistake Matt Gallo for that famous Bostonian Cliff Claven. Instead of hiding from the winter weather

inside a cozy bar, Gallo was out delivery the city’s mail on schedule. Take that, Cliff...

7 Alliance demands answers

Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTER

Another group of area water- users are crying foul.

The Slocan Valley Watershed Alliance has joined New Denver’s Valhalla Society by requesting a public inquiry into the management of the Arrow Forest District.

SVWA co-ordinator Susan Hammond said the results of an audit at the district office could destroy any element of trust between “warring” sides.

An internal audit showed 56 ¢utting permits in the area were not updated when new leg- islation was introduced in 1988.

Hammond said as a result, the efforts of the Commission on Resources and Environment could be ruined. The pilot

Hard times puts pinch on drives

W Recession hurts hamper and toy drives, but volunteers still share spirit of Christmas

out is slightly higher this year.

The News is published by Castle News Ltd. for Canwest Publishers Ltd. Mail subscription rate to The News is $37.50 per year. The price on newsstands is 75¢ for each edition The price delivered by newspaper carrier for both editions is only 90¢ a week (collected monthly). GST extra. Second class mail registration number 0019

g

Corinne Jackson NEWS REPORTER

Tuesday.

”

e sponsible for the decrease in donations.

year the Salvation Army took the singles on. “The legion put out 78 for families,” he said.

Castlegar’s food and toy donations were down this Christmas. But it’s doubtful that it’s the result of an increasing number of Scrooges living in the area.

“I think it’s the recession myself,” Earl Rourke said

In the end extra hampers were available, but “we didn’t have the groceries that we had last year,” Roy- al Canadian Legion Branch No. 170’s hamper chair said. “People are being more careful with their mon- ry.

Rourke believes lay-offs in the area are partly re- “We usually have about 130 (hampers), but this

The number of hampers given by the Salvation Army to single people is unknown, but Rourke said

for comment.

Dick Dunlop said toy donations were also down, but added there was still enough for those who re-

quested assistance.

bought.

without.

tional.

when we give them a hamper.”

he suspects that the total number of packages given

The Salvation Army’s Dick Parr was unavailable

“There was probably in the neighborhood of $3,000 to $3,500 worth of toys total,” the Castlegar Volunteer Fire Department captain said Tuesday. “The fellows from the Celgar camp fire department helped sub- stantially with their $2,000 worth of toys that they

“There’s certainly a lot of kids out there that go

“There are quite a few even in Castlegar,” he said.

“It makes someone’s Christmas happier,” Dunlop said, explaining the importance of the campaign.

Rourke echoed Dunlop’s comments, saying “when you're helping people, you’re doing something excep-

“It gives me great heart to see the faces of people

project is aiming to have forest companies; the government and environmentalists make joint forest management decisions.

“We feel the issue will impact the credibility of CORE,” Hammond said. “It’s individual people who did these things. Are they accountable?”

“The accountability thing bugs me in a way,” forest district operations manager of harvesting Ilan Hamann said. “The holes were found and we filled them: I can assure you... no one has been unethical.

“The law came in 1988, but made it retroactive to 1987,” he said. “Retroactivity happened as a matter of legislation.”

In response, the SVWA has written to Premier Mike Harcourt for assistance.

“When (district officials) get different marching orders from up top they may sing different © tunes,” Hammond said.