Page 2 January 1985 Cassiar Courier Mount Klappen Project Representatives from Gulf Canada Resources recently visited the communities of Dease Lake and Iskut to discuss the company’s Mount Klap- pan project. The proposed anthracite mine is located about 100 km southeast of Iskut. Larry Pituley, Manager of Operations for Gulf, said the meetings were held as part of the socio-economic study they are compiling for the B.C. government on the Klappan project. Dis- cussions mainly considered local residents’ thoughts and feelings about the proposed mine. Pituley said the meetings went well and people have a positive attitude. If the proposed mine goes ahead they are looking at producing at least one and one half million tonnes of anthracite per year. This would require a work force of about 600 people. The company is considering a fly-in or bus-in operation. The site is about a four hour bus ride from Stewart. Pituley said early discussions have suggested a seven day, 12 hour shift work week, followed by seven days off. The bus could run once a week from Stewart. Gulf Canada Resources has announced that a 20,000 tonne trial cargo of anthracite has been sold for test marketing in Europe. The cargo will go to Belgium for washing and processing and then on to destinations in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom. This is the first time British Columbia anth- racite will be shipped abroad. B.C. Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Stephen Rogers said, “It’s a new export commodity, and will not compete in any way with our exist- ing coal mines for their traditional markets... This is a new product, from a new area, going to new markets.” Work begins immediately to extract enough coal for the trial cargo which will be trucked along the B.C. Railway grade to the Ealue Lake Road, on to Highway 37 and then to Stewart for shipment in January. > TO THE PCHITOR I would like to take this opportunity in thanking the Ad- ministration and the residents of Cassiar in making my trip an enjoyable one when | was there in October. I could not have been received more warmly and everyone made me feel as if I was in my own town. It makes me think that if all the villages, towns and cities in Canada were to take the same positive attitude as I saw in Cassiar we would have a great country. I found the food most filling and I would like to thank the cookery for the quality and my wife thanks them for adding at least fifteen pounds to my frame. [| plan to come up again in December and am looking for- ward in meeting the same friendly people as | did on my first trip. I thank you all again. Peter M. Zazulak, Hoskins Ford Sales, Smithers, B.C. 7 KkkkK R. Johnsen has given us permission to print a let- ter he recently sent to the Canada Tranportation Commission, - PRIORITY POST IS FASTER? As a small businessman living in Northern B.C, I have a complaint regarding freight that is “‘bump- ed” by C.P, Air in Fort St John, Recently I had a Priority Post Courier 5 kg pack- age sent through Canada Post to Cassiar. The pack- age took ten days to arrive. Many of us in the Far North have to depend upon C.P. Air for freight and transportation. Fort St. John, recently in the news about bank shipments being lost, is a real bottleneck. Would your office please look into this deplorable situation, R. Johnsen HG Messane from Premier Bill Bennett Christmas is a special time, a season for families to come together and for friends to re-unite. It’s.an occasion to share our hopes, dreams and af- fection and to strengthen our felateorstiDss. with one another. The View From The Middle A few weeks ago, there was a minor embarrassment for the Bennett government, when their favorite pollster spoke to a university marketing class, and let some man- gey cats out of the bag. Patrick Kinsella told the students, one of whom taped his talk, that he had been the real power behind Bennett's throne for the past couple of years. He said the restraint program had been cooked up simply to give Bennett a “tough guy” image going into the 1983 election. He said that he and his fellow political pollsters are able to tell politicians exactly what the public will swal- low, so that they can say all the right things that will get them elected. The premier stuck to the California tennis courts and skipped the Okanagan North by-election, because Kinsella told him to stay away. Kinsella left the clear impression that both the Bennett and Mulroney governments tailor every word and gesture to suit the results of last night's telephone survey. Election promises and government policies are based on high-priced public opinion sampling. And the polit- icians take their orders from the hired help. Kinsella’s indiscreet murmurings to the marketing stu- dents made headlines for a few days, although he merely confirmed what most people in the media had long sus- pected, — - But the media did not follow up the real implications We realize at this time of year that our bonds are far stronger than those matters that divide us and that the values we all hold—a willingness to share and care— are as strong as ever. ~ Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with many British Columbians and each occasion has re-inforced for me that the people of our province are its most vital and valued resource. The strength and resilience British Columbians demonstrate is a matter of deep satisfaction to me as Premier and re-inforces my faith that by working to- gether, by maintaining our commitment to one anoth- er, we can continue to make our province a stronger and better place in which to live. As Audrey and | gather with our family, we ex- tend to every British Columbian, our Best Wishes for A Joyous Christmas and A New Year of Goodwill. Dying By The Pall by Graham Lea, MLA of what Kinsella was blurting out. What happens to polit- icians when they get hooked by the polling habit? And what happens to the rest of us when the people who gov- ern us are themselves governed by pollsters? To a politician, one of life’s key questions is always the public’s state of mind. Will the people support his point of view on a particular issue, or will a forthright statement of his position cost him the next election? Throughout the history of democracy, leaders have risen or fallen by their ability to assess the public mood and to govern according to the will of the people, Good politicians learn the art of taking the public’s pulse. They listen, they talk, they press the flesh. And by a kind of filtering process, they absorb the public mood. If you see a politician at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon or a union picnic, you might think he is just en- joying one of the perks of office. But that politician is working — meeting people is a politician’s job. Or at least it used to be, until the pollsters came along, The pollsters offer politicians a quick fix for finding out what's in the public mind. It’s a seductive offer. The politician can just lie back and read the pollster’s analysis to learn what he should do and say about a political issue. Polling is also addictive. It’s always so much easier to take a poll than to sit down and think. It’s easier to give the people what they say they want today. Like any other addiction, the poll-taking habit starts small, usually with Continued on Page nS: On November 30th, Harvey Callow was driv- ing west on Connell Drive and started to make a right hand turn. His vehicle slid sideways and hit a telephone pole. There were no injuries and he has been charged with speeding. On December Ist, Norm Lapointe backed his vehicle into one owned by Andre McCutheon. La- pointe has been charged with backing up while unsafe. There were no injuries. On December 4th, John O’Brien of Erickson was travelling east on the Erickson Road when his vehicle hit a rock on the road and he lost control. The truck ended up in the ditch on the right side of the road. There were no injuries and no charges were laid. On December 8th, Jacqueline Johnston was turning onto Connell Drive from Creery Street when her vehicle was hit by one driven by Ken Kethler, There were no injuries and no charges. COURT NEWS Court was held on November 29, 1984, in Cassiar. The following cases were heard: VERONICA DENNIS pleaded not guilty to a charge of Breach of Probation. Hearing will be held February 7, 1985. SIDNEY CREYKE entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of driving while his license was suspend- ed. Trial will be held February 7, 1985. ERNEST QUASH pleaded not guilty to counts of break, enter and theft, and taking an automobile without the owner’s consent. Trial will be held on February 7, 1985. KENNETH TASHOOTS pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault. Trial will be held on February Pb ISan GARY ATTRIDGE pleaded not guilty to an out- standing charge of impaired driving and his trial will be held on April 18, 1985. LARRY BOYES was remanded to February 7, 1985 for plea on a charge of unlawfully in a dwell- ing house. DAVID LIDDLE was remanded to ‘February 7 a 1985 ona charge of impaired driving. LEO JOHNNY was found not guilty after a trial was held on an assault charge. WILLIAM JOHNNY was fined $200 or 30 days in jail on a charge of assault. He was placed on nine months probation for a charge of theft. GORDON WHELAN pleaded guilty to illegal pos- session of stone sheep. He will be sentenced on February 7, 1985. RICHARD BENO pleaded guilty to impaired driv- ing and will be sentenced February 7, 1985. RICKY MCCLUSKY was found guilty on two counts of theft of a bike. He was given a suspend- ed sentence and probation for nine months. JOSELITO SANTOS was convicted of assault and placed on a Peace Bond for one year. He is to have no contact with John Newberg over that per- iod of time. ‘Stikine Teachers Settle Contract The Stikine Teachers’ Association and the School District Number 87 (Stikine) have reached agreement for their next contract. The agreement: 1) will run for 18 months from January 1, 1985 until June 30, 1986; 2) includes a slight improvement to the benefits pack- age: — inclusion of an Orthodontic section to the Dental benefit (cost of approximately $3,000.00). as well as — payment to each school’s principal’s designate of an honorarium in recognition of the extra duties these teachers perform in the principal’s absence (cost of $2,550.00). — improvements to the teachers’ discretionary leave provision (estimated additional cost of approximately $3 000.00 per year). 3) includes an agreement that the Stikine Teachers — will receive an across the Board raise of approximately $1,400.00. This is nominally equal to 3.85% of the districts teacher payroll: In addition, if the average of provincial settlements exceeds 3.85% the Stikine dis- trict will pay the difference to its teachers. ----- Welcome to Cassiar, Ingrid! ~~ CASSIAR Bits & Pieces Not mentioning any names, but someone at the C.C. is asking people wearing glasses if they are bi- focals. Seems he now has to wear bifocals and the eye specialist told him this was a sign of age. Now he is trying to figure out who is older than him!! Who was under the table at 8 p.m. the other night while everyone else was still on their soup? Welcome back to Pat Watson, who has rejoined her husband at 678 Brown Street. Pat says here’s no place like Cassiar. We're told the meanest person in Cassiar is the person who stole Derek Walker’s present at the Store/Cafeteria/Accommodation Xmas party. Understand Jackie J. had an encounter with her son-in-law at Creery and Connell recently. Who were the two catering supervisors streaking through the C.C. during a recent Xmas party??? Condolences to Kathy Reams in Ft. St. John, who recently lost her infant son, Kathy was the relief nurse at the Cassiar Hospital this summer. Welcome back to all the University students and students attending school outside Cassiar, home for the holidays. Oné of our local R.C.M.P. is a little upset. His diet is 1800 calories and his wife’s is 2000! Betty Cavanagh’s son won't be putting anymore plastic spiders on his mothers plate, expecting her to scream; she never noticed it and ate it with out batting an eye. We hear Frank left his car running at the Post of- fice and walked back to Admin. Some time later, he went out to get into his car and not find- — ing it in it’s usual spot, thought it had been stol- en. Getting absent-minded Frank? Understand that the Buffalo Cab Service is going to change its name to Buffalo Bob’s Towing Ser- vice, What DOES that Triple S stand for ‘Oldtimers’? Heard that Lee had some trouble getting out of Good Hope Lake the other day. Bob to the rescue, WELCOME TO: Ron and Karen Muir, their two SeeHiren and Karen’s Mom, Helen McKinley, who have recently moved to Cassiar from Squamish. Ron is a mill- wright. GOODBYE TO: Pierre, Mathilda and Frederic Godbout who recently moved from Cassiar. Good Luck to them in their new endeavours. Postmaster Barry Poppenheim who has moved to Fort St. John to take up his duties at ‘the Post Office there. Cassiar has a new Postmaster. Ingrid Schwunk arrived in December to take up her new position. Prior to moving to Cassiar Ingrid was the Post- master for two years at Garibaldi Highlands in the Squamish Postal District. Before that she worked in Ontario for eight years. Ingrid enjoys needlework and cross country skiing. Her husband Werner is retired. PLL IONE LS ee Oe t The close of another year is not far off. Everyone is busy with the hustle and bustle of the festive season which is keeping most people out of trouble — well, most people! With winter well underway and the sports that accompany this season, we’ve seen several skating, hockey and skiing accidents. Nothing we couldn’t handle, although the ski hill accident was flown out. The nurses at the hospital are well into their card- iology course being taught by our knowledgeable admin- istrator, Peter Snell. Mr. Snell is busy with numerous meetings, parties and several courses which occupy almost every evening — how can one man do so much? Oh, well, a trip to Hawaii with his family ought to settle those overworked nerves. So, Aloha, Peter — he leaves for a well deserved holiday in mid-January. ~Once again the Cassiar Hospital will be undergoing construction with new walls and ceilings being installed along with the latest furnishings from IKEA, Yes, it’s looking better and better every year. Big excitement rang through the hospital December 11th with the cries of a healthy, bouncing baby girl. It was somewhat unexpected but we all enjoyed the excite- ment of a delivery. Proud parents are Tracy Rusling and Bruce King. Just what will happen next?!? To minimize accidents please take care when driving during this holiday season and don’t drink and drive. Warm wishes for a Happy New Year from all of us at the Hospital! Seven No Trusmy by Kees van der Pol After a hiatus of sixteen years, the Cassiar Du- plicate Bridge Club is again offering evenings of enjoyment to those who love to play bridge, Al- though regular bridge sessions will not start until the new year, there have been two informal ses- sions so far, The first (pre-introductory) was held at my house on November 22, when a two-table Howell game was played. Sherry Sethen and Claudia Huber came in Ist with 15 points and the other three pairs, Carol Mackin/Marvel Nitti, Frank Buckley/Claire Redmond and Mayumi/ Kees van der Pol, were all tied for second place with 7 points apiece, Although three pairs were below the 9-point average, everyone had fun, The second session (introductory) was held at the Recreation Centre’s Upper Leisure Room on December 4. The purpose was to introduce the concept and mechanics of playing duplicate as op- posed to rubber bridge. Fourteen people were in attendance and, once the short lesson was given, a 3% table Howell game was played (after sorting out the differences between the guide book and the table movement cards), With an average of 12 Claudia Huber again came out on top with her partner, Diane Zebroff, at 14% points, Second place went to Frank Buckley and Claire Redmond with 14 points, Third was split between Kelly McPhail/Mario Gimmi and Mayumi/Kees van der Pol with 12 points apiece. Bridge will start on a regular basis on January 8, 1985 at 7:30 p.m, at the Recreation Centre and continue every Tuesday thereafter. Anyone who can play bridge is welcome to join. Please contact Marvel Nitti, Frank Buckley or myself for further information, NEW: ARRIVAL Congratulations to Tracy Rusling and Bruce King on the birth of their daughter Lyndsey Marie, born December 11, 1984, at the Cassiar eae Lyndsey weighed in at 5 lbs. 10 oz. fo hep (Mew Seale ¥. 3 Cassiar Courier January 1985 Page 3 Erickson Creek Column by Pat Lawis Beaton There were parties and more parties during the holiday season at Erickson. For the first time we held a Christmas Dinner and Dance for employees and their guests and it was a big success. The dinner was a pot luck with lots of excellent food. Thanks to all of the cooks! On Sunday, December 16th, the Erickson children’s Christmas Party was held. The party featured a puppet show and a wonderful skit by Bob Lefebvre and Gigie. McGlynn. The skit starred Bobo the miner and Bruce the Moose — the two characters who Bob and Gigie invented last year. The children and adults were kept laughing throughout the performance. Many thanks to Bob and Gigie for their terrifically funny show! - The party was a success thanks to the efforts of many people — in particular thank you to Lorraine Lan- _ teigne and Bob Best for their contributions. Also a big thank you from all of the children to Kristian and Eileen Ross from Erickson’s Vancouver office for the giant chocolate Santa Claus they sent to the party! Things will be quieter around Erickson in January. The mine is back to a work force of 75 people on site for the rest of the winter. This is a cost cutting measure due to the low price of gold. Hopefully 1985 will bring a more stable market and a higher price for gold! Good-bye and good luck to all of the people who left Erickson in December. Best wishes to everyone for a Happy and Pearernds New Year! Brunco Artico, Chris Dopp and all of the Cassiar residents who donated to the Ethiopia Relief Fund would like to thank LEE CORAN for her help in doing the bookkeeping for the fund. Figure Skating The Blue Valley Figrre Skating Club held their Christmas Toy Bingo on December 15. It was a big success, with a large attendance of players for the 15 games. Roy Epp won the Door Prize which was a Cabbage Patch Doll. Lisa Prosser won the big prize of a stereo. Besides the 15 prizes for the games, many “surprise packages’” were awarded to winners of a number draw. The Blue Valley Figure Skating Club also had a testing day scheduled for December 15 for some of the senior skaters. Unfortunately, the judge had to cancel due to illness, so the test day has been postponed until February. Minor Hockey Week is January 19th through the 26th, 1985! Support the. young hockey players. Practices are held every Wednesday and Friday between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. Come watch a practice. Also watch for a fun feature during the week. The Minor Hockey Raffle Winners were: M. Girardin — winner of a jade clock donated by Steadman’s; Beulah Frazier — winner of a VMX - 16 bicycle; M. Hogg — winner of a double bed quilt; M. Whelan — winner of a single bed quilt: Carole Kollar — winner of a single bed quilt. A special thank you to Marvel Travel for the stuffed lion donated to the Toy Bingo. aS nS ae > > eS