Page 2 Cassiar Courier October 1987 Vote for your B.C. Bird SBCA! SELECT PROVINCIAL BIRD British Columbia will soon have its own official bird and residents of the province are being invited to help in the selection. A three-month province-wide campaign to select a provincial bird has been launched by Environment and Parks Minister Bruce Strachan and Ed Vernon, vice-pres- ident of the Centennial Wildlife Society of B.C. “Selection of a provincial bird will symbolize British Columbia’s commitment to conservation and wild- life appreciation,” Strachan said. ‘And it is fitting that this designation is being made as part of B.C.’s celebration of Wildlife ’°87, the centennial of wildlife conservation in Canada,” added Vernon. The public is being invited to participate by voting for any one of the seven or for their particular favorite. Seven Candidate birds have been shortlisted for the cam- paign. They are: the Varied Thrush, the Trumpeter Swan, the Steller’s Jay, the Rufous Hummingbird, the Peregrine Falcon, the Harlequin Duck, and the American Dipper. B.C. residents will have until October 31, 1987, to cast their ballots or write in their choices. “This is not merely a popularity contest but an opportunity for each of us to examine the role that birds and other wildlife play in the environment and to consider seriously what they mean to us,” Strachan said. “Not only will the provincial bird join the dogwood flower as an emblem of the spirit of British Columbia, but it will also serve as a living symbol of our commitment to the next 100 years of wildlife conservation.” BALLOT BOs ON PAGE 15 ~ me ‘S ait + ME meant EDIT OF IAL | A GIFT OF TIME by Lorraine Lanteigne Being a very positive individual I have perceived that life is “good” and that the “bad” exists in order to pose challenges to me, which lends some comparison as to what the “good” is. I have often heard people make comment that they don’t like where they live, their jobs, or their lives. There is an old saying that states that humans are never presented with any challenge, or persqualys situation they cannot handle - if they want to! It’s easy to sit back, put in time and let life wan- der its course. That way your situation is easily blamed on simple existence - and apathy grows. But what of the people that need you? Sure, you may not feel you need them, but I can guarantee your interest in your community is greatly required! The various clubs and organizations in Cassiar operate with volunteers who give, and for good reason. Their actions improve community life, take their minds off work, and through selflessness makes the concentra- tion on oneself ease up enough to relax, taking the apa- thy out of the human. Each of us has some talent or a little time to share with our community. The fellowship of volunteers not only builds self, but builds a community into a caring, concerned and positive place in which we all live. If everyone handles a portion of responsibility in a group or organization - then no one ends up overworked or frustrated. The job gets done, people enjoy themselves and the whole community benefits! Cassiar is heading into another long winter. Getting involved with a group or organization your children belong to or in something you are interested in could very easily make this year one of the most enjoy- able of all your time in Cassiar! At least think about it - positively! After all, you are capable of giving a great gift, the gift of your time: THANK YOU 1 would like to thank all of the people of Cassiar and surrounding. areas for their support and generosity in this time of great sorrow and grief. Mrs. Margaret Voss On behalf of the family, we would like to thank everyone who helped us in any way during our recent time of sorrow, by either expressing their sympathy to us, bringing food to the house, making necessary arrangements or saying a prayer. Karl and Hilde Voss # MIKE 4 HARCOURT September 10, 1987 Like many parents throughout B.C., my wife and I have spent the last week getting our seven-year-old son Justen ready for school. Now that he’s started his grade two classes, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the education system he and hundreds of thousands of other young British Columbians are a part of. Whether you’re a parent or not, what’s happening with our schools affects you and your future financial well-being. A good education system helps attract invest- ment and jobs. Unfortunately, what is happening in B.C. right now is tragic. Consider the events that have dominated the media in the last few days: * 2,000 young British Columbians are turned away from B.C.’s colleges and universities because there’s not enough room; * major school boards have such a textbook short- age due to government underfunding that they risk large fines for violating copyrights by photocopying those text- books that are in stock; * B.C. continues to have the lowest participation rate in all of Canada of young people entering the post- secondary education system , and the lowest post-secon- dary funding per capita in Canada. Despite these facts, the Social Credit Advanced Education Minister, Stan Hagen, says turning away students from schools is “not a big problem’. He says it’s “good news” that young people want to continue their education, yet refuses to provide enough financial support to give them a chance. According to the Pacific region of the Canadian Federation of Students, B.C. needs $60 million more to bring its funding up to the average spent per student in other provinces. To fail to do so is to fail our young people and slam the door on their hopes for a better future. My colleague, Darlene Marzari, New Democrat universities and colleges critic, is right on when she says “the government has been promoting our colleges as a way of giving practical education and experience. Yet the funding cuts they’ve implemented over the past few years have made it impossible for the colleges to meet increased expectations.” I’m a product of B.C.’s education system. My son will be as well. I want him and his classmates to look for- ward to a future education with opportunities for all those who work for it. But the lack of long-range planning has seriously hurt our young people. It’s simply not good enough for British Columbia. Education must be a priority. Social Credit has failed to provide our education system with the funding it needs, and the many hundreds of dis- discouraged young people who couldn’t get into college this year are the victims. SSS SSS SSIS SSIS ISIS SS SSDS SSS SSS SSS SSS SSS SSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS JE RRY, the” 8-foot tall provincial parks mascot, gets a close-up view of the “‘new look”’ signs welcoming visitors to British Columbia’s provincial parks. TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: By now all your readers will be aware of the fee structure in place at the British Columbia Provincial Museum, as well as other “attractions” in the Province. A Petition was presented to the Legislature on behalf of the residents of B.C. requesting that the Museum remain free. There were approximately 11,000 signatures ob- tained in six days. As all residents know the Museum is especially noted for its Indian cultural display, as well as wild life and past industrial endeavours. It serves a distinctive cultural purpose for all, and is part of the educational process of each child in the Province. The Government has offered us free Mondays commencing in October, and annual passes of $20.00 per’ immediate family commencing in January, 1988. This will also apply to Barkerville and Fort Steele. From the many phone calls received, signatures for the Petition and subsequent signatures obtained,, many young married and single mothers averred they will no longer be able to afford this “luxury” and their last free place has been taken away. In the meantime, the Government is spend- ing $9,000.00 for a two-minute advertising spot encour- aging us to attend. Mr. Reid has stated that if he has an outcry from the whole Province, he will reconsider, so if I may speak on behalf of all those who signed the Petition and the ensuing visitors from.across the land and other coun- ~>Stries, Bill Zemenchik (now the Mine Manager) completed ten , years now!! 4 TWO FIRES AT CASSIAR MINE - No. 70! Drill: An % estimated $28,000 damage was done to No. 701 Drill at y the Cassiar Mine at 9:15 p.m. on October 24th. The fire g started when welding sparks caught the drill on fire. y The fire was not put out immediately as three fire ex- ® tinguishers failed to function. The mine staff quickly i Susana the fire shortly after this. No one was hurt. 4 years of service on October 16th, 1977. Must be 20° Cassiar Courier October 1987 Page 3 ever he still will be involved at a consulting level. The best to him now and if the future! Our new office was completed in early summer and it certainly adds a “touch of class” to our operation! Several guests passed through our camp this sum- mer. Girlfriends and wives of the men working at Erick- son travelled to visit their “loved ones’, and all were friendly and interested in the operation of the mine. Jean-Pierre Januard drove from Vancouver to Erickson in August, accompanied by his son Jean, who is a grade twelve student in Paris, France, where he is majoring in Math and Physics. He enjoyed his visit at Erickson, especially the tour of the mine. Jean says that he found it interesting to note how the work is organized on the property. “The view from the mountains was beautiful”, added Jean, “but the mosquitos. . .”! I got the impres- sion that the highlite of Jean’s visit to Erickson was the river trip that he and his father went on with well-known riverman, Chris Tates. Jean said, (and I quote), “I really enjoyed Chris Tates, he was an excellent host!” The wildness of nature along the river fascinated Jean, and the men managed to catch enough fish for lunch. An added part to Jean’s day on the river was the fact that he was celebrating his birthday! By his compli- ments concerning Chris, I am sure it was a memorable one! Jean’s hobbies are photography, Gahtch he shares with his father) fishing,* skiing (in the Alps), hiking , mountain climbing and reading. He is hoping to visit us again, and those of us who had the pleasure of meeting him hope he does. Jean flew back to Paris at the end of August. From the people of the mountain, good fortune to him in all his endeavours. Coleman Sinclair, our mill super, left us this sum- mer. He will be taking a position with Canamax at Ross River. The mill crew presented Coleman with a farewell gift and all wish him good luck in his new job. Stewart Spencer, who most recently was employed with the Potash industry in New Brunswick will be taking Coleman’s position. Stewart and his wife will soon be among the people of the mountain. Our Rec Hall is almost finished. Should be a good time when we celebrate its long-awaited opening! Welcome to all the new citizens of Erickson Gold. The families who have moved to camp seem to be ad- justing well, and it is nice to have you here! The last word I will leave to Mine Manager, Tom McGrail. Tom wanted me to state that now that Iam no longer employed in the kitchen at Erickson, the men and women no longer suffer from indigestion while eating, and for that he would like me to thank Garry Periard! That’s fine, however, there is still a ‘curse’ on all muddy footwear, coming in the wrong door, and (geolo- gists take note) arriving in the kitchen for supper at ten minutes or later to six! Bees 2 ize &. A A AUGUST TRIP TO ATLIN The ‘“‘purple pig” really did make it to Atlin where Garry and crew put on a great family camping weekend. - OCTOBER 1977 R & S FUEL TRUCK FIRE: A fuel truck owned by R ¢ & S Service caught fire on the Cassiar Mine Road on ¢ October 21st, mutilating the vehicle. The cause of the % fire is unknown. The driver of the truck, L. Stoddard % remained unhurt. Mr. Stoddard tried to extinguish the % fire with a fire extinguisher along with some by-standers, ¥ but the fire was not controlled until the Cassiar Fire ¥ Department arrived on the scene.