—— PUBLIC HEALTH COMES TO CASSIAR In a recent telephone interview with Dr. Lugsdin, Director and Medical Health Officer, Peace River Health Unit, he stated that when they advertised a year ago for a full-time Public Health Nurse in the Cassiar area they could not find anyone who would accept the job because of the poor working and living conditions which were available _ at that time. As a compromise, a full-time Public Health Nurse was hired in Fort St. John and she has spent approx imately one week of each month since then in the Cassiar area. Dr. Lugsdin said that a survey conducted at that time indicated that there was not sufficient work for a full- ~ time Public Health Nurse in Cassiar. Now that there is a new Public Health Office here and a new trailer for accommodation, Dr. Lugsdin said that Vic- toria would be posting within a month for a full-time Pub- lic Health Nurse to be stationed in Cassiar, and that one would probably be on site by August or September 1981. Dr. Lugsdin’s visit to Cassiar has been postponed until sometime in May and if anyone has any health concerns he will be available at that time to meet with the residents of this area. ED) Et IEE <4 EEE EEE RENDEZVOUS by Garry Perriard If YOU missed the Sourdough Weekend, then — your cabin fever remains with you. However, I. know of forty people who grabbed at the chance to get away from it all, and took the Cassiar char- ter to Whitehorse. Although prices for everything are a little on the expensive side, people still found a good time awaiting them. Everything from swede sawing, cabin building, and of course the best darn dog racing in the world, along with good food; and lots of hospitality, were all part of the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous. Cassiar did its part to keep within the boundaries -of good times. A disco dance, compliments of David Chapple and Rocky Wildgen, was held in the Rendezvous Room of the Klondike Inn on Saturday night, and a few of the old time Cassiar people, along with a combination: of Whitehorse, Elsa, Mayo and Watson Lake, blended the dance into a great evening. PRIZE WINNING FLOAT Sunday morning the old Cassiar Garage on 4th . Avenue was busy with getting the float prepared and readied for the parade at 3:30 p.m. This year’s theme was the one being used for the Schmoo Daze in Cassiar.. The float was set up with seven pedestals, decorated with all the i Continued on Page 18. " Ay 44 Taw * 444 Dr. Bill Nelems A team of four investigators for a Beocrat for the Early Detection of Lung Cancer made a field trip to Cassiar recently. The program is directed by Dr. J.M.Bill Nelems _ M.D., a thoracic surgeon and lung cancer special- ist in Vancouver, who heads the newly formed PACIFIC PULMONARY RESEARCH SOCIETY. On their visit to Cassiar, Dr. Nelems, Dr. M. Ham mond (Respiratory Fellow ° V.G.H.), Dr. Ajub- Hadzic (Radiotherapist) and Ms. J. vanden Hoek, _R.N.BNSc. (Program .co-ordinator and research assistant to Dr. Nelems) introduced the research program to representatives of Cassiar Resources, members of the Union Environmental Committee and Hospital Personnel. A group of mining companies are funding the new research project which will be carried out among mine and smelter workers in British Columbia and the Yukon and Cassiar Resources is among the San AUD Cassiar Courier the Voice of Cassiar Country MARCH 1981 CASSIAR PARTICIPATES. IN CANCER RESEARCH The objective of the study is to detect lung cancer | 10 cents at the earliest eee even before it can be seen on a chest x-ray.. snd cancer is the most common cause of can- cer death in men, and it is rapidly increasing as the second most common cause in women,” Dr. Nelems said. Those taking part in the project in Cassiar will do so on a voluntary basis. It is a simple procedure that will be incorporated into the pre-employ- ment or annual medical examinations. Blood and sputum samples will be collected and sent to lab- oratories involved in the eae program for an- alysis. In the sputum analysis, abnormal cell formations can be detected to reveal the presence of lung can- cer at a very early stage. In the blood analysis, cancer fighting antibodies can be detected in the blood. , This early detection means that occult tumors can be located and surgically removed with an excel- lent expectation of cure. ; Dr. Nelems, a former mining engineer before turning to medicine, said that the mining industry provides a large, ‘accessible workforce, whose _members receive regular medical checkups and work in a relatively sterile environment suitable for long-term research. With the knowledge gained from this program it may well be possible to set up tests to serve the whole population and catch the majority of lung cancers during the curable stage. If these experi- -ments prove to be a valid method, the potential benefits for people around the world are enor- mous and the B.C. mining industry will have play- ed a very significant role. Drug and Alcohol Abuse Program. During the last year, Virginia Goodwin, Derek Walker and Dr. Bruce Beaton have been working with the Person- nel Department of Cassiar Resources to develop a local program to deal with the increasing problem of al- cohol and drug abuse. On March 1, 1981, a joint union- _ management program was presented and is now in effect. This program will provide a means of allowing affect- ed individuals and their families to join into the compre- hensive provincial-wide drug and alcohol abuse treatment. program already in existence. Basically, after an ‘assess- ment by a local committee, composed of the above mem- bers;-a person will be eligible for enrolment in a month- long residential treatment program in one of several cen- tres throughout the province. Upon successful completion © of that course he (or she) will return to Cassiar and re- sume their usual life. Initially, on return a meeting with the committee will again take place, through which an individualized on-going follow-up program will be developed. This program will hopefully keep the person from falling back into the pat- terns that led to his initial chemical dependence. In ad- _dition, once the dependency has been broken and certain character traits have been realized, this follow-up program will work to improve the problems that persist in that per- son ‘s life. While treatment of alcohol and drug abuse is never 100% successful, joint labor/management programs have been much more’ successful than most other programs. This is because affected individuals are usually identified earlier, are treated before the disease has progressed to an untreatable state and are ‘able to seek treatment while _ they still have jobs to return to and families who support them. In addition, anonymity can be better assumed thru early work force identification and consequently, early treatment. Cassiar’s new program is designed to be able to use the experience of other larger programs and adapt them to our unique situations here.. Cassiar Resources has funded this program pri- marily to benefit its employees and their families. How- ever, as this is an expensive program and the diseased in- dividual ultimately receives the maximum benefit of this program, cost of treatment will be initially paid for thru this program with a commitment by the person to pay back half of the cost after residential treatment is com- pleted. While this program. originated as a joint union/ management venture and most facts of it are aimed at the worker, all treatment facilities will be available to any and all community members, regardless of employment status. Alternate sources of funding are being explored to cover costs in addition to those covered by company budgeting. _ For more information ebout this program, interested individuals should contact any of the committee mem- bers — Virginia Goodwin, Derek Walker or Dr. Bruce Beaton. <> EE EE )-E E NEW GOVERNMENT AGENT The Government Agent, who has not yet been appointed, is expected to arrive in Cassiar sometime in March and the Government Office will be open sometime in April. All provincial government matters will be handled through this office where, initially, there will be two people em- ployed. The clerk will be hired locally by the Government Agent, when. he arrives.