Page 2 Cassiar Courier

LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR

A Letter to the Editor

I find a lack of Christmas spirit in the town
administration when a three year old child is left
out of the Christmas celebrations and activities
because his parents aren’t active members of the
club. Especially when the parents are more than
willing to pay the twenty dollar fee to cover the
costs.

If Christmas isn’t for children, who is it for?

Vickie Hunter

Editor’s Note:

A copy of the letter to residents re Children’s
Christmas Party.

Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Limited has again
joined the Cassiar Community Club in sponsor-
ing Christmas activities for all Children 14 years
of age and younger whose parents are either
members or associate members of the Cassiar
Community Club.

All_residents who are not members or associate
members of the Cassiar Community Club and
who wish their children to attend the
Christmas activities must pay $20.00 per child
to:the Community Club at the Rec. Hall office.
Any inquiries regarding the following program
should be directed to the Town Administration
Office.

THANK YOU

I wish to thank all the people who supported
the Benefit Dance in aid of Paul and Iowne
Sharko, with special thanks to Lorne Arm-
strong and Gary. Periard for helping, organize
the activities. Thank you to the many others,
too numerous to name individually.

Bonnie Greer

NOTICE

It is the policy of the Cassiar Courier that all
letters addressed to the Editor shall include the
signature of the author for publication.
Signatures can not be with held by request. :
They MUST .be published,

B.C. NEWS RELEASE:

A $3,296, 012 contract to construct 17.96
kilometres of Highway 37 between Kitwanga
and Meziadin Lake has been awarded to
Dawson Construction Ltd., of Vancouver.
The project was announced Jan. 4, 1979 by
Transportation, Communications and High-
ways Minister Alex V. Fraser, , Agriculture
Minister Cyril Shelford and Atlin MLA Frank
Calder.

The project extends north from a point 26. 4
kilometres north of the Skeena River. The
contractor expects to start work in April and
employ between 40 and 60 workers.

Even though there was some federal contri-
bution. to the adjacent construction on
Highway 37 under the Western Northlands
program British Columbia is proceeding alone
on this latest project.

This is because federal: funds allocated to
northern development are used up and, what
is more, in the recently announced federal
spending cut-back, the small Western
Northlands construction program for the next
five years has been stopped completely.
However, British Columbia is committed to
providing adequate highways for development
of the north and the program of upgrading
and paving Highway37 will provide produc-
tive employment for some years to come.

Two New Teachers in Cassiar

Vegi Gosbasks
Wayne Giesbrecht and family left Winnipeg on
Boxing Day to make the trip to Cassiar to become
the teacher of the newly created Special Educa-
tion class. After leaving the flatness of the prairies
the family’s first impression of Cassiar has been of
the beauty and size of the mountains. Wayne’s
wife, Jeani, and sons Brydon and Chris are al-
ready into the swing of things at the arena with
hockey.

Mr. Giesbrecht’s varied background, including
professional football, substitute teaching and
seven years experience as a teacher/counsellor at a
correctional institute, will help ensure the success

of the program.

Keith Krockes is taking: over the grade seven class ©

from Jaine Smit. Keith is a recent graduate: of
Simon Fraser University’s. Professional Develop:
ment Program. One look at Mr. Kroeker’s class-
room will tell-you.that he has a lot to offer.

He is interested’ in. getting involved in some of
the winter sports for which Cassiar is known.

IN THIS ISSUE

Hospital News 4
Churches 5

Wildlife

Good Hope Lake.. . Page
Brownie

By Candlelight
_What is Gain?........ Page

Page

PARENTS ADVISORY
COUNCIL

Due to recent episodes of unrest between the

community and the school, the Parents Advis-

ory Council would like to make its position
clear to the people of Cassiar.

The Parents Advisory Council is available to
any parent who feels they have a legitimate
concern regarding education in our school, but
we ask that the following procedures be fol-
lowed. First, discuss the problem with the tea-
cher involved and the principal and then if
there is still reason for concern, submit in writ-
ing to the Parent Advisory Council, Box 395,
Cassiar, B.C. The Council will then act upon
receipt of the letter. We hope at all times to
act in a positive and constructive manner to-
wards any problems. Criticism is only valid if
it will help in improving the situation. By itself,
it is destructive and demoralizing to our child-
ren, teachers, and- ourselves. We would like to.
remind the residents of Cassiar that a thorough
investigation of our school was carried out last
year by a 3-man accreditation team - this re-
port is available to anyone by contacting the
school. It recommended: that well-qualified,
experienced, well-trained teachers be recruited
for our northern community school. We should
endeavour to strongly encourage this recom-
mendation. We, as parents, must not forget
that our children reflect our attitudes and
Opinions - a child will not learn in an atmos-
phere of distrust and hostility. We should en-
courage our children to respect their teachers
and we should expect teachers who will deserve
that respect. Perhaps parents and teachers alike
should recall at this time excerpts from the fol-
lowing poem:

“If a child lives with criticism f
He learns to condemn ;
iso bi a child lives with hostility _
<5" * He learns to fight ings:
If a child lives with ridicule —
He learns to be shy......

If a child lives with encouragement
He learns confidence
If a child lives. with praise
He dearns to appreciate........

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship
He learns to find love in the world.” —

A school cannot run in the best interests of our
children if parents and teachers are divided.
Rumérs and angry conversations over coffee do
not help us to improve the situation - open and
positive discussion will. The Parents Advisory
‘Council asks your support in making our
school a happy learning environment for our
children.
ee

$1,350 GRANT TO NORTHERN B.C.

ORGANIZATION

A grant of $1,350 has been awarded to the Fort
Nelson Women’s Advisory Group in Fort Nelson

~ B.C. by the federal government under the Wo-
~ men’s Program -of. the. OEE of Becrctany

of State.

The grant will be used to hold workshops on
topics of interest to women living in the many
isolated areas of northern British Columbia. The
Advisory committee will be working in co-
operation with Northern Lights College, who
will pay for women’s programming next year if
enough interest is stimulated: through these
workshops. — Persons interested in obtaining
more information on the Women’s Program
should write to:

Women’s Program

Citizenship Branch ‘
- Secretary of State
Ottawa, Ontario, KIA ONS

Overture
Concerts

‘The executive committee of the Cassiar Overture

Concert Society is once again hard at work fund-
raising. Their prime object at the moment is to
improve the facilities at the Cassiar Theatre. Stage

lighting is required and also an*xtension for the .

stage which at the moment is too small to ac-
comodate large groups of artists.

During the past few months it has been impracti-
cal to attempt any major fund raising ventures.

‘Due to this the start ot the concert season has

‘been postponed until the fall. Those who have
already bought season tickets and who feel they
will not be around to enjoy the concerts may
obtain a refund from Frank Buckley. We would
like to thank all those subscribers who have been
so understanding about the postponements.

The first major fund raising event will be the
Festival of Music—scheduled for the end of March
and the beginning of April. We hope this will
give everyone the opportunity to see those great
musicals that they ‘“‘missed”’ or that they would
like to see again. Also the programme contains
some musicals that have been released recently.
The Society is also publishing a Cassiar Cookbook
—this is where we really need your help. If you

have any favourite recipes new or old, that you -
- would like to contribute, please send them to

Cassiar Concerts, Box 495, Cassiar. We know
there are many ‘“Super-Cooks” in Cassiar and
look forward to hearing from you all.

THE CASSIAR CONCERT SOCIETY

PRESENTS
A FESTIVAL OF MUSIC

“March 30 & 31 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Band _

April 1 Lady Sings the Blues
April 2 The. Little Prince
April 3 Funny Lady
April 4 Sound of Music
Aprils -) Oliver
April 6 & 7 The Wiz
April 8 & 9 Thank God It’s ey

All the above films will be shown at the Cee
Community Theatre at 8:00 p.m. All proceeds
will go towards the Cassiar Theatre Improve-
ment Fund.

Mountain Notes sss
by Jeani Giesbrecht vy Ap
Cold as death the mountain rises before me yet
intuitively I sense the passion that burns beneath
the smooth granite. If one watches the mountains
it is easy to imagine them-as alive with parables to
share.

Sometimes their implacable serenity angers me.
This solemn dignity stands out in stark contrast

~ to the emotional turbulence often raging within ©

me.

Sitting in a darkened room I hungrily observe
moonlight and shadows forming: an alien code
along the mountainside. The ancient rocks puzzle
me. What secrets do they hold? But these secrets
are staunchly guarded by an amusing army of

pine standing upright as rigid sentinals.

The vastness of this wilderness underlines my
human insignificance. Surely only God and His
-angels belong to this landscape. Where is my

purpose in the north’s gigantic. silence of its im-

mense night?

In a world requiring various chemicals to be taken
by tormented people in the hope of making it
through one more day, this place is an antidote
for Valium lives. The peace so desperately sought
can be found here-although it is often elusive.
Selfishly one must allocate for himself the time
for listening to the healing silence. Returning to
a childhood appreciation of simple things one
must breathe deeply the delicious air and allow
the mountain magic to arouse new dreams to re-
place old disappointments.

Welcome to
Cassiar!

BILL MORRISON

On Thursday, February 1, we welcomed to
All Saints Anglican Community Church the
Reverend Bill Morrison. A short service was
held by Bishop John Frame, giving Bill his
license to minister to the community of Cas-
siar. After the service coffee and lunch were
served. and Bill had a chance to meet several
people of his congregation.

Bill came to the North from Mount Forest,
Ontario, where he was born, and went to
public and high school in a one-room school.
After high school Bill went on to the Univer-
sity of Waterloo, then on to the University
of Toronto to further his sede and he also
‘worked’as a libratian. *

In 1976 Bill was ordained a deacon in his

home parish of Mount Forest and it was
then he came up-to Whitehorse, Yukon. For
a year he worked as curator for the Anglican
Church at, Carcross and on May 22, 1977,
was ordained a priest by Bishop John Frame
at Christ Church Cathedral, Whitehorse. Bill
then returned to Carcross and Atlin, where
he stayed until he came to All Saints Church
in Cassiar,

We are happy indeed to welcome Bill to Cas-
siar and hope his stay here will be long and

happy.

1979 International
Year of the Child

| The UN says every child has the right to:

e affection, love and understanding.

e adequate nutrition and medical care.

e protection against all forms of neglect,
cruelty and exploitation.

e free education and full Cppor une for play
and recreation.

ea name and nationality.

especial care, if handicapped.

e be among the first to receive relief in times of
disaster. .

e learn to be a useful member of society and to
develop individual abilities. ©

- ebe brought up in a spirit of peace and universal

brotherhood.

eenjoy these rights, regardless of race, color, sex,
religion, national or social origin.

/

- This is Anna’ by Fynn.

| religious book.

Cassiar Courier Page 3

One of the most delightful books in the,Library
at the present is-a paperback called: pr. God
It is a very sensitive and:
beautiful story about a little girl and her ‘inter-
pretation of the existence of God without being a
In her relationship with the
young man whom she befriends, she gives him a

new meaning of life and the world in general and
the reader of this book will be so much happier

having had the experience. of encountering Anna.

There will be new Library hours published shortly
in the Community Calendar. Watch for the new
openings. Children’s Storytime will not change
and the hours are Saturdays from...... 10:00
to 11:30 a.m.

Hilde Guderjahn

‘ertcorions om

by Brenda Mallory

I suppose most people have heard of or read
about this being the ‘‘Year of the Child”. Every
year is, of course, another year of another child in
another place or ours.

Being a schoolteacher makes me well aware of
every year belonging to a new and varied group of
children,

Varied I guess is a word to describe best the child
you as parents present us. Each child is as com-
plex or even more complex than his or her pa-
rents.

Each child in a classroom is a result of your car-
ing, overindulgence, love, or neglect. Your child
is a unique reflection of yourself.

I’d like to take a moment to present a big
“bouquet” to those parents who have made so
many children a pleasure to teach,

Thank you for sending such a happy, well ad-
justed child to school.

Thanks for making sure-your child has the neces-
sary supplies to progress through a day.

Thanks for coming in when you’ve been asked:
and thanks again for phoning when you can’t
make it.

Thanks too for the child who is kept home when
he is too sick to cope at school.

I could go on and on but I’m sure you have the
message.

The building of a Complete person will a on for

years at See) and at home.

I’m proud of your child in my class-the child

you've sent me with pride.
wok
This and That

Mrs. Mallory came to visit Brevida and Al at
4 mile. Enjoyed her cold 3 week stay so much she
proceeded on to Hawaii.

Also Jim Milne who visited last year has returned
to work here. He’s holding his own on Dump

6430.

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