Page 2 April 1984 Cassiar Courier M.L.A. REPORT Al Passarell ERS Speeches: often as ritualistic as the mating dance of the whooping crane, are intended to re- veal the Government’s legislative intentions for the forthcoming session. Regrettably, speeches increasingly seem designed to conceal as much as possible to keep the opposition off bal- ance, and the public in the dark. : _ To accomplish this, throne speeches use an ob- scure dialect of bafflegab sounding a lot like English but in truth requires a-skilled translator to make any sense out of the words used. Always helpful, linguistics professor Alonzo Lor- enzo Passorio has selected some key lines from the latest speech ane has simplified each into plain English. ECONOMIC RECOVERY Throne Speech - “I am advised that the world economic situation remains uncertain.” Translation - “If we socreds can’t reduce bank- Tuptcies or create jobs, it’s not our fault, blame the world.’ - PROMOTING INVESTMENT Throne Speech - “My government will...consider innovative vehicles for stimulating job- creating © activities.in large and small business.”’ Translations - ‘‘We’re prepared to provide bigger . and better tax loopholes and-subsidies to-corpor- ations.” INTERNATIONAL TRADE Throne Speech - “My government will sponsor missions that include private sector representat- ives ... to India, Australia, New. Zealand and other parts of Canada.” Translation - “On top of footing massive travel bills for high-flying Socred Cabinet Ministers, the public will also be asked to assume the cost of in- tercontinental. junkets of business’ executives, but perish the thought that any might be loyal Socred campaign contributors.”’ THE ENERGY ADVANTAGE Throne Speech - ‘‘My government has examined various methods of increasing B.C. Hydro’s sales sO as to reduce surpluses, increase revenue, and minimize rate increases to B.C. customers. My Government has now approved long term elec- tricity exports by B.C. Hydro.” Translation - “B.C. Hydro so over estimated Our power needs that we must flog the surplus juice ‘to. the Yanks even if it means exporting jobs.” FORESTRY RENEWAL Throne Speech - ment’s eonndence in the ability of the private sector to carry out a greater share of activities that have been undertaken by the public sector in the past, the Ministry of Forests will be pur- suing new initiatives to permit the redistribution of forestry functions to the industry.” Translation - “For years we have failed to re- store logged off land. We’ve recently terminated half our forests, and we intend to let our most im- portant industry police itself, and oh yes, we be- lieve that restaurant owners rather than health inspectors. should monitor kitchens, and foxes should guard chickens too.” =~ HEALTH CARE Throne Speech - “‘Recent legislative initiatives of the Federal Government threaten the quality of Health Care provided to British Columbians.” Translation - “Minister Monique Begin has warn- ed she will cut off federal funding if we dare to jack up hospital user fees and medical deterrent fees again.’ CONCLUDING GENERAL THEME Throne Speech - lieve (in ) throwing money at problems...” Translation - ‘Ahem, unless of course the prob- lem is the re-election.of a socred government three years from now. The re-election problem is one we sincerely believe is worth throwing money at.” these “Consistent with my govern- - “My government. does not be- — Brinco reports loss _ Vancouver, March 1, 1984 — Brinco Limited reports a loss of $5,641,000 before extraordin- ary items ($8,921,000 for 1982). Of this loss, $1,425,000 was attributable on ongoing oper- ations and the balance to discontinued coal and gold operations. After extraordinary items of $14,440,000. ($19,835,000. for 1982), the loss for the yeat was $20,081,000 ($28,756,000 in 1982). Net loss per share was $1.41, of which $0.85 per share was attributable to extraordin- ary items (a loss of $1.91 and $1.16 per share respectively in 1982). Revenue from continuing asbestos and oil and gas operations for the year was $75,750,000 ($82,149,000 in 1982). However, the lower oper ating costs, overheads and interest costs exper- ienced in 1983-more than offset reduced reven- ues and the loss from continuing operations de- clined from $5,061,000 to $1,425,000 in 1983. Cash generated from operations, Nees interest costs was $5 million, and though corporate debt was reduced by $5,184,000 in 1983, principal re- payments on the long term loan in Brinco Min- ing Limited are behind schedule and the terms and conditions of this loan remain under nego- tiation with Brinco Mining Limited’s bankers. The charge to earnings for extraordinary items reflects continuing depressed conditions in the uranium and coal industries. Assets which have been offered for sale have been written down to their estimated net realizable value and those as- ‘sets on which little work is planned for the i im- mediate future have been written off. AS youl may know, the Ministry of Forest has approved a timber sale on the Stikine corridor, and logging has been underway since last fall. This — was done without any public consultation or comprehensive resource planning, and against the - wishes of the Department of Fisheries and— ‘Oceans. The logging company, HAL PAC Forest Products Limited, will be applying for more tim- ber sale licenses in the spring. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Forests is con- © ducting what planner, Duncan Dow of Smithers calls “an armchair study’’ of the Stikine Iskut cor- -ridors. They will use B. C. Hydro data and any-- thing else that comes their way to write a prelim- inary planning report that would cover 100 miles of the Stikine and 40 of the Iskut. Based on the findings of that report, Ian Bowie, District Mana- ger at Dease Lake, will decide whether or not to commit the Ministry of Forests to » allow large scale logging. ~ Residents of the area are concerned. We | _ would like more time for a comprehensive re- source management plan to be developed. We would like for there to be a moratorium on log- ging until a complete assessment of noncomsump- tive river usage economics is made. And, we would like to encourage the B. C. Government to. adopt the nationwide Heritage Rivers Program in this province. ~ The Stikine would certainly qualify for Heri- tage River designation. What we are afraid of is that if unsightly clearcuts are. allowed to prolifer- ate along the visible river corridor, then even if the provincial government did become a part of Erickson Creek Column — Erickson had some exciting news last month. The company’s common shares were listed for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, under the symbol’ EGM. The Bay Street connection should extend Erickson’s reputation and help us secure more financial backing for the company. On the local scene the new warehousing system under Jim Bondesen. and Joe Hebert is working very. well. Joe says it has improved the efficiency of our ordering and receiving practices. The move to a new warehouse has also changed considerably the look of our office. The walls inside the office were removed and the interior space has been re- designed. The engineering staff is now enjoying the new arrangement. This month we are sorry to say good-bye to Steve, Joy, Julia and Olivia Wuschke who will be moving to Ontario. Steve has been Erickson’s Mine Engineer for the last four years. He has ac- cepted a new position with Teck Corporation at their Hemlo property. Some experts think the Hemlo district will be the biggest gold producing area in Canada. Steve will be a big asset to them after his experience at Erickson! Good-bye and Good Luck to the Wuschkes (looks like I u never - learn to knit now, Joy!) And congratulations to Ken and Sharon Ander- son on the birth of their daughter, Courtnay Lee, born February 24th in Prince Rupert. Courtnay weighed in at & lbs. 7 ozs. She’s a welcome sister to Chris, Aaron and Lorne. Ken is a mine mechan- - ic at Erickson. the Heritage Rivers Program, it would be too late _ for this river. It has been shown in studies across North America that wilderness recreation is economical- ly beneficial, bringing in as much or more money- to the area in the long run as logging or other ex- tractive industries in the short run. We would like this to.be studied here, so that the wilderness ar qualities of this unique river valley are not wan- tonly destroyed in a misguided effort to generate money or employment. We would like the B. C. Government to enact a Heritage Rivers Program here and to coisnate the Stikine as a Heritage River. Concerned readers could contact the follow- ing people and ask that more time:be allowed be- fore any new timber sales are made. If readers ° would please send us copies of their letters, we could present them, in a bundle, in person to the . Minister’s office. Reader response could keep the Stikine River Valley from being logged off and encourage the B. C. Government to adopt the Heritage Rivers Program now. Contact: Duncan Dow, Planner Prince Rupert Forest Region Ministry of Forests Bag 5000, Smithers, B. C. ,VOJ 2NO Dwayne Clark, Resource Officer ' Cassiar Forest District Dease Lake, B. C. VOC 1L0 Tax deductible donations to Residents for a ' Free Flowing Stikine would be: greatly appre- ciated. ~- Lynne Thunderstorm Residents For A Free-Flowing Stikine Telegram Creek, B. C. VOJ 2WO Welder’s time is running out! The Provincial Welding Steering Committee’s recent decision to establish a new system of cer- tification means that the old certification’ pro- gram no longer applies. A new system based upon 3 levels of competence ‘“‘C”, “B”, “A”, now re- places all other certification. To accommodate the evaluation and registra- tion of all welders into the new certification pro- gram, a Grand fathering period has been-establish- - ed. This period ends May 31, 1984. During this- time all welders, (with or without certificates) in the northwest area are asked to contact the weld- ing department, Local 291 of Northwest Com-. munity College, or the nearest office of the ap- prenticeship and employment training program of the Ministry of Labour. Welder’s qualifications, based on present certif- ication, years of experience and results of practi-. cal test (if required) will be evaluated by the Min- istry of Labour, against a set of established guide- ‘lines. Welders will then be awarded new certifica- tion based upon the results of this evaluation. Welders are encouraged to apply before May 31st, 1984 to take every advantage offered during the Grandfathering period. It is expected that wait lists for testing and antes will be establish- ed shortly thereafter. : is CASSIAR @ ; z e Bits & Pieces It seems that Stan C. and Shawn W. have started a Grand Marnier Club. All those interested please contact them personally. Congratulations to the winners of the Valentine Raffle held by the Cassiar Co-operative Playgroup Ist was Ken Smith who chose the fishing rod, tackle and reel for his prize. 2nd was Vincent Boyes who won the bicycle. Our men in blue are busy patrolling Highway 37. and dishing out tickets to those who fail to abide by the speed limits. One lucky Hockey Coach got away with a warning while the lady who was gold panning (we've heard of fishing through the ice but not gold panning) got three points. It’s good to see another new set of flags outside _ the Rec Centre. Our thanks to the Lions for tak- ing care of them. We hear that the scenery in Upper Liard was a little different lately. The “Moon” that Jim Cal- low saw by the light of his headlamps was not the one we usually see. Apparently Juanita can shed some “Light” on the matter. Congratulations to Rolf Voss and Margaret Ford who announced their engagement recently. Mar- garet is from Whitehorse. What do you do when the ski hill is shut down?? A bunch of enterprizing youngsters decided to climb the mountain anyway -- and got a long ski_ as a reward for their efforts. We hear that Al Price has given out a “Not for - Rehire”’ notice to Judy. Seems her stint as fore- man, while she was laid up with a broken foot - and he was packing, was more than enough. Hope your foot is better soon Judy!!!._ A certain local “PRO” was trying to set a new style in Winter fashion. Seems he attended a local fire call-out recently sporting one gold hoop ear- ring and very nice it looked too Peter! It was nice to see Adelpha, Gail and Kelly Yee back in town for a visit - Yasmin was sure look- ing pleased too. _Also back in town for Spring Break, and just in time for. Schmoo Daze, are Gabor and Szilard Fricska, Robert Repolusk, Kate Elthorn and Alexia Jones. Hope they have a good time. 2 A big bouquet to the two local gamblers who turn- ed their winnings from the Black Jack tables back into the Lions’ pot at the Monte Carlo Nite. It’s great to see such community spirit. In case you’re wondering why Bubs is looking so tanned - she’s just back from the Caribbean and a wind jammer cruise around the British Virgin Islands. If you ever need someone to carry the luggage Bubs............. Sorry Julie - Paul doesn’t have another wife (at least we think not) we just got your name wrong in the last issue. Congratulations to Anil Kaul who recently won the Gold Medal in Senior Badminton at the B.C. Winter Games in Fort St. John. Also to Anne and Tracy Edkins who had a baby girl on New Year’s day. They are still living in Winklespruit, South Africa. The “Store with No Name” still has no name be- cause no entries have been received. Don’t forget the last day to name the store is March 31, 1984. The new bread in the store is a big hit and it was nice they had a sampling day so everyone had a chance to try all the new types. Understand they have a new classification of em- _ployees at the store called ‘‘Ye Olde Biddies”’. WELCOME TO Julie Macrae who has joined her husband Paul here in Cassiar Keith and Sandra Jones from Sonora California. Pamela Reid who has joined her Boymneng Gary Smith. FAREWELL TO: Al and Judy Price and their children Ken and me, New B57, Arrivals Born to: Goldie and Vesna Kavaz, on November 30th, 1983; in the Whitehorse General Hospital, a girl, Ana, 8 lb. 7 02. Mountaha and Rafai Darwiche, at Edmonton Un- iversity Hospital on February 13th, 1984, a son, Zacharias, 7 lbs. 10 oz. whos news Keith Jones has joined Brinco Mining as Produc- tion Manager. He and his wife Sandra arrived in Cassiar on March 7th. Keith is originally from Garth, Wales and first came to Canada in 1956. He moved to the States — in 1964 and has been there until the present time -— most recently from Sonora, California. The Jones’ have two children, Wayne 22 and Sheelagh 18. Keith’s hobbies include golf and reading and although he hasn't curled since he was in Quebec, he hopes to take it up again. Sure hope they enIOY. their time in Cassiar. Parent Advisory By Chris Shepherd The Parents Advisory Council Meeting was held at the Secondary School on March 7th. The subject of volunteers to help with school lunches provided at Snowridge Elementary school was raised. Ida Walters and Karen Brocklebank have been running this program for almost a year and they would like other volunteers to come for- ward if the project is to continue. Any interested parents are asked to contact David John at the Snowridge Elementary School for further infor- mation. Parents views on the new report card format, which were discussed at our open meeting last month, were made known at the District Admin- istrators meeting. The preferences which were ex- pressed will be considered and hopefully reflected in the revised report cards. The absenteeism rate at Cassiar Secondary School for the nionths of January and February was 12%. This figure is double that of last year and the number of students late for class has also doubled. Work missed has to be made up and this means teachers spending time during class going over work previously done by the majority of the — students. The staff at the school make every effort to contact parents when a student is absent but this is not always possible. The date for the Parent Advisory Council El- ection has been set for May 25th at which time four new members will be elected, “Well if Lil was here - she’d know... s 3 SP Teeny iaecterne ete PIs aa 7 PO NETS. o SoRA Cassiar Courier April 1984 Page 3 Ospital 2: bappenings Irene Lueck left February 15/84 to spend a month visiting relatives in Witaskawin, Alta. Chris Urkevich from Drayton Valley, Alta. filled in for her and will be here until March 28/84. Her first, week proved very frustrating as our old X-Ray machine acted up again. Our answer to that was, .? Lil, how- ever was in Victoria visiting her daughter for a - week. Mary Elhorn has just returned from a holiday in New Zealand and Australia - what a lovely tan. Spring Heanine time has arrived at the hospital The paint job in the front offices is a welcome improvement. IN APPRECIATION OF THE LIONESS CLUB The Lionesses are a small group of dedicated and industrious ladies who have scurried about Cassiar for many years, raising money for various projects This year the hospital was fortunate to be given a generous donation of $2,000.00 for the furnish- ing and renovation of one patient room. It was with great pleasure that the old drab iron beds and tattered furnishings were disposed of. The renovations should be completed soon as well. So it is with great appreciation that we thank the ladies of the Cassiar Lioness Club for their kind and generous donation to the community’s hospital. Sincerely, The Cassiar Hospival Society. TOWN COUNCIL By Dave Brocklebank First off - a reminder that we are seeking bids for sidewalk repairs and construction this summer and that submission closes April 15. As you are well aware the idea of the outdoor skating rink in Central Park ‘has been put off till next winter due to the warm weather. We are again in the process of updating the Wel- come to Cassiar Folders. Any local businesses, and all local clubs who would like to be included should let us know through Town Administration We need to know how people can contact you and your meeting nights etc. Now that spring is almost upon us we can pro- ceed with-the installation of the playground equipment, picnic tables and bar - b - ques near the creek below the Rec Centre - hope you enjoy them.