i Dick and Sue Chambers | Box 859 { Nakusp, B.C. VOG 1K9 First Annual Safety Awards Dinner Cassiar’s first Annual Safety Awards Dinner was held May Sth and 6th. Honouring employees who have never had a lost time accident since date of hire, the event was host to 54 employees with 10 years service, 23 with 15 years; 6 with 20 years, 1 with 25 years and 1 employee with 30 years. Eighty-five employees in all were invited to the dinners prepared by Carol Kasper and her assistants, Bobbie Joe White, Mary Molan, Cylenka Krayczk, Amarjit Athwal, Patricia Quash, and Dyonne Zubek. In his speech mine manager Bill Zemenchik stated, “Our operation is one of the safest in B.C. This is due to the efforts of the safety committee, made up of hourly and staff employees and the safety department, union executives, staff personnel, the mine rescue team and most importantly YOU, the employee. DE ROUIN "~ OINS CASSIAR - Cassiar Mining Corporation announced that Marcel De Rouin would join the organization effective June 1, 1988 as Vice President - Development. Bill Zemenchik, Mine Manager for the company, advised us that De Rouin will be responsible for the McDame project. De Rouin is not an unfamiliar face to many Cassiarites. Following assignments as production Super- intedent and Mine Manager at Clinton, Creek, he was the company’s mine Manager in Cassiar from April, 1975 to May, 1976. _ Marathon Winners Several Good Hope Lake young people recently participated in a twelve hour, ninety-two mile Marathon in Whitehorse. _ Colleen Dennis, Everett Chief, Sasha Poitras, Irvin Chief, and Kevin Johnny were accompanied by Vic Wells and Clary Poitras. The team placed first in the Native division and second over-all. Congratulations on a job well done! Top left to right - Brien Kellar, Gord Kamlah, Ross Harper, Gord Becket. Bottom left to right - Darren DeCecco, Allan Johnston, Mark Bilton, Danny Harrison. The Cassiar Mine Rescue Team spent the month of May preparing for the Open Pit Mine Rescue Competition — North- Taxes Drop Dramatically School taxes are about to fall for property-owners in the Stikine School District (No. 87). From a high of 17.7 mill last year, it will drop to 7.7 mill for the fiscal year 1988/ 89. The Courier contacted Sherry Sethen, one of the trust- ~ tees for Cassiar, and asked her how such a decrease in taxes was possible. “There was some accumulated surplus from previous year’s when projected deficits were funded by the pro- vincial government.,” she noted. “In the end, a slight surplus was discovered. As well, there has been a 6.7% increase in budgets across the province from the govern- ment, but these funds were to be allocated to help cover taxes, and not to increase budgets.” The 6.7% increase translates to roughly $250,000. “Some other costs in the district have been reduced,” she added. ‘The district is funded for fuel based on previous expenditures. This past mild winter resulted in lower costs, and a surplus. Also, the board bought ' new vehicles and maintenance costs have been lowered substantially.” Cassiar’s budget for next year is up just 1.8% from last year, and Sethen said,‘Basically we’re just trying to be frugal with our budget. Last year’s board accom- plished this task admirably.” She noted that there are inherent problems with school district budgeting in general as the next year’s budget must be submitted before the previous year’s expenditures are complete. Forecasting with such data is always difficult. -She finished by mentioning that 1 mill in our district raises Sapout $30,000. ern Divison in Smithers, B.C. We wish Cassiar’s team good luck and will have the results in the next Courier. Regional Board Meets The Regional Board of Northern Lights College recently met in Cassiar. Six board members and five staff employees travelled to Cassiar arriving Tuesday May 10th. Meetings began on Wednesday. The Board tries to meet in the Stikine once a year in different campus locations. According to Stikine Administrator Tom O’Connor, “The north is our campus and the board promotes the reality that they really support the northern region.” The structure of the Stikine campuses are such that there are three community learning centres established in Atlin, Dease Lake and Cassiar. Each centre has it’s own programmer who relates the needs of the community and area. Travelling to Cassiar were Al Westcott, Dean of Instruction, Dawson Creek; Charlie Lasser, Chairman of the Board from Chetwynd; Jim Kassen, Chief Execu- tive Officer, Dawson Creek; Jan Edwards, Board Member, Fort Nelson; Norma Smith, Secretary, Dawson Creek; Ray Downie, Board Member, Dawson Creek; Jim Inglis, Board member, Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Services Committee, Fort St. John; Ted Maisonneauve, Board Member, Fort St. John; Glen Ruhl, Registar, Dawson; and Cassiar Board Member, Lee Coran. Tom O’Conner was also present. Charlie Lasser presented a report on “Access to Education”. The board is looking at more access to Post Secondary Education for the northern part of the province, which includes more native training. Jan Edwards was presented with a silver tray and a painting by northern artist Steve Mills. This was in recognition of her dedicated services to Northern Lights for the past seven years. In Dease Lake, Lee Coran, presented certificates to eight students who had completed credit courses in office administration and Industrial First Aid. At Iskut several board members toured a building project where students were involved in the journeyman carpentry program, which is based on the provincial curriculum. The board is looking towards long term planning for the College which could have a major impact for this area.