a ——EE aw SSS sa SS gg Page 2 Cassiar Courier April 1987 ™ Ottawa Viewpoint Jim Fulton MP TAX INCREASES MUST STOP Brian Mulroney’s government has _ evidently decided that when in deep trouble, do nothing. That’s the message in Finance Minister Wilson’s latest budget. At a time when Canadians are demanding fair- ness and a firm show of economic leadership, the Con- servative government displayed none. Doing nothing is unfair because we have a tax system skewered against working families and under Brian Mulroney it has wor- sened. The latest budget proposes more tax increases for you. There is a 1 per cent litre increase on gasoline and diesel. That will cost the average family $50 more per year; even higher for northerners. There is also a “kiddy tax” on snack foods, a $4 ticket increase in the airport tax, and once again cigarettes are hit with a 4% increase in the excise tax. In total, the Brian Mulroney Conservatives will be taking an extra $640 million out of the pockets of ordinary Canadians this year. Tax increases from the Conservatives should not come as a big surprise. Despite all the “tax fairness” baloney we hear from Finance Minister Wilson, all | can sce is ordinary taxpayers getting punched left and right by the taxman. The average Canadian family is being taxed $1384 more than when Brian Mulroney was first elected. April 21, 1977: $30 million program of construction and improvement to highways in northern British Columbia was announc- A federal-provincial agreement for a ed today. This transportation agreement provides fed- eral funds to continue improvements to Highway 37 from Stewart to Watson Lake. ‘Well,” you might ask, ‘doesn’t that mean we are finally lowering the disasterous deficit of the Li- berals?” The answer can only be no. Little action has been taken on the deficit because loopholes to large corporations continue unchecked. By 1990 the Con- servatives will be collecting an additional $35 billion in taxes but less that 1% of that new money will come from the corporate sector. Contrary to all election promises, the deficit hit a high of $38 billion under the Conservatives. The deficit will be $32 billion under the new budget - the same as under the Liberals. It is shocking to learn that under Brian Mulroney the national debt has gone from $180 billion in September 1984 to $300 billion today. The Conservatives are adding $100 billion to our na- tional debt every three years. So much for the Con- servative myth that they alone could balance Canada’s books. Another major disparity in the budget is the complete lack of action to get the regions of our coun- try working again. The government has cut $3 billion from regional development programs since they were first elected. The unemployment rate in Ontario has been brought down. In the West and in the Maritimes it remains unacceptably high. It’s time we had genuine action on a fair taxa- tion system that recognizes the importance of the West. We must simplify our tax system, close corporate loop- holes and give the average Canadian a break from further tax increases. We also have a right to expect a federal budget that will finally set targets for reducing unem- ployment. I have spent these last few weeks compiling figures on just what has gone wrong with our taxation system and how we can correct it. If you care about your dwindling pocketbook, write for your free copy to: Jim Fulton, House of Commons, Ottawa, K1A OA6 (postage free). “TEN YEARS AGO - APRIL 1977 _ BIRTHS: Clark, Jason and Louise, a daughter, Vanessa Ginette at 12:18 am, April 2nd, 1977, 7 Ibs, 15% oz. Mr. and Mrs. J. Suro a son, George, born April Sth, 1977, weight 7 Ibs. 1% oz. / If you booked 60 days in advance. you could fly from Watson Lake to Montreal for $294.00 return or Watson Lake to tees for $21 1 00 RC LETES STUDENTS MEET TRUDEAU: A group of sixteen students and four teachers from the Cassiar area recently spent over two weeks travelling in Eastern Canada. The group included Porti Nitti, Bernd Guderjahn, Ellen Knowles, Gordon Kamlah, Gary Dennis, Yvonne Ink- ster, Ana Marie Santos, Estelle Berube, June Trehearne, Melodie Storoschuk and Colleen Williams from Dease Lake, Calvin Marion fromm Good Hope Lake and Debbie Evans from Canmore, Alberta. The adults included John and Ann Wright, Kirsten Smidt and Bev Evans. POLICE BEAT EDITORIAL The recent cold weather and snow caused driving conditions to be a little hazardous on roads in and around Cassiar. On March 6th reported on the Cassiar Road where a pickup truck rear ended a transport. Road conditions and blowing snow contributed to the collision. No injuries were sustained but the truck was considerably damaged. On March 7th a vehicle from Watson Lake collided with the back end of the Dease Lake school: bus north of French Creek on Hwy 37. The driver of the car sustained head and neck injuries and his two passengers had minor in- juries. The car was extensively damaged. No injuries were reported by the bus driver or his passengers who were on a Field trip from Dease Lake. : Your local R.C.M.P. are busy with the preparations for their “Ball”. Fellow officers _and their wives will be attending from several towns in British Columbia including Seashelt, Prince Rupert, Nelson, Vancouver and Victoria. Members from the Yukon are also expected. Of interest to local residents will be the attendance of previous Cassiar R.C.M.P. Staff Sgt. George Humphries, as well as Constables Jeff Hum and Scott Morrison. Snr there was an accident ~ L222 by Lorraine Lanteigne _ SPRING FEVER - How does one define it? I suppose it has something to do with our biological internal clock. It’s a time when the kids want to play outside without the snowpants, toques, and mitts or when people who like to garden dream of fresh flowers and vegetables as they thumb through seed catalogues. The longer hours of daylight urge us to do something outside; whether it be simply taking a walk or finding the ball and bat for a game of scrub! Campers are cleaned and prepared and plans are made to “go to the hotsprings” or campground as soon as possible. It seems we are pushed out of our winter’s hibernation towards the outlets that the warmer weather provides! Spring fever has definite inclinations when it comes to romance. Passionate revelations of love are often made at this time of the year and for some wedding bells will toll before summer. For those poetic in nature the unrequited love in their lives become a source of both anguish and exhilaration, as the season rises to its climax of trees in full bloom and streams full and raging as the winter’s snow melts, finding release in watery trails. Yes, Spring Fever! It seems to bring a lighter step, an inner feeling of optimism that promises change, A good time of the eau -a Deginping\s QE PPO LE OL PL IER OO Be Sas em Ee TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor: Ottawa, Ontario February 28, 1987} Cassiar jobs are threatened by an American} government agency proposal to ban the use of asbestos. Last year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed an immediate ban on five asbestos products, including asbestos- cement building materials, and a further ban after five years on other asbestos-containing pro- ducts, such as friction materials. EPA hearings on this ban began in June of 1986. (Why wasn’t the B.C. government there} to help make our case?) Cross- -examination| wrapped up in October. The U.S. Agency will] draft up a final rule for release sometime around} December, 1987. I have followed this issue closely. It’s clear that the anti-asbestos position taken by the EPA} is based on old or inconclusive studies and ser- iously flawed. Furthermore, the call for a ban appears to be an excuse by asbestos-substitute manufacturers to cover up health risks associated with their pro ducts. Alternatives like PVC and ductile iron pipes have not been given the same kind of rig- orous, life-cycle risk analysis that has been ap- plied to asbestos. At the World Health Organization confer- ence in Copenhagen, October 28-29th, three ma- jor studies on non-asbestos, man-made mineral fibres were presented. Each study documented a significant increase in lung cancer in the work place from low-level exposure over a long period of time. So much. for the so called safety of the substitutes. In contrast, the International Labour Organ- ization, a U.N. body made up of worker, govern- ment and employer reps, rejected an outright ban on asbestos. In June, 1986, after an exhaus- tive study of the issue, they unanimously sup- ported the controlled use of asbestos. They re- cognized worker risk in manufacturing and pro- cessing, but agreed that risk can be minimized through enforced safety regulations. _ The position of ‘controlled’ use was also the recommendation of the comprehensive Royal Commission on Asbestos Use in Ontario. Com- paring asbestos to unstudied substitutes, the 1984 report concluded: “...better to regulate a known hazard rigorously than to compel the use of substitutes whose hazardous nature, being un- }Known, is not subject to regulation to a similar }degree of rigour.” The anti-asbestos lobby has tried to scare /consumers off asbestos products. The call for an lasbestos ban by the U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency has already hurt Canadian miners. | have been in close correspondence with the Fed- eral Minister of Mines and will continue to push for Canadians’ case at every opportunity. As in the disasterous softwood lumber tax, Ottawa must not rest on the goodwill of the be- leagured American White House. An American asbestos ban would hurt many miners across this country including those in Cassiar. Ottawa must be prepared to take its case directly to the American public and legislators. Cassiar residents can get a free kit on the asbestos issue through my Ottawa office: Jim Fulton, M.P. House of Commons, K1A OA6 (postage free). Jim Fulton, M.P. Skeena_| March 20, 1987 Dear Editor: As a former participant on the Courier staff, the paper’s contents are always of some interest to me. For some time now I’ve wondered about the absence of the column from our local MLA. While some of Cassiar’s residents may not al- ways have agreed with Al Passarell’s politics, his col- umn was informative about his actions and whereabouts. Our,-new MLA, Larry Guno, does/not seem to have made his, presence known in the’ Courier. Knowing the lengths the staff will go to to find news for the pa- per, it seems that he is not letting his consituents know his intentions for their reptesentation. I understand that it takes time to settle/into a new office, and clear up matters in one’s personal and business life, but it seems to me that we sould have heard from Mr.Guno by now. I would be ee ceed to know whether this is an oversight on the Courier’s part or whether Mr. Guno has simply not made his schedule and plans known to our local media. As he represents Cassiar in the B,C. legislation I would be interested in how he plans | to work for our interests. Karen Taplin EEE, B.C. Editors Note: The Courier hase Teft_messages with Mr, Maung office _on_many occasions and calls have never been returned. - ~ CASSIAR Bits & Pieces The Beach Party. at the Lounge in Cassiar was a grand success. Somebody from Erickson sure liked the pine- apple!!! Gary P. and June E. make a fine Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers - yes they really tripped the light fantastic. It would seem that Kiernen L. has trouble dialing long distance. Kiernen, if your fingers are going to do the walking, make sure they are going in the right direction! Lorraine’s famous words to Don and Steve concerning the upcoming R.C.M.P. ball and the Ptarmigan Players performance was “‘TRUST ME”! Judy W. says that getting hugs at Bingo are a “Pain in the Neck”! Its great to see Bill Storie out and about! We are glad to hear that the Friendly Giant wasn’t hurt when he tried to hitch a ride with a semi! J.P., being in the wrong place at the wrong time has its consequences, especially at the back end of a fire truck, Such is the life of a volunteer! Resting on a snowmobile however is a sure way to recover! Does being from New Brunswick have anything to do with the way a certain French girl drives?? What did you mean Bill when you said “save the good looking ones for me”? Thank you Don for being the Couriers’ “Purchasing Agent” in Vancouver. A certain accountant in town recently “lost his shirt” to a rather charming lady and he wasn’t even gambling! Claudia, balancing acts can be precarious, especially when you end up falling “for” the boss (or was that “on ” 2 Congratulations to a certain Rec Director for quitting - smoking, except he didn’t! John, it would seem your crew misses you when you're away. What exactly was in that letter they sent to you??? Karyn K. from Erickson has a special fondness for wear- ing Black Forest Cake. She is the only one who could honestly say she “dove into it” at Cathy’s party. Good-bye to Glen Compton who has: left Cassiar for Vancouver. Glen will be missed by many residents, especially those familiar with his friendly face on the bus. And for Christina in Port Coquitlam who thinks Cassiar has forgotten her, Hi Christina. According to Gary, they don’t have “wake up calls” at the airport - especially when you're ene in your car!! If youre going to quit smoking - don’t sneak a puff in the bathroom - it can. cause injury to aun knuckles - right, Bill? Norm is checking to see if the Curling Club has ‘‘casu- alty insurance” - 13 stitches was it? Just what Marlene needs - a palm tree!! Even after living here 8 years proves you can still appre- ciate the smallest things. Like the vegetable weigh scale Judy W. finally noticed!! Happy 7th Birthday JAIME baue Mom The recent trip to Fort Nelson by Cassiar Minor Hockey participants yielded a few “‘bits’’ of information! We understand that the Atoms managed to “wash the walls”’ of the hotel corridor! Apparently the Bay will have to restock the water pistol shelf!!! i Rick C. had a fine time checking out Where were Phyllis and Eldon during the swim time? “equipment”! Pauline W. had an interesting Friday evening. Was it difficult doing up skates the next day? And then there were the holes in the wall of the hallway..... A welcome to Norma and Ron McConnell from Strath- more, Alberta. Norma is a sister of Georgina Meers. Hope they are enjoying the Cassiar sunshine! Recently added to the strange name list at the Cookery is “Virginia’’ Wolfe, who joins the Big Bad Wolf, The Friendly Giant, Papa Bear and the Three Little Pigs in a continuing saga of the mysterious fairy tale life “At the Cookery”. Happy Birthday “Virginia” and yes there is a Santa Claus! On a recent trip to Vancouver, Mary-E. caused some excitement when the ‘cake’ she was carrying made the security beepers go wild! Just what was in that cake, Mary? A certain millwright is not fussy about what he has to haul into his cabin. Was the green garbage bag full of ‘goodies’ for you Jan, or were you bringing lunch for our B black I Re friends? ‘WEDDING SSS Ae pati: Joann King and Mario LaSalle were united in marriage at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 7th at Townsville, Australia. Mario and Joann exchanged vows in a garden setting at the home of Joann’s Aunt and Uncle, Adrian | and Eleanor Peters. The Bride and Groom were attended by Tracey and Pamela King, Russel Peters and Darryl MacGregor, sisters and cousins of the Bride. A reception for relatives and friends was held at the Shoredrive Motel on the Strand, overlooking the sea. P.S. Pamela caught the bouquet! Cassiar Courier April 1987 Page 3 Erickson Creek Column . by Lorraine Lanteigne Good-bye to pou Yee, our former mill super- intendant - You will be missed! You are a gentle, fine spirited man who was highly regarded and trusted by your employees and friends at Erickson. We all wish you good fortune and are glad that you will now enjoy the family life that you missed so much. Changes in management at Erickson are bound to occur. It is difficult (for many) to see the old faces disappear, for these were people we knew and who knew and accepted us as we are. Erickson Gold mining camp is not pretentious. The people are straight for- ward. Likes and dislikes are commonly known, but the people interact very practically. Like any community, Erickson has people who offer a far range of attitudes and convictions. It is a personable, passionate and some- times exciting place to be! I believe Erickson Gold could become a legend! I hope it is allowed to do so, and that it never loses the “human quality” that has made it unique. Welcome back to Doug Desjardins who is recover- ing from major surgery. Our thoughts were with you and it’s a pleasure to see you home! A word to both Doug and his wife Debbie, ‘They say it’s always dark- est before the dawn, but when the sun comes up it’s morning!” Recovery is also progressing for Jim Whittaker and John Little who were involved in a collision ‘on the hill’, Both men received broken legs and were mend- ing in Vancouver General Hospital. We look forward to their return. Georgina and Ray Morrisey recently had their — youngest son, Dale, baptized at the home of Joe and Joyce Hebert. Father Ivan McCormick performed the ceremony. Gigi and Don McGlynn are the proud parents of a baby boy. They are both ‘sleeping at intervals’ right now. Nema and Natalie are very proud of their young brother, Our Carnival was a success. The results of the tournaments and contests are on page five. “The Car- nival Dance” was a hopping good time. As usual when the people of the mountain gather together we enjoy ourselvés. The music was excellent, thanks to Dave Chapple. Karyn K. and myself enjoyed a “Peanut Butter” sandwich at the dance that was rather delicious! Also noted was the eee by Bob and Rosemary Best. : They really know how to “cut the rug”! On the evening of Friday, March 13th, a sur- prise going away party was held for Jasmin. Friends gathered to wish him well. He was presented with gifts from his mill crew and Erickson Gold by Kiernan Lough- ran and John Lanteigne. An*Ode for Jasmin’ was writ- ten by yours truly and the music (which was foot stomp- ing good entertainment) was by Chris Tates, Marty Fugere and Donny Fugere. Special thanks to Carol Kollar, Joyce Hebert, Vi McGrath and Netonia Shul for all their assistance in preparing and cleaning up fo- the party! The Industrial First Aid course recently held at Erickson is completed. Receiving an “A Ticket” were Kathy Mercer and Mark Townie. Penny Kenny achieved her “‘B Ticket’? and “C Tickets’? were attained by Gordon Kamlah, Juanita Nuyens, Barbara Boyes, John Slana and Bryan Lundale. Class instructor Joe Hebert wrote and passed his exam for his “Double A Ticket”. Sincere appreciation is given on their accom-— plishments as with the skills and knowledge they’ve aquired; anyone of us may benefit in the future. In closing, I have a personal incident to report. A few weeks ago while returning home after pot-wholloping, I was gazing into the clear night sky, quite lost in its univ- ersal splendour. My daughter met me outside and she too looked into the brilliant, beauty of the night. We both saw something - at first we thought it was a star - but as time progressed, we thought it wasn’t! Pulsing blue, orange and pale green, it moved backwards and forwards and up - yet did not move erat- ically. Finally, it faded away - or was gone! I don’t know if it was a “UFO” or some natural phenonema, but it was exciting as it was beautiful and quite intriquing. So look into the sky above the mountains that are mined for gold. Even it you don’t see a “UFO”, the contemplation of the universe on a clear night stirs the soul! AIDEN JOHN McGLYNN Born March 8th, 1987 at the Watson Lake Hospital, weighing seven pounds, ten ounces, Proud parents are Don and Gigi. A long awaited little brother for Nema and Natalie, Congratulations to the McGlynn’s a nn 2 ——— ——