ea ree fh SL eee Tee Va aoe aa OTe Lat a a oe a Cassiar wins Safety award For the second consecutive year, Brinco Min- ing Limited, Cassiar Division, has won the B.C. _ Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Re- sources “B’ Trophy Safety Award. This award is made annually to the Open Pit Mine with the low- est lost-time accident frequency that operated 200,000 hours or more. Cassiar had one lost time ~ accident in 1983. Congratulations to all employees for this well- deserved award. Finally- 800 Series Bill Dunbar, General Manager of NorthwesTel, Whitehorse, recently announced that the Com- pany’s customers will soon be able to call toll-free 800. He said that after two years of negotiations, an agreement has been reached with Alberta Goy- ernment Télephones and Telecom Canada to offer the service to its customers. All NorthwesTel’s outward-bound long distance traffic is channelled ‘through A.G.T. into Telecom Canada’s trans- Canada telephone network. 800 service is a bulk-billed long distance service which is designed for businesses who use signifi- cant amounts of long distance. Many businesses offer toll-free 800 numbers so that their custom- ers can settle accounts, book reservations order supplies and a multitude of other functions. _ Telecom Canada has divided Canada into six _ different zones to determine 800 service rates. Av business subscribing to 800 service can select as many or as few zones as desired, depending on where its markets or customers are located. Because area coverage is chosen by the sub- scriber, some 800 numbers may not be accessible by NorthwesTel customers. If an 800 number is not available, customers dialing the number will be advised by a recording or the operator that the number is- not accessible. 800 numbers in the United Sates are presently not accessible to Can- adians although these restrictions may be lifted in 1984. Dunbar stated “he hopes the 800 service to NorthwesTel customers will be available some- time this spring. Mine re-opening studied It has been reported that a Calgary based firm Lathwell Resources, wants to begin a $7.5 million development program on the San Antonio Gold Mine at Bissett, Manitoba. The mine is owned by Brinco Mining Ltd. PC candidate to be elected The Skeena Riding Progressive Conservative As- sociation have announced that their nomination meeting to select a candidate for the next federal election will be held in several centres throughout the constituency during the first week of April. A moving ballot system will be used. Meetings are scheduled for Prince Rupert (April 4th), the Hazeltons (April 5th), Smithers (April 6th), and Kitimat (April 7th, afternoon), with the final meeting in Terrace on the evening of Saturday, April 7th. Progressive Conservative Association members will be able to vote at any of the meet- ings, and the winning candidate will be announc-. ed at the Terrace meeting. To date there are three candidates: Peter Weeber, an employee of B.C. Timber in the Haz- ~eltons; Roy Webber, manager of a real estate bus- iness in Prince Rupert; and John McNish, manager of the Prince Rupert Credit Bureau. Cassiar Courier the Voice of Cassiar Country Louis Massin Louis Massin retired on March 9, 1984, after 31 years as an employee of Cassiar Asbestos and Brinco Mining Ltd. He worked as a welder and fabricator-welder. : : Louis came to Cassiar from Alberta in April 1953. In August 1954 Anne came from Belgium to join him. They were married in Lower Post be- cause Cassiar had no church or priest, and then they settled into their new home that Louis had built just outside the town of Cassiar. Ann often recalls that they had no furniture and they had to sleep on the floor the first night in their new home, because they had no bed. - Their two children, Margaret and Allan, were born in Cassiar. Margaret, who was killed in a car accident, was the first child born in the new Cas- siar Hospital in 1956. Anne’s baby buggies didn’t last very long as she used to push them into town when she walked in to do the shopping, etc. Louis and Anne were honored by their friends at several functions before they left and present- ations were made. They have moved to Parksville and are looking forward to doing some sailing in the sailboat Louis built in Cassiar. We hope Louis realizes that the Pacific Ocean is a little bigger than Chain Lakes! Anyone travelling CP Air into or out of Wat- son Lake recently is probably extremely’frustrat- ed at the inconsistency of the service. Not only are we limited to service three days a week, but the service leaves much to be desired. Flights which are supposed to arrive at Watson Lake (from Vancouver and Edmonton) at 4:48 p.m. are redirected to Whitehorse first and arrive at Watson Lake anywhere between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Because of these delays, people flying to Vancouver have to go via Prince George, since they arrive at Fort St. John too late for the direct flight to Vancouver. This means they arrive at Vancouver anywhere between 10:45 p.m. and midnight. For many people who have to travel from Cassiar (approximately two hours) and Tung- sten (approximately four hours) this makes a very long day — often in the latter case well over six- teen hours of travelling. : At one time southbound passengers could be assured of a meal after leaving Watson Lake. More recently, this meal has consisted of four tiny curl- ed up sandwiches and a cup of tea or coffee. In the meantime, anyone on the redirected flight from Whitehorse to Watson Lake is given a hot meal. : ___ April 1984 Retirements After 31 years employed by Cassiar Asbestos 10cents_ Chuck Caron and Brinco Mining, Chuck Caron retired on Feb- ruary 29, 1984. - Chuck, Julie and daughter Diane came to Cassiar from Rouyn, Quebec, in April 1953. Chuck work- ed in Cassiar as Chief Engineer until 1965, when he transferred to Clinton Creek as Project Eng- ineer. In 1966 he returned to Cassiar as Produc- tion Superintendent and was promoted to Gener- al Superintendent in 1968. He transferred to Tor- onto in 1973 to work in the Engineering Depart- ment and moved to Vancouver in 1974, when the Head Office moved from Toronto. Chuck and Julie were both active in church act- ivities in Cassiar and were involved in the building of Our Lady Of Lourdes Church in the 1950’s. They had two more children, Brian and Paul, both born in Cassiar. While in Cassiar the Caron family spent many happy weekends at Chain Lake at their cabin. Friends and associates gathered on February 17, 1984, and a presentation of fishing gear was made to Chuck. He and Julie will continue to reside in Surrey, B.C. : How much should we take? For this supposed service we-are privileged to pay $473.00 return to Vancouver ($293.00 excur sion) or $435.00 return to Edmonton (289.45 ex- cursion). Not for us the luxury of a price war — not such a peculiarity but more the norm down south. Not for us the improved service which healthy com- petition promotes. We are literally at the mercy of CP Air when we choose to travel by air. Apparently the flights are redirected to White- horse when there are more boarding passengers in Whitehorse than will fill the regular scheduled dir- ect flight. The redirected flight takes the overflow from Whitehorse. What most people are asking themselves is “Why can’t they go to Whitehorse after the regular stops at Fort Nelson and Watson Lake?” Most southbound passengers would not mind flying to Whitehorse first, since they spend that time sitting at the airport anyway. Why are ~ Whitehorse passengers pampered at the discom- fort and inconvenience of other northern passen- gers? Does CP Air not realize that many people who fly into Watson Lake are still a long way from home because most of the passengers are . from either Tungsten or Cassiar. Continued on page 16.