Page 2° October 1985 Cassiar Courier Parent Advisory Council The Parent Advisory Council held its first meeting of the 1985/86 year on September 11th. The Council accepted the resignation of Fiona Carew, who is leaving Cassiar, and welcomed Darlene Larden as a new Council member. Judith Sikora was also welcomed as the teacher representative from Snowridge Elementary School. Darlene Larden The school enrollment for Cassiar is up from last year. Snowridge has 180 pupils compared to 160 at the end of June. Cassiar Secondary School has 109 pupils compared to 88 in June. Snowridge Principal David John reported that the school has acquired more computers. This brings the total to 12. Keith Kroeker will be teaching the Computer - Literacy Program this year. Cassiar Secondary School Principal David Hogg told the council there are two Grade 8 classes this year due to the size of the class which totals 34. The classes were originally divided on the basis of competency in English and Math. However, on September 12th Mr. Hogg said the classes were changed to a general mix of students. He said the change was due to social reasons. The CARE program on the sexual abuse of children was again discussed. On October 9th parents will be able to view a presentation on the program. It will be given by Sue Henderson of Dease Lake who last year was sent by the school district to a seminar on the program. The program is designed for children in grades kindergarten through three. Parents are strongly urged to attend the meeting for two reasons: first, to become informed about the program and second, to cast a vote on whether or not the program ‘should be presented in Cassiar. The presentation will be held in conjunction with an Open House at Snowridge. Parents are invited to visit the school and talk with teachers about the programs and curriculum for the 85/86 school year. Several visitors were in attendance at the Parent Advisory Council meeting. School board Chairperson Sherry Sethen, Trustee Dave Pewsey and concerned parents Ida Walters and Karen and Dave Brocklebank were present. Both Mrs. Walters and Mr. Brocklebank express- ed their concern about the recent cutbacks in the Cassiar schools due to the restraint program and a shortage of funds this year. Each said they felt the cutbacks should be made in the administration area rather than in the schools themselves. Mrs. Sethen replied that in determining the cutbacks the school board’s top priority was in retaining teaching staff. They were successful in not laying off any teachers in the district. She said cutbacks were made in secretarial time, the Tahltan Native Studies, speech therapy, psycholog- ical testing, maintenance, district travel, snow removal, grounds development as well as other areas. Mrs. Sethen suggested the parents bring their con- cerns to the school board meeting. The next meeting of the Parent Advisory Council will be held October 9th at 7:45 p.m. in conjunction with the Open House at Snowridge Elementary School. Fatal Accident Near Dease Lake A single vehicle accident on Highway 37 about 12 km south of Dease Lake on September 2, 1985, took the life of 47 year old Izaac Verhelst of Smithers, B.C. and sent his son, Peter Johannes Verhelst, 16, to hospital in Van- couver. The 1968 Ford van plunged over a 40 foot embank- ment near the Tanzilla bridge. The driver was thrown from the vehicle and died shortly after rescue people reached the scene. The passenger was rescued about an. hour after the accident occurred and was evacuated by _ air to Vancouver where he was listed in stable condition in hospital when this article was written. Dease Lake R.C.M.P. say the cause of the accident is unknown and the incident is still under investigation. Mr. Verhelst was a vegetable salesman known to many Cacciar aran racidante R.C.M.P NEWS The Cassiar Secondary School was broken into on July 2, 1985, and pop, candy, an AC adaptor and sev- eral other items were stolen. Three juveniles have been charged with breaking and entering and theft under $200. On July 31, 1985, Maurice Beaudoin was charged with unlawfully selling liquor and will appear in court on October 3. On September 2, 1985, Robert Bonner of Terrace, B.C. was involved in a single vehicle accident when he rolled his van on Highway 37 south of Good Hope Lake. He sustained neck and back injuries and -was hospital- ized in Cassiar Hospital for approximately one week. He was charged with driving a vehicle with undue care and attention. Perry Cullen of Ontario rolled a van belonging to William Allyn of Carson City, Nevada, on Highway 37 north of Good Hope Lake. There were four occupants in the vehicle. One suffered a broken arm and the other three sustained minor injuries. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. : On September 6, 1985, Robert Bonner was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking in a nar- cotic. The street value of the marijuana seized was approx- imately $1800. During the summer months several incidents of residential breaking and entering were reported. They are still under investigation. The Cassiar and Dease Lake RCMP detachments now share a riverboat. This will assist them in enforc- ing the Wildlife Act and other waterways offences, as well as being available for rescues etc. Changes At Stikine School Board Office The secretary treasurer of School District No. 87 (Stikine), Don Best, has resigned his position effective September 13, 1985. School Superintendent Keith Lanphear said they have advertised the opening and will be hiring a full time secretary treasurer as soon as possible. He would make no comment on the sudden departure of Mr. Best. Karen Taplin, a secretary in the school board office, has also submitted her resignation. Cassiar Consultants In Canabraba Peter Jones, Bill Zemenchik and Paul Clarke have just returned from Canabraba, Brazil, where they spent two weeks as consultants. The Brazilian government is building a big hydro- electric power plant from which the Canabraba asbestos mine will be able to draw its power so it is converting the mine operation from diesel to electric,as diesel is obtain- able only on a quota system. Since the Cassiar mine is op- erated by electricity, the Canabraba mine requested assist- ance in the conversion. Canabraba is approximately one hour flying tim from Brasilia. TRANS NORTH AIR CANCELS SERVICE Trans North air service between Watson Lake and Whitehorse has been discontinued. According to Manager Al Kapty the route has become uneconomic. The summer months are the most viable, and if conditions warrant it, the service will be resumed in the spring. For Cassiarites who wish to go to Whitehorse the only alternative to driving is the Greyhound bus or charter airplane. C.C.C. Workers Ratify Contract The United Steelworkers of America, Sub Local 6536 voted unanimously to accept a three year contract with the Cassiar Community Club. The Steelworkers ratified the contract September 18, 1985. The agreement gives the union workers a 0 — 2 — 2 percent increase over the next three years, with the first increase to become effective on January 1, 1986, and the second one effective January 1, 1987. The non-monetary clauses that were at issue on both sides were basically wording. However, these were cleared up and settled during the negotiations. Monetary clauses were very much at issue and split shifts were introduced for all areas, which would allow the Club employees to cover more than one area during a working day. This, how. ever, would not be subjected to the full time employees already working with the C.C.C. The Club would like to thank Bill Pratt, who negotiat- ed on the Club’s behalf free of charge, and who has neg- ts At NAL noe austen oe rn anther ticarmeers| Uiites utinien Mot laale In and around $.0.87 Notes from the School Board Meeting of Sept. 14, 1985 The enrollment in School District No. 87 (Stikine) is down from the figure projected by the school board. Supt. Keith Lanphear said they had estimated a district- wide enrollment of 597. As of Sept. 4th 535 students were enrolled. Lanphear anticipates a count of 570 stu- dents by the end of September. He added that he was informed the district will not be receiving any more fund- ing from the Ministry of Education for this year’s budget. CASSIAR Parents of Grade 8 students at Cassiar Secondary School expressed concern over changes in student place- ment which took place on September 12th. The Grade 8 class of 34 students was originally streamed academically into two groups. However, Principal David Hogg felt the groups should be restructured for social reasons. Parent Dave Brocklebank told the school board that restructuring the students after classes were already set and two weeks of work completed was very disruptive to the students involved. Supt. Lanphear told the parents he would discuss the matter with the principal, however, the School Act. gives priority to the principal’s decision. Trustee Dave Pewsey also told the board parents had expressed concern over a questionnaire distributed to Grade 5 students at Snowridge Elementary. Parents felt some of the questions had no relevance to their course and were an invasion of privacy. Keith Lanphear said he would speak to the principal and ask that parents be informed before any questionnaire is distributed to students. . GOOD HOPE LAKE Rachel Joseph has been hired as a child care worker. She will be assisting the youngsters who are coming into Cassiar for school for the first time. Trustee Molly Dennis said the Good Hope Lake children have not experienced any major problems with their move to the Cassiar school. In June a survey was conducted in the community to determine if the residents wished the Good Hope Lake School to be sold or leased to the United Native Nations Local 167. The community was in favour of leasing - the school because if the school population increases the board has indicated they would consider re-opening the school. Meanwhile, in late August the U.N.N. indicated they cannot afford to lease the building because they have insufficient funds to pay for the utilities. The board will contact another party who had expressed interest in leasing the teacherage and maintaining the school. -DEASE LAKE The grand opening of the new Dease Lake School. will be held October 31st. The RCMP band will be per- forming at the school opening. Trustee Joanne Voss said the school was scheduled for inspections on September 26th and 27th and everyone is hoping the students will be in the school by the 2nd weekend in October. LOWER POST A request for a new school at Lower Post has been submitted to the Ministry, however, no response has yet been received. An engineering study was completed on the old school this year. The report said many changes must be made to bring the building into line with the requirements of the building code. Some problem areas were the electrical wiring system, the number of exits and the foundation. Some repairs were made to the building this summer, however, in light of its unsafe condition the board is hoping for approval for a new school. TELEGRAPH CREEK The community has expressed concern over the q reduction in instructor time for the Native Tahltan Studies. The cuts were made as part of the school board’‘s budgetary restraints. 1 SS EET Reserve Negotiations Continue Negotiations are still underway between the prov- incial government and the Good Hope Lake Indian Band on the proposed reserve for Good Hope Lake. Band Manager Frank Dennis said the discussions so. far have resulted in agreement on some issues, but others, including the size of the reserve, are not yet settled. Meanwhile, two houses and a warehouse are now being constructed. The houses are 23 ft. by 30 ft. pre- fabricated structures. The warehouse, which will be located near the band hall, will provide storage for mat- erials as well as for the band’s suburban truck. Mr. Dennis said once Good Hope Lake is declared a reserve the band will not have to go to the provincial government for permission to build houses. The area will then be under the Federal Reserve Act. The band leaders last met with the provincial govern- ment officials in August and no date has been set for a Bits & Pieces Welcome back to Jim Gilpin. Part of the seven months he was away from Cassiar was spent as a Whitewater rafting guide on the Thompson and Fraser Rivers, Congratulations to our new Canadian citizens — Tim Carew, Alice and Stefan Dyk, Tony de la Mare, and Serena and Jim Callow. Wonder what Ida, Norma and Ellen are doing for excitement now? Their mom and dad are visiting and recently Norma’s daughter and fiancee from Italy, her son and two friends from Vancouver just popped in for a surprise three-day visit! The Archbishop of Canterbury now knows that it was Frank who took the harp from the angels! Belated congratulations to Deb McCullough and Wayne Byron on the birth of a baby girl, Jody Lee, who was born on May 17. An Edmonton Transit bus in Cassiar???? Pat Watson ran into Terry and Sid Tschritter in Vernon recently and they say “hello’’ to their friends in Cassiar and say they sure miss the place. Nice to see that our local “speed bumps” by Town Admin. have now been removed! FAREWELL TO: Daphne and Wayne Canning, who are moving to Nova Scotia. Cheryl, Alan, Steven and Christine Davies, who are moving to Kelowna. Don’t forget to drop in to their new bakery, The Golden Grains Bakery, when you are there. > —- © © © eo oo oo oe oe oe. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORD From “The Gang» CASSIAR Who’s New? RICK GABEL Rick Gabel is the new manager at the Royal Bank. Rick and his family, wife Debbie, son Ryan, 7, and daughter Andrea, 5, have moved to Cassiar from Sicamous. WHAT’ Judy Walker has taken over ownership of our local dress shop and renamed it ‘The Clothes Closet’. She has just returned from a buying trip to Vancouver and will be receiving the new stock throughout October. Good Luck Judy, we'll all be dropping by for a look. Ptarmigan Playhouse By Lorraine Lanteigne “Sit down, witch—Sit down with the other Devils’ Bride.” excerpt from To Bur A Witch “You find a man sitting in an alley. He has been shot. His leg is bleeding. His other leg is broken. He can’t move — What is there to think about?” excerpt from the Uncertain Samaritan Dinner Theatre-—a first for Cassiar. As the re- hearsals continue and the Ptarmigan Players push towards their first major production there is ex- citement in the air..... After each intense workout, whether it be lines spoken—then repeated again and again or dance steps choreographed—then practiced again and again, the players are filled with the magic that is theatre. At the September 8th Drama Club meeting, thirty players were in attendance. With the mounting excitement of the Dinner Theatre (to be held November 8th and 9th) all other business has been tabled until the December meeting. However, players and all interested persons are invited to a “Theatre Games Night“ to be held October 8th at 7:30 in the Upper Leisure Room. Kathy Fediricci, an associate of Ms. Sheilagh Best and a very experienced director in amateur theatre, will be our guest.. Watch for those Dinner Theatre Tickets. They’ll be on sale soon and will be available from the Ptarmigan Players and the Rec Centre. Cassiar Courier October 1985 Page 3° Erickson Creek Column A lot of people were bit by the hunting bug at Erickson this fall. Hunters wearing cowboy hats and sporting backpacks could be seen setting off at dawn to stalk the mighty moose, goat, sheep and caribou! Here’s a tribute to one of our successful hunters: : ODE TO THE MOOSE HUNTER - by Lorraine Lanteigne Moose, moose everywhere But ne’r a one to see Who on earth will shoot a moose Who will this great guy be? Frank Kollar, Al Beaton Monty or Henry Dear? Could it be that big man John Who will get that near? Well tonight after many a year John Lanteigne did the deed! The biggest moose ever was seen Is dead and hanging here. So congratulations to Big John (Although Frank says the moose was dumb) We all agree dear John Lanteigne That tonight you were RIGHT ON! A landmark on the Cassiar Road will soon be no more. What was the Plaza mill is in the process of being dismantled by the Vancouver firm PermaSteel. The buildings will be shipped to the Mt. Skukum mine out- side of Whitehorse to house the mill there. The inner workings, most of which are not suitable to the Mt. Skukum ore, will be used at Erickson or sold. The shell of the Plaza mill on the Cassiar Road (above) was captured on film in mid-September. Soon the spot where the gold flotation mill was located will return to bush — with only a few odd piles of quartz remaining in this chapter in the story of man’s eternal quest for gold. The exploration program was still going strong as this article was being written. Everyone is. optimistic about the drill results on the Cusac property. Weather permitting, the program could continue until November. ‘The Erickson Recreation Committee is planning to hold a few games nights to help raise funds for the children’s Halloween and Christmas parties. Last year’s Halloween party was a wonderful camp project with nearly every family and lots of single people helping out _with the preparations. We had a “spooky house” complete with ghosts, witches and Dracula! This Halloween we’re planning something equally scary, plus lots of games, face paintings and goodies at the cook house. With a few games nights and two children’s parties planned it looks like a busy and fun season at Erickson! Open Thursday thr ft Approved Guest Rooms (kitchen facilities avail.) ; {Cafe Features Home-Cooking a ESE Bue eae Re (Stikine Salmon a Speciality) gtikine Riversong Lodge Groceries, Gas and Oil available General Delivery Telegraph Creek, B.C. 235-3196 11 a.m. -- 7 p.m.