ge NO. Adcox

Cassi ar Courier

the Voice of Cassiar Country

(an 10cents

Investigation of

Education System
Urged |

Responding to numerous complaints from res-
idents of Telegraph Creek about declining ed-
ucational standards and other problems relating
to education, Frank Calder, MLA-Atlin, has
asked the BC Minister of Education for an
early 1977 investigation of problems.

In a December 17 letter to Minister Patrick
McGeer, Calder listed.....‘‘the following school
and educational problems....”’

Lack of teacherage facilities.

Occassional lack of teacher qualifications.

Lack of school recreational facilities.

Lack of proper school bus services.

Need for a secondary school complex (Gra-
des 8 to 12) at central Dease Lake to include
student residence for students from other re-
mote communities in the constituency.

Objections to American teachers.

Lack of teaching and instruction basic to
the northern way of life.

Lack of student return fares to Secondary
Schools of Whitehorse, Fort Nelson, Fort St.
John, Dawson Creek, Terrace, Prince George,
“Vancouver, etc.,

Equal grants and opportunities to higher
education for students from the remote areas

of British Columbia.
Review of cirriculum in terms of northern

economic requirement - vocational training.
Complaints of teaching Socialism.
oRHeres: are: other criticisms, but the listed

problems will indicate to you that now is the
time for you and your ministry: to consider,
forthwith, the advisability of reviewing the
whole question of educational programmes
and policies in the remote areas of northern
British Columbia..”’

Minister McGeer’s reply of December 23rd
acknowledged the request, and noted the
Ministry’s other pressing demands, assuring
Calder they would get on it...“‘as soon as pos-
sles

CASSIAR TOWN
COUNCIL NEWS

The Cassiar Town. Council met on February

26th, and made a number of decisions that
_ will effect lives in the Cassiar Area.

_ The Council, spearheaded by Karen Clark,
is investigating the possibility of starting a
major Crafts Center in Cassiar. Karen reported
on a trip to Clinton Creek, where she asked,
on behalf of the Town Council , for the equip-
ment at Clinton Creek. Her verbal request
will be followed by a formal letter request
by the Council. The Council reports there
are many details that still need working out,
such as when we could expect the materials
and equipment, where the Centre will be
how it would be organized, etc.. d

Paul Clark gave a brief outline of the townsite
development that will take place this summer
and answered questions of the Council. The
safety of the western end of town was
questioned by Pat Krawczyk, but Clark assured
there was no danger from snowslides in the

_ area where the new houses will be built.

Clark reported that the Ice Arena ‘will have
artificial ice in 1977. A base will be placed as
a foundation, enabling the arena to be used in
the summer for roller skating, dances, etc.

All new streets in the western expansion
will be surfaced, and driveways Sere Lawns

COP St ae we Srl ot ef eee ee ore ee ih vile
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Clinic for
Dease Lake?

In a letter to Minister Robert McClelland, Frank

Calder, MLA-Atlin, transmitted letters of con- ~

cern from residents of Dease Lake and asked
for a comprehensive health review of the fol-
lowing:

"a. The need to extend the Stewart Air-Amb-
ulance Service Pilot Program to include the
communities of Iskut, Dease Lake and Tele-
graph Creek. =

b. Joint Federal-Provincial Health Review to
include the Department of Indian Affairs.

c. Resident doctors and nurses in remote
locations.

d. Denticare, Pharmacare, Medicare and
Opticare, particularly for Senior Citizens and
school children. _

e. Sanitation, Water Supply System, Sewage
Disposal System and periodic Health Inspections
in isolated communities.

f. A Health Clinic and Resident Doctor and
Nurse at centrally located community of Dease
Lake.

g. Special attention to the benefits of the BC
Medical Plan for people living in the BC north-
ern border communities of Atlin and Lower
Post.

h. Surgery facilities for the Stewart Hospital.

i. Car ambulance for Greenville, Canyon
City, Aiyansh and Nass Camp, with headquarters
at Aiyansh.

j. Other relevant Health requirements.

IN THIS ISSUE

Town Council News
Tourist Industry Talk
Indian Leader Raps Justice
Good Hope Lake News .
Stikine Valley Nixed

First White Settlement

Letters to Editor
Ishkoh, as a Boy
Dease Lake News
Watson Lake News
School Page

Provincial Court
Sasquatch? ............ pent are “page 10

This ‘N That page 10

’ under the above title “Tourist

Welcome...
TOURIST TALK

Another new feature in the Courier will
be TOURIST INDUSTRY TALK - issued
regularly oy the Peace River-Alaska High-

Way Tourist Association and Region “‘H”’.
Waten for news about this relatively new
industry opportuniity in the area...

Up here in’ northern British Columbia we
have more wilderness per person than anywhere
else in the province. Put it another way, fly for
fifteen minutes in any direction from one of the
northern communities of Atlin, Fort St. John,
Watson Lake, Cassiar, Fort Nelson, Dawson
Creek, Taylor, Chetwynd, Hudson’s Hope,
Pouce Coupe or MacKenzie and you will find
moose pasture stretching as far as the eye can
see.

The provincial government has designated
this northern part of British Columbia as Region
“H'' for the purposes of the tourist industry.
The name hardly suggest the rolling hills, mighty
mountains and majestic rivers that make up 40
per cent of the province, but thousands of
visitors annually are discovering these things
for themselves.

These visitors are part of a silent revolu-
tion in British Columbia's tourist industry.
To a greater extent than ever before, people

‘are turning away from the crowded and devel-

oped world to seek what may be called ‘the
wilderness experience’. Whether this desire
to see nature in the raw is a product of urban
living gone mad or whether it is part of a move-
ment back to the land is hardly the point.

The fact is that people want to see our home
territory and they are prepared to pay.to do so.
This is something new. Until a few years ago,
most visitors were just en route to Alaska.
Now this area has become a destination in it-
self. We have a tourist industry.

Last year,
Tourist Association sponsored a series of arti-
cles called ‘Discovering Region “‘H’’.’ In 1977
the column will appear for the whole year
Industry Talk”’.
The purpose remains the same however — to
keep northern residents informed about deve-
lopments in this exciting new northern industry.

It will contain news, features and will try to
show how important the tourist industry is be-
coming to all of us. Not that this is all you'll
be hearing from P R AH T A; watch for our
other promotions such as the ‘Pot of Gold.’
(Details of this will be released later.)

This column will also be sent to Tourism

British Columbia in Victoria where it will keep
them informed of local reactions to the tourist
industry.

Look for it every month!

This series is sponsored by the Peace River-
Alaska Highway Tourist Association. (PRAHTA)
Additional information may be obtained by
contacting P R AHT A, attention, Region ‘H’
Tourist Co-ordinator, P.O. Box 6850, Fort
St. John, B.C. V1J 4J2 Telephone 785-2544.

Soccal Ylews
[hose interested in having Social News
printed in the Courier - please submit your
items either by calling the Courier on
778-7627 Mon. thru Thurs. nights from
7:30 to 9:30, or phone Esther Lee on 778-

7547, or mail to Box 100, Cassiar, VOC 1E0
If we don’t know it...we can’t print it! .

the Peace River-Alaska Highway -

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