| In an interview with Betty Cavanagh, President, U.S.W.A. Local 8448, and Norm Cosnett, President, U.S.W.A. Local 6536, both expressed concern about costs | of the proposed incorporation to Cassiar residents.

The company had referred Art Phillips, Critical Indus- tries Commissioner, to the union leaders. Cavanagh advised Phillips that the unions would get together and prepare a submission. Cosnett mentioned that word from Phillips was that the cost could be about $200/house/year. Cosnett also said that he was worried about the hidden costs: garbage pickup, water, and, especially, what might happen when the heavy snow removal costs were realized. As well, hydro’s participation is not yet know. Both presidents felt that a lot of questions needed to be an- swered before the unions could give a ‘yea or nay’ opinion

to the proposed changes.

| At present, Cavanagh advised us, the unions are preparing to receive input from their members through upcoming union meetings. Cosnett and Cavanagh plan to have the submission ready for Phillips by the first part of June. They would then hope that he comes to Cassiar in the second part of June, before the scheduled shut- down.

Bill Zemenchik, Acting Mine Manager, was also con- tacted for his comments on the proposed incorporation. He tells us that the company has initiated the proposal. Should Cassiar Mining have to continue totally financing the townsite operations, it would be impossible to remain competitive in the fibre marketplace. Zemenchik says, “It is being initiated as a further cost-saving measure. The reason we will save costs is that incorporation will allow the town to be self-sufficient and thereby funds will be available for services and recreation.” When asked about what form these funds. might take, Zemenchik noted that | ~. they could be in the form of taxes and/or grants not pre- sently available to Cassiar as a direct result of being a 4 company town. As he sees it, the effects on Cassiar will = be two-fold. The increases of taxes to homeowners is expected, but as well residents will have a say or input into how the town is managed and directed and “ company involvement will drop off significantly.” When questioned about who supplied the union presidents’ names to Phillips, Zemenchik said that the names had been supplied as two people who could represent the town. He continued to note that no dates had been finalized but that the company was aware that plans were underway to hold meetings with Cassiar residents.

Zemenchik also advised, “‘The incorporation of the town will not proceed unless McDame does.”

He added that the Hydro negotiations were a separate entity and not a part of the incorporation talks. “The company is actively pursuing obtaining subsidies for the community of Cassiar by the B.C. Hydro Authority but

this is in preliminary discussion stages only,” he said. New school for Lower Post

The provincial government has approved funding for a new school at Lower Post. The sum of $265,000 has been allocated to replace the old school.

In announcing the funding Atlin MLA Al Passarell said, “Over the last year the province has doubled minor | capital expenditures throughout the province from $20 million for 1985-1986 to $51 million for this year.”

He pointed out that in the last four years new schools have been built in Atlin, Cassiar, Dease Lake, Telegraph Creek and now Lower Post.

No details are yet available on when construction of the new school will commence.

Teachers get raise

Teachers in Stikine School District No. 87, who are already among the highest paid in the province of British Columbia, will be getting a wage increase of approximate- ly 3%. An agreement has been reached between the Dis- trict and the S.T.A. and the increase will be the same per- centage as the CSP approved salary increase for Prince George School District No. 57. Although final CSP ap- proval has not been received in the Prince George School District, Keith Lanphear, Superintendent for the Stikine School District, indicated the raise will be in the neigh- borhood of 3%.

Statistics released as of September 30, 1985, show that the average salary for the forty-eight teachers in the Stikine School District is $42,947. The average salary for the forty-three teachers in the Nishga School District is $35,874 and the average teacher’s salary in the Stewart 8 School: District is $35,047.

ae aaenene with ‘non-teaching staff, fave’ not yet be ef

Cassiar Courier

the Voice of Cassiar Country

JUNE 1986

10 cents

Incorporation talks begin School Fini paaaomioy ie ‘

raising local taxes

The Stikine School Board has passed a by-law raising the school tax rate in Stikine School District No. 87 from 10.0796 to 14.17917. This is the highest rate in B.C. and it means that if your residence is assessed at $35,000, your school tax for 1986 will be $499.00, an increase of $146.21 over 1985.

The Stikine School District eerie a budget of $4,393,387. for 1986/87 to the Ministry, but received only $4,084,041, an increase of 5.6% over the amount re- ceived for the 1985/86 school year. . Keith Lanphear, Superintendent of the District said the Board felt it neces- sary to pass a by-law raising school taxes because “ast year we significantly eroded non-instructional and instruc- tional services in attempting to retain educational staff within the district and the general public indicated quite emphatically then that they felt these services and the non- instructional staff were important and that these services and personnel should be restored. The Board, in this bud- get, has attempted to meet the perceived needs of the educational constituents.”

According to Lanphear, the increased school tax will allow the District to re-instate psychological support ser- vices, speech therapy and district-directed in-service. It will also provide additional funding for the I.E. programs in Dease Lake and Atlin, teacher salary increases, teacher- aide and non-teaching salary increases, a proposed increase in teacher-aide hours (not necessarily back to the level they were in 1984/85) and a proposed increase in teacher- aides. The amount for instructional supplies has been in- creased by 25% over 1985/86, libraries in all schools will receive extra funding and an increase for utilities has been budgeted for.

Funding for administrative staff is based on projected F.T.E. enrolment of the student population. On this basis,

endent and .59 for a secretary-treasurer in the 1985/86 school year. For the 1986/87 school year the Ministry is funding .54 for a superintendent and .54 for a secretary- treasurer. The balance of the administrative costs for these two positions is taken out of the general operating funding. In addition to these two positions, there are pre- sently three other full-time administrative employees. Mr. Lanphear, the superintendent, would not disclose the amount the District has budgeted for administrative costs for the 1986/87 year.

Basically, this increased rate in school tax will not af- fect any owner-occupied residence assessed at under $36,000 because of the home-owner grant. However, for Cassiar Mining Corporation, who owns a number of homes in Cassiar, this will mean a large increase in the taxes in 1986. Peter Jones, executive vice-president, Cassiar Min- ing Corporation, said “The Company is facing extremely difficult times and as most people in the community, especially our employees, are aware, we have done every- thing we can to curtail spending and cut costs. Any im- posed increase over which we have no control will require some cost saving measures in some other part of the operation.”

The Stikine Teachers Association, and the Dease Lake and Atlin Parents Advisory Committees have taken a stand that the tax rate is much too high and they have each sent telegrams to the Minister of Education request- ing that the rate be capped at 10.00 and that the Ministry provide the additional $130,000 necessary to maintain the services in the budget.

Al Passarell, M.L.A. for Atlin says a mediator is being appointed by the Minister of Education to meet with the Stikine S.D. No. 87 Board to see if something can be work- ed out. He said “The property assessments in the Shp ine

the Stikine $.D. No. 87-was funded for .59 fora ‘Superint- » are the worst in the province.’

Cassiar delegates participate in C.L. C debate

A resolution calling for tough controls - but not a ban — on asbestos was put forth at the Canadian Labor Congress convention held recently in Toronto. This is- sue provided a lively debate and at one point delegates from Quebec, Newfoundland and the three from Cassiar, Betty Cavanagh, Dave Brocklebank and Norm Cosnett, walked out of the hall for a strategy session when it ap-

. peared most delegates favored an asbestos ban.

The C.L.C. executive decided it was better to sidestep

Services were held at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Cassiar on April 5, 1986, for the late John- y Taku Jack, who passed away at the age of 83 on April 20, 1986 at Terrace, B.C.

Johnny was born in At- lin, B.C. in 1903. In those days people were very super- stitious and babies could mot be born in houses so he as born in an 8’x10’ tent between two houses. He liv- ed in Atlin until after he as married and then he and his family lived in Tele- graph Creek, © Whitehorse and Atlin before coming to ood Hope Lake in the ear- ly 1950’s to work for the Department of Highways. ohnny built the first bunkhouses and the garage for the Department at Good Hope Lake. In 1967 he moved to assiar, where he worked as a bullcook for the Cassiar As- estos Corporation until he retired in 1972.

After retirement, Johnny lived with his daughter and son-in-law, Marge and Don Loverin, in Cassiar and Dease Lake and also with his daughter and son-in-law, Susie and Clements Tashoots in Dease Lake.

«qe Johnny loved talking to, and being with people but. he was’ lucia ‘interested in’ the"young bites! AD

Johnny Jack passes away

this hot issue than take a position on it so as not to jeop- ardize the unity of the convention. They asked the 2800 delegates to drop the resolution and stick with the four- year old policy advocating no exposure to carcinogens, All but a handful of delegates agreed.

Betty Cavanagh, Cassiar delegate, said “We were very pleased with the end result. We feel that the way to go is to put a push on for more safety and environmental con- trols in the workplace.”

proud Tlingkit, he was very concerned that the younger generation should understand their inheritance, which has been a part of this land for many, many generations. He felt that if young people understood this, they might understand themselves and others better. Johnny’ also supported the Cassiar Teen Club very generously.

He leaves to mourn his loss his daughters, Susie Tashoots, Dease Lake, Marge Loverin, Dease Lake, and Lydia Russell, Surrey, B.C., his sister Antonia Jack,

/ Whitehorse;'23 grandchildren and 12 greatgrandchildren. |