Zme - The Inquiry

set down on an air strip in
Brockway New Brunswick.
During his trial, Roberts
said he was paid to fly from
Jamaica to a small airport at
Princeton Me.
Ayre was also sentenced to
four years.
A former Quesnel man has
been sentenced to four years
for conspiracy to traffic in
marijuana.
Patriclc Roberts, 33, now of
Salmon Arm and Kenneth
Ayre, 50, of Eagle Creek, were
arrested last when their plane
COM1M&
UP...
mSMm
v-ommurii-tu
A Quesnel area man charged with first-degree murder
will appear in supreme court
here next week.
John Ferguson Paul, 22, is
charged with the June 1987
mutilation death of 29-yearold Mary Jane Jimmie. Her
partially nude body was found
floating in the Fraser river last
has been sold.
year on June 26 about 3,000
metres downstream from Moffat Bridge.
Paul was arrested a few days
later on July 1.
Paul, who is being held in
custody, has pleaded not guilty to the charge. He is being
represented by Vancouver
lawyer Patrick Angly.
at
99£-2l2l
We would like to thank our many customers for
their support of the business in the past 21
years and to wish the new owners
GARDNER and LYNDA GYLLIC
of Johnson Rd., Dragon Lake - 992-2825
much success.
Tony & Shirley Kohlhauser
The world famous Lipizzaner Stallions will be coming to Quesnel June 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the
Quesnel Civic Arena. The show will feature the dancing white stallions of Vienna. Tickets
are $9.50 for adults and $6.50 for children and senior citizens.Pho.ocon.ributed
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The Cariboo's multi-million
.dollar silviculture pr Oposal has
; finally been officially rejected
by Forest's Minister Dave
Parker.' •
s
By Ray Walker
staff Writer
t
^ But though there won't be a
"Farm the Forests" this year,
.there will be an increase in
funding for silviculture work
:?in the Cariboo, says Cariboo
MLA Neil Vant.
• Jn a telephone interview last
week, Vant said he confronted
Parker in the legislature with
•two stories from The Observer
iwhich quoted ministry
employees as saying no money
i would be available for the pro••••:'gram.
Parker admitted then for
the first time that the stories
were correct and apologized
that the information was
released to the media before
the local and provincial politicians who had been working
on the plan, said Vant.
•.Because of his complaints,
.Vsant said Parker made some
changes to his overall forestry
budget to increase the
Cariboo's share by some $4.3
million to $13.5 million this
year.
Last year, he pointed out,
the ministry spent $1.9 million
oh silviculture work and $7.3
million was brought in from
the forest industry under Section 88. This year the government will contribute $10.2
million and industry will con. tribute $3.3 million.
:But those figures don't
satisfy Quesnel Aldernfian
Lloyd Whyte who was instrumental in drafting the
"Farming the Forest's proposal.
The government is just playing with numbers, he said.
•'It's ridiculous to say they're
in(^^in^:?tlTp;3®
they're just shuffling the
figures."
"They should be fired," he
said. "The whole lot of
them."
"We elect government" to
manage our business," he
complained. "It's a concept
that seems to be totally lost."
A manager who rejected a
plan that would pay for itself
and in the process create a
1,000 jobs and show a return
on the dollar, should be fired,
he said.
Learning through the media
that the silviculture proposal
was rejected rather than from
the ministry itself was "pretty
shoddy treatment for the peo- ;
•,ple . of. the Cariboo;" com- p
plained Whyte.
.N;"' I
"They'll throw us some ;
pavement and try to keep us
quiet for another year," he
said. "Meanwhile they'll
spend millions of dollars down
in the Lower Mainland."
He said the Mayors from
Quesnel, Williams Lake and
100 Mile House would have to
"regroup" to formulate
strategy pn keeping the proposal alive.
NAME: April Churchill,
SCHOOL: CNC
EMPLOYER: Quesnel and District Chamber of Commerce .
PROGRAM: Social Work
JOB: Tourism worker, guide
FUTURE GOALS: To complete a BA degree in social work, possibly PhD
LIKES: Honest people, reading, music, going for walks
DISLIKES: Dishonesty
WORK LOCATION: Gold panning concession — Lebourdais Park
This promotion sponsored by The Quesnel Cariboo Observer
['^>\
AND
Whyte ... "Shoddy.'
ment for the Cariboo
treat.^^^^^S^^
"I
Announce your best wishes through an ad in the
newspaper..THE OBSERVER!
DINNER BANQUET
Featuring F a t h e r B o b M a c D o u g a l l ,
S.J.
Robert L. MacDougall, S.J., M.A. Clinical Psychology,
is a Roman Catholic (Jesuit) priest who was born and
raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is a former
chaplain-psychologist at Stoney Mountain Penitentiary near Winnipeg. Manitoba and a former assistant pastor of St.Ignatius Church in Winnipeg.
He has appeared on several television programs: "Good News" with
Demos Shakarian, FGBMFI President; and the "700 C l u b " with Pat
Robertson. Also, he has a long-time association with Canada's daily
Christian television program, "100 Huntley Street": he frequently appears as co-host, and often hosts their satellite program "Nite Life.
Come & hear Fr. Bob's life transforming experiences (after a period of
strife and turmoil in 1973).
Above average rainfall has
been keeping the Caribou
green this spring, but drought
conditions are still looming for
the summer.
Snow packs that feed the
Cariboo have either disappeared at the lower levels and
are far below normal at higher
elevations, reported Bill Clopp
from the environment ministry
in Williams Lake last week.
He pointed out that east of
Barkerville the snow packs
have completely disappeared.
The average depth, he noted,
is 159 millimetres.
"All we have left is about 30
per cent to 50 per cent of normal in the very high elevations," he said.
"The
rain is keeping
everything green," he said,
"but it's not really having any
effect on our smaller streams.
It's so dry the rain is just being
soaked up."
"We're going to be dry by
July and August," he warned.
"The snow is a major part of
our precipitation for the year.
We would have to have a lot
rain to make up for it."
Clopp speculated that the
dry spell could be part of a cycle that seems to hit the
Cariboo approximately every
10 years.
He said that the same thing
happened in 1950, 1951 and
1952. The cycle was repeated in
1961, 62 and 63 and again in
1977, 78 and 79.
He said this could be either
the last year of the dry cycle in
this decade or the second-last
year. The moisture level was
slightly below average in 1986
so that may or may not be the
first year of the drought cycle,
he said.
According to the weather
office
in V i c t o r i a ,
58
millimetres of rain fell at the
Quesnel airport in May, While
that is higher than the average
amount of 38.5 millimetres, it
is far below the record of 82.3
millimetres set in May 1981.
^ ^ 3 9
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Kitchen - Bafo - Gifts
THIS WEEK'S FEATURE
¥@lliiBi€e Pottery
Mapie Park Shopping Centre 747-2314
Downtown Quesnel
at
Can you picture this?
GUESS WHO TURNED 46!
Thursday June 16, 7:00 p.m. at the Green Leaf Restaurant
Tickets: $9.00 advance, $10.00 at the door. Available at Regal Jewellers or
phone Jack Kappes, 249-5516
Advance Tickets Preferred
FOR YOUR FREE IN-HOME APPOINTMENT PHONE
TOLL FREE 1-800-663-5727
HIRE A STUDENT — CALL 992-5277
Canada Employment Centre for Students
L_J
T H I S IS Y O U R INVITATION T O A . . .
WILL BE RETURNING TO QUESNEL
i
4
h hix^k wUk mk
A Warm Welcome to All
S i r
^-^^^^
"hoik" T
um
li 1
Gom Immwim j
2
"Zme*'
THE CHARM OF
Set in brass or gold
Belt Buckles
(2 sizes)
Bolo Ties
Just bring us a photo of the celebrated person and
the information you wish to appear in the ad.
0 3 »
CONSULTANT
"We are featuring drapery fabrics for '88
PLUS many SPECIALS to save you
money..."
G e o r g e & O w e n M a g n u s o n a r e p r o u d to
announce the marriage of their daughter
t o t h e son of Phillip and Vina V a n d e r V e l d e
on J U N E 25, 1988
Mmiaq^
OUR D R A P E R Y DESIGN
Key C h a i n s , T i e Pins
L a s e r E t c h i n g & H a n d Inked
Beer Steins & M u g s by J o a n Grisley
Pottery M u g s by Lisa D i c k i e inscribed
with " P a p a , D a d or G r a n d p a "
H a n d w o v e n Ties by Svatina
...and Much More...
^aple Park Shopping Centre
B A R K E R V I L L E ,
B.C.
See the premiere performance of Firebelles.
A new musical comedy!
Refreshments and entertainment to follow
at the Wells Community Centre.
A flight To Remember.,.,
Available at the Cariboo Observer
4-462 Reid Street
747-3542
QUESNEL CARIBOO OBSERVER WEDNESDAY JUNE 8, 1988 -
4 - QUESNEL CARIBOO OBSERVER WEDNESDAY JUNE 8, 1988
B u s i n e s s e s
Do not go gentle into that good night — Dylan Thomas
b e i n g c a u g h t i n a r a i n s t o r m , he d i s c o v e r e d that (he s p o t , w h i c h
he h a d b e e n c l e v e r l y c a m o u f l a g i n g w i t h C o v e r G i r l
Old age corners us all.
There is no ruse or refuge, not even Grecian forumla or
vitamin A, that will protect us from time's inexorable conquest.
Pauper and king alike, even tax collectors, will eventually bow
their whithered and palsied bodies before this ultimate authority.
I broach this unpleasant subject now, not only because
Canada's population is aging faster than Premier Vander Zalm's
cabinet ministers, but because a tragic accident last month
brought a friend of mine, whose birthdays are running into each
other as he races through his fourth decade, face-to-face with
his own gaping mortality.
He happened to be standing naked in front of a full-length
mirror in a darkened bathroom when his wife, not realizing the
danger of the situation, switched on the light. At first glance he
thought a pot-bellied intruder with a sunken chest and hairy legs
had broken into his house. But it was worse than that. The
realization that he was indeed glaring at his own reflection hit
him like a mallet between the eyes, causing him to drop his pipe
and his Geritol tablets. Eyewitnesses said his hair turned completely grey on the spot and juveniles vandalizing store fronts
downtown mistook his wailing for the 9:30 siren.
It comes to us all sooner or later.
Whip
makeup
Moisture
every m o r n i n g , was actually a speck o f
dried
chocolate p u d d i n g .
FACT: If all 280,000 hectares
of this forest land were
treated, the economic benefits
in added cutting volume based
on today's timber values
would exceed $84 million each
Strange where we find history sometimes. There I was in
Toronto, 3,000 miles from the Cariboo, in a small archives looking for photos of Chinese for a new book. A few days before 1
had stumbled on a hitherto unknown photo of John Angus
"Cariboo" Cameron playing croquet in Ontario and now the archivist said to me, "I don't think you will find much more, if
you have gone through our B.C. collection."
I had. Then as an aside he said: "Of course there is the album
of Frederick Daly prints, but there are no Chinese in there."
"Perhaps I'll have a look at it anyway," says I, for Daly was
one of the major photographers of the Cariboo. It was he who
left us with the images of Barkerville just before and after the
fire of 1868, and he who wrote the often quoted description of
the event. And sure enough, there in the pages of the album were
three or four photos of Cariboo gold scenes that have not surfaced before.
Why in Toronto? Well, not everyone stayed in the Cariboo,
strangely enough, and those who went home took souvenirs with
them. One miner must have taken an album of prints of towns
he knew and friend's claims. It only shows that there is always
more of our history to be discovered, more stories to be found.
Like the one about the Caribou.
"Rickie's and Ricardo's" it was called - a restaurant in
Toronto with fine delicate food - the best mussel soup I've ever
tasted; ("Are you sure it's okay," we asked the waiter. "No one
has died tonight sir," he assured us) and an undefinable decor.
W e e k
Paper, Central Interior
Cablevision, Department of
Fisheries and Oceans, Hi Gro
Silva Nursery, Maple Park
Mall, Ministry of Forests and
Lands, Northwest Taxidermy,
Quesnel Cariboo Observer,
Rotortech Helicopters,
Weldwood of Canada, West
l i a p p e i i
Fraser Mills.
The winners of the draw for
the free helicopter ride were as
follows: 1) Chandra Allen, 2)
Atsushi Harada, 3) Susan
Lebeck
mm's
•
ft
By B a rry J o h n s o n
What does Quesnel
have to do to make
. it a leader in the
tourism industry?
Doug Routledge
RPF - West Fraser Mills
f r o n t p a g e o f t h i s w e e k ' s B a r k e r , w h o r e f u s e t o a c c e p t w h a t has
b e e n p a i n f u l l y a p p a r e n t to e v e r y o n e else here f o r a l o n g t i m e .
In
a f u t i l e a n d e m b a r r a s s i n g b i d to r e c a p t u r e a l o n g - p a s t a n d l a r g e ly i m a g i n a r y state o f p h y s i c a l f i t n e s s they s i g n e d u p f o r w e i g h t -
We skip through life blissfully unaware of the deterioration
taking place in our bodies and then one day something happens
— a sales clerk's snide comment, heart palpitations after climbing a flight of stairs, our favorite song becomes overnight a
golden oldie — and reality hits us like a plunge into an arctic
pool.
Some people take it harder than others.
Quesnel city clerk Ron Paull barely into his 30's, was hiding
out near a hydrant last month, checking to see if anyone was
stealing pity water, when he noticed in his rear view mirror a little brown age spot nestled amidst the wrinkles on his chin like a
sunflower amidst thistles. He was inconsolable. At a council
meeting he lamented that the only thing still growing on him was
his waist line and his nose hairs.
This story, however, has a happy ending. Just last week, after
l i f t i n g i n s t r u c t i o n at the Q u e s n e l a n d D i s t r i c t R e c r e a t i o n C e n t r e .
In
a
strictly
painting
off-the-record
instructor
and
B r o o k e , said she hasn't
interview
part-time
the
rec c e n t r e ' s
security
finger-
officer,
Bonnie
heard so much huffing since Quesnel
M a y o r M i k e P e a r c e a n d A l d e r m a n Steve W a l l a c e got i n t o a fight
over an inflatable
b a l l in the w a d i n g p o o l . S h e s a i d the
Observer employees wouldn't
The
hurt
themselves l i f t i n g
two
weights.
biggest d a n g e r w a s that w o r k i n g out at the s a m e time as the
a e r o b i c class they c o u l d r u p t u r e a h e r n i a t r y i n g to s u c k in their
stomaches.
But
that
a g i n g is n o t restricted t o the m a l e g e n d e r . D u l y d e m a n d s
I also examine
the t r a g i c g a m e s b e i n g p l a y e d
by
some
f e m a l e s i n this o f f i c e w h o h a v e r e f u s e d to b i d a d i e u to
their
y o u t h . A r e a l j o u r n a l i s t , y o u k n o w , tackles Ihe t o u g h q u e s t i o n s
w i t h o u t fear or prejudice.
U n f o r t u n a t e l y , t h o u g h , I'm
out o f r o o m here.
never
year.
FACT: Within the last 10
years, modernization in
Quesnel alone has resulted in
the loss of some 400 forestry
related jobs.
FACT: The regional farming
of the forest proposal would
meant
It's tough to argue with the
facts. On one hand we have a
government hammering the
importance of forestry as an
industry
with a soHd future.
FACT: Within three years, the
At
the
same
time, government
10 year program would protalks of creating "meaningful
vide regional employment for
jobs" rather than make work
1,000 workers at a cost of $15
projects that simply qualify
million.
the welfare recipient to collect
federal unemployment insurance benefits after he or she
has worked the necessary 20
weeks.
It's tough to ignore the fact
that the provincial government
— in particular the provincial
forest ministry — is unwilling
to put the pubHc's money
where the politician's mouth
is.
The regional farming of the
forest proposal was and is a
concept of solid forest
management that would have
proved a model for the entire
British Columbian forest industry. It would and could put
people back to work and induce public pride for an industry that to many, carries a
create up to 400 permanent
jobs paying $10 hourly in year
one at a cost of $7 million.
shameful
history
of
resource
mismanagement.
We
live
province
in
an
where
area
of
the
hundreds
of
m i l l i o n s o f direct a n d indirect
tax dollars are f u n n e l l e d
the
provincial
coffers.
Yet
returned
to
vironmental
and
into
national
p r e c i o u s little is
secure
and
our -enindustrial
future.
Farming of
never
meant
the
to
forest
be
was
another
meaningless welfare p r o g r a m .
It w a s a n d is i n t e n d e d to b e a n
investment in o u r future.
forest
ministry, * the
The
treasury
b o a r d a n d the p r e m i e r s h o u l d
c o l l e c t i v e l y h a n g t h e i r h e a d s in
shame.
They
obviously
don't
u r i d e r s t a n d ' n o r a p p r e c i a t e the
largest i n d u s t r y in t h e p r o v i n c e
and
the' e c o n o m i c a n d
social
i m p o r t a n c e o f t a k i n g the steps
t o d a y to c o r r e c t past m i s t a k e s .
If
the
forestry
is p e r c e i v e d
t o b e a " s u n s e t " i n d u s t r y , it is
p o l i t i c a l b l u n d e r s l i k e this o n e
that
helps
potentially
enshrine
that
self-fulfilling
to
pro-
phecy.
FIVE YEARS AGO
JUNE 7, 1983
By R i c h a r d Wright
F o r e s t r y
T h e r e a r e p e o p l e f r o m this v e r y o f f i c e , it was r e v e a l e d o n the
By Ray Walker
was
choked off due to overgrowth
and lack of maintenance.
Editor:
The Quesnel Committee of
the British Columbia Forestry
Association would Hke to
thank the following Organizations that assisted in making
National Forestry Week so
successful this year:
CKCQ Radio, Cariboo Pulp &
T h e r e are other, even m o r e pathetic, examples.
Ik
FACT: From Quesnel to
100 Mile House alone, stumpage fees generate more than
$50 million in government
revenue.
FACT: From Quesnel to 100
Mile House alone, there are
more than 280,000 hectares of
forest land that are being
m a k e
Pine-framed mirrors lined the walls, brown naugahyde
upholstery, pink walls, white table cloths, a touch of gray wall
and New Age music playing. Urdu Renaissance we decided. And
no one knew who Ricky and Ricardo were, or are.
The restaurant was just a few blocks west of the Don Mills
Valley which meant that we were not on Bloor Street but Danforth. Why?
"It used to be two different cities," Michael, who comes from
Brooklyn, said. Toronto called it Bloor and Don Mills called it
Danforth. Actually it's always called THE Danforth.
"Why?"
"I don't know," he said. "A good question though. We don't
call it THE Yonge street, or THE Bloor, but it is THE
Danforth."
"And it's not THE Alberta," 1 said, "or THE Ontario; but it
is THE Yukon and THE Northwest Territories. Like the
. Cariboo. Some say I'm going to Cariboo and some say I'm going to THE Cariboo."
"You mean the animal with the horns and the big herds?"
asked Michael's friend Diane.
"No, no. Not Caribou - Cariboo. B-O-0, not B-O-U. It's a
region in British Columbia's interior named for the animal. Someone misspelled it one hundred years ago and for some reason
we feel obligated to continue this error. So it's
C-A-R-I-B-O-O."
"In Quebec," Diane (Pronounced DEE-anne) said, "where 1
come from we have the caribou."
"The animals with the horns and big herds," 1 asked.
"No," she said, "the drink."
"What drink?"
"Half red wine and half white-lightning or home brew - pure
alcohol." She shuddered. "It's a good way to start a party."
"Why call it a Caribou," I naively asked.
"Because," she said, "when you drink it you feel like you've
been kicked in the head by a Caribou."
. "I understand that," I said. "I've felt that way in Cariboo
-without the white lightning."
Yup. You never know where you are going to find history, or
a good story.
Publisher. - Managing Editor
JERRY MacDONALD
Advertising Manager
HELEN HOWARD
In celebration of her 80th birthday, Gladys Closson was the
guest of honour at a come-and-go tea attended by about 50
friends and relatives May 29 at the home of her daughter and
son-in-law Esther and Jerome Kohlen on Abbott Heights Road.
School District 28 trustees voted track and field coach Pat
Marsh of Correlieu Secondary School a special commendation,
along with $200 to assist her team in making a trip to Burnaby
for the provincial track meet.
Editor:
From all appearances we are
looking in the wrong places
for a killer known as
"Cancer".
At the moment tobacco is
V the whipping boy, with very
little conclusive facts as to
why.
If tobacco were the total
culprit, then the answer would
be the population would have
been wiped out centuries ago.
Tobacco has been used since
the beginning of time, history
does not have any reference to
the fact thait tobacco had any
effect on the general pubHc.
Cancer has escalated on a
scale equaling the escalation of
air pollutants.
The main killer is our
modern office and housing
complexes, these complexes
depend entirely on air conditioning for life giving oxygen.
Our tunnels called streets
and avenues are subjected to
every known pollutant, the
resultant rising of these
pollutants are ingested by air
conditioning units mounted on
the roof tops, this air with all
these pollutants is distributed
to every nook and cranny of
these hermetically sealed units,
windows are no longer possible to open in our advanced
building designs thus.everyone
in these units are subjected to
this poisoned polluted air.
Cancer is the result, it is
called this due to a lack of
another name, to put it simply
our bodily immune system
cannot cope with the bombardment of pollutants
without the break down of our
bodily cell structure.
Rather than spend millions
condemning tobacco, our
government would be doing
something worthwhile if a
crackdown on air pollutants
were instituted, most certainly
cancer and related diseases
would be lessened by a large
amount.
To recirculate carbon dioxide, polyurathanes, asbestos,
paint
leads,
carpet
presevatives, cleaning fluids,
etc...is most certainly a
positive
method
of
distributing everything we
don't need if we are to survive
in today's environment.
Modern buildings are killing
the residents by a system of
progressive poisoning, this is
the culprit, not tobacco.
Every person residing inthese highrise buildings are
also very very dependent on
electrical power to operate
elevators, air conditioners,
lighting, etc...without power
these are death traps, all
designed to make money, even
emergency power can also fail.
In the event of a major
disruption of power due to a
circumstance beyond our control, storms, earthquakes,
etc....we can be very sure that
people would die by the
thousands in an attempt to
vacate these death traps, the
human being cannot live
without oxygen, hermetically
sealed buildings allow no air to
enter, it must enter via the air
conditioning units and related
systems.
Surely in " our advanced
scientific world of today someone is capable of measuring
the pollutants being pumped
into these modern structures.
true measurements, true facts,
not some rigged report that
suppresses facts due to big
business pressure and interests.
ANDY MOTHERWELL
We have to develop the
natural attractions that are
already here. People are
very interested in history
and nature and we could
promote a few two hour
tours of local sites.
MILVIA HAYMAN
We have to promote
Quesnel more than we do
now. We have to let people
know that Quesnel has a lot
to offer in terms of natural
attractions and events.
DENNIS HALLIDAY
I think we should work
on the basic gold rush
theme in conjunction with
the two rivers that flow
through town. We could
generate interest through
boat tours and water front
parks.
Our Premier promised open
government during his election
campaign, how about getting
true figures on the amount of
killing pollutants being circulated throughout all modern
buildings. As we all know
plants of all descriptions produce oxygen, without them we
would all die, how many
plants are evident in any major
city?
As cities expand also will
cancer related illnesses expand. An example of horribly
polluted air is smog so thick
sight is affected, is this fouled
air mass conducive to health,
in my opinion, definitely not.
Ross White
Quesnel
The Fraser River . . . an ignored treasure?obistrver pholo
DOUG GOOK
The tourism industry has
to become an equal partner
with the forest ministry in
sharing natural resources.
As it stands, the forest industry has too much control
over resources.
DAN HACHEY
I think a better utilization
of the Billy Barker and gold
mining heritage would help
tourism. The Europeans
and Americans are very interested in the days of the
wild west.
MARG MERO
We have to attract more
people to stay longer in
Quesnel. And I think if we
showed them the many
things that we have to offer,
they would realize the
potential of our city.
Editor:
spiritual or a symbiotic relalunch break or walk after
Since my move to this
tionship if you wish. I think
work. Additionally, refreshed
beautiful and peaceful land,
there is that between a people
tourists might stick around a
the singular strength and conand their geography. And it is
little longer, up in the part of
tinuity of the ever-flowing^ importam to realize ^.this, ^ tpvvn w^jjiere (lOti^ can $pend
i^aser^^ver :lias bfeen pn^ m||n^'; ;l|icause i! i hav^^^
moiiey. 'A'river niakes it^ own
'miiid. A stroU'across the foop?^ ^ow to i3ititilute, itd fill in*, coyer"
ffiehds.f;
^.^-^ ^ ^ i
bridge, looking down at the
up, and ^'generally disregard
Such
a
development
would
powerfuL division of the cold
this precious river. Are there
require a relatively small ingrey mass as it passes by the
hiking trails carefully winding
vestment
for such an inconcrete piers, gives one a
along the banks? Are they acdustrious
and
wealthy city as
sense of this river's power.
cessible? Are there quiet
Quesnel.
A
city
that fails to
One v/onders how many
places, perhaps with park-like
provide
beauty
and
respite for
pioneers stared, studied and
settings to sit there and exits citizens produces citizens
ruminated on this eternal
perience that valuable nexus
that can be lacking in those
flow. They had to utilize it for
between man and nature?
qualities. And that pushes up
travel, invent methods of
social
costs: keeping a lid on
crossing it and hunt along its
When
hundreds
of
crime,
mental suffering,
banks. Was it much more a
thousands
are
spent
to
restore
boredom
and alienation.
part of their lives than it is
a
building,
important
as
it
may
Other towns have enhanced
ours today? No. It is still very
be, can we not take a little and
their meager creeks, lakes,
much a part of our lives too!
carefully
develop
walkways,
a
sloughs
and rivers in relatively
However, our awareness
little
park,
some
carefully
arinexpensive
ways and the
might be a bit faded. We drive
ranged
quiet
spots,
shaded
results
are
astonishing:
People
over it several times a day,
from
the
traffic?
And
what
a
want to be downtown, there is
downtown it is hidden
great effect this would have!
somewhere to go other than
somewhere behind the hospital
Tourism
usually
tries
to
exback
to the car. The ator maybe across the road from
tract
as
many
bucks
as
possimosphere
changes. Citizens
the second-hand or stationery
ble
from
passers
through
(well
have
pride
and
a sense of comstore. To each of us it is there,
at
least
some
anyway.)
A
munity
when
they
know the
but not directly -physically - as
manicured
path,
a
few
picnic
heart of town is enjoyable,
it was to our pioneering
tables, some shady trees, a
relaxing and beautiful.
ancestors.
water fountain would extract
Has this, like the padThis may se^m quite evinothing, but offer everything:
dlewheeler
idea, been brought
dent: Perhaps foolish of me to
Respite from the race, the buy
forward many times before?
mention such facts? My point
and sell, the heat and dust of
What
happens to these plans,
is however that there .still is
the highway. This is valuable
these
dreams
which offer so
this connection between life in
to everyone, travelers and
much.
Does
only
the river hear
Quesnel and this life-force
locals also. We could all enjoy
them?
which flows past. Call it a
such moments, even during a
Mike Wright
TEN YEARS AGO
JUNE 7, 1978
Correlieu student Susan Lane was among 110 outstanding
Grade 11 and 12 students invited to take part in the 12th aimual
Humanities and Sciences Symposium at the University of Victoria May 12-14.
Lane submitted a collection of poems entitled Poetry in the
Corridor to the 150 UVic faculty members doing the judging.
The Wells Historical Society had a very successful flea market
and auction last week. Pete Pelletier did an excellent job as auctioneer.
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
JUNE 6, 1973
VICTORIA ~ With the latest Lottery Grants Report in my hot
little hand, I thought this might be an opportune time to inform
you where all those dollar bills and loonies went that you spent on
scratch-and-win 6/49 and Lotto B.C. tickets.
The total paid out during 1987 by the government's lottery
branch, the neatest money maker this side of income tax, was about
$229 million. Looking at the details of that expenditure, it is prudent to remember that the government-sponsored gambling activity
was originally started to raise money for cultural, sports and other
community organizations.
By H u b e r t B e y e r
With that in mind, it is, for instance, interesting to note that
more than $176 million was used to pay off debts incurred by Expo
86, while aforementioned organizations had to do with the remainFor example, the Knob Hill Community Club in Armstrong got
Bob Gassoff, the ex-Quesnel Minor Hockey star, has signed a
ing $53 milHon.
$709
in lottery funds to help,with a construction of a new roof for
contract with the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey
A
breakdown
shows
the
following
allocations
from
lottery
funds
its
club
house. I happen to know that it's difficult to put a roof on a
League.
during 1987: non-profit community groups - $10.1 million; dog house for $709.
payments to Expo legacy .projects - $9.3 million; recreation and
The Comox Valley Fastball League was able to snare $982 for a
The choral class of Correlieu Secondary School, under the
sports organizations - $8.1 milHon; cultural groups - $6.3 million; new fence around the ball field. And then there are the New
direction of Margo Rose, performed "The Pirates of Penzance"
the B.C. Health Care Research Foundation - $3.7 million; the B.C. Caledonia dancers in Fort St. James who were the recipients of a
before the public last week.
Heritage Trust $1.4 million.
whopping $264 to help buy ballet bars and mats. The smallest conOf the principals. Major General Stanley (Carmen Uhrich)
As a total, those figures sound impressive. After all, few of us tribution was $28 to the Richmond Girls' Softball Association to
took full advantage of a comedy part to steal the show from
deal in millions. The fact remains though that four times as many help offset the cost of travelling to the provincial championships.
Mabel (Debbie Graham) and Frederic (Linda Floyd) who sang
groups
could have received help if it hadn't been for the governThose are admittedly some of the smallest payments I could find
and acted the leading roles with very good effect.
ment's decision to pay off Expo debts with lottery funds.
in the report. There are more substantial grants such as $40,000 to
If, on the other hand, the government believes every deserving the Fort Fraser Volunteer Fire Department for new equipment or
group is already on the Ust of lottery fund recipients, it could have $225,000 to the Columbia Shuswap Regional District to establish a
increased funding for individual groups fourfold. I'm sure that ski hill near Golden.
ESTABLISHED AUGUST 1908. Copyright Canada No. 33 Serial No, 132934. Reproduction of contents, eittier n, whole or part a,e not oernntted
idea
would be welcomed by many a community, sports or cultural
without prior written consent. Second class mail registration No, 0752. Member of Audit Bureau of Ciicilation British Colimibia and Y.ikon Co,p
The largest amount went to the Village of Lillooet which received
munity Newspaper Association, Canadian Communtiy Newspaper Association, Western Regional Newspapers EDITORIAL STAFF- Rav Walkpr Rarrv
organization, because some of the government contributions are $500,00 (the final payment) for a recreation complex. Other large
Johnson, Svetozar Kontic. Brenda Smith. Alice Stoddard. ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Vern Heywood, Pattie Paull FRONT OFFC
I E in.n
less than generous.
payments included $297,000 to the Chilliwack Community Arts
Dianne Cork. PRODUCTION: Bev Weightman. Denise Lybeck, Cheryl Jefferson. Carmen Nordal.
'
Coucil, $200,000 to the Shuswap Community Centre Society in
Salmon Arm and $200,000 to the Canadian Paraplegic Association
in Vancouver.
While those figures may sound good, they don't alter the fact
that perhaps other communities could have received help from the
lottery funds to establish ski hills and arts centres or build club
houses or fences, if it hadn't been for that $176 million payments
for Expo debts.
There's lottery life after the Expo debt, you say. Since that debt
has now been paid off, you may assume that the groups originally
intended to benefit from lottery funds can expect to get more this
year or that other groups which got nothing will now be able to tap
the lottery fund.
Not so. The government has already decided to reroute $79
million from this year's lottery profits into what is alternately called the Budget Stabilization Fund, the B.S. Fund or the Socred
Slush Fund.
That fund, you will remember, was set up in the last budget to
provide a cushion for the ups and downs of government revenues in
good years, money from the fund is to be used to pay off the province's accumulated deficit, in bad years to avoid an annual deficit.
That creates a problem. Experts call gambling the most
regressive of all taxes. The vast majority of lottery ticket buyers
come from that segment of the population which can least afford to
buy them. Lottery tickets represent their dream to sudden riches.
They're the only road to life on easy street.
As long as lottery profits are used for the enrichment of community life, there may still some justification for taking gambling
money out of the pockets of the poor. Enticing the less-privileged
to pay off the accumulated provincial deficit is not so easy to
justify.