wee

Vernon petition

fights Dellview

Hospital closure

VERNON — Unionists and
concerned citizens have collected
6,000 signatures on a petition to
Socred health minister Bob Mc-
Clelland to stop the closure ‘of
Dellview Hospital in Vernon.

The Socreds announced the
closing down of the
psychogeriatric hospital January
19 in line with the government’s
policy of cutting health costs by
reducing hospital beds. The pa-
tients are to be relocated in home
settings under the province’s long
term health care program.

The decision has been con-
demned by citizens and hospital
employees who argue that home
care is not sufficient to meet the
needs of many patients that re-
quire therapy and rehabilitative
programs.

The B.C. Government
mployees Union has pointed out

that the phasing out of the
hospital will eliminate 178 jobs
from an area with higher than
average unemployment, and the
loss of the hospital’s $3.25 million
budget will be an economic blow
which will reap ‘‘havoc’’ for local
business.

“The prospect of losing a 190

bed, special care facility that pro-

vides completely competent and
well supervised service to our
senior citizens is unthinkable,’’
B.C. Government Employees
Union employees at the hospital
wrote to McClelland last week,
“‘To lose a facility that serves a
special need in a vast area of our
province is a disgrace to any self
respecting ministry. To permit the
uncertainty in 180 or more
people’s future to continue any
longer is inhuman.’

Consortium plans
massive sell-out

of Sukunka coal

VANCOUVER — The first
giant contract for B.C.’s Sukunka
coal deposits is in the planning
stages, the vice president of

PROVINCIAL NOTES

Denison Mines revealed th week.

According to R.C. F :mann,
there is a good chance that
Denison will complete an agree-
ment with Japanese interests soon
for the sale of four million tons of
coal.

The sale would be for coal from
the Quintette coal deposit in the
Sukunka region of north-east
B.C. which has a reported 2.8
billion tons of coal in reserve. The
deposit is owned by Denison with
38.25 percent, Imperial Oil with
16.75 percent and the remaining
45 percent split evenly between
two Japanese firms Mitsui Mining
and Tokyo Boki Co.

The large scale export of
Sukunka coal will be one of the
largest resource sell outs in B.C.
history which will leave B.C. with
a mere $1.50 per ton royalty on
the coal exported.

The coal itself is a high grade
coal essential for a steel industry
and its export will seriously en-
danger the.prospects for a future
steel. industry in B.C. The
Japanese steel industry, already
fuelled by large scale imports of
B.C. coal, is riding a tide of high
profit and is forecasting a seven
million ton increase in production

in 1979 to 110 million tons, much
of it the result of expanded trade
with China. Denison, Imperial
and other mineral companies are
hoping to turn the growth of the
Japanese steel industry and the
devalued Canadian dollar into
windfall profits, but it will be at
the expense of Canada’s long term
interests.

Public meetings
on school probe
open in Langley

LANGLEY — The first of a
series of public meetings organiz-
ed by the British Columbia
Teachers’ Federation sponsored
Langley Commission on Educa-
tion will be held here February 28
at the Fort Langley Community
Hall.

The Commission on Education
was established earlier this year
after numerous complaints that
the right wing Langley School
Board was violating learning con-
ditions standards. The Langley
School Board has slashed _ its
budget sustantially, in spite of its
increasing student population.

Last month the board refused
an invitation to participate in the
commission and banned teachers
and the public from using schools
to in any way further the objec-
tives of the commission.

The commission will hear
representations as well March | at
the Aldergrove OAP Hall, and
March 5 at the Langley civic cen-
tre. It will submit its findings and
recommendations to. the BCTF,
Langley school board and the
residents of Langley.

Commitee called
‘'$3M boondoggle’

VICTORIA — Charging that
the provincial legislature’s food
prices committee has done
nothing to stop the soaring prices
of food while mishandling over $3
million of public funds itself,
NDP agriculture critic Barbara
Wallace quit the committee
February 8.

Wallace said the committee,.
under the chairmanship of Socred
Len Bawtree is a ‘*$3 million
boondoggle,’’ which has _ been
bogged down in endless research
and continual over-runs in costs. J

Joyce Turpie, Keeton,

For International
Women’s Day and
Year of the Child

with
George Hewison,

Dean and Lane

MARCH 2 at 8 p.m.
"UKRAINIAN HALL
~ 305 East Pender

saddled the public more firmly than
Sia 2S Sy Rr

Continued from pg. 1
policies, which has frequently been
raised by opponents in regulatory
hearings before the Canadian
Radio-Television. and Telecom-
munications Commission.

Critics have objected to B.C.
Tel’s policy of purchasing only
from GTE companies even when
superior equipment was available at
a lower price from a competitor.
Now, with its acquisition of
Lenkurt and Automatic Electric, it
can continue that policy and justify
it on the basis that the companies
are direct subsidiaries.

“Through his deal Bennett has

2679 E. Hastings St.,
- Vancouver, B.C.
- 253-1221

Veterans of the

MACKENZIE PAPINEAU BATTALION

42nd ANNIVERSARY SOCIAL
AND DANCE
MARCH 3 — 6:30 p.m.

Russian People’s Home
600 Campbell Avenue

$6 Admission
’Smorgasbord, music, dancing—9 p.m.

-@LOBE TOURS.

ever with this U.S.-owned utility
company which has been bleeding
its customers white,’? Rush said ad-
ding that the premier’s action was
“another example of how. the
Socred government pretends to be
controlling foreign investment
while delivering the province to ever

greater foreign monopoly control.”’

The CP leader welcomed the
stand taken by the NDP on the
issue but noted that just calling for
rejection of the deal by federal
regulatory agencies ‘‘doesn’t go far
enough’’, — particularly consider-
ing the Past performance of such
agencies.

‘THE COMPLETE /.
TRAVEL SERVICE /

We will professionally look after

all your travel needs. We specialize
in tickets, tours, passports, permits
and reservations. Call us today —

for prompt personalized service.

| B.C. PEACE COUNCIL

CHILOREN Be
NEED =

PEACE. =)
@y—~/ Is

Q>— Line

“ FLOWERS

NEED SUN

tyc yc

Bee

oad Nee
oin with the B.C. Peace
Council in celebrating In-
ternational Year of the Child.
Self adhesive stamp as
above, 5c each or $1 for a
sheet of 24.
Send orders to
712 W. Hastings

Van., B.C.

Phone: 685-9958

NORMAN BETHUNE
MARXIST FORUM

“New Perspectives for Organized Labor”
with Jack Phillips

labor secretary, Communist Party
SUNDAY, FEB. 25, 8 p.m.
Britannia Library

B.C. Tel deal ‘will strengthen U.S.

”

“The only answer,’’ he em-

phasized, ‘‘is for nationalization of
B:G:Tel.? ;
Earlier, Telecommunications

Workers Union president Bob Don-
nelly had called on the provincial
government to bring the utility
under provincial control and
ownership.

*“‘We are deeply concerned that
the recent corporate move-by B.C.

control’

Tel is going to mean B.C. residents
are going to lose even more control
to an American multinational,”’ he
told a press conference last week
following the announcement of the
B.C. Tel acquisitions.

Donnelly also warned that the
deal could signal moves by B.C Tel
to isolate its residential from its
business services and reduce service
to the public. ~

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

COMING EVENTS

TRAVEL

MAR. 4.— Marty Smith, the B.C.
leader of the Young Communist
League, will lead a discussion on
“Why The Y.C.L.?’’, Sunday,
March 4, 8 p.m. at the Confer-
ence Room, Britannia Centre,
1661 Napier St., Vancouver.

MAR. 11 — International Wom-  -

en’s Day sponsored by B.C.
Chapter Congress of Canadian
Women, Sunday, March 11, 1:30
p.m., PNE B.C. Building
Theatre (downstairs from Dog-
wood Restr., enter at Gate 16,
E. Hastings for free: parking.)
Speakers: Main Speaker, Laur-
ette Sloan, Pres. Ligue de Femme
Quebec; Phyllis Webb, Sec.-Tr.
Vancouver Local CUPW, Exec.
member B.C. Fed. of Labor;
Hannah Polowy, B.C: Commis-

sioner on Federal Year of the ©

Child Commission. Federal
election candidates; Margaret
Mitchell, NDP, Betty Griffin,
CPC. Entertainment and bake
sale. Admission: $3 donation.

All forums sponsored by Greater Vancouver Region, Communist Party. Each
_ forum includes discussion period. Admission by donation.

SURREY BETHUNE FORUM

“Economic Growth of Socialist World”
with Dr. Emil Bjarnason

‘ SUNDAY, FEB. 25 — 7:30 p.m.

Room 406 — Shite escape

Sponsored by the South Fraser R

/ C'tee, C

Are you interested in a one month
trip from:.Vancouver to Yoko-
hama, Japan and then to Nak-
hodka, USSR, across the Trans

_ Siberian Railway to Novosibirsk,
and then to Tashkent, Volgo-
grad, Kiev, Leningrad, Moscow
and back home again? Leaving
the first week in September.
Larger the group, smaller the
cost. Phone A. Gilstead 433-6270
or F. Wilson 434-6828; evenings.

NOTICES

In .order to write a history of
the Manitoba Peace Council we
would like to get in touch with
W. G. Doneleyko, member of |
the Manitoba Legislature in the
early 1950’s, who now lives in
B.C. Would Mr. Doneleyko, or
anyone knowing how to get in
touch with him, or anyone who
was in the Manitoba Peace
Council in its early years, please
write to the Manitoba Peace
Council, P.O. Box 1232, Win-
nipeg, Manitoba, R3C 2Y4.

MOVING? CLEANUP?—Wanted
articles for resale. All proceeds
to P.T. Phone 526-5226. ‘‘The
Goodie Bin’’.

‘ROOF REPAIRS — Reasonable
254-5836 and 277-3352.

HALLS FOR RENT
‘WEBSTER’S CORNERS HALL —
Available for banquets,

meetings, etc. For rates: Ozzie;
325-4171 or 685-5836.

‘RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME —

Available for rentals.
reservations phone 254-3430...
UKRAINIAN CANADIAN
CULTURAL ‘CENTRE — 805;
East Pender St., Vancouver.
Available for banquets, wed-.
dings, meetings. Ph. 254-3436.

For

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FEBRUARY 23, 1979—Page 11