FRIDAY, JULY 11, 1969

Diversion alarms B.C.

SHUSWAP WATER STEAL
MENACES FISHERIES, FARMS

qitture shows part of demonstration last weekend at the CPR Pier
eee unst the “courtesy visit’ of the two U.S. warships which took part in
€ “Tonkin Gulf’ incident in August, 1964. This provocation provided
e U.S. with an excuse to launch a full-scale bombing war upon the
Mocratic Republic of North Vietnam,
“ncouver citizens are not partial to the ‘visits’ of pirate ships.

Threat of Hydro rate
boost sparks protest

Rete indication that the
a Nnett government is
ntemplating an increase in
ag rates, given in Resources
Z Nister Williston’s speech,
ee bring a wave of
cngpeey and opposition “in
Sit of rising revenues of the
Ydro authority’,
pean, Provincial leader of the
Wen unist Party stated this
eek,

are wncouver- Victoria rates are
. ady the highest of the twelve
% est cities across the country.
declared. ‘‘For 500 and 700
-hours per month
5 aoe Vancouverites pay
Seo and $12.08, compared to
: 1 and $8.15 in Winnipeg. and
-83 and $9.10 in Tor onto.”

saye Sources Minister Williston
Tag A power rate increase
fia: before there's any
r Sepa and no doubt that’s the
of the improvident

9 | pve

Nigel -

Columbia River treaty providing

downstream benefits for the US. -

at a cost of $150 to $200 millions
above returns’, Morgan said.
There is no reason why that
should be charged to B.C. power
users, and with an election
coming now is the time to let
Messrs. Bennett and Williston
know that it’s a decrease, and
not an increase we want.”

Meantime while Hydro price
hikes to the B.C. domestic
consumer are in the offing:
Hydro chief Gordon Shrum
announces new and large
‘expansions’ in Hydro develop
ment.

For the B.C. consumer as a
whole the question remains; is a
greater Hydro going to benefit
B.C., or is it being contemplated
primarily for the benefit of U.S.
users, who up until now derive
the greatest economic benefits
from Hydro development?

Tribune

VOL. 30. NO. 28

By NIGEL MORGAN

10¢

A new scheme is afoot to steal B.C. water. This time the target is the Shuswap-
Okanagan watershed. The lust for a fast buck and short-sighted scheming is
threatening the future of one of British Columbia’s most bountiful and beautiful farm
and recreational areas. For, if the monopoly interest and their broker, the Bennett
government, have their way the Shuswap- Okanagan water system will become a
water-hole for adjoining Washington State regardless of the cost to Canadians.

Diversion plans are well-
advanced -- without any serious
cost-benefit evaluation or
investigation of the effects of a
conservatively-estimated foot
and a half drop in water level on
the pollution of Shuswap Lake,
‘Sts fisheries, forest growth or
agriculture.’ Widespread
concern has been voiced over
effects of the diversion on the
Shuswap-Thompson water
system and its world-favous
Adams River salmon spawning
grounds.

The problem is so serious that
the Federal governments
‘““Standing Committee on
Forestry and Fisheriess”’
recommended to Parliament
two weeks ago that “no major
project such as the Shuswap-
Okanagan diversion be carried
out before comprehensive river
basin studies have been
completed.”’ Briefs heard in May
from Salmon Arm District and
Rural Ratepayers, the City and
Municipal Councils, Fish and
Game Association, Recreation
Commission, Retail Merchants,
Chamber of Commerce etc.
urged Ottawa be given full
control over all Canadian river
and lake waters.

Among other organizations
opposing the projected diversion
were the Shuswap - Thompson
River Research and
Development Association. the
United Fishermen's Union.
Shuswap River Control
Association. Shuswap
Ratepayers. and the Okanagan
Regional Committee of the
Communist Party.

Diversion plans. which have
advanced to the stage that three
major new industries have
decided to locate on the
projected new water course
through the Okanagan --
Dominion Glass. a large Crown
Zellerbach carton plant, and a
Hiram Walker distillery -- which
alone will draw six million
gallons of water per day from
Okanagan Lake returning it as
heated effluent.

It was announcement of plans
to discharge the hot effluent
from this plant which led the
Kelowna Medical Society to
issue a warning last week of
“profound ecolegical effects on
the water system.’ The
Society's president, Dr. Alan
McIntosh. pointedly asked:
‘What is going on, what is being
done? Our concern is that we are
accelerating a process that
eventually will make the lake a
dead lake. And once a lake is
dead, that’s it. It’s irreversible.”

Concern is expressed by
Okanagan growers over
irrigation problems. For many
fruit growers water. which until
a year ago cost $10 per acre has
now risen 2%2 times to $25 per
acre under ARDA’s pressure
system which makes water
available also to subdivisions.
Now. waters are to be diverted
to a competitive industry in
adjoining Winachee Valley to the
south in Washington State. which
already takes the cream off the
early profitable market as a
result of two weeks earlier
harvest.

British Columbians should
make it clear that: 1. We want
the alienation and pollution of
our waters halted. and the U.S
concept that regards Canadian
water as a “continental”
resource flatly and firmly
rejected. 2. We demand instead a
far-sighted. systematically-
planned utilization. conservation
and development of this vital
resource with a minimum
disturbance of the delicate
balance of nature. 3. We demand
establishment of a Provincial
and Regional Water Resources
Board. with adequate
representation of farm, labor
and community interests. to
make an inventory of water
resources and help elaborate
plans for their protection and
most beneficial and economic
utilization. 4. Provision of
necessary research and control
legislation for developmentas a
public utility with authority to
stop dumping of industrial
waste, sewage and polluted.

A REMINDER

Don’t forget the
Pender Auditorium rally
on Sunday, July 12 at 8

-m.

Hear William Kashtan,
national leader of the
Communist Party of
Canada for a first-hand
report on the recent
Moscow Conference of
World Communist and
Workers parties.

This historic conference
frightened the monopoly
press—but workers are not
frightened at themselves—
or at the prospect of a
Socialist world!

U.S. astronaut Frank Borman,
commander of the pioneer
Apollo-8 round-the-moon fight
last December. told Soviet
journalists vesterday he hoped
spacemen from their two
countries would fly together in
the mid-1970s.

DOROTHY
member of the North Vancouver

LYNAS, veteran
School Board and active
community worker, is presently
in the Lions Gate Hospital in North
Vancouver undergoing a lung
surgery operation.

All Dorothy's many friends in
Greater Vancouver and further
afield wish her a speedy return to
good health.

‘esi a Seibel