“grt Commercial Real Estate fi BE. 652-5171 NRS Peninsula Properties Audited Circulation 12,792 A Victoria Weeklies Publication Wednesday October 16,1991 40¢ Inside ARTS A15 BUSINESS Al7 CALENDAR _A16 CLASSIFIEDS A31 COMMUNITY A13 GARDENING _A22 OPINION AT SPORTS A29 QUTDOORS _—A21 BEYER AZ CROSS Ald GRENBY Al7 HAMPSON A21 LANG A22 TOP OF THE PILE A7 WEHIKLE A19 PHONEY ASSESSMENTS Peninsula residents get on the phone To protest Socred literature Page A3 ART AUCTION Bateman print added To list of benefit for local aris council Page Al5 SAVING JUICE Power Smart shows all the tricks for top energy efficiency Page A23 PANTHERS’ SPEED A second win scored by girls cross country team early in season Page A29 MANY HAPPY RETURNS. Counting ihe ballots on Oct. 17 is the high point in the life of a retuming officer Page B1 Victoria WEEKUES Review office hours The Review olfice, at 9;’26-First St. in Sidney, is open from 9'a m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mail to Box 2070, Sidney, B.C. V8L 3S5 Second class mail registration number 0128: Baitle begins again in bid for beer Brentwood pastor convicted on sex charges A 50-year-old former Bren- twood Bay pastor will be sen- tenced next month on 24-year-old charges of rape and indecent assault against two teenagers dur- ing a church camp. Eli Fricker was found guilty of the charges last month by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Hardinge in Vancouver. The charges stem from incidents at a Pentecostal church camp held near Kitimat in 1967. Defence lawyer James Main argued for a stay of proceedings on the charges because they would prejudice Fricker’s rehabilitation and reputation in the community. However, Main said these argu- ments were not accepted by Har- dinge, and Fricker is scheduled to be sentenced on Noy. 8. The judge ordered a pre-sentence report be prepared for that date. Fricker was a pastor in Bren- twood Bay when the investigation began in 1989. He took a Ieave of absence from his position as pas- tor of Brentwood Christian Assembly beginning Sept. 1 but still acts m an “advisory capaci- ly.” He was charged under Criminal Code provisions existing in the late 1960s. He was convicted of one count - of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual intercourse with a wom- an other than his wife without her consent, known as “rape.” In B.C. Supreme Coun in early Sepliember, one woman testified she was 13 in the summer 1967 when Fricker had intercourse with her without her consent. She said this happened in a trailer at a church camp. Another woman claimed she was 12 at the summer camp when Fricker had intercourse with her. Fricker said the girls consented, but Hardinge accepted the evi- dence of the complainants. Main said he has been instruct- ed not to appeal the decision. In a recent interview with The Review, Fricker said the incidents occurred when he was employed as a smelier worker before he was involved in the ministry, although he was a practising Christian at the time. “After so long, sometimes pros- ecution of the guilty can be perse- cution of the innocent,” Fricker said. “T have taken full responsibility for those events,” he said, stating he confessed his sins to God. “We can take our sins to Calvary and not only receive forgiveness but also the grace to continue with our lives.” Fricker said he has “camicd it with me for 22 years’’ and “despite the (Brentwood) congre- gation knowing about the charges, no one has lelt.” Brentwood Christian Assembly has a congregation of about 40 people and miects at the Central Saanich Library Cultural Centre Sunday momings. Fricker has lived on the Penin- sula since 1978 and raised a family of four Fricker said he and his wife went through a period of “restitu- tion and rehabilitation” by the Pentecostal Assembly of Canada while sull in Kitimat after confess- ing to the incidents. “Those issues were dealt with then. I never denied my relation- ships and made full disclosure to the RCMP,” Fricker said. by Glenn Werkman The Review A teferendum to gauge support for a cold beer and wine store from residents near Saanichton’s Prairie Inn started Saturday. At the same time, members of the B.C. Government Employee’s Union started a campaign in oppo- sition, claiming potential for increased robberies, more traffic and other problems from the “increased availability of alco- hol.” Victoria union local spokesper- son Don: Moore said a leaflet is being circulated to over 1,200 residents of the area immediately surrounding Mt. Newton Cross- road and East Saanich Road. Moore says: “Alcohol should not be sold in our neighborhood like groceries in a corner store from early morning to late at night, seven days a week. The price is too high (with) greatly increased traf- fic, easier access to alcohol for under-age children and increased potential for tragedy on our toads.” The referendum is the second on the issue following a successful appeal of the results of a referen- dum held in April and May 1990. Prairie Properties president Ted Anderson won the appeal based partially on the fact that 149 residents of the Saanich Peninsula Hospital’s extended care unit were denied the right to cast a ballot. During the appeal, Anderson also cited wregularities by a Mar- con Research employee who apparently attempted to influence voters while collecting ballots. Anderson’s proposal for a piece of commercial property immedi- ately west of the long-time cottage brewery fell short of the required 60 per cent majonty then, with a Continued on Page A2