Pub owners hit hard by smoking ban Where there’s no smoke, there’s fire. _ One month into British Columbia’s sweeping ban on smoking in restaurants, bars and pubs, many customers are still lighting up. Despite the threat of mounting fines, some business owners say their patrons can keep ppffing. “It’s not the right way to go about it,” said Teri Burleigh, the manager of the BX pub in Prince George. . If tobacco smoke is so bad the government should ban it, she said. “We’d be behind them 100 per cent,” Burleigh said. “But that’s not how they’re going about it. Making us fight it at this level just isn’t the way to go.” It’s been a month since the toughest non-smoking policy in the country — possibly in North America — kicked in throughout British Columbia. As of Jan. 1, restaurants, pubs and bars became subject to the provincial Workers’ Compensation Board regulations aimed at protecting workers from the effects of second-hand smoke. The board set up a toll-free line for anonymous complaints which generate a warning letter to the business. After three warnings, a WCB officer investigates. Businesses who violate the WCB rules face fines of $1,500 to $4,000. Bar and pub owners have found some very creative ways to comply. At the Hart Hotel in Pouce Coupe, a small town in northeast B.C., owner Del Folk layed off three staff members and he, his wife and his partner do all Citizen photo by Brent Braaten Local Overwaitea store managers along with members of the over-weight teams made their donation to the •telethon Saturday afternoon. the work. No employees, no WCB rules, says Folk. “I don’t know how long we’ll be able to keep it up,” he said. But he hasn’t had any visits from board inspectors. At Fred’s Uptown Tavern in Vancouver, servers and bartenders wore gas masks to protect them from the smoke wafting through the air. The WCB was not amused. Fred’s was one of the first bars to be fined. And three visits from WCB in one week and thousands of dollars in fines convinced the BX Pub to “stop allowing smoking but not to stop fighting,” said Burleigh. The ashtrays will be removed from BX’s tables beginning today, but so were pull-tab and Keno games that profit the provincial lottery corporation. “We want to hit the government where it hurts — in the pocketbook — and show that we can hurt them financially just like they are hurting us financially,” owner George McDonnel said. The Coalition of Hospitality Organizations, an ad-hoc group made up of various industry groups, claims 560 people have lost their jobs because of the smoking ban, although provincial jobless rates haven’t shown any unusual increases since the ban came into effect. The B.C. Liquor Licensee and Retailers Association is taking the Workers’ Compensation Board to court as well. The association filed a petition last month in B.C. Supreme Court saying the board did not follow proper procedures when it instituted the new rules. For the other side of the smoking story see page 5. NEWS TIP? 562-2441, Local 382 PRINCE GEORGE Citizen 8BCURITY “Providing Security & Peace of Mind” BURGLAR ALARMS New Ownership: Div. of BK Two-Way Radio Ltd. 3661 -15th Ave — 561-0236 CORRECTION NOTICE In our B1-2A Valentine’s Day flyer, Christian Dior model lift on page 4 will be late - rainchecks will be available at the store. Frankie & Johnnie handbags offer on page 14 should have read “$25 to $40". Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. 369135 Why say it twice? Talk to two people at once, y Try 3 Way Calling today. Just 750 per use. See the opening pages in your TELUS White Pages Directory for details. ELUS Overwaitea stores raise $17,000 for telethon Cost for this service is 75c per use, to a maximum of $6.00 per month for residential customers. SMC04844 The four local Overwaitea stores helped •raise $17,000 for the telethon this year. Some pf the activities they hosted to raise money included donating part of the sale of Christmas trees and the Scan for Kids campaign. The Overwaitea(m) Funding Challenge also helped raise $6,000 for the telethon. The winning team was the College Heights Calorie Killers who collected $2,123 and lost 51 pounds. This team of 10 community mem- bers was led by Lionel Gjerde, manager of the Overwaitea in College Heights. The Hart Highlands Heavyweights lost 24 pounds, the Parkwood Porkers lost 50 pounds and the Spruceland Spareribs lost 78 pounds. Pair of teenage girls go missing * The Prince George RCMP are seeking the public’s assistance in locating 14-year-old Stephanie Matthews. Stephanie went missing after 1 a.m. on Saturday. She is described as a ^Caucasian female, five feet, two inches tall and weighing 100 pounds. Stephanie has brown hair, brown eyes. She may have been emotionally distraught. Another 14-year-old was also reported missing this weekend, said Police. Meagan Foster was expected to return home at 6 p.m. RCMP say they suspect she may be staying with friends. Meagan was wearing bell bottom jeans, a red and black nylon three-in-one jacket and carrying a black backpack. Police say she is Caucasian with brown hair and brown eyes, is 117 pounds and is five feet, one inch tall. If you have any information regarding the missing youth call the local detachment at 561-3327 or CrimeStoppers at 564-8477. POLICE BEAT Bomb threat A local gambling establishment on George Street was evacuated due to a bomb threat Saturday. A call came into the establishment at around 10 p.m. and the area was evacuated while a search was conducted, said RCMP. It was determined the threat was false. Break-in thwarted Prince George RCMP have three men in custody following the attempted break-in of three businesses in the College Heights Mall Sunday morning. RCMP received an alarm call from one of the mall’s clothing stores around 2:45 a.m. Upon arriving they saw four men running from the plaza. A foot chase resulted in the arrest of two of the men. A dog was brought in to assist officers in apprehending the third suspect, said RCMP. Nothing was taken from any of the business, but there was damage to the back entrances of three stores in the mall. The three men, who are 16, 17 and 22 years old, are being charged with break and enter and possession of a break and enter weapon and will appear before the justice of the peace this morning. The fourth suspect is still at large. If you have any information regarding this case call RCMP at 561-3300. COMPUTER & OFFICE SKILLS TRAINING Increase Your Productivity and Employment Prospects! MORNING, AFTERNOON OR EVENING! Our training schedule has been designed with flexibility in mind. Talk to us about your availability and we will design your personal training schedule to accommodate your personal and work schedules. We realize that options are important. That's why we are REGISTERED and ACCREDITED by the Private Post Secondary Education Commission of BC, as well as an Authorized Sylvan Prometric Testing Centre, and a Microsoft Office User Specialist Training and Testing Centre. ■ Financial Assistance may be available to eligible students. $ ACADEIilV of LEiHmnc Ppsec Computer & Business Career College 188 Kingston Street, Prince George - CALL NOW... \ START TODAY! 960-1441 Gogo leaves crowd ga-ga over the blues REVIEW by TED CLARKE Citizen staff r ................................................... • David Gogo brought new meaning to the Jihrase ‘Elvis has left the building’ Saturday night at the Fourth Avenue Blues Club. I While playing a Willie Dixon tune, Gogo decided to take his Telecaster guitar for a walk. While Still jamming in perfect synch with the band, Gogo mingled with the sold-out audience members admiring the show from the cheap seats at the back, then climbed up the stairs and stepped putside into the cold night air. ' The wireless remote pickup on his guitar kept the sound crystal-clear even as he strolled down the back alley to emerge a minute later from the back entrance onto the stage. • It was just another highlight on a night blues tans will remember for a long time as owner Dan Engelland celebrated his club’s grand re-opening in fine style. | Gogo returned to Prince George for two sold-out shows Friday and Saturday. Ironically, the Nanaimo-based West Coast Music Association musician-of-the-year was the first act Engelland booked when he opened in 1998. Gogo started the show by giving the crowd a taste of his acoustic side with a National steel guitar rendition of Bukka White’s Aberdeen Mississippi Blues before he was joined onstage by keyboard player Brendan Headley, drummer Damien Graham and on bass, “East End” Steve Bosley. The same band will headline a blues fest in Silver City, New Mexico in May and they delivered tight and inspired performances of Gogo’s top-40 hits Face In the Mirror, Sad and Lonely and Deep End, from his self-titled debut album. Other highlights included Bob Dylan’s (It’s All Over Now) Baby Blue, a Howlin’ Wolf medley, B.B. King’s The Thrill Is Gone, and a satisfying version of the Hendrix classic, Little Wing. Engelland showed he’s no stranger to producing sweet but wicked sounds with a lead guitar when he opened the night, backed by Mark and Brenda Roland of Rae King Blues Band fame and Johnny Derr on drums. Engelland came back to jam with Gogo in his encore I’m Sorry, which impressed Gogo enough to say: “How many blues clubs can you come to and the owner plays the blues like that?” After a few false starts, Gogo’s career appears headed for the stratosphere and we can only wait in anticipation of the next time he graces a local stage. Citizen photo by Brent Braaten David Gogo was singin’ the blues as he made a special appearance to help with the re-opening of the Fourth Avenue Blues Club. CITY DESK: Dave Paulson 562-2441, Local 382 FAX: 562-7453 E-MAIL: pgcnews@prg.southam.ca The Prince George Citizen - Monday, February 7, 2000 - 3 Second Front 19 selected locally to help decide new NDP leader by ARLENE WATSON Citizen staff New Democratic Party members voted to send 19 delegates and three youth delegates to the NDP Leadership Convention in Vancouver Feb. 18. More than 120 people packed into a lecture hall at UNBC Sunday to select the delegates. The Prince George North riding will send 10 delegates including one youth; Prince George Omineca will send seven delegates including one youth; and the Prince George Mt-Robson constituency will send four delegates and one young new democrat, said an event spokesman. Charles Fraser, president of the Prince George Omenica riding said delegates that were up for election were not asked to reveal who they would vote for at the convention. For this reason it is unclear who will be supported at the convention by local delegates. Lois Boone, the Minister of Children’s and Family and Finance Minister Paul Ramsey gave passion filled speeches before the constituency’s AGMs and delegate voting began Sunday. Boone said the party must continue to remain strong despite the constant criticism and lack of recognition from media. She said regardless of who gets voted in, the NDP will be a target for criticism. “I wish I was standing before you today to say we’ve had a good year. But I’m not, we’ve had a (bad) year for everyone in government,” said Boone. The past year has been an example that proof of failure is not needed, just allegations, said Boone. Before the participants broke off to vote on the delegates she reminded people to be vigilant in what they believe in despite the constant criticism. “We can’t just lay down and let it happen,” said Boone.