A New Year's Eve bonfire and sacrifice to the snow god Ul1r failed to provide the Kimberley Ski Resort with a needed supply of the white stuff, and local ski operators aren't too sure an appeal to the B.C. government will resolve their dilemma either.
While the provincial tourism council has been suggested as a route to financial assistance for the suffering ski trade, Ski Kootenay East representatives gathered at the Kimberley ski lodge yesterday gave a cool reception to proposals that they accept government hand-outs.
The ski trade spokesmen were in general agreement that the tourism branch of the government be asked to increase its dollar contribution to next year's ski promotion budget to compensate for the negative publicity resulting from this year's poor season, but they also spoke strongly against any direct payment to the operators in the form of subsidization.
No strings attached
"No matter how much we're hurting, I'd be very careful about accepting money. form the government," commented Guy Messerli, from the Panorama ski resort, expressing his feeling that a low-cost financing arrangement might be in order but any promise of funds with "strings attached" should be avoided in order to preserve the nature of free enterprise.
"Then we're going to have to play it by ear," observed Earl Hansen, Kootenay Boundary Chambers of Commerce co-ordinator. "Anything that is put along the lines of increased support will have to be brought back to committee." Hansen along with tourism committee chairman Doug McIntosh will be attending a meeting with Tourism Minister Grace McCarthy in Victoria on Monday where the question of government support for the ski trade will be discussed.
At least seven persons from the Kootenays were aboard a Pacific Western Airlines Boeing 737 that crashed at the Cranbrook airport Saturday, claiming the lives of 41 persons. Seven people are still alive of the 48 passengers aboard.
David White, 20, of Cranbrook, and Lynn Olsenburg, of Castlegar, have been released from Cranbrook hospital after being treated for minor injuries and at least seven area residents are known dead.
News of the crash was relayed to Kimberley, putting a damper on the festive mood of the city's Winterfest celebrations. However, no major events were cancelled said Bulletin reporter Peter Faulkner.
Spirits were also dampened at the Town and Country Inn that night at a banquet planned for Canadian author Jake Plett, who is believed to have been a crash victim.
A spokesman for McPherson's Funeral Home said this morning that 40 caskets had arrived at 6:30 a.m. from PWA, trucked in from Edmonton.
He added that only about 10 bodies remain at the temporary morgue in an airport hangar still awaiting identification.
Bodies that have been identified are mostly at the funeral home or at Cranbrook and District Hospital's morgue.
The PWA 737 tried to land its scheduled flight from Ft. McMurray when the pilot was forced to abort the landing because an airport snow sweeper was on the runway, say PWA spokesmen.
At press time, the Townsman learned that the driver of the snow plow believed on or near the runway at the time of the crash was George Sawatsky, of Airport Road. Three ministry of transport spokesmen today confirmed rumors that Sawatsky was the operator. Sawatsky, who is unavailable for comment, was also at work at the airport Sunday and is off duty today.
Transport Canada public affairs representative Alan Jay said that the MOT doesn't want to release the operator's name at this time of the position of the plow because it implies that the vehicle was directly linked to the cause and effect of the crash and they believe this was not the case.
Jay also said the MOT knows the exaction position of the vehicle but the matter is still under investigation.
There were RCMP officers from at least four detachments working at the scene shoulder to shoulder with volunteers and fire department personnel.
Ministry of transport and PWA investigators were flown to the scene Saturday and more crews arrived Sunday.
Kootenay Airways employees were on the scene minutes after the crash.
The scene between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at the Kootenay Airways building was grim. Men were returning from the crash, their clothes soaked through. They were talking about the crash site. They talked of wreckage and debris strewn over an area 100 yards by 150 yards. Personal effects were thrown in every direction.
Continued on Page 49.
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