Whitehorse Daily Star from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada • 4

The Whitehorse STAR, Monday, December 9, 1991 THE YUKON 11-month trial ends as charges against Indian leaders dropped By THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA The marathon fraud and corruption trial of former Indian affairs minister John Munro and eight other men came to a quiet end last Tuesday when the Crown dropped the remaining charges against several former prominent native leaders. The charges stemmed from a 1985 investigation into alleged financial mismanagement at the National Indian Brotherhood, now known as the Assembly of First Nations. The charges, laid by the RCMP in 1989, included allegations that Munro, then Indian Affairs minister, authorized a grant to the brotherhood so it could funnel the money back into his 1984 bid to replace Pierre Trudeau as leader of the Liberal party. Munro, from Hamilton, lost the leadership bid to John Turner. The dropping of the remaining charges came two weeks after Ontario judge Jack Nadelle rejected 35 charges against Munro and some of the native leaders, for lack of evidence after a trial that began last January.

Charges were also dropped against Hamilton advertising executive Lawrence Russell, who worked on Munro's campaign. Crown attorney Mac Lindsay told provincial division of Ontario court that Nadelle's decision made it clear the National Indian Brotherhood and one of Munro's co-defendants, had harsh words for the justice system and the RCMP after being told all charges against him had been dropped. "I don't understand how law enforcement can be used to destroy people when they didn't do anything, Ahenakew, who says the RCMP out to destroy (him) politically, socially and financially," added that he will launch a civil suit against the Mounties. "It's the only way I'm going to get even. It's the only way I can expose the dirty, silly things that go on in the RCMP," he said.

A total 39 charges were dropped last Monday against the following: Ahenakew; Peter Manywounds and Noel Starblanket, former brotherhood executive officers; Wayne Ahenakew, former vice-chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations; Doug Cuthand, president of Sinco Consulting and Sol Sanderson, former chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and a Sinco founder. Charges against James Patrick Woods, a non-native Sinco officer, were also dropped. Sinco Consulting Ltd. received it was in the public interest to drop the Lindsay said. funds from the brotherhood for work remaining charges.

David Ahenakew, former chief of on native self government. Weather Central Yukon region, Kluane Lake: with temperature steady near 3. Central, LOCAL Highs Today, -15. cloudy. A few periods of snow.

or mainly falling. cloudy. North, some Temperature steady the near far 0 Tonight, mainly cloudy. Scat- sun over Forecasts for Yukon and northwestern tered flurries. Lows -21.

Tuesday, mainly north otherwise mainly cloudy with perBritish Columbia for today and Tuesday. cloudy. Highs -18. Probability of precipi- lods 1 of light snow. Highs -5 to except -10 SYNOPSIS tation 70 per cent today, 60 tonight and 20 -15 to -25 far north.

The remains of typhoon zelda crossed Tuesday. Quebec: Scattered flurries in the west inland into northern bc late Sunday Dempster: Today, a few clouds. Temp- with drizzle in the extreme south and east spreading, heavy snow to the coastal eratures varying from -15 to -30. Tonight, then clearing except snow along the north passes with lesser amounts over northern increasing cloudiness. Winds and wind- coast.

Highs 4 to -5 south and -3 to -14 BC and southern Yukon. Zelda will pass chills diminishing overnight. Lows -30. north. on to the east but remnants of cloud will Tuesday, mainly cloudy.

Highs -24. ProbMaritimes: Showers in central and continue over most of the forecast dis- ability precipitation 20 per cent today, south regions. Flurries ending in the north. of trict. The exception is the far north where tonight and and Tuesday.

Highs 1 north to 10 south. clear skies have Old Crow: Today tonight and Tuesday, Newfoundland: Increasing cloudiness. cold. As the storm kept temperatures very mainly clear and very cold. Ice fog near Rain or snow beginning thereafter.

passes settlements. Highs -39. Lows -42. Proba- to 4. to the south High -2 winds have been stirred giving increasing windchills which will reach very high bility of precipitation 10 per cent today, values over sections of the dempster tonight and Tuesday.

TORONTO (CP) Temperatures in today. Remember with very high wind- Celsius; precipitation in millimetres: chills exposed skin is at risk for frostbite in OUTSIDE Vancouver 10 8 016.0 less than two minutes. Over the next Victoria 11 7 008.8 several days cloudy conditions will per- Comox 9 6 008.0 sist, extending into the north. A few TORONTO (CP) The Canadian weather Port Hardy. 15 029.6 flurries will accompany the cloud.

picture today. Prince Rupert 10 4 033.1 FORECASTS British Columbia: Showers on the Terrace 4 1 049.2 Whitehorse, Teslin, Atlin, Haines June- coast. Mixed showers and flurries in the Penticton 8 6 000.0 tion: Today, flurries becoming scattered interior. Windy all areas. Highs 6 to 9 along Kamloops 1 000.0 this afternoon.

Highs -7. Tonight, mainly the coast to 3. to 7 in the interior. Abbotsford 10 8 020.8 cloudy. Scattered flurries.

Lows -16. Yukon: Clear in the north. Highs -38. Cranbrook -1 000.6 Tuesday, cloudy. Scattered flurries.

Highs Snow in the south. Highs -7. Revelstoke 1 000.0 minus 13. Probability of precipitation 70 Northwest Territories: Mackenzie Val- Puntzi Mountain -8 000.0 per cent today, 60 tonight and 40 Tues- ley and Great Slave district, snow over the Williams Lake, -2 000.0 day. southern Mackenzie Valley.

Clear else- Prince George 2 0 000.6 Haines-Skagway Roads: Today, snow where. Highs -25 south to -35 north. Mackenzie -1 -2 011.0 diminishing to flurries in the afternoon. Keewatin district, clear and cold. North- Fort St.

John -15 -18 000.0 Total amounts 20 to 30 cm. Temperatures west winds 20 km-h giving very high wind Fort Nelson -21 -22 001.4 steady near -5. Tonight, mainly cloudy. chills. Highs -33.

Baffin district, light snow Dease Lake -17 -19 000.4 Flurries. Lows -12. Tuesday, cloudy. and local blowing snow in the south. A few Peace River.

-15 -21 002.1 Flurries. Highs -10. Probability of precipi- clouds in the north. Highs -14 southeast to Whitehorse -12 -13 003.4 tation 100 per cent today, 80 tonight and -32 north. High arctic district, clear and Yellowknife -33 -37 000.0 70 Tuesday.

cold except cloudy periods in the Resol- Inuvik -29 -41 000.0 Cassiar Mountains-Dease Lake region: ute area. Temperatures -30 in south to -40 Resolute Bay -29 -34 000.0 Today, snow diminishing to flurries in the in the north. Eureka -38 -41 000.0 afternoon. Total amounts to 10 cm. Highs Alberta: Cloudy in the north.

Scattered Alert 000.0 -5. Tonight, mainly cloudy. Scattered flurries. Snow in the northeast. Highs -18.

Cambridge Bay -29 -34 000.0 flurries. Lows -12. Tuesday, cloudy with Sunny in central regions. Highs 2. Chinook Calgary 2 -5 000.0 flurries.

Highs -9. Probability of precipita- clouds in the south. Highs 7. Edmonton -4 -12 000.6 tion 100 per cent today, 60 tonight and 70 Saskatchewan: South, morning clouds Lethbridge -1 000.0 Tuesday. with few flurries.

Highs -2 to 5. North, Medicine Hat 2 -8 000.0 Liard Region: Today, snow diminishing increasing cloud with snow. Highs -16 to Swift Current -1 -9 000.0 to flurries late this afternoon. Highs -14. -10.

Regina -6 -12 000.0 Tonight, mainly cloudy. Scattered flurries. Manitoba: Increasing cloud with snow Saskatoon -9 -16 000.0 Lows -18. Tuesday, cloudy with scattered developing in the north. Variable cloud Prince Albert -13 -16 000.3 flurries.

Highs -15. Probability of precipi- with flurries in the south. Highs -2 south to North Battleford -10 -18 000.0 tation 80 per cent today, 60 tonight and 40.0 -25 north. Winnipeg -9 -10 000.4 Tuesday. Ontario: South, mainly cloudy.

Colder Brandon -8 -10 000.0 Chamber queries YEC's 'attitude' By SARAH DAVISON Star Reporter The Yukon Energy Corp. should change its attitude to mining, the Yukon Chamber of Mines has told the Yukon Utilities Board. ROB McINTYRE Planning deficient. "The attitude to a mine coming on stream is that it's a tremendous problem rather than an opportunity," Rob McIntyre, managing director of the chamber, said in an interview Friday. "Given that 40 per cent of their customers are one mine (Curragh Resources Inc.

in Faro), they should spend some time looking at how to (expand mining)." The submission to the board isn't technical, he said, and was to be presented in written form before today's deadline. In it, the chamber doesn't take issue with the Yukon Energy request for a power rate increase of 19.5 per cent. It does, however, challenge the corporation's strategic plan. "It's not strategic and there's not much planning," McIntyre said. we see in the strategic plan is certainly not a positive attitude.

It's not negative either, but more a laissez-faire approach. "We don't see any evidence of any planning towards mining." Power is a significant stumbling block for companies hoping to develop a mine, he said. Mining companies have to adopt the attitude that they'll develop in spite of YEC rather than because of it, or in co-operation with it. "It's surprising to see a company that derives so much of its income from mining spends so little time planning for it," McIntyre said. "Obviously, mining is an opportunity for them to increase revenues.

It's quite astounding that they don't do it." The chamber doesn't pretend to have a solution to the territory's power crunch, he added. But the YEC should be trying to work with the corporation to improve possibilities. One example could be the territory's "pretty good" coal reserves, which could be used for coal-fired power generation, he said. And certainly, it's appropriate for the corporation to put its earnings into further power generation rather than anything else, he said. JOHN MUNRO Saga ends.

"Since the judge found no evidence for the first charges, he may not have found evidence for the remaining Lindsay explained. He added later that the age of the case and the court backlog were also considered. "Some of the witnesses indicated they are having some difficulty remembering some of the events. "If we had proceeded, it would have taken five to six months of court Funeral Services for the late FRED COEY will be held at the United Church Wednesday, December 11 at 2:00 PM Reverend Don Lewis officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.

00 BAILEY: On Dec. 6, 1991, Frank Stanley Bailey of Olds, Alberta passed away at 82 years. He is survived by his loving wife and best friend Pansy of Olds, Five children Mrs. Kathleen Colosimo and of Yellowknife, Kenneth Bailey of Calgary, Mrs. Marian Horne and Dick of Calgary, Roland and Linda Bailey of Richmond B.C., George and Janice Bailey of Winnipeg, Man.

Marina Bailey Calgary, Ten grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Predeceased by two brothers, Walter and Stanley and one sister Eleanor. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 10th 1991, at 2:00 pm from the Mountain View Funeral Chapel in Olds, with Rev. James Robinson officiating, Cremation.

If friends desire, memorial tributes may be made to the Alberta Heart and Stroke Foundation. Mountain View Funeral Chapels, Olds. Entrusted with arrangements. (403) 556-3223.