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       Citizen news services CALGARY — Hundreds of Woodward’s store employees in Alberta and British Columbia were fired Saturday, leaving long-time workers puzzled and angry at their abrupt dismissal.
  The sweeping layoffs touched Woodward’s 23 stores in the two provinces, said employees who were interviewed Sunday.
  John McGeachy, Woodward’s acting store manager in Prince
 .. .and in tomorrow's Citizen. . .
   Although technically against the law. many family doctors in- the Netherlands carry out euthanasia at the request of patients seeking a dignified final release from incurable or terminal illness. Read Tuesday’s Citizen for details.
   Also planned:
   ■	How gossip has changed in recent decades from Hollywood tidbits to an integral part of the U.S. political system.
   ■	Coverage of today’s city council meeting.
 George, refused comment this morning. He referred questions to company president Frank Robertson, who was unavailable.
   About 65 cleaning and maintenance workers in Calgary were affected by the firings.
   “It feels like I’ve had the wind kicked out of me,” said one cleaning supervisor, who has worked full time for Woodward’s for about 20 years.
    ‘‘I didn’t sleep at all last night.”
   Some of the fired workers think the move is tied to Canada Safeway Ltd.’s takeover of the Woodward’s food floors. The $55-million deal is expected to be completed today.
   The Calgary workers were called to a meeting Saturday afternoon and told their services were no longer required.
   The workers’ supervisors, who were also laid off, read a prepared statement saying outside contractors had been hired to maintain the stores.
   “A lot of them were devastated.” said Diana, a part-time employee who has worked for Woodward's for seven years. "We had anticipated they would probably cut back staff or cut down on hours, but they just lowered the boom.”
The Prince George
Citizen
MONDAY, MAY 25, 1987	*©*	40 CENTS
Two die in church fire 5
Military pullout hinted 7
Unser ties Indy record 9
Low tonight: 3 High Tuesday: 22 TOteUAex (UteUU. f&Qt 2
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City, B.C........... ........2,3  ...........5  
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 tion and we’re not out there to strikebreak or interfere in their legitimate protest. We want to provide the opportunity the kids wouldn’t have,” he said.
   Usually about 60 per cent of the 800 to 1,100 people to compete in the northern region meet, held for the past 14 years, are from the school system, Masich said. The club feared few people would compete this year because of the teachers’ campaign. That’s why they are organizing the relay event this weekend.
   “We’ve only had a few weeks to organize it and we’re really down to the 11th hour,” he said.
   Masich has sent out information about the meet to 125 schools in the northern region. Masich said many teachers have been filtering information about the meet to students during school hours.
   Masich said he expects about 500-600 people will compete this weekend.
   “Considering the situation this year that’s not too bad. Usually we expect about 1,000.”
   Saturday’s meet will be held at Lakewood junior secondary school and will start at 9 a.m. Participants should be at the school by 8:30 a.m. to register.
  There is a $5 entry fee per athlete per event to help cover the cost of medals.
   Masich said there will be some unofficial field events for people to practise.
   The Northern B.C. track championships will be held in Prince George on June 13 and 14. The B.C. Summer Games will take place July 23-26 in Delta.
   For more information call 562-TRAC or 564-9528.
JUMP FROM BRIDGE
Game of #risk# ends in death
   What appears to have started out as a game of “risk” ended in death when two Prince George men plunged from the Yellowhead Bridge shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday.
   Timothy Hugh McDow, 23, is missing and presumed drowned. The body of Alan George Borden, 26, was found at about 3 p.m. Saturday.
   RCMP are continuing to search the Fraser River today for McDow’s body.
   Police said witnesses saw McDow, Borden and 20-year-old Leonard Harold Isaac on the bridge and saw two jump from the bridge, falling into the water. One of the men was seen to come to the
  surface and then disappear.
  It is believed they were at the highest point in the bridge, about 35 metres above the water at the time.
 “There is indication they were playing a game they invented called ‘risk,’ where they had to place their life in danger. One of the men fell and the other jumped after him,” said RCMP Inspector Merv Harrower.
 There was no indication of suicide. It appears the three intended to jump off the bridge as part of a prank or a game, Harrower said.
  Alcohol was involved in the incident, he added.
Mulroney warns U.S. about Star Wars risk
by Canadian Press
  QUEBEC — Prime Minister Brian Mulroney has warned the United States that improper implementation of Star Wars could undermine world stability.
   “If (Star Wars) goes beyond the research stage, care must be taken not to integrate it into existing arsenals in a manner that could cause (the Soviet Union) to fear the United States would use it for a first strike,” Mulroney told a meeting of NATO’s North Atlantic Assembly on Saturday.
   At the same time, Mulroney said that, with the more open Soviet regime under Mikhail Gorbachev, the time is ripe for the two superpowers to sign an arms-control accord.
   “Those who are fearful of Mr. Gorbachev’s activism should ask themselves whether they prefer the intransigence, if not the intellectual rigidity of his predecessors,” he said. “It seems to me prudent, important and wise to dialogue with a valid leader such as Mr. Gorbachev.”
  Mulroney also told the NATO body Canada will not drop its commitment to help defend Norway without consulting its allies about replacement troops.
  In an attempt to offset the effects of the teachers’ instruction-only campaign on school athletes, the Prince George Track Club will hold an open relay meet this weekend to give students a chance to qualify for the Northern B.C. Championships and the B.C. Summer Games.
  But Tom Masich, head coach, said today the meet on Saturday is not intended to weaken the teachers’ campaign, only as a last-min-ute attempt to give young athletes the chance to compete.
   “We respect the teachers’ situa-
   “There is nothing (for Norway) to worry about. Canada will take no action without consulting with its allies, as it has always done in the past.”
Teachers' campaign prompts track meet
WOODWARD'S STORES
JOHN HART BRIDGE
 Crash kills city man
Drug abuse battle launched
  TORONTO (CP) - The federal government says it will beef up legislation and pump $210 million into prevention and treatment programs for drug abuse during the next five years.
   “Our major challenge is that while the vast majority of Canadians are aware of and concerned about drug abuse, too few understand or know how to deal with it,” Federal Health Minister Jake Epp said in announcing a new drug-abuse strategy Monday.
   “Too few Canadians know where to turn for accurate information, assistance and support for overcoming this problem.”
   Epp told a news conference the government will work in conjunction with the provinces and community groups to mount a six-front offensive on drug abuse in Canada.
   The program will concentrate on education and prevention, law enforcement, treatment, international co-operation, research and
   A 28-year-old Prince George man is dead and a 26-year-old man is in hospital after the 1961 Corvette they were in went over the bank and landed in the Nechako River at the foot of the John Hart Bridge Sunday night.
  Myler Anskar Brevick died of head and abdominal injuries when his car went out of control on Central Street, crossed three lanes of traffic and hit a concrete abutment before going over a 50-metre bank at the south end of the bridge.
  The car landed on the railway tracks and rolled before ending up in shallow water near the bank of the river.
 information and a national focus.
 This year $20 million will be allotted for the program, while $40 million will be spent next year and $50 million in each of the subsequent three years, Epp said.
 The federal government now spends about $170 million a year in fighting drug and alcohol abuse.
 Epp said substance abuse — including alcohol and illegal, pre-
  OTTAWA (CP) — Francois Mitterrand said today he wants to be near the soul of Canadians during the first state visit to the country by a French president in 20 years.
   “I come to you with great curiosity,” Mitterrand said in brief, sombre remarks shortly after stepping off his sleek Concorde jet at Uplands Air Base near Ottawa this morning.
   Brevick’s passenger, Craig William Young, is listed in satisfactory condition with chest injuries in Prince George Regional Hospital.
   Brevick bought the classic sports car two weeks ago from local racer Russ McNicol, who was at the scene of the accident Sunday evening examining the wreckage.
   Police said the car was travelling at speeds “well in excess of the speed limit” and previously ran a red light at Fifth Avenue and Central Street.
  The vehicle was not equipped with seatbelts. Police suspect alcohol was involved.
 scription and over-the-counter drugs — means Canadians spend about one million days in hospital a year.
   Today’s announcement is one of several that will be made this week on new strategies in fighting drug abuse. The government will also replace the Food and Drug Act and the Narcotics Control Act with the Psychoactive Substance Control Act.
   “I want to come close to the soul of your people,” he told Gov. Gen. Jeanne Sauve as the two exchanged formal greetings.
   Mitterrand was welcomed with pomp and ceremony as an Armed Forces band played the French national anthem and a 21-gun salute sounded.
See also page 5
Forest centre proposal gets college help
 The College of New Caledonia board has agreed to co-operate with the Central Interior Loggers Association efforts to develop a proposal for a forestry training centre at Canadian Forces Station Baldy Hughes.
 CILA representative Howard Lloyd appealed to the college board Saturday to share its research and resources with the association’s consultant Henry Jus-tesen of Burnaby in a joint effort to return forestry jobs to the community.
  Justesen, former head of Pacific Vocational Insititute, has been hired by the association to produce a formal proposal by June 20. The plan will go the local committee looking at uses of the site after the military leaves next year.
  Working in conjunction with the college, the new centre could be instrumental in developing new silviculture technology, techniques and equipment for use in the area. Lloyd said.
 Although the college board agreed to assist the association in developing its proposal, board members cited the lack of community response to similar programs offered at the college as an indication there may not be wide community support for a forestry training centre at the radar station.
  Justesen said the first question that must be answered is, “Are there enough people in the region to sustain the facility?"
  He said to make the project economically viable it may be necessary to include more than a forestry-training component.
French leader arrives
Hundreds laid off
 Russ McNicol looks at what is left of the 1961 Corvette convertible he sold two weeks ago, while curious spectators line the John Hart Bridge looking at the rubble. The convertible lies in the water of
 the Nechako River after it went over the bank Sunday evening. The 28-year-old driver died and his 26-year-old passenger is in satisfactory condition in hospital.	Citizen photo by Brock Gable