TOUGHER SENTENCES FOR DRUG TRAFFICKERS STANDOUT RESOLUTION AT FCM CONVENTION

Resolutions at the just-wrapped-up Federation of Canadian
Municipalities convention in Montreal were few, but one stood out
with a couple of Kamloops councillors.

Joe Leong and John DeCicco said one issue that stood out for them at
the meeting concerned tougher sentences for people selling illegal
drugs -- youths and adults.

"The most important resolution was about sentencing for people who
were selling drugs to be more severe whether a minor or adult,"
DeCicco said Tuesday from Montreal.

"There were some arguments about being lenient the first time the
result was, it doesn't matter. The feeling was the government should
be more severe."

Leong said there was debate on both sides of the issue, but it came
down to most of the municipal politicians present agreeing there
should be stronger measures and tougher penalties when it comes to
drug trafficking.

Leong, like his colleague, was speaking from Montreal where both
added a few more personal days to do some visiting or exploring.

Leong said he garnered some ideas from a seminar on tourism in rural
areas, where circle tours were suggested as being a feature tourists
are looking for.

"The rural and the city must work together. To bring it back to
Kamloops, the City and TNRD have to work together to bring tourism in
as a whole. That's where circle tours come in," he said.

Mayor Terry Lake went to Montreal a day early to meet with officials
from the neighbouring suburb of Westmount, where pesticides and
herbicides have gradually been banned.

With Kamloops looking at taking similar steps, Lake found Westmount
began its phase-out in 1994 with a public education program.

He said restrictions were gradually brought in, at the same time
seminars were held that offered alternatives to chemical use in
yards. They also worked with garden clubs, professional landscapers
and lawn-care companies, he said.

"They have a ban on most use of herbicides and pesticides, but you
can, for instance, use pesticides in a very small area of your yard,"
he said, giving an example of being able to spot spray rose bushes,
but not broadcasting a herbicide over an entire lawn. "I like the
idea of educating people first. We've done that with Watersmart and
are starting to do that with our Ecosmart team (with water and
pesticides). And we have our integrated pest management hotline," said Lake.