Page A2 — Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 15, 1992

Natives want jobs

from mill project -

TERRACE — Orenda could
face road blockades if it refuses
to cut a deal with northwest
natives, says the president of the
Tsimshian Tribal Council.

Art Sterritt says the company
will be in trouble if it doesn’t
give natives guarantees of jobs,
training and. other benefits.

“We'd go out there and block
it,’” he said. “We'll do whatever
we have to. They won't end up
with any wood in there. They
won't even end up with a mill
there.”

Negotiations are expected to
take place in the weeks ahead
between the company and. the
Tsimshian and Haisla of
Kitamaat Village.

To get approval-in-principle,
Orenda had to agree to be part
of ‘a‘.socio-economic impact
study- aimed at finding ways to
‘‘maximize training, employ-
ment and other benefits’? for
natives,

But Sterritt said Orenda has
given little sign so far that it will
make concessions on the issue
of native hiring.

“Tf they’re as receplive as
they’ve been up to now, it’ll be
ano g0,"” he predicted. ‘‘Oren-
da is going to have to wake up
to that. They’re going to have to
start working with us,’”

Kitamaat Village chief coun-
cillor Gerald Amos, however, is
making no predictions about
what will happen if there are
difficulties at the bargaining
table.

“The goodwill of the com-
pany is going to determine how
cooperative we are,’” he said.

“We're not going to accept
table scraps,'’ Amos. added.
‘*But we have to give the pro-
cess a chance to work. If it
doesn’t work, then we'll look
for alternatives.’’

Sterritt said one -way of
revenue sharing might be to

turn the tax base for the project
over to northwest natives.

“The mayors of Terrace and
Kitimat have been talking about
getting at the tax base for this
project,’’ Sterritt noted.
‘*We're looking for the same
thing.’? °

Overall, Amos and Sterritt
said they’re satisfied with the
approval-in-principle and the
restrictions placed on Orenda.

“T really hope that we learn
from this experience,’’ Amos
added, noting the province’s
delay in deciding to take native
concerns seriously delayed ap-
proval and threatened the pro-
posed mill’s chances.

The end result could have
been derailment of a project
that could be good for all
peoples in the area,’ he said.
‘And if this project had not

_ gone ahead, you know who the -

scapegoats would have been —
the Tsimshian, the Nisga'a and
Haisia.”

Process smacked

TERRACE — The provincial
government was wrong in giving
approval in principle to the
Orenda project, says a local
steelhead saciety spokesman.

“The government allowed
this thing to be grandfathered
under a flawed MPRP (Major
Project Review Process},'’ said
Rob Brown,

“At the minimum there
should have been a new process.
One that was fair, impartial and
honest: and then say ‘yea’ or
‘nay’,’? he added.

Brown said he was disap-
pointed in the location — south
of Lakelse Lake — because it
marks the beginning of in-
dustrialization in an en-
vironmentally sensitive area.

“It could have. been put in
Kitimat., There, would haye-been,

could have been solved. Why

put it between two fish water-
sheds?’’ he continued.

Although Brown said he was
happy the natives received their
own review of the project, the
same wasn’t given to other peo-
ple in the area.

‘*What about the Second Na-
tions, us? We had one bona fide
public meeting — I’m not coun-
ting the dog and pony shows
Orenda held — and everybody
but one who got up said they
were opposed to it,” said
Brown.

“A government that wanted
to be fair and open and honest
would have fallen all over itself
to hold more public meetings,”
he said.

Another critic of the project
felt the involvement of natives

in the review provided a conve- _
an-air problem but I think that... mietit’ caver” for. “the provincial” "

government. ~

Mittee

“}'m somewhat disturbed at
the emphasis the provincial
government put on the so-called
fiduciary rights vis a vis the
native people,’ said Lakelse
Lake resident John How,

‘It gives the impression the
natives had an influence in the
decision making when it fact it
was made by bureaucrats in Vic-
toria and by the provincial
cabinet,” he said.

How also wondered why the
province last week released
results of the native review but
won't circulate its own analysis
of the project until later this
month.

“This puts Indians front and
centre and lets the people in Vic-
toria sit back,” he said. ‘‘When
the report of the steering com-

Nisga’ a attempt to delay

TERRACE. — The Nisga'a
Tribal Council wanted a
12-month delay in‘a provincial
government decision on the
Orenda Forests Products pro-
posal to build a pulp and paper
mill, a provincial official in
charge of reviewing the project
said last week.

But Frank Blasetti said the re-
quest — which came up in the
land’ ‘claim negotiations now
underway between the Nisga’a
and the federal and provincial
governments — was denied,

When asked how the Nisga’a
request was resolved, he said:
“You can’t resolve everything
at the negotiating table.”

The: issue came up during
discussions on. what are called
interim protection measures,
said Blasetti who added he isn’t
close to-the negotiations under-
way,

Interim protection measures
are, defined as ways for the
Nisga’a to become more involv-
ed in resource use decisions pen-
ding a settlement of their claim.

Frank Blasetti

They also relate to resource ac-

tivity underway
Nisga’a-claimed land.
The Nisga’a have previously
said they didn’t want any new
developments on their territory
until their claim was settled.
Blasetti didn't know when the
request was made but did say it

on

gov't decision was denied

formed part of the information
submitted to the provincial
cabinet as part of the Major
Projects Review Process into
the Orenda project.

Nisga’a spokesman Harry
Nyce said he couldn't comment
on the decision to approve the
project.

Asked if natives demanded
the Orenda decision be delayed,
he responded: ‘‘Not in so many
words.”

Nyce said Nisga’a negotiators
made their concerns about the
project known, but that nothing
as specific as a deferral was
discussed.

The mill was originally to be
located within Nisga’a-claimed
territory near Meziadin Lake.
The company moved the site to
just South of Lakelse Lake last
summer when problems
developed because of the
Meziadin location. ~.

Orenda will feed its mill using
wood from.a forest licence -it
holds that is within the Nisga'a
claim area,

City still wants Orenda

within tax boundaries

TERRACE — The city will
again make the case to have the
Orenda mill site included in its
tax. base, mayor Jack Talstra
said last week.

“We've never been coy about

that, We have no tax base,”’ he

said.

Talstra said the city is grow-
ing fast and providing a lot of
regional services without the
kind of industrial tax base that
exists’ in Kitimat or. in Prince
Rupert. _

“services are being primarily

borne by. the. taxpayers of Ter-.

racé‘and we just can’t do that
any longer,” he added.

The ei city first asked the pro- ,

vincial government to have the
site included in its boundaries
last summer when Orenda an-
nounced it wanted to build
south of Lakelse Lake.

‘The response was that they
would take a look at it ‘in-the
broader context for the good of
all the people in this area,” said
Talstra.

He acknowledged that the

_ growing feeling that. Thornhill
needs a new type of government .

structure may have a bearing on
what happens.

The city and the regional

district have recently formed a -

committee to examine e the situa-
tion. -

Options now are for Thor-
nhill to become a municipality
or for the area to become part
of Terrace. Talstra is skeptical
about the latter taking place.

“As each year goes by it
becomes more difficult to join
the two areas and it may be im-
possible,’* he said.

And if Thornhill becomes its
own municpality and then

wants Orenda in its tax base, the |

issue will have to be addressed
by the provincial government,
Talstra added,

Native groups in the area
have also said they want some
kind of revenue sharing ar-

rangement ftom the planned

 Orenda mill.

“Deloitte &
Touche.

we A
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES?

Call us to arrange for a free
consultation and 2 copy of our
Information booklat

(604) 564-1141

Tol Free: +-800-663-5103

DELOITTE & TOUCHE INC.
#800 - 299 Victoria Street
Prince Gaorga, 8.0.

Val 5BB

A SPECIAL THANK YOU
TERRACE BLUEBACK SWIM CLUB

to the following merchants for their contribution to our very
successfull “Sprint into Spring” swim meet April 3 - 5, 1992

Red Carpat Food Services
Northern Lights Studio
Cromarty and Co. Catering Speedee Printers

To all volunteers parents and officials.
To all participating Swim Clubs including teams from: Masters and

Special Olympics.
A very special thanks to all the slaff of the Terrace Aquatic Centre.
And to our coach, Bill Nash, for his invaluable time.

from the

Safeway
All Seasons Sporting Goods

Wilkinson Business Machines

(

(@) ver the coming months, the
province will carry out a process
of public consultation toward new envi-
ronmental assessment legislation.

A discussion paper has been
produced that proposes a new environ-
mental assessment act that will integrate
ecological, social and economic factors
into major project development and
review. This will replace existing —
project review processes with a single, -
legislated assessment process.

Dale Lovick, MLA Nanaimo and
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of Environment, Lands and Parks, is
leading a province-wide public consulta-

forward to hearing your comments. |

is released later this. .
‘month, the issue will have ‘died
"down. ” ;

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
YOU'RE INVITED.

: Me, Dale Lovick, MLA
Public ‘Corisultation Project

tion process.on proposed environmental
assessment legislation. Mr. Lovick looks:

|

To learn more about the government's
proposals for improved environmental]
assessment, plan to attend an open»

house at:

Terrace
Wednesday, April 22, 3 pi m, to 8 pan.
. Ian of the West

Mr. Lovick will be available to -
'. hear-your comments and ideas for =
environmental assessment at7 pt m. | ee ee

“Or write to:

- Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks:
Ist Floor, 810 ‘Blanshard Streets te
Victoria, B.C. vev 1X5

1-800- 665-7120 -

‘Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Environment,
Lands and Parks

‘ rata tye

the
ee

. B.C; SENIORS'GAMES
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| By the City of Terrace
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We look forward to serving you ‘A Better Way’

9:00 am - Neon

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with lots of goodias
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