|CALEDONIA SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
DRUG FREE ZONE

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DRUG FREE

ZONE

MAP SHOWS the layout of ihe Caledonia Senior Secondary elsewhere in the province. The southern boundary of the Cal
School's drug free zone, !t takes in an approximate two-block ra- zone ends al the start of Skeena Junior Secondary School's
dius around the school, a size that fits with similar zones enacted playing fields. Zone proponents say that school is next on the list.

First drug free zone takes
effect around Caledonia

Includes private homes around school, asks court for stronger penalties

CALEDONIA SENIOR Secondary Students
gathered in the R.E.M. Lee Theatre Dec. 6 to
watch their school be the first in the northwest
to have a drug free zone declared around it.
Backers of stiffer narcotics penallies expect
the zones will encourage judges to apply

harsher sentences fc for offences involving PBs

otis hae

people.

“By themselves, the zones ‘do not have any,

legal force.

But. they are regarded as defining a sen-
tencing section of the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act, says city councillor. David
Hull who, with fellow councillor’Ron Vander-
lee,:introduced the idea in Terrace.

Upon conviction for trafficking or posses-
_ Sion ‘for the ‘purposes of trafficking in or near
schools or at places wheré. people under the
age of 18 gather, judges shall consider these
circumstances as “aggravaling factors”: in
handing .down sentences, states the section.

It also permits the same for those who use
people under the age of 18 to sell narcotics.

. “We've created. the factor,” said Hull. “We
want the area to be the factor.”
. “We expect the courts to foliow the Wishes
of the people.”

In the-case of drug free zones, proponents
want judges to double: possession fines and (ri-
ple penalties for trafficking.

RCMP Inspector Doug Wheler, in a ques-
tion and answer period al the signing ceremo-

Skeena
drug-free
zone to
be next

BACKERS OF stiffer pen-
alties for narcotics offenc-
es met with Skeena Junior
Secondary School parents
last week to make that
school the second one here
to have a drug free zone
around it.

“We want to get it rell-
ing as fast'as we can,”
said Skeena Parents Advi-
sery Commitlee president
Bob Park after the meet-
ing.

“We'see it as a real
positive move for the com-

. munity. and for the school.”

Park ‘said the matter is

now before the teachers for
© discussion,

‘>The zone, he said,
would be a two-block ra-
dius, similar in size to the

ny, said typical fines in Terrace are $100 for
possession and $500 for possession for the pur-
poses of trafficking,

He said RCMP officers will be patrolling
the ‘area around Caledonia as much’as possible
and will respond quickly to any calls.

Students are also, .encourtged:ito. call: thea)

» fides! Crilifestéppers-line a! 635-3338.--
‘The’ zone” ‘aroiind Cal extends: west to Cole.

“Responsible citizens don't
want to see drugs in their neigh-
bourhood. They want their neigh-
bourhoads to be drug free. If you
don’t have drugs in your home,
you don't have to worry.”

Ave, and’ Thomas St., north to Caledonia
Drive, Lambly and Labelle and portions of.
Tuck and Soucie, west along. Straume to: take
in the Catholic church and school grounds. and
south as far-as Scolt, ending where Hughes in-
lersections Scott-and Straume,

“Hull said the zone area may look aibitrary,

but does. follow the general (wo-block radius
adopted elsewhere in the province,

The zone does take in private property,
something Hull said should not bother people,

“Responsible citizens don't want ta see
drugs in their neighbourhood They want their
neighbourhoods to be drug free,” he said.

“If you don’t have drugs in your, home, you
don't have to worry.”

Hull said other schools are on the list for

drug free zone status ‘as. are city indoor’ and

“ OULdOOE recreation’ facilities where young “‘peo-

Abed Noes MiG

ple fréqitent!

Some people want the entire city. declared
a drug free zone, ‘he said, but that would dilute
the effect of the sentencing. provision of the
Controlled Drug and Substances Act.

In an address al the signing ceremony, Ca-
ledonia ‘studeni council president Christa Lam-
bright said the zone isnt about judging slud-
ents.

Students want to “feel safe and protected 50
they: can-concentrale on {he reason we're here’
— to get an education,” she said.

“We simply ask that everyone stand togeth-
er and say drugs have no place in our school.”

Those signing the drug free zone -declara-
tian included Caledonia’ student council presi-
dent Christa Lambright; school principal Geolf

Straker, teachers’ union president Frank Rowe,

Terrace and Distticl. Chamber of Commerce
president Doug Barrett, acting schools superin-
tendent Sharon Beedle, Hull.on behalf of the
city, RCMP inspector Doug Wheler and mayor
Jack Talstra, signing in his capacity as federal
dmg prosecutor here,

CALEDONIA student council president Christa Lambright signs the school's drug free zone declaration at
an assembly Dec. 6, Other signatories to the document included the RCMP, the local teachers union,
drug prosecutors, the chamber of commerce and school district.

one surrounding Caledonia.

zone at a ceremony Dec.

“It could very well hap- drugs.

“Include alcoho! in

It would join Cal’s to

the north and. take in the.

apartment buildings across
Walsh from the. school to
the south, said Park,

- The idea of adding
Skeena was also brought
up by Caledonia students
as they waiched their
school: become the first
one to come ‘under such a

6."

Ina question and an-
swet session with. RCMP
Inspector Dog | Wheler
following the ceremony,
several students wondered
tf drug - aclivity would .
move to Skeena now: thal
a zone has-been’ set in
place around Caledonia.

pen. Hopefully it. won7t,”

said Wheler in reply,
“Students speaking out-

side after the ceremony

_tlso brought up Skeena.

They felt Skeena should
be as much a tarpet.as Ca-

ledonia: because Giades 8
and 9 are the years where
students experiment with

“If weed is a gateway
lo ‘drugs, then Skeena is
the ~gateway ” to
schools,” said Charlene
Normandeau,

“Younger people are
more susceptible to drug
use.”

‘Other studenis said it
was a contradiction to not

the |

the
zone, :

Still others appeared
skeptical ‘of the concept,

saying drug users take drug

free zones as being more

_of a challenge,

Some ‘students . said

there’s less drug use at
‘Caledonia this year than
last ‘year.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 15, 1999 - AS

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

" maybe.

The Mail Bag

What's in a word

Dear Sir:

Iwas so excited to see the story headline on
page Bt of your December O01, 1999 edition.
“Millennium champaign sales expect to soar”.
Finally, someone’ was doing a” story on
“champaign”™.

As defined in m§& New Webster Encyclopaedic
Dictionary of the English Language, “champaign”
of course refers-to “A flat open country. Level;
open; having the character of a plain.”

‘With-excitement-I-started-to-read;-wondering. if
the article was going to refer to the famous
“Champaigns of Abraham”. Maybe a litte disser-
tation on bison hunting on the Prairie Champaigns.
Maybe: it would be a travel piece abowi Montana
and the Big Sky Country and the feeling you hav-
ing living in a champaign. |

But alas. It-would appear that Bill Gates and
spell check have worked their magic and the story
was about CHAMPAGNE, that being; “A kind of
_ Sparkling wine made chiefly in the department of
Marne, in the former province of Champagne, in
France.”

Oh well, another day in another champaign

David D. Hull, Terrace, B.C.
Do some homework

Dear Sir:

_ Instead of decreasing administration in the de-
plorable situation at Mills. Memorial’ hospital the
administration is hiring a person te write nice arti-
cles about how well the hospital and administra-
lion are managing at an extra cost to taxpayers of
$10,000 per year. What. for?

” “After degrading health care here, with excuses
and remarks about limititions to admissions by the
doctors ctc., who is, the health council trying to
fool, or trying to: force people to believe? =

The sooner that many. of the. administration
heads fold up tents and rapidly disappear the better
health care may become, wilh more‘ knowledge-
able, caring, local involvement and ‘employment. ©

I believe the justification for ‘no regional hospi-
tals in B.C. is wrong. Dave Richardson of the
Northern Interior Regional Health Board made:a
more’ correct statement in saying Prince George
Regional Hospital is a referral and overseer institu-
tion for many communities surrounding the. city.
Our health council government” representative
needs more accurate education instead of political
reasoning.

The rationale behind Prince Rupert obtaining
the status of a regional hospital stems back to
many years when Prince Rupert hospital served
patients up and down the central and northern

_ coast line, when water travel or bush planes were

ihe only connection — no roadway.
In recent decades with highway accessibility,
Terrace is a most central location for many regio-

nal’ government servicés.’ It is only feasible that ~
‘i-Mills Memorial should: be: fundéd ‘to serve: as a're-

gional facility for surrounding communities:

Mr. Novak, Mr. Giesbrecht, Mr. Kelly, and

others should do same homework and study be-
fore making unreasonable statements.

Edna Jensen, Terrace, B.C.

Don’t blame animals

Dear Sir:

I am wriling in regards to the “Great Terrace
Sewage Cover Up” conspiracy, where our Ministry
of Environment's Jim Hofweber states that only
ground water is draining from the sewage diversion
lines.

Give me a break! Our own tests and video tap-
ing of the sewage leak were conducted before the
city workers plugged that pipe and also before the
city flushed the pipe and slough for about a week
with chlorinated city waler.

Of course it was. almost drinkable after that
much chlorine was added to the slough and only
ground water was visible after the pipe was plug-
ged. Does this provincial government think we are
stupid or naive or what?

It seems io be standard protocol regarding sew-
age problems to point to animals, etc. Remember

B.C. Environment's John Collinson-Baker pointing
an immediate finger ata vacant chicken coop as

the cause of all-the. high colliform counts. in: the
slough when, if he had walked another 100
metres,he would: have found the leaking sewage
diversion pipe himself.

Or recall Mr. Stew. Christiansen from the city,
pointing to imaginary livestock and: nonexistent
agricultural operations on Graham Ave. a5 5 the pos-
sible source of contamination.

The few livestock that’ actually live on Graham
consist ofa few horses only, and they all graze and
live downstream from your filthy ditches. :

Open your eyés, genticmen. We're near 2000
and Terrace is still letting: its storm sewers: flow to
the bottam of the hill-and sit there instead of trea-
ting it as sewage like: most- modern municipalities.

If you can’t afford to treat your storm sewer run-

off, then shelve your multiplex ideas until-you can. .

An alternative may be:to put our Mr. Bowsher to
work scooping all the dog and cat. feces in order to
keep the storm sewer water clean enough lo not
need sewage licatment

This pointing of fingers al livestock must be in a
book of rules for. government: officials who don't
want to rock the boal. When people in the Koolc-
nays became infected. with Cryptosporidium from
drinking water the health branch blamed the elk; in
Kelowna they blamed the cattle.

If Terrace’s present city council doesn’t want to
leave this legacy of cnvironmental pollution to
mark the millennium and correct the sewage treat-
ment deficiencies then. they should. do the only
right thing, Step dawn and ga bury their heads in
the sand.

Likewise our Ministry. of Environment, which
doesn’t think its mandate ‘is to protect us at all bul
only to protect the environment, should do the hon-
ourable thing and find a real job because you can’t
do the one you're doing: -

Brian Patrick, Terrace, B.C.

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