TERRACE STANDARD Business REvIEw Doom talk overblown We're not turning into a ghost town, say realtors, businesses By CRIS LEYKAUF CONTRARY TO recent BCTV broadcasts, Terrace is not tuming into a ghost town, says Lisa Godlinski, of the Northwest Real Estate Board. She and others are disputing the Vancouver-based news program’s gloomy interpretation of how Terrace was dealing with the Repap failure. Footage depicted a deserted town with an empty car lot and 50 per cent off sale signs in business windows, “It’s not as bad as what's been spread all over the BCTV news,” said Godlinski, of Coldwell Banker. “We're nota ghost town. The picture that’s being portrayed is that we're to- tally dependent on the logging indus- try. That’s not the case now.” She’s noticed that some purchasers are speculating that house prices may go down, but that hasn’t happened she says and people are siill buying. Terrace has had a booming real estate market for the past 11 years, says John Evans of ReMax. During those years housing prices have risen steadily, sometimes as much as 10 per cent in a single year. “We're on par with what we were doing last year,’* he said of sales. Godlinski agreed, saying the market might be stabilizing, but il certainly isn’t dropping. Evans says he’s noticed just a slight impact from the Repap situation. But the spectre of rising interest rates is Out & About Task force boosts port DAILY FERRY sailings to Port Hardy and develop- ing Prince Rupert as a con- tainer port are among the key recommendations of Northwest Transportation Corridor Task Force. The task force reported last week, releasing recom- mendations for revitalizing the $18 Dillion economy of northern B.C. and northern Alberta. It concludes thal changes in rail transportation and pricing — in particular the switching of cars from one railway to anolher — would be key in putting more cargo on the northern route. Task force representatives say a level playing field be- tween the ports of Prince Rupert and ‘Vancouver would result in more use of the northern route, because it's 30 hours closer to Asia by sea than any other west coast port. Developing Prince Rupert as a container port shipping to the Asian market would the best way to use that ad- vantage, the reportsays. The task force adds it voice to those of many others across the north who say daily ferry sailings — particularly in the summer — would pour tourism dol- lars into northern B.C, FRBC changing FOREST RENEWAL B.C. provided jobs for 947 in the past year, while forest sector unemployment — is estimated at 5,500 to 8,500. FRSC officials said it bad “assisted over 5,784,” but only 947 actually got jobs. The rest were placed in training and career pro- THiS. FRBC president Colin Smith says the agency |s changing its policy of en- couraging short-term projects lasting weeks or months, It's now seeking long-term proposals from the forest industry providing several years of employ- ment. The government created FRBC in 1994, bankrolled by higher stumpage rates, and said it would spend $400 = million = annually revitalizing the forests and create 5,000 new jobs each year in the woods. TERRACE'S HOUSING MARKET hasn't baen affected by the Rapap failure, says realtor Lisa Godlinski. encouraging people to buy. The only portion of the housing market which is sluggish is homes in the $200,000 plus range. But God- linski says sales of those homes slowed last year, when a glut of them appeared on the market. Evans says if Repap were to shut down completely then the impact would probably be more severe. But the equipment and the trees are here, he added, saying sooner or later some- one would buy it Sellers of other big ticket items have noticed more of a slow down, bul it's not as bad as some might think, Jake deJong, one of the co-owners of Totem Ford, says used and new car sales have been slower than usual the FOR A LIMITED TIME RECEIVE A FREE KODIAK PACKAGE INCLUDING VEHICLE DECAIS & YOUR CHOICE OF KODIAK WORK OR HIKING BOOTS | last month or two, “It’s the uncertainty of everything,’’ he says. “It’s one of those things.” Although he acknowledges the plight of those affected by the Repap situation, he also thinks there’s too much negative talk. ‘I've lived here for 45 years. We're going to survive this onc — definitely.” Furniture store owners have also been affected. “We do feel it somewhat, but it’s been okay,’ says Ben Kondoh of Kondola’s Furniture. ‘‘It’s been slaw, there’s no doubt about it.’’ Ed Moldenhouer of Totem's Coun-. trywide Furniture and Appliances thinks that until the dust settles people are going to be holding back on major purchases. ‘“Things that aren’t ab- solutely necessary ate going tobe put off,” he says. While we might be hurt in the short term, city economic development of- ficer Ken Veldman says the forest in- dusiry is still viable in the medium and long icrm. And should Repap shut down, Veld- man says it won’t be the death knell for the town. ‘‘We’re not a one horse town anymore. We’se a regional supp- ly and service centre.’ Repap’s difficulty hasn't affected the decisions of major new retailers — such as Canadian Tire and the Real Canadian Wholesale Club — who in- tend to start construction soon. 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