diversity

by Mary Swift
The Select Standing Commit-

tee on Constitutional Matters

and Intergovernmental Rela-
tions met in Terrace Monday
with members of the Northern
community. The committee is

travelling throughout the prov-

ince to ‘consult broadly with
British Columbians’? on the
state of Canadian Federation.
Prince George MLA Bruce
Strachan chaired the hearing,
accompanied by MLAs Colin
Gabelmann, Nick Loenen, Anne
Edwards, Joan Smallwood, Dan
Peterson and David Zirnhelt.
Members of the public were
invited to submit their views on
issues ranging from constitu-
tional reform, federalism,

aboriginal rights, and senate

reform to regional economic
development and free trade.
Presentations covered a wide ar-
ray of topics.

The first presenter, Joan Pe-
ment, travelled from Burns Lake
to offer her vision of Canada’s
future, In Pement’s opinion,
Canada’s governmental process
has become too centralized, too

dominated by Central Canadian
concerns and self-interests, She
would like to see an end to a
“myopic view of Canada”. She
emphasized a ‘celebration of
regional diversity” based on an
open-door process of constitu-

‘tional reform. ©

Pement also expressed con-

‘cern over public access to infor-

mation. She proposed. that
public information be dissemi-
nated more effectively, possibly
through the community college
system. More public participa-
tion at both levels of govern-

_ ment is needed, she said.

The next presentation was
given by John Frey of Terrace,
who argued in favour of more
centralization of powers, in con-
trast to Pement’s position.
Equality amongst all Canadians
was Frey’s main emphasis. In-
terests of wildlife and natural
resources, for example, should
not be determined by one self-
serving interest group. Frey says
he is reacting against “‘groups
making outrageous demands’.
In order to have a strong and
unified Canada, he maintained,

R.E.M. Lee Hospital
Foundation,

4720 Haugland Ave.
Terrace, B.C. V8G 2W7

A thoughtful way to remember is with an In Memoriam
gift to the R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation. Donations ate
gratefully accepted at the above address. Please include
the name of the deceased, your name and address, as well
as the name and address of the next-of-kin for an
acknowledgement card. Income tax receipts are available.

LIMITED ENTAY OF ONLY 5000 WILO YELLOW

Project, Cat Soan, Science Fair,

B.C.DAY SAT. AUGUST 5TH. 1991

You Could Win One of
$1000. Finishing Prizes

TICKETS ARE $5. EACH AND ARE AVAILABLE FROM ANY TERRACE ROTARY CLUB MEMBER.
RACE TO BE RUN ON AUGUST 5, 199¢ AT 1PM. AT WILLIAMS CREEK (OFF HWY 37.) WITH A
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Terrace Bus Shellers, Tennis Courts, Exchange Students, Howe Creek
Pacific Northwest Music Festival,
Saivation Amy, Boy Scouts, Big Brothers, Terrace Welcome signs and

many more to come!

regional autonomy must be
minimized rather than pro-
moted.

A Terrace educator and .

naturalist, William Hayes, then
presented his views on a three-
tiered Canadian society, which
includes the city, rural com-
munities and the individual. For
Hayes, the family unit and com-
munity make up the basic units
of society; and these institutions
are “fragmenting” as a result of
urban economic policies. A

- future Canada must enshrine the

Terrace Review — Wednesday, July 24, 1991 A9

values and needs of the rural
self-sustaining community if this
social entity is to survive.
Originally from Quebec, but
in Terrace since 1982, Jean-
Pierre Turcotte stated that the
future of Canada must be based
on ‘‘historical reality’’.
Aboriginal peoples, the French
and the English all must have
equal say in the design and
development of a new Canadian
Constitution. Members of the
Aboriginal community should
have been represented on the

Legislative committee on Constitution gets
of views on federal structure

panel, Turcotte said.

All presenters agreed on ic

central theme that the process
of governmental reform itself
must be changed to accommo-
date the views of Canadians.
Echoing some of the discontent
yoiced by the Spicer Commis-
sion Report, this hearing’s
message to the provincial
legislature will convey a degree
of frustration and a demand for
serious reform.

Hearings will continue
throughout the province,

Local youth air views
on Canadian unity issues

by Sheena Falconer

Terrace hosted the B.C.
Youth Advisory Council on Na-
tional Unity on July 18. Terrace
was one of 12 B.C. communities
to host such an event. Students
attended from Terrace, Kitimat,
Prince Rupert, Greenville and
Aiyansh.

The group met to discuss the
barriers and possible solutions
to national unity in Canada.
Three speakers were invited to
share their views with the

_ students: Terry Brown president

of the Kermode Friendship Cen-
tre, a school board trustee and
chairman of the board’s Native
Advisory Committee, and staff

lawyer at the L’ax Ghels Com-
munity Law Centre; Dr. Peter
Weber, professor of history,
politics and economics at North-
west Community College; and
Dr. Richard Daly, an an-
thropoligist from Hazelton.

The speakers each gave a
small speech at the outset of the
meeting. Brown spoke on the
necessity for aboriginal people
to be involved int he Constitu-
tion and also discussed native
self government and what it
means to him as an individual.
Weber talked about the results
of the Spicer Commission and
the need for Canadians to
develop a society that meets the

Dumping problem prompts
review of landfill hours

Terrace city council’s Public
Works Committee will discuss
summer hours at the Terrace sani-
tary landfill next week. Acting on
a complaint from the Terrace and
District Chamber of Commerce, a
solution will be sought for the
after-hours dumping of garbage on
private driveways and side roads
on Kalum Lake Drive.

The dumping has become a more

serious problem since the city °

began regulating landfill hours and
set up an attendant this year in
compliance with its Ministry of

Environment waste management
permit.

The Chamber of Commerce has
suggested extending the landfill
closing time to 10 or 11 p.m. from
8 p.m. during the summer months,
but city council isn’t sure they can
comply with that request. Alder-
man Bob Cooper pointed out that
the hours were being enforced at
the request of the Ministry of
Environment; to extend them
beyond eight hours a day, a second
landfill supervisor would have to
be hired.

expectations that we have for
our country. Daly spoke about
the problems minority groups
have in making their voices
heard in our society and sug-
gested that all groups have
something valuable to con-
tribute to the forming of a new
constitution.

The students then broke up in-
to small groups to discuss what
they had heard and to identify
the problems and possible solu-
tions facing national unity.
These groups each worked on
specific problems and presented
their solutions to the class. The
information from each group is
summarized daily and is includ-
ed in a report to the Select Stan-

ding Committee on the Con-

stitution.

Joan Mason, who is in charge
of the program for the B.C.
Yough Advisory Council, noted
that the youth of the country did
not get a chance to make their
views known in the Spicer Com-
mission, and since it is they who
will inherit the country, they
should be allowed to have a say
in what goes into it.

Kannin Osei-Tutu, a Youth
council member from Terrace,
said they had a very enthusiastic
group. He remarked that the
high native involvement in the
Terrace meeting treated the
group to a new perspective on
what should be involved in the
Constitution.

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