By SARAH A.

ZIMMERMAN
THE TERRACE fire
department is back to-a
full compliment, of paid
firefighters after recently
filling the position left
empty after Peter Weeber | 4
was promoted to fire chief .
this summer. ~*
- Colin Willoner, a vol-
_unteer firefighter with four’
years experience with the
local department started as a
career fire fighter Sept. 6.

Before becoming a career
firefighter Willoner worked
as a sheriff at the Terrace
Court House for the” past
four years. He’s also a mem-
ber of the Terrdce Water ..
Rescue Team.

“It's exciting, 1 love it,”
Willoner said last week of:
his new job.

“It’s one of the best op-
portunities that could have
come my way.”

Willoner was among 10
candidates who applied for

the position. °
' “A lot of good guys ap-

‘City hires new firefighter

COLIN WILLONER is the newest member of the Terrace Fire Department’ ‘Ss Carreer crew.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 21, 2005 - A3

News In Brief

_ SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO :

plied,” said fire chief Peter

Weeber. “Colin was the:

right guy for the job.”
Weeber’s * hoping many

Budget too little, too late, M

By ROD LINK

PROVIDING MORE money for seniors is a start
but it isn’t enough, says Skeena NDP MLA Robin
Austin of last week’s budget update provided by
provincial finance minister Carol Taylor.

Restoring a $50 a month senior supplement,
cut in the governing Liberals’ first term, and ex-
tending a shelter grant program to seniors who

‘live in mobile homes doesn’t make up for previ-_

ous reductions, he said.
“Seniors have really been hit hard i in the last

- years. I guess the Liberals got the message from

.the May election,” said Austin. .
“But when you consider gas prices the rising
‘cost'to heat a home for seniors on a fixed income,
_ this is a start but it’s way too little, way too late.”.
The money comes from a rapidly increasing
provincial budget surplus boosted by more tax
revenue from an-improving economy and rising
natural gas prices.
a All t told, the province. i

*incltiding improvements | ‘to-care™ facilities ‘and
measures to aid independent living.

“Qur senior citizens built this province, so it is
appropriate that they should be among the first to

One decision,
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Insurance

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www.terraceinsu rance. com

of those same applicants will
‘come forward when other
openings may. come up. He

to Spend an additional. -
senior ices $100 ‘million allocation meant for aboriginal peo- -
“lion ‘in’ “3005/06, $37.3. billion in 2006/07 and

Fisheries and Oceans Canada presents;

CONSERVATION CORNER

anticipates two career posi-
tions opening up sometime
in the next SiX years as two

benefit from our stronger economy,” said Taylor
in her presentation last week.

Austin said spending more money on senior
services: only makes sense giving ‘the increasing
numbers of elderly people living in the province.

“In Terrace, for instance, more seniors are stay-

- ing after they retire so the. issue is where are the

long term care beds they will need,” he added.

The MLA criticized. another portion of the
mini-budget, a reduction of the corporate income
tax rate to 12 per cent from 13.5. per cent back-

dated to July 1.
- “To give tax cuts to corporations while so Many

_ people are still hurting from the cuts over the last

four years is wrong,” said Austin.
“If the economy is doing so well, as the Liber-

als say, when share prices are up and when com-.
modity prices are so high, I’m not sure the corpo- ..

rations are hurting,” he added. .
Austin is withholding comment on a third part
of the mini-budget announcement, a one-time

ple: dubbed ‘the “First: Nations New Relationship
Fund.”
“We’re still awaiting details on that,” said Aus-
tin.

senior career members pre-
. pare to retire.
, _ The Terrace fire depart

‘spread, particularly in more remote native com-

ment is comprised of seven
. paid firefighters, one fire .
chief and 25 volunteers.

But he did wonder how far that. money ‘would :

munities where the opportunity to be part of the
mainstream economy might not exist. — ,
Taylor said the fund will support initiatives to
assist First Nations communities to be effective
partners in decision making concerning the use of ©
land and resources. .
In keeping with British Columbia’s improved
economic outlook, the updated fiscal plan released
by Taylor forecasts surpluses of $1.3 billion this
year, $600 million in 2006/07 and $400 million’:
in 2007/08.. ;
She said the provincial debt’ will keep climbing

“but at a lower rate because surpluses will allow |

the government to build hospitals, schools and
roads without having to borrow as much money
as first thought.

The province has also made allowances to
cover potential wage and benefit increases arising
from the next round of public sector bargaining.

Total’ provincial debt is,forecast at.$35.9 bil-

’ $38.0 billion in 2007/08. The total debt forecast
for 2007/08 is now $1.6 billion lower than first .
projected.

CN cop’s arrival close
TERRACE’S newest police officer will be arriving as
soon as his home sells in Fort. St. John. .

Kelly Yendrys is being. transferred here to serve as
the CN police officer to ensure people don’t trespass |
or commit any other criminal activities on CN prop-
erty from Prince Rupert to Vanderhoof.

“Essentially my duties are like an RCMP officer
except. 1 work for CN,” Yendrys said by phone last
week. oo oo
He’s not sure if his office will be at the George’
Little House or in a CN building.

Yendrys. said he’s excited about"moving with his
wife and six-children, who range in age from nine to
18.

“We? re really looking forward to it,” he said.

“It’s very close to the ocean and: there’s a lot of.
good things in Terrace.”

Yendrys has travelled to Terrace before to visit his

aunts and uncles. 8
He said the housing market is good i in Fort St. John
right now and he hopes to sell his house and arrive —
’ here soon, "
His former job position in Fort St. John will now be
covered out of Prince George.

Bike lane help

THE CITY is getting $13,182 from the provincial
~~ government to help pay for the bike lane portion of the
-Munroe St. reconstruction project in front of Skeena,,
_ Junior Secondary School.
Putting in 1.2 metre-wide bike lanes i is nowa stan-.
dard part of rebuilding more heavily travelled streets
in the city, says city official:Marvin Kwiatkowski...”
“In the past there wasn’t any” money [from the
province]. available but this time it worked out,” he,
said of the grant.
It’s part of a province- wide $2: million program
that’s going to 24 places to Provide 31 km of bike
_ lanes. .
An added bonus is that the bike lane is going in =
front of a school, said Kwiatkowski.

_ Cullen gets the nod

‘THE SKEENA-Bulkley Valley NDP Riding Asso-
ciation nominated incumbent MP Nathan Cullen as the

~ constituency’s candidate for the next federal election. -

Ata Sept. 10 meeting in Prince Rupert, fepresenta-_

__ tives from around the riding made'an unanimous en-.-|°

' dorsement of the young MP’s candidacy. : 7
“We are just unbelievably. proud of Nathan,” said
Rob Goffinet, president-of the Skeena-Bulkley Valley
NDP. Riding Association. °
“There was an enthusiasm: in the. room that: re-
minded us of the old:glory days of Frank Howard and
Jim Fulton where there was a total commitment. from
people.”
Besides the nomination, Cullen received $5, 000 i in,
commitments toward funding his next campaign.
Regardless of when the election is called, Cullen
will face off against Conservative candidate Mike.
Scott. °
. Scott’s a former Reform MP who sat for two terms. ,
but stepped down following the merger of the Reform

and Progressive Conservative Parties in 2000.

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onservation. &

issues a receipt.

Coho in the Kitimat River is two fish a day over 50 cm.

aconone ‘the FO:C. t

“provides' ORR forms: keep:them: ‘in your: ae C

and/or. with-yeur fishing license...
t to Excel: ‘Trucking:

Protection

Federal Fishery Officers /www.dfo-mpo.ge.ca

As a result of information from the public, Fishery Officers
apprehended individuals selling salmon not caught in a commercial
fishery. The fish had not been through a licensed inspection facility.
These fish had not been properly stored or refrigerated and the
risk of someone getting sick from consuming these salmon was
high. An Officer contacted the local radio station and a broadcast
to the public warned of the potential health risk. When purchasing
fish ensure the seller has proper licensing, documentation, and

Retention of Coho salmon opens in local streams below Terrace:
“on August 26, for one fish a day over 50 cm. The possession of

Terrace Habitat staff are involved in a collaborative effort with
various agencies, the Lakelse Lake Watershed Society, ‘and the
Kitselas First Nations on the Lakelse Lake Sockeye Recovery
Plan. Presently they are collecting adult escapement estimates,
DNA and disease sampling, as part-.of the baseline information
needed to help restore sockeye numbers to historical levels.

Once again Officers worked with the RCMP on road blocks in
the Terrace area that resulted in a number of charges for the RCMP
and DFO. It’s bear season! Please remember to keep your garbage
inside, and clean up the any fruit that falls on the ground.

Did you know.....there have been reports of white sturgeon.
(Acipenser transmontanus) in the. Skeena River? The white
sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish species in North America.
The largest recorded sturgeon weighed in over 600 Kilograms.

ER, OBSERVE, Ri RECORD, REPORT.

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