AG - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 14, 1998 “TERRACE STANDARD Business REVIEW @ Cheap gas DRIVERS got even happier last week when gas prices dropped again. Seif-serve prices moved from what had seemed a stable level of 51.9 cents per litre down to first 49.9 on Friday and then 47.9 on Saturday. The gas bar at the Real Canadian Wholesale Club led the way down again, with most other gas stations matching the lower price. The cheap gas plus coupons redeemable in the store are part of the Wholesale Club's strategy for gaining market share. Cruise ship could act as a floating casino By JEFF NAGEL THE ONLY casino that may come to the northwest is a pocket cruise ship with on-board casino that may base it- self at Prince Rupert. The province last week revealed ap- plications for 21 destination casinos and two charity casinos across B.C. that received local government sup- port and now go to ihe next stage of the gaming evaluation process. This region was the only part of the province where a casino application -— at least one involving a conven- tional casino building — has not ad- vanced to the next stage. Every other region has proposals and more than half of them are located on Indian reserves, Inside Passage Cruises Inc. plans to sail its pocket cruise ship between Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Company president George Bartel confirms he hopes to sometimes have the cruise ship docked in Prince Rupert to act like a floating casino that norihwesterners could visit to do some gambling. “In the off season we do want to come up there and take people from Terrace, Prince Rupert and Smithers, ‘so you don’t have to go to Reno and — ‘spend your money out of the coun- try,”’ Bartel said. Prince Rupert city council approved the plan by the company’s subsidiary, Pacific Gaming Ltd., on April 14. Under rules for a destination casino, the host community — namely Prince Rupert — receives one sixth of the gambling profits. The company keeps one-sixth of the profits, while the provincial government gets the remaining two-thirds. But Prince Rupert mayor Jack Mus- sallem was unaware last week that the proposal might mean a share of the profits for the cily of Prince Rupert. Mussallem said he was also unaware that the cruise ship might serve as a walk on/walk off casino moored on his city’s waterfront in the off season. That topic did not come up in any discussions he had with Bartel, Mus- sallem said. “We'll certainly consider that if that’s what’s needed to facilitate his operation,’”?> Mussallem added. “We're certainly not adverse to con- sidering it.’’ Bartel said if there’s trouble with that idea the ship could always take on gambling passengers and go for a short cruise around the harbour. There’s presently no terminal for pocket cruise ships in Prince Rupeit, ‘but Mussallem said city council is ac- tively looking at developing one. He said-a study is in progress to determine if the CN rail yard can be reduced in size to make way for de- velopment on the waterfront. ship plans to sail CRUISE B.C.’s beauliful coastline in luxury and gamble at the same time. That’s the pitch George Bartel is using to market the sailings of his soon-to-be-launched 100-passenger pocket cruise ship this spring. The Pacific Aurora will carry pas- sengers on three-day cruises between Vancouver and Prince Rupert. *“We're just starting a full-scale marketing program right now,’’ said Bartel, owner of Inside Passage Cruises Inc. The company’s subsidiary, Pacific Gaming Ltd., popped up last week on the province’s list of proposed casiios that have passed the first stage of the approval process. Bartel plans an on-board casino on the Pacific Aurora to give his pas- sengers something ‘‘more enterlaining 4 than seagulls’? to watch on rainy nights. He said he needed the revenue to en- hance the tour package and to help offset the higher costs associated with having a Canadian-registered vessel. The first sailing is to be May 22, he added. But right now the ship is in the midst of a complete rebuild that will transform it from a 35-year-old pas- Senger cargo ship to a modern cruise liner. Once complete it will have 38 out- ‘side cabins, a dining room, bar, large observation lounge, hot tubs, saunas and other facilities, he said. He plans week-long round = trip cruises that would spend a day in the Queen Charlotte Islands, Another package being planned, he Bartel’s plan, along with all the other casino proposals, still requires the approval of cabinet, which will get recommendations from its Lotteries Advisory Committee, Destination casinos arc limited to a maximum of 30 gaming tables and 300 slot machines. A charitable bingo hall in Kitimat gol the support of Kitimat council and also advances to the next stage. Terrace was the preferred location of two casino proponents Vancouver-based Royal Diamond Casinos owner Gary Jackson and Ter- race Inn owner John Georgilas. Georgilas wanted 1o redevelop his hotel including a casino. Jackson pursued sites in Terrace, Thornbill and Kitsumkalum reserve. But the idea of allowing a casino met widespread opposition here and was rejected by all local government bodies, including the Kitsumkalum band council. The main supporters of the casino idea was the Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce and an associ- ation of local bingo-dependent charities. They feared that a destination casino would be set up elsewhere in the northwest, likely on a native reserve, and that Terrace would still pay the human price of the casino but get none of its benefits. by May said, would link the service with VIA Rail’s Skeena run, allowing the pas- sengers to get off the boat and then continue on through B.C. by rail to return to Vancouver. “You can see the whole province that way,’ he said. Bartel’s hoping the packages will be attractive to international tourists. He’s also hoping to attract corporate charter clients in the off season. The ship already has a booking from the Rockefeller brothers for an off season lour to see Kermodei bears at Princess Royal Island, he added. Bartel said the ship was previously in service on the east coast, adding his firm bought it in an auction sale Last year and sailed it from Newfoundland, through the Panama Canal, to Van- couver. risk... * B.C. taxpayer dollars A decision on the fate of the Taku River Watershed will be handed down over the next two months by the British Columbia government. A decision to open up the Taku to industrial mining development will put at * the ongoing treaty negotiaions of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation * 245 million acre unroaded wilderness watershed * a large unfragmented salmon fishery * some of the richest grizzly bear, moose and caribou habitat on the west coast of North Ameria : The Taku Wilderness Association will present Video and Slide Presentation on Monday, January 19, 1998 at 7 pm at the Terrace Art Gallery Meeting Room - Terrace, B. Ce Video features interviews with First Nations members, researchers, fishermen, Alaskans and Atlin residents ee LUCKY DOLLAR BINGO JANUARY 1998 PA LAC E JANUARY 1998 "FRIDAY “ WEONESDAY © THURSDAY : SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY SATURDAY - 1 Canadan a arapiegc Association || ~—————-—-~- -- CLOSED ——— eae onic ga Im Bg Brothers & Tenane toca Sisters cf Tenace . Canadian Canadian Parece Acaledonia s) Terace Scanatian 7 Terrace 8 Sell F rape 10 "trea | soar Senior not Paraplegic | Blueback [oo Asooaun | SSislaen Sceread Secondary J Pasedall | Association # Swim Clu | kreedticnty [hecsstnatonal | Tera Seacns School Association Croup Sooety Terrace Local Alescue . : Totem Saddle Mien 12 [13 [14 ff Semme [16 [17mg Community | mode | Terrace Peaks | accoscton | _PassleocAsioe I” jean opal Band Minor Hockey | Friendship | Gymnastics | Qaorq Royal | Nisga’a Tita! Fone Sara ty Association Society Club Pupie Council ° ER Le ee oe es Skeena Wt. 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