A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 3, 2003
- TERRACE

STANDARD

ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988

PUBLISHER: ROD LINK

ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C. « V8G 5R2
TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 * FAX: (250) 638-8432
WEB: www.terracestandard.com
EMAIL: newsrcom@terracestandard.com

Been there ...

..and done that.

Once again northwestern eyes turn down south
to a Vancouver courtroom for another instalment
of “As the Mill Turns,” a mini-series involving
the trials and tribulations of Repap/Skeena
Cellulose Inc./New Skeena Forest Products.

And once again a court-appointed monitor and

phalanx of lawyers will go through the entrails of

what was once the northwest’s largest employer.

Unlike 1997 and 2001, the move by the
company to bankruptcy protection is different
because we’re missing one major player — the
provincial government.

In 1997 there were cries for provincial
assistance, resulting in a now perhaps ill-advised
intervention by the then-NDP government which
cost taxpayers and northwestern businesses more
than a half a billion dollars.

There were similar cries for help in 2001 but
the new Liberal government of the day, flexing
its, tough-love election promise of no subsidies
and no assistance, allowed the company to slip
away.

This time there’s been nary a muted cry for
provincial assistance from a battle-weary and
psychologically-battered northwestern B.C.

Why is that? For one thing, the company’s
mills haven’t operated for more than two years,
meaning there is no immediate massive job
loss. That pain has mostly been dealt with.
The northwest isn’t missing what it doesn’t
have. Enough people have moved away and
the economy has shrank to the point where the
northwest has adjusted, as grim as things have
become. New Skeena is almost irrelevant to
whatever future there is here. _ oo,

No matter that food banks are a growth industry
depending upon massive volunteer help and
generous assistance from the public, companies
and non-profit groups. No matter that virtually
every school in the district now has either a
breakfast or a lunch program or both.

The key thing to consider here is that the
Liberal government wants a northwest free
of state intervention, at least when it comes
to forestry and a company that was once the
foundation of the regional economy.

This may ultimately be a very good thing. Yet
it is a very long journey. Skeena MLA Roger
Harris has persistently said the hope for the
northwest relies on many small forestry players
and has been doing his utmost to free up a wood
supply to that end.

But those of us who are left should ask why the
northwest is being singled out for such treatment.
Down south, the provincial government has no
problem in a massive infusion of public monies
to act as a springboard for the 2010 Winter
Olympics.

As the song goes, “Alone again, naturally.”

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MEMBER OF

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WARNED US
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NDP cannot w

VICTORIA - The big winner at
the NDP leadership convention
two weekends ago was Gordon
Campbell,

Women have been
spectacularly unsuccessful as
party leaders in Canada.

Remember Kim Campbell,
who presided as leader over the
implosion of the federal Tories?

Or how about Rita Ichnston,
under whose’ stewardship the
B.C. Socreds were wiped out?
And then there are the current
and previous federal NDP
leaders, both women, who in
spite of their best efforts failed to
inspire the public.

Carole James, the new leader
of the B.C. NDP is a very nice
woman. I mean that in a positive
sense. The former Victoria
school board president wouldn’t
know how to hurt a fly, leave
alone do it.

Someone

“take a good woman” to clean
up-the mess made by men. James
said later she wouldn't mind

‘being that woman.

Well, she now is,
Unfortunately, nice and good
don’t cut it in the blood sport
known as politics in British
Columbia.

The 45-year-old James is
also about as exciting as low-cai
cream cheese.

said on the.
convention floor that it might

FROM-THE CAPITAL

HUBERT BEYER

She’s no Joy MacPhail
whose performance as half the
opposition in the legislature has
been awe-inspiring,

Had MacPhail run for the
leadership, she would have been
a shoe-in, ‘and I would - have
been far more optimistic about
the NDP’s chances of making
a credible comeback, probably
not to. government, but at. least
strong opposition status, proving
my theory about. women party
leaders wrong.

James, on the other hand,
seems unlikely to ‘prove me
wrong.

* Don't get me wrong. I wish

James all the luck, not just for

her sake, but for the sake of the
democratic process, which needs
a strong opposition to keep the

government in check,

In fairness to James it must
also be said that none of the
contenders for the leadership set
the convention on fire.

There was a lot of Liberal
bashing, which is bound to go
over well at an NDP convention,
but is‘no substitute for laying out
in forceful terms a different vision
for the future of the province.

James won the leadership
contest with relative ease,
defeating Leonard Krog and Nils
Jensen on the second ballot.

That was the easy part. The
real challenge begins now. Not
only must she. inspire good
candidates to line up against the
Liberals in the 2005 election, she
also must begin filling the coffers
to finance the next battle.

That requires not only
organisational skills but a lot of
arm-twisting as well.

MacPhail wisely declined
Premier Gordon Campbell's offer
Not to run a candidate in a by

election, should the new leader

want to get into the legislature
immediately. oe

“In his dreams,” was how
she put it, because not only
would she or Jenny Kwan have
to resign their seats, but the new
leader would be tied up in the
legislature, unable to beat the
NDP drum in all ridings, but

IN with a woman

she'd be a virtual dog's breakfast
for the Liberals because of her
lack of experience.

James’ task of rebuilding the
party after the disaster of the last
election begins right now.

She will have to travel the
width and breath of the province
to fire up the troops and tell
people to shore up the election
campaign coffers.

As a very modest start, James
should tell someone to give the
provincial NDP's website a
makeover.

There is no’ link to any of
the riding associations. Inviting
visitors to leave a get-well note
for Mike Harcourt is a nice
gesture, which Mikey appreciates,
I’m sure, but what the site needs
is a little more information.

She must also assemble a team
that prepares a distinct platform
for the next election. A lot of
NDP supporters naively believe
that the Liberals will be defeated
on their record alone. In their
“dreams. Sees

I said at the outset that Gordon
Campbell was the big winner at
the convention.

Let me conclude on a more
positive note: 1 would like
nothing better than be proven
wrong by James.

Beyer can be reached at: E-
mail: hbeyer@coolcam.com:

Teens need nutritional helo |

ENTHUSIASTIC REACTION
of viewers to the obvious success
of the adults on Dr. Phil's
Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge
has inspired him to organize an
ullimate weight loss challenge
for teenagers. .

Again, we'll be able ta follow
dieters’ progress as they learn to
control their weight by revamping
their lifestyle rather than starving
themselves.

Prior to announcing _ this
second weight loss challenge, Dr.
Phil’s son Jay reviewed university
research and interviewed
thousands of American teenagers.
His finding are disturbing.

Girls as young as 9 feel they
are too heavy. Almost 50 per
cent of 10 year old girls believe
they are overweight. And over 40
per cent of girls age 9 and 10 are
happier when they are on a diet.

Ten year olds don’t obsess
about their weight unless those
around them obsess. If they hear
Mom or big sister complaining
about her ample butt, thick
thighs, or second chin every time
she passes a mirror, little wonder
if the youngster decides she, too,
is a cow.

Pp

_THROUGH BIFOCALS.
CLAUDETTE SANDECKL

The same sex parent has the
most influence on a child. So
if the kid looks like Mom, and
Mom says her body has defects,
the child is bound to conclude
thal she, too, is a defective human
being.

Herding teens together five
days a week (okay, in Coast
Mountains School District it’s
only four days a week) gives
them ample opportunity to

B Nol THE SNOWELAKE mug (SHELL FEEL CHILLY)
OR THESORE Mub GHELL THINK OF WORK), OR.

compare themselves to their
peers and to be ridiculed.

Even teens of normal weight
may feel they need to lose as
much as 50 pounds.

Fifty pounds could well make
them anorexic, but no matter.
Their view is unrealistic.

In addition, those who believe
they are overweight look at a
normal weight peer and wish
they were equally skinny, Yet the
normal weight teen is probably
labelling herself a fatso and
dieting to drop 20 pounds. Bath
teens think if only they could
lose weight, their life would be
perfect.

But ,as one astute teen said,
“Losing 50 pounds doesn’t make
your life perfect. ‘You'll only
find something else you want to
change about yourself.”

Much better for parents to help
a teen celebrate her good points,
sense of humour, musical ability,
ski]! on the volleyball court, being
a loyal friend, getting along well
with people and countering her
negative self-talk with deserved
praise and encouragement.

This can be difficult. As an
aid, Jay McGraw has published a

ONTAE FALL ASPEN [p
MUS! THATS PERFECT [2

teen version based on Dr. Phil's
book. The Ultimate Weight
Solution for Teens has not yet
reached Terrace store shelves,
nor has his second book, Closing
the Gap, which offers families
help reconnecting with estranged
teenagers.

Without reading Jay's book
I know it is a guide to altering
lifestyle following Dr. Phil's
seven keys. Believe you can lose
weight to a healthy level. Heal
the feelings that drive you to
overeat. Rid your environment of
junk food, Curb impulse eating.

Buy foods that take longer to .

consume. Exercise daily. And

keep company with folks who _

support your weight loss efforts.

One thing teenagers want is
help dieting without drawing
attention to themselves when they
are in the presence of their peers.
To eat a tossed salad while others
stuff themselves on burgers and
fries invites ridicule.

Teens . lack nutritional
knowledge. They also depend
upon Mom to shop for and
prepare healthy meals so they can
lose weight slowly, safely.

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FOR TODAY"!

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Serving the Terrace and Thomhti] area. Published on Wednesday of gach weak at $210 Clinton Strea!, Terrace,
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' for their time and talents