“Gerry Martin

Jackpine
Flats eyes
gas line

TERRACE — Another
referendum might be in the works
for a Thomhill community.

Following the June 12
referendum in which Queensway
voters approved a $1.9 million
sewer system, Jackpine Fiats resi-

dents recently met to discuss the

possibility of getting natural gas
installations,

The meeting, held June 22, was
attended by area residenis, along
with Skeena MLA Helmut Gies-
brecht, Bob Marcellin and Sandy
Sandals of the mgional district,
and Pacific Northern’ Gas repre-

; sentative John Derooy...

John. Whitthgtin’ of” lackpine
"Flats said residents became aware
of the possibility of using natural
gas after a Prince George com-
munity... was, .successful...in .a
similar bid.

That community “paid” for its
new . installments through
municipal taxes.

Whittington: says that electric
and wood heat are used in the
area now. But he is hoping for a
gas replacement.

“(t's) much more clean. We're
trying to get rid of the smoke here
in the valley, The smoke seems to
lic iow.”

He added that there were also
electtical problems in the winter.

Whittington said everyone in
the valley would welcome natural
gas facilities, but oniy if the pro-
ject was affordable. As arcsult, a
referendum would have to be
held before’ there was’ any con-
struction.

Regional district administrator.
Bob. Marcellin said the figures
were still being determined. He
estimated that costs may be in the
Tange of $300,000.

_' However, he noted ‘that could
change, depending on how many

dwellings would use natural gas’

and if there would be any com-
mercial use of the proposed sys-
tem. ,

Marcellin: said the project could
de paid through either parcel or
properly assessment taxes. He
added that the province has an as-
sistance program for gas service
expansion, but noted — there
haven’t been any program funds
for the past two years.

Marcellin said the propesal
would be examined over the next
couple of weeks, and then another
meeting would be held to
cvaluale which way the residents
**want to go.”

Derooy,, Who is expected: to
determine more accurate costs,
was unavailable for comment.

TERRACE — It may not be pos-
sible to put an exact dollar figure
on it, but outgoing chamber of
commerce president Gerry Martin
says the demise of the proposed
Windy - ‘Cragey mine will: cost
Terrace, 23

Pointing | “out the city was the
service centre for the northwest,
Martin said local. businesses
would likely have benefitted from
supplying the operation.

Given its location and con-
tinued jet: service from Van-
couver, it could also have become
a Slaging area for the mine.

“A lot of people would have
come through here..and that all
means dollars,’’ he noted.

And, with reasonable housing

prices and excellent shopping and
recreation facilities, there had
been strong possibillty. mine em-
ployees would have moved their
families here,

The New Democrat government
had now ended all that by its de-
cision to make the Tatshenshini --

the area in which Geddes Res- .

cources proposed to construct the
mine. -- a provincial park, he
added. ;

Maintaining the days of single
use are gone, Martin said British
Columbians had ‘the brains and
the technology” to satisfy the
needs of both mining and tourism
inthe area,

“We can’t turn the whole pro-
vince into a park,’’ he insisted.

Furry friend
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rabbits are cuddly as Aja-Lee Rodger knows. However, there’s another bunny
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New wealth had to be created in
this province and the resource in-
dusiries were the primary genera-
tors of that wealth.

‘*There have to be career
choices for my children beyond
Ul and welfare,” he added.

Martin suggested the decision
to preserve the Tatshenshini was
made simply to pay ‘‘political
debts” .to  environmentalists
angered by logging in the Clayo-
quot getting the go-ahead.

Meanwhile, reaction from local
political figures was predictable.

Helmet Giesbrecht, New Demo-

-crat MLA for Skeena, defended
what he described as a difficult

decision and emphasize, ‘It was
was not made lightly’’.

. Wet’suwet’en person
- said Missalos (Victor Jim),

Decision time for local NDP

TERRACE — Skeena tiding
New Democrats. will this
weekend choose ‘their. candidate
for the impending federal elec-
tion. -

There are five contenders to re-
place retiring MP Jim Fulton: Joc
Barrett, : Bill Goodacre, - ‘Christo

Holmes,.. John. Kuz and, Norm S

Layailee,

Recently moved to Prince
Rupert. :where he intedns to
resume a teaching career, Barrett
has spent the past two years
working as 4 membership

organizer for both the provincial

and federal New Democrats.

Goodacre, a grocery store clerk
and. Smithers councillor, served
as president of the Skeena federal

- NDP. association in. the ’70s and

has since held various posts, on
that executive..

“Holmes is-a small ‘busniesenian
‘from Prince Rupert.

Kuz is also from Prince Rupert
where he has sat on clty council
for the past four years,

He’s also business agent for lo-
ca] 2000 of the United Food and

_SPORTS@CT

Commercial Workers union.

Lavallee is a resident of Ter-
race, An ironworker, he first
came to the area 18 years ago to
work on Mills Mentorial hospital.

He’s working in Kemano at the
moment.

Other  candidales — already
selected are Progressive Conser-
vative Danny Sheridan, Mike
Scott for the Reform party and
Louis Kwantes from the Christian
Heritage party.

The Liberals will select their
candidate July 24,

He also rejected suggestions il
sent a negative message {to the
mining industry in B.C.

Giesbrecht said Vicloria was
working with the mining industry
to ensure it enjoyed a successful
future here.

He also pointed out the gavern-
ment had approved several mine
development certificates this
year.

However, federal Progressive
Conservative candidate Danny
Sheridan blasted the park desig-
nation,

“The . Harcourt government
might just as well put a gun io the
head of the (mining) industry and
put it outof it’s misery,” he said.

Charging the province had

’ decision costly one for city

bowed to American government
pressure, Sheridan said it had
thrown away a long term mineral
potential of $40 billion in doing
50,

Giesbrecht, however, said the
balance sheet approach simply
didn’t work.

“There is no way to calculate
the -spiritual and  recaretional
values of pristine wilderness,” he
insisted. ,

Pointing out the Forestry and
mining potential of Banff was
lost when it was designated a
park, Giesbrechi said today it was
considered a national treasure. .

Fifty years from now, people
would regard the Tatshenshini in
the same way, he predicted.

Aboriginal rights upheld

SMITHERS — A jubuant
reaction greeted the B.C. Court of
Appeal’s long-awaited decision
on the province’s largest land
claim.

Gitksan and Wet'suwet’en
people had gathered throughout
the day Friday at Dze L K’ant

Friendship Centre. -*
When results were made public
— through a simultaneous

telecast of a First Nations press

conference near the Vancouver °

law courts — the crowd rose in a
standing ovation.
Once the broadcast wrapped up

“people spilled outside, hugging
~ each other and honking homs in

the parking lot.
“feel proud to be a
today,”

Moricctown band spokesperson,
After international. stock
markets closed for the weekend, a

- panel of appeal court judges ruled

that aboriginal rights had- not

been extinguished in-the 19th

century. a
That overturns a 1991 ruling by

B.C. Supreme Court ChiefiJustice «:

Allan McEachera; who said such
rights had long since expired.
But the Friday ruling is a only

partial win on the overall Delgam .

Uukw action,

While the court said aboriginal
rights are protected by the Cana-
dian Constitution, property rights

_—a main plank in the case —

were not upheld,
In a 3-2 vate, the B.C. Court of
Appeal rejected the claim to out-

right ownership of traditional ter

ritorics.

Gitksan and Wet'suwet’en were
seeking absolute title over their
traditional territories, a land mass
about the size of Nova Scotia.

That included ownership and
jurisdiction over resources, in-
cluding forestry, mining, fishing
and water rights.

. goliate on. a

_ Missalos said. his - pcopie
weren't surprised ‘‘not. lo: win
that one,'” and will probably -ap-
peal the matter to the Supreme
Court of Canada.

Chiefs and elders will come up
with a more specific plan during a
comprehensive review of the 372-
page judgment on July 1, ata
community meeting in Gitan-
maax, he said.

Overall, Missalos said he -was
pleased ihe Friday announcement
backed away from McEachern's
contention that pre-colonial : life
for natives: was - “nasty brutish
and short.”’

Instead, one of the five judges,
Justice Alan MacFarlane, wrote:

“There is no question that the
Gitksan and Wet’ suwet’en people
had an organized socicty, and that
the use and occupation of land
and certain products of the lands
and. waler were integral to. that
society."

_. The ruling concedes the Gitksan
and Wet’suwet’en have a: valid
claim to 58,000 hectares sur-

rounding: Smithers.and-Hazelln,. . ..

‘Tt means partial tide,’’. Mis-
salos said, and explained that will
give the bands a stronger bargain-
ing position in upcoming negotia-
tions with the B.C, and Canadian
governments.

“The courts told the goveri-
ment: “You can sit down and .ne-

nation-1o-nation
basis,'’” ms

The, Delgamn Uukw case,
launched i in. 1984, is the longest
running First Nations land claim

_ case in Canadian history.

Justice McEachern dismissed
the case in March of 1991, The

_ bands immediately appealed, and

the B.C. Court of Appeal ap-
pointed a panel of five judges ‘lo
hear their case, along with seven
other aboriginal appeals.

Claim costs agreed

TERRACE — The land-claims
process advanced another. step
last week with the announcement
of a cost-sharing agreement.

On June 21, Indian Affairs and
Northern Development minister
Tom Siddon and B.C, Aboriginal
Affairs minister Andrew Petter
signed the deal in Vancouver.

The agreement, which took a
year and a half to complete, sets
the scene for future treaty negoti-
ations.

The federal government now
holds primary responsibility for

future settlement costs, while ©

B.C. will be providing crown
land.

’ The federal government will
pay. at Icast 75 per cent of the
costs of scttling ciaims,

The province will pay 10 per
cent, with the remaining 15 per
cent shared between the two
governments.

‘In addition, both parties will
‘split third party ‘costs 50-50.
Third parties are organizations,
such as logging and mining com-
panics, which would lose
resource rights ag a result of suc-
cessful claims.

‘Treaty setilements will benefit
both Aboriginal and — non-
Aboriginal people,” said Slddon,

“They will contribute in a very

. significant way to the creation of

healthy and vibrant Aboriginal
communities .. which can take
their rightful place in the social
and economic development of
this province and this country.”’

The deal will be evaluated after
four years, and every fifth year
afterward,

If necessary, there will be a spc-
cial evaluation after five treaties
have been completed. -

Twenty-six native groups in the
province have filed land claims.

edge