a Gia Er CT reer er 0 at cael cial ie cele bas TERRACE — Westmin Resources is laying off 65 of the 165. workers” at its Premier gold ‘mine in. Stewart by next March because’ there. isn’t as mich ore. as first thought. - vs Those ‘employees ‘who: “will lose their jobs will be told’ this: severance: month once a. package is, in place, company spokesman . Elmer. Borneman ‘said last week. : The mine now mills 2,300 tonnes a day but is reducing the: amount to ‘1,500 tonnes a/day.” ‘by mid-March of next year, a sted Qe te y . PARI. BATTNS ~ VICTORIA 18Y 1X4 company press release sald,- The mine opened in- spring 1989 with. a. 10-year. operating. -life expectation but was reduced - to-five years early on when ors. _ . reserves didn't meet initial Pros. -jections, ‘said Borneman; _ That’ situation has continued; leading to the decision to reduce . the amount of ore milled‘and to , cut. the workforce, he added. “We had diamond drill holeé * 25 metres ‘apart and when we hit (ore bearing) intersections we thought so much was there. But - . When we got t to the body, that - ASSEMBLY ReV, CARIN HO CAN Ba =) me mF LEGISLATIVE TAHENT BLIG wasn! t the - case,'’ Borneman, At.the same time, Borneman said the amount of gold in the © ore it is processing isn? t meeting original. projections, ™ ““Some-- of-'the stuff we’ Te mining: ‘now: isn't profitable at aul, ’ he said: “Westmin ‘will ‘be doing: more drilling. early’ next ‘year to im- prove its. reserves but those “results. won't be known until “spring, ‘Borneman continued. Latest : “mountain drew: more: ‘than 350 akiers. on opening day... i" he ‘equipment,"" the said. - ':Shamies’ ski services . _manager ‘Tim, Foster said the“ It was ‘beautiful — we , had no ‘problems with any of . and: ‘ooauly: a much as. 20: feet at the.top of’. _ the: T-bar, sow quantity and quality; was never a-question’ with: Shames, unlike its ~ snow-starved predecessor ~The more than +380 lift said. projections -by Westmin have reduce the mine less than one year to more than five years. A worst-case scenario could see mining shut down in the spr- ing with milling to continué un- til stockpiles run out later In the summer, said Borneman. ‘Personally 1 don't see that happening,” he said. ‘Layoffs will be conducted on the basis of employees. being able to perform more than one . type of job and not on seniority, Borneman continued. “We'll be selecting people to . “really wood today,” he: said, a ti We still had room for about: a = : Saturday’ $s” opening.«. “followed by twa days the-of-" ficial: opening of | the. “highways. ministry: road. to a _ the ski area.: “Skeeng | ‘MLA | Dave ~ Parker, i in snipping the road- “opening ribbon, said Shames will add to the economic iversification and quality of life ofthe area. . He called the development ; a “coming, of age’ for Ter- “Face and. area. Sued -pected:- for. opening « ” said Foster. aoe ‘sumkalumi won't. be’ opera: : * . Shames. managers said skiers ” like Kermodei Kut, Rainbow 2 . reflect. ‘the mountain's: in “pretty ‘much’ what “we: tional-until the: ‘new year, but. .” were able'to fest up in Atco - trailers between’ ‘tackling runs, -~ down the mountain, - . The ‘runs (=: with names Ridge, ”: ‘Sternwheeler - and. Potline — were so-named.to tended regional market, 4 Log ex ": TERRACE. — An increase in - the amount of wood that-can be “exported. on the north coast will ‘help. employment in Terrace, says a spokesman fora logging company. Andy Amanovich of: Tomp. son Industries said most of its ‘Jogging operations closed in the. fall because of an existing policy “which cut the amour of whole logs that could be sold overseas. That policy, limiting exports. by ‘companies to. a maximum ~§,000.cubic metres a year, ends “in February - ‘when new provi- ~“slons increasing the amount to- "20,000 cubic metres ‘come into -@ffect. =. : . Amanovich estimated: ‘half of . » the 300° people: that ’ worked. ‘y-directly. or Indirectly for Tomp- - '. son Industries . come from the "Terrace areas “Tl certainly: help,” he sald a of the new.export amounts. Although the export of whole fe pose been, srltleized sat at ‘essential to north coast Aogging, said Amanovich. ©: ““T can ‘understand the public - . concern but export logging has - always been, a factor on the north coast, It’s esseritial for the survival of the industry," he said, . Revenue from exports helps subsidize the high -.costs . of coastal: logging operations ‘and | provides. a buffer. against. .}: domestic log sales, Asmanovich ‘continued. That's important in today’s’ démestic forest products in- dustry because: prices for pulp and logs have dropped, he sald, It just killed us, it was $0 bad; ? said-Amanovich of a | declining domestic market. * The international ‘market, ‘malnly in}. the” Orient, may decline’ but’ i€: traditionally re- malns' stronger. than domestic markets. in, rth coast: began: to suffer Amanovich:' said: : loggers ‘on. eforé. the “current 5,000 + yorts to help locals into effect, -» That happened in June of this year, | replacing regulations which limited exports to a max- _ imium 10,000 cubic metres. The new export limits were contained in a provincial cabinet. order-in-council ap- proved the end of November. It also provides a two-year period under which the exports can take’ place. This will help companies . stabilize their operations and give them a chance to plan their activities, said forest service of- . ils operating life. expectations to- keep who are more versatile than others — those that can operate three pieces of equip- ment, for example,’’ said Borneman. “We'll be treating them (those that will be laid off) with dignity and respect. Jt won't be a@ tap on the shoulder and saying ‘you're out,” ” he said, ei k hak And as Westmin prepares to drill to find more‘ore, it is also considering milling ore from other bodies to keep its: opera- tion going, Borneman. | Premier has’ a’ 50. ownership stake, = said” Borneman, °. | . ee That- prospect won't be known until March, he said, and there is also the chance of the same contract milling take place with ore from the Scottie by, “We have the mill and: we: have the only licensed ‘tailings disposal pond in the area," said Gov't seeks way for others to join claim talks TERRACE — The provincial government wants to settle the issue of haw to involve outside interests in Nisga’a land claims negotiations by next month, says a government official, Eric Denhoff, native affairs ministry deputy minister, said it wants a resolution on the matter in advance of an agreement on what will be negotiated, He made the comments last week after talks between the Nisga’a, the provincial govern- ment and the. federal govern- ment. ; : It's the second time the three parties have met since the fall when the province announced it would join lind claims hegotia- tions already’ iy between the federal government-and ‘the Nisga’a to -settle the latter's ‘claim to 5,000 square miles centering on the Nass Valley. The issue of outside interests, commonly defined as third par- ty interests which are companies and other bodies that use or have tenure on resources that could be affected by a claims settlement, is one brought to the negotiations by the province. “It’s not to the Nisga’a specifically, We feel interests Short mill closure coming TERRACE — Skeena Cellulose “will close its sawmill section here for four days between Christmas and New Years, com- pany officials said last week. The closure, to affect 160 full time employees, is to reduce log inventory that has accumulated, said mill manager Rand Menhinick. He said the planer section of the mill will still be operating. He and company vice presi- dent Reg Lightfoot said the closure. will also case an over- supply, of chips that has grown since:@ breakdown of one of tWo pulp lines at its Port Ed- ward pulp lines affected opera- tions there, Skeena Cellulose also closed its logging operations, an an- nual occurrence, one week earlier than expected, should be protected, whether they are legal or involve tenure,’ said Denhoff, “We've proposed a number of mechanisms to accomplish that generally,’* he said. Any resolution on the subject of third party interests will like- ly be folded into the framework agreement on what will. be negotiated and how that. will take place. A framework agreement bet- ween the federal government and Nisga’a had already been worked out but a new one to reflect provincial jurisdiction in areas such as resources, land, self government and taxation is needed. The three parties expect. a. framework agreement to be ready: when they .meet again next month in Prince Rupert. Also discussed last week were interim measures the Nisga’a want to protect resources until their claim is negotiated. Denhoff said that while the province feels there are already sufficient environmental and other review mechanisms in place to study new resource pro- jects, it doesn’t find the Nisga’a position all that unreasonable. “This may be a bad analogy, but as we understand it the Nisga’a don’t want the bank ac- count emptied while negotia- tions are going on. We say we need to withdraw some money from the account to pay for ongoing services on the part of the province,’” he said. Gold property that i is also near- “PRINCE. ‘RUPERT — .A “You can get a massage owe ‘Vahouia ‘start with Lake man, : oe *Hocal alderman bas question-. froma physiotherapist or a = ourselyes,""”” sald alderman Ron Larabie is also inetigie- : ‘ced! the ‘proposed $2,000 chiropractor, Are we going: Barrie Carier. ble for parole for 25 years in . fusiness licence feeforanew . to charge them $2,000, too?” ==: Th: proposal to increase the death of Joey Tom, 2 _,, eetort service, ‘Ciccone sald, . pay by 20 percent came from |. Tom, who is hearing ‘li - «Bln Clocone called the sug: ae - it local commision “struck patred, disappeared: in: igented « figure a “money: ‘SMITHERS — Council here earlier in the year to examine ~ 4989 im Prince George, ‘ani grabs ce - Madropped oe ie _ the ia. was the subject of 8 massive + MTG poems - we're the first pey by 20 per cent, saying. : Search, Ty i guys in Hie to profit from ..1t wants wnls to demonstrate fiscal BURNS. LAKE — A former” “A second man has’ also ald In-pdding the i , Prince George resident has | been charged In connection Peon the issue of -"We're going through the been'given'a life sentence for ~ “with Tom’s death and iy ta ft service does, budge fing tc to make culs $0 1989. murder of a Broman - ae : ie wo cae . . ; Ape eying , 7 * | “To . i” eee eee aie