.& The ship comes in Big wolf, beware Turning grey to gold And within hours of its arrival, board\NEWS A10 hundreds of locals climbed on. down\COMMUNITY B1 You can huff and you can puff, but you can’t blow Russ’ house ~ It takes athletics — not alchemy — seniors prove in Port Alberni\SPORTS B4. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 1998 'STANDAR 93¢ PLUS 7¢ GST VOL. 11 NO. 22 Women say they’re persecuted By CHRISTIANA WIENS THREE women who were evicted Aug. 31 from an apart- ment here say they and the man they call their leader and saviour are being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Rebecca Wallace, Georgia Brown and her mother, Wilma Alexander, spent a part of last week sleeping out- doors while Michael Wallace was held in police ceils here for allegedly obstructing and assaulting a police officer during the eviction. Wallace, known to some as Michael the Archangel, ap- peared in court twice last weck, Without the lawyer he wanted to represent him present, Wallace spent the weekend in jail. He was scheduled to have a lawyer represent him at a bail hearing yesterday. Wallace also claims the police assaulted him during his eviction last week. The series of events surrounding Wallace and his three followers have now drawn the close attention of police. Temace RCMP are investigating the group’s religious beliefs and background. ‘We're performing historical checks on him (Wallace). It’s good to have a profile of who he is,’’ said Sgt. Darcy Gollan Friday. He wouldn’t elaborate further. The three women say their belicfs are simple. “We follow the Bible — nothing clse,’’ says Brown while pulling a worn copy out of a knapsack at her feet. “Most people don’t understand and that’s why the cult Market debate looms | FARMERS’ MARKET ven- dors want to make one thing clear to city officials at a meet- ing al city hall Friday - they don’t want to move. “What they want is for us to make suggestions where we want to be,” said market organizer Lynne Christiansen, “But that’s ridiculous. We're not going ta do thal. They're pushing us until we say maybe we'll move, but we're happy where we are.” City officials want to move : the market to the southern end _ of downtown where it can help * increase business there, They also want the market off the valuable piece of Jand on Davis Avenue, saying it's being underutilized. However, what planners have in mind for the land has yet to be | determined, Christiansen wants to know how each councillor stands on the issue. “I don’t think we should tar them all with one brush,” she said. “| know some of them suppor the market — Olga Power was voted in on this issue,” Vendors like Carol Freeman are adamant about staying put. “Everybody knows to come here —~ it's a stop,” Freeman, . “IF we were out by the high- way, no-one would know to come. This is a family area.” Freeman is worried she'd lose the customers living in the neighbourhuod who walk lo the market, particularly the seniors citizens from Willows. ‘Market regulars, like Allison Palmer and Myra Philpot, say rumour started,’’ says Brown. The trio take the Bible literally and Brown explains by reading a Corinthians passage out loud, It says women should not be touched by men until mar- riage. She uses it to explain even the smallest contact be- tween unmarried people could transfer lustful spirits. She says that even Michael is forbidden from touching anyone but his own wife, Rebecca. Brown explains that women, when married, are easily diverted from the Bible’s teachings so God prefers single women. Michael and Rebecca’s marriage will provide children for God, she says. The women wish more people would sce the world their way. They lived for a time in Prince Rupert, the city where Wallace met the three women, and attempted to recruit members in that coastal city. Brown says they had informal Bible Study meetings in Prince Rupert but have limited their activities here to being visible on the streets, “Tf people didn’t believe us that’s fine, we just asked them to come back,”’ says Brown. Alexander explains the group renounces ail religion be- cause they’re hypocritical and ‘hand-made.’ She says the group won't have to face persecution because God will soon take his chosen home, Cont'd Page A2 the markets current tocation seems perfect. “I's so settled. Everyone knows where it is,” Palmer uti ul blooms: ke r REBECCA WALLACE, Wilma Alexander, and Georgia Brown read their Bibles outside of the courthouse last week while waiting for word on what will happen to their leader, Michael Wallace. He faces charges of assaulting a police officer, Two housing projects get hefty grants THE REAL ESTATE FOUNDATION has given $175,000 in grants 10 two non-profit seniors housing projects here. The Elks are getting $100,000 to help with the construc- tion of a housing project on Tetrault near Mills Memorial -Hospital while the Dr. R-E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation is getting $75,000 for its Heritage House project on the bench. Formed in 1988, the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia helps with housing using income from the inter- est generated by the general trust accounts of real estate agents across the province. It is a non-profit corporation whose mandate is to make grants to non profit organizations in support of education, Jaw reform, research and good works related to real estate and land use. Since 1988, the foundation has awarded over $16 mil- lion in housing grants. Heritage House, a $3.2 million project, will consist of 41 units of supportive seniors housing, a term describing people who can live independenily but who may also need a minimum level of services, like Meals on Wheels, The grant awarded to the R.E.M. Lee Hospital Founda- tion is intended to assist with the cost of preparing ar- chitectural plans for the exterior of the building, preliminary construction drawings, and other information required to apply for a development permit. The $100,000 going to the Elks project will assist with the construction of a four-storey 22-unit senior citizen’s apartment building. A few of the units will be rented to low income seniors. Purchasers of the strata title units will be restricted to re- selling their units at the same price as they originally paid for it, or at the samc ratio of unit price to typical market values set at the time of the sale, For example, if an original buyer bought their unit at 85 per cent of the market price, they would only be allowed to sell it in the future at 85 per cent of whatever the market price hap- pened to be, The Elks housing project was supposed to have been completed by this September, but the Elks have yet to complete construction plans. . “Tn a sense we were disappointed about postponing,”’ said Lawrence Baker, chairperson of the Terrace Elks Senior Housing Project. ‘‘We'd like to get started next St., beside Christy Park. The blooms are almost finished, but It's now harvest time for com, and A DAZZLING display of flowers await admirers on ing. It’s too late now,”’ the edge of Manuel Falcao's small farm. This Spring. It's tao late now, said. “There’s more atmos- Heritage House is on track for a construction start of nest phere here than downtown. It's got a rural feel. It's so hatbed of agriculture is at the north end of Sparks Manuel's pumpkins will also soon be ready, spring as well, relaxing.” 7 By JEFF NAGEL should there be a smaller theatre, do we really need She said the all-inclusive proposal that was most envisioned in the final plan. That option would see A DELUXE plan for a multiplex that would cost an estimated $14 million is now being pared down to a level hoped more palatable to taxpayers. City planner Dave Trawin said city council rep Linda Hawes had indicated in meetings of the advisory design committee she’d like the project cost trimmed to around $10 million. oo. ; “They're now Icaking at how can we cut it where we can still get what everyone wants and still have a budget that's acceptable to everyone,” Trawin said. He said the $14 million design — to.be built next to the arena - included a double gymnasium and-250-seat theatre, DO eed pk Be “They're now looking at should | squash courts - are those already provided by the pri- vate sector,” he said, The committee pians to present whatever boiled- down option emerges as its final recommendation at another open house scheduled for Sept. 30. Hawes refused to discuss the anticipated price of the ‘Project or its components, She said it was the decision of the committee that those details would remain under wraps until the final recommendation was presented. “It is being adjusted,” she said, “Even: though we Would have a figure for construction of this complex, it . -”, Wouldn't include the operating cost atid all of it has to ... be affordable," BNR ° bape te ab do tet be recently examined would have cost too much. “It was higher than we felt comfortable with,” she said. “We usked for the world,’ Hawes added. “Then we asked what is it that can appeal to the greatest number and we can afford.” Four earlier scenarios presented in July to the com- mittee by consultants Johnston Sport Architecture ranged from $7.5 million to $10.5 million. Ail those scenarios included a second sheet of ice and 4 package of other muiti-use components. _ The main difference was whether the facility. would include a single-gymnasium’ of a double gymnasium, and possibly a 250-seat drama theatre." Hawes Would fot say whether a drama theatre is now. i ee oe er oe coe ee eae ‘Terrace Little Theatre contribute to the capital cost of the project, rather than continue their plan to build a new standatone theatre. Bul she said predicted even arts and music groups in town will be supportive, “Every group in Terrace will have samething for them,” Hawes said,“ think the public will be pleased.” One recommended change from previous models, she added, was the creation of a central foyer/meeting place: She said there are also aspects of the design that should allow for both large meetings and smaller break- out groups when conventions are held at the centre. Any. large-scale borrowing by the city would first have to be approved by referendum: an