De ere hee | Home construction a roll TERRACE — Last year’s boom in clty residential construction is continuing, says city permits director Bob Laflenr. He's estimating that as many as 90 and possibly 100 single family - homes will be built here this year. “In all: of 1992, we had 82 single family units. This. gives you an idea of the demand,’’. Lafleur added. , The pace of single residential units "is running ahead of ast year. ; CO, Single residential permit ap- provals at the end of May stood al . 5S with a value of $7.332 million. That’s an increase over the 45 permiis, valued at $5,775 million, approved to the end of May 1992, Overall, 92 building permits have been issued: to. the end of ‘April for a value of $9.95 million, There were 91 permits worth $12,059 million issued to the end of May last year. “We are down in total value, But you have to ‘remember that . subdivisions underway now w with we had Safeway last year and thal represented a big figure and the Bsso bulk plant,” said Lafleur. There have also been three duplexes and one-len plex permits issued. These, combined with other multiresidential units planned, could mean.a total housing unit figure of 130 or 140 by the end of _the year, Lafleur said. “There are a couple of new. Railroad reminiscences TRIP THROUGH TIME. - Dick Wells stands at the foot of the old Skeena bridge, which. he helped build In the 1950s. Wells visited Terrace at the beginning of dune. See story, page Bi, The forces park for free TERRACE — In this city the armed forces reigns ‘supreme -—~ at least when it comes to parking” on public streets. : That’s because, the. Department | of National Defence Act says so... The act has authority over any municipal by-law’ Fegulating, parking. “It applies only: to official busl- ness on public property,” armed forces public affairs officer Gerry Pash said from Esquimalt last week, * ee eet ee a The question arose after a sta- | ~ tion wagon used by armed forces » -Jevels of government, .. recruiters visiting Terrace last week was parked oft Lazelle Ave. . Recruiters use the Canada Employment Centre on Lézelle ‘when they vistt’and place a De- partment of National Defence parking placard on the dashboard. “It's the samc ‘situation: as with an RCMP- car-.or-.a consular vehicle. If on public business, the - vehicle is exempt ‘from parking: by-laws,” 33 said Pash. He described the situation’ also as courtesy between various - Pash said there are two sections in the Department of National Defence Act | giving the necessary “ authority.” ». But the same situation does nol ; apply to parking on private prop- erly or lots, Pash added. ‘ The news comes as “the city. tightens up its parking enforce- ment by increasing patrols dnd writing out tickets. _ elections. lots sold. If house construction Starts, we could very well reach that total,’? he added, Meanwhile in the Thornhil! area, there have been 10 single family and five modular (includ- ing mobile homes) approvals issued up to the middie of May. Total listed value is $1.3 mil lion, Regional district official Ted Pellegrino sa sald there i is a ‘continu- ing demand for R2 lots big . enough to contain duplexes - for. the rental market. The atea depends upon ‘septic systems and that means lois of sufficient size for duplexes must be at least 1,400 Square metres, said Pellegrino, ; . akkkk A lot of the residential demand " is being driven by continuing low “mortgage interest rates, a reduc- tion in down payment require- ments and increases in value of ‘homes ¢ ‘owned by people. who al- ready live here, Lafleur said. ~ “Appreciation | value is‘high — 15 per ‘cent in, a year, here” he sald. There” is” ‘also. a continuing demand for spec homes, ' those that. are. built by ° contractors without first having a buyer. Lafleur said those homes fom . an important part of the. housing market, particularly for people moving into the city who want a wide variety of: choice, Fulton bids farewell to his political career TERRACE — Retiring Skeena NDP MP Jim Fulton isn’t sure where he’ll be living but he knows what he’ll be doing once his political career ends. Fulton is starting 8 native and environmental issues consulting company called Westcoast Strategic Consulting Group Inc. ‘*T haven’t been able. to locate a suitable house or business’ loca- tion in- Vancouver or Mictoria,” he said last week. Fulton has picked either one of those two cities to reduce busi- ness travel time and costs but is keeping his residence on ‘the Queen Charlotte Islands. ot First clecled in 1979, Fulton spent what very well have been his last day in the. House of Com- . mons June 16. That was the last day of sched- uled business for this current Bar- lament. Yet incoming Prime: Minister Kim Campbell could bring Parlia- ment back briefly in the fall’ for some business before calling an ste ee TERRACE — A construction company official says he’s dis- appointed to hear that the Tsim- shian don’t want to have anything to do with the Orenda project. Bob Marsh of Commonwealth Construction, the +. company Orenda has hired to be the gener- al. contractor, says it has been talking to unions to ensure na- ‘tives’ are given employment op- portunities. The Tsimshian Tribal Council and its villages were to have been one-of two native groups in- volved in studies looking at. the impact of and economic benefits from the planned $500 million pulp and paper mill project. * But the council has pulled out, with one. official saying there aren’t guarantees of jobs. Gerald Wesley said the tribal council wes told the project *. would: likely be restricted to unionized workers. “In discussions with the car- penlers union, for example, 1 know they had been discussing . Jobs with natives. Some of the na- lives are “already union mem- bers,’” said Marsh. “T know that they had. been talking about opportunities to get ‘Jouméyman. qualifications: or. to be apprenticed if they qualify. To » hear the contrary “now. is djs-- appointing,’’ he said. “One of the few letters of intent that have been issued about the -project is with a company con- “Parliament could sit in Sep- tember, October or November but the election must be held no later than February,” said Fulton. But he predicts that would only happen in an extreme emergency and that Campbell will opt for a fall election. Fulton said his consuliing com- pany is a chance to use what he has learned over the years about environmental and native issues. “I think a Jot of this can be helpful, particularly in the eco- — nomic sense. There are obvious oppertunities,.I've worked In the “| legislative and budget sense but - now can do that in an economic sense,”’ he sald. But in the meantime Fulton is “working on closing up some of his.-constituency casework. and ‘ensuring that his successor has as few carry over Files as possible. _ He's sent a lot of material to the Parliamentary archives or to the Parliamentary library That doesn't leave him much to sw cRHONE, FEO: ‘his.pffice when he... Native pull out “disappointing” trolled by natives,’? Marsh con- tinued. He was referring to a site clear- ing letter of intent signed last year with B-Mac Enterprises, a com- pany owned by Mel Bevan, a for- mer chief at Kitselas, and Wilfred McKenzie, a former economic development officer at Kitselas. | A letter of intent is not a con- tract. There have been three such letters signed to do wiih the pro- ject. Marsh said: Commonwealth has also talked with the labourers union about hiring natives. ‘*What we're looking for is to provide meaningful opportunities. We're looking for sufficient (con- tract) language with sufficlent meaning fo have participation,” he said. Jim Fulton - does leave after more than 14 years.’ **About | everything I have is working material. As for personal stuff, I've got two draweis : that tuff The underlying provision is tht natives working on the’ contract become union members, ‘And, said Marsh, ‘discussions have also. centered: ‘around ‘local residents being given & | preference over people living elsewhere. He said Commonwealth plans to have a full time labour Wla- tions official on site. “This person ‘happens (0. be a native Indian. He’s . worked» in construction for some time, and with Commonwealth on’ some projects,” said Manh.. The involvement of the ‘Tsim. shian and the Haisla of Kitamaat Village in the ‘Orenda studies was a requirement of the provincial government when il gave the pro- ject approval’ in principle ‘last year. Hey. What a week TERRACE — Yikes. What a week for politics. Reform’ party. leader Preston Manning pays a visit as does Gor-. - don Gibson who wants to be the next leader of the provincial Lib- eral party. Marnining spoke to a noon hour ‘erowd of supporters while Gibson. addressed : the, chamber of com- merce. You'll find those stories on Page A&. "| There are two new entrants to the race to see who will carry the from. isten_ Murphy Sua a NDP banner in the next federal election ‘Those stories on Joo Barrett, son of former Premier Dave. Bar-" _fett, and Bill Goodacre Are: :on Page A2. : ‘Two people annouinced they are "fn the running for the federal Lib- ‘eral nomination. They are Prince. - Rupert alderman. Rhoda Witherly : and Terrace. resident, Juanita: Hat. ton. ‘You'll also find those stortes ‘on Page A2.