f ‘Music masters _ There will be a vote this fall or on. borrowing money to build. another sheet of ice\NEWS A10 | ‘Local pianists can’ now W receive lessons to help them become | teachers \COMMUNITY B1 : ‘Carrying the torch. m Rick Letourneau, driving the ie Greek Torch, out dragged all comers i in P. G. \SPORTS BG. POOR RETURNS of chinook salmon this year and the effects of the commercial fishery are jeopardizing the area’s sport fish- ing tourism industry, says a local fishing lodge owner. ‘Terrace had a good reputation in Europe,” could be about to change. Not only had disgruntled clients told him they would not be also threatened to launch a ‘‘negative campaign’’ on fishing the Skeena in European angling publications. Owner of the Kermodei Bear Lodge west of Terrace, Volker was one of three lodge owners retuming, they had. Thumbs down to hitching a ride MOTORISTS ARE ‘getting a. reminder it is illegal to pick up hitchhikers within cily limits. By-law enforcement jaw. Signs have already been erected at the Kalum Bridge to advise drivers entering town and outside McEwan GM facing westbound traffic. Bowsher said three more would be going up in the near future — on Keith Ave. near the Dudley Little Bridge, outside Farwest Fuels and on Kalum Lake Drive, The signs are aimed at drivers, he explained, because it is the act of picking up someone that is il- not sticking out your legal, thumb, Cst. Kim Hall said there are people who do not realize the by- law exists and the sign will act as a reminder. She said the police elimination — of hitchhiking in town for several supported reasons, “Tt's a dangerous habit not just for the hitchhiker, but also for the driver,” she pointed out. * Vehicles suddenly pulling over to pick someone up could also cause tralfic accidents. And, she suggested, it might help reduce vandalism along the highway commercial strip. A recent Problem Oriented Policing seminar had - identified the possibility that hitchhikers could be responsible for some of _ the vandalism occuring at carlots along the strip. Noting hitchers could. be stand- ing there for long periods late at night, the question was whether they were responsible for inci- dents such as broken windows and scratches on vehicles. Gov't beefing up welfare EXPECT MORE fraud investi- gators in the north as a result of a massive hiring by the social ser- vices ministry. It’s recruiting 90 people — 43 of whom will be investigators with 27 othets to check eligibility - for social assistance’ and 20 to strengthen -- the . family _ maintenance program. While it’s still too. early.. to. determine how many. of the ‘tie cmt opees will be based ‘in: me day, Explaining the reason for the slow periods, sometimes 50 slow Ske clients weren’t even: getting a bite, consistently occurred three '.: owners cry fish bt who appeared at a council com- mittee meeting: held last Thurs- _‘to allow stocks to rebuild, While ena for a period of three years acknowledging poor Woifgang Volker pointed out, but warned that anger, he said half of the approxi- mately 50 clients he had this year had gone home : wilhout even catching a fish.” And almost all . the remainder: had: landed only a single chinook.’ - “What can I say” to thesé clients?" he asked, - Volker. blamed “commercial fishing’ openings at the mouth of the Skeena for the poor success rate of his clicnts, ’ To support that contention, he pointed to a pattern that had emerged during the season — or four days after a comimercial opening, Given the number of openings and their timing, that ‘meant - clients who. had. spent thousands of dollars to get here found: they only got good fi ishing about “half the days they were on the river, - ' Other lodges had Bone ‘through =. the same experience. this year, he added. Insisting there: was simply” too" much pressure’ on the fishery: from too many commercial copen- ings, Volker suggested the fleet pointed . fishing could harm Volker’s busi- ‘ness, ° fouciter Gordon Hull “Commercial fishermen’ hove to make a living too,’?"A* solution chad - to ~ be “worked out.that met everyone's. needs,” he: agreed, “but. that doesn’ thappen overmight.” ~ - ‘Jim’ Culp, owner of Rivers Edgé ‘Lodge and a member of several fishery advisory bodies including -the Skeena: Watershed Committee: (SWC), said‘ there had been 155 " eominercial fishing days in July ° and August be kept out of the. mouth of the officer Frank Bowsher confirmed the practice is prohibited under a sec- - tion of the Street and Traffic By: al On top of the world KITWANGA SKYDIVER Jim P North Pole this spring. Watch atterson was one of only two Canadlins who lumped ¢ on y the for Jim's story in next week's Terrace Standard. o compliance and enforcement division supervisor is confident his section will be beefed up. “There are new programs and new initiatives planned which in the future could affect the allot- ment,’’ said Bob Barrett who is based in Prince George.” “We _ could use more people,’ There are now five investigator positions, two. assistant ‘investi-- _morthwest .is “approval - to: hire: “an my investigator who'll be. basec Prince ee Rupert.” over the sitvation just a few years ago. when there were just four fraud investigators. covering. the area from Quesnel: north to the - Yukon’ border “aind’:from: the Queen Charlottes to Alberta,’ “We're doing a far better job_ than -in years gone by,” noted : Barrett.” One direct improvement in: the \ " lad © Rotts “Since. May I’ve fobbied - for this position and. recruitment. is Underway,” said Barrett. That. will result in- better coverage’ for: the ‘northwest: be- cause the area now has-only. onc. investigator Position based’ in Termce, . 2 That person wae responsible fo Y Kitima d with the terms of a three-year plan agreed to by participants in the SWC. Noting that committee - included representatives of the - native and sports - commercial, fisheries: as. well as‘ government agencies, he said,'* It’s the most” democratic kind: ‘of. process you can be involved in’? . Culp pointed out commercial fishermen had agreed to and were - now “tying ‘out: more. selective: forms of harvesting in an effort to increase chinook, steelhead and coho escapenient to the Skeena. THIS YEAR’S ‘chinook salmon, run is probably the poorest ‘since. the early 770s, says Skeena. Watershed Committee member. Jim Culp. And there may: ‘Be more of the same to come.: Addressing:a city’ council comm. ky Cnips: te mittee~-meciing Jast-weel produced federal Fisheries: (DFO) index figures for ‘chinook ere: to illustrate just how’ , Boor this: year’s run has been,” ry Fass Those figures. are calculated on: - the basis of the ‘number of fish’ netted by.a gilinetter the DFO has - stationed at. Tyce. on. “the, lower: Skeena.. 2 mo _ Noting. the index for this. year. stands at,1.13 compared toa: 10° year average (1983-1993) of 2.07, Culp said. ‘fisheries’ officers | in Prince Rupert confirmed it is However, he emphasized, that was a dramatic reduction from previous years and was in line poorest i in years: _Japsed 10 4.72, And be cautioned: there were: ing: chinook numbers’ including’ natu- ral population cycles’ apart from ; _ ocean wamning because of ' E/ Nino, and’ the ° appearance." in northem waters. of mackerel. : _ Which feed on juvenile salmon.: AS for the threat to tourism in, the northwest, Culp... noted,” ‘‘We're not the only place in B.C, going through this.” For exam- _ ple, Campbell River was. experi encing .. unpredecentedly poor coho fishing because the fish had ‘changed their’ ‘tnigration 10. the: other’ side, of Vancouver Is-: lands: BAS TESOL yes the worst they can remem _ But the test fishery is ase 36 com- . ~ ing. ‘up. with ‘another- disturbing figure, this one for the number of L "jack springs coming back into’ ‘the. ve Skeena,. Culp noted the 10 year average we index for jacks-was 28,91, For the. years 1990-1993, it ‘was oat io - half. - 2 And for ‘this year | dt had col oe “The: omen. is: out: ‘there, “Cwamed. “This. (the "95 7 “could. just the tip of the ‘ice’ ee for the 1 next thiée ¢ or four yeais. ye! Terrace hits top liquor sales spot TERRACE HAS jumped past Prince Rupert when it comes to sales through | the government’s liquor sales. Nearly $6.9 million was. spent on 1.035 million Ntres of alcohol - at the Terrace liquor store for. the. 12-months onding March | 31, 1994, . That’s ‘ more ‘than: the. $6. 333 million spent on 979,867 litres at’ . Prince Rupert’s liquor stare,” : For the 12 months ‘ending *"t March 31, 1993 sales at the stores’ were virtually tied -with Terrace” ringing in $6.123 million sales’ 0 selling 979,596 litres: _ worth $6.240 million, ye The latest slatistics come before 3 the Terrace liquor store moved in: es the summer of 1994 into Newer. and bigger. quarters: offering more selections, * These sales figures don't reflect the. trade ‘done by. beer and wine: ‘stores or gales in licensed stabs: . lishments, ‘Kitimat sakes were ‘table be and the.-90 new y positions. ane: ¢ nouticed ast week - follow moves ; by the ministry to eliminate fraud, waste and abuie.” provincial: tween 1993 and 1994 with $3.153 million’ on 587,000 litres in the latter year, - Across’ the « province; liquor stores racked up $1.036 billion ‘in ‘sales. for the. year: ending March “31,-1994 — an increase over. the {$996,054 millon for the yeat, be- '. fore... , Terrace area. ‘residents tend. to per cent of local’ ‘sales ‘compared to 64.4] ‘per cent ‘province wide for “the 12 month 64994, $99,793 litres and Prince Rupert! nding March 31, But we ‘fall behind in wine con- sumption with: it making up 18.9 per cent of provincial sales here’ as opposed to 12.7 per.cent here, ' Hard liquor sales. amounted to 13.8 per cent of local sales come. ‘pared to 11,7; per. cent around, the ; province, -- . With the exception of combined ‘gle in Prince, bite area ‘leues “ While the ‘amount ‘of ‘fraud ist ator ; estimated to be only two ar. three” 7 “per cent, ministry officials have 4 _ said it’s important to. ensure, only” those’ * eligible for: f -. Social : services, “minister, oy MacPhail. vestimates: that the new as Positions will reaull i in net savings | That's © approximately’: $5 for nS every d ‘dollar spent PB These. are chinook. which, ‘hay ee tng : . he :