Still unsolved Damon comes home continues to elude the The murderer of Linda LeFranc - Downhill racers | Meet one of the smallest premature babies ever to be born in B.C.\COMMUNITY B1 First time Nancy Greene racers undergo quite a police\NEWS A12 WEDNESDAY February 10, 1999 thrill\SPORTS BG ANDARD : 93¢ PLUS 376 GsT . VOL. 14 NO. 44 Computer fix-it cost bugs city THE COST of keeping city computers from crashing on Jan. 1, 2000 has more than doubled to nearly $270, 000. Council had originally budgeted $120,000 for the upgrade, which would ensure its three-year-old Vadim com- puter system still works when the millen- nium ticks over, The major upgrade is also the next ver- sion of the Kelowna-based finn’s municipal software package, making it Windows-com pliant, But other towns that have upgraded the same system have found it gets much slower because of larger files and greater use of graphics, That’s led them to add expensive file servers {o the system — which is part of the recommendation for Terrace and the main source of the cost increase. The total cost estimate, including taxes, is $223,782, but new chief admin- istrative officer Ron Poole said a 20 per cent contingency should be added, bring- ing the cost estimate to $268,782. * ’ That provoked dismay and cynicism among city councillors wha suggested software companies are milking the Year 2000 problem for money, “They're using this as a pretty big profit centre,’’ said councillor David Hull, noting computer firms know users are up against the wall to fix the millen- nium bug. “They’ve got the consumer right over City council knew Vadim was plan- ning a major upgrade to ils system when they bought it in 1996 at a cost of nearly $250,000, The system of networked PCs replaced an older mainframe system that rival supplier Concorde had ceased to support. And there’s no question the upgrade is essential. “The software will not work as of Jan, 1s1, 2000,” city treasurer Keith Norman Noted, So now city council is wrestling with the question of how best to pay for it. Mayor Jack Talstra said the economic downturn is starting to force business ‘owners ta close their doors. “T think it’s going to be a tough year for this town and we don’t want ta put an unduly heavy budget onto the taxpayer this year,”’ he said. ‘I think we have to really wateh what we're daing,”' One option would be leasing the equip- ment at a cast of aboul $60,000 a year, instead of paying a larger amount up front. George agreed, saying he normally wauldn’t favour a lease option, but that it should perhaps be considered to keep ex- penditures down over the next couple of years. The city had always planned to hold off on the upgrade until sometime in "1999, to let other users do some of the work of debugging it. But Poole said the city is now pushing the envelope. The city administrator has just moved here from Chetwynd, where he says city slaff made the same upgrade last year and are still struggling to learn it and deal with bugs and problems. “This software is obsolete at the end of the year,’’ Poole said. “If we don’t get this thing moving we're really only giving staff six months to train and work with it and get it on line,” ‘TPs like. starting again,’? added deputy Wweasurer Judy Degerness. “‘Each operator will have to be trained as if it’s a new system.’” a basrel,”” added councillor Val George. Court stalls Nisga'a treaty referendum bid A CONSTITUTIONAL challenge of the Nisga’a treaty won't be allowed to go for- ward until the treaty becomes law, B.C. Liberals had hoped their challenge of the treaty could be heard prior to the pas- sage of the treaty’s enabling legislation, now before the legislature, and subsequent passage by the federal parliament. It formed part of their position that the treaty. changes the ‘constitution and so should go to a province-wide referendum. But B.C. Supreme Court’ Justice Paul Williamson concluded that continuing with a court challenge would be tantamount to granting the Liberals and other treaty chal- lengers a “private reference’ of the planned legislation by the courts, Only governments are normally permitted to seck a judicial reference of a bill before it’s law, he said, and to do otherwise would threaten judicial interferance with the role of goveniment. ‘The courts must respect Parliament and legislatures’ right to exercise ‘unfettered freedom’ in drawing up and passing legisla- tion,’’ Williamson ruled last weck, ‘These are matters fundamental to our democratic beliefs, our history and our con- stitution,’’ he said. ‘‘They should not be impinged upon lightly, if at all.’ . Thomas Berger, the lawyer acting for the Nisga'a in the case, said the judge’s deci- sion should mean any challenges to the treaty’ won’t be heard until the treaty is ratified by both the legislature in Victoria and Parliament in Ottawa. “We think that is Ihe ouly way to go,’’ he said. Berger also said the same logic should apply to other lawsuits challenging the Nisga’a treaty, They include an action launched by the B.C, Fisherics Survival Coalition and by Nass valley resident Lloyd Brinsou. FRBC cutting back; companies to do more IT'S TAKING more than one pair of hands and one snow shovel these days to keep the average driveway and sidewalk clear.:Nathan Petersen, DON’T EVEN think about retiring your shovels early this winter. An Environment Canada employee warns there’s lots more snow to come. “We do expect more snow,” said Gary Myers. ‘'It fits the pattern.”' The pattern, he explained, is La Nina, the colder twin of El Nino, the weather phenomena that gave Terrace dramatically warmer weather last winter, According to Environment Canada siatistics, Terrace has received more siiow- than average this winter. Myers said 304 cm of snow fell in Terrace from Oc- tober 1998 to the. end of January 1999. The Average snowfall for this perlod is 262 cm. Last month’s snowfall was slightly below average. Terrace had 102 cm of snow int January comtpared lo ant average 107 cm.’ . Although Myers said the data and statistics from. one’ 10, Erica Braam, 7, and Brandon Braam, 10, were busy last week getting rid of one snowfall before the next one arrived, (ALEX HAMILTON PHOTO) Weather expert predicts there'll be more snow La Nina to the next is inconsistent —- somactimes there’s a lot of snow, and sometimes there isn’t — gen- erally more snow is the norm. ; “I'd be surprised le you didn’t get way more snow,” ie said. Local resident Sam Roy says that while there’s.a lot of snow, the city has seen much fiercer cold snaps and snowstorms over the years, Abe Bourdon, a newcomer to Terrace, doesn’t under- stand why locals are even complaining about the heavy snow level, ‘After 30 years in Prince George, he said | Terrace’s snowy seasoit is a snap. “It's more moderate fiere thant what I’m used to,” he sald. ‘It’s way colder in Prince George. This is love- ly”? : For more on the snow, please turn to Page A3, FOREST COMPANIES will be expected to do more environmental and other work following = major spending culs announced by Forest Renewal B.C, The provincial crown cor- poration was formed in 1994 to use money from stumpage lees to repair old logging damage and to put the forest industry on a more scicutific and efficient footing. But the slump in the forest industry has cut the fees companies pay and that in turn has cut FRBC’s budget, From $540 million last year, FRBC officials are saying their next budget will be approximately $300 mil- lion. And that'll burt businesses and workers in forest dependent communities as they had come to rely on FRBC contracts for any number of projects, some of which were only remotely connected to forestry, The Crown corporation plans: to lay off 78 of its 195 . staff in the next two to four inonths. What miongy it. has left will be used-to focus on value-added industries, forest silvicullure and on communities particularly hard-hit by ithe forest downturn. Gone will be FRBC- financing for bridge replace- nent, delailed biodiversity work and fishery and‘ wild- life inventory work. This will now become the . responsibility of forest com- _ panies. FRBC expects revenue, e of $150 million — half of its expenses —- for each of the hext two fiscal years. This will force the corporation to rely on a $700 million con- tingency fund. And there’s no guaranlec’ ihat the crown corporation will make money after thal, “Any increase beyond $300 million is contingent corporation is up for discus- sion. The cuts could cut the regional FRBC office in Smithers in half, from 14 to seven employees, Most of, those cut should be placed in other govern- ment jobs thanks to a union contract clause, FRBC may suffer more on a recovery in market revenue culs if stumpage conditions,’ said FRBC rates are reduced again communications official when the current Canada- Mike Hogan. U.S, softwood lumber B.C. forests minister agreement expires in two David Zimhelt said last years. week that the future of the Radar vans aren’t here RCMP BUDGET cuts are keeping phote radar vans out of the northwest. The north’s photo radar unit is based in Prince George and officers are being restricted to a day’s drive of that cily, says unit member Constable Doug Leshures, As is the case with all other RCMP operations, spending has been trimmed to absorb a budget deficit, he said. “The restrictions are In place until April (the start of the force’s next fiscal year),’’ said Leshures. It means photo radar officers are stopping at Fraser Lake on Hwy16, the limit at which they can do their work and retum to Prince George the same day. Moucy is saved in gas, tneals and accommodation, said Leshures. Photo radar was introduced several years ago In an al- fenipt to stop speeding and subsequent accidents, = It’s been criticized as too expensive to maintain and as a cash cow for a Hnancially-strapped provincial government, The travel restrictions don’t necessarily mean photo radar van officers are working fewer hours, said Leshures, “The number of tickets being generated is the same and the hours the vans are out are approximately the same,”’ he added, ; In effect, speeders within a day’s drive of Prince George are more likely fo be caught on film than would normally be the case. Leshures said the restrictions weit into effect in December: x8]