Kemano probe continues

The KCP review subpoenas top
fisheries officials to testify at
public hearings/NEWS A88

Weedless Wednesday | is next
week and it’s time to get ready to
kick the habit/COMMUNITY BL

Pelta dawn

This weekend sees a Lower
Mainland team dare to enter the .
Kermode zone/SPORTS B4

WEDNESDAY
JANUARY 12; 41994

Region
head
named

THE SEARCH is over.

After more than two years look-
ing, the University of Northem
B.C. has appointed a regional
coordinator for the northwest
region.

Dr. Margaret Anderson will be
the eyes and ears of the university
in this region,

Anderson has been with UNBC
for two years and has most
recenily been the university’s
director of First Nations Studies.

She came to B,C, from the Uni-
versily of Western Ontario, where
she chaired the depariment of
anthropology and was director for
the Centre for Research and
Teaching of Canadian Native
Languages.

UNBC spokesman Rob van
Adrichem said Anderson will be
based in Prince Ruperl and will
travel throughout the region.

He said she will likely have an
office in Terrace as well,

Replacing Anderson as the
director of first nations studies is
Alison McDonald from the
Queen Charlotie Islands.

City has
bucks to
play with

THE NEW council got some’
financial good news at its first
meeting,

There will be a surplus of
close to half a milion dollars
from the 1993 general opernt-
ing budget.

A major contributor to the
windlall is revenues (essentially
taxes} came in $146,000 higher
than anticipated when the
budget was finalized late last
spring.

Most departments have also
come in under budget led by
protective services (fire and po-
lice) at $60,000,

And public works, recreation,
planning and tourism/economic
development all spent approxi-
mately $40, 600 less than
projected, '

In a Nov. 12 memo, treasurer
Keith Norman noted the figures
were based on department
estimates of how much they
would spend by the end of the
year, ,

He therefore cautioned they
were “only rough estimates at
this time.’’

Norman noted surpluses are’

also projected in both the sewer
and water operating budgets of
$300,000 and $525,000 respec-
tively.

In light of these fipures, he
asked council to. consider two
changes to the original 1993
budget plans hefore the city
finallzed its year-end figures.

The first was whether to go
alread with short term borrow-
ing to cover part of the cost of
the new animal shelter or In-
stead cover it out of the general
operating surplus.

The second was whether to
short term berrow the approxi-
mately $200,000 cost of the
CNR ditch project.

The city is allowed under the
Municipal Act to short term
horrow up to $571,650.

At the moment, there is only .

$78,000 outstanding from the
pool roof repair project,

Those queries .haye been
referred to the Finance, com-
mittee.

mA first for 1994

PROUD PARENTS Michelle McMortis and Terri Sigvaldason relax with their New Year's
Baby, Blake Brendon Lenny Sigvaldason, born at 2:33 p.m. on New Year's Day. He weighed
in at seven pounds, three ounces.

Councillors puzzled
by RCMP budget bids

ALTHOUGH COUNCIL has yet
{to turn ils attention to the 1994
budget, it's becoming clear
RCMP | experiditure requests
could te in for a rough ride.

The first concerns a now three
year battle over the detachment
building’s air intake systern,

Inspector Larry ‘Yeske first
raised the problem in September
of 1990, pointing out the air in-
take sysiem. was pulling in ex-
haust fumes from police vehicles
oulside.

“The noxious fumes creale w-
acceplable working conditions,”
he repeated in a January, 1993
reminder to. Ihe city. ‘Breathing
these fumes is definitely a health
hazard.’’ he maintained.

The other concer, he added,
was the air intake was so close fo
ground lével that ‘If someone
should want to incapactltate this
office,..a tear gas grenade or
smoke bomb tied to. the intake
scieen “would : ‘create ‘immediate
-problems,”?

: Last year the cily pissed on the .

problem,. arguing budget . con-

straints: might made it impossible a
do take on thal kind of exira OX-

Gordon Hul!

penditure,

Now the argument is over the
solution to the problem,

The RCMP says the intake has
to be boxed in with a slack run-
ning up above roof level, City ad-

ministrator Bob Hallsor estimated =.
~ that could cost up to $40,000.

The clty maintains valves which

automatically shut... off, when.
fumes are detected Is the answer.
~ Whatever the solution, council ;

lor Gordon Hull wanted to know.

why this problem. shovld have
come up at all given the building
is relatively new, .

“Is it not an architect’s job to

pick up on these preblems,”* he
asked, —
Hallsor pointed out, the RCMP
had gone over the plans “‘with a
fine tooth comb’’ ‘prior to con-
struction and approved them.

Noting the request would have
lo go to budget discussions, coun-
cillor Val George suggested the
debate would not only be over
what solution should be used, but
also ‘whether or not It is done,’

The second budget battle will
focus on an: RCMP request for
immediate replacement of its tele-
phone system at an estimated cost
of $146,000... -

The city’ $ share would be ap-
proximately $38,000, assuming

‘the system was purchased: oul-
fight rather than leased, A
“T's hatd to understand .why-
* they have to throw out a sysiem

that’s only six years old,’’ Gor-
don Hull commented, ;

“~The latest request was referred
‘lo the Finance committee." *

75¢ PLUS 5¢ ¢GsT. a
VOL. 6NO.39)

Pickers call
on province
to ease off

A GROUP CALLING itself the
Northwest Mushroom Pickers’
Coalition is calling on the provin-
cial government to ‘‘cease and
desist”? with any plans to control
and regulate the pine mushroom
harvest.

Group spokesman Al Grier said

they are circulating a petition &

aimed at persuading the govem-
ment to slow down and give
northwesterners a chance to
respond.

The newly created Pine
Mushroom Task Force, organized
by the integrated resources
branch of the forests ministry,
could have recommendations
Teady this spring.

“We've printed up pelitions
and we're ‘distributing them
throughout” the ° Terrace area,”’
Grier said, adding there are about
a dozen people involved so far.

“One day people are going to
wake up and have some strict
regulations and rules imposed on

. them," te.said. Solan 10.866

that before that happens, people
up here: get an opportunity to
present their views.”’ ,

Grier says. other - agri-foresiry
pursuits, such as collecting medi-
cinal herbs, wildflowers and craft
materials, could also be regulated.

“There’s more than just
mushrooms at stake,”’ he said.

Grier said the coalition will also
be seeking the support of Terrace

area businesses.

**The mushroom business Teally
gives a boost to our economy up
here,’’ he said. ‘The merchants
sland to lose quite a bit if the

ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON —

Al Grier

government gets their way.’”
Grier said the group hopes to
organize a town hall meeting 0 on
the subject soon.

“Hopefully this will go and
mushroom as it were from here,”
he said.

Task force member. Ralph. Ar .

‘chibald, of the forests ministry,
says they’ Te not irying to kill the
industry.

The goal is to make sure Over- -

harvesting. and poor techniques
don’t eradicate the prized. pine
mushrooms in B.C.

“Our hope is to have something
in place for next year,’’ Archibald
said. ‘‘We don’t want to-let an-
other season go by before there’ ‘8
something in place.” ;

Once a proposal is put together,

he said, it will be distributed ..
widely for comment from: inter-

ested parties.

City backs up

Kitimat position

THE CITY OF TERRACE is
lending ils support to Kitimat in
the struggle for the northwest’s
orthopedic surgery service,

“It looks like Kitimat is in the
fight of its life here,’ Terrace
mayor Jack Talstra said Friday.
“They're good neighbours and
we should support each other.’’,

Health minister Paul Ramsey is
expected to make a decision as
early.as next week on whether or
not. to order the orthopedic ser-
vice moved to Prince Rupert, in
accordance with recommenda-
tions of a northwest health care
review.

Kitimat General Hospital is

fighting to keep orthopedic
surgeon Dr. Sean Phelan in
Kitimat,

Talstra said be and Kitimat
mayor Rick Wozney have drawn
up a joint statement to the minis-
ter calling on him to leave the de-
cision to. a yet-to-be-fonned
regional health board.

The government plans 10 have
such boards in place within two
years to make decisions about
what health care should be pro-
vided and where in a given
region.

“This would be a golden op-

., portunity for the government to

put its action where its mouth
is,’’ Talstra said. ‘‘It makes no
sense lo move the thing until this
health board makes the. dect-
sion’?

* That pation is at odes with the |

mendations | in the review?

Terrace Regional Health Care
Society’s stand calilng on the ser-
vice to move to Terrace, as. was
recommended by Dr. Peter New-
berry, the former interim regional
health coordinator.

“I personally belicve the best
location may be in Terrace,’’ Tal-
stra said. “‘But now is ‘not the
time to be fragmented, Now is the
time to be supportive of Kitimat
and to prevent this service from

leaving our immediate area

entirely.”

He noted Rupert is making a
“fairly concerted effort” at lob-
bying Victoria, using their MLA
and cabinet minister Dan Miller. .

If a decision is made by the pro-
vince to move. the ‘service: to

Rupert, Talstra sald, ‘they would -
be doing it for strictly politcal :

reasons.’”*.

Skecna MLA Helmut Gles-

brecht also favours waiting for
the formation of a regional health
board.

He accused. the Prince Rupert
lobby of being ‘‘very selective”’
in targeting only) the recom-
mendation — about moving
orthopedics.

H's been a year since , “the

‘provincial review of northwest

hospitals and health care. service
reloased its recommendations. :

. Why are they not pushing ! for
action on all. the other: recom-

he |