TERRACE — The Terrace and
District Chamber of Commerce is
not saying ‘yes’ and it isn’t
saying ‘no’ to the proposed con-
stitutional changes, says past
president Sharon Taylor.

“There was discussion and the
decision of the board was to ab-
stain, to maintain a neutral posi-
tion,’ said Taylor,

“Board members were nat
entirely sold on it (the proposed
changes) and it was not in a posi-
tion to poll ihe entire membership
or (o speak for them,’’ she said,

Comments from those opposing
the changes related to the idea of
locking in representation for
Quebec no matter what popula-
tion shifts there may be.

“The question was bow can
you get representation by popula-
tion if everyone gets a veto,’ said
Taylor.

“On the pro side it was ‘ycs’,
this is our country and Icts get on
with business,’’ she added.

Taylor said the decision was
difficult because the Canadian
Chamber of Commerce at its con-
vention last week in Victoria
voted in favour of supporting the
constitutional changes, as has the
B.C. Chamber of Commerce.”

“Down at the Canadian cham-
ber (convention) it was predomi-
nantly yes, except for a lut of
northern chambers.
some no votes and abstentions as
well. We're not totally sold on

There were -

wd afr earn

Chamber to remain neutral

* Want to find out more about the proposed constitutional
changes? Two meetings are planned. For that story, see Page A3,
* Federal justice minister Kim. Campbell, ‘on Page: Al, and Soered

Aeader Jack Weisgerber, Page A7, have their say. °°
.* TE you were missed in the referendum enumeration ending today,

don’t worry. See Page ALO. |.

“Pe

it,” she said.
Taylor said native self govern-
ment was discussed but not ad-

dressed specifically in chamber

executive discussions leading to

’ the abstention decision.

kk kkk
Although the chamber is ab-
slaining, it is hosting a dinner
meeting Oct. 20 featuring

speakers ‘from the ‘ yes’ and ‘no’
sides,

The chamber office also has

" pamphlets ‘available from the na-

tional chamber and the provincial
chamber,

kk kkk

Meanwhile, Skeena MP Jim
Fulton says the ‘no’ vote in the

‘parly organization here,
“most of the people he’s talked

arca is “‘definitely higher” than
the ‘yes’ side.

*“Tve been five weeks on the
road with this and I have praba-
bly the biggest data base,’’ he
said Jast week.

Fulton added ‘that the ‘yes’
numbers are starting to grow.

tk kk
About the conly’ visible ‘no’

campaign in the arca is being

organized by the Skeena Reform
partly organization.

Lorne Sexton, president of the
says

with are voting ‘no’.

And the same is being heard
from - other members of the
Reform executive here.

Sexton said the party hasn’t
been getting a lot of calls from’
people belonging to other parties
who will vote ‘no’.

He attributes that to the Reform
patty just gelling started with its
campaign.

hkkkk

A Prince Rupert Daily News
pell published Oct. 1 found that
50 per cent of the people ques-
tioned who will vote were un-
decided on how they will vote.

Another 24 per cent said they -
will vote ‘yes’ with the remaining
26 per cent saying they will vote
‘no’,

“The newspaper contacted 170
people and 89 per cent they will
vote Oct. 26.

ERRACE STIANDAR

TERRACE —- Lakelse resi-
dents have renewed demands
for excavation of portions of
‘the ‘Lakelse River in an effort
to reduce flooding in the area.

The issue popped up again
‘after last week’s heavy rains
flooded Jakeside residences.

Lakelse Community Associ-
ation president Sandy Sandhals
said it has sent a letter to the
federal Fisheries department
(DFO) calling for dredging of
the river near the mouth of
Herman Creek.

He said the association want
a gravel bar removed that
forms the creek’s delta, just
downstream of the lake out-
flow.

A similar letter has also been
sent to DFO by the lake’s other
group, the Westside Residents
Association.

Both associations contend
the delta acts as a dam which,
in high water conditions, slows
the flow from the lake, leading

- 9 higher water levels than

_ LAKELSE LAKE homeowner Sandy Sandhals was one of
many hit in last week's floods. With much of his property

Lakies revive demands
to excavate gravel bar

necessary.

Sandhals said the problems
could be further cased if the
outflow itself was also

widened and deepened.

He conceded even that work
would not eliminate Dooding
of lakeside homes entirely,

But allowing more water to

flooded to a depth of several feet, a boat became the only
way to get from his home to the road and stay dry.

tive Mood of 1978 by only 25
centimetres. :

That flood had left many
homes undcr more than two
metres of water.

Wilf Dreher, regional water
management branch head with
the ministry, said last week, “‘I
think that study is a fairly good

escape more quickly would
could make the difference be-
tween just high waler levels
and flooded homes.

But a January 1988 environ-
ment ministry report disagrees.

It concluded that while the
delta controlled the outflow,
the removal of 30,000 cu.m. of
gravel from the river would
only have reduced high water
levels during the last destruc-

study.”’

While Lakelse residents were
obviously determined to get
the work carricd out, he
pointed out ‘‘Nobody has done
a cost benefit analysis.””

Noting flooding on some
scale seemed fo be an annual
event now, he suggested the
cost of dredging had to be set
against the cost of paying
owners to fload-proof heir

hoincs or buying out ihe worst
affected properties.

There was also the question
of how much the province was
paying out now,

“There is public moncy get-
ting spent every year to com-
pensate flood damage for the
same property,’” Dreher said.
“This is now happening’ vir-
tually every year. It is’ really
just a grotesque situation.”

While the residents are bec-
oming increasingly concerned,
he said the DFO and the

provincial fisheries branch
“strenuously objected’? to any
dredging of the river.

Based on the information
available, Dreher made it clear
it was ‘highly unlikely’’ his
department would issue
permits for gravel removal in
the Lakelsc.

Dreher. was at a Lakelse
Community Association mect-
ing on the weekend.

For more on last week's
floods, please see page AS.

Fast Times

« Klassen

year's points,

cruises to
winner's circle on

Pub

session on
land claims |

TERRACE —— Local residents
can Jook forward to more in-
formation on the Nisga’a land
claim negotiations in the months
aliead.

Starting that process off is an
informational open house in two
weeks at which questions will be
answered, says the federal
government’s chief negotiator.

Gay Reardon said the format
for the open house has yet to be
decided but that she and the nego-
tiators for the provincial govern-
ment and the Nisga’a Tribal
Council will be preset.

“'There’s been a lack of very
basic information into the n¢goti-
ations and this is what we’re
trying 10 do,’’-she said,

The open house. will coincide ”

with a negotiations session set for

Terrace the third week of Octo-: -

ber.

‘We're hoping it’s the kind of
thing people would like 10 seem
from us,”’ said Reardon.

“They will be our best gauge of
what people think. Pamphiets and
radio commercials are finc, but
there’s nothing like two-way
communication,’’ she continued.

The open house and other in-
itiatives are in part responding to
criticisms that ‘the negotiations
are taking place without giving
information either to companies
and groups affected by a final
settlement or to members of the
public.

At stake is the Nisga’a claim to
11,000 square miles of iand and
accompanying resources centered
on the Nass Vailey.

A final settlement will also pro-
vide for Nisga’a scif government
and contro} of social services, ed-

ucation and other items. °

Federal and other officials met
cartier this year in Terrace with.
affected companies and groups.»

The three partics this’ spring.
released a pamphlet on the claims
talks and have placed four ads on
private radio stations in the north-
west.

Those ads talk about the issue
of natives paying taxes, native rc-
sponsibility for cducation and
other services, that the claims
talks are underway and that a
settlement is regarded as good
news,

The ads were prepared as long :
aS a ycar ago and are not intended
to’ give precise details on the

claims... bt be an) arg(th rungs ch
“Ce “want 10 let “peaale know
the negotialions are going on and
to dispel ‘some of the myths and
misunderstandings about land
claims generally,” said provincial
aboriginal affairs = ministry
spokesman Judy Birch.

The ads were played to groups
of northwest residents before
airing io gain their reaction, she
said:

This method of using focus
groups is a common technique of
advertising agencies and market-
ing companies to determine if ads
are effective and give the in-
tended message.

Although Birch could not re-
member precise details, she did
say the endings of the ads were

changed after people in the
groups said they were ‘“‘too
glitzy.””

The male voice in the ads is that
of Nelson Leeson. He’s the public
relations spokesman for the
Nisga’a Tribal Council.

There’s no time

TERRACE — Elections Canada
won't be separating out those na-
tives who live off reserves in the
upcoming. constitutional
referendum.

It says it docsn’t have time to
set up a process.

Separate counts had been
wanted by native leaders to
determine if nalives supported the
proposed changes.

“Our cxisting polling division
arrangement makes it relatively
simple for us to provide results
from the reserves and remote
aboriginal communites,’’ said
chief clectaral, officer Jean-Pierre
Kingsley.

“But for aboriginal peaple who
now live in urban centres and
elsewhere ... there is simply not

eo wee Fa S

“SPORTS xe

enough. time to identify where

they are living, to develop 4 sepa-
rate mechanism for counting the
votes and to train all of our
people to administer it properly,”
he said.

The president of a non-status
native organization estimated that
23 per cent of natives in Canada
live on reserves.

‘We are disappointed that the
voices of all aboriginal peoples of
Canada. will not be counted sepa-
rately this time around,” said
Ron George of the Native Coun-
cil of Canada, ‘‘this means we
will be the only partners in the
process whose full views won't
be known,”

That council, and the ¢ Assembly
of First Nations, support the pro-
posed constitutional changes.

POVERTY

# Hungry children line up
for a hot meal at
Terrace’s soup kitchen.

NEWS ¢ AQ