Field trip —
Monitoring committee

: gets its first glimpse of
Jand-use plan in action:

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outside of the Terrace area)

g

By SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN

PLANS FOR a June start date for the Terrace. Lum- .

ber Company have been put on hold until the fledg-
ling company can find a steady supply of wood.

“We are ‘Probably looking at July, but we haven't
“really set a date,” says: company president Mo
Takhar, ~

‘Leading the list of the company <7 challenges i isa

lack of available timber to harvest.

That’s because the largest forest licence in the
area — TFL 1/— remains tied up in the court pro-
ceedings related to the bankruptcy of that licence’s
former owner, New Skeena Forest Products.

Coast Tsimshian Resources Ltd., a company

owned by the Lax Kw’allaams, is in the process of
purchasing the licence and its owners are eager to
complete the purchase.

“The collection of New Skeena’s licences repre-
sents roughly 1.8 million’ cubic metres. that would”
usually be available but isn’t right now.

Until the purchase of the licence is approved, that
wood can’t be cut.

“We depend on those people and if they don’t
have the wood they'can’t log,” says Takhar.

“There’s no use for us to start and run for a month
or two and then shut down because we have no .
wood. ” .

_ Takhar said he’d rather see the startup delayed

by a month if the tradeoff is securing a constant and ©

steady log supply.
Provincial minister of state for forest operations —
Roger Harris says the wood supply issue is a signifi-

cant one, particularly because the mill is on a tight.

ing. -
“We have to get it out of the courts and bring final-

ity to the CCAA [Companies Creditor Arrangement _

Act] process,” Harris says. “We have to bring con-

‘clusion to that process — that’s over a million cubic :

metres a year in cut.”

But once that happens the mill still faces the i issue
of having that wood making its way into the hands of
, local loggers so the mill can make purchase offers. :

That requires implementing recent changes to for-

est policy intended to take wood out of the hands of:

the major licence holders and distributing it to smaller
companies, communities and First Nations groups. .

“We have First Nations forest agreements but we

don’t have any trees in their hands,” Harris says. “It’s

taking the policy shift and implementing it on the

ground — the policies are all the right ones, but imple-

ood shortage delays mill start

> mentation is another piece.”

7

1

vee tasnesicy, May 25, 2005

Takhar confirms the company has been’ in “talks.
about potential plans to purchase wood from the Kit-
selas band which does hold a cutting permit but which :
has yet to start logging.

And while Kalum Ventures, a forestry company

~“'wholly- owned by the Kitsumkalum band, is actively.

logging, that company is sending its wood to West we
Fraser. oo -
The Terrace Lumber Company has hired a 1 log

buyer, Rod Monteith, who worked in the same posi-

tion for the mill’s previous owners for about seven —
years.

“It’s awesome to be getting into the business Ido .
know a little bit about,” Monteith said last, week; add-

.ing his job is challenging given the limited wood on .

ae

deadline in terms of when it wants to start operat-

1S

7: | Terrace time out

ia]

- CONDUCTOR Glenn Williams of Smithers admires the locomotive 0 on nthe West Coast Railway Association train that stopped for an hour
outside the George Little House May 19 en route to Prince. Rupert. The trip, part of the association's promotion to preserve rail heritage
inB.C., started i in Squamish. The train will service routes around Prince Rupert this summer. _ oe

DUSTIN QUEZADA PHOTO

ro)

Election winner looks for advice

SKEENA’S NDP MLA-elect is considering set-
ting up groups to give him advice on various is-
sues and to help him carry the riding’ s message
to Victoria..

Robin Austin said he may even ask the man he
defeated — Liberal Roger Harris — for advice.

“J think it’s important to draw in every sector
of the community,” said Austin after his victory
May 17. “I think you really want to bring all of
the stakeholders together for the good of the com-
munity.”

-.“As an opposition MLA, I am not in govern-
ment and not part of the decision-making process
so I need to do what I can to get things going up
here.”

- A social worker by profession, Austin said
he is familiar with social services and education.
issues, but will need to learn about forestry and
other resources.

The lack of a background in forestry became
. the focal point of criticism by some forest indus-
~ try interests and by business groups in Terrace.

As well as making business connections, Aus-
tin said he’ll need to meet regularly with the re-
gional district, the five aboriginal village govern-
ments and the two municipalities in his riding.
Harris, who became the minister of state for
forestry operations, would be a valuable resource,
Austin said.

Austin said Harris has offered to be available
for whatever help and advice may be needed in

the short term,.as the
former assumes his new
duties, as well as after-
ward.

‘But Austin said. his
first task is to set up an
office, hire people and
begin learning about his
new job as a legislator.

It'll be the first time
in 19 years that Skeena
will be represented by
an MLA who is not a
member of the govern-
ing party. Socred Dave
Parker was the MLA during the Bill Vander
Zalm/Rita Johnson governments of 1986 to 1991,
Heimut Giesbrecht was the MLA during the Mike

Robin Austin

Harcourt/Glen' Clark NDP governments of 1991

to 2001 and Harris became the Liberal MLA in

2001 when that party all but swept the province.

Austin, who has a.degree in social work from
the University of Northern British Columbia and
who works for the Kalum-Horseshoe Community
School Society, gathered 5,954 votes to defeat
Harris, who drew 5,515 votes, a, victory margin
of 439.

Green party candidate Patrick Hayes received
590 votes, while Unity B.C. candidate and party
leader Daniel Stelmacker received 213 votes.

While Harris took Terrace and Thornhill,

‘Kitimat voters preferred ‘Austin, as did those liv-

ing in the native villages.

Austin said he looked forward to building a -
_ working relationship with Gary Coons, the North

* Coast New Democrat who defeated Liberal .in- -
cumbent Bill Belsey. °

- Having two NDP MLAs: working in tandem
with Skeena-Bulkley NDP MP Nathan Cullen

will also provide a unified voice, he added.

“Lots of people have been hurt in Skeena and .

they have spoken,” said Austin.

Austin did say that while he heard compliments
about Harris while out door knocking, people
didn’t feel he spoke out enough for the riding. .

“That was especially the case with the people
from Kitimat and they delivered the Margin. (of
victory),” Austin continued. :

Austin will be officially sworn in along with
the other MLAs next month. Results so far are’
considered unofficial and won’t be certified as of- — {
ficial until what’s called the final count is com-

plete on May 30.

the market. — u

Teacher cuts -
are easing off

-By DUSTIN QUEZADA

- PINK SLIPS have gone out to about 60. teachers i in School

. District 82, down from around 350 layott notices. issued at .

‘the same time last year. 7
But the issuing of those’ notices: is s just the start of acom- _

plicated process and the numbers won’t reflect how many

‘teachers will actually be without work, says Frank Rowe, the

district’s head of human resources.
Of the 350 layoffs delivered last year, only 25 remained
on the recall list, without work, in September 2004.
About 160 of those layoffs were rescinded on the basis of ;

", unique-teaching qualifications.

That means positions that are hard to fill, like senior sci-
ences, or positions in outlying communities would be staffed
by a qualified teacher that had been laid off.

“The rescinds are for positions that we know are continu-

“ing and for whom we have qualified teachers,” Rowe said.

_.“They often take place out of seniority order.”

Easier positions, such as English and social studies,
would be filled based on seniority and qualifications from
the recall list.

As Rowe began the process of revoking notices yesterday,

. with.16 issued, he said there are now fewer than 10 teachers
son the recall list.

The lower number of layoff compared to 2004 is due to.

__ a few factors.

_ Enrolment numbers haven’t slipped as much this year and =

. more teachers are returning from various leaves of absence.
- compared.to ones. who are just Starting leaves.

However, the biggest factor, said Rowe, is that the school  *
board made a timely decision in late March to not re-open

closed schools and to keep those Schools still open closed

on Fridays.

In the previous three years, those decisions weren’t made.
‘in time to meet the school board’ 's contractual obligation to.
" teachers.

Rowe is currently staffing for all the positions ‘that are
known about for September, but the district will hold six
spots open -- three each at the elementary and high school
levels — to be filled as necessary. ,

The process of rescinding layoffs for the 2005 year is ex-
pected to be complete by the end of June.

Austin’s basic MLA salary will be $68, 500 a - .

year. He will also be part of a modest pension plan
and will be able to collect a living allowance when
in Victoria on official business:

Austin joins NDP leader Carole James and 32
other NDP MLAs. That number could change be-
cause there are two recounts ongoing.

For more election coverage, turn to Page A2,
Page Al2 and Page Al4

|B Riding high

DENVER LONG prepares to ride Nash in the Fig-
ure 8 event.at the Totem Saddle Club Gymkhana
on May 15. This Is the three year old’s second year.
on horseback. MARGARET SPEIRS PHOTO