See ne er a

role in.
economic.
picture

The Kitsumkalum people have
come a long way in the last few

-years. The house of Sim-Oi- .

Ghets opened its doors a number
of years:ago, and for the first
time’ ever.in the Terrace area,
tourists and residents were able

to buy authentic Native gifts

from Native craftsmen.
Since that beginning the

House of Sim-Oi-Ghets has ex- -

panded into.other product lines
and opened a second store at the
Terrace airport. The Kitsum-
kalum people have also com-

pleted the first phase of'a recrea- "

tional campground, complete
with a boat launch, and to go
along. with that have purchased
some riverboats to begin river
tours, a water taxi and fish

guiding excursions based on the.

reservé, To enhance their fishing
and guiding endeavors, they
have also purchased the adjacent
Kalum Motel. And this is only
the beginning of a well-co-
ordinated economic develop-
ment, plan. -

‘‘The days are gone when we
would just do meaningless work

for someone else,”? says Kitsum-
‘kalum chief councillor Cliff

Bolton of their economic and

social growth. ‘‘If we're going to.

make gifts we don’t want to be
the ones just cutting out little
trinkets.’ Indicating the serious-
ness of the Kitsumkalum people
to rank with ‘‘the’’? economic

-builders in the Northwest,

Bolton adds, ‘‘We have worked

-hard alongside the city and the

Terrace’ area and put a lot into

‘the area... and we’re prepared to

go all the way.”’

" This last statement holds par-

ticularly true in their bid for a—

substantial part of the fish
guiding industry. According to
Bolton, they’re not about to ac-
cept what they describe as an ar-
bitrary proposal made by the

province that would regulate the .

industry. “‘I don’t know how
those numbers represent the

area,’’ Bolton says of the pro- .

posal, ‘‘They never even con-
sulted us. The study doesn’t
reflect our needs.”

We want the Kalum and we

want the Skeena (rivers as

guiding territory),’’ says Bolton,

“and the government won’t be
‘able to stop our challenge. " He

says the day is coming when
Native peoples will be issuing the
permits themselves. In the
Northwest, it will happen in the
Hazelton area first. And soon,

~ says Bolton, ‘They’ re going to

have the right to issue permits in
their area.’’ It’s all a part of the

~ Native economic thrust, he says.

As for the provincial proposal:
“We expect a few problems here
and there, but the government
isn't goirig to stop us,”

The Bill C-31 amendment to the Indian Act has created a
new demand among Native bands for on-reserve housing.
This land located near Kitselas Canyon will someday
house 146 Native families — 96 applications for building
sites have already been received. The land was cleared

this year and construction on 20 new homes is expected to
begin early next year. Following that, at least 10 homes

will be bullt every year until the Kitselas Band meets the

demand for housing of returning members. |

Band members return home to housing squeeze

An amendment last year to.

‘the federal Indian Act has re-

sulted in an unprecedented de-
mand for on-reserve Native
housing, according to Kitsum-
kalum Chief Councillor Cliff
Bolton. Bill C-31 allows for the
reinstatement of status to Native
peoples who in the past lost their
status in any one of a number of

_ ways.

While the situation has im-
proved over the past 30 years,
Bolton explains that at one time
Natives who joined the military
or moved off the reserve for
employment automatically lost
their status. So did Native wom-
en who married a non-status
Native or white person. Others
who wanted to continue their
education also had their status
removed.

“They had a number of ways
of taking our status away,”’ says
Bolton. ‘The only way we could
get an education and keep our
status was to become a mission-
ary.’?. It was seen by Native

Vacancy rate —

creases in Terrace over the past

year are lower than in many:

other communities. According
to CMHC, the average rent for a
two-bedroom apartment in Ter-
race is currently $417, an in-
crease of 7.47 percent over the
past 12 months. Comparatively,
rent hikes over the past year in
Prince George, Prince Rupert
and Kitimat are all in the 10 per-
cent bracket. Current compar-
able rents in Prince George are
$435 per month, in Prince
Rupert $474 per month and in
Kitimat $325 per month. Those
showing the lowest rent increase
are Quesnel and Williams Lake
at 3.41 percent and 3.17 percent.
Comparable rents in those com-
munities run between $364 and
$390.

As far as Terrace city council
is concerned, the CMHC report
holds both good and bad news.
This is best summed tp by alder-

leaders, according to Bolton, as
a way for the Canadian govern-
ment to gradually eliminate
reserves, The numbers of people
affected were in the thousands.
Not only did those mentioned
above lose their status but there
are now children and grandchil-

dren of these people who were

never given status.

Bolton says Bill C-31 has
changed all that, though, and
Native villages are scrambling to
meet the housing demand. A
$1.8 million CMHC-funded
housing project on the Kitsum-
kalum reserve is already near

completion and soon 18 new

single-family housing units will
be ready.

The Kitselas ‘Band Council
also plans to complete 20 new
single-family dwellings in a new:
subdivision near Kitselas Can-
yon next year. But according to
Kitselas housing coordinator
Wilfred McKenzie, this doesn’t
even begin to meet the demand.
‘“A lot of people are coming

continued from page 1

man Danny Sheridan, who
points out that while the housing
shortage in Terrace is becoming
a matter of some concern, it’s
encouraging that even with the
shortage there hasn’t been a
significant increase in rents.
Ruth Hallock agreed saying,
“It’s difficult to find rental
housing. You have to stand in
line and sing and dance in order
to catch attention.”’

When considering the CMHC
information, Sheridan had some
of his own to share with local
builders. While the housing
shortage in Terrace is becoming
critical, the CHMC affordable
housing program is in operation
until Jan. 19, This is a program
which Sheridan describes as ‘‘ex-
cellent”. Talstra responded to

-Sheridan’s comments by saying,

**Let’s hope this catches the eye
of some entrepreneur.”

back,’’ explains McKenzie,
‘tand the need is growing week-
ly.”’ ;
The new Kitselas subdivision
consists of 146 lots and McKen-

zie says they have already re-

ceived applications — from 96
Native families. He says after
this initial phase, future plans
call for the construction of a
minimum of 10 new homes per
year until the demand is met.

CHRISTMAS

COUNTERATTACK

DECEMBER 8 — JANUARY 3

Hy

We stop a lot more than
400,000 vehicles during
our Christmas Counter-
Attack roadchecks. We
stop drinking drivers.

A program of ihe
Government of
British Columbia

CICBC

Sto ea A ot ei a
- ge Py
. 1