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Local mining supplier _

enthusiastic about Alaskans

by Betty Barton

Greg Townsend, owner of North-
west Consolidated, says of
Alaskans, "They’re such hospi-
table people and they all want our
business.” Townsend's company is
a distributor for mining supplies
and steel pipe, among other things.
Townsend was one of seven nor-.
thern manufacturers/suppliers to
participate in a recent Trade
Mission to Alaska. Although it
was conducted at the same time as
the City of Terrace’s Trade
Mission to southeast Alaska,
Townsend’s was sponsored by the
B.C, Trade Development Corpor-
ation, New Exporters to Border
States program. ‘Townsend’s
group, which included another
Terrace business, Pacific Regener-

_ ation (tree nursery, represented by

Tom Harvie) toured Ketchikan,
Juneau and Anchorage. Townsend
says, "We're going back. This trip
was exploratory. Now we know

where to go and who to contact."

In Anchorage, Townsend met
with honourary Canadian Consul,
Ron Sheardown. Sheardown was a
big help, says Townsend, and he
has lots of contacts. In addition to
his consul position, Sheardown is

_amining consultant and does much

of his consulting in Russia (only a
short flight from Alaska).

From Michael Burns, the presi-
dent of the Key Bank of Alaska,
Townsend learned that there are_
few tradespeople in Alaska, and an
overabundance of lawyers!
Because Alaska has settled its land
claims question, many of the law-
yers are now at loose ends.

Townsend met with U.S. Cus-
toms officials in Anchorage. He
was assured that, as long as the:
paper work is in order, there would
be no problem shipping his mining
supplies and steel pipes to Alaska.
He had a tour of the shipping
facilities in Anchorage. Federal
Express has its international head-

ARTIST ANNE MARIE NEHRING was in Terrace recently to

conduct a painting workshop.

A versatile and talented lady,

Nehring was also on the winning team in the Dragon Boat Races

held in Hong Kong in May.

quarters at the airport there
because it’s most central to the rest
of the world. Townsend observes
"There are more planes in Alaska
than anywhere else in the world."

Townsend explains, "Now our

only transportation problem is to

Cominco’s SNIP mine. The road

(the Iskut Resource Road) will do

it for us." On July 30th, the first
barge shipment for Cominco’s
SNIP project will leave Vancouver
for Wrangell, Alaska and from
there supplies will be airlifted to
the project site. Townsend encour-
ages the local Chamber and the
City of Terrace to continue lobby-
ing for the road, and a customs
facility at Terrace/Kitimat Airport,
"Don’t just sit back and assume
it’s going to happen."

Greg Townsend sees Alaska as
an untapped market for B.C.’s
northwest. He -hopes to attend a
mining convention in Anchorage in
October. And from there?

GREG TOWNSEND says of Alaskans, "They're such hospitable
people and they all want our business."

Bylaw enforcement in Thornhill

by Tod Strachan

Several Thornhill businesses and
private residences are on notice to
conform to regional district bylaws
or expect possible legal action.
Perhaps the most serious case
involves R.C.R Forest Contractors.
They have -been told to close their
automotive repair business on
Skinner St. by July 15 of this year.

' According to the regional district,

RCR Forest is operating the busi-
ness contrary to permitted uses

listed in the Thornhill Zoning -

Bylaw and if they don’t comply
they can expect the regional dis-
trict to proceed with lega! action.
Another case involves a private
residence on Kirkaldy St. in the
Copper Mountain subdivision.
According to the regional district,
this property owner is in violation
of the Untidy and Unsightly Prem-
ises Bylaw and although he has
been told to clean up several times,
even offered assistance in doing it,

From paint brush to dragon boat

Dragon Boat Racing calls
forth such exotic images to us in
northern B.C., that it was en-
chanting to meet someone who
has just participated. Not just
participated, but had actually
been a member of the winning
team — at the Dragon Boat
Championship races in Hong
Kong in May.

- Anne Marie Nehring, our own
artist from the Pacific North-
west, is one of the crew of the
Dragon Boat from Vancouver,
the team which has stunned the

‘world by winning the gold
medal. And not only once, but
winning it a second time this
year. In competition with the
countries from the eastern and
south Pacific where Dragon
Boats are traditional and who
have always produced the win-

"ners,

This is the fifth year that the

\ icouver team has entered the

race, They won the silver in 1988
and then the prize, the gold, in
1989. And now in 1990, they
have won again, to prove that it
was not just an accident.

The crew of the 22-member
all-woman team come from
many parts of the country, but
they train in Vancouver, inten-
sifying their efforts during the
early spring leading up to the
crucial race in May.

Anne Marie has been in Ter-
race this week to conduct a
workshop in painting at North-
west Community College under
the sponsorship of the Terrace
Recreation Department, an in-
spirational week for students
and instructor alike. She hopes
to be able to return to Terrace
early next year, probably in
January, to “experiment with
snow and its coloring,’’ said
Anne Marie.

After visiting her friends in

the Skeena area, she will go on
to Prince Rupert for a workshop
at Oona River, then back to
Vancouver for an exhibition at
Whistler before setting off for
the High Arctic and another
unique experience. In Baffin
Island, she will conduct another
workshop under the auspices of
the federal government in the
Art College of the North.

“What a wonderful oppor-
tunity,’’ she said, ‘‘to be able to
teach and to paint in the Arctic!
And to meet the people of the
real north.”

Few people have such an op-
portunity to live and work and
move from the South Pacific to
the Northern Arctic; from boat
racing to painting instructor; to
experience the versatility,
challenge and excitement of so
many talents and such diverse
people.

he has refused to cooperate. The
regional district has asked the
property owner to appear before
the regional district board to
explain why he shouldn’t be forced
to clean up the site and if he fails
to gain their sympathy could face
legal action. Fe
There are also seven other
Thornhill property owners whose
names will be submitted to the

board and face the same situation
as the Copper Mountain land
owner if they don’t clean up their
land. These include businesses on
Old Lakelse Lake Road near Hem-
lock and Hwy. 16 East near No-
votny and private residences in the
3100° block Crescent St. 2700
block Clark St., 1900 block Bob-
sein Crescent, and two in the 3800
block Skinner St.

EDNESDAY IS
DIRTY SHIRT
DAY

Men’s or Ladies’ cotton blend
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laundered.

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~ Best, most reliable and cleanest service
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Rickards Cleaners

8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. — Monday to Friday.
8:30 a.m, to 5:30 p.m. — Saturday
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