Jobs possible from chip deal THE CITY’S two main forest companies are work- ing on a plan to have one chip logs for (he other. And if a‘long term plan comes. together, it. would provide jobs for. upwards of 30 people who might other-° wise be out ef work, What's involved is having West Fraser's Skeena Saw- milis: plant bere - chip: logs for Skeena Cellulose, Skeena Sawmills is: now operating: just one shift but it is dividing the. work be- tween a two-shift workforce using ‘a federal work sharing program to top of wages. Beginning this summer, West Fraser plans keep op- craling one shift but will use just one ‘shift of workers, meaning a potential layoff of up to 70 people, But if it could chip logs for two shifts using 10 and possibly more people a shift, some of the layoff im- pact would be buffered. As well, Skeena Cellulose wouldn't have to use a chip- per at its Poirier log yard, the night time. noise from which has been the subject ‘of criticism’ from nearby residential areas, “TE we ~ can” negotiate “something, it would be a win-win,” said Lou Poulin from Skeena Sawmills, -“We-would keep some people working and that would be a good thing.” “With our one shift and two shifts of chipping, the mill would be going 24 hours a day,’’ Poulin said. West Fraser has already completed a test chip run of two days and the companies met ‘ast week to exchange information. Export plan word THE EXPECTED approvals coming soon allowing West Fraser to export logs it would otherwise process at its Skeena Sawmills plani here won't make some people happy but it will pro- vide jobs, says Skeena NDP MLA Helmut Giesbrecht. Giesbrecht said there will be some opposition because the exporting of raw logs scems as if sawmill jobs are also being sent overseas. But there will .be restric- tions and monitoring, he said. West Fraser’s first ap- plication to the provincial Job Protection Commission was fora permit allowing it to ship overseas up to 200,000 cubic metres of sawlogs this year and next. With a sagging lumber in- dusiry, the company has cut production to one sawmill shift and its contract loggers are. out of work. Shipping logs overseas the company wasn’t going to process at its mill here anyway Was scell as one way of providing employ- ment to several hundred log- gers. But enough members of IWA Local 2171, which represents sawmill workers and a majorily of loggers, voted against the proposal, forcing a revision. City council and the Kitimal-Stikine regional dis- trict favoured the export plan, but wanted strict lime length | conditions and monitoring. “The way to go seems to use a test to see if the wood is surplus to domestic needs,’’ said Giesbrecht. “And it will be broken into smaller chunks, perhaps 15,000 cubic metres, to bet- ter monitor it as it goes,’’ he said, “This will keep people working a bit, take the sting off,” the MLA added in calling the proposal a crea- tive method to deal with an immediate problem. A forest service official late last week said there was no firm indication on when, or if, approvals will come through. The chipper Skeena Cel- lulose is using in the Poirier log yard has been the focus of several city council mect- ings featuring complaints from nearby residents, People as far as the bench area near Northwest Com- munity. College say the noise at night has kept them from sleeping, Skeena Cellulose has tried several methods to at least dampen the noise. **Both partics are hopeful to reach an agreement that would be good for the both of us,’”? said Skeena Cel- lulose official Dan Tuomi, “It’s something that could be beneficial for a long peri- od of time.”’ ; Tuomi did note that nine people now working a the Poirier chipper would not have work if the Skeena Sawmills plant is used, awaited Emie Fraser ack- nowledged the ministry is aware of the strong wishes that the export plan be al- lowed but did note the [WA is opposed. As was the case with Giesbrechi, Fraser said any approval would likely be conditional on having the logs first be offered to domestic customers. IWA Local 2171 official Surinder Malhotra said his members are waiting for more details on revisions to the original broad-based ex- port proposal. IWA members had wanted more solid guarantees’ that Skeena Sawmills would op- erate one shift here and a partial shift at West Fraser’s North Coast Timber mill. THE Ci Fo. ‘CLEAN-UP WEEK SPRING ~ Terrace Youth Soccer Association is offering the following clinics for the 1999 season , Level It Technical, April 16, 17, 18, Fri, Prince George Contact Heather Cortar: 250-564-5900 Level HI Technical, April 24, 25, Sat 9:00am, NWCC \ Level I Technical, May 1, 2, Kitimat Conturt: Joe Montero: 250-639-8448 ‘ Ay 7 tgs \ aN REF. CLINIC =NWCC 9 Class 5 (Min. Age 12) = May 1 Sat 9:00am Class 4 (Min. Age 14) Moy 1, 2 Sot 9:000m Class 3 (Min. Age 14) Level | Theory, Moy 7, 8, Fri 6:00pm, Thornhill JSS Shannon Murdoch, Contact: Carol Wall: 615-3000 Hini couches Clink May7 Sol? Christy Park Terry Wison [14 Boys House Team Sot? Development Sun? If interested in any of these dinics please