TERRACE -- As many as 10
people could lose their jabs at
Mills Memorial Hospital and ser-

vices will be cut because of a/

freeze in its budget, says adininis-
trator Michael Leisinger.

He’s predicting a deficit this
year of at least $500,000. as a
result ofthe freeze,

And since the hospital. cannot
run a deficit; the layoffs. are
necessary to balance the budget,
Leisinger continued.

Word of the zero per cent in-
crease came last week and- the
hospital has until May 29 to sub-
mit its new spending plan to the

provincial government.

Scheduled layoffs and resulting
effects on services will be ‘an-
nounced before then,
Leisinger.

"The anitouncements will: be

_ made all at once,” said Leisinger

_in adding that the longer it takes:
to reduce. spending the more bru: ~
tal the cuts have to be to balance ©

the hospital’s budget.

The hospital board eartier this
year seta budget of. just.under.
$12 million only to be told that its:

allocation from ‘the ‘provincial

government will be just c over $10 ue

million. -

said

Although the hospital gencrates
its own revenues, they aren’t suf
ficient to mect the original budget
plan, said Leisinger.

- "We have to meet all new con-

tract settlements wilh’ no new
“money, and there is no new
money to mect inflation,’ he

said, |
The provincial government is

- giving the hospital money to mect

pay equity clauses in its new con-
tract agreements with, the.. ‘hospl-

“-tal’s four unions,

The deficit could increase to as
much. as $716,000 - and affect

five additional jobs. because the:

° maintains the vehicle, Used here in the mid-1970s, the fire

used. by, Skeena Cbs for
parades. one

Built’ in. /1942,. the. six-

here i in the: 1970s.- 5."
in 1978 when ‘the’ mill up-

. sprinkling systems):
~The truck began i its service

cylinder International Watch-
ed" ‘over what is’ now: ‘the
_ Skeena Cellulose mill area...

It was taken. out. of service

dated its equipment and swit-
ched . over to automatic -

- truck now sees service only inthe summer for this ys River-

s Still truc

with. the American ¢ air. force
- ‘in Prince George. during, the’
” Second World War. vee
-When.the war-ended it was ©
, considered. surplus: and’ was_
_ bought by the Prince George’
fire. department.

Pohle Lumber (a predecessor

“to.” Skeena: Cellulose) “pur- °

chased it in 1972,

After it. was taken out of 7
‘use in 1978, the truck sat idle
_ nti. 1982 when

° HAPPY GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY to Skeena Cellulase’s 1942
International fire truck. That's mechanic Jim McColman who -

- And when that department
‘declared -it to: be Surplus,’

it was.

" boat Days parade and at the Seafest parade in Prince Rupert...

‘It's National Forestry Week and you'll find out more about the.
state of the industry i inside the B section of of this newspaper. be

a ; at the Skeena Cellulose mil ;

“here.

_ wou can still ‘get paits for

-. They're still’
Brad, ** says Smith;

used --

“Although time may have ..

- been kind to ‘the fire truck,

tings, says Smith.

- The fire truck is maintain-

. Cellulose. 4 All it took recently .
“to start, was the: ‘asslata e eof i
- jumper. cables,” :

: Riverboat Days parade, ©

wee parade. oy
“people haven’t. It's missing:

some of the original brass fit- 1 of its: fire fighting days isa

‘small. pump. used to. spray
water on: parade- ‘watchers. -

ed by, shechanies

. Terrace ‘residenls ¢ can. “see
the fire truck ‘each year’ in-the

“It’s trucked © to. - Prince’
Rupert for’ that city’s Seafest

The sole. reinaining vestige

Truce for now
at Kitselas band

TERRACE -- A temporary truce
has been called in the dispute be-
tween protesting Kitselas band
members and the band leaders
they're demanding resign.

The move came Iast Weduesday
following the Apr. 28 death of
48-year-old - ‘village resident Reg
Bennett. .

But Ron Nyce -- spokesman for

the protestiig band members.--.

predicted “the occupatioit ‘of. the:
band office will resume later this
week following Betineit’ s funeral

Monday.

The protesters first occupied the
band’s administrative office two
weeks ago,

of the band council in losing
more than $3 million this year in
earlier approved federal govert-
ment grants.

The loss of that money, Nyce
said, Has: set back ‘the band’s
housing project at: Kitselas Cans

- yon by atleast a [ull year.

citing what they.
called "incompetence" on the part -

hospital doesn’t yet know if it'll
get money for its diabetic teach-
ing clinic and will have continued
new monies allocated last year. —
The hospital had considered the
clinic’s $46,000 cost aud the new
money, $145,000 from consultant
Malcolm Watker's report, as part
of its base budget.
_ Walker’s report was~ comuis-
sioned by the provincial goveru-
ment last year after the hospital
said it would have to lay off
people and close beds because of
a projected $229,000 deficit.
Walker concluded that the bos-
pital should receive he moncy

_ cont 'd AS

Nisga’a
power |

PATIENCE HAS been the
way of the’ Nisga’a In their,
more than — century-old
battle to take back control:
of the Nass Valley."

Now the time for waiting,
is nearly over. Politicians in
the Nass, Victoria and Ot-
tawa are less than a year
away from shaking hands
on an agreement in princi-
ple to resolve: the Nisga’a
claim to 25,000 square kibo-
metres of northwestern 13.C,
__A_ final - settlement — will
have profound effects on
other communities in the
northwest,

For stories on the Nisga'a
land claim and the people of
the area, see page A5,

ome

Legislation will
drive docs out

TERRACE -» Proposed legisla-
tion by the provincial government
will drive doctors out of the pro-
vince and is already doing so,
says a local physician.

Dr. Geoffrey Appleton gave the
warning following a study session
of area physicians held last weck
at Mount Layton Hotsprings.

Forty-eight doctors from Ter-
race, Kitimat, Prince Rupert and
Smithers attended the session,
"pretty well 100 per cent of any-
body who could come,” Appleton
pointed out.

Linked by telephone with a
similar 2,500-strong gathering in
Vancouver, northwestern doctars
heard: explanations of what the
proposed Bills.-13 and 14 could
mean to themselves and ;to the
public.

Doctors :,.

are.,..protesting ihe

proviticial governments decision”

to cap the amount of money it
will pay out under, the Medical .
Services Plan (MSP) and the
scrapping of the doctors’ pension
plan negotiated with the previous
Socred administration. °

Explaining how the MSP billing

-system worked, Appleton said
doctors provided the patient care
then billed the province for that
work,

By capping MSP payments, the
government was effectively
saying doctors would have to
carry the cost of any increase in
patient care costs whether it be
the result of an epidemic or the
introduction of improved, and
more expensive, diagnostic tests,
he said.

"It’s making the profession 100
per cent responsible for any over-
rns no matter what causes
them," Appleton said. |

That, he added, was rather like
ICBC telling the auto body shops

_ they would have to pay their me-

chanics less money this year be
cause there had been too many
accidents,

As, for measures to reduce pay-
ments to doctors who bill more
than $300,600 in a year, Appleton
pointed out only five per cent of
all doctors in the provinee fell in
that group.

Doctors in that
specialists who work long hours
and who have high office over-
heads because of the number of
people they employed and the ex-
pensive equipment they had to
have.

If the proposed legislation went
through, Appleton warned, "a sig-
nificant number of physicians, es-
pecialty the top specialists, will
simply leave this province."

range are

Dr. Geoff Appleton
He pointed out two neuro-
surgeons had already decided to
quit B.C. "and there aren’t too
many of them in the province."

doctors would simply decide to
opt out.of the MSP system. If that
happencd, a patient would have to

pay the doctor at the time of any

treatment or visit and then apply
to MSP for.a reimbursement, he
explained.

Because the -doctor’s private

. practice fees differ fron those the

government pays under MSP; that
would the- patient being’ billed

. $60 for a full check-up or $30 for

au office visit, for example, but
getting back only 340° and $23

_respectively from MSP.

However, Appleton empha-

sized, doctors had always said

they would take care of those
who couldn’t afford the expense.

"If you uced trealment, you'll
get it and we'll discuss the cost
later on," he said, “You will hot
be turned away."

Northwest Roundup

: bandit struck’. the Telkwa
Food Mart April 20.
Owner Gary | Eastbrook

oh P. m. brandishing : a hand-

and lay on the floor. . --
He: ‘then made off with ap-

imately $50.

_ SMITHERS o An Easter

“sald a lone, masked male en- |
tered the store just before

He told the female employ...
ee.on duty to. open the. |

VANDERHOOF --

 Vanderhoof Pulp and Paper

is consideriig ways 10 jump-

_ Start its stalled pulpmill pro-
ject here.

President ‘George . Killey

’ .sald demand ‘for chlorine-

- free’ high’ quality aspen-

“softwood pulp which VPP

-.. would produce Isrising,
- With the Kematio Comple-
ject stalled, | the com-

“now “discussing. ve

BURNS LAKE | oan
Teachers will be among the’
casualties of this ~yeor’s —
Burns Lake school - board
budget. ...

The operating ‘portion, of
the budget has beet’ cut

last ~ year. Secretary-'

treasurer: ° Wayne - Brown.
says this will be achieved by
reductions: inva

° ~ SkeenaQueen: |
"regional district, has given:
. the Counell of Haida’ ‘Nation ©
and a Langira ts

“resolve » thelr Aselopinent Z

more. than. $100,000, from; dispute, «

‘rezoned. 50 ‘she. éan puild:

~ PRINCE ‘RUPER ee The -
“Churlotie =

a

d land.
owner. until:

Mindy © Wade. “wrants' ‘her 7
fi Property c

“T'was also likely“ many intore” ”

a