fe be or not?

There are opinions galore on the
amalgamation vote taking place
this weekend\NEWS AS

On the hunt again

Nominations are welcome for this
year’s choice as Coach of the _
Year\SPORTS B8 7

Retiring person
Lovina Tyler leaves her post as at

the Terrace Volunteer
Bureau\COMMUNITY B1

93¢ PLUS 7¢ GST.
VOL.'10 NO. 27

WEDNESDAY
October 15, 1997

more sense than having individual cities

Smoke-free northwest wanted —

EVEN IF you've never touched a
cigarette in your life, you're probably
stil] a smoker.

If you go out to restauranis, malls, or
‘bars where people smoke, than you
might as well be a smoker.

-Studies show people who breathe the
air in a smoky room for an hour inhale as
much cancer-causing substance as some-
one who’s just smoked 35 cigarettes,
says Dr, Jim Lugsdin.

’ He’s the medical health officer for the
northwest and he’s hoping to get support
from local mayors for a baa on smoking

in public places,

The ban is being proposed because of
an Angus Reid study done on smoking in
northern B.C, in December last year. The
study found that over half of respondents

wanted clean air in restaurants, and half -

of the smokers agreed as weil.

In the Skeena region, 57 per cent said
they’d support a bylaw to prohibit smok-
ing in all indoor public places,

Amued with that information Lugsdin
started approaching northwest com-
munities, to see if they’d support a pub-
lic smoking ban.

He’s meeting with Terrace city council
tomorrow and earlier this week met with
Smithers, Hazelton, Telkwa and Houston
councils.

He’s already got the support of Prince
Rupert, Port Edward, Kitimat and
Stewart.

Lugsdin says the timing is critical be-
cause the Union of B.C. Municipalities is
holding its annual conference at the end
of October, and he wants the entire
northwest to back the motion.

Health minister Joy MacPhail said
she'll consider passing legistation to ban

smoking in public venues across the pro-
vince if municipalities favour the
proposal,

‘We're not out to make anybody quit
smoking,” explained Lugsdin. ‘‘We
want to protect the rights of people who
don’t smoke."”

Those people include the elderly, those
with respiratory diseases such as asthma,
and young children.

They’re among the 520 non-smokers in
BC who die ever year from second-hand
smoke.

Having a province-wide ban makes

pass bylaws here and there, said
Lugsdin.

He expects businesses to raise a fuss
when the law is first passed, but then
says the furor will dic down.

“Nobody even thinks about smoking
in a movie theatre,’’ he points out.

No matter how the municipalities vote,
the future of smoking in restaurants and
bars is already limited, Lugsdin says the
Workers Compensation Board wants the
entire service industry to be smoke free
by the year 2000. .

Cookie jar empty, —
says gov't minister —

A PERSISTENT rumour often heard on the
issue of Thornhill amalgamation has been
that if the community waits, they will get a
betier deal.

That’s simply not going to happen, says
municipal affairs minister Mike Farnworth.

“Anyone saying they'll get a better deal
doesn’t know what they’re talking about,’’
Michael Farnworth told the Standard last
week, “I'll be as clear as I possibly can —
there is no more money.” my

Farnworth met with representatives of the
regional district and the City of Terrace ©
here Oct. 6 to discuss the amalgamation is-
she.

He says he was surprised to hear rumours '
about possible better deals in the future.

“Tt doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see
that the ministries are getting Jess and less
money every year,’” he says. ‘Tf anything,
_, future offers will be less.”

As for possible better future deals for
Thornhill to incorporate on its own, Far-
worth said that is just not going to happen.

“The offer that’s there is the best offer
there will be,” he says. ‘‘It’s as good as it
gets — and that’s straight from the minis-.
ter’s mouth.””

Farnworth acknolwedges it may be a

‘that a larger community would mean higher
priority with the government.

That means Terrace could be placed high-
er up on the list of communities looking for
provincial grant moncy for things like
sewer or recreation projects.

‘“Larger communities tend to attract more
attention simply by their size,’ Farnsworth
ays. .

Teirace isn’t the only community in B.C.
‘in which a change in size is being consides-
‘ed. South Cowichan, Sooke and Westbank

“it doesn't take a rocket
sclentist to see that the mint
stries are getting less and less
money every year. If anything,
future offers will be less.”

are all undergoing various changes it
‘municipal structure. And Williams Lake
could be added to that list in the near fu-
ture.

Whatever happens in the vote this
weekend, Farnworth says that while the
province can impose municipal restructure,

Bi

As

2 The name game

COLOURED BLOCKS containing the letters of the
alphabet are used by Kiti K’'Shan Grade 1 student
Tia Redlick. Teacher Cathy Morgan encourages

her students to spell their names out with the
blocks, it's an excercise which Introduces young
students to the concept of colours and patterns.

strong statement, but says he wants to make
sure people cast their votes based on the of-
fer that’s on the table, not some mythical
future deal.

worth says he agrees with the assessment

Council probes private |
garbage collection

CITY COUNCIL is looking into the
option of privatizing Terrace’s garbage-col-
lection service.

Residential curb-side waste is currently
collected by City of Terrace workers, who
are members of the Canadian Union of
Public Employees (CUPE} Local 2012.

But council has asked city staff to find out
how much money Terrace could save if they
went to a private contractor.

Tye city’s commercial waste is already
being collected by a private firm.

There have been suggestions that moving
to a private contractor for residential waste as
well could save the city upwards of $100,000
annually,

for a united greater Terrace, Farn-

he’s not interested in such tactics.

“Pm not going to come in with a hammer
‘and force the two together,’’ he says. ‘“The
offer that’s on the table is a good offer —
the best offer. It’s up to the people to de-
cide what's in their best interests.’”

But Terrace’s director of engineering Stew

Christensen says it’s far too early to say what
the actual figures are.

“We're just looking al costs,” he says.

“We're reviewing costs of current garbage
pick-up and looking at what it would cost if
it were done by outside agencies.”

And Christensen says no definite plans

have been made on the future of Terrace’s
two city-employed garbage collectors.

“This is all preliminary,” he says. “It’s just

one of many things being looked at to see if
they can be done more economically,”

Christensen says the union has been

informed that the city is reviewing their costs

See Garbage A2

Recallers prepare troops for campaign

THE CAMPAIGN to recail Skeena NDP
MLA Helmut Giesbrecht is moving for-
ward with a training session for
volunteers planned next month.

Those volunteers will be out gathering
signatures once a recali campaiga offi-
cially starts and training them is crucial,
says Troy Lanigan of the Canadian Tax-
payers Federation.

' “They nced to have the knowledge and
the tools necessary for the procedure. It
won’t do to have the efforts kiboshed be-
cause of a technicality,’ said Lanigan,

_ The taxpayers federation is a ‘key

player in recall in B.C., viewing its role
as one of support and training.

“Individual recall initiatives rests with
local people. We're there to assist lead-
ing up to the actual effort,’ said
Lanigan.

A major portion of the federation’s
support efforts will result soon in two
guides — one on the rules of financing
recall and the other for the voluntecrs
who will gather signatures.

Bruce Hallsor, a former Terrace reai-
dent and now a Victoria-based lawyer
regarded as one of the province’s leading

experts on provincial election and recall
regulations, will be on hand for the train-
ing sessions here.

Recall regulations state that an MLA
can be removed from office and a by-
election held if 40 per cent of the those
on the voters list from the last election
sign an official petition.

That percentage figure for the Skeena
riding of Kitimat, Terrace and Kitwanga
is 7,500 people.

Under recall rules, ihe campaign to
gather names can start only 18 months
after the May 1996 provincial election,

making for an official start date of Nov.
28,

Organizers have 60 days to gather the
necessary names, They say 7,500 signa-
tures seems a large figure but note that
more than 300 people have already
signed up.

“And we really baven’t gotten into

- Kitimat yet, something we'll be starting

to do,’’ saya Lome Sexton, a key local
recall organizer.

Lanigan pointed to a recent example in
Pitt Meadows of how a successful
citizens campaiza can work.

That municipality has a provision for a
referendum on local issues provided 40
per cent of the municipal voters list is
signed up within 27 days.

People wanting a referendum on a lo-
cal development issue met the target.

“They did so within that 27-day period
and that's less than half of time under
provincial recall regulations,’’ said

Lanigan.
tkhkk
Local recall proponents have also put
up a web page on the jasue. It’s at
www .kermode.netrecailskeenal