LEAN AND MEAN. RCMP Constable Rick Shaw is one of two officers now on the streets in new duties as the local detachment’s bicycle patrol officers. They expect to be very visible in their distinctive gear in effarts ta deter crime. But because the bikes are silent, the officers _anitclpate an increased ability. to, catch law bre te painter] ort aie Weer avate Cid: akers. And, Yas, mey.a now ere policing Hols TERRACE — There’s a ‘new brand of cop riding the streets this summer. Meet bicycle _patral ‘officers Constable J.B. Walker and -Constable Rick “Shaw — Terrace’s real -Royal Canadian Mounted -Police. .“Iv's great,’ says Walker, who can travel. through A suspect darting down a back alley or along a park trail won’t easily elude bicycle officers, “fight spots: that would stop cars. 1 sastie § (pedals down Lazetle Ave, “Where else do they pay ydui to.do this?”? Yet itis’ “serious business | and the RCMP see the bike patrols as .a golden ‘opportunity. to - gain more visibility around town, mt “If* more ‘people ” ‘see us and realize we’ could be anywhere, that helps-act as a deterrent,” explained Shaw while demonstrating the recent purcliases. . ‘The bike. foot patrols don’t. A suspect. darting down, a patrols doo: ‘accomplish: . things car or - back alley or. along a ‘park trail - won't’ easi travel through i that would stop.car “It's pretty easy: to. sneak - up to someone on one of these things,’’ Shaw says of his silent —— two-wheel BP: bicycle officers,’ who, . cam. ingchine, “When you’re.on the bike you.can hear'a lot more than ’ when ‘you're. in’ “the cars,” adds» RCMP. detachment Inspector -: commander Lawrence Yeske. -- The two bike officers will. — using the bikes as well on a be on municipal traffic duty, primarily: in | + downtown “Terrace: and Thornhill, Walker says. They will also be doing school patrols and augment the existing foot patrols. ‘But ‘they also anticipate making a lot of liquor and : drug seizures, : Neither officer is a cycler ‘on his off time, but both say. they’r ré looking forward to, their new posting. -The cycles themselves. are top-bf-the-line- Kona Kilaueas, outfitted with high-beam headlights, battery packs and § a host of other options. The bikes cost $1,000 and the additional cycling gear and clothing brings the total price tag to about $1,500 for | each officer. They don’t have flashing ” lights: or. sirens, ‘but each - Officer wears bright »yellow riding attire with the word | ‘Police’ emblazoned’ across the back. And they'll be ‘keeping in touch with Me omenment dispatchers. . carrying portable ratios.” Other: . officers: will be volunteer. basis.’ “There’s a lot. of. interest’? Walker: said. ‘‘If we had the resources and the equipment we could easily have a 15- to 20- member bike squad here.”’ Part of the money for the - bikes was raised’ by the Skeena Valley Rotary Club, which donated $1,000. ‘The squad. is on the streets’ . and rolling ‘on a ‘trial. basis, "but Walker says he thinks it’s going {o be a success. OT "think it’s just a permanent part of policing © that’s going to be here to stay.’? itt B.C. Queensway says ‘yes’ to sewer disposal system | TERRACE — A regional district director wants work to slart as soon as possible on a $1.9 million sewer system for Queensway area Tesidenls, Les Watmough made the com- ment —_ following Saturday’s referendum in which residents ap- proved financing and construc- tion of the system. a: The vote ends: years of debate, controversy . and problems. sur- rounding sewage disposal in that area. The low-pressure sewer. system, a first of ils kind for this part of the province, will cost each resi- dent $350 a year over 20 years, or an up-front lump sum of $2,770. I'll cover the Queensway and Churchill Drive. areas. There will also be yearly maintenance costs of about $150, and a $1,000 fee for the hookup.. Final results showed 168 votes for and 124 against. That’s about 60 per cent of eligible voters in that area, said returning officer Elaine Johnson, Watmough said he was happy with the results of the vote, “Of course we're pleased - we've always believed that it’s something the community’ needs. Our goal was a long-term betler- ment of the whole cormmunity.”’ Watmough noted that: ‘the regional district has. lobbied five TERRACE — A_ company which wants to mine a large as- bestos tailing pile in the far north- em part of the province hopes it can get a deal signed soon. Minpro, an Australian compa- ny, thinks it can recover enough asbestos from the pile at Cassiar for a 10-year operation. But first it needs to do a deal with the recelver appointed to wind up the affairs of Cassiar Mining Corporation which went info bankrupicy last year. And it must-also meet reclama- ‘tion requirements of the provin- clal government. The tailings pile, -contaiiing - waste product from 40 years of operations from the Cassiar Mini- ng Corporation, is about the only thing left in ihe tiny communily. Buildings: were sold off last ycar following the mining compa- ny going into bankrupicy. Any monies spent by Minpro for the tailings pile will be passed to the receiver. That's because creditors of the company still have outstanding claims to be paid off. Minpro official Gerry Lees was last week. talking 10 receiver Arthur ‘Andersen. and Company and. to the: * provincial government, . “We're getting close. I would ~ hope il is only.a matier of days,” said Lees last ‘week, oTg successful, sce if its plans can be carried out, Lees, who visited Cassiar recently, said a quick test of the if is signe “Minpro -would - sign a deal giving it an option on - "the pile for a six-month study to different municipal affairs minis- ter over the years. Costs continually weighed against the project until the provincial government came up with a grant to cover 75 per cent of the project. — Pressure for a system mounted in the last few. years after the Skeena health unit began issuing cease and desist orders to resi- dents. whose septic lank systems weren’t working properly: Raw sewage surfaced in local ditches. and watercourses, spur- ring on the effort lo come up with replacements. . .. . ; Rick Hawke echoed Wat- mough’s comments. —_ ‘tas the chairman of the sewage group, I’m quite happy about it. The people affirmed our faith in the system.”? Not everyone was satisfied with the results. Queensway resident’. Susan Mehs said that she supported the project in principle, bul was con- cerned by the lack of planning details, “Ts like: ‘voling for something that you’ve only been given a little. Information about,” she ‘sald. | “The regional district should really listen to residents to hear their suggestions.’’ _ “Mike Elgert, a member of the Atte ney tailings pile proved positive, “But we need fo do-a more thorough study,”’ he said. Approval from the provincial government is tied to plans to contour the tailings pile and return the mine are and neigh- bouring townsite to as close to a natural state as possible. The Cassiar Mining Corpoza- tion had posted a reclamation -bond worth only $50,000 with the province. ‘No’ side, thought the process was flawed, Elgert said renters voled yes be- causc they wouldn’t incur any costs from the system, He said that. while “residents “.would be charged an annual fee of $350 for the next.20- years, tenants would be charged nothing. Elgert estimated that about 75 per cent of properly owners voied against the system. “The whole thing “stinks - lenanls in this area had no right to vote, It’s just made everybody madder + we’re not done yet. “We're not hooking up to it (the proposed system). Our MLA is going to have to get involved whether he likes it or not.’” Elgert also claimed. that : ad- visory committee’ member and Skeena Valley trailer park owner Mary Rauter told people to vote yes while she sat at (he polling table, “That's an out-and-out ie,” ‘said Rauler in. response. “If I’d been doing that, the returning of- ficer. would’vé asked me ‘to- leave.?? Earlicr in the week, opponents of the. syétem sought a court in- junction to stop the referendum, on the grounds that renters should nol be allowed to vote. | Company hopes mine That’s. not nearly thot” to cover costs, making the job a re- sponsibilily of. the Provincial government, . Provincial mines “official John Errington said 2 successful deal with Minpro would ‘relieve: the province of paying between $3 million and) $5 million in ‘reclamation costs. **The government doesn’t have a lot of money now, This would be a savings,” he said. Golden search looking good | TERRACE — A mining compa- ny is spending more than $6 mil- lion on an exploration project Hear Stewart this year. Lac Minerals last year outlined one million ounces of gold at Red Mounlain and is looking for more, “We're starting lo get into the area where it looks really intercst- ing,’* said company spokesiman John Pearson from Toronto last week, An expenditure of 51 million ‘last year at the properly produced - the one million ounce finding and ‘that was triple what was found during work donc in 1991, he-- said. found and obviously we'd like lo ‘do that again,’’ added Pearson. Lae acquired the property from Bond Gold Canada when it bought parent company Bond In- ‘ternational Gold in 1989, Red Mouniain.is 16km straight east of Stewart. The one million ounces is defined from grading out show- ings in 2.8 million tonnes of ore. “Our hope is that we can'pro- ceed to the feasibility. study stage and eventually development,” _ Said Pearson. . Any development would: either : feature the company providing its _ own mining plant or working out a deal to use the existing one owned by Westmin. . That company developed its facilities for the Premier properly but has cul back production be- cause‘ore reserves didn’l pan out -” as expected, “We tripled the amount : we -. ‘more than 60,000 feet of surface drilling and 3,500 feet for an adit - todo underground drilling, - Work planned this year inchides’ Lac wants to remove a 200 tonne bulk sample for laboralory analysis.