comer Fae AM = ~ Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 19, 1990 Cy ERRACE STAND: ia ae orem ape i n ‘Cou Special lanks to all — ‘ “ESTABLISHED APRIL 27,1986 oe —— our contributors: andy «| 7 . ao _ . , oF ; tor: od Busan indper Come nga i (i correspondents {o Registration: No, 7820. 4647 Lazello Ave. Terrace, B.C, vea 188 : (604) ea0-7289. Rod Link fy ‘Coulter'— * Advensing Mannie Janel. el eke : = Atri Consutint thelr time and . Serving tha Terrace Arba, Pubad on, Weds ‘ath oak by Cav Press (1960) LA 'at (847 Lazata Avn-Tetce, Beh Cobb” ~ gg Ee ee ihats San Colter —~ Advartsing Consultant, Tony Maller = reuiation Sipanisr talents. ae _ Stories, phategraphs, dlustrations, desiyns ard typettyies in thw Terrace Standard are tha proparty of tha cng kes, eg an Memb elens Ite a Production Manager: , Set vo 9 : lustration repro Séevices and advertising agancies, - Reproduction in whole or in part, without written permission, is specifically peonbited. Authorized 3 second-class mal pendiag tha Post Cice Oepartment, for payment at postage in cast, Edoward Credgeur Why the secrecy? As municipal politicians begin maneuvering their chess pieces for the November elections, it’s a fitting time to check in to see how they are doing. ~ The best place to start is with council’s closed ° in-camera meetings. They are always a‘contentious issue. The intent of closed meetings is to discuss city land, personnel and financial business but other things just seem to slip in. On April 9, council reviewed a request by the Northern B.C. Winter Games Society to sponsor a wine and cheese social ‘as. part of the society’s annual general meeting. On May 22 council went. over a report outlining sizes and prices of tent shelters the city was con- sidering buying. On May 28, council went over a re- quest by Northwest Community College to have aldermen and city employees take part in a wheelchair tour of the city to highlight access difficulties. On Aug. _ Missing out — Tt was an interesting experience. Satur- day’s official opening of the Muks-Kum- Ol Housing Society’s Pear St. duplex housing project was as noteworthy . because of those who weren’t there as it was because of those who did attend. ; The, project ,was built through $2.5 million’in federal dollars, quite an ac-- complishment given that it has been many years since a federal Tory represented the area in Parliament. Yet.nary a federal Tory politician was in- evidence despite repeated attempts to secure such a dignatary for the occasion. One minister’s office, it is said, phoned five times just to say the minister would not: be attending. This kind of reaction is puzzling. It’s not as if there is a shortage of federal Tories. The federal cabinet is the largest a 1, council members discussed sprinkling on the arena roof during the summer hockey school. On Aug. 27, council went over the submission it wanted to make to the royal commission on health care and © costs. The most interesting session also took ‘Place on Aug. 27, between represen- — tatives of West Fraser, operators of Skeena Sawmills, over the proposed pur- chase of a forest licence belonging to Tay-M Logging. The session took place several weeks after the first reports of the proposed purchase became public. - What then, was the big deal? Don’t forget that this was the same — council that in 1988 met in open session with forest companies at that time bid- ding for the rights to the. Sustut-Takla wood north of Hazelton. If that session fit the purpose of the companies and of council, why was the Aug. 27 meeting with West Fraser different? A little light on the issue by council is in order. in history, surely somebody could have been drafted for the event. What also makes this strange is that if there was ever an occasion when the federal Tories needed something to bolster their image, this was it. It’s been ~a bad summer for the feds when it comes to native affairs. A housing development opening would have done much to put, as they say in public ‘Telations circles, a positive spin on the situation. What’s ironic about all of this is that the only politician of note at the opening was Skeena MLA Dave Parker, He and his government are not particularly view- ed as sympathizers of native causes. But because of the mysterious missing feds, Mr. Parker was able to ‘grab some of the limelight. That helping hand Caompany-paid vacations have drained the pool of guest kinfolk, especially those capable of fix-its around the ~ host's home. : It wasn’t so when I was Bifocals young. Relatives came to our DY Claudetie Sandeckl Through | farm every summer to spend \ several. days to a month, In trade for a change of scene and free lodging, they pitched in any way they could with whatever work had to be done. Uncle Ken worked at the Saskatoon stockyards. He : always arrived with his hightop ‘ boots, GWG overalls, straw hat and gloves, ready to pitch hay, ! stook sheaves, or drive a trac- tor. 7 At canning time aunts donn- ed aprons to pick beans, shell peas, or slip skins off peaches. Cousins went along with us feeding chickens, chopping potatoes for cowfeed, or clean- ing thecellar, —~: ‘These days few people plan mere conversation or homey ac- tivities as part of their holiday calendar. They prefer a luxury cruise through the Inland ‘ Passage to Ketchikan; a packag- ed tour to Nepal complete with Sherpa guides; or skydiving in 12-minute vagaries of freefall parachutes. Even if one or two clansmen chances are they lack the skills : you could profit from. Rare is tor, or TV producer who can or fiberglass a boat. Parents. encourage teenagers Mexico after a comprehensive - lecture on the: countenance your ‘hospitality, : the bank manager, weed inspec- a replace shingles, ‘dig post holes, to pursue careers that fit their inclinations, promise future prospects, and pay well. If Parents were more interested in their own welfare, they would nudge their offspring into ser- vice occupations. Then kids could lend parents a hand on their rare stopovers at the ancestral residence. . My parents demonstrated un- common canniness in that respect. One of my brothers js an electrician, another is an ar- tist, and my sister can cook self-propelled combine. ; When Tommy Douglas elec- trified Saskatchewan, my older brother wired the farmstead — house, barn, and yard lights — and later installed Mom’s be My: 4 monster electric. range. younger - brother painted - - any surface Mom selected, and: * some she didn’t. Whilemy sister: : sewed drapes, froze gatden ff vegetables, and cooked with Fé aplomb for a reunion of 75. . Guiding young folk. toward practical professions ‘is para- mount. They should also be en- couraged to marry manually- skilled individuals, proficient in carpentry, mechanics, or plum- - bing, not brain surgery, - But don’t iook down your nose at- the jack-of-all- trades han- dyman. Hail entry of his smorgasbord of technical talent into the family circle with a blanket invitation and a com- bination wrench. But. all precautions will be wasted unless kin live nearby, They must not reside so distant each sojourn is an event. Mom. and Dad’s youngsters settled within a day’s-driving distance. ‘Making ‘maximum use of whatever visitor know-how _ comes: your way-— though ex- . : ' --. pedient . cet’ can. leave gaps in sew, assist a vet, OF Operate a. vy, ‘home: maintenance pro- artisans well in advance of their annual vacation plans, ‘tree’ for a window- tock-picker. - ‘o ensure, hosting the: require, woo selected | t- now I’m shaking’ our. ‘tise to renewed election ~ speculation, | but never for long . MARTEN HAS ARRANGED A aed SECRET MEETING: WITH: HMR. SUN AND THE: FORT DOGGEREL SHAAN as ey a se SEAN + “yy , . Pe GET PRESCED.. URE STING MY TIME, EVERYBODY JS - “SICK T0 THEIR STOMACH THE WAY MULRONEY PEALS WITH THE NATIVE ISSUES... ae} pty a 70 " Will he or won't. he call election? vie __VICTORIA — Rumours in . Victoria are a dime a dozen these days. Anything goes, from a call to the polls this fall to Premier Vander Zalm's resignation. Trying to sort through all the hype and emerge with some sort of logical scenario is difficult at best. Logic would rule out ‘a fall: election because the, govern- _ ‘ ment’s chances of winning . aren't very good: logic, however, would also rule out a spring election, because things could easily get worse for the Socreds. Liberal leader Gordon Wilson is flogging a theory, according to which Vander Zalm will step down and start living off the proceeds from the sale of his Fantasy Gardens, Which reminds me of predictions about a year ago. A lot of pundits were saying Vander Zalm would step down at the forthcoming convention. He didn’t. Last January, the pundits had him step down - again, and again he didn't. And I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for him to step down now, You might, however, want to hold your breath for an election call. At the moment of - writing this column, the on- again, off-again election is on again. But then, by the time you read this, it could be off again. The election was on as early as last March when finance minister Mel Couvelier in- troduced the 1990-91 budget, claiming it was the second balanced budget in a row. When Peat Marwick Thorne, the country’s largest firm of accountants, demolish- ed the government’s claim to fiscal wizardry, informing - British Columbians that the: - budget-was definitely nota ° balanced one, the election was off again. ‘Several times during the ses- . Sion, the government appeared to. gain: some ground, giving: Pm, WOMANS!!! -: From the Capltal by Hubert Beyer . enough to trigger the election cays migge ye A couple of ‘weeks ago, ’ "Vander Zalm, once again, . — _seemed to be favourably disposed towards a fall elec- tion. The Bud Smith affair was : ~ chance to provide some help in _ no longer on the front pages, and there hadn’t been ‘a new major scandal for a few weeks, The consensus among Socreds I talked to was that Vander Zalm should call the election now. They admitted that it would be a tough battle, but thought it might be even tougher next spring because of the dangers. of a recession. The next budget, they feared, would be one not even Couvelier would dare call balanced. Better to face the devil they knew ‘his fall than -the one they. didn’t next spr- ing. It made good sense, and I’m. _ sure Vander Zaim would — already have called the election if the unthinkable hadn’t hap- . pened, Ontario voters elected an NDP government. The spectacle of seeing the _. socialist hordes inside the gates of Canada’s free enterprise bastion must have put the fear of God into the Socreds. The election was most definitely off again, at least until the results | of the Manitoba election were in. Gary Filmon’” Ss: s victory was not totally.reassuring to Vander Zahn. The Tories got. a. 7 miajority,. but the NDP also in- . creased its share.of- the seats in the Manitoba Legislature to 20 from the previous 12::' a ~ At the time of writing this’ column, I would guess ‘there’ 3. a 50 per.cent chance of a fall election. Whether he goes now or next spring, depends.on’ - how good he believes his. ~ chances of winning ate. :. . er if 1 were to. bet on: whether _ MR.SUN T Gtue You PuokeruL- ; _ LOVE POTION MADE FROM TAIL BZ OF THE MUSKRAT...Sé How IT # _ little strategy, is it?. _ until splring is the trouble’ the he goes this fall or in spring, a I'd'stitl be tempted ‘to pitt: aol féW'dollars on a fall election =" I'm sure that with‘a little help, the premier will be able to con- vince himself he can win, | The NDP hasn't missed a ‘that regard. Her Majesty's. ., loyal opposition has been try- - ing hard to cajole Vander. Zalm into calling an election, now by playing down.its own chances of winning. When the: NDP released details of a poll: it had conducted, it claimeda. . narrow seven-point lead over... the Socreds which, party of." ficials added, would be whittl-:: ed down even further during -. the election campaign, — The whole exercise was ob-: viously designed to give the. Socreds the impression that with a lot of work and a little luck they can. win. Not a bad: One other aspect that i ma “convince Vander Zalm tow sale of his Fantasy Gardens property landed him in. In- stead of being far away,-ad. dressing some chamber of commerce on the benefits of investing in. beautiful British Columbia, Vander Zalm wag right here, rolling our the r carpet for the $10 billion la y who had bought his’ Richmo t theme park. > To use his poii on 1 , people: were.n this ¢ caper: - Tue. SON'S é on gS00o: “|B ll ——"