Java shops make us a city | By JEFF NAGEL AS A confessed caffeine ad- dict, my measure of how Terrace has improved in basic livability rests with its number of coffee shops. Just a couple of years ago the only place you could go in town to get a mug of fan- cy, urban, designer java was the farmers’ market. A local woman who recognized the sales polen- tial for fancy caffees before anyone else, camped out there on Saturdays, fired up a Coleman campslove and poured hot cappucinos. The lack of anything even resembling a Starbucks un- derscored our reputation as a rural backwater. Today, there are three spe- cialized coffee shops, plus numerous restaurants serv- ing the fancy stuff. Not lo mention the city’s four dovghnut shops. Everyone, 1’m sure, would offer their own take on what’s made Terrace better. But the bottom line is that something happened along the way and we shifted from being a muddy town cut out of the bush to a place people want ta be. A decade ago il was a major struggle to . attract doctors to town, Now you can’t beat them off wilh a slick. We're not Kitsilano or downtown Vancouver in the cultural sense, but more and more people from there are willing to trade traffic jams and smog for clean air, sal- mon streams and a five- minute commute. Here are some _ other changes in the last several years that have made it a more livable city: W@ The highway to Prince Rupert, and for that matter up to Stewart and beyond, has been steadily improved over the years. Two decades ago, when the rutted black- top ran terrifyingly close to the railway tracks, an eve- ning, jaunt to the coast for dinner and a movie wasn't usually an impulse decision. W@ Improvements to land- ing limils at the airport have also improved the rate at which planes here land. This also helps ease the trapped feeling that arises if there’s no way loescape, And sure, you may find yourself on the miduight bus home from Rupert, but wealber’s weather and there’s nothing anybody can do about that. BB Produce trucks arrive al the grocery stores every day. Not thal long ago it was only once a week and you had to be there on time to get the best fruils and vegetables. Bi The Internet is available in town — from no Sess than three different local pro- viders. That not only allows people in certain knowledge-based industries to locate here out of choice, but helps the rest of us feel more connected ta the rest of the world. The net is also opening up more avenues for distance education, expanding the educational apportunities for locals. Wi Recreation options have improved. Although a. sec- ond sheet of ice is’ still elusive, Terrace has seen a swimining pool expansion, youlh soccer field expan- sion, more tennis courts aud improved access ‘to local hiking trails, i sin other city services, COFFEE DRINKER Jeff Nagel says the multiple places in which to enjoy a cup of the hot stuff are a measure of Terrace's growth as a liveable city. the expansion to the library makes it one of the best for communities this size. This was. accomplished through more (han just a lite bil of “political arm twisting’ and through sub- stantial’ community” coutri- butions. Every Indo-Canadian fam- ily inthe city, for instance, chipped in through one donation. MM Tireless efforts of health care- valunteers “helped bring a CT scanner to town, and numerous other hospital improvements. Those changes are part of ‘coniplement — of he. reason Terrace has mavaged to altract a full medical specialists, Bi it’s still a challenge to find a place to rent, but the situation has improved re- markably since the tum of the decade as more duplexes, fourplexes -and other kinds of ‘plexes dot the landscape. @ The explosion in single family housing has given home buyers more choices than ever before. @ Skeena Kalum Housing Socicty’s family housing project provides for affor- dable housing for those on low income. BS The Muks-Kum-Ol Housing Society has quietly become a major player in providing bousing for na- lives and, in the process, has become the envy of cities across Canada for what it has done, Bi If you took every home- based business and pul ihem in the arena, the place would be stuffed to the rafters. They all add to an incredib- ly diverse and growing retail mix. Mi Who says there’s noth- ing to do at night? The Ter- race Concert Society and now the Terrace Little Theatre consistently bring in quality performers. Consid- er the crowd that tumed out al the R.E.M. Lee Theatre receatly when the theatre brought in Farmer’s Daughter. M The green space along Howe Creek and other in- itiatives being patiently worked on by the cily’s parks and recreation depart- ment and the Terrace Beau- tification Society boost the quality of life for us all. Terrace Progress Edition 1997, February 26, 1997 Building boom just rolls along THE DRAMATIC surge of growth that began five years ago in Terrace shows no signs of stopping. A Real Canadian Wholesale Ciub outlet planned by Westfair Properties Lid. is expected to begin breaking ground soon, The company is naw of selecting a gener- al contractor for its 36,000 square foot food centre. And a proposed Canadian Tire development for a site” on Hwy 16 at Brooks St. has overcome most of its hurdles with the city and highways ministry and is ex- pected to advance to the public hearing stage in March, The project would sce construction of a 46,000 square foot retail store and auto service centre plus a 10,500 square foot garden centre. The two combined would be the largest new com- mercial developments in recent years. Last year saw the skyline pierced by the construction of the five-storey Park Ave. Medical Centre, plus de- velopment of myriad smaller projects. They included a new Northern Savings Credit Union, a new Tim Horton's, a major expansion of Totem Ford, a 12,000 square foot community hall at Kitsumkalum reserve, an expansion of the Lazelle Ave. Mini Mall, and the new Costa Lessa Motel in Thomiuill. Other anticipated projects this year include construc- tion of a 7-Eleven on Lakelse Ave., a new River In- dustries building on Hwy 16, plus a rebuilt Copperside DT at the highway and Kenney St. And it’s not over yel, according to city planner David Trawin. ‘This will probably be a record year for com- mercial,’ Trawin says. ‘‘We’re still on an accelerating pace.”’ He’s expecting some slowdown of big commercial projects next year, but a continuation of smaller local developments. The following year mighl see more of a slowdown as the city's commercial sector plateaus al the size nceded to serve the regional population. The next stage of commercial growth wouldn’l kick in until the city nears 30,000-plus population. Trawin said the residential market continues to boom right now because of the new people moving to towi. He expects it lo ease off as commercial does. And a major shutdown of the forest industry here would make the development shutdown more abrupt. But he’s so far predicting conlinved strong residential growth this year, wilh another couple of years of near- record multi-family residential canstruction. Over the last five years, the city has seen 70 to 80 new homes built every year. Construction in Terrace cracked the $25 million mark for the first time last year. Residential construction has climbed froin $5. 1 mil- lion worth of construction and 98 perils in 1991 lo $17.7 million and 171 permits in 1996, “As your credit union we are here io help you build a future. We provide the loans and investments you need to get the job done. From financing your car to helping you save for your retirement you can count on the “credit union advantage” to belp you get where you want to'go a little faster. 4650 Lazelle Avenue, Terrace ph. 635- 7282 e belong to you.” the credit union n advantage: we are a profit sharing, member owned institution... 7 we belong to YOU. Become a member today.