A2 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 23, 2003 Confusion surrounds city runway strategy By JEFF NAGEL CITY COUNCILLORS say they and the airport socie- ty have done a poer job of communicating plans to extend the runway at the airpori. Councillor. Rich McDa- nie! said he’s received many phone calls from local residents opposed to the idea. Many feel the runway extension —- which is ex- pected to mean the city borrowing $2.5 million on behalf of the airport socie- ty -—is geared to bring in Westlet and that doing so could hurt homegrown car- rier Hawkair. “I’ve had more negative calls about this than any other issue on council,” councillor Marylin Davies said. Airport society reports indicate they expect WestJet to come and that increased passengers through the airport - in- cluding some from Prince Rupert and Smithers ~ to fly the discount carrier will pay for the extension. McDaniel said even if there’s no increase in pas- senger traffic a $3 increase in passenger fees would cover the runway exten- From front David Hull sion debt repayments. But councillors main- tain the vision is much broader than just altracting Westiet — and cauld ex- tend to increased cargo plane traffic serving mines or even major tourist char- ters flying here direct from as far away as Germany. Mayor Jack Talstra said the intent was never to benefit just one air carrier, but rather to create a high- quality airport positioned for.the future. “T understand Smithers is extending their runway,” he added. David Hull also blamed local media reports -which he called “rhetorical hogwash” — for suggesting the entire In- strument Landing System ° installed Jast year would have to be uprooted and repositioned. He said that's only the case for a portion of the ILS -the beacon at the end of the runway —al- though there’s no specific numbers yet on how much of the $2.5 million to ex- tend the runway involves ILS modifications. Hull also said claims of Hawkair and others that 737 jets can land on run- ways as small or smaller than Terrace’s current length are misleading. The larger and more modern version 737s that WestJet is using require longer runways, he said, and discount carriers want an extra margin. He said that ensures they don't have to circle and burn extra fuel to land from the other end of the runway when there's a tailwind. Councillor Lynne Christiansen said council should meet airport offi- cials to clear the air. “Shouldn't we meet. with the airport society to satis- fy our own questions?” Christiansen suggested. . Veniez says IWA concerns are reasonabie and solvable he said. “It is what it is now.” He said he’s prepared to guarantee a firm start date if there’s a deal. — “They want to know when. That's perfectly le- pitimate,” Veniez said. “They don’t want lo sign something and be left out in the cold, That's perfect- ly legitimate. And they want their seniority to re- main intact. We can deal with all of those”! ind : Another change in, the .. dynamic is that the com- pany’s hired negotiator, Doug Quinn, has left New Skeena because his con- tract expired. Vice-presi- dent John Sparks is the new point man on the saw- mill talks. The current [WA con- tract at the Terrace saw- mill expires June 15. Veniez remains buoyant on the company’s pro- spects both on the pulp and lumber side. He plans to run three shifts at the Terrace saw- mill, employing more workers than ever before. Grass fires a danger A SPATE of recent grass fires has prompted Terrace fire chief Randy Smith to remind people to be extra vigilant while doing spring burning. “The grass is drying out and il's not greening up yet, so it’s a dangerous time,” says Smith. The Terrace Fire De- partment responded to four grass fires between 1:30-10 p.m. April 4. Anyone doing spring burning should have a sho- vel and water hose pulled out and ready to go, in case it is needed. “Once the fire gets away that's not the time to go looking for your fire- fighting equipment,” Smith says. “Don’t get carried away and try burn- ing too much,” Terrace residents can also get rid of leaves and grass by putting it out for the city’s Monday compost pickup, Forestry reforms and the start of a run-up in pulp prices are also favourable, “We're going to be hit- ting the market at exactly the right time,” Veniez “said, The company is making Alcan restricts visits plans for read construction and logging in May and Sune, he added. The inability to raise fi- nancing has plagued New Skeena, but Veniez says that’s also coming toge- ther. from SARS areas. LALGAN,HAS,, banned vi- sits to its Kitimat facilities by anyone who has tra- velled through SARS-af- fected areas until 10 days have passed since going through one of the areas. It doesn’t want to risk a drop in aluminum produc- tion by employees being quarantined or getting sick. The corporation is be- tieved to be one of the first in B.C. to react to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), a pneumonia- type ailment which has killed nearly 15 people in Canada. “We recognize that the risk of transmitting SARS by someone who is return- ing. | from, aq affected area is minimal.if they are. not. . already ill,” said Alcan of- ficial Garry Didow in an April 16 press release. “However the potential consequences to Alcan if someone were to enter an Alcan facility and subse- quently develop SARS are significant,” he said. “The consequences, which include risking the health of Alcan employ- ees, could shut down operations at the facility because of an imposed quarantine.” Toronto, Taiwan, Singapore, Hanoi, Hong Kong and mainland China are on the Alcan lists of SARS-affected areas. Parmar at 635-3583. April 30, 2003. 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