4 City councillor pulls money |; from TD bank | CITY COUNCILLOR Lynne Christiansen closed out her accounts al the Toronto Dominion bank Oct. 12 in pro- _test of the bank’s treatment of local logging contractors. She said she’s hoping others also stop doing business with the bank and that adds to the pressure on the TD to change its thinking. “I don’t think anybody should have an account there,” she said. _ The’bank seized money in Skeena Cellulose accounts in early September and refused to honour cheques issued by the forest company. That left numerous contractors owed an estimated $2,5 million and forced the province to place the compa- ny under creditor protection on Sept. 5. Christiansen said she waited a few weeks to see what would happen and “hear it all out.” She said she's come to the conclusion the loggers are right — that the bank essentially stole money that right- fully should be theirs. “How can you do that to people,” she asked. Christiansen said having ta move accounts is a worth- while inconvenience. “It’s a small price to pay compared to what the con- tractors are going through,” she said. , She was accompanied to the bank by councillor Val George, who said he isn’t a customer of the bank or else fe % raat fe Ye Steerer op News In Brief New police officers in the Nass Valley THE NASS/Lissims RCMP detachment has under- gone some major staffing changes. Over the sum- mer the five-person detachment saw four con- stables leave for other postings and that many new constables arriving, Constable Kevin Inamasu was transferred from La Loche, Saskatchewan, a town of 3,800 people. Accustomed to working in a remote posting, In- amasu Said he adjusting well to working and living in the Nass Valley. Cnst. Scott Stoughton comes from the Squamish RCMP detachment where he was stationed for the past two years. While in Squamish he worked briefly under Sgt. Rob Diack, who has now been posted in New Aiyansh for just over one year. Constable Dave Bukkos cames from a posting in Williams Lake and Cast. Jerry Jack came from the Dees Island highway patrol in the lower mainland. The average posting for a constable in New Aiyansh is two years. Accidents in the Nass IT WAS a busy weekend in the Nass Valiey over Thanksgiving. Police charged a 24-year-old man Oct. 6 with he'd have done the same thing. George said it would probably take only a fraction of the profits the bank has extracted from SCI and its con- tractors over the years to pay the contractors’ bills naw. Both councillors say they hope the local branch man- ager puls pressure on their masters in eastern Canada. The bank was also targeted by contractors, who had parked heavy equipment in front of the local branch up until two weeks ago. Provincial competition minister Rick Thorpe, the ca- binet minister in charge of the Skeena Cellulose affair, said last month he thought he had a deal with the bank to clear contractors’ cheques prior to Skeena Cellulose receiving creditor protection, cS CITY COUNCILLOR Lynne Christiansen ripped up her cheques in front of the TD bank Friday after closing out all her accounts there. That's fellow city coun- cillor Val George who came out to support Christiansen. JEFF NAGEL PHOTO Strike vote results next week NEARLY 80 per cent of teachers here voted $55,000 a year. term disability plan. Oct. 10 on whether to give union leaders a strike mandate. The ballots won’t be counted until the first ever province-wide strike vote concludes today, and results may not be announced until Monday. But Terrace District Teachers’ Union presi- dent Frank Rowe is taking the high tumout as a signal of determinalion among the members. “Almost all of them are insulted by the em- ployers’ salary increase,” Rowe said. “And they’re angered, quite frankly, by the contract- stripping proposals thal-the employer has pu on the table.” ” Ses : Teachers want a 24 per cent wage increase“ over three years plus a 10 per cent market ad- justment to help attract new teachers. The average teacher in this district earns Victoria wants to effectively eliminate guaranteed limits to class size, Rowe said, and it wants lo leave to the discretion of ad- ministrators how much help should be given to teachers dealing with special-needs children. “Our fear is without thal certainty it just wouldn’t happen,” he said. Other proposals would eliminate duty-free lunch hours, he said. “We could be assigned an unlimited amount of supervision and only be guaranteed --a30.minute,lunch. hour.” i. Other.démands, bythe province, seek to place a lifetime -cap-on the-number of.sick ‘days used by a teacher of 120 days per dis- ease. After that’s used up a teacher with cancer would have to go onto a union-funded short- “The government has made it clear this is a cosl-sharing measure,” he said. “Their inten- tion is to shift the burden for sick time onto the union and we resent that.” “The mood is one of determination,” Rowe added. “Militancy isn’t there yet but thal may very well come.” He said the mood of teachers has been af- fected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. “It makes us all feel we live in a very privi- leged society,” Rowe said. “In many ways we should count our blessings. However there are balances in. our society which are important to maintain... ~ os Teachers in this district staged a wildcat ° strike in the early 1980s over an administrative matter and were on strike for a new contract for about a month in 1989 and one day in 1991. impaired driving, being over the legal limit and driving while disqualified. Police discovered the man as he was stopped in the street in New Aiyansh. The next day Lisims Nass Valley RCMP were called to a minor accident also in New Aiyansh. There were no injuries but the investiga- tion revealed alcohol was a contributing factor. The driver was given a 24 hour suspension. Also on Oct. 7 police came upon a single vehi- cle accident near Gilwinksihlkw. The male driver was the only occupant in the vehicle. He was transported to hospital and treated for injuries. Health Watch speaks LOCAL HEALTH advocates will be among those speaking to the provincial legislature's select standing committee on health when it meets here today. The goal is to hear from northwesterners about how scare health care dollars should be spent and what priorities should be established for health care. Included on the list is Terrace Health Watch, the local group which worked with the city to out- line a series of key health needs here. The session takes place at the Best Western Terrace Hotel from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. And on Oct. 25, the legislature’s select standing commitice on finance comes to town to hear opi- nions leading into the next budget. As it is, the provincial government is preparing to cut thou- sands of civil service jobs, medical benefits and take other measures to bring dawn spending. . 7 - The Oct. 25 finance session is from.9 am. to 1 p.m. at the Best’ Western Terrace Inn. Two weeks | ago, the standing committee on aboriginal affairs was in the northwest but it missed Terrace. front desk of the Home Centre. The first 16 to try techniques first-hand. October 19, 2001 from 7-10 p.m. We will be showing some of — the latest techniques in interior finishing (Faux Finish). We will have 16. painting stations — to try out different techniques. Come in and sign up at the people to register will be able Invite your friends to join you for this exciting painting session. CO-OP National d hand to barbecue smoki The Salvation Army will be on dogs (by donation}. All proceeds will go to the Food Bank, Co-et Week Members Only Sale October 20, 2001 Co-op Members will receive a iscount of 15% off everything in the store (excluding fuel, oil products & charges) An excellent time to purchase an early Christmas gitt for that special someone. es and hot