MARY OF ANNUAL PRO- ON: i ee natu kins is: nol \ availa. “2 ble in the region. it is-assumed - thal: the imills. will ship’ reugh green lumber .on an MIT rate- {o r. drying and planing al a location. . On the average : ‘rough | green. fumber stiould weigh about 3,000 Ibs. per M {bm and considering the - lumber species mix green pulp © chips would weigh abuut 4,200 ibs. per cunit, Pulp log would weigh about 5,700 lbs. per cunil,- including bark and it converted ‘lo’ chips at the millsite, these - chips -would weigh about 4,700 ‘Ibs.- per. cunit which is higher _ ‘than chips from lumber since ‘all pulpwood is assumed to be hemlock while the lumber woul!- ‘d be a' mix of hemlock, balsam, ‘spruce and pine. ; ee -: Issues ‘number of issues bear dire- ctly’ on the choice of railway ‘routes linking Prince Rupert. and Dease Lake. They are ite- tized fiere in the approximate ‘order. of importance. — 1... STABILITY: OF THE. EM- PLOYMENT BASE IN. THE RINCE RUPERT AREA The. - Columbia ‘operations at Prince Rupert and in: TFL..No. 1 are not viable ‘dpart'‘from a rationalization of - Yailway facilities and rates. The --gulphite mill in particular could ~.be'shut down at any time with VE ~ the loss of.1 000 ) Pulp mill and . logging jobs: - for ‘Quality - AND "RAIL “TON- Cellulose ~ "-. A,pailway line north of Terra- ce ‘al: least: as-far-as Meziadin Lake is considered essential -to - the long run'stability of the em- ployment base’ in this region. -TIMING: ; plementation is imperative. 3...CAPITAL COST ‘Capital costs would be su- bstantially. less per mile of tra- ck on ihe Terrace-Dease Lake route, in comparison wilh the presently " planned Klappan-Dease Lake route. Elevations are subslantially io- wer and there is less difficult Lo- pugraphy generally north of Heubents I. OPERATING cOsTS. Annual uperaling and maintenance charges would be --Lower on the Terrace route, due to more favourable winter con- ditions, elevations and grades. 3...REVENUE POTENTIAL New information on mineral and timber resources — un- derlines the potential. freight from outbound commudilies an- d backhaul of supplies. The majority of these resour- ces. would be uneconomic, or fa- ced wilh , high cost tran- speriation burdens which would impede development in the absence of the Terrace-Dease roule, in theStikine-[skul area alone is in. excess of 600,000 tons per | year. Forest product potential in ihe same rail corridor. is esti- mated at 1,300,000 Lons per year. 6... SMELTER LOCATION ..A smelter in the northwest is . ‘Phe Columbia ‘Cellulose pro . “ble cannet wait, Early im- Sustut- Mineral ‘concentrate potential , ’ VELOPMENT justified on: the basis. of known reserves of copper. The logical site is Kitimat and this supports ~ the 'T'errdce-Dease Lake: choice. of a rail’ roule. 7..REGIONAL -DE- VELOPMENT IMPACT ‘The economy of the northwest — would be strengthened toa mu- ch greater extent by arail route © north of Terrace; If the present B.C. Railway plan: are followed through, relalively little timber und mineral potential will be ta- pped between Sustut and Dease . Lake. Hecent sludies ‘show that the - potential of the Groundhog cea! " tield is much over-rated. While it-has good thermal value it has. a low. metalurgical value’ and the Field does not lend itself to open pil development. The Groundhog coal is a con- siderable way from velopment and exploration ex- penditures on that deposit are minimal at the present lime.. ‘Timber on the Klappan plaleau is scattered and minor . in volume compared ‘with the . . potential from Nass Landing north. ‘The weslern rail route would also contribute more to (he port of Prince Rupert than a route | further east. 8... INTEGRATED DE- . OF THE NORTHWEST The larger question is the - rational, integrated de- velopment of _northweslern Brilish Columbia. The opportunity now exists to de-' mr ihe same "time promote the. 7 _ following objectives. - | ‘Stabilization of the economy. a 4 in the Prince Rupert-Terrace- ‘build a transportation’ system. ~ which is - consistent with’ the. evolving. goals of the province. - The: issues are much broader than (hose of either railway or: of a single company or industry. Recommendations Ce " ILis recommended that consi- deration be given to the follo- wing action by the province of British Columbia. FIRST An immediate start on the: rail line north of Terrace to the jun- ‘ction of the Nass and Bell-Irving Rivers, . “SECOND Realignment of the presently planned ‘portion of the. B.C; - Railway north of the Skeena- parallel. lo the Stewart-Cassiar . highway. ‘ THIRD © Inclusion of the Terrace-Nass. section of the route in the.B.C. . Railway system if the CN. Railway fails to show | some interest, _ ‘FOURTH Acquisition by the B.C. Rail- way of the Terrace-Kitimat. spur now owned by C.N. thus providing for a complete: resource development railway from Kilimat to Dease Lake un- der (he control of the provincial ~ railway, This action would involve shelving present B.C, Railway construction plans lo move, directly: to Dease Lake trom Skeena-Sustul. [1 would move _the B.C. Railway into a more | productive resource area and al .. Art Carved Diamonds - Silver Ware Omega & Bulova Watches _Engraving | WATCH REPAIRS §35-5616 3208 A KALUM ST. TERRACE B. .: : oe sé ; Evenings Call , - D. Benson Res. 635-7028 RESIDENTIAL and 7 * COMMERCIAL and Kitimat, ‘route. wiieh = is Nass region, by reducing deli- : vered © wood. costs and: ine creasing values extracted from ~ the timber harvested. This isan - urgent consideration. ‘Increasing the - potential - jailway traffic, in outbound . forest and mineral products as ~ well as in backhaul traffic, by. an estimated 2,000,000 tons or. more annually, — 3. Shortening the distance tro- _ m Dease Lake 1o Prince Rupert and utilizing a vanlages::s in terms of capilal and operisling costs. re 4. Enhancing © copper _ de- ™ velopmeni prospects: in’ the’. northwest, by providing a rail- way option which is signi-- ficantly closer lo the main ore. bodies and is more. logical in. relation to the prime smelter und ‘refinery site al Kilimal, Development of copper deposits should proceed in cunjunction. Sustul junction, moving instead -- to ihe, more westerly. route © wilh processing’ facilities in Me. _ Oe ° - Improving prospects for co- “mmodity traffic Uhrough: the port o f Prince Rupert, A sé- condary effect of a thriving port is the possibility of greater: di-- versification of. fumber- marketing which is now too: | heavily dependent on US. rail. markels, OO the 4. Slrengthening | enlire econumy of the north-west by - means: of integrated planning tor resource | development, transportation and ‘port, fa- cilities. “7%. Resolving. the Prince ‘Ru pert versus Squamish port dile- mma. This study and recent - _ projections of the B.C. Railway. irattic potential. indicale that .. both ports will be needed and. should be developed _ Sis multaneously. . PROGRESSING WITH TERRACE & ome a :CUSTOM: “CABINETS: “PRE-HUNG Doors “No Job: Too Lange or Too - smal _ Free Estimates - Our Office Or in Your Home” BENSON -& HALES LID... CARPENTRY & MILLWORK 635-5455 3101 Blakeburw St.; Terrace Evenings Catt . DD. Hates fies. 635-7323 *more. ade