ce Slumberlodge deal tied to Best Western By KATHLEEN BRANDSMA THE TERRACE Slumberlodge is on the block and a major buyer could be moving in. A deal to sell the local motel and 12 others in the Northwest to Progressive Properties in Richmond could be * finalized by June, “The plan right now is to probably turn the ones that are cligible into Best « Westerns,’ says Progressive’s man- : ager of Special Projects, Les Dogaod. The deal is worth $9.5 million. Progressive Properties is owned by Milan Elich, who also has a hand in the Vancouver Blizzard Soccer Club . and Cypress Mountain in Vancouver. Dogood says the deal is taking - longer to close than usual because . Slumberlodge is a public company. It is owned by Western Dominion , Investments, which bas shares on the : Vancouver Stock Exchange. * Terrace Dogood could not say though if the Slumberlodge would be among those franchised as Best West- ens. A Best Western spokesperson at head office in Arizona confirms there isa deal in the making. Progressive was initially approached early last year by First Canadian Properties in Vancouver to partner a Export turmoil feared INTERIOR B.C. MILLS may start looking overseas for new markets in the wake of a soltwood lumber decal struck between Canada and the United States. Under the agreement, the number of board feet that can flow south Gom B.C. mills has been limited to nine billion board feet. Industry is now in the pro- cess of determining how the quota will be divvied up among the different foresteerree-: ~*~ ff regions and assessing if the cut will hurt them, But the question remains: Where will mills turn once their US. export quota is used up? “Ivs going to be dicey,’’ says Emice Thoney, vice president of sales for West Fraser Mills, which owns Terrace’s Skeena Sawmills, “With a cutback in volume to our biggest market, we are definitely considering alternatives. The most ob- vious choice is the Pacific Rim as the demand for North American-style hous- ing increases.” Once Interior mills hit the quota wall, it’s likely they will look to Asia instead of paying an export tax fo the 3. Under the softwood agree- ment a $50 per thousand board feet fee will be col- lected on the first quarter of a billion above the quota. That rale doubles for ex- ports above 9.25 billion. Up until now Asian markets have largely been the domain of coastal mills. Following the new restraints, the Asian market could be thrown into havoc as Interior producers move in, The quota also has indus- try slakeholders wondering if the cut will mean shut- downs once quotas are reached, It’s not clear how much lumber currently crosses the border, with estimates rang- ing from the province’s ofGi- cial figure set a 9.4 billion to 10.4 billion. But Thoney thinks it could just be enough to mean temporary shutdowns in the future. The quota is set lo go into effect April 1. “It’s all still pretty fuzzy at this point,'” says Thoney, “But depending on the al- lotment per: quota among mills and the cut in exparts, there is the potential for short-term shutdowns. "We — industiry — arc working to keep the levels as close as possible to what they are prior to April. The govenument has never dealt with anylhing this big be- fore, and by providing ovr input now we hope to put as few speed bumps in this things as possible.”’ deal with Slumberlodge. But Dogood says they weren’t inter- ested al the tinie because Progressive would have had to come up with most of the money, Al Kovats with First Canadian says his company had spent seven months and about $40,000 researching Slum-"~ berladge before approaching Progres- sive. And he claims Progressive kept the information First ~ Canadian had prepared and then used it to make their bid. But Dogood says ie’s never heard of any such thing. He says when Progressive is given information by a potential partner, and the partuership doesn’t go through, the information is given “back. or destroyed. But Kovais says be’ s now talking to Progressive to sctile what he says is a serious issue, Vote count TERRACE SLUMBERLODGE ein- ployces still don’t know when or if their certification vole to join the Hotel, Restaurant, and Bartenders Union will go through. They voted March 1 at the Access Center and the balluts are sealed. A certification hearing began Febru- ary 28 in Wancouver, but was suspended when it was found there was a discrepancy between employce lists supplied by the union and Slum- delayed berlodge management. That’s when the vote was ordered, Union business agent Wilma Red- path says the Labour Relations Board has now ordered an expedited hearing to address that issuc. She claims Slumberlodge manage- ment added to their employee list in hopes of discouraging the union vote. Noa date has been set yet for the new hearing. a REDATAGaITE! AL al ei Cy * AUTOMOTIVE*TOYS The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 13, 1996 - A9 GRIME Lau! STOPPERS 635-TIPS The Terrace Little Theatre presents... a play by DAVID MAMET Directed by Jo Patterson Starring Alan Weston as John Marianne Brorup Weston as Carol March 21, 22, 23 & 28, 29, 30 & p.m. McColl Playhouse 3625 Kalum Street ' Tickets $12 at UVIGLOBE Courtesy Travel oN — Oleanne Sponsored by AWU of NWCC, and Totem Press BrOLUG CHUTE rams, calli MANY ITEMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MARKED DOWN GIVING YOU SAVINGS OFF OUR ORIGIN PRICE OF *SMALL APPLIANCES *SPORTING GOODS | “BED & BATH*WATCHES |!) @> Sa, A ee mS _ *MEN'S, WOMENS L/P eee Oe OS epee oe * HOUSEWARES * CANDY THR OFF AREA : S; Tape SHOur *HARDWARE Toker *HEALTH & BEAUTY *PATIO & GARDEN _ SHOES NOT INCLUDED. \ 4 CASH, CHEQUES SORRY, NO LAYAWAYS ON RED TAG ITEMS. §