A12 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 9, 2000 Financial office opens PRIMERICA FINANCIAL Services, a financial serv- ices company, has opened a Lakelse Ave. office after several years of being a home-based business. Regional vice president Peter Arcadi says the space is large enough to not only hold the three people on staff now, but for several more. It’s . above. Central Flowers, ‘itself a new resi- dent “of the 4600 Block Lakelse. The office’s territory ‘takes*in Prince Rupert, Kitimat-and Terrace. . Primerica does not sell stocks and bonds; it does sell mutual funds. Gift baskets new service A NEW ‘home-based busi- ness is offering customized gifts in Terrace, Silvana Rigsby has started 2 new home-based business called The Bas- ketcase, : She¥shops for special- ized items for customers, and packages them into attractive gift baskets. ‘Baskets range. from things. like tea, coffee and chocolates to baby gifts. “It’s kind of like spe- cialty. shopping,” she said. “I do their gift shopping for them.” > Some people doubted it ; would work, predicting it’s too much of a “big city” idea, Rigsby said’ But she ended up filling about 80 basket orders over Christmas and is now . in the midst of the rush for Vaientine's Day. TERRACE. STANDARD | Business REvVIEw SE La er inact oe Adal Ae Sate Ade ae ciate Boa: Ae Tatianna ree Rats am m@ Sandman rising CONSTRUCTION WORKERS are putting a new peaked roof on the Sandman Hotel. A floor-by-floor renovation is also underway that will completely upgrade all 70 rooms. The hotel chain is run by Vancouver's Northland Properties. Own- er Bob Gaglardi is the son of Socred cabinet minister “Flying Phil” Gaglardi. Flowers A La Heart FLOWERS Al TA is the perfect time to Send someone you love a blossoming bouquet Let flowers say it allto Open Sundays for your | Skeena Mall Valentine’s Day. : of affection. ber or bim. conveneience. “Your FTD Florist With A Flair” 635-4080 TE eRe ely ree ETT eC OEE ee ee ee ore FEE Tap gi Manoa ee at Mave aT APE evan Sisfptae Sed TOR bee Cee ay Airport businesses to get some tax relief A MASSIVE increase in property taxes for businesses at the airport will be phased in over the next two years. City councillors agreed Friday to pro- vide a grant-in-aid to the Terrace-Kitimat Airport ‘Society, which in turn will reduce the amount it will charge tenants for property tax. 7 Businesses there had faced the pros- pect of double or triple the previous year's property tax because the city ex- tended its boundaries to take in the-air- port last year. , Tenants there that previously paid a ~ lower business tax rate to the regional district now pay the same rate as down- town businesses, ‘The subsidy to ease the hike in: busi- ness taxes will amount to $24,000 this year, said city treasurer Keith Norman, and drop to zero the following year, Busi- nesses there will still pay more this year than a year ago, but won’t see their tax bill double or triple. so wicity eontetuneee Not all councillors were comfortable about the idea, “I have a bit of a problem with grants in aid for commercial enterprises,” said ‘David Hull, - Other councillors agreed -and reduced ‘a previously contemplated three-year: phase in to two years. . . “I would have found it really, really tough to-sell to the public,” said Olga Power, who pushed for the change. .. Despite refunding patt-of ‘the: taxes; the property taxes this year because of its ta- “We caused this increase in taxes by taking them under our wing,” noted Val George in supporting some phase in. Hull noted Transport Canada might. have closed the airport had the city and other partners not formed the society to take it-over. ; “Maybe they should be dropping on their knees and thanking us, because maybe if not for us there wouldn’t be an- airport there come April.” New councillor Lynne Christiansen also backed a quick phase-in of business . taxes, noting to do otherwise would “look bad” and possibly damage future efforts - to get other unincorporated areas to join the city. Council was in full agreement on pro- viding a grant of $66,000 a year to the so- ciety to cover the portion of property tax- es it would owe the city. They likewise plan to grant $6,200 ta refund the city taxes of the 747 Air Cadet Squadron, a non-profit group that would likely normally get a tax exemption if their property was anywhere else in town. The total city: subsidy to refund taxes for the society, airport businesses and air cadet hall will total $96,000 this year. = city will still get collect $50,000 more in keover of the airport. That will climb to at least $74,000 next-year when the business phase-in ends. patatan i SIs ct A of \ _ #sewellers. Smithers BC (25) 4476 Terrace 8C (250) 635-9000 S CEE ee PORES ‘| SivithsShapoig Cote | Seen Mall, erat Seite [ater] i i cma!