» Bluebacks swim vfun
Terrace team ‘travelled’ to.
Prince. Rupert, to praotice:,
swim stokes and styles.

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Oe ountant confesses |
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charged: with’ 13-counts of
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outside of the. Tetrace e area.’

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cestandard.com

Weinesiny June 30, , 2004

VOL. 17 NO. 12.

By JEFF b NAGEL *
PAY YOUR taxes — all of. them.

That. was: Terrace. city epuncil’s :
blunt message to.New Skeena Forest,
Products. officials ata meeting. here

June 24,

Councillors: inaniritously biicked up’ .
the position of. mayor, ‘Jack : ‘Talstra, *
that- local, ‘citizens
have no. appetite lo" saint any: leniency: ‘:

who was. absent,.’

on taxation. : ;
“We'd all ‘give our: eye. teeth to’ see

~ the sawmill ‘back’: “up! “and | running,” ;
councillor Carel: Leclete. told ‘company
“But! we Te. ‘nol: going to sell “

~ officials.-*
‘ gur souls,” :
“People: just aren*t going. to stand

for someone else not: paying ‘their,

taxes,” added: Lynne’ Christiansen.

na officials: predicted : a , proposal. would oo
:.be ‘made. as early-as this week to settle
the: debts. for both: older: and current.
taxes to northwest towns.

‘The: Plan :of ‘arrangement,: if” ap-

“proved'in a vote. by the” towns, would:
allow ‘the .company -to.: emerge. from"
“ ¢ourt-monitored creditor. protection and: 1
“restart. with: an: expected $70 million: ’
“cash, infusion from investor: ‘Wood:- 7
 bridge.Co."Lid 2 4
“New> Skeena:’ officials. woulda’ t- Sk
‘specify how: much «ax | money: the’)
‘towns may be asked to: ‘forgive, ‘saying .
hey didn’ it. ‘know: what: the owners. will:
J propose, meee

But company. vice

: ~ “agreement,”

“quickly” ‘with’ the’ towns. or else: there
‘won't-be enough time to Jog timber for: =

taxes: over the past’ three’ years: total-
-ling:$2:75 million. ,Another $576,000.
“ "covers older taxes thatare: ‘to be. repaid: -
‘over ning years.’ ‘The’ first: instalment: on,
“that: Plan was. ‘due this. ‘year, but : wasn! tT

"going lo tax'sale if it’s not repaid:

‘ resident borne.
Byzyna, cautioned ‘that. ‘failure to reach’ ‘

“We a ‘hate to sce ‘this: ‘invest
ment Opportunity and this partner. go
because ~ we. ‘can’t: Teach: an.
-Byzyna. ‘saide,

He added’ a deal. must be: reached.

the: winter, triggering a six-month, de 7

“lay: i in the planned restart: : ra
“ The--Cily-of 7 Terrace’ is now owed “E

Most ‘at that “is is current

Paid.

tax: break, one could yet. be forced
: through against: the-city?s will, ° ”

; years ago. when the company. Was re-
‘structured as, the’ province sold the’ op...
“etations to-its current: owners. ;

were. wiped out: The: money owed ‘the :
“towns: through-the repayment. plan is...

That's exactly what happened . fae!

-Terrace:. city - council voled “against:

@.. Rupert: and f Port. .

~As-a.result, taxes owed; Lup‘io. that :

“point - =$576,000 in’ Terrace’s case’ —
were: shifted ° ‘into:a nine-year. répay=; : Hotels. and The. Globe and Mait-all, pay:
“their taxes,”

other. holdings. owned by’ the ‘Thomson. .

mént: “plan® and. ‘interest’ and ‘penalties.

now: treated’ as any. unsecured \.debt,.
and won't result i in :New: Skeena: land ”

“can: gel away with it,”
the 2002 _Testructuring , plan, but. was:

7 “really - ‘have. to have our:
Hull. said...

your taxes, New Skeena told :

investment partners don’t try. to pet

‘northwest towns. ta agree: to ” forgive oo

some’ taxes this time:
"Ts a. smart business move if you M
che noted. “It’s: °
also: completely. unacceptable.” cok
-“The. sentinient- oF the.- town is we :

: “Tm ‘sure CTV, the: Four: Seasons

“Hull: added, referring to: -

family through: Woodbridge: : —
:The spectre . of “unfair teatment for a
Canada’ s richest family. would stand. in. .

The discussion ¢ came: as New. w Skee-. “deal. :

0- -
Benham ~. Cullen ichardson Burtan = Taylor. -

1 MP Burton
f topple
close race.

NDP’s Cullen will be new. MP :

IT WAS a “najl- ‘biter that: went well into, the evening be:

fore it became clear: the northwest has taken: a. big. jump,

to the lefts) 8°
NDP candidate. Nathai- Cullen iook: an: ‘early lead, a

a deal. could: onravel the: ‘Wecebiiter. '

“Despite Terrace’ s. oppesition cy any. ; Councillor David: Aull

said he

stark. contrast to the economic pain.

Cont'd Page AIS

watched - it vanish: and: grow again before piling up‘a -.
_ 1,400. vote’ lead on. his Way: to victory: over. Conservative
MP. Andy Burton in Monday. night’s-election: — .
.The ‘unofficial: total ® on ‘election. night, gave “Cullen ,
- 13,501 votes or 37.2: ‘per. cent. of “the Vole: Jn: Skeena=::-
Bulkley” Valley, to Burton's” 33.3. ‘per: cenl, or jst over.
12,082 votes.: “Liberal ‘candidate: ‘Miles Richardson trailed -
with 7,924 votes, or 21:9 ‘per cent..The: Christiai: Herit-:
age Party’s Rod ‘Taylor:got:3.8-per cent, Roger-Benham.
of the Green Party took 3.3:per cent and ‘Marxist-Leninist
_ Frank Martin had 0.4 per cent-of the: vote; 6 Ss _
“It’s unbelievable — it. hasn't sunk in yet,” said a view
torious Cullen. near his-campaign- headquarters i ‘in. Smith-;
ers. His: victory: marks the: first time an‘NDP MP:has held:
this riding since Jim Fulton won four. elections:
“We got comniunities: ‘together, and: young “folks: to- :
--geher-and. people ‘disaffected ‘about, politics,” Cullen. -
said. “We got them. together” undér one. thread,. thinking
- about the. future, about passion, integrity -and . ‘commit- ie
ment.” “y
. Incumbent Burton’ and: his. slipporters were , shocked. a
2 “Tt was close, but close: ‘only: counts in horseshaes and: By
“budgets,” a disappointed. Burion said ‘at: Conservative
Party headquarters. in Terrace Monday.: e s
“We knew it would. be a‘baittle with the NDP. lin
Skeena-Bulkley: Valley]. We -knew. that’ months: ago."

They ran a: pretty ‘daihn good: ‘battle. Os
“The results:end three consecutive terms: “of ihe Reform =
Party and its. successors in the ‘tiding. cla. . (Saga
Several of his supporters said they” think the election -- a
results send.a signal-to BiC,’s- Liberals, who have, sched- oh
~uled an election. for: next. May. ; ves ae”
' “It’s a- wake-up ‘call: for. ‘the Liberals.” Burton's Ffun- -
draising chairman: Russil. Tanner said.-“I think, the last =f
three years,, people have. Teally. suffered, ‘They! re saying
- they're not. Seeing any help from the. Liberals.’ an a
7 Nationally,- predictions ‘of, ‘a’ much: “tghter. result,” or
even. a Conservative victory. didn’ t materialize, asithe :
Liberals took more:seats: than’ expected in: Ontario and.
Quebee for a total of around 135: pending 1 recounts:
Prime ministér Paul Martin: ‘will preside over a minor-
ity government,.That, puts the NDP. urider Jack Layton in:
a strong position, Their finish’ at around 20 seats; includ- "|
ing Cullen's, may be just enough. for the Liberels to, gov: .
em as a. amaioney with i NDP sup jorte = on

THE HOTEL’ initial attack crew and other forest service firefighting crews found
a themselves busy in: their own backyard as hot, dry weather and lightning com- —
--bined to Start forest fires, At top. are. ‘Hotel’ members Philippe Grant, Adrian
4p Griffith and Colby Lehman. At bottom on the left is Richard Krupop, last week's

‘| “incident-commander at: the Copper River fire. REBECCA COLLARD: PHOTOS ©:

Crews battle blazes —
and record highs |

~ By REBECCA COLLARD |
LOCAL. FIRE crews -have. spent the iast
the Terrace airport fire base.or-in;public ~~

10 days doing something fairly unusual - 7
fighting, multiple: fires. in- their'¢ own: back- "7 use areas. maintained, by: the: fest serv. on
: : ice. me

oe. yard. .
: > For larger fires, the: forest: service cialis

Although the: Terrace area . typically
has a- damp. climate more ‘akin, !o-a rain’ itt; 520: siember unil crews.: The area. unit”

. forest, the? ,Fopper. Bi

_ three fitness tests-a year. When. not ‘fight-
‘ing fires, they work .on projects, ack at

+

cost “Griffith has been “fighting fires: foi sev" a
to home.” \ ®, en years. and. “has been: leading an initial 7
“It's hard work, “But: we. ‘enjoy ic atc: crew! for, the. last TWO. .
Adrian’ Griffith: who leads: a. three- member
initial attack crew, ‘one of: Iwo based’ at
the airport here:>- “

Called the’ “Hotel” > which statids
‘H’ - the -three are highly. trained. and
eager. for.a’ chiallenge. wat 7

“Last week's-record. temperatures’ ‘tested.
Griffth, Philippe Grant.and.Colby. Lehman. «
_as they and. other: firefighters, Scrambled |

‘He. “says the: team: sally wvorks | in oth- -
et areas “of B Cy Of out of province, but’
“that. theyre: glad to. ‘have. the opportunity a
to ‘fight fires-close. to. jiome: a Se,
“ot We're happy: to” ‘get: to: ‘work’ all day’. o
“over rough terrain during. shifts which. dast’: and then -sleep.in*our.‘oiwn beds," said:
“upto 16 hours,” ~~ Lehman. “I spent: lots of time sleeping ins.
“Teamwork is eriicial ‘in this kind of tents last ‘year.’ a :
work," said Griffith. 2 Griffith estimates. the crew ‘has: already a
Initial attack, crews, cin bear the bruint aid 5000 ‘feet-of hose” arid: sprayed thous). |
‘of a blaze” as" hey 's the ‘first’ to: be’ ~-sands‘of gallons of water this year...
called in. ; a “AN told) there were:more: than: 60. fire)
dighters at ‘work in the: Terrace. area at the wo
5 Meleht Iasi: week's. Blazes... Shes ve

” copter: takes ‘nem & to.

“| no flat ground: pan-wh

‘|, jump out of-the helicopté 7
Init al attack té wn

in foes i padi aula