Rent claim rejected There isn’t any personal gain from a new policy, says Helmut Giesbrecht/NEWS A8 From far away On the run 7 Local students hear about Central | | American environmental problems/COMMUNITY B1 Three. Terrace athletes raced to | . top spot placings in regional unning series/SPORTS C1 WEDNESDAY - _ NOVEMBER 3, 1993 Calling all voters THOSE WHO. enjoyed the Oct. 14 federal all candi- dates meeting have a chance for a repeat next week. Nov. 10 is the daie when aldermanic and. _ mayoral hopefuls are’ on-stage at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre. - The meeting is sponsored - by the Skcena Vailey Rotary Club and it begins at 7:00 p.m. There'll “be from the 11 people running for the six council spots and the three for the mayor’s chair. A question and ans- wer period follows. The session will be broad- cast on the community cable .$chool board meeting in siatements channel. Skeena Valley Rotarians had originally planned a Nov. 9 session for regional district’ and school board candidates but that had to be cancelled because of a Hazelton the same evening. ‘Rotarians then - thought they could switch evenings but discovered that the com- munity channel people will be in Kitimat Nov. 9 for the public utilities commission Kemane hearings, , The club then decided to stick with the Nov. 10 date for the municipal session and have it televised. THE SOCIAL SERVICES minis- iry’s only fraud investigator in the northwest is gelting some help. In the works is creating three positions to help screen’ ap- . plicants and find trouble before it staris, says Bill Anderson, the ministry’s northwest manager. Prince Rupert, Terrace and Smithers will “each «get one worker. Anderson said. the hirings. are not a sign that the investigator is overworked, ‘These workers will be more of an adjunct. They’. be able to review the information taken in and weigh it in terms of whether there should be an investigation,”’ said Anderson. He said the investigator docsn’t have a large number of files but does find a lot of his time is con- sumed in traveling from town to town. The investigator’s territory covers the area of Houston -to the Queen Charlotie Islands, -: «. "The other thing that will hap- pen is with cases in which there is. no intention to commit a fraud or where there has been an honest mistake,” said Anderson. “There is either an agreement to pay off what has becn collected ora write off. That is now the job of the investigator but that will On target CERTAIN HER rock is on target, Norah Jacques steals a glance at ‘the camera during Ladies a league action at the curling club. The season is on full swing now and the club is happy to _ port increased membership, including a number of newcomers to the sport. This weekend: Ue “there will be some excellent curling on view at the club when teams from across the northwest. >: take to thei ice for ihe annual Terrace Cash Spiel. The finals are set for Sunday afternoon. Fraud stopper aided change once these positions are filled,’” “(The investigator) will only become involved when he seriously believes there’s a scrious fraud,’’ said Anderson. The hiring of the three people is in a response to a general push by the social services ministry to find those who are collecting monies fraudulently. In Terrace the job will be filled by two senior financial assistance "workers, one from now to the end of January and the other from January into the spring. The fraud and abuse prevention push began this spring upon 75¢ PLUS 5¢ GST VOL. 6 NO. 29 release of a ministry report which estimated millions was being lost cach year by fraud and by admin- istrative error. There are an average 4,000 so- cial assistance clients a month in the northwest. The ministry's fraud investi- gator handles between 100 and 15G Giles at any one time. ; Only two people have been convicted of welfare fraud up here since 1989 but others do voluntarily come forward, Ministry officials say an aver- age $13,000 is repaid-each month from people who collected it wrongfully. MUSHROOM MAYHEM Fungus trade control urged THE MUSHROOM POLICE could be coming soon to a forest Near you. Kitimat Slikine regional district directors ‘say if’s time to ‘create some system. of controlling and taxing the northwest’s mushroom-picking industry. Just how to do that will be an issue of much debate. ; But they agree local govern- ment should get a piece of the ac- tion that so far remains untaxed and unregulated. “It has become a huge multi- million dollar industry,’’ Stewart mayor Darlene Cornell says. She says licensing fees. could help offset the costs of searching for lost pickers, policing, and the cleanup of garbage left by pick- ers. “It's a renewable tesource,’’ Cornell says. ‘‘But the harvesting of that resource is starting to cost a lol of money. And so far no revenues are going back into the coffers to pay for the services,”* Nass valley director Harry Nyce - echoed those sentiments. “We've had a lot of problems with people coming in from. other areas, Camping in the area, and leaving debris,” Nycc said. . “People are just not respecting the area,’” ~~. Mushroom pickers who hit it rich often come out of the bush to drink and celebrale their finds, he said. “Most incidents of law- breaking occur during = the mushroom season,’’ Nyce added. Hazelton area dircctor Fred Roisum suggested il might be “possible to issue reégistralion cards to pickers, license buyers, and then shut down any depots caught buying from unregistered pickezs. “It’s a renewable resource. But the harvest- ing of that resource ts start- ing to cost a lot of money. And so far no revenues are going back into the coffers to pay for the services.’” New Hazelton director Pete Weeber agreed thal something must be done to control the mushroom trade. “People are coming in from Nova Scotia, the U.S. and Britain eyen to pick mushrooms in this area,’” Weeber said. This ycar was an exceptional season for pickers and buyers. Prices were (he highest ever, Buyers paid more than $75 per pound for No. 1 pine mushrooms for much of the scason. The price soared well into three figures, peaking briefly at $225 _ per pound. Some esilmates put the value of pine mushrooms to the northwest economy as high as $20 million, Land claims cash could help Orenda finance $500M mill plan, says study _ NATIVES COULD buy into the Orenda Forest Products proposed pulp and paper mili using cash from land claims settlements, suggests a study released last week. The study says ‘such an arrange- ment would also satisfy the need by Orenda of a major investor for the project... Orenda, for instance, has al- ready asked the - provincial government for a $100. million — Joan ‘guarantee’ to help ‘it finance. the $500 million praject. “The: First Nations’ interest in greater participation in the mill through. direct” meshes well with Orenda’s need investment. “expanded to. take into account to finalize its: financing 1 for the 2 ets loan g lee request ~ +) oft behalf of and ii thie interest of . Hose Fist Nailons ., isa aH | are in- win situation for all involved,”’ it continues. The $85,000 financed ‘by. the provincial government and Orenda Forest Products and was carried out by . two lower mainland. consulting companies. Its mandate was to look into the impacts of the project on arta na- ‘tives and the economic potential for natives. , The study was a requirement of ‘the project being given approval in principle ‘by the provincial government in early 1992. The investment possibility. was “ST his tee could be made study was fa John Sparks terested in pursuing this op- -portunity and the option to buy “We think there is potential if it is developed properly,”’ says Orenda Forest Products vice president John Sparks. those nations ponding at least, ae partial settlement ‘of their land “ claims,” said the study. a The provincial . official -who received the study said it will take . some time before the provincial government finishes a review of the study and any decisions are made, ** Any revicw- will have to work its way up through: the: system. a This will ullimately require cabi- net review “and approval,’?) said 2 Derek Griffin of the: employment and investme minis nhared would be’ held int trost for i the $100 million loan guarantee ‘Tequest, there'll be a combining of the two efforis as part of an overall review, he said. - Griffin did. add that how the review will be handied has yct to ‘be determined... ~ He said {tis too carly to com- ment on the possibility of having . the federal government becoming . . involved in-any native financial : participation. ~-An Orenda Forest Products offi- clal said ‘the. coimpany docsn’t ob- - ect to direct native investment, An © the m proposed tnill,. ee Highlights Other recommendations’ of the study include: * Native groups pursue sub- contracts with Orenda and iis main contractor. * Educational opportunities be boosted leading toward ‘gkills for mill jobs and other opportunities. “™ Small business training for natives be held. * Nailves have betler access to information about various programs. : * Forming a commillec of industries, . businesses, na- “tives and governments in the -afea for’ ‘better communca- Hons, ee