Ad - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 24, 1996
? TERRACE —

STANDARD

ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988

ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Strect Terrace, B.C. « V8G 5R2
TELEPHONE: (604) 638-7283 * FAX: (604) 638-8432
E-MAIL; terrace.standard@sasquat.com
MODEM: (604) 638-7247

Not a chance

HANDS OFF our seats — our electoral ones,
that is.

Back in the Jate 1980s a court ruling determined
there was something wrong with the way how
provincial electoral ridings were determined.

The argument accepted by the court found that
there were too many electoral seats in the rural
areas containing too few people compared to the
large urban areas, particularly in the Lower
Mainland, Surrey residents, for instance, were
found to be under-represented while northern
residents had too may seats.

The government of the day struck an electoral
commission which drew up a series of guidelines
based on population and then rejigged the elec-
toral map. Those population guidelines allowed
urban seats to contain 25 per cent more popula-
tion than the provincial average while rural seats
could contain 25 per cent fewer people than the
provincial average.

That rejigging resulted in the loss of one north-
western seat — Atlin. This left three north-
western seats — North Coast, Skeena and Bulk-
ley Valley-Stikine.

Provincial law requires another redrawing of
the electoral boundaries after this next provincial
election.

The way things stand now, and based on
estimates of what the 1996 census might reveal,
only the North Coast riding will come within the
provincial population averages. Skeena and
Bulkley Valley-Stikine will come in substantial-
ly under.

And that could mean bad, bad news for north-
western voters as we could lose yet another seat
or face some sori of mushing together of ridings
10 créate a fionsirous riding that will be practi-
cally impossible to service.

Worse yet is Liberal leader Gordon Campbell
who, if elected, wants to cut down the number of
electoral ridings to 60 from the current 75. If that
happens, the north is in tremendous trouble.

It’s enough that we provide untold amounts of
money in the form of raw resources only to be
repaid by casual indifference on the part of
southern urbanites.

But to further remove us from fair representa-
tion might give rise to asking Quebec premier
Lucien Bouchard for some tips on separation.

Good grief

HATS OFF to the provincial government which
finally decided (not that an election year has any-
thing to do with it) to replace the aged and
decrepit Skeena Junior Secondary,

But to shell out $1 million for planning? Good
grief. Granted a projected construction cost of
$22 million for a new school will require sound
thinking and decision making, Yet $1 million —
the equivalent of S00 people each paying $2,000
in income tax to the provincial government —
sounds way overboard.

Just last year the province announced plans to
develop off-the-shelf architectural and construc-
tion plans to save on precious and scarce tax
monies, That was a good idea but it seems it
somehow wasn’t conveyed in this circumstance.

PUBLISHER /EDITOR: Rod I.ink
Gna ADVERTISING MANAGER: Mike I. Hamm

ene

THIS MORNING HE WAS
PERFECTLY O.K. esse.
THE NEXT MOMENT...

WHAM. MAD COWS DESEASE,

A thank you from the heart

VICTORIA — Next time
someone (ells you that the
world is a cold and hard place
in which no-one gives a damn
for their fellow humans, send
them to me, I know better.
Although I have never lost
faith in the basic goodness of

mankind, T was not prepared
for the incredible outpouring |

of love, affection and en-
couragement with which our
family was showered after the
recent Joss of our son
Roderick.

Please allow me one more
digression from my regular
political observations which
normally occupy this space
and give me the opportunity to
express mine and my family’s
gratitude,

The “response fram people,
many of whom | have never
met, to the tragedy that hit is
so brutally has been over-
whelming.

After my final tribute to our
boy appeared in the newspa-
pers I write for, my mailbox
was over-flowing with letters
from readers. My publishers
and editors, many of whom
have been close friends for
years, called to express their
condolences.

* There were dozens of e-mail.

and fax messages every day

—

“FROM ‘THE CAPITAL

HUBERT BEYER

from people expressing aifec-
tion and support,

I had written that piece not
only to express my own
anguish and hurt, but in the
hope that it might touch
peopic.

Death is so cruel in its
finality ard inevitability that
nature has kindly conditioned
us fo live our lives without
constamly fearing it, But when
death does strike, its effects are
devaslating,

By sharing my grief with
you, I wanted to remind you
just how fragile life is, that
love unspoken fur one day is
love last for one day, Judging
from your letters, I succeeded.

A number of readers told me
they read the column aloud ta

their familics, Others said they
would keep it to remind them
of the need to treat every day
as a precious gilt.

One thing I could have done

| Without were the dozen or so
anonymous letters, containing -

what were, in my opinion,
rather questionabie religious
observations on death by the
Jehovah's Witnesses.
Unaccompanied by any per-

; sonal note, the ‘“‘Iract’’ told

me, in so many words, that
other faiths gat it wrong when

they tell people the dead go-

somewhere after they die. I
found the anonymily especially
tacky,

Please spare me any further
messages. I’m not convert
nialerial. You keep your God,
and I'll keep mine, even
though he or she did a lousy
job looking out for our son,

It’s been a month since our
Roderick died. During the first
few days, I was certain the in-
tensity of my pain would never
let up. But it does. I cry less
often now. And the incredible
ache is slowly being replaced
by a more bearable [celing of
loss and abandonment,

There is, of course, the joy of
having Roderick’s little girl
with us. When I[ look at
Pamela, | sce our son. And

being parents to an eight-year-
old demands an affirmation of
life rather than contemplation
of death.

I’m the kind of guy who
can’t walk past a baby carriage
without looking at the little
tyke and feeling good all over,
and I’ve often said to my wife
I wished we could do it all
aver again. And even though |
didn’! want it to happen this
way, I count my blessings.

Children are resilient, and
Pamela is coming to terms
with her father’s death in her
own way. We talk about her
dad often, remembering him
the way he would like us to.
We look at photo albums and
recall the great times we bad
with him. .

For us, as parents, the pain of ©
losing a child will never go
way. As I said before, it of-
fends the natural order, but
with the help of family and
friends, it is so much easier to
bear. And J had no idea just
how many friends we had.

Once again, our deep-felt
thanks to you for caring about
us ina difficult time. [ will not
forget it.

Beyer can be reached at:
Tel:(604) 920-9300;
Fax:(604) 385-6783; E-Mail:
hbeyer@direct.ca

Clipper reveals hidden life

I ENVY foiks who can read
periodicals without removing
choice bils, They don’t know
the discomfort of clipper’s
itch.

For decades I’ve been a clip-
per, as dedicated as a sheep
shearer or a hedge trimmer.

Clipper’s conundrum — in-
fected me in Grade 5 when I
clipped from The Western Pro-
ducer the photo of a prize-
winning Shropshire ram for a
science assignment on sheep
breeds.

Soon [ was collecting soug
lyrics, limericks, and photos of
Rita Hayworth. Using a mix-
ture of flour and water, I glued
them inlo scribblers that grad-
ually bulged into volumes of
select reading.

Today my clippings are filed
loose in folders and my targets
have shifted to craft instruc-

— 4
. 1

THROUGH BIFOCALS

CLAUDETTE SANDECKI

When I sit down to read a
newspaper ] line up scissors,
yellow glue marker, coil
notebook for noting book titles
and authors’ names, and ball-
point for dating clippings.

Because by the time I'm
through with it a newspaper is
fit only for starting the fire, ]

remove later. Often I forget to
go back and lose choice items.
Family are easy to deal with.

Edilors can be bigger road--

blocks to my obsession. Espe-
cially self-centered editors who
care only about producing an
eye-catching product.

Ignoring my needs as a dyed-
in-the-wool clipper, — such
editors think only of printing
main news up front, balancing

dark print with white space.

They care not a whit whether a
tib-tickling story appears on
the reverse of a dandy recipe
for fingerpaints.

A recent issue of B.C,
Woman magazine published 4
humour essay on the reverse of
a crossword puzzle, Readers
could mail in the completed
puzzle for a chance to win a
one-year subscription, $250
cash, and a weekend for two at

quandary!

] compromised. I mailed in
the puzzle after typing 1 copy
of the essay. I could have
photocopied it had that been
handicr.

If editors cared about clip-
pers they'd print articles in tidy
tectangles instead of shapes
jagged as a Lego Statue of
Liberty, on one side of a page
backed by ads for furniture
clearouts, auto sales, or real
eslate listings.

To sidestep —_ thoughtless
editors, I'd need to buy two
copics of every periodical.
Wouldn’l that double my ex-
pense and my = recycling
volume,

Clipping is a life long addic-
tion with no cure. My mother
collected recipes until she had
to use a walker to move from
counter lo stove, | expect my

tions, book reviews, fuany per- try lo let everyone clse read it Parksville’s Bayside = Ina walker will have a pouch for
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgecur sunal essays, humorous head- first Otherwise I must be con- Resort, ; My scissors, glue marker, and
NEWS Jeff Nagel * NEWS SPORTS: Kathleen Brandsma lines... tent highlighling articles to Talk = about —clipper’s ballpoint.
COMMUNITY: Cris Leykaut
OFFICE MANAGER: Audra Creek 2 SI ps 76-05
ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: CHAT THE HELL 5 A ie UMVERSITY tf AND THE
we eiameraiaiaae VIDED CAMERA DOING- HOOKED iT UP To TH WEIR DES OF
Sam Collier, Janet Viveiros, Tracey ‘Tomas INTERNET SO PEOPLE

INA TREE bo MILES NORTHERNERS

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT: Emma Law, Kelly Jean’
an ERDM TOWN 2!

DARKROOM: Susan Credgeur
CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR: Karen Brunctte

MEMBER OF B.C. PRESS COUNCIL
Serving (he Terrace and Thornhill area. Published on Wednesday of each week by Cariboo Press (1969)
ltd. at3210 Ciinton Street, Tetace, British Columbia, V8G 5R2, . ~
Stories, photographs, illustrations, designs and typestyles in he Terrace Standard are the property of tha
copyright halders, including Cariboo Press (1969) Lid., ils illustralion repro services and advertising
Agencies. . . cs
Rep reduction in whole or in part, withoul watten permission, i specilicaly prohibited.
Authorized as second-class mail pending the Pos! Office Departmunt, lor payment of postage in cash.

Speclal thanks to all our contributors and correspondents
for their time and talents

CAN SEE THE NORTH!
Mt TM So SQRY MARTCN

QUR BUSH
: war BEER INVADED

By THE WORLDS!

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