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The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - A5

THIS 1S one of 13 ore carriers at the Kemess South mine and it’s a mighty machine when contrasted with mine environment manager Scott

Davidson. Owner Northgate Minerals now wants to move to'a new property, Kemess North,

By Thom Barker

THE ONLY thing standing
in the way of a smooth tran-
sition from the existing Ke-

‘mess South mine northeast —

of Smithers to a proposed
Kemess North mine nearby
is.a six-kilometre lake the
company intends to use as
its tailings dump.

Northgate Minerals has

identified Duncan Lake — —
known to area First Nations. ,

as Amazay Lake — as the

only viable option to dispose

of 300 million tonnes of tail-

ings sand and waste rock. .

from the proposed open pit

copper-gold mine five kilo-

metres north of their current
operation.
“Underwater storage ina

- contained valley with a low
robust dam is the best long- .

term, low-risk option for
minimizing environmental
impacts,”
mentation states,

Northgate plans to build
three dams that will ulti-

‘mately raise the level-of the

lake by 90 metres. Approxi-
mately 3,500 rainbow trout,’
mountain whitefish and Dol-
ly Varden char will be relo-
cated to nearby lakes.
Northgate’s research in-

dicates that the lake will re-.
main safe for wildlife during .

the mine’s operation and,
after reclamation, will return
to nature.
“Duncan Lake will be
different than it is today, but
i Nae be a productive habi-
” the company said.
But representatives of the
Tsay. Keh Dene First Na-

‘tion, whose communities are

downstream from the take,
are not convinced

“We get about a tenth of »

the funding and about a third
of the time we need to do

_ a@ proper assessment,” said

Karl Sturmanis, a Tsay Keh
Dene environmental officer.
“We're talking about a
sacred resource,” said Gor-
don Pierre, grand chief.
“It’s important, not only
to First Nations but to the
general public, what kind of
legacy we’re building here.”

company docu-

AERIAL VIEW of the Kemess South open pit mine. -

‘THOM BARKER PHOTO

- THOM BARKER PHOTO

The chief pointed out

that they are not opposed

to the mine itself, Kemess
currently employs 46, First
Nations people and recently

completed a deal on Kemess _
South that pays First Na-
tions communities $1 mil-.

lion a year.
But they want the com-

pany to find another way to’

dispose of the tailings.

“The option of destroy-
ing the Jake is cheaper than
other waste disposal options
so the company refuses to

‘consider any alternatives,”

said Chief John French of
the Takla Lake First Nation
in a February letter-to-the-
editor of the Prince George

Citizen.’

Northgate is in the latter
stages of a joint federal-pro-
vincial environmental as-
sessment process that will
include public hearings.

Shane Simpson, ‘NDP
environment critic, said that
process is one of two impor-
tant environmental , issues,
the first of which is whether

the company has demon- .

strated they are prepared to
meet Department of Fisher-

ies and Oceans and Ministry —

of Environment regulations.
“The second piece that |

think is equally important, is
the potential for litigation on

‘behiilf of First Nations here

over treaty rights,” he said.
Pierre was not prepared
1o say whether they will go
to court, but suggested it is
an option they will consider.
Peter McPhail, Northgate

operations vice president;

said he is satisfied his com-
pany. has acted in good faith

in terms of their engagement -
_ of First Nations, but the fate

of Duncan Lake is ultimate-
ly in the hands of the joint
review panel.

“When we finish the pro-
cess, if the panel chooses to
rule in our favour, absolutely
we'll forge ahead.”

In Northgate’s favour
is the company’s record’ at
Kemess South. Simpson
admitted after a tour of. the

operation on Sept. 19; that —

Northgate appears to be liv-
ing up to their environmen-
tal commitments.

~“Y think mines are chal-
lenging to the environment
wherever they are, but I
think they’ve done a good
job here,” he said.

“I think they’re clearly
pretty conscientious about
this and I think they’ve
worked pretty hard at it.”

The economic stakes are |

high. For the Bulkley Val-
ley-Stikine region alone,
Kemess contibuted $12 mil-
lion to the economy:in 2005,
$5.5 million in salaries and

* $6.5 million in expenditures

to suppliers and contractors.

‘Barbara Walker, a found-
ing director of the First Dol-
lar Alliance, a resource in-
dustry advocacy group, put
that impact into a Provincial
perspective.

“What we try to do at
First Dolar.is make people

"understand the relationship

between what’s happening
here and what happens in
their daily lives,” she said.

“When you take a look at
the money that’s generated
for the province, I think it’s
somewhere between 40 and
60 per-cent, depending on
who’s study you read, that’s
where they get their money
to pay for hospitalization,
education and all the social
programs we need and want
and deserve.” -

The project is not with-
out. First Nations support.
Ray Gerow, president of
the Aboriginal Business De-
velopment Centre in Prince
George, sees Kemess North
as a kicking off point for

sustainable businesses.
“For aboriginal people,
mines are okay for the 10 or

20 years that they’re here, |

but once they shut down it
tends to really impact our
communities,” he said. |

“My desire is to try to’

find a way to turn as many of
these jobs that are out here
into business opportunities.”

- Northgate had originally ©

set -a timeline of mid-2006

to. start development , of Ke-
mess North in order.to have ,

sufficient overlap. to make ° :

the project viable. Now the
company is looking at mid-
2007 if the process goes as
planned.
Maurice

Ethier, Ke-

mess general manager, said

there’s a contingency plan to
keep the project alive.
“We're going to run out

of ore here before we get ore.

from ‘Kemess North, so it’s
going to be a bit of a tough
go for a period of time.

- “To mill [Kemess South].

low grade, we wouldn’t
make any money on it, but
what we would do is we
would hang onto our peo-
ple.”

Thom Barker is a report-

er with The Interior News t in

Smithers. y

o |

aa
CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

Wake up, Robert

I wish to respond to Robert Barwise’s comments in a
recent letter to the editor regarding The Terrace Standard
- Aug. 30 story on four native binners.

Wake up, Robert. Terrace is the hub of the northwest.
Furthermore, -as a society, every town, village and big city

* Dear Sir:

has its addictions.

1 find your comments so racial and off the wall for that»

matter. At least these men have the gumption to show they
live their lives the way they have chosen to.
~ We. live in a fish bowl here in Terrace and J can hon-*

estly say there are those who hide behind doors to engage *

in their addictions, These men don't.

You say al end of your letter that these,men are not
_ civilized and it’s sad. What goes around comes around
and one day you'll get it, dear Robert. :

The article you were referring to was only bringing to

‘light of these men. It showed their lifestyle and showed
empathy and compassion. Where the hell is yours?
What you want is a:pat on the back for your comments.

~ You are sure are not going to get one from me.

Llove Terrace for the town that it is andthe people that
I] meet and see regardless of who they are. You live in,

Campbell River. Focus on the addictions there. Stop gun- °

ning down the small people.

Way to go, Terrace Standard. Continue to have an

change of topics. and faces j in upcoming articles and show
the readers your paper cares and has tolerance. «

Too groovy for her oe |

‘Dear Sir:

Linda Brooks, Terrace, B. C.

‘ 1’'m glad to’ read that some other person carried the
same thoughts and:concerns in reference to a seriés of
“ grooves cut crossways into the pavement to alert traffic —
approaching the intersection of Highways 16 and 37 near .

‘the weigh scales.

I, too, have been concerned about the severe rattle and
beating my vehicle has to endure every morning on my
way to work and also on the way home after work.

T’m sure over time this constant rattle and beating could
and would pose problems on some vehicles.

The “rattle device” method is almost as good as hitting
pot holes in what was once a good piece of highway,

I request also that this method of slowing down the
traffic be removed as this intersection is already. clearly

well marked with signs.

s

- Mari-Lenne Pierce, Terrace, B. Cc.

Keep them happy —

_ Dear Sir:

I would just like to comment on the customer service.
in some of our stores here in Terrace. I; too, like. to shop:
‘local to keep the business here in Terrace.

But there are a lot of local stores you go in to and pur-
chase items; and the employees are not too friendly. There
are times when you can’t even get a smile.

I know’ that everyone has bad days. But at ‘the Same

time they’re getting paid to-be'there....:.5..

whe obs asin

If their personal life is not right, that should stay at the |
door or they should otherwise not go into work. .

Customers should feel welcome after all, and not sent
away because they’re taking too long to shop.

-If we want to keep our local stores here open so we can
have jobs, treat customers like you’ re happy to serve them
so they’I] continue to come.back. And whatever you do,

don’t send them away.

- Lisa Wesley, Terace, B.C.

Is it fine overkill?

Dear Sir:

This is in regard to the shabby treatment given ‘the fish-
- erman from Alberta who was charged with having an un-.
dersized crab. It was so'undersized as a matter of fact that
the freezing of it would create the size difference. .

It seems to me that this means of extortion by the fish-
eries department i is becoming their policy.’

- They seem to feel that if it costs too much to return from
a distance to fight an unjust charge, the person charged ~
will just pay the fine and that will be the end of it.

My sister was on the losing end of that policy last year.

Again it was a fine of $150 and pay or return to courtin
Terrace. This would be a travelling cost to her of: over .

$250. Is. this « a scam?

Gary Snider, Terrace, B.C,

Give it back, please

‘Dear Sir:

1am a low income parent who works hard for what 0 our. |

family has, It doesn’t surprise me when my son wakes tip.
crying because some thing he has worked hard to acheive

is stolen once again.

We have lived here a year now and two bikes and 2 a
skateboard has been taking from our home on the. 2900

block of Molitor Street.

. We know who it was but they deny it was them, But
why would they admit to it. I want to advise these petty.
theives and their unwise parents. to stay, away from my .

house and belongings. -

I work hard to get where I am today and I don’t, need —
some petty thief stealing what we own. To the parents of
’ these petty theives. You got to wake- up and smell the cof-

fee, you gotta know you never bought these stolen items _ ;

for your kids. Or are you all too drunk to see.
I have had it with the stealing. Grow up.and get a job.
~My son doesn’t work to support your kids’ recreational

activities. You know who you are and you know you stole —
my son’s skateboard. I am asking you to return the skate-

board in the sme condition it was when you took it from

my yard.

Really,. is stealing from an L1-year-old really worth
it. Even your parent knows you took something that was
not yours.I guess she supports you in everything, includ- .
ing stealing. What a life you must lead. Good one. Wish |
I could just take things I want and can’t have, then I

_ wouldn’t have to save up to buy. Grow up and get a life,
_ an honest one that is.

Rita Rinsma, Terrace, B.C.

About the Mail Bag

: The Terrace Standard welcomes letters. Our address
is 3210 Clinton St., Terrace, B.C. V8G 5R2. You can
fax us at 250-638-8432 or e-mail us at. newsroom@

terracestandard.com. No attachments, please.
address and phone number required for verification. .

7

‘Name, -