For a number of special athletes, the highlight of Special Olympics Month will be their
RCMP floor hockey challenge. There was no clear winner in the game, both sides scored
their fair share of goals. But it didn’t really matter. Everyone was having too much fun
to bother keeping track. One fact evident in the goals scored by Special Olympics
athletes, however, was that the RCMP don’t necessarily always catch their man.

federal and provincial govern-
ments, resumed in February after
a long break at the end of 1991.
The negotiations began Oct.
10, 1990, after the provincial
government agreed to join the
Nisga’a and the federal govern-
ment in seeking a settlement. The
intent was to have a completed
agreement within three years.
Although nearly half that time
has elapsed, interim protection
measures — actions that would
prevent depletion of the land
resources under discussion during
the period of the negotiations —~
are still not in place for resources
under provincial jurisdiction. _
Federal negotiator Gay Rear-
don said after the February round
that she is astonished at the
patience of the Nisga’a, who are
encountering one delay after
another in their quest to resolve
the land question. First the prov-
ince joined the negotiations, she
said, and although the process

was “going great guns" it was
interrupted by the election last
October, which resulted in a
change of government for B.C.

The province has made a
commitment to pick up the pace,
she said.

Reardon said the federal gov-
ernment has only two areas of
jurisdiction it can negotiate: a few
small areas of reserve land, and
federally-controlled fisheries. On
the latter, she said, they have a
draft agreement involving co-
management, a training program
for Nisga’a to co-manage the
resource, and future enhancement
of fish. That agreement is going
before Cabinet and then the
Treasury Board. Reardon expects
it to be ratified by the end of this
month.

On Wednesday the federal
and provincial governments
announced that they will begin a
separate set of negotiations on
cost-sharing.

CHECKING THE
EQUIPMENT

Sparked by the potential of
the Imperial Oil bulk plant ex-
pansion, Terrace city council has
asked the Fire Commissioners
Office to make a complete survey
of Terrace’s firefighting equip-
ment and capabilities.

Fire chief Bob Beckett points
out, however, that Imperial Oil is
not being singled out. At Jeast one
other oil company has suggested
they may consider re-locating to
Terrace and there has been an
increase in the quantity of haz-
ardous materials passing through
the community as well.

City administrator Bob Hall-
sor says says the completed Fire
Commissioner’s report will be
sent to city council and could play
a role in future budget deliber-
ations.

Terrace Review — March 6, 1992