Change in regulations
may spur donations

THE LOCAL food bank
will benefit from legislation
designed to ease liability
fears of donators, says its
chief organizer.

Christine Simmons from
The Food Bank of the Chur-
ches says any move to make
it easier for grocery stores
and food companies in pat-
ticular to pass food along is
welcome,

Legislation called the
Food Donor Encouragement
Act was introduced last
week in Victoria to limit the
liability of suppliers and dis-
tributors of donated food.

That’s expected to help as
the question of liability as
always been a stumbling
block by companies who
may want to donate dated or
damaged food that is still
edible.

“The stores already help
us out quite a bit and are

very good, but this will help

even more,” said Simmons.

The food bank here
couldn’t operate in April be-
cause it had no money.

Simmons anticipates the
legislation will help food
banks in smaller centres
such as Terrace,

That's because food stores
work with suppliers in as-
sessing damaged goods alter
they’ve been sent to hand-
ling depots in large urban
centres.

Suppliers then credit food
stores for damaged goods.

But easing liability fears
means such decisions could
be handled locally instead,
said Simmons,

Terrace Co-op manager
Ed Bemey agrecs, saying
the ability to donate food
here instead of sending it
back will cut down costs
considerably.

“Shipping can be ex-
pensive from up here. If we

can work out an arrange-
ment with the suppliers and
they say feel free to dispose
of the goods in your area,
we can pass them along lo-
cally,’’ be said.

Safeway official Mark
Stortz said his company
routinely permits stores to
help out local food banks in
their areas.

“Anyway we can, we'll
help ont,’’ he said of pro-
ducts such as day-old bread
and other dated items that
are still edible and safe.

Overwaitea official Julie
Dickson and Dale Lutkin,
its local store manager, said
they’d welcome any initia-
tive to increase support of
local food banks,

Lufkin noted Overwaitea,
as do other stores, offers
deep discounts on bulk or
case lot purchases.

Victoria-Beacon Hill NDP

who has been promoting a
way to ease liability, said
the legislation mirrors that
in other provinces,

“Of the 450 food banks
across Canada, more than a
quarter of them are in B.C.
This can only help,’’ she
said,

“This is good news for so
many people in the province
who depend upon food
banks,’’ she said.

In a rare display of unity,
Liberals MLAs have sided
with the government on the
bill.

Brewin predicts passage
by June, before the legisla-
ture adjourns for: the sum-
mer

Simmons also hopes the
bill will give a degree of
comfort to individuals who
may want to donate fruit or
vegetables or canned meats
and fish.

MLA Gretchen Brewin,

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 23, 1997 - A13

Pulp log salvage
idea a ‘longshot’

AN EXPERIMENT to try to salvage
lumber from low-value pulp logs is
being delayed by Forest Renewal
B.C.

Repap B.C, has an application in
for a $98,000 grant that would allow
the company to set up 4 portable mill
this summer in ite Poirier yard.

Wood that’s rotten in the middle —
that would normally be chipped rath-
er than milled — would be cut with
an aim to tuming the clear wood
around the outside into lumber.

If it works it could be an innovative
way to create jobs ata time when low
pulp market prices are shutting down
northwest logging.

“If you recovered 10 per cent lum-
ber from the log you'll double the
value of the fog,’’ said Repap’s
Kevin Derow. ‘‘You can't even give

away pulp logs right now, so it would
really improve employment.”’

The trial would create jobs for only
three or four people, but Derow says
that could be just the beginning.

“The potential could be dramati-
cally greater than that,”’ he said.

FRBC officials aren't convinced
the project is going to be economical-
ly viable, however.

The proposal isn’t part of about $2
million in projects so far approved by
FRBC officials for this region in
1997.

“They think it’s a bit of a long-
shot,”’ said FRBC’s Dave Devana.
“The corporation wants a group
called Forin Tek to come up and as-
sess whether the trial makes sense,”’

’ That’s likely wo put the project off
until at least next year.

. he Province of British Columbia is disappointed with

Alcan’ s decision to break off negotiations.

We made it clear that we were prepared to provide Alcan ~

with replacement power to support new smelter capacity and

significant new jobs.

Unfortunately, Alcan prematurely terminated negotiations.

We urge Alcan to accept its responsibility to reach an

agreement that is fair for all parties.

The Province is committed to creating new jobs and protecting

resources of the Nechako River.

It is time to resolve this issue.

OLUMBIA