esh turf Soccer players look forward to playing on two brand new fields\SPORTS B8 Parks for profit? Privatization invades the parks system, eco-watchdogs warn\NEWS A115 Epic journey Totem pole makes its way _ through New Aiyansh streets on its journey to Vienna \COMMUNITY 81 $1.00 plus 7¢ GST ($1.10 plus 8¢ GST outside of the Terrace area) Copper slide just a taste of the future Global warming is loosening the glacial ice grip on alpine rock By JOANNA WONG OFFICIALS SAY the massive June 8 Jandslide that wiped out a natural gas pipeline and dammed the Copper River won't be the last. “It’s very likely there will be land- slides similar to this,” said Jim- Schwab, the research geomorphologist for the Prince Rupert Forest Region. Schwab says unstable ‘bedrock ridges high up in the glaciers are to blame for constant rock fall activity and a continuing threat of landslides. The bedrock in this case is highly fractured rock that leans precariously out of the valley wall. This bedrock was once supported by glacier ice, but climate change over the past 100 years or so has melted much of the ice away. Global warming means that trend is likely to continue. “We can expect to see more [landslides] with thinning of the glac- ier ice,” Schwab said. Risk of landslides increases in More inside m Fishery damage could be minimal, A8. wm Temporary natural gas line in place, AQ @ Copper River road to be closed for weeks, AQ spring and fall, when warmer weather and lots of rain makes the bedrock more unstable. Schwab says this may be what trig- gered the Copper River landslide. It happened around 1 a.m on Salur- day June 8 when a 1.4 million cubic metre slab of rock the size of a sky- scraper broke off at the 4,500 foot level. The high alpine landslide gathered huge amounts of rocks, mud, trees and debris as it roared down the valley, blocking the Copper River logging road at the 15.5-kilometre mark, cut- ting the Pacific Northern Gas line serving the region and damming the river. Officials estimate the pile of debris that hit the bottom was the size of a cily block six storeys high. Schwab says it included boulders the size of houses. “It’s one of the bigger landslides that have occurred in the fast 20 years,” said Schwab. DEBRIS continued to occasionally hurtle . past workers last week on the scene of the June 8 landslide into the Copper River. Schwab reports the river was tem- porarily obstructed twice, once by the initial debris and also by smaller land- slides that occurred all day Saturday. He says about two to three million cubic metres of large rocks and little forest debris entered the river and cre- ated a small lake upstream. Flood levels of high water in the Copper River proved to be a blessing as the rjyer cut through the debris and rose over the dam. “It’s fortunate that the river was at, high flow because it is moving things along,” he said, Continued Pg. A& 3 Flooding : qStarts near | Terrace By SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN mo a SOME OLD Remo residents fled their homes last week- ae end as the Skeena River spilled over its banks leaving roads and lawns in that area under water. _ Water was high’ enough’ by Saturday afternoon that. it surrounded several homes in that-area, : “We've got a few feet to go yet before it’s -in ‘the house,” said Robin Road resident Mark Barg. “The only” thing that’s dry around there right tow are the steps: to the house.” Robin Road was so overcome by water that Barg used a canoe to make his way from his house to. the bridge crossing Alwyn Creek, which was still dry. He said he © wasn’t too worried about the swelling river, “Why worry? It's going to come up and then go back down,” he said. Other Old Remo residents were ‘equaliy undisturbed by the rising water threatening ta spill onto thelr proper. ty. mee! Brent Rogers and his father-in-law Dieter Bahr live on a potato farm in the area. They lost their potato crap in 1999 because of flooding. But they both said they'd just wail to see what happens. “There’s no point worrying,” Bahr said, “Pye got so few hairs left why should I lose a few more? ['ve seen it before and I’m sure Ill see it again.” = * Meanwhile some Skeena St. and Queensway. Dr, resi- iF ar dents were busy filling sandbags and placing . them ao around their property as a preventative measure... i! Jutta Smeltzer’s Queensway property was teeming | with volunteers filling sandbags and building up a wall around her home. In the flood of 1999 Smeltzer’s home was surrounded by roughly two feet of water. The water covered her back r yard and spilied roughly 200 metres in front of her home, i Gontinued Pg. A2 7 sidents to flee their homes. Others in the Terrace area started taking preventative measures such as sandbagging in case of additional flaoding. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO MARK BARG uses a canoe to paddle his way through water that saturated Robin Road in Old Remo last weekend. Water from the Skeena River spilled over its banks in Old Remo forcing some re- Emotions spill over as schools closed By JENNIFER. LANG TEARS FLOWED at Copper Mountain Elemen- tary last week as students learned their school is one of five the district will close next year, de- spite a campaign waged by staff and parents. More than one dozen Copper Mountain stu- dents waged a sit-in after hearing the news over the school’s public address system. Students at the close-knit school, which has 170 students, were frustrated at being left out of a campaign to save the school, which had been included on a list of schools the Coast Mountains Schoo! District was considering for closure in order to balance its budget. “We didn’t think it would be clased down be- cause it’s such a great school,” Grade 5 student Adrienne Hemmons said Friday, after returning from a field trip to Smithers. Protest organizer Noélla Coté said the sit in was planned weeks ago in case the board’s deci- the decision-making process. . “I'm kind of mad because no one asked us ~ what we felt,” Grade 4 student Riley Gowen said. “They just asked the parents,” added class~ mate Katie Hemmons.. Over the past 60 days, staff and parents waged me ‘sion went against Copper Mountain. leave after mecting with school trustee Diana ‘Penner; who. by coincidence was at Copper Mount that day. - They intended to remain in the gym until the board changed its mind, but were persuaded to Continued Pg. A16 GRADE 4 students Katie Hemmans, Riley Gowen, Jocelynn Halbauer staged a sit-in at the gym at Copper Mountain Elementary last Wednesday to protest the school's closure.