How about a theatre? here\NEWS AQ Another option pops up for inclusion into a possible multiplex _ Just like home |Muscle man Model railroaders find some new and exciting accommodation\COMMUNITY BL Mark Dhami places sixth in a southern B.C. bodybuilding competition\SPORTS B5 WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 1998 TERRACE _STANDARD. 936 PLUS 76 GST VOL, 11. NO. 24. Fishing cuts deep, chaos continues By JEFF NAGEL SWEEPING MEASURES announced Friday to protect endangered coho mein a ban on salmon fishing on the Skeena River for much of this summer and sev- eral more to come. - But while dates have been set for the closures, it’s still not yet clear if they mean a total ban on ail fishing or not. Negotiations to settle that are underway this week between the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the preovin- cial fisheries ministry, which has jurisdic- tion over fishing for steelhead and trout. “We think that a steelhead fishery can be pursued with minimal impacts on coho populations,” said Jamie Alley, the fisher- ies ministry's director of fisheries management. “We don't clearly understand what the federal proposals are yet and I don’t think anybody else does either,’ Alley added. “We are asking for the same details and seeking the same clarification as every- body else.” . Those most desperate to get answers are the fishing guides and lodge owners who — more than a month after federal fisher- ies minister David Anderson first warned of impending closures — still don't know what to tell their clients. “] have a lot of empathy for those guys that are oul there waiting for this informa- lion,” Terrace-based DFO community advisor Barry Peters said. “It could be a total angling closure. It could be a catch and release fishery, Or What is clear is that fishing for chinook on the mainstem Skeena ~ the meat and potatoes of the summer sport fishery around Terrace — will be cut off on July 26, just as the big fish start to arrive, inler- mingled with threatened coho. Sport Fishing Advisory Board chair Jim Culp said he had hoped to see the area get about two more weeks of chinook fishing. “Everybody is shocked,” Culp said. ‘I's a pretty big blow and it’s going to have a huge impacto on the economy of Terrace.” “Those two extra weeks make a tremen- dous difference,” he added, “It’s going to be absolutely devastating to tackle shops and the guides and lodges in the area.” A $400 million federal aid package to restructure the west coast fishery focusses mainly on licence buybacks and programs to reduce the commercial fishing Meet, but there is also some assistance targetting sport fishing businesses. Severely affected operatars may be eli- gible for zero-interest bridging loans backed by the federal Western Economic Diversification Fund. And Peters said DFO will pay for coun- selling for guides or other sport fishing industry workers traumatized by the dras- tic fishery changes. Anderson also promised £2 million to promote B.C. as a sport fishing destina- tion and reassure tourists that there is still fishing in the province, “Scientists lave advised that the con- cerns for coho stocks will continue for a RESTRICTIONS Wi Single barbless hook regulation takes effect every- where effective July Ist. Anglers should snip off or file down barbs on old hooks. M@ Angling for chinook on the mainstem Skeena below Terrace remains open until July 26, when coho begin to enter the river. @ From July 26 until Sept. 5 there’s a total salmon fishing closure below Terrace. Mi Upstream from Terrace, the Skeena and all its tribu- taries will be closed to all salmon fishing from Aug. 2 to Dec. 3]. Mf DFO says it will attempt to open up other limited fisheries to anglers. That could mean chinook fishing on the Kalum River could continue after the July 26 date. There are also possibilities of a pink salmon fishery on the Lakelse River, and sockeye fy fishing in the upper Babine. a anything in between it,” he said. POWWOW DANCER: Dave Pipestone, Manitoba competed in dance competition at the powwow » Ready to dance Sandy from the traditional last weekend, He competes on the powwow circuit. Already this year, he has been to powwows in North Dakota, Chillowack, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Continued Page A2 Nisga’a deal faces a court challenge By JEFF NAGEL ARMED WITH a partial victory, Gitanyow natives are racing back to court for the next slage of their legal challenge of the looming Nisga’a treaty. B.C. Supreme Court Justice L. Paul Wil- liamson ruled June -17. thatthe -court will hear the Gilanyow challenge, which argues a Nisga’a treaty can’t be signed without in- fringing on the rights of the neighbouring Gitanyow to negotiate their own trealy. The Gitanyow contend the Nisga'a treaty — now believed to be just wecks away — will hand rights to land, fishing and huating in Gilanyow traditional territory over to the Nisga’a. “We're protecting our territory and our process,”’ Gitanyow chief negotia- tor Glen Williams said June 18. He said lawyers for the Gitanyow will now move quickly to set a court date for a three-day hearing on the case. “We understand Nisga’a is going to come down by the 30th of June,’’ Williams said, ‘Before then we'll hustle to the court and try to get some dates.” Williams said the Gitanyow are still open to an out of court settlement of the Issue if a deal could be reached to resolve the over- lap. **We hope that some of the comments the judge made will at least send some signals to the government and the Nisga’a,’’ he said. ‘'We're prepared to make a pitch to government and the Nisga’a to maybe come together on a mediation process to find ways to deal with the issues.’’ The court’s decision was a blow for the province, federal government, and the Nisga’a, whose lawyers had all argued the Gitanyow action be dismissed. “Tt is not plain and obvious that the plaintiffs have no reasonable claim for the declarations they seek in this action,’ Wil- liamson ruled. However the ruling does limit the scope of the Gitanyow challenge, striking out some of the declarations they had sought but which Williamson rejected. Safe house lacking for troubled teens TEENS IN trouble necd a safe place and what is available here doesn’t fill the gap. One of the more frequent places they go to, the Terrace Emergency Shelter, isn’t suitable for young people. ° “We always have been closed to minors," said Janct Costain from the shelter. What's uceded is a safe house for teens who can’t or simply won't return to an un- suitable home environment, she said. “A jot af time when kids come in, they're in crisis,’ said Costain. At least nine minors since the beginning of the year have come to the shelter looking for temporary accommodation. The issuc came up at a recent meeting be- tween locals and the provincial govem- tment’s child, youth and family advocate, Joyce Preston. She was told by many that a youth safe house, wilh counselling and provisions for teens to slay up to 30 days, should be lo- cated in Terrace. Preston agreed with statements that older youth who, for a variely of reasons, cither because of abuse or neglect, can’t live in their homes, need someplace that is safe. “(They need) someplace like, women’s transition houses,’’ said Preston, A children and families ministry official said youth will sometimes go to the women’s transition house here for help. Bernadette Murphy said they'll typically slay an evening on the understanding a so- cial worker will come the next morning. Murphy said the youth are then sent to a foster or group home, if they choose. Ter- race now has three group homes and 45 foster parent houses. The latter house be- tween one and four children each. Murphy says the ministry wants to have more homes here as some youth are being sent to live in Prince Rupert. One of the problems with foster homes is that youth who have had no rules before. don't know how to react to things like the 11 p.m. curfew imposed on them. **A lot of kids don’t have stability,’’ said Costain from the shelter. Some of the homes fill an emergency shelter role, but this depends on the number of homes available, children and families ministry official Murphy said. Kitselas members taking aim at chief SOME KITSELAS band members are trying to oust their chief councillor after he fired the band manager this spring. Ron Nyce said a petition representing the majority of band members calls for the reinstatement of fired tnanager Valerie O’Connal and the resignation of chief councillor Mel Bevan and two other band council members. “Chief Bevan has never really seemed to have taken direction from the people,’ Nyce said, who added the firing of O’Connal has angered many band members, ‘‘It's against the wishes a of the majority of the members.’” Bevan says the issue is a political one that revolves around O'Connal working closely with one half of the band council, bui not the other. “The council lost confidence in her as their employee,” he explained: '‘These peoople believe that we were trying to stop her from doing things, but we were just irying io get things done properly and through the proper channels.” Nyce said band members are also upset because the band is in a deficit position, O’Connal had reported to the Depart- ment of Indian Affairs allegations of problems with spending of $110,000 of federal money on renovations to five houses on reserve land, according to de- partment spokesman Toni Timmermans. Timmermans said O’Connal bad or- dered a reinspection of the homes, which uncovered deficiencies in the work. “We will ask for the work to be com- pleted without any new money from us,” Timmermans said. If the work isn't completed to specifi cations, she added, the federal govern-. ment will either ask for the money back or redirect the money to new projects. Timmermans said the band is now ap- erating under a remedial action plan, which puts financial matters under more Strict tederal supervision. The band has been operaling under the plan since April 1, 1996, although it only formally took effect this month. It’s to last until March 33, 2001. One of the reasons for the plan {s that the band has been in a deficit situation, Timmermans said. The plan Is aimed at improving bookkeeping, eliminating the deficit and ‘'preventing further such in-, solvency situations.’ The deficit was as high as $200,000 at the beginning of the plan, Timmermans said, but has been declining. Bevan said the action plan came at the band counell’s request to deal with his- toric financial difficulties, And he said the band's annual financial audit, to be released in a few weeks, will show no financial irregularities and that the deficit is under control. ; Bevan said those who are still uahappy after reading the audit can run for chief in next year’s elections.