City’s raid

on Skeena

was folly

Dear Sir:

It is somehow confusing to me that the City of | .

Terrace has the money te pay for the removal of
equipment from New Skeena but cannot provide
me with a good, cool drink of water on any kind
of a consistent basis.

Why wasn’t the equipment left on site and au-
dited on ‘a .regular..basis rather than. spending
money to have it removed? What were they
thinking?

At New Skeena the equipment was under
cover and protected, now it is not. f can only
guess this will deteriorate the value further.

“It would also appear that there are tax initia-
lives available to new businesses coming into
our area, but not New Skeena,

If we are giving away tax dollars to promote
business growth in the area and at the same time
want 10 build a sportsplex and borrow the money
to build it, which tax dollars are being targeted?

’ It appears that we have an inexhaustible ap-
petite to build new facilities but very little appe-
tite to maintain what we have.

‘Next thing you know we will be erecting a
bronzed bear.

David. Rice
Terrace B.C.

Is this our mayor’s
plan to save jobs?

*Dear Sir:

You state mayor Jack Talstra is going to start
a short-term make-work program to ease unem-
ployment while the forest industry revives itself?

Let me review his assistance to date, while
our citizens have struggled, lost homes, or
moved away.

‘The mayor:

WM Obstructed and criticized the new owners of
Skeena Celiulose at a critical time while they
were altempling to obtain financing to re-start,

Hi Proposed re-locating the complete sawmill
to ihe airport lands, at a cost greater than the
total start-up cost for all operations, while finan-
cing couldn’t be found to re-start a functional
sawmill.

‘ME Spent many weeks to obtain financing to
build a sportsplex that few can presently afford.
The admission fees and operating tax burden of
this facility are unknown. Meanwhile, the largest
employer in our community remains -closed and
struggles to obtain financing to re-open.

Bi Placed a lien on the assets of the Terrace
sawmill for taxes and removed equipment essen-
tial for re-start.

H Proposes spending $800,000 of federal for-
estry aid money to re-locate a building for tour-

. ism.

Mi Will offer tax relief to encourage new indu-
siry to set up here, while offering no aid to estab-
lished industry that may vanish without assis-
tance from all stakeholders,

H@ Proposes starting a new EBAP (welfare)
program for-forestry workers after two years of
unemployment.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 1%, 2003 - A5

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

SKEENA MP Andy Burton's latest mailout to constituents has come under fire from readers.

Mayor Talstra and members of city council .

could have worked with New Skeena Forest Pro-
ducts two years ago, offering tax incentives, sup-

port in obtaining financing and working to ensure’
some of the $800,000 they are spending was dir- .

ected towards forestry workers.

This crisis in our area will only be solved with
trust and dialogue.

I'm tired of hearing about seasonal tourism, a
sports complex that most can’t afford’ and gen-
etically challenged black bears from -city coun-
cil, Deal with the serious issues.

Tom Dimitrov
Terrace B.C.

Shame on stores
for opening Nov. 11

Dear Sir:

‘Well, it seems nothing is sacred now as local
businesses feel that they have to be open on No-
vember | ith.

While reading the Terrace Standard this
week, I noticed that some businesses felt that not
only did they have to be open but they had to ad-
vertise the fact. ;

I for one am disgusted that corporations have
once again put greed over all else and chosen to
open their doors on this ‘Day of Remembrance.’

It seems that the four hours of closure is just
too much to ask, Even as I write this letter, there
are men and. women risking their very lives in
order to protect our freedom, just as many count-
less thousands have done before them.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT rolls out of the New Skeena sawmill yard on its way to 'the city’s public

works yard, Last week's seizure was part of a coordinated move with other northwest towns.

“We only have to listen to the news of the day
to hear one tragedy after anather.

As today’s society moves forward, we need to
look back at the sacrifices made by these veter-
ans and acknowledge their service.

Imagine yourself at 18, 19 or 20 years of age
and then imagine - your life over before it had
really begun. No lovers, no sweethearts, marri-
age, kids, grandkids, Sunday afternoons. Nothing.
This is what they gave up for us,

Many veterans are scarred on the inside, hold-
ing memories too terrible to tell.

As well, we should remember the innocents of
war, for they too should be remembered so that
we do not go so easily into that hell again.

Companies today need to be held morally re-
sponsible for their behavior and we as consumers
need to make them aware of our feelings.

If companies feel that they have to open be-
cause their competition is also opening, what
stops them from using this lame excuse ta do
anything? 24-hour a day shopping, open on
Christmas, the list goes on and-on.

The parade on main street is one thing that

Terrace as a city can be proud of. Ailowing the.

shopping to go on while some are trying to show

_ their respect will be an ugly thing indeed,

The four-hour closure. on November |]th-is a
minor inconvenience to everyone and goes a
long way.in showing our respect for the ones
who have died. and continue: to die in the name
of our freedom ~ yours, mine and our local busi-
nesses’. .

Troy Ritter

Terrace B.C.

Give it a rest, Andy
An Open Letter to Skeena MP Andy Burton:

Andy, I received my copy of “Update from
Parliament Hill” the other day and cannot be-
lieve that given all the issues in Skeena and our
nation you devoted 75 per cent of your tax payer-
funded newsletter to the same-sex marriage
issue.

I will not get into that debate; we will save it
for another day.

Here are some points to think about:

M@ We live in the highest taxed nation in the
first world, ;

M Our position in G8 is tenuous at best and
we are slipping. There will have to be a G12-15
soon or we will not be at the meetings. .

M@ The entire economy of Skeena is the worst
it has been in any living person’s memory. ="

i The Liberais continue to waste money, lack
accountability and fund golf courses.

M@ The United States’ continuing protection-
ism practices has made ‘free trade’ a joke for the
past decade at the expense of Canada and Mexi-

co,

Mi The devastating effect of the softwood lum-
ber dispute along with the rising Canadian dollar
is crippling the softwood lumber industry.

H@ British Columbia and Skeena never get
their fair share of federal funding, grants, hand-
ouls, favours, attention etc.

@ Ottawa draws billions: of doilars in gas tax
and returns a fraction to our province, hence our
vital transportation infrastructure is crumbling as
we conlinue to be trod on by the feds..

Andy, the list could .go on virtually infinitum
but based on your newsletter, 75 per cent of your
efforts and attention are focused on the same-sex
marriage issue.

Come on Andy, shed the red neck right-wing
narrow-focused mind set that has. plagued the
Reform Party since its inception and take the op-
portunity of the right uniting to get re-focused on
issues that are really important to Skeena.

David D. Hull
Terrace B.C.

Same-sex drivel a sign
ofa party out of touch

Dear Sir:

When I emptied my mail box today, I picked-
up more written drivel from the Canadian Al-
liance on their position on same-sex marriage.

I have never expected the Alliance to support
gay rights; it goes against their nature.

I do expect an opposition party. to be able to
argue a point intelligently, even for positions
I disagree with.

In this latest waste of paper, the Alliance
writes that the courts do not have a role in deci-
ding the same-sex marriage issue. oe

This view is appalling, as it shows a lack of
understanding of the role of courts in safeguard-
ing rights within a democracy.

Countries that do not have viable courts pro-
tecting human rights cannot stap their govern-
ments from abusing their powers. Three examples
come to mind: Saudi Arabia, China, and pre-
WW2 Germany.

The Alliance party's position’ on same- SEX
marriage reminds’ me of the disintegration
of civil rights in George Orwell’s novel Animal
Farm.

In this book, a cooperative of farm animals
take over a farm from its human owners, A group
of pigs lead this populist revolt and assume
power over the other animals, running the farm
like a small country.

The pigs create an animal charter of rights,
declaring amongst other things, that ail animals
are created equal.

As the pigs become corrupted, exploiting their
fellow animals, they begin wearing pants and
walking on two legs like humans. They amend
their charter of rights to state that-while all ani-
mals are equal, some animals are more equal
than others.

Humans rights are not absolutes, defined at
one point in’ time with a . meaning
immemorial. How -a human right is interpreted
and put into practice evolves as a society grows
and changes.

How a society defines itself at any point in
time is based on what it accepts and what it does
not allow.

If a government has not responded to these

While most Canadians are not
gay, the majority of voting Cana-
dians have. either a gay family
member or friends who are gay.

changes in societal views, the courts give them a
nudge by throwing out out-dated legislation.

In the dawn of this 21st century, Canada has
moved to the point that sexual orientation-is no
longer valid grounds for discrimination, in the
same way that we have already moved past dis-
crimination based on race and gender. Our Char-
ter of Rights guarantees equal rights for-all Ca-
nadians, gay and straight, and. the courts’ role is
to enforce this.

I think the Alliance Party’s handling of this
issue is shooting itself in the foot long before. the
federal election is called.

’ J believe that while most Canadians are not
gay, the majority of voting Canadians have ei-
ther a gay family member or friends who are gay.

The vast majority of Canadians are not going
to vote for discrimination against people they
know personally and respect, in favour of a poli-
tical party whose understanding of the Charter of
Rights is no better than walking pigs in pants!

Simon Dadds
‘Terrace B.C.

Dear Sir:

Recent media reports on the tough
times in-B.C.’s forest industry have at-
tempted to link log exports with every-
thing wrong in our forests, from job
losses to the softwood lumber dispute
with the United States.

Log exports today amount to less
than six per cent of the total harvest in
B.C, and rather than reducing jobs,
they actually help create job stability,
increase the fibre supply domestically
and create fair market pricing. which
provides better forest management.

This year, in B.C., log exports have
kept nearly 2,000 forest workers em-

ployed even though 13 of our 33 -

coastal sawmills are shut down (11
others are working at reduced levels)
and nearly half of our coastal forest
workers are not working. .

Without those jobs, our coastal
communities: from Prince Rupert and
most of Vancouver Island to Pember-
ton and Powell River would be having
their last breath choked out of them.

Any one of the Truck Loggers Asso-
ciation’s 500-plus. member companies

who live and-work in these communi-,

ties iil tell you that even though
about one-third of those logs meet ex-

port standards and are leaving the pro-
vince, the balance is being hauled to
local mills and is being processed do-
mestically, sustaining manufacturing
jobs that otherwise would not exist.

In other words, log exports also help
us harvest fibre for local mills that
would not alternatively be economical.

Log exports are the prescription an
ailing forest industry needs to keep it
alive when it otherwise would stop
breathing all together.

Most: British Columbians know the
forest industry in our province is in
trouble, but it’s. more difficult to un-
derstand how log exports actually sup-
port the health of an. industry when it

is ailing.

- When a healthy, strong forest indu-
stry exists, the demand for British Co-
lumbia’s manufactured wood products
is high, and not. only are log exports
dramatically reduced: but the province
actually imports more logs than it-ex-
ports. This was the case from 1995 to
1997 when B.C. exported as little at
269,000 to 500,000 cubic metres.

In 1997; for example, for every
cubic metre of logs B.C: exported the
province imported four cubic metres.

UBC forest economics expert David

UNLOADING LOGS for export: The Truck Loggers Association says log
exports help stabilize the industry during downturns.

Haley explains, “Log exports bring
greater employment stability to the
notoriously cyclical, commodity-based
forest products industry. When the pro-
cessing sector faces economic down-
turns and mills reduce output or close
down, fog exports ensure that a signif-

‘icant portion of the workforce remains
- employed and continues to contribute

10 the provincial and local econo-
mies.’

For certain species and grades of
logs, where demand is great, interna-
tional prices are much higher than do-
mestic prices and British Columbians

deserve fair market value for their tini-

ber resource. y

Log exports are receiving fait mar |

Log exports a critical tool on path to recovery

ket value in places like Japan, where
coastal hemlock logs and sell for as
much as 65 per cent above domestic
prices. In some parts of the U.S., mills
can add value to smaller diameter logs
that would otherwise be sold domes-
tically at a lower price'to be used for
low grade pulp. Currently, coastal
mills don’t have that technology.

As the provincial government re-
structures the B.C. forest industry. with .
the objective to be more market-based
so that we can become globally com-
petitive, log exports will continue to
reflect market forces, helping to drive
domestic log prices closer to interna-
tional market levels,

Restricting log exports creates more
costs for British Columbia than bene- -
fits by reducing revenue flowing to the
province from stumpage sales and in-
creasing Unemployment in our indu-
stry.
Until._provincial measures to revita-
lize the forest industry start to take ef-
fect, log exports’ are essential to’ pro-
vide job stabitity for forest workers and
protest local communities.

. Sandra A. Bishop
~The. Truck: Loggers: Association
Vancouver B.C,