AA - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 25, 1998

TERRACE

STANDARD

ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988

PUBLISHER: ROD LINK
ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C. * V8G 5R2
TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 » FAX: (250) 638-8432
EMAIL: standard@kermode.net

Way off base

IT’S JUST way too’ easy to be the leader of the
provincial opposition, particularly when it comes
to Skeena Cellulose.

Gordon Campbell, the leader of the Liberal
party and the opposition leader, has used a lot of
oxygen in simply denouncing the provincial
government’s role in saving the deeply-wounded
pulp and lumber company.

His refrain from the start of the Skeena Cel-
lulose crisis last year was to kill the company
and fet it drift into bankruptcy no matter what
consequences there would be to the northwest.

Mr. Campbell’s comments last week when the
company’s line of credit maxed out were typical.
Again he said it would be better to cut the com-
pany loose. A bit of research would have found:

‘that what happened was an unfortunate delay in
assembling the complex pieces agreed to early in.
the year to arrange for financing so the company .
could move out of creditor protection.

All that Mr. Campbell has done is emphasize
his place as a guy from the south once again tell-
ing the north what it should to. It exposes the.
lack of Liberal background in issues outside of
the lower mainland.

What the opposition Jeader is neglecting is the
other part of his job — putting forth credible
alternatives on what he’d do if he was premier.

Mr. Campbell’s credibility would be that much
greater if he concentrated on how the company
got into this mess in the first place. How the
forest policies of the province allowed one com-
pany to take a dominant position so that when it
got a cold, everybody else came down with
pnuenomia. How the province failed in its
watchdog role of ensuring Skeena Cellulose was
using the resource — our wood, after all — ina
responsible manner. Oo,

But that. would threaten the. cozy: relationship
between large forest companies and the provincé
regardless of what party is in power. And no-
politician aspiring to be premier wants to get in
the way of the big players.

1-800 what? .

THERE’S NO doubting the enthusiasm that
Premier Glen Clark brings to governing. Prob-
lem is he sometimes forgets about details.

An example was provided just last week with
the setting up ofa toll-free line open Feb. 18 and
Feb. 19 so citizens could tell Mr. Clark what
‘they wanted the government to do. It was backed
‘up by Mr. Clark’s appearance on a community
cablevision show Feb. 18.

Fine and dandy so far except that the op-
portunity was extended only to those living in
the more populated southwestern part of B.C.

That’s because the press release announcing the
toll-free line and cablevision show came out the
day the line was established, wiping out the
ability for community newspapers covering the
area outside the lower mainland to tell their
readers what was happening,

Just as worse was the cablevision show, carried.
on a cable system that doesn’t serve the north-
west or other areas outside the southwest.

If Mr. Clark really wants to hear from us, he

should check out a map of his province.
SE]
PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link
ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brian Lindenbach
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur
NEWS Jeff Nagel » NEWS SPORTS: Dave Taylor
NEWS COMMUNITY: Cris Leykauf
_ OFFICE MANAGER: Sheila Sandover-Sly
ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS:
Sam Collier, Janet Viveiros
TELEMARKETER: Patricia Schubrink
ADVERTISING ASSISTANT: Kelly Jean
TYPESETTING: Sylvana Broman DARKROOM: Susan Credgeur
CIRCULATION MANAGER: Karen Brunette

SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL:
$53.50 per year; Seniors $48.15: Out of Province $60.99

Outside of Canada (6 months) $149.80
(ALL PRICES INCLUDE GST}

MEMBER OF
B.C, AND YUXOH COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION,
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION

Gena

Serving the Terrace and Thornhill area. Published on Wednasday of each week at 3210 Clinton Street,
Terrace, British Columbla, Ved 5A2,

Stones, photographs, illustrations, designs and typostyles In the Tarrace Standard are tha proparly of the
copytight holders, Inckuding Carlboo Presa (1969) Lid., its illustration repro services and advertising

Reproduction in whole or in part, without written permission, Is specifically prohibited,
Authorized a8 second-class mai pending tha Post Cifice Department, for payment of pastaga In cash.
Special thanks to all our contributors and correspondents
for their time and talents

AND
B.C, PRESS COUNCIL

HOW ABOUT

IF YOU'D CHANGE
TOSMOKING POT }.\QmR
AND BUYING ME [avem
A SNOW BOARD P, Bish

Clark shuffles deck chairs —

VICTORIA — The cliches
have been exhausted by armies
of reporters writing about a
gazillion cabinet shuffles by a
never-ending succession of
premiers and prime ministers,
for as long as there has been a
parliamentary democracy and
wretches like me to write about
it.

The favourite is the reference
to shuffling the deck chairs on
the Titanic, particularly if a
government’s re-election is in
doubt, Playing musical chairs
is another one. What remains
is a premier’s attempt to give
his government a fresh look
by, well, shuffling people
around the various jobs, exil-
ing some to the back bench
and bringing fresh blood in.
And that’s exactly what
Premier Glen Clark has tried
with his latest cabinet shuffle.

Some highlights: First,’ the
premier’s pet’ project, a
fisheries ministry, is created a
last. Formerly part of Agricul-
ture and Food, Fisheries now
stands alone, and ils new min-
ister is Dennis Streifel, at least
in name.

In reality, the new ministry
will be run out of the premier’s
office, which is the reason why
Corky Evans declined Clark’s
offer to take over the fisheries
ministry and, instead, decided
to slay on as Minister of Agri-
culture,

The most high-profile reas-

FROM:THE CAPITAL

HUBERT BEYER

sigument of duties is Joy Mac-
Phail’s transfer from health to
finance, probably the toughest
job in cabinet. But MacPhail
has shown herself to be equally
tough and should do well in
her new job.

Two people got cabinet jobs,
as a-result of threats to the

premiet. When former’ Small"

Business, Tourism and Culture
Minister Jan Pullinger pot
wind that she might be dumped
from cabinet, she said publicly
that she would resign her seat
and force a byelection,

Not willing to take any
chances with his slim majority
in the legislature, Clark caved
in and gave her the human
resources ministry, which
should keep her busy and out
of his hair.

Tan Waddell made similar
noises, although not publicly,
and was elevated from the

back bench to become Minister
of Small Business, Tourism
and Culture. Threats, it seems,
will get you everywhere.

Dale Lovick was yanked out
of ihe rarefied atmosphere of
the Speaker’s job, which he
used to the fullest extent for
his self-proclaimed oratory
skills, and appointed Minister
of Aboriginal Affairs and
Labour. That should keep him
busy, too. His former job is
reserved for Jack Weisgerber,
formerly leader of the B.C,
Reform Party, now sitting as
an independent MLA.

On the gender-equalily side,
Clark did quite well, although
he didn’t hit the 50-50 mark
His new cabinet has 12 men
and seven women. Ethnic
equality was also addressed.

Harry Lali was appointed Min-

ister , Of. Tratisportation , and

“Highways, . joining’ Attorney

General Ujjal Dosanjh as one
of two Indo-Canadians in cabi-
net.

And Jenny Kwan, who won
former Premier Mike Har-
court’s Vancouver-Mouut
Pleasant seat, becomes the first
Chinese-Canadian cabinet
minister ever in a British
Columbia government. '

In other appointments, Sue
Hammell stays on as Minister
of Women’s Equality. So do
Paul Ramsey in education,
David Zimhelt in forests and
Cathy McGregor in environ-

ment, lands and parks.

Former finance minister
Andrew Petter goes to ad-
vanced education, training and
technology; former Municipal
Affairs Minister Mike Fam-
worth takes over employment
and investment from Dan Mil-
ler, while the latter becomes
Minister of Energy, Mines and
Northem Development.

Lois Boone becomes Minis-
ter of Children and Families;
Penny Priddy is Minister of
Health and responsible for
Seniors. And the Glenster, of
course, remains premier of all
British Columbians.

With the legislative session
starting in (wo or three weeks,
the new cabinet members have
litle time to get acquainted
with their duties, and the daily
Question Period isn’t neces-
Bdrily: going-ta be Answer Peri-
od, Come to think of it, even if
they know the answers, they
don’t usually give them.

One final word: no matter
how much the premier will try
to sell his new cabinet as a
fresh team, rearing to go ta
work for British Columbians,
it’s still the same old govem-
ment. If you hated it before,
you won't like it now either.
And if you liked it, the love-in
will probably continue.

Beyer can be reached at:
Tel: (250) 920-9300; Fax:
(250) 385-6783; E-mail:
hubert@coolcom.com

A straight ahead solution

SAY “PARK"’ and I picture
green manicured lawns that
beckon bare feet, trees full of
twittering birds and traffic too
distant to drown them out,
users rejuvenating their spirits
jogging, biking, sprawled in
the sun reading, chatting on a
bench...

Terrace’s newest, future park
— a strip of CN land running
between the highway and the
railway tracks from Eby to
Kalum Lake Drive — might be
too narrow and close to traffic
to fit my picture.

This splinter of land will be-
come a linear park only 50 feet
wide, the perfect solution to
muggers, perverts, and
vandals, Traffic on one side
and trains on the other should
help police It throughout its
length.

Unlike Stanley Park, this one
won't possess dark comers or
clumps of shrubbery where
bad guys can hide. Park ben-
ches won't screen snow-
mobiles, motorbikes or four
wheel drivers while they rip up

mT JUST GOTTA ASK.
Me WITHALL THE PONDS
Be IN THE NORTH.

THROUGH BIFOCALS
CLAUDETTE SANDECK]I

turf or crush flower beds.

Booming tape decks will
have to fight to be heard. Any-
one who doesn’t like them can
edge far away. A kilometer
away, The length of the park
will also delight whoever
drives the city’s mower, He
can mow 1,5kms before he has
lo turn.

Parallel vehicular traffic does
mean road dust and exhaust
fumes, And with so many
wheels rolling nearby, bench

WHY PID YOU
PICK ONE BESIDE

I

sitters had better wear steel
toed bools and tuck their feet
way under.

Playing ball won't be recom-
mended unless you can pitch
and bat as accurately as a Blue

Jay. Children and pets are.

going to need extra supervi-
sion. And no matter how thick
landscapers plant trees, it will
never amount to a windbreak,

Besides Jandscaping, the city
plans ta pave a 10 foot wide
palh from one end to the other.
Half the path will be for bikers
and rollerbladers, the other half
for pedestrians. In practice, no
doubt the path will have its
share of disrespectful illiterates
like the snowmobilers who
damaged Onion Lake ski trails.

Lacking hills and muggers,
this linear park should be ideal
for seniors. And with only one
path straight as an earthworm’s
innards, users will bypass the
dilemma of which branch to
take, right or left.

The park will have full view
of all the — surrounding
mountains. Otherwise it won't

boast’ features photogenic
enough to attract wedding
parties for albums photos. It
wouldu’t Jook good to have a
row of garbage cans diminish-
ing into the distance behind the
bride.

They'll need a lot of garbage
cans for 1.5kms, So many
pedestrians haven't — the
strength to carry a candy wrap-
per 30 feet, let alone the
stamina to lift the wrapper the
height of a receptacle or the
aim to drop it in.

City parks come in various
shapes and sizes, and offer dif-
ferent delights. Yet they all of-
fer one (hing in common — a
tranquil reconnection with na-
hye.
If this newest park is
landscaped as attractively as
the sloping southeast comer of
the overpass, it, too, will be-
come a visual treat to pas-
sersby.

Future residents will ap-
preciate Terrace council's nar
row vision.

You RE RIGHT!
THEY RE FROM!
THE city !!