ae

thwest
‘Commerce and Alaskan’

ae ‘President:

-: Ghikan next month.

-. been.

_. | industry,

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cer has.

ON: SEPTEMBER’ 23RD,

"1976. AT TERRACE, B.C: °°

"": Presented by: ‘The Nor-
’ Chambers — of

_: JAffiliates, Box 241, Kitimat,
oe 1 On ; ce, ,
‘Richard -A.
» Green Se
Secretary: Don Murray —_
The Northwest Chambers
of Commerce and Alaskan
_ Affiliates is an association
of: the Chambers of Com-
merce in the area from
Burns Lake to the Queen

~~ ‘Charlottes, including the —
' Alaskan Panhandle.

Iam sure you are. well
aware of the principles and
beliefs of the’ Chamber of
. Commerce,:so I need to say

- little about them. - |
_- Our Association was
-. formed many years ago.and

‘will. be -holding its 45th
Annual Meeting in: Ket-

~.We have worked hard to

_. edordinate the communities

’ “jn our area and feel wé have
- suecessful in

presenting a united voice for
_the northwest; ©

"We would like to thank you ”
- for the opportunity of being -

--able to‘present this brief to

‘’'you-and we ‘hope. that your

visit to this area’ will be

~-sproduetive.

2S). BORESTRY |
You ‘must realize that,

“with the éxception of Alcan:

in’Kitimat and the fisheries

-in ‘Prince Rupert, the nor-—
- thwest of B.C. - is..totally -
“.: dependent. on. the . forest,
Our. .econamy.-.-

‘fluctuates with the markets

for’ pulp and lumber. We .

“have been suffering through

ou! a depressed economy for the’
"past few years and- the
y.

-* proposed’ cutbacks
~ CanCel in. Prince Rupert

“will have an additional
-- negative effect on this area.
2 +s Tewould like to dwell on a.

-~... few specific problems as we.
“each sawmill ..negotiates.-a-.
contract with a pulp mill-to
which they sell their chips.”
This has been: working out, -
however, recently there has. .
developed a surplus of chips
.in the interior of B.C. We are
‘suggesting that a Pulp Chip’
‘Marketing

CanCely 2”

-. - free Farm Licence No. 1

"igs the largest timber holding

oof its kind in B.C, and was

-<> . “allotted to CanCel to.supply

edits “pulp. “mills

_ --Since this time, CanCel-

os purchased. Pohle:

_ .: Sawmills and the sawmill at"

ve AGtwanga, ; some 6 miles ,

- Yeast of Terrace..Baoth these - ae —- are
~<mils. held timber in the Any aes lis oe par

‘ehips“.and the remainder |
would be stock piled, say. at
‘Prince Rupert, and made
‘Umber... available, - firstly. to . other

When the -sawmills:'.were’ -

. .Skeena Sustained Yield Unit

_ ». sand: they” continue. to- bid

against the local mills’ for
the available timber. .

“BRIEF PRESENTED TO
+: HE. CABINET. OF THE
-<; GOVERNMENT: OF B.C.

-would

“to the Provincial
not CanCel. =~
” We understand
and Gibbs are in a similar =

‘and excluded from: Skeena

‘access to this timber.
We realize that this
‘suggestion: has a. tremen-

timber.

in: Prince

‘chips from the sawmills and
-sell‘them to-pulp mills in the

‘timber to be‘cut in the
"B.L..in 1977.

Meanwhile, » their

‘sawmills “at Terrace and
‘Kitwariga continue to cream .

the timber they hold in

‘Skeena S.Y.U. and send the

poorer grade logs to the pulp -
mill. In many cases, we are
told; the quality of the logs
being sent to the pulp mill
normally be
processed through most
sawmills in B.C.

We feel that CanCel’s’~
control of T.F.L. No. 1 and

Skeena S.Y.U. makes it very
difficult for other mills to
compete. - —

-Little, Haugland and
Kerr, a cedar pole company
here in Terrace, has an-

nounced that it will be

shutting down its operation
due toa lack of wood supply. -
They have been buying

cedar off CanCel but‘they

are now charging $50 to $60 .
per cunit. We feel: that if
there is to be any profit
made from the increase in
the per cunit-price over and-

. above the stumpage paid.to

the government; it should go.
Treasury,

‘MacGillis

situation with. a limited:

supply of cedar ‘ahead: of ©

them.
We feel ‘it is- imperative

- that-CanCel and its‘sawmills

be restricted to T-F.L. No. 1:

S.Y.U; and if CanCel does
not harvest. its allowable _
cut, other. mills should have |

dous ‘magnitude but we feel

itis a necessary step if this’
area is to survive. At.
present it is impossible for’

any other mills to locate in —
this area because. they are -
unable to obtain sufficient
Pulp | Marketing
Board: .. . a
Under the present system |

- Chip.

ting - Board... be.
established to purchase all

‘area -on- a: demand -basis.

pulp.mills in B.C., secondly, -

their

municipalities, ‘which are
supported by Jogging

companies, receive very
little taxation . revenues

from the’ forest industry

compared to municipalities.

which have pulp mills. For
example, the pulp mills in
Prince Rupert and Kitimat
pay -approximately :$1
million yearly in taxation to
 pespective
municipalities, but Terrace,
which has. only a few
sawmilis, receives ap-
proximately $100,000 in
taxation on’ the sawmills.

‘This seems very inequitable |

when the majority of ‘the
loggers for the pulp mills in

Prince Rupert and Kitimat’

Northwest Chambers of

Brief

‘subsidy to. Northland~

Navigation. We are con-—
cerned ‘that the small
communities on our coast ©
that cannot be economically °
serviced: by barges, will
suffer considerably from
this cutback. «= 2

We also feel that there are

many places on our coast —

where this money could be
spent to upgrade dock

facilities. foe
We would appreciate your ~
Minister -.of | Transport

live in Terrace. There are a.

number of similar com ne
.-Medical Costs: ...

munities throughout B.C.

that have the same problem -

which puts the burden of
municipal -‘taxes on
residential property. . .

We suggest that a portion
of the provincial revenues in
forest harvesting areas be

given to the’ municipalities

to help ‘with —
assessments. .
‘Regional Incentives:

The cost of almost
everything is greater in the
northwest than in the Lower

‘low

negotiating with the federal
government a plan where-no—
isolated.communities on our

a
northern part of this.

| THE HERALD, Friday, September 24, 1976, PAGE 15 :

Northern : ‘Development Es

Agreement: . .-

The federal government -

had negotiated with the

province of B.C.. an.
greement to develop the

province. . When your.

‘government took over the
agreement was cancelled.A
-considerable amount of time =
has elapsed and we have not ae
is

heard. any more on
agreement.

“We would encourage your — |

-government to immediately,
‘commence. negotiations —
with the federal government.

coast, that were’ previously {on a new agreement for the ~
serviced, remain without a “devélopment of the north of |

boat connection —

toa.
mainland port...

There are many instances

where residents of the north
must travel to Vancouver.

- for proper medical aid when

it is not available in the
hospitals in our areas. We
are specifically speaking. of
such things as heart, kidney,
‘and ‘similar operations. :

When ‘this is required, the

_. “transportation of the patient ©

to and from. Vancouver is

-mot covered under the.

Mainland. Building costs.

are higher, heating costs are
higher, transportation costs

and many others are higher. .
- Whenever a. company’

looks. at our area and.

compares. costs they ‘are

automatically discouraged.
We therefore feel that the
only way to get around this

‘ problem is to establish. this:

area as a Regional Incentive
Area. We are all aware of

‘the. effect this had. in the.

‘Okanagan and feel it is the
only. way for this area to

‘Medical Services. Plan .or-
Extended Health Benefits.

In many: cases, the patient is .
a child and a zarent must

accompany. the child. Of ©

course none of the parents ©

costs’ are covered either.-—

This means -that.‘.the

tesidents of the north who

unfortunately suffer’serious
illness or injury must pay a.
higher’ cost to: obtain.

. treatment. than those living

in the Lower Mainland. We

therefore suggest that these. .

additional. costs ‘be covered

compete until: there. is an.

‘established industry’ in the

areaw
Ferry System: —

The Queen of Prince.

Rupert Ferry is now. con-
sidered one of the main

is

under the Extended Health
Benefits of the Medical
Services Plan. :

methods. of transportation _ : -

between this. area and the

and gasoline .prices, it is
more reasonable than ever
to-use the ferry‘route south.
However; during the winter
months theré- are. many
times when .the road. bet-

~south of the. province. With i
‘the ‘increases. in: air fares

ween Terrace. and. Prince @

Rupert is closed. because of

from the..residents: of

‘Terrace and Kitimat. This is

at.a time when. it is‘needed
most because to’drive to
Vancouver: via almost 900
miles of :icy roads is a very.
dangerous and jong journey.

slides. When: this happens. : .
‘the ferry route is cut off

this province. a
- The’ regional incentives =...
- forthe north as well as rail

development . can ,be

negotiated in this

agreement. Ss
‘We feel. that it. is -im-

perative

of roads and railways must
take place to accommodate —
the resource developmentin
the near future, 7 ;
_ ° SUMMARY
We. hope. that. you :-wil
consider the suggestions -

made. in. this. brief... The.»
Chambers of Commerce of: ).«

this area are very:proud of .
the Pacific northwest and

we are confident that, with

the proper government

encouragements, this area.
will grow and the resources: ~
“developed. here will. be ‘a...
great asset to the whole. _

province, ©

The north has always |

lived on the -promise of

better things to come. “>
Recently this promise has. .-.:.
diminished and we hope that’.

your actions will restore the -
promise of a future for the .
Pacific northwest of British
Columbia. aes

that © proper = oo
‘transportation development.

to pulp mills in Canada, and __ We feel that an alternate
‘thirdly, for export. Note that. ferry system could be in-'
the exportation would be the stituted with ‘the Queen of
eee 0 “ Jast.mode of dispersing the Surrey, presently.idle; on a i
“Snot be allowed to.bid on‘ this. «chips as. this, if continued .run- from. Port. Hardy _to
_ type of licence. However, ...over a. long period, could -Kitimat. This ferry, with a-

> this is not-now the case since . affect..our market for pulp. few renovations, could
complete a trip in less than

‘introduced. .to -Timber: Sale
Harvest Licences, they were
insured that-'the holders:.of
‘Tree Farm Licences. would:

“” under. the
a -chased. oo

yn ~CanCel has been able to bid
sawmills. pur-.

“In. the last ‘three Years .

anes
ore

will “require very ‘little .

. province. *. . .
» Forestry ‘Taxation:

The Board‘ would consist
of representatives from the.
* gawmills, the pulp mills,

and the railways. .—
- We feel that this Board, if _
operated properly and given

the proper guidelines, would .
- be very. beneficial to the.

"There has:developed what ©
‘we consider an inequitable.
‘situation in that’. the:

UN orthland :

12 hours each way. We feel

‘that this service would. be

used- far. more than the

“Queen of Prince Rupert, due

to the shorter trip and no

over night accommodation

would. be ‘required. |”

Service:.”-

~" As you.are well. aware, the

federal .: government -with-

drew their §3.7- million.

Navigation t

- The premier lost this.one.