A10 - Tha Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 19, 1994

News
In Brief

Doc decision

this week

HEALTH MINISTER Paul
Ramsey is to make a decision
this week on whether to move
the northwest’s . orthopedic
surgeon from Kitimat to Prince
Rupert.

Health minisiry spokesman
Wynn Horne said the decision
should. be announced in the
middle lo the end of the week,

City naming
new streets
TWO DOWN, one to go,

Council has agreed on names
for two new streets created by
the West Ridge Estates devel-
opment. ©

The subdivision is located
just to the east of Mountain
Vista Drive. a

I's major road will be called
Gordon Place, after J.K. Gor-
don, first’ chairman (1927-
1931) of the. village council
elected upon Terrace’s  in-
corporalion.

The cul-de-sac off Gordon
will be called Mile Place. for
Andrew, Mile, owner of the
land from 1942 to. 1972.

The planning committee has
new been asked to come up
wilh another new name,

This one is for the road creat-
ed by the Bench Park subdivi-
sion and will mn north-south
off an extended Clara Street.

Food bank
hits high

MORE THAN 500 bags of
food were handed out last
-week as the Terrace Churches
Food Bank held its January
distribution.

That tolal is he. highest ever
in the history of the food bank
with an estimated 800 people
receiving food, says organizer
Terri Elkiw.

The bank tad expected a
high demand given the nearly
380 bags distributed during tts
first distribution of the season
last November...

Elkiw said the demand was
met through a great response
from individuals, organizations
and churches.

“Tt was definitely the most
impressive response from the
community Pve ever seen,”’
said Elkiv.

Asurplus of fruit and vegeta-
bles and staples from the Sal-
vation Army’s Christmas
hamper program also helped,
she added. .

“We have a lot of staples for
February,’’ Elkiw continued.

Organizers .couldn’t pin
down a. reason for the high
demand but. did note there
seemed to be a greater number
of large familics making ap-
plications than is usually the
cise. a

The next four-day distribu-
tion period begins Feb. 14.

Study points

to racism

RACISM against natives
overshadowed the original in-
tent of a study on the acces-
sibilty of social services in
Tertace.

The goal was to get informa-
tion and make social services
here more responsive to visible
and ethnic minorities.

Social Planning. and Re-
scarch Council = of BC,
(SPARC) Tertace study coor-
dinalor Karen’Chrysler_ said
native people weren't targeled
in the survey because their so-
cial services planning takes
place separately.

‘*There’s more interest in is-
sues in- Terrace surrounding
first nations people and issues
of racism than in issues involy-
ing other ethnic-and visible
minorities,’” Clirysler said.

She hopes the study will spur
discussion on the topic al a
public workshop planned for
Friday, Jan. 28,

It’s Cree of charge and takes
place al. the Skeena Health
Unit auditorium from 9 a.m. to
noon. Register. by calling
Kuren Chrysler-at 635-2994 by
Jan. 24. "

Co-operation appeal

FORESTS MINISTER Andrew
Petter hopes native groups north
of Kitwanga will co-operate ‘to
provide employment from wood
the province is pulting on the
market.

Speaking last week, Peller ap-
pealed to the native groups to
work together,

The wood smounts'to 110,000
cubic metres a year and is con-
tained in whal is now known as

‘the Cranberry TSA (Timber _

Supply Area).

Late last year the province an-
nounced it would put up the wood
this year under Small Business

’ sales and entertain applications

for a forest licence lo take effect
in 1995, :

“Hopefully we can satisfy.

some of the concems there and
hopefully get a solution,” said
Petter, | ; ;

But the wood is contained in an

area under claim by the Nisga’a
Tribal Council and by the
Gitanyow (formerly Kitwancool).

Those two groups have tried
unsuccessfully for years to
resolve their overlapping claims.

Also involved is the Gitwangak
band’s Cged Forest Products
which now. owns the former
Westar mili al Kitwanga.

That mill processed wood fram
the Cranberry until nearly: three
years ago when it was known as
Tree Farm Licence $1 and when
the mill was owned by Westar,

Westar last year surrendered the
TFL to the provincial government
which then created the Cranberry
TSA.

Petter acknowledged the dif
ficulty arising from competing
nalive land claims interests.

“Tt is a contentious situation
and a horribly complex issue,’” he
said.

**But after two years we could.
not. get a consensus and we do
have an obligation to act,”’ Peticr
continued. a

He noted the move to Small

Business sales and forest licence —

is being dane without prejudicing
native claims fo the area. .

“At the end of the day we can’t
treat that.timber ‘supply area any
differcntly. Nor can-we create a

de facto moratorium,’ Peller

said, |

The hope in selling the wood
under the Small: Business pro-
gram is to provide immediate
relief while longer term goals can
be worked on through the forest
licence, he added.

**This is the best we can do un-
der the circumstances. It’s as
much as we can.do to help meet
the economic needs of the area,’’
he explained.

*T appeal to those three groups,
and others, to work together. It
would be a real shame if nothing

‘happened.’

Fetter cautioncd any Small
Business and forest licence
awards can’t be tied to providing
wood for the Cged mill.

That kind of direct relationship
can’t be accomplished under the
Forest Act.

Instead, Petler says the provinec
will look favourably on proposals
calling for increascd local

employment in Kitwanga.

“The intention of the govern-
ment is to mové forward and be
sensitive to the needs of the
ared,’’ said Petter.

Advertisements for the small
business sales are expected to be
published any weck.

, These will be followed by ones

for the forest licence,

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