DAVE TAYLO R ROB BROWN Hatchery Creek *ve made the hike from the High- way 16 bridge to the Skeena many limes. It’s a short, pleasant trip alongside the Shames River to one of the Skeena’s many islands, I’ve written about the time we watched lightening strikes spark fires along the hillside at the end of one of those : trips to Shames; I’ve tried to capture some of the magic of fishing at the corner of Shames and © Skeena. I've called it a place for all seasons. Shames/Skeena always has a lesson to teach: something about the timing and behaviour of fish, or the habits of bears, eagles, and people. Like all dramatic, vibrating ecosystems, the place is filled with power. All rivers are shape changers, but Shames fluctuates wildly, thanks to the removal of too . much timber in too short a time. With a lot less timber to hold it back now, and the inevitable erosion of its banks as a result, the little Shames, like thousands of similar coastal streams throughout this province —. and, in- deed, throughout the entire coast of Westem . North America — has higher highs and lower lows. The Shames channel is wider, and less pre- dictable. Large logs are borne downstream, gravels build up and threaten both the railway and highway bridges. Fearing for the life of these structures, those in charge of maintaining them take action ‘in the face.of impending storms. Last year-the contractors: hired by either - the railway or the highway dredged ‘the river boltom below the rail bridge where hundreds of salmon had just finished spawning. This un- conscionable crime against nature is just anoth- er sad, downstream result of the lack of ade- quate planing that aceompanies corporate log- ging. : After the great to-do over the Forest Practices Code, you'd be forgiven for thinking this kind of mayhem will no longer happen in B.C. Don’t believe it. Heavy metal commanded by the gen- erals at Skeena Cellulose (formerly known as Repap) will soon be rolling up the narrow con- fines of Hatchery Creek to wage war on a watershed that shares much in common with Shames. Over the next two years 300 contiguous acres of timber will fall, and the campaign will con- tinue until 2002, By then some 600 acres will be gone from valley notable for its steep gradient and unstable sides. Because the valley is nar- tow, the road will need to mn along the valley floor for eight kifometers. The planned leave strip is a paltry 80 metres. To get a feel for the place I urge you to take a trip down the highway toward Kitimat. You’!l cross Hatchery Creek a short distance from the turn off to Oly’s Place. From the highway the creek doesn’t look like much: just a steep rocky little watercourse. Don’t be fooled. Take the . turnoff to Titird Avenue. From there you'll be able to appreciate the magic of Hatchery Creck, Drive slowly down the road. On the pas- senger’s side you will see a beautiful stream filled with water clear as air. Though small, the stream won't be hard to find thanks to an orange stake someone has driven into it for identifica- tion. Sweep back the curtain of vegetation and you will see a vibrant intact ecosystem in good health, Continue on. After a few hundred feet you will meet a twin to the first stream; then you wilt find another and another. The woods here, you will discover, are riddled with sweet litle creeks, over twenty in all, that are fed by groundwater, ground water fuelled by Hatchery Creek. These are streams that once brimmed with northern coho. They will again if those fish are given some breathing room by the market fishery. The larger streams still provide select spawning and rearing habitat for salmon. If you follow this route you will cross Hatchery Creek. There is an important viewscape here: a view upstream to the upper watershed, with its steep walls and slides, the last intact part of the vital grizzly bear habitat complex formed by the valleys of Skully Creek, Chist Creek and the Kitimat River. There are other sound reasons to leave Hatchery alone, Water quality is an Issue for the people who five near the lake and take their drinking water from the creeks fed by Hatchery Creek, And, of course, there are flooding prob- lems which are exacerbated by the removal of ‘timber from the east side of Lakelse Lake. With so many of the invaluable fish habitat _ savaged by the hotsprings development, logging and road construction, the remaining watersheds have grown in importance. It would be a shame to see Hatchery Creek treated like Shames. The toug RUGBY IS weird. In what other sport is it a tradition to grind your op- ponent’s face in the mud in the afternoon, then buy him (or ber) a beer that same evening? *There’s a comradery in rugby that’s not found in any other sport,’ says player and coach David Hull, ‘The social aspect is really emphasized right from the very beginning,”’ Hull plays with the Ter- race Northmen team and coaches the Terrace Under- 19 squad. Right now, there are just two Under-19 teams in the northwest — Terrace and Rupert, but Hull says word is spreading. “There’s| a com- radery in rugby that’s not found in any other sport.”’ -David Hull- ‘We get more kids com- ing just about every prac- tice,”’ he says. “It’s a great game. It’s very inexpensive to play, and there’s a wide range of positions available — Whether you’re 125 Ibs or 300 Ibs.”’ A number of the Under-19 ‘TERRACE STANDARD | The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 4, 1997 - BS YOU'RE G GOING down, Terrace and Prince Rupert players square off in a match May 28. squad have even been able to break the starting line-up of the senior team. Clint “Raging Bull’? Drummond scored his first-ever try as a Northman May 25 in a Battle against the Smithers Camels. The Camels had been reel- ing from a humiliating 38-0 loss to the Northmen the previous day. The Northmen dominated that game, on tries scored by Rob Sarich, John McGowan, and two by Brian Sayewich and Gra- ' ham Bayles — all rounded out with conversions by LOOK UP. Wednesday's Under-19 game didn't have a full slate from Rupert, so the teams were mixed up for an exhibition match. Seniors show muscle at Classic IT MAY have been hotter than Hades, bul Terrace’s senior athletes kept their cool at the National Seniors Sports Classic in Tucson Arizona last week, Three local athletes took part in the event, which drew more than 10,000 competitors from all over the world. And they showed the northwest could compete with the best — coming home with three finishes in the top 11. an injury. ‘‘The heat was a real factor,”’ In fact, northem competi- tors had a couple of dis- advantages — they weren’t used io the heat and they have only been training for a few short wecks since the snows melJted, By contrast, many of our southem neighbours can train practically year-round. “T really didn't do as well as I could have,’’ says Esther Postuk. ‘‘But every- thing I did, I enjoyed.” “T figured young kids weren’t going to come out and watch a bunch of old fogies run and jump, but boy was I wrong,”’ -Bob Goodvin- “I think we get a little too cocky sometimes,”’ says Pat Kirkaldy. ‘‘But maybe that’s why we win.” Pat cleaned up at the Games, winning a sixth place ribbon in the discus and taking seventh in the shotput, “If she had been at her best she would have medalled, easy,’’ says her husband Bud, who went down as a competitor, but » bad to drop out because of Stull, Esther managed an 11th place finish in the javelin and she made scmi- finals in the 100 metre — despite never having raced in the event before, All ber training had been on a tread- mill in the gym. In fact, Team B.C, did very well as a whole at the competition. The 28 provin- cial entrants picked up 25 ribbons or medals -— at least seven of which were gold. Maxine _Smallwood | and Doug Wilson. The Sunday game was much closer, but the Northmen still came out on top, George DaCosta, John McGowan, Rob Sarich and Raging Bull all scored on their way to a 29-10 victory, “That was an exciting game for our fans,” says Hull. The Northmen continue to draw crowds of up to 100 for their home games. The Under-19 team next plays in Prince Rupert June 7 at 5 p.m. followed by the Northmen vs the Seamen at 7pm, Fast times at Speedway THERE WERE some pretty. fast. times. registered at: the Terracs: Speedway on the weekend of May 24th. The Sportsman Trophy went to Ernie Perkins who also picked up the Heat, while Mike Lemsky scooped up the Main. Gary MacCarthy drove the Main A Hobby Trophy home both days, and Jules LaFrance’s speedy chase won him the Dash and Heat but he cooled off the next day, losing the Heat to Darcy McKeown and the Dash to Tim Fleming. John Cloakey burned into first place in the Dash and Main on the 24th and completed the B Hobby circuit by taking the Heat away from McKeown on the following day. Jules LaFrance Dashed into first during Sundays race and the Main went to Ken Legros. There was some fierce competition in the A Street Trophy category. On Saturday, Randy Chalifoux Dashed into Grst, Jason King crowned the Heat and John Algor drove away with the Main. On Sunday, Len McArthur squealed into first place in the Dash, Bob Barnett took the Heat and this time, Jason King stole the Main. Saturdays B Trophy Dash and Main went to McArthur, while Jeff Barnett sweated it out, taking the Heat, On Sunday, Trevor King reigned in the Heat and Main, while dash- ing Claus Wolnowski walked away with the Dash. There was no competition for Vicki Johnson who drove home with all the trophies. Doug Brewer from Caledonia scored some high marks at the Hobby category in the Teachers race, Ken Pound from Thomhill Elementary checked in first place on the Street. cLrete HH dk 638-7283 rien) bE vo fae 4 OLDER TERRACE athletes really shined at a recant international competition in Tucson, Arizona. That's Pat and Bud Kirkaldy with Esther P ostuk, Bob Goadvin also went to the event — to support our You're always on the move. Keeping active keeps asked for more enthusiasm or better hospitality,’* team. The two are athletes themselves, but they just missed qualifying for the Classic, which demands tak- ing either gold or silver at the B.C. Senior Games, **The beauty of the games is that you’ active all the time,” says Goodwin, who hopes to qualify for the 1999 Classic in Orlando. you acting young and think- ing young,’”’ Goodvin says he was also surprised to see tremendous support from the youth in Tucson. "T figured young kids weren’! going to come out and watch a bunch of old fogies mn and jump,’’ he says. “But boy was I wrong. You couldn’t have Although the Classic is over, the seniors have just Started their training for the year. Next-up is the B.C. Senior Games in New West- minster coming up in Sep- tember, ‘We'll be there,’’ says Pat Kirkaldy, who has found gold at the B.C, Games for seven years in a row, “T think we’re hooked.’