A10 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 22, 2002

Laid off health exec
wasn't surprised

to get the bad word

DIETER chief exec-
KUNTZ utive officer
wasn't sur- of the NHA
prised when [the current
he was told interim one,
he was losing ‘Peter War-
his job. wick, is
Brought leaving vo-
here in the luntarily) but
spring of doubts he
2000 ta be will be con-
the chief ex- sidered,
ecutive offi- especially
cer of the since he has
Terrace and been elimi-
Area Health nated from
Council, a the NHA.,
which ran Ku i
Mills Mem. Dieter Kuntz Bob Kelly he Meni owed
orial Hospital his time in

and Terraceview Lodge, Kuntz was
named support services integration direc-
tor of the Northern Health Authority last
December when it was created by the
merger of 15 smaller health care agen-
cies.

“J felt that when the interim organiza-
tion was announced [last December] the
position given wasn’t really of any
substance,” said Kuntz after he got the
news he was losing his job.

“Tl had been expecting something more
substantive in the organization, but over
the months it never really materialized. I
always hoped it would work out, but the
handwriting was on the wall.”

Kuntz moved temporarily to Prince
George for his new job early in the year,
bul soon returned to work out of his Ter-
race house.

It is now for sale and Kuntz is looking
for employment.

“It likely won’t be in B.C.,” said Kuntz
in noting that health care authorities are
shedding senior administrators.

“The chances are pretty slim. I'm
looking in all of Canada and overseas.”

Kuntz is from Ontario but also has
overseas health care experience. He’s
been offered a severance package and
now has a lawyer looking over the details.

Kuntz has applied for the pesilion of

Terrace and is particularly happy with the
McConnell Estates supportive housing
project now nearly completed beside Ter-
raceview Lodge.

“They. said go after it and make it hap-
pen and that’s what we did,” he said of
the direction given by the Terrace Area
Health Council,

Ironically, Kuntz was involved in sev-
eral issues which looked at health care
past Terrace to include the region.

One of those was the renovation of the
regional psychiatric unit at-Mills Memor-
ial and the merging together of out-pa-
tient and in-patient psychiatrist services,

Losing Kuntz is a shame for the north
because he took a regional approach to
health care, says Bob Kelly, the former
chair of the Terrace Area Health Council,

“Pm upset they didn’t utilize his ta-
lents, We’re losing a very valued employ-
ee,” said Kelly.

He noted that Kuntz’s experience, par-
ticularly his time spent overseas, should
make him a person worthy of considera-
tion to fill Warwick's spot as CEO of the
NHA.

Also cut loose in an effort to cut costs
was Paul Brown, who was chief operating
officer of the northwest portion of the
NHA, and two other executives who were
based in Prince George.

Group wants freedom
to speak out on.issues.

A LOCAL biologist once
suspended by the former
NDP provincial govern-
ment for releasing contro-
versial reports is a found-
ing member of a new orga-
nization calling for the
B.C. Liberal government to
enact whistleblower legis-
lation.

Dr. Dionys de Leeuw
was suspended without pay
for two weeks in 2000 by
his environment ministry
employers after he wrote
position papers arguing
that Victoria’s estimates of
grizzly bear populations
were too high and the spe-
cies could be at risk be-
cause of hunting in B.C.

The local man grieved -

the suspension and a set-
tlement was later reached
between his union and the
province.

The results of that arbi-
tration have not been
made public.

Critics at the time said
muzzling scientists is not
only censorship but also
dangerous.

The Public Service Em-
ployees for Environmental
Ethics (PSE) is a group
pushing to avoid situations
such as de Leeuw's.

The group says it wants
the B.C. Liberals to protect
employees who speak out
about environmental
health and safety issues by
enacting a law protecting
them,

Public service employ-
ees often sign code of con-
duct contracts which in-
clude a clause preventing
public disclosure of certain
information.

“Scientists are essenti-
ally told by their employ-
ers fo not make this infor-
mation known to the
public,” said de Leeuw.

He says ithe organiza-
lion wants to avoid public
health tragedies such as
the Walkerton, Ontario
water scandal — which
lead to several deaths — by
ensuring employees free-
dom of speech.

“A number of public
employees were not al-
lowed to come forward,”
explains de Leeuw. “What
I’m referring to is the sci-
gnce- -based information

at Pale

which is developed within
government to become
more accessible,”

The group says employ-
ees need to be able to
speak oul about urgent is-
sues on water quality, for-
estry, and other areas of
resource management in
BC,

“These are public is-
sues that require a full de-
bate and complete disclo-
sure of information,” said
de Lecuw.

This is the first group to
initiate this type of action
in Canada.

He adds the group is
hoping to compliment the
Liberal government's man-
date to be open and ac-
countable.

Dionys de Leeuw

Terrace Crimestoppers will be holding a

GENERAL MEETING

of Society Members
Thursda , June 13, 2002
7-00 pm at

Keenleyside Insurance Ltd.

4635 Greig Ave., Terrace, B.C. V8G IN2
The purpose of this meeting is to make amendments
to the Terrace Crimestoppers Constitution.

For further information, please call 638-1508

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STOPPERS

Terrace Crime Stoppers are asking for help to
solve an injury hit and run collision in Terrace, B.C.

On May 12th, 2002, an adult male was walking
westbound on the “new bridges” near Terrace at
approximately 02:00 a.m. when he was struck by a
westbound traveling. vehicle. The vehicle’s side-
view mirror struck the pedestrian’s arm, fracturing it.

Visibility at the time of the accident may have been
reduced by rain and lighting conditions.

The vehicle is described as a full-sized, newer
pickup truck, possibly white in colour. There may be
damage to the passenger's side mirror.

Terrace Crimestoppers wants your information, not
your name. Any’ information is valuable and may
lead to the arrest and conviction of the offenders.

Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up lo $1,000.00 for
Information leading to an arrast and charges being fald against
an Individual in this or other unsolved crime. If you have any
lntarmation call Crime Stoppers at 635-TIPS that's 635-8477.
Callers will not be required to reveal their identity nor leslify in
court, Crime Stoppers does nat subserlbe to call display.

Call 635-TIPS

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agents for a particular premise. Unfortunately
persons unaware or unwilling to obey this law
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