A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 3, 1997 TERRACE STANDARD 4647 Lazella Ave., Terrace, B.C. VG 1S (604) 698-7289 Fax (604) 638-6492 ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 A Division of Carlboo Press (1969) Ltd. ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Strect Terrace, B.C. * V8G 5R2 TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 * FAX: (250) 638-8432 EMAIL: standard@kermode.net Hear no evil THEY STILL don’t get it. Environment minister Cathy McGregor demonstrated, in a letter to the editor published in these pages last week, that she hasn’t yet mastered the concepts that got her in trouble dur- ing the angling licence fee debacle this spring. _- McGregor did little to refute a story published in July that found the fees were increased despite internal ministry advice to the contrary. Then she went on to assert that licence fees in B.C. — once they’re increased to the proposed levels next year after some strictly for-show con- sultation — will continue to be competitive with fees charged in Washington and Oregon. That may be true down south, but it doesn’t apply in the northwest, home to most of the pro- vince’s rivers designated “classified waters’. The very problem was that the dramatic rise in' classified waters fees effectively ratcheted the price of a northwest fishing vacation by 400 per cent for non-resident anglers. And that’s way: less than they’I] pay in Alaska. Here’s some cheap advice. Firstly, get past the Victoria habit that everything in B.C. can be dealt with by a one-size-fits-all solution. It can’t. And secondly, be prepared to adjust the plan to what makes sense for the region, after rea] con- sultation with locals. Saying there will be consul- tation, but that nothing in the proposal will change an iota won’t impress people. After that, locals can be expected to agree to substantial hikes in fees to levels that won’t price our region out of the market. Don’t bet on it THE NDP government has been Tunning like-an- Italian tank lately ~-.one gear going forward and _ about five in reverse. The province has backtracked on no-fault auto . insurance, labour code amendments, and angling licence fees increases. Now Victoria has slowed its drive towards expanded casino gambling and other gaming revenue. If the province does resist the temptation to dip deeper into the addictive pot of gaming revenues, applause is warranted. Gambling — be it in the form of bingos, lottery tickets, pull tabs, video lottery terminals or. ‘casino blackjack tables — is a tax on the poor. Economists categorize it as a ‘‘voluntary tax”’ Those who indulge in it are effectively donating. their money to government. The rich tend not to fall victim. It is those less fortunate and more desperate members of society who tend to play the losing game and commit an inordinately large slice of their income to it. As such it is almost incomprehensible that a New Democratic Party government could allow itself to sink further into this morass. Our leaders paint B.C.’s plight as a choice be- tween closing schools and hospitals and finding other, more innovative, sources of revenue. ' There seems, however, to be an inordinate em- phasis on the revenue side without further cuts to the expense side. Is this really necessary? a i a PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link : ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sam Collicr ' PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS Jeff Nagel « NEWS SPORTS: Dave Taylor COMMUNITY: Cris Leykauf STUDENT REPORTER: Salwa Farah OFFICE MANAGER: Kathleen Quigley ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: \ Janet Viveiros, Brian Lindenbach TELEMARKETER: Tracey Tomas ADVERTISING ASSISTANT: Kelly Jean TYPESETTING: Sylvana Broman DARKROOM: Susan Credgeur CIRCULATION MANAGER: Karen Brunette SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: $53.50 per year; Seniors $48.13; Out of Province $60.99 Outside of Canada (6 months) $149.80 (ALL PRICES INCLUDE GS1) . MEMBER OF « — B.C. AND YUKON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION, CANADIAN , GOMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSCCIATION AND B.C, PRESS COUNCIL Commu Newwarent AtReoOet atl On a Deicisd Cotambld and Fadaw Serving tha Terrace and Thombhill area. Published on Wednesday of each week by Caribao Press (1969) Lid, af 3210 Clinton Straet, Terrace, Brilish Columbia, V8G 5A2. Stores, photographs, illustrations, designs and typestyles In the Terrace Standard ara the property of the copyright holdara, including Cariboo Prass (1969) Lid, its tllustration repro services and advertising agencies, ; Reoroduction In whole or in part, without writtan permission, is specifically prohibited. Authorized as second-class mail pending tha Post Oifice Deparlment, for payment of postage in cash. Special thanks to ail our contributors and correspondents for their time and talents - al Vie aeerae % “ie il P on, itstime ltell you “¢ — about the birds andthe vees, , andthe birds and the birds.. and the bees and the bees... La ih ase -/ a Fish farm danger still unclear VICTORIA -— In the next few months, you will be able . to watch the Glen Clark government doing the biologi- cally impossible — trying to be a little bit pregnant. The compromise solution for the future of British Colum- bia’s fish farming industry, as envisioned by the province’s envizonmental assessment of- - fice, will please no-one. Basically, the study, prepared by the environ- mental assessment office over the past couple of years, recommends that the fish farm- 1,800-page - ing industry be allowed to ex- pand, but not too fast. In the words of Sheila Wynn, the assessment office’s deputy minister, ‘‘we are recommend: -. ing that the government give a _ yeHow light to salmon farming in B.C., in other words: pro- ceed with caution.” Begging your pardon, but there’s something wrong with this picture, If after two years of study, resulting in an 1,800- page report, the environmental assessment office can’t recom- mend that the industry be given a green light, one must . conclude that there are poten- tial problems associated with fish farming. The David Suzuki Founda- tion is adamant that fish farm- FROM THE CAPITAL HUBERT BEYER ing is, indeed, a dangerous business. In anticipation of an: expansion of the salmon farm- ing industry, the eminent scientist’s foundation ran full- page newspaper ads, detailing the dangers. The foundation warns that - powerful antibiotics used by the industry to control fish dis- ‘ eases that easily develop in the _ crowded conditions of fish farms, pose an extreme hazard to wild salmon stocks. The report recommends that fish farms post details of the drugs they use, but that won't satisfy the critics. Another problem, Suzuki says, is that the effluent from the fish farms, equivalent to vc ae that of a city of half a million, « is released into the ocean, be- :cause the fish pens are not . scaled, but separated from the open ocean by wire mesh. Critics of the fish farming in- dustry point to Norway's expe- rience as a powerful example of the dangers involved in sal- mon farming. A few years ago, imported Auantic salmon smolts in- fected that country’s wild stock with deadly epidemic diseases, and Norwegian sea farmers were forced to slaughter their stock. The Nor- wegian taxpayers footed ihe bill ta the tune of $100 million. Okay, that’s Norway. Won't happen here, you say. Fish farms must report escapes to Fisheries and Oceans, and ac- cording to these reports, from 1991 to 1995, 141,887 Allantic . ther 188 were caught in British ; Columbia rivers and streams, Most catches occurred in the Johnston Strait area, where there is the highest concentra- _fion of fish farms, And there’s the reason why , the environmental assessment ,office didn’t give the industry . its unqualified support. No matter, low much the industry downplays the dangers, there are potential hazards, and like anyone else, the environmental assessment office’s folks want to cover their derriere, just in case something goes terribly wrong. So, the ball is now in the government’s park. On the one haid, the dwindling wild sal- mon stocks are the best reason to let the fish farm industry ex- pand. On the other hand, the salmon escaped: from‘::British;i/4 potential dangers prevent the: Columbia marine aquaculture facilities. The true number is | believed to have been higher. In addition to these escapes, 400,000 fry were accidentally spilled in 1996 during transfer into lake net pens in Georgia Lake on northern Vancouver Istand. Since 1987, more than’ 9,000 Atlantic salmon have been caught by fishers in ihe coastal waters of British Columbia, Washington and Alaska. A fur- goverpnjent from. giving the, green light ta massive expan- . sion of the industry. The result will be a balancing , act that will please neither. the industry nor the critics. There , Will be modest expansion, but stricter regulations, Talk about being a little bit " pregnant, , Beyer can be reached at Tel: (250) 920-9300; Fax: (250) 385-6783; E-Mail: hubert@coolcom.com A few good recruits needed “WHAT! paid?!” That was the usual reaction of visitors to last Saturday’s open house at the Thornhill firehall. Thornhill firefighters staged the open house in the hope of altracting a few new members, particularly from each of the three outlying areas that voted for fire protection last Novem- ber. Almost a year after the referendum, no resident of an expanded area has volunteered to serve as a firefighter to pro- vide service, One ares, Lakelse Lake, supplies three volunteers. But they were firefighters well before the 1996 referendum. Though Thornhill has a core of active firefighters, their ranks thin during the day when many — especially truckers — are out of town, Only in the dead of night, when all should be sleeping, are there enough members available to gener- ously staff firefighting equip- You don't get You CouULP BE SECRETARY FOR THE COUNCIL 7 | THROUGH. BIFOCALS. CLAUDETTE SANDECKI ment, Soon satellite firehalls will be built or established, and ex- tra trucks purchased, The three new areas could then be as- sured of a speedier respanse to their fire calls. But unless a few residents volunteer and train to do the job, property owners will be paying addi- tional taxes yet waiting for trucks and firefighters to arrive from Thornhill. How ABOUT” WATIRESSING- AT THE Care ? If you often travel back and forth to Terrace, you know how tong it takes to drive from the four-way stop near the Thornhill fireball to your home. Now picture yourself waiting that long for fire irucks to arrive while flames Icap up your walls, smoke pours through exploding windows, and heat forces you back to the perimeter of your yard. You could need a manicure and a hair transplant. Deciding to pay higher taxes in exchange for fire protection was a sound decision. Voting that signal took a minute to write an X on a ballot. The hard part is beating the bushes for volunteers willing to suit up and haul hose. Since Thornhill’s firefighters receive to pay, persuading someone to devote their Thurs- day evenings to taining isn’t easy. They have to be nudged into providing a valuable com- munity service. What does the volunteer gain? Confidence. Satisfaction. And the certainty he’s’ doing all he can to protect his own family, property, and neighbor- hood from the ravages of un- © predictable fire. Training, provides valuable skills — first aid, CPR — and information about the proper handling and storage of toxic - chemicals, pesticides, and flammable materials. Such in- formation is useful to know, especially if someone’s job in- volves such substances. The volunteer learns to recognize fire risks and ways to minimize them in his home, on the job, in his neighbor- hood. Applicants don’t have to match Amold Schwarzeneg- ger's body build, rival Popeye’s strength, or be under thirty, They should possess reasonable strength, all their limbs, and a willingness to fol- low orders, , Your neighbours will thank you for joining, believe me.. BiG FIRE ovr VOKAaY.onay! AT TACKFISH \iTUE PICK. LAKE LAST FALL... | MUSHROOMS THE DRILL PUSH IS A PIGH! *