EENA“ANGLE

RO

‘ROB BROWN

Cutting to the Bone

iberals, the present provincial govern-
ment are not, Not in the broadest,

most liberal interpretation of the
word. In the political lexicon, a lib-
eral is a person with an expansive po-
litical ideology, heavy on talerance and sympa-
thetic ta social reform and less concerned with
austerity and rigour.

This alliance of Johnny-come-lately political
opportunists and exhumed Secreds don’t come
close to that definition. These guys are neocon-
servatives knit together by an economic vision
that is the bastard child of misinterpreted nine-
teenth century economic theory and trickle
down Ronald MacDonald Reaganomics,

A true Conservative is a traditionalist, some-
one strongly resistant to radical, rapid change. A
true Conservative would be the last person to
hack away at the civil service and reorganize
the political power structure. In contrast, this
new breed of NeoConmen sings hosannahs to
the self-regulating, free market system, praises
the glories of privatization, and pursues deregu-
lation as if it were a holy grail.

Unfortunately the self-regulating free market
system is a unicorn. The notion comes from
Adam Smith’s monumental work, The Wealth of
Nations, a book the neocons dip into for shibbo-
leths, but one they have either not read or not
understood. Smith’s “Invisible Hand” of unfet-
tered competition may have had a chance to
work two hundred years ago, but expecting it to
do so in age of transnational corporations, huge
labour unions, and complex government struc-
tures is to believe in the economic tooth fairy. .

Moreover, Adam Smith spoke of pursuing En-
lightened Self Interest. By that, Smith meant
that where the pursuit of one’s self-interest trod
heavily upon one’s neighbour, it was no longer
enlightened, and, therefore, not to be pursued.
The neocons misinterpret this as plain, un-
adorned self-interest, the pursuit of which cre-
ates a grim scenario where each dog in the
competitive canine economy looks for another
lesser pooch to devour with Darwinian zeal.

With the present provincial government we
see neoconmen at their most venal and short-
sighted. First, they painted themselves into a
fiscal corner with a misguided tax break. Next,
in a manoeuvre that would make Marie Antoin-
ette blush, they fattened the salaries of mandar-
ins to ensure eager patticipation in slash and
bum pogroms in all government ministries save
for health and education. If the wounds hadn’t
been salted enough, the Premier’s office in-
creased its staff and budget four fold.

Take one example, The cuts aimed at fisher-
ies, wildlife, and habitat Protection are ru-
moured to be as high as 50 per cent, Over the
past 10 years the fish and wildlife sections of
what used to be called the Ministry of the En-
vironment have been cut so close to the bone
that their ability to execute their fiduciary re-
sponsibility has been in doubt.

Cutting the people who run hatcheries that
generate 11 million fish for lakes that provide
half of this province’s freshwater angling activ-
ity is decapitating a goose that lays golden
eggs. The steelhead recovery program has had
much to do with the resurgence of steelhead
stocks, and the high end, internationally re-
nowned sport fishery for those fish, while the
living gene bank component of the same pro-
gram has drawn international attention from
scientists for its efforts ta restore wild steelhead
to streams on Vancouver island.

Coastal cutthroat trout, rainbows, sturgeon,
bull trout, lake trout, and dolly varden are also
dependent on the provincial fisheries program
for their overall health. Apart from the $10 mil-
lion generated by license sales, fishing is sup-
ported by businesses which generate about a
billion dollars for the provincial economy, Heal-
thy fisheries are a central feature to tourism in
B.C, In other words, fisheries management is an
investment guaranteed to pay dividends.

Without enough officers to protect that invest-
ment, the capital will diminish and stock will
fall. Fishing is an open access resource that will
soon be depleted if regulations for its protection
are not adequately enforced, This problem was
on local Conservation Officer Adrian Juch’s
mind for some time. The possibility of cuts to
enforcement troubled him, and he said so at
meetings of the local Sportfish Advisory Board.

While driving on Hwy 16 to take his son to a
’ hockey game recently, officer Juch was killed
in a terrible accident. He leaves his wife, Dean-
na, and his three children behind. Deanna, who
worked at The Ministry of Children and Fami-
lies at a time when that institution can use all
the help it can get, recently gave her pink slip.
It seems the Liberal government is so wrapped
up in its cost cutting mania it’s forgotten that
such initiatives have a real cost to real people,

LIFTLE Monica Novoswisky didn't hesitate a bit before jum
water at Lakelse Lake Jan. 1. She was one of the youngest participants at this

ees

year’s Kinsmen Kermodei Bear Swim. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO.

ping into the frosty

638-7283

Brave souls
plunge feet
first into 2002

IT’S QUITE possibly the
most numbing way to bring
in the New Year.

Thirty-six fearless souls -

braved the bone chilling
waters of Lakelse Lake
Jan. 1 as they took part in
the 11th annual Kinsmen
Kermodei Bear Swim.

Children and adults
alike bravely walked GO
snow-covered feet from the
Shore to the 12 by 8 foot
hole in the ice before step-
ping forward into the chilly
water.

Oleepeeka Roches took

the dive for the third year:

running and she says the
frigid water isn’t quite as
bad as it looks.

“Before you go in
you’re nervous and you
think you’re going to come
out like an ice cube, but
when it happens it’s so fast
it’s not that bad,” she said.

Roches got into the
spirit of the swim by dress-
ing up as a Terrace Public
Library card.

“I wanted to have more
publicity for the library be-
cause I think people
should use it more than
they do,” she said, Roaches
is the youngest person on
Staff at the local library.

Wearing nothing but a
bikini and two pieces of

cardboard draped over her.
shoulders with string,
Roches jumped in feet first
much to the delight of the.
crowd.

“IF you wear a lot of
clothes you're all cold and
it’s a bit of a bother trying
to take them all off,” said
Roches. “It’s better to
wear less.”

But some out-of-this-
world Kermodei Bear
swimmers took a- much
different approach.

Troy Butler, Ryan
Haynes, Jana Sikkes and
Greg Sikkes wrapped’
themselves in plastic wrap
and tin foil while donning
alien masks as they took
the dive.

The foursome also won
the best costume award
and will receive a special
prize for their efforts, said
organizer Wade Steele.

This year’s amount
taised for Kinsmen chari-
ties topped $3, 357.93,
That’s roughly $2,000 less
than Jast year, but Steele
says ne’s very impressed
with the amount collected
and the great showing of
participants.

“Considering the econ-
omy it’s a great amount,”
said Steele. “It shows a lot
of generosity.”

Curling championships here this -week--:
G p p |

By SARAH A.
ZIMMERMAN
SOME OF the best curling
action in the province is
already under way at the

Tertace Curling Club.

Monday at noon the
Terrace Curling Club hos-
ted the opening ceremo-
nies for the B.C. Senior
Ladies curling champion-
ships.

Nine district winners
from across B.C. are con-
verging in Terrace to com-
pete for the right to repre-

_ sent B.C. at the Canadian

Championship.

The teams are compet-
ing in a round-robin format
with the tap four teams ad-
vancing to a playoff.

“Is nice to have for

it’s very prestigious,” said
club manager Keith Me-
lanson. “And it’s doubly
nice this year because we
have a local team
competing.”

Terrace’s own Lynn
Apolezer rink is represent-
ing the northwest zone in
the championships.

Lyna Apoiczer, Linda
Kawinsky, Marnie Mat-
thews and Mary Rauter
won the district playdowns
in Smithers Dec, 14-16.

Fhe action continues ali
week,

Daily draws take place
at noon and 7 p.m, Semi-
finals go at 9 a.m. this Sa-
turday with the final draw

a aie)

s

ona

LYNN Apolezer, Linda Kawinsky, Mamie Matthews and Mary Rauter take on
the best of B.C. at the Senior Ladies provincial championships here.

at 2 p.m. nior ladies
This is the second time

Terrace has hosted the se-

provincial
championships. The last

Everyone is invited to
take in a piece of the best

more information call the
Terrace Curling Associa-

our curling club because

time was in 1992,

curling in the province. For tion at 635-5583.

Dream comes true at marathon’s end

By SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN
MARATHONS are one of those strange activi-
lies that baffle those who don’t take part but
become something of an obsession for those
who do,

Debbie van’t Kruis, 42, never thought she
would participate in a marathon. This time last
year she was smoker and she had arthritis.

Just six years ago she underwent back surg-
ery to fix a ruptured disc — she couldn’t even
walk without the help of a cane.

But last summer she put out her last cigar-
ette and started training for a marathon. Not as
arunner, but as a walker.

Her goal was to finish the 2001 Honolulu
marathon in Hawaii Dec. 9.

“Tf you'd asked me six years ago if I’d walk
in a marathon I’d have said no way,” says the
Terrace woman. : ,

But after learning about a program last year
called Joints in Motion, she felt she’d found
just what she needed to work towards a new
and very exciting poal.

Joints in Motion is comprised of runners and
walkers working to raise money and awareness
about arthritis. It also had a special training
program that helped van’t Kruis along the way.

So she started walking ~ a lot. Her training
schedule lasted just over four months. She
started out walking a few kilometres at a time
and slowly increased the distance bit by bit.

She was the only Joints in Motion partici-
pant from northern B.C. so she had te train all
by herself. She diligently checked the proup’s
web site to make sure she was on track and
soon she was finding it easier to walk father.

But training on her own wasn’t easy, espe-
cially in Terrace’s perpetually dreary weather.

“I don't know how many times I sat at
home before a big walk and didn’t think !

could go out in the rain one more time,” she
said.

Some days she felt like quitting but with
the support of her family and a special friend
named Pat she forged ahead.

On one particularly wet, cold day Pat
joined her for the last part of a walk into Ter-
race from the Prince Rupert highway. Her
friend gave her the inspiration to finish.

“Pat walked the last eight miles and she
had to push me to finish it,” van’t Kruis said.
“She pushed me right to the bitter end.”

When she first started training van’t Kruis
had a lofty goal of finishing the race (42.195
kilometres or 26,3 miles) in 4.5 hours. But as
she trained more she realised it was unattain-
able at a walking pace.

“My goals really changed from the begin-
ning to the end,” she said. “You start to realise
how much you’re pushing your body.”

When she left for Hawaii she was confident
she could finish in seven hours.

Finally the day of reckoning came. Over
24,000 people herded behind the starting line
at 5 a.m. on Dec. 9.

It took 15 minutes for her to even cross the
start fine. Special chips atlached to the parti-
cipants’ shoes signals a radar-type device
which records their official start time.

“It was just like going for a walk with
everyone in Terrace aad their company,” van’t
Kruis laughed. “It was phenomenal.”

She set out feeling good and as she passed
clocks set up along the way she realised she
was walking at a faster pace than she thought.

Despite losing a whopping 20 minutes while
She waited in line at a toilet stop, she man-
aged to finish the race in 6:48:46 — just under
her goal time of seven hours.

She placed 5,867th out of 8,585 female par-

DEBBIE van't Kruis never thought she'd
finish a marathon but that alt changed
Dec. 9 when she crossed the finish line.

ticipants.

“When you cross the finish line they put a
necklace around your neck and [ just started
bawling,” she recalled. “I'd finally accom-
plished my dream.”

She says she never could have done it with-

“out the support from people here. Debbie van't

Kruis not only crossed the finish line but she |

managed to raise $4,000 for Joints in Motlon. .
Her. goal for this summer — walking from

Terrace to Kitimat. ron