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A8 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 19, 2005

dro line pus

By Tom Hunt

‘THE ELECTRIFICATION of the area north of

Meziadin Junction on Hwy37 was the issue con-"

cerning the northwest most, a travelling MLA.
committee heard in a public hearing in Smithers
last week. * .

Members of the provincial legislature’s. select

. standing committee on finance stopped in Smith-

ers Oct. 12, the only appearance they made in the

a northwest, to hear from people on how the pro-
_ Vincial government should set its budget priorities

for next year.

__“If there were surplus funds, where would Brit-

- ish Columbians see these funds invested?” asked ©
‘committee chair and northeast Liberal MLA Blair

* . Lekstrom of those assembled.

”. The electrification of Hwy37 was the prevalent
issue in the Smithers hearing, he said. ..

__. “It seems to be a very’ big issue and not just in

the northwest. We have listened to mining com-

panies and we have heard local groups talk about —

what it means to the entire region.”
But Lekstrom said it was still too early to say

~ how the finance committee would rank the power

line extension on its priorities list.
And he couldn’t comment on who. would fi-
nance the line’s construction: =. _
“This is stili-being negotiated. At this:point we
are still looking at the options and we hope to be

’ able to-bring something forward in the near fu- -.
. ture,” said Lekstrom. ° ' so

- “We have more stops to make on the tour and’

"we are still reviewing all of the written submis-

- . eyeglasses, contact lenses,

* "sions, so it would be irresponsible for me to spec-

ulate on the priority British Columbians place on
this issue,” he added. — a ,

©’ Smithers mayor Jim Davidson said he thought

the meeting went fairly well...

“We were talking about things that are impor- .

‘tant to the northwest and I think they were recep-. _
,._ tive to the information. They, certainly were lis-

tening and asking questions.” .

© highway, can only.

Davidson, like
other northwest-
erm municipal and
government lead-
ers, is a strong
advocate for Hwy
37's _ electrifica-
tion. New mining
operations up the

proceed with elec-
trification, he said.

“If you'look at
the situation, Es-
kay [mine]. will
‘close in February.
Kemess South will

, Blair Lekstrom

,, close in two years time if they don’t get Kemess

North approved and Huckleberry near Houston
will probably be closed in two years. °

“If we don’t get electrification of Hwy37 these

new mines that are:there - Red Chris, NovaGold,

Kucho Creek ~ all these mines ‘cannot “operate .

without hydropower.” .
“Close to hundreds of millions of dollars -of

-mining investment wouldn’t go [ahead] without:

a hydro line.” ..” .
_Davidson said the estimated $300 million cost

-of the electrification would have benefits that

would extend beyond the mining community. |
“There’s
dro.”
pany Forest Kerr right now has the permit to build
the transmission line, should it go ahead. |
Benefits for them could be. two-fold.

“There’s some, great hydro projects that can’t. ~ -
ing government infrastructure spending such as.
- < conference facilities in Vancouver which benefits

go ahead without a line. Without, a line to hook
into they don’t have a project,” said Davidson.
An informal group of people affected by the

plans, including politicians, community mem-~
_ bers and members. of the mining community,’in

no, forestry industry if there is no hy-

r ‘ ~ Site ; oe a” of
.. Power source operating atid development com- |

@ . _
design, fit, and. dispense

ecially trained to

Registered: opticians are " a I
ow vision aids, an

~, They interpret written prescriptions from ophthalmologists and optometrists to
~ determine the specifications of ophthalmic appliances necessary to correct a

_ person's eyesight. Some registered opticians a

so design and fit cosmetic shells
and artificial eyes. Other registered opticians may grind lenses and design and
manufacture specific spectacle frames and other devices needed by their clients.

Registered opticians also keep records on clients’ lens powers and work orders;

+. tack inventory and sales; and perform other administrative duties,

- Eyeglasses

Registered opti |
after considering the power of the lenses and the customer's occupation, habits,
and facial features. Registered opticians measure clients’ eyes, including the

distance between the centers of the pupils and the distance between the surface ”
and the lens. Some-clients-want to replace existing eyewear without seeking a”

new prescription from an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Registered opticians

"will then use a lensometer to record existing eyeglass measurements to create

a new pair of eyeglasses with the same lens. power. They also’ may obtain a
“customer's previous record or verify the power of the lenses with the examining
optometrist or ophthalmologist. :

Manufacturing ;

Registered opticians prepare work orders that. give ophthalmic laboratory
technicians’ information needed to grind and insert lenses into a frame. The
work order includes power of the lenses and information on their size, material,
color, and style. Some registered opticians grind and insert lenses themselves.
After the glasses are made, registered opticians verity that the lenses have been
ground to specifications. They are trained to adjust the eyeglasses, by hand
or by using special tools to ensure the eyeglasses fit the client properly and
comfortably. Some also fix, adjust, and refit broken frames. They instruct clients
about adapting to, wearing, or caring for eyeglasses.

Contact Lenses, Cosmetic Shells, and Artificial Eyes .
Some registered opticians specialize in fiting ‘contacts, artificial eyes, or
cosmetic shells to cover blemished eyes. To design and fit these devices,
registered opticians measure the shape and size of the eye, select the type
of contact lens material, and prepare work orders specifying the power of fh
lenses and lens size. In some cases, registered opticians prepare moulds of an
eye, which is used in the manufacture of some of these specialized devices.
This work requires considerable skill, care, and patience. Registered opticians
observe clients’ eyes, corneas, lids, and contact lensés with special instruments
and microscopes. During several visits, registered opticians show clients how to
insert, remove, and care for their contacts, their cosmetic shells or their artificial
eyes. Registered opticians do all this to ensure that the fit is correct.

_ Low Vision Aids -

Many individuals who become visually impaired feel they must give uP
reading because for them a once-enjoyable activity.has become fraught wit

difficulty. Registered opticians; however, con help provide low. vision aids to
make reading easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable. Specially trained
registered opticians will consult with visually impaired clients and design the
best system for that individual, their life situation, and their specific visual
limitation. Devices can range from simple hand-held magnifying lenses systems
fo high-tech computerized or electronic systems.

rosthetic ocular devices.

cians recommend eyeglass frames, lenses, and lens. coatings

e

h continues

support of the electrification was set up recently,
he said, but added support for the electrification
reaches beyond their group. .

_ “If you’ re totally anti-development then I guess «
it’s not a good thing but if-you want any kind of

development, hydro is absolutely essential.”
However, the program hinges on government

. financial approval to construct the line by the B.C.
» Transmission Corporation and the show of unity

at the Smithers hearing adds weight to the project,
he said. “The fact is Hwy37 electrification was in

~ almost all the submissions.”
The power line now stops on Hwy37 near .
-Meziadin Junction. Communities and companies

north of that rely on diesel power.

While it is agreed that the electrification would
directly benefit the mining industry, president of
Western Keltic Mines Donald McInnes said. |

“That it is necessary for a lot of development
opportunities.”

“The: chances of any further significant’ eco-°

‘nomic development projects in the northwest is

extremely low without the infrastructure that is
available elsewhere inthe province.”
Communities, along the Hwy37 corridor miss
out on their share of government infrastructure .
spending and this is affecting employment oppor-*
tunities, a direct spin off of development, he said.

Imminent mine closures, that probably won’t -
_ be replaced without electrification, will lead to ~

unemployment in the area. —_
The question is not if the electrification is nec-
essary, but-who, should fund it, he said. However,

- some ‘people in the government believe mining ~

companies,- who stand to-make huge gains by
electrification, should be the ones to pay for it.
McInnes said this doesn’t stand to: reason, cit-

the tourism industry as examples of this.
Tom Hunt.is a reporter with The Interior News

in Smithers. :

.a . ‘

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