USIN: ' TERRACE STANDARD AB - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 27, 1995 ess Review _ Hiking resort proposal now looks for the cash seven Sisters gets tenure deal THE FIRST-EVER com- mercial backcountry tenure in B,C. bas been offered here in Skeena. And all it took was about eight years, says Art Bates, president of Seven Sisters Ventures, The company wants to set up a multi-million dollar hut-to-hat hiking operation catering to high-end tourists in mountains northeast of Terrace. “{t’s quite an accomplish- ment, but a damnedable thorn in your side when youre trying to get along and get the thing done,’ Bates said, The Seven Sisters plan bogged down in politics, inter-agency squabbling, na- tive rights — a host of i is- sucs. “Tt went round and round and round. We were the test case to Say well, what do we demand of people?” Bates said. Now | that the offer has materialized, the company can get on wilh the most crucial aspect: raising capi- tal, Jim Yardley, director of Lands’ for Skeena region, called the tenure offer com- plicated. It involves a series of four -lodges, five tent camps and 11 heli-cabins as well as a main hiking teail . aie and suspension bridge sites. The tenures have a clause preventing construction un- til the company produces further detailed studies on archeological, cnvironmen- tal and habitat values, Yardley said. The first of its kind in B.C., the Seven Sisters pro- ject has been dogged by delays of one form or anoth- er since the developers first approached about the idea in the late 1980s. “The ‘holdup has been two-fold,” ‘Yardley — said, *‘firstly because they have a unique project that’s never. been undertaken before in British | Columbia. wanted to make sure we had a very thorough review pro- . cess to evaluate it and estab- lish that it was a viable pro- ject.”’ The project ran into a bureaucratic wall, becoming a test case for a new com- mercial backcountry recrea- tion policy. First launched five years ago, the policy government ; We, _ Art Bates change only came into ef- fect about eight months ago. “Even there, the policy when it was put in place had some uncertainties,” -Yardley said. “One major issue was the length of term of the various Land Act tenures that would be issued under the policy.” Yardley said the policy is still basically only interim with a review process for the. length of term on licences, leases. and other forms of tenure, ; Four conditions to be met SEVEN SISTERS’ acceptance ofa tenure offer in principle.has kick-started a ‘compli cated two-stage ‘approval process, First, within six months the company _ must meet four “preconditions” including taking out liability insurance, dealing with a mineral claim issue, amending a manage- - ment plan and: paying licence fees, ~~ =: Within 30 days of meeting those pre- conditions, the Lands ministry will issue five-year licences of occupation to Seven Use your Universal Card, Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Interac Direct Payment PRINCE RUPERT ¢ TERRACE © SMITHERS Sisters Ventures. After that, another seven requirements. must be met within 18 months: Those include filing a development plan and completing a raft of environmental, health, archeological and habitat studies. -- Construction could only begin after those = ~-fequirements ‘are met, a legal survey is con- ducted and construction and security bonds are posted, The licences would be con- - verted to 15-year leases after construction. “That issue is gradually being resolved, but that was one of the real stumbling blocks.'” According to Bates, leases for permanent structures such a5 lodges and helicop- ter pads have been amended. Tnitally.. offered for 15 years, the licences can now be extended for another 15 years following a five-year assessment period, © “In essence, we're getting 30 years, really,” Bates said, adding the longer term makes the project more at- tractive for investors. Financing. is proving the biggest hurdle, he added. Seven Sisters could still merge with a Vancouver | Stock Exchange-listed firm, Consolidated Petroquin Resouices.. “We're ‘still talking,’’ Bates said.. “We don’t just where it will go or how it will happen.”? To date Seven Sisters part- ners have invested $500,000 in the project, Bates said. ‘One potentially sticky is- Sue js that of aboriginal con- — sultatiog, Bates said he has a signed agreement with three ~ chiefs in the area, but others ‘have said they won’t sup- portit. ©. Yardley said Lands-branch has also received mixed sig- ‘nals on the project. ““We are leaving. it to the aboriginal. community to sort out their own final posi- tion.’” FOR THE FINAL 3 DAYS OF 1995] Big Attitudes. Big Strict Rules. Big Service Charges and | Billions In Profits from n your hard-earned money. | Who needs it? Terrace & District Credit - Union has a 50 year tradition of helping our members, your \ friends and neighbors, realize their dreams of home ownership, starting a business and educating their children with personalized service and true understanding. Come talk to us. S We' re interested i in ‘your eins 3 success, Big Eastern Based Beak Terrace & District Credit Union j is salah by ¢ a local member-elected board of directors - We Belong to You! Terrace & District Credit Union . 4650 Lazelle Avenue, Terrace ph. 635-7282 MEMBERLINK 635-01 14 We belong to you.” Serving members and their families. the credit union ddvertape; we are a profit sharing, member owned institution. we belong to you, COUNTRYWIDE OVER 476 LOCATIONS TO SERVE You 4501 Lakelse, Terrace 638-1158 1-300-813-1 158 COUNTRYWIDE FURNITURE & APPLIANCES (since 1363) Totem Furniture wil be Closed Tuesday Dec. 26 | And Wed., Dec. 27 For Final Markdowns SALE DATES Thursday, Dec. 28............9 a.m. to 6 p.m, Friday, Dec, 29......esusseen9 Om, 109 pn, Sry Dec. 30 weve 9 OM tos p.m.