Al2- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 17; 2002

Iskut River pegged
for power project

By JEFF NAGEL
A VANCOUVER company wants to har-
ness the water of the Iskut River north-
west of Stewart to generate: power for
sale.

Coast Mountain Hydro Corp, is on the
verge of seeking formal approval to build
a $175 million hydroelectric generating
station in the river's gorge.

President Neil Brazier says that will
kick off a detuiled review. of the project
by the province’s Environmental Assess-
ment Office.

Northwest residents will get a look at
the company’s plans at an April 20 open
house in Terrace at the Best Western
Terrace Inn.

The 100-megawalt generating station
wouldn’t involve construction of a dam or
the flooding of a reservoir.

Brazier says plans call for diversion of
water from the Iskut River through a 3.5
kilometre tunnel to generators al the
downstream end of the canyon at the con-
fluence with Forest Kerr creek.

“It’s fairly environmentally neutral,”
he said. “There's not a lat of issues.”

He said the company will work closely
with government agencies to make sure
fish habitat isn’t harmed.

The diversion of water won't affect
salmon, he said, because there are no
salmon runs that ascend the Iskut River
past the gorge.

Because water isn’t held back by a
dam in a reservoir, the amount of power
generated would vary from a relatively
small 11 megawatts at low water season
to 100 megawatts in the summer.

Brazier said the run-of-river project is
low impact, compared to megaprojects
that have been contemplated in the Sti-
kine area in the past.

B.C. Hydro once proposed an 810-
megawatt power plant at the Iskut canyon
fed by a reservoir extending 30 kilometres
upstream, held back by a series of dams.
It and a similar dam and reservoir in the
Stikine River canyon drew environmental

EI staff
cutback :
queried

‘CONTRACTS* FOR “nine““"="
Employment Insurance
workers weren’t renewed
the end of March.

Shirley Kimery of
Human Resources Deve-
lopment Canada says they
weren’t needed because
the number of El] claims
has dropped.

The employees are
mostly clerical workers
who sign contracts for any-
where from one month to

opposition and was eventually shelved,

“Dams are not tremendously environ-
mentally popular any more,” Brazier said.

The project could generate power
worth around $25 million a year based on
prices typically paid to independent
power producers, he said.

Revenue would depend on what con-
tract Coast Mountain could negotiate
with either B.C, Hydro or another buyer. If
the energy was exported to another buyer,
Coast Mountain would seek agreement
with B.C. Hydro to transmit the power.

The project also involves construction
of a seven-kilometre access road to reach
the canyon from the existing Eskay Creek
mine road and a 188-kilometre power
transmission line te connect to the B.C,
Hydro grid at Meziadin Junction.

The new power lines would be direct
current, which means it would be prohi-
bilively expensive for smali users or com-
munities part way along the line to tap it
for lacal power needs. ,

Brazier says he is meeting Tahltan
aboriginal leaders in the area to address
their concerns.

“They want to see local benefits and
we recognize that,” he said. “We feel we
can work together on this.”

While only a few workers would be
needed to run the completed generating
station, Brazier said, construction would
involve two years worth of tunnelling, and
the Tahltan could get jobs at that stage.

Brazier expects the approval process
to take several months.

Local environmentalist Jim Bourquin,
of the proup Cassiar Watch, says he’ ll be
closely monitoring the proposal.

He said it’s unclear what the diversion
would do to water quality or other fisher-
ies effects further downstream on the
Iskut.

He also noted the river in the canyon
will essentially go dry during the winter
months.

“This project needs real close scruti-
ny,” he said,

GAS JOCKEY Clarence Giesbrecht has been
watching the price of gas go up fately,

Gas prices soar

MOTORISTS in Terrace have weathered thtee gas
hikes in as many weeks, paying 13 cents more per
litre of fuel at the pump.

The latest hike took place early last week when
the price jumped to 73.9 cents per litre.

Kitimat and Prince Rupert are on par with Ter-
race while Smithers motorists are putting up with
73.9 cents per litre for gas.

“It’s not something that’s just in Terrace — it’s
happening right across the country,” says Shel!
Canada spokesman Jeff Mann from Calgary.

“The wholesale costs of refined gasoline has
gone up significantly and as a result those in-
creased costs are flowing through to the consumers
at the pump,” Mann added.

World crude oil prices have risen and that is
also contributing to the rising cost of gasoline.
People living in the north pay more because of the
added cost of distribution and transportation.

“[ just get a phone call from Calgary,” says
Terrace Mohawk owner Shawn Olson. “I don’t like
it either, people don’t have enough money right
now any way.”

Despite the jump Mohawk employee Clarence
Giesbrecht says customers have not made a big
issue out of the rising prices. “I think we hear more
about higher cigarette prices,” he says.

cleanup, washing outside windows, deaning

Volunteers are here to help! ..

TERRACE Helping Handyman
VOLUNTFER =~
Program

BUREAU
For seniors and persons with disabilities

Do you need help with spring yard a;

of eaves and minor home repairs?
Call the Volunteer Bureau at

638-1330

(-

DOOKIE OOO

‘| TERRACE HOSPICE SOCIETY

announces Its _ |
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Tuesday, May 14th, 2002 ‘

7:00 p.m. (

Mills Memorial Hospital 0

Education Room ’
Welcome Members, Volunteers and all is
interested Community Members. y

Please call 635-481! for further information. {§

Joe aa aaa aan a a a a

> i i ly le > ae i iy ie Le tie ee

' Royal Canadian Legion

~~ Adults $8.50» Chil

Meat Draws - Saturday 4-6 PM; Win Supper

Branch 13, Terrace

‘Spaghetti Dinner).
7 Sunday April 21,4:00 PM

EVERYBODY WELCOME:
Weekly Events

Open Stage at the Legion
Saturdays: 4pm tii Closing
All musicians & singers weicome..
Darts Every Mon. & Wed.- 8pm

Karaoke Contest

Mar, 8 til June 7~ Fridays 8pm - 42pm
2 Qualifiers per week- 24 Qualify
Qualifiers judged by audience
Finalists judged by juctges
Door Prizes - Cash prizes for Winners
Everybody Welcome

Members & Bonafide Gaesis Welcome.
Remember Hs Your Legion, Enjoy [tf

one year.

Budgets are based on
claim load and at this time
of the year, which is a tra-
ditionally slow period for
claims, there’s not enough
demand to maintain all the
contract employees, Kim-
ery said.

She said there are now
about 150 new or renewed
claims a week in the
northwest. The average
work load had been around
300 a week.

“When those contracts
end, they end,” Kimery
said of the ones applying
to the nine workers. “Then
we determine whether or
not we have work avail-
able and we don’t have
that capability right now.”

Cavell Alyward is one
of the nine people and has
been a contract worker for
the past four years.

“Yes, we sign a con-
tract of service about
every six months,” Aly-
ward said, “But many of us
have been extended.”

She also questioned the
non-renewals given the
high unemployment rale in
the area.

And that leads her to
believe there may be EI
claim backlogs.

Kimery disagreed, say-
ing regular employees can
handle the duties and that
she can bring contract
workers back if the work-
load increases.

’ First, don’t rush the brush. Brush -
“your teeth carefully, at least once -
_ every 24 hours. Most of us do that
_ + _but do we do it for long enough? ~
- , Dentists advise it takes 2.1/2 to 3
»sMminutesto brush properly.”

"Floss daily, Dental floss reaches
places toothbrushes "miss,

April is
Dental Health Month:

.. Baby your teeth

BCs Dentists Haining ts maka you smiths,

A broad smile is a great advertisement for good dental
health. Maybe that’s why a Celebration of the Smile is

‘the theme chosen by the Canadian Dental Association to
promote Dental Health Month in April.

This year, Canada’s 16,000 dentists are highlighting a
Five-Point Prevention Plan to jo .
maintain a healthy smile.

teeth and under the gum |

ell-balanced diet. Avoid i
nd -drinks,-particu- | [il

Dr. Thomas Nenninger Inc.

DDS.BSc BScPT DipPT
eneral Dentistry

Park Ave. Professional Bldg, #101 - 4619
. : Park Ave.
635-1213 1-800-549-5594

email: kermodei@hotmail.com

ease and oral cancer?

Examine gums regularly for signs of gum disease, the.
leading cause of adult tooth loss. See your dentist if you
have red, puffy or tender gums, or gums that bleed even
slightly when you brush or floss. co

Make a friend of your. dentist. Don’t
wait until it hurts!’ Make regular
appointments for checkups and pro-
fessional. cleaning, And. this “April,
why not replace the family tooth-
brushes? Most of us. don’t teplace
them frequently enough. There is a.

- everyone

for teeth!

Smile |

it’s time

wide choice available, .with . soft, .

medium or hard bristles. And don’t:
forget the children, If you take: them
shopping for new toothbrushes, let

LAKELSE DENTAL CENTER

them pick their favourite colour,

And after all that preventive work,
-don’t forget to go-out. there. and

4438

* smilel 0

Make regular appoiniments for a
checkups and professional cleaning. :

DR. MARK FORGIE
BSc D.M.D,
lakelse Avenue Terrace, B.C. V8G 1P}

638-8567

Dr. Dennis Fisher

DD.S,

PARK AVENUE DENTAL CLINIC
#201-4619 Park Ave., Terrace, B,C.
(250) 638-0841 1250 635-5256

Northwest Smile Deston

Dr PA, Okimi, Inc.

: f uo! Peters, BRS, Dp,
Your DenTURE'S

_. APRILIS OENTAL
HEALTH MONTH”:
mh Deitol Wolotuei of BC

HOM

Telephone: (250) 635-7611
| Peter Okimi, ca, M.AT., O.M.D,

200-4619 Park Avenue
Terrace, BC V8G iV5

hi

Dr. Rick Tabata
PARK AVENUE DENTAL CLINIC

#201-4619 Park Ave., Terrace B C
050) 638-0841 256

Family Dentistry, Full Face Orthodontics, TMI,

Did you know that a child should be seen for
S/her first orthodontic screening before age 7?

D.M.D,

(250) 635-5256

Center