ee SRST -SKEENA ANGLER ROB BROWN Uncertain future he Queen Charlottes, or Haida Gwaii if you prefer, has forests 120 centuries old. Industrial forestry began there during the first of the werld wars when wood was needed for aircraft and field equipment. Out of this demand Sandspil, Charlotte City and Port Clements grew. Strip mining in QCI forests did not begin until logging tenures were instituted in the 50’s and 60’s. Since then 100 million cubic metres of wood of the island’s 170,000 hectares have been mined at arate of two million cubic metres per year. The archipelago has been treated like a plantation thanks to the biologically bankrupt, short-sighted no- tion that all mature timber should be logged to make way for the planting of secdlings. Islanders began looking around and realized that the value of waod was growing in line with the prof- ils accruing to the forest giant overlords, stripping the Charloties of her old growth. Thanks to global clear-cutting the value of wood was growing. What alarmed the inhabitants of Haida Gwaii was that their cammunilics’ share of the bene- fils were declining. Some of the island communitics were groaniug un- der an unemployment rales as high as 70%, In 1994 the Ministry of Forests conducted a TSA Review and Socio-Economic analysis that showed the harvest rate on Q.C.]. was 2.2 times greater than the long term sustained yield. The report also showed that only 14 % of the jobs derived from that harvest were held by islanders. : Alarmed; representatives from all the island com- munities and all its regionally elected bodies sent a letter to the Minister of Forests complaining that the rectum of forest benefits to the islands was un- acceplably low. The letter also stated their belief that the entire TSA should be managed by the [slands communilics. A year later the Ministry of Forests announced there would be a 30 per cent timber shortfall on island-based tenures, and that the long term prognosis was WOIse. In the words of MOF District Manager, Bob Brash, the timber supply on Haida Gwaii had "hit the wall." Faced with this grim prognosis, Brash charged a representative committee of islanders to come up with recommendations in three months. The Islands Community Stability Initiative (ISCI) was assembled. ISCPs {7 members included enviros, red necks, first nations folks, business people, elected reps, log- gers and foresters. They opted for decision by consensus; not con- sensus in the sense of general agreement, but full agreement withoul dissent. Few people gave [SCI much chance of success. After over a thousand hours of deliberation-in Port Clements with the Sandspit Representatives enduring the ferry ride and 52 mile drive in order to make each session, ISC] achieved consensus: many diverse voices bepau speaking as ane. “We need to ensure the fong term health ef the forest, ISCI said, and over a three-year period sustainable levels of harvest must be identified and established. *’ Guided by social principles that seek to pramote the well-being of the residents of the islands, preserve the unique aspects of the communities there, and the well-being of future’ generations who will live in those communities, ISCI secks diversification, full employment, and local control of the forest industry. Recognizing the notion that a healthy environment fundamental to healthy economics and socictics upon which they depend, ISCI is calling for forest practices consistent with biodiversity and nature’s inherent abilily ta replace used resources. The communities of Haida Gwaii and the sinall business interests there must have grealer access to wood, says ISCT. , To this end they call for a great increase in on- island timber processing, presently a mere 4% of the annual allowable cut, *‘Area-based allocations are preferable to commit- inent of fiber volume through area-based community managentenl, Local stewardship can evolve and com- munilics can benefil from the forest,”? ISCI says. Recognizing that ceding wild protected areas to in- “dustry would only yield another 10 years of harvest, ISCI has opted for their retention, The twenty page SC! consensus report is an amaz- ing document setting oul a framework consistent with the Forest Practices Code that, should it be followed, will turn -what is in effect a third world economic scenario into a sustainable, healthy communily. But, though the ISCI is a tric example of demo- cratic, representative body which has the overwhelm- ing support of the islands’ communilics, its recom- inendalions niust be approved by the chief forester. It will be interesting to see if Larry Peterson will set the ISCI recommendations in motion, or follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and continue having carnal relations with forest giants. COACH OF THE YEAR Last year of coaching THE JUDGES have huddled. They’ve deliberated. They’ve discussed, They’ve pondered, and they've decided. And the winner of the Terrace Standard/Skeena Mall Coach: of the Year contest is softball coach Vic Buteau! Figure skating coach Jessica Lambright and basket- ball/volleyball coach Scott ‘Arm- strong have been selected runners up. And an honorable mention goes to bowling coach Eva Wilkinson. Our hard-working judges who had to come up with these dif- ficult decisions were Skeena Mall manager Lynda Lafleur, school trustee Laurie = Mitehell and Shawn Krienke with the city’s Parks and Ree department, “Tt was hard to choose because there was obvious dedication noted in every nomination form,’” says Lafleur, “And some of the comments from the kids who nominated their coaches were just great!’ Vic Buteau Jn selecting Buleau as the win- ner, the judges noted his long term commitment to minor soft- ball. He’s coached ball for 23 years, 17 of them in Terrace. He was nominated by one of his players Kim Monteith, who says Buteau taught them a lot more than just the game. Vic Buteau “He taught us the importance of sportsmanship, fair play and how to play as team,” she says. For Buteau, the award has very special meaniag, as he may not be able lo coach again because of poor heilih. a He was diaguosed with cancer five years ago, and since then has had a tumor cut out of his ab- domen four times. ; T’ve always had it out so Pm healthy for the ball season,’ he says. “Bul there’s only so many times they can cul.” He just had twenty pounds cut out carlier this year, but adds the prognosis is not goad, However he says he is starting to feel better and hopes to be able help with coaching duties this year. Last year he coached his under 19 girls fastball team to sixth place in the provincials, and the ycar before they took first. ‘Coaching is a lot of fun,” he says. ; “You enjoy secing what the kids are getting out of it.” He was also a Softball BC Minor Coordinator for 11 years, but resigned last season. © 7 Scott Armstrong Our judges used just one word to describe the effarts of Scott Armstrong. Tenacious! Armstrong has coached baskel- ball, baseball, grade six girls val- leyball and elementary track-&- field. “His involvement and dedica- tion in all the sports he coaches is to be admired,”” say our judges. see Jessica Lambright Ammstrang was nominated by three of his players, and by a mom who has kids on his teams. Travis Murphy plays basketball for Armstrong. “Mr. Armstrong told our team that if we ever bad any problems to zo and see him and he would give us advice,” says Murphy. And mom Sue Hailey says she’s amazed at how much time and patience Armstrong displays with the kids. Armstrong first started coach- ing in high school. “T really enjoy it,’’ he says, “1 always had really pood coaches, and it’s a way of giving something back.’’ He says the biggest challenges of coaching are the fundraising and the time spent travelling. Jessica Lambright Lambright first figure-skated competitively before becoming a volunteer coach, and she now couches on a full-time basis. Our judges note she is involved in al] aspects of the sport, Lambright received a record 13 nominations, most of them from girls she coaches, Skaler Lee-Anna Huisman says Lambright has a great personality thal always shines through. “She's always there if you need someone {fo talk to,’’ says Huis- nan, And Carol Kozier agrees, “Her posilive attitude drives me and others to be our best!” THE WINNING TICKET! S ley Cup game. It was in one of the is Pca ylvia Blount proudly displays the ticket that'll see her and two others off to a Stan- packages of NHL hockey cards Blount bought at “Sonny’s Collectables” 638-7283 for winner Scott Armstrong Lambright has coached figure skating for six years, four of them in Terrace. The kids she coaches range in age from four to 15. “T definitely love working with the kids,” she says. “It’s great seeing the expres- sion on their faces when they reach a goal or learn something new.” And even though the judges were only asked to choose one winner and two runners up, they felt it was necessary to single out bowling coach Eva Wilkinson as well. “She is always helping some- one al the lanes,’’ they say. “Eva is dedicated to the game, the participants and enjoyment.” Wilkinson has coached bowling for over 20 years. The other hard working nominees were basketball coach Scott Stewart, softball coaches Vivien Rapaso, Greg Frezell and Patrick = Ranahan, — zymnastics coach Kris Fairless, curling coach: Kathy Gardiner, hockey coaches‘ — Chris Gunilaugson and Tom Turner, volleyball! and basketball coach Dave Crawiey, basketball coaches Gary Paulson and Maurizio Basso and Cam Mack- ay, wrestling coach Joe Sullivan and karate coach Roland La Gace, Our judges stress all these people deserve a very special thanks for all the time and effort they give la our community. in the Skeena Mall, She matched all three symbols on the scratch-&-win ticket for the grand prize. Terrace grandma wins trip to the Cup Sylvia Blount was having a bad day, She’d just been at the yet to have her cat put to sleep. To lift her spirits, she de- cided to stop at ‘‘Sonny's Collectables,’ in the Skeena Mall and buy a box of hock- ey cards, A couple of weeks earlier her grandson Christopher had convinced her it would be an interesting hobby. She bought the last box of ‘‘Skyhox Impact?) NHL cards that Sonny had- in stock. The box contained 36 packs of cards and cost about $45, In each of those pucks of cards Blount found what ap- peared to a scratch-&-win ticket, with a picture of goal- tender and three hockey pucks on each one. Each puck had to he scratched, Match all three and win the grand prize - a trip for three to © the — Stanley Cup..und that’s — exactly what Sylvia did! Each of the pucks she seraiched said ‘‘hatrick’’ he- hind it and that meant she was a winner, “T just about died on the spot,’' she says, But Sonny was a bit more skeptical, When Sylvia phoned to tell him the news, he thought she’d made a mistake and asked her to bring the ticket into his store. She did that, and when he cunfirmed it was in fact a winner, he said he was literally bouncing around the store! Sonny says a card company spokesperson told him the odds of winning the contest were about one in three mil- lion, It was being run through- out all of North America. This now means that Syl- via, her husband Norman, and Christopher will be off the city of their choice for a Stanley Cup game,