aye them alone

People taking baby moose are
doing more harm than ~

r jn seme ae wn ems

Victoria victory

Cal students find there's lots of

stress as school year comes to an :
end\COMMUNITY B1

good\NEWS PAGE A8

WEDNESDAY
JUNE. 19, 1996

Local gymnasts did well at last
‘meet of season held in the
provincial capital\SPORTS B5

93¢ PLUS 7 GST
VOL. 9 NO. 10

Schools escape budget burden

By CRIS LEYKAUF
PARENTS SHOULDN'T notice much
of difference in the schools next year,
despite an overall decrease in the amount
of maney available per student.

That’s the prediction from Barry
Piersdorff, secretary-lreasurer for the
Terrace school district.

If the entire budget was divided among
the student population, it would -break
down to $6,650 per student, a drop of
$38 per child from last year.

However the school ‘board’s overall
budget bas increased from $39.8 million
last year to $49.4 million this year.

Most of the increase can be accounted
for by an increase in the number of stv-
dents - 85 more than projected. The dis-
trict also has about $575,000 which was

left over from this year’s budget. That's
money that was supposed to be spent on
aboriginal education. According to min-
istry guidelines it had lo be carried over,
nol spent elsewhere.

Overall, explained Piersdorff, the pro-
vince increased the operating budget of
the school district by one per cent, while
expenditures also increased by the same
amouit

Elsewhere in the northwest, other

school districts didn’t fare as well. In

Kitimat, a $430,000 «cut reduced the
budget to $15.1 million.

‘To make up the shortfall cuts were -

made in half-time clerks and in the
maintenance department, and less money
was allocated for equipment and sup-
plies.

=» Soccer shenanigans

THE TERRACE YOUTH Soccer season is rolling along, and playofts are just about set to begin. This
weekend Terrace will host a four-division round robin event at Christy Park, with teams visiling from around
the northwest. For more on Terrace Youth Soccer, see page B7.

This will affect library hours in
elementary schools, and snow removal,
among other things.

In Prince Rupert, the budget went up
by $37,000, but ‘the amount of mancy
available per student decreased by: al-
most $60 a child.

- Cuts were made in arcas such as -li-
brary books, supplies and materials and
equipment réplacément. -

In the Terrace/Hazelton school district,

a breakdown of the budget reveals that
79 per cent will go toward salaries and
benefils, 8.3 per cent toward administra-
tion, and 14.1 per cent toward niaintain-
ing aud operating ‘buildings. The Gnal
3.6 per ceat is spent on bussing costs,
IVs not much different from fast year.
Administration costs are down slightly

and operation costs are up slighuy.

There will be four to five new teachers
this fall, due to the inercase in students.

But the biggest increase will come in
native education. Currently there are six
teachers in that program, and another 15
will probably be hired by the fall, And
on top of that will be additional support
staff and administration.

This hiring is possible because the
school district has just over $2 million in
its budget next year lo spend native edu-
cation,
~ Piersdorff can't comment on how other
districts are faring, but says ‘‘restructur-
ing and finding better ways of delivering
service’? have helped the district deal
with government cutbacks in some areas,

The cost of those cutbacks is-quite ap-

parent sometimes, Across the northern
half of the province, the education minis-
try has cut $3 million from the amount
it’s giving school districts: for
maintenance,

The Terrace district, says Piersdorff,

has already restructured its maintenance
program once or twice.
’ But be can’t say if all that work will be
enough for when the Terrace and Prince
Rupert school districts amalgamate this
December.

It won’t affect the 96/97 budget, but
the government ‘‘hasn’t indicated what
funding levels will be for 97/98 and
98/99,’ said Piersdorff. ‘‘It makes it dif-
ficult to plan.

“T'm not sure what the consequences
of amalgamation will be,”’ he added.

Seeping sewage
prompts lake study

CONCERNS ABOUT the possible con-
tamination of Lakelse Lake from septic sys-
lems have prompled environmental health
afficials ta conduct a summer-long study.

“F’s gelling more and more difficult for
residents to find ways to get rid of sewage
because of high floodwater levels of the
lake,’’says Skeena health unil officer Ron
Craig.

Craig says thal some existing septic fields
are helow flood levels. And people who
want to build new houses or replace exist-
ing cabins are finding out that they have
nowhere lo send their sewage,

“A number of people have been denied
permits to install septic fields,’’ says Craig.

Over the years, the housing density has
increased dramatically around the lake as
properties have been bought and developed.

The resulting increase in sewage going
into the ground has led to steadily increas-
ing pollution levels in the lake.

‘The levels peak towards the end of Au-
gusl,’’ says Craig. ‘But even al the peaks,
the levels have been fine for swimming.”

Craig says the acceptable pollution levels
are likely due to the rapid turnover rate of
the lake’s water.

“It’s a pretty clean lake, but it nceds to be
protected,” says Craig, ‘‘Pollulion is an
emerging problem.”

The pollution survey begins this week
and will continue until the end of the sum-

mer, at which time resulls will be turned
over to the regional district

One possible solution to the problem is
the installation of a small community sewer
system. The system could serve the prob-
lem homes, pumping their sewage to a
suitable discharge site,

Sampling resulis done so far this year in-
dicate that the lake water is safe for ba-
thing, but not for drinking, Craig says this
is a problem for residents who take their
water from shallow wells or directly from
the lake.

‘No above-ground water systems,
without treatment, are safe sources of
drinking water,"’ says Craig. ‘'That in-
cludes waler used for washing vegetables
or fruit and brushing teeth.’’

Improper septic systems around the lake
are of particular concern during flood.
situations. During a flood, low-lying septic
fields back-up, sending untreated sewage
directly into the Jake.

“It's not like the lake only floods once
every 200 years,”’ says Craig, *‘Over the
last six or so years it has flooded three
times,””

Craig says that the survey will nat be
used as an excuse to delay action on mal-
functioning systems.

“Those will be dealt with immediately,"’
he says, ‘‘The survey looks al the overall
picture,”

Hospital gets $4,000

A PRE-ELECTION promise just barcly
came through for Mills Memorial Hospital.

The hospital has received an increase in
its provincial grant this year over last.

But it’s just .04 per cent — or $4,019.

And thal’s about as close as it can get in
meeting the provincial government’s an-
nouncement this spring that hospitals will
receive al least as much to spend this year
as they did last year.

“You could almost say it was zero, bul
not quite,’ Mills finance director Paul
Manhas ‘said last week afler examining
budget documents from Victoria,

If there is good news it is that the hospi-
tal's budget wasn’t cut. Late last year Mills
was told hospitals might have to swallow
anything froma zero increase to a cut of up
to five per cent,

Manhas said baspital officials are now

examining the budget documents to
determine how Mills will absorb wage in-
creases called for in new contract setile-
ments.

Those increases are minimal but there are
provisions to keep employees on staff for
one year if their jobs are cut to deal with
budget deficits.

In total, the province is giving Mills
$10.973 million to spend this year,

There’s an additional $61,000 to finance
programs aimed at discharging people as
soon as possible and to hold pre-admission
clinics.

That money comes from the Closer ta
Home program and is meant to reduce as
much as possible the number of people
staying at the hospital.

The provincial grant amounts to approxi-
mately 90 per cent of the hospilal’s budget,

Union wants major mine deal

A TRADE union wants ta break estab-
lished labour tradition in B.C. by signing
a contract potentially worth more than
$20 million to provide all the workers at
a mine construction site northeast of
Smithers, a

The Intemational Union of Operating
Engineers Local 115 was part of a larger
group of trades unions discussing a joint
agreement for the Kemess gold and cop-
per project owned by Royal Oak Mines,

But whe other unions, dissatisfied
with proposed wages and working condi-

tions, walked away from discussions Lo .

cal 115 decided to go it alone, says its
business manager, Gary Kroeker.

“There's more than 1 million working
hours of construction up there and that’s
nothing to sneeze al,’’ said Kroeker,

He added thal Royal Oak is examining
the legal and other ramifications of sign-
ing a contract with Local 115, :

Should this occur Local 115 and Royal
Oak will have what in labour circles is”
called a ‘wall to wall agreement??.

That's a deal’ whereby one union
agrees 10 provide all of the various skills.
needed at a specific project.

Am that’s a radical departure from
labour tradition in B,C, where individual
unions jealously protect their jurisdic
lions.

Kreeker said it’s important that a B.C.
lade’ union represent - workers at the
Kemess sile.

“We think some Work is beller than 10
work for our members, Otherwise - we
risk having people come into our pro-
vince who don't pay ‘taxes here, B.C.
people for B.C. projects is our philoso-
phy.”

“There's more than $280 million

worth of construction up there and Royal
Oak isn’t going to leave that gold in the
ground, It's a go.””

There's an extra incentive to hire B.C.
workers because the provincial govern-
inent is pumping nearly $130 million
into the project, Kroeker added,

‘We have people who could be up
there yesterday,”' said Kroeker.

Approximately 30 per cent of Local
1158's 10,300 members in B.C. and the
Yukon aren’t working at the moment,

‘We've gol-a lot of people in the
nortiwest who aren't working and we're

prepared to place them first. These
people need jobs,” said Krocker,

Under discussion js a system of 21
days spent at the site followed by seven
days out for approximately 18 months.
Wages would be in excess of $20 an
hour.

Kroeker described that schedule as a
“walk in the park” for norihwest
workers,

This wasn’t the opinion of trade unions
who walked away from discussions with

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