Morale low as rumours swirl around cutbacks MORALE IS low as pro- vincial civil servants wait to find out if they'll have a job in the days ahead, says a senior union official. “There’s not very much out there right now and that’s the hard part,” said Shelley Anderson who works in the Terrace office of the B.C. Government Employees’ Union, Anderson and other union officials anticipate they'll soon get the word on the size. and impact of the cuts in Terrace. “Tl talk to the personnel officers in all the sectors and you can hear the stress in their voices,” said An- derson of reports that the provincial government wants to shed up to 30 per cent of its workers over the next three years. In Smithers, Anderson is expecting the regional mines office to close and she and other union people keep hearing rumours the : te gional correction- # al centre here will i Overall, Anderson expects the largest culs in terms of numbers in Ter- race to be in the forest ser- vice and the children and families ministry, That's because they employ the most civil ser- vants in the city. Anderson’s particularly Anderson worried about social work- er services and the pro- Spect they'll become part of a large corporation. “I don’t know how you could take them out of the civil service. We don’t have enough of them anyway,” she said. BCGEU officials are to be part of the meetings at which employees - will learn of their fate. “We do have employ- ment security provisions in our contract and we will be acting on them,” said Anderson. She expects shop ste- wards and others will be busy explaining early re- tirement provisions, volun- tary departure payments, severance packages and seniority provisions. Pre—inventory Clearance Sale 20*-50%. All In-Store Stock Sale January 16th -— 31st Open ? Days Al Week The Yeltow Gift House on Highway sug — W, Rela RADELET & COMPANY Sarristars & Solicitors Tax Law ¢ Trusts © Corporate & Commercial. 1390 - 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, 8.C. V6E IC9 Phones ¢ 604-699-0878 Fax: 604-689-1386 S Tenny's tock “a proud sponsor of } COR RRAVA BE ll Ugul) STOPPERS Terrace Crime Stoppers are asking for your.halp to solve a break, enter and theft to a residence on Agar _ Avenue, Terrace, B.C. On December 24th, 2001, a home owner noted same itams missing from his shop on is property. The coor to the shop was forced open and the .door jamb was broken. The date. of the offence has nat yet been: determined, and could. have: occurred during. the. previous two months.) (=: Several items were stolen from the shop, «© A Fender Karaoke machine & ‘stand = _* Three Makita. cordless drils ” ee «A Makita circular saw . = e: Various: tools a s 638-1808 | From front Workers brace for sweeping gov't cuts That latter procedure means people with more seniority could “bump” or re- place those more junior in terms of years on the job. For those who will lose their jobs, the province has hired 13 counselling firms to make 60 people available, said Collins. and conviction ofthe offenders:’ hs More than 200 calls a day are coming into an office set up to deal with informa- tion on these programs and civil servants have now received letters outlining the fi- nancial aspects of early retirement or quitting voluntarily, said Collins. The province estimates it will cost “We're doing everything we can for $85.2 million over three years for 2,500 those who will be adversely affected,” he voluntary departures and $156 million for said. 4,800 layoffs for a total bill of $241.2 mil- “There will be a certain number of lion. people because of circumstances and Those taking voluntary departure or their own personality who will take this in early retirement packages have until the a more adverse way than other people in end of February to do so they can be pro- ‘the same kind of personal distress,” Col- cessed before the end of March. lins added. The coming job cuts will be the big- ] “They will be the exception, rather gest in the history of the province be- than the norm.” cause of their depth and because the pro- Collins said his office is still working vincial government is B.C.’s single lar- out the details of where those people will, gest employer. be sent when the cuts are announced, but The last time a large number of civil did indicate that northwestern locations servants was affected was in the late such as Smithers, the home of many pro- 1980s when road and bridge maintenance vincial regional offices, and Terrace are services were farmed out to the privale likely.on the list. sector. What. will be available in Terrace and | That resulted in 2,600 people being other Jacatigns, is, office space.and equip-. ,.stroked off the provincial payroll but most “fight, ‘Sch as photocopiers, fax:machines of them simply: transferred over'to work and computers for laid-off workers to help for the new companies that were formed. thei find other work, Collins added. | “This time there will be real job losses Early retirements and voluntary depar- although Collins said there will be private ture incentives will buffer the number of sector opportunities for some of those af- Crime Stoppers offora a cash reward of up to $1,000.00 for |: ‘| Information laading to an arrest and chargos belng fald against an Individual In this or other unsolved crima. If you have any Information call Crime Stoppers at 635-TIPS that’s 635-8477. |. -{ Callers will not be required to reveal thelr Identity nor testify In | | caurt. Crime Scppers doos not subscribe to cal! pall TERRY'S Ts Knock, Knock, Who's There? §| A door viewer installed in your door will iet you see who is there before you open it. There are || many models available, including viewers || that allow you to see a large image with a lot of detail. Some models swivel and jf enable you to see someone even if they are standing beside your door. 20-40" OFF REGULAR PRICED ITEMS SALE ENDS JANUARY 31, 2002 my TERRY'S LOCK = “Semitic, @ Safes -Sales & Servint ; 4624A GREIG AVENUE, TERRACE, B.C, VBG LMS PHONE (250) 635-5549 © Toll Free 1-888-560-5549 people to be laid off. fected. On 2A. Olin OS CHRISTIAN PARTI DE General Dentistry, Orthodentics, ™ | HERITAGE L’HERITAGE | | 04619 Pak Ave PARTY GW CHRETIEN | }: “Office Hours ~ Terrace, BC, V8G 1V5 th Mon - Thurs 8:00 a.m. - 490 pm (250) 635-7611 | ; Soe COMMUNIQUE | Ron Gray Heritage Place, 155 Queen Street, Suite 200 Ottawa, ON KIP ou Ph (819}669-0673 Fax (819)669-6498 Email: edchp@netcom.ca‘ - Other commentaries can be found at www.chp.ca “CHP Speaks Out” This Communiqué may be copied CULTURAL SUICIDE, OTTAWA-STYLE Government has been doing - - from the Swissair memorial at Peggy’s Cove, to the Sept. 14 World Trade Centre memorial on Parliament Hill, to this latest outrage - is cultural suicide on a national scale, LOGO DESIGN CONTEST The Skeena Multiculturalism Diversity Project NEEDS A LOGO All students up to 25 years of age are invited to participate OUR THEME IS: Welcoming and Valuing Cultural Diversity In The Community (Awareness of global community) First Prize: $100.00 Second Prize: $75.00 Third Prize: $50.00 Deadline for. submission is: Thursday, January 31, 2002 at 12:00 noon : About a dozen years ago, when some people tried to rally public opinion to demand Pro-Life legislation and took to the streets to bar the opening of Vancouver's first baby-killing centre, we were roundly criticized by a few members of the clergy. Calgary Sun, points out that forbidding Christians to express our faith in public is something that the Taliban would do. She also points out that, apart from Israel, the only nations in the world with more people trying to get in than out all share one common feature; their culture is rooted in Christianity. Furthermore she says, this DND decree is like “spitting on the graves” of 164,000 Christians martyred for their faith world-wide in 1999, It also offends more than a million martyrs in the last decade, and also the many millions before them who died for the name ‘of Jesus. Robert Sibley, editorial writer for the Ottawa Citizen, — wrote an essay quoting Harvard political science Professor Samuel P. Huntington’s exhortation to the West to “preserve our culture and our values” - culture and values - rooted in Christianity. They're right: democracy, the rule of law, public education, the abolition of slavery, equality before the law, and the prosperity of our free- enterprise system - all the fruit of _ [hope to see a national | firestorm of outrage at this offensive order. But I greatly fear another attack of Christian apathy and timidity. “It’s wrong to protest,” the timid still say. “We should just pray.” Don’t ~ get me wrong; I believe deeply in prayer. But there are times when God also demands action. - Or send entries by mail to: NWCC-Admin. Building Skeena Multicultural Diversity Project Attention: Elizabeth Snyder RR#3I, Site 9, Comp. 214, Terrace, B.C., VIG 4R6 For further information, please contact Maria Allen at {250} 635-5931 © Email diversity@ monarch.net Please drop off at: “You shouldn’t be making a disturbance in the streets,” they said. ““We’re just trying to live out our faith,” we answered. “The Bible says, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men,’” “Well, of course.” the clerics demurred, “if the government ever said we couldn’t preach the Gospel or pray in public - why, we'd protest with you.” THAT TIME HAS COME, Our militant Secularist masters in Ottawa have now decreed that Chaplains in the Canadian Forces cannot mention Jesus, the triune Deity, or the Lord's Prayer in public ceremonies. Their goal is to make such events “inclusive” - by offending Christians. OK: LET’S TAKE IT TO THE © our Christian heritage. STREETS, GUYS! 2 But we cannot hope to retain the Licia Corbella, editor of the . fruit unless we nourish the root. ee ‘What our militant-Secularist : i. When Goliath was challenging . the armies of Israe] daily, I’m sure King Saul and his troops were praying up a storm as they | hid in fear. But God was’ looking for someone who would confront the giant who defied His people. That's still the kind of people He’s seeking. Do you want to be one? Call us at 1-888-VOTE CHP (1-888-686-3247), Naitlonal Leader Ron Gray will be speaking at open house meeting at the Happy Gang Centre in Terrace at 8:00pm, Jan. 31. - With Winning Points, you can eat what everyone else is eating. So you can stay satisfied, stick with the plan, and reach your goals. Join now and get “Today's 4 Special,’ our new quide to satisfying meal and snack * FREE! JOIN NOW FOR 72 | PRICE AND SAVE $22 CALL 1-800-682-8011 Knox United Church (Terrace) 4907 Lazelle - Tuesday 7:00 pm realfood.reallife.realresults. Valid at participating focatlons for a limited tlme. ©2002 Woight Watchers International, Inc. owner of fhe WEIGHT WATCHERS trademark, Al rights reserved.