The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 17, 1997 - B1 ‘TERRACE STANDARD INSIDE SECTION B COMMUNITY CRIS LEYKAUF . EVENTS B2 638-7283 SARAH de LEEUW Think about those purchases IS THE the season to be shopping. For dolls and clothes, toys and shoes, jewels and gadgets, even computers and cars. The lights are shining, the advertisements are blaring, children are overexcited and sugar levels are running high. Abhh, the holidays are here. Most of us are dealing with too much stress. We aren’t thinking about the politics of our pur- chases, But our purchases are having tremendous impacts on the lives of people around ihe world. On the lives of women and children. Think about that hot pink Barbie mini-van your child has been begging for since last June. Those Nike runners you’ve finally decided to get. The Northem Reflections sweatshirt you know a certain someone will love. Where were these things made? What were the working conditions for the people who made them? _ Consider this. That Barbie mini-van retailing for over a hundred dollars in Canada was made by (mostly) women labourers in the Philippines and Mexico. Workers for Mabamex, ‘he largest Mattel pro- duct producer, doesn’t pay ils workers more than $48 a week. Nike products are produced a almost exclusive- ly in Indonesia, China. and Vietnam, where young women are forced to work ten ta twelve hour days, sometimes with an additional two to four hours overtime, Their pay? No more than 25 cents an hour. Corporations think they don’t have to change because people continue to buy their products. Liz Claiborne continues to be one of the hottest selling fashions even though the clothes are produced ive sweatshop conditions that workers have been reported to die in, Trade deals, like the Asia Pacific Economic Community (APEC), are trying to ensure these conditions don’t change, Leaders from all over the world recently met in Vancouver to discuss APEC. They discussed movement of capital and products. They dis- cussed the need for cheap labour to ensure com- petitive prices, They refused to discuss human rights ar labour standards. Those things didn’t even make the agenda. And why? Because governments and corporations think the consumers (you and I doing our Christmas shopping) don’t care. They think we'll buy Nike and Mattel even though we know about the children and women who suffered to make them. Corporations think they don’t have to change because people continue to buy their products, Liz Claiborme continues to be one of the hottest selling fashions even though the clothes are pro- duced in sweatshop conditions that workers have been reported to die in, The GAP and Eddie Bauer still make great sales this time of year, even though there’s been national attention given to their use of child and women labour in terrible working conditions. By buying the products, we are encouraging the practices. Don’t think huge companies are just exploil- ing people in faraway places, Northern Reflections, a US owned multina- tional, operates almost exclusively with women homeworkers, primarily in Ontario, The women making the sweatshirts and jog- ging pants make as little as $2.50 an hour, with no overtime pay and no statutory holiday time. While you and your family are giving out gifts, think about the woman who sewed thent, She may be sewing more as you al Christmas dinner. For more information about consumer pres- sure and boycotts, please. call me at the Women’ 8 Centre - — 638-0228. History preserved in. Photos from archives and family albums add to text “EXCESSIVE FISHING, which depleted the Fraser, now threatens the exlinc- fon of the salinon of the Skeena and Rivers Inlet.’" Ob so familiar today, that phrase comes from |a government commission on the fisheries in 1908. And it’s just one of the nuggets contained = in Pioneer Legacy. Chronicles of the Lower Skeena River painstakingly compiled. by Terrace resident Norma V. Bennett. Her goal was to assemble as many original documents and stories as possible out- lining the history and settle- ment of the lower Skeena area. As such, Pioneer Legacy inslantly becomes a valu- able document because’ it has brought together many and varied documents and stories in a concise and presentable fashion, Photos from archives and family albums. add.to the richness of the icxt, making this book a foundation for the arca’s history up until the carly part of the century. Readers will Ica about Comahan, a Tsimshian who died while trying to save his daughter from’ the Skeena River. They'll encounter the white community of -Kit- selas, a thriving | enterprise containing hotels and “a newspaper, of which physi- cal evidence is rapidly dis- appearing. The most enjoyable part of Pioneer Legacy |s contained in the first person descrip- tions in original source material. History is always best ex- ABOVE — The S.S. Inlander enters Kitselas Canyon. The canyon was dangeraus to riverboats — a place of narraw passages, precipitous rock walls and dangerous waters. BELOW: Editor Norma Bennett was at a book signing last week. Many locals are buying copies of Pioneer Legacy as Christmas presents. plored through the eyes of those who were there. Even though the history recounted in Pioneer Legacy didn’t happen all that long ago in the grand scheme’ of things, Bennett has succeeded in capturing the key events to’ prevent them from fading away. Bennett began her quest more than 20 years ago and at onc time, put the project aside for six years. | She was urged to write a history: of the area by the Terrace librarian of the _time. : - In the last few years, Ben- nett gathered together a key group of volunteers to help her in assembling and plan- ning the final product. This volume represents about. half -of the total material gathered by Ben- nett, leaving open the option of a second’ book ‘con- celltrating on _ post-1920 events. Proceeds from Pioneer Legacy ate going to the Dr. REM. Lee Hospital Foun- dation, a local society dedi- cated to raising money for equipment at Mills Memarial Hospital. Members of the society assisted greatly in bringing Bennett's project to a reality, Pioneer Legacy is a dou- ble benefit — money for a worthy local cause in return for knowledge of the area, The volume is $30 and is available at the Northern Savings Credit Union, Ev’s Menswear, Misty River Books, Northern Dmnugs, Overwaitea and at Mills Memorial Hospital. Copies may also be or- dered from the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation. The address is 4720 Haugland Ave., . Terrace, B.C. V8G 2W7, Orders can also be faxed to 250-635- $320. M@ Deck the halls THESE KIDS got into the spirit of the Christmas season by decorating the Kermode Friendship Centre in Terrace, Pictured here are Violet Neasloss, llene Duncan, Justine and sister Evangeline Stephens and sisters Sommer and Whit- ney Blackwater. All are part of the Healthy Choices youth group. Around Town Student honoured MARY BARTLETT, a student at Centennial Christian School, won an honourable mention from the BC Hu- man Rights Commission for an essay she wrote, Bartlett was onc of over 800 students across the pro- vince who took part in the 13th annuai Visual and Lan- guage Arts project. This year’s theme was “Human Rights for People with Disabilities.” Ujjal Dosanjh, attomey general and minister responsible for human rights, commended the students on their award-winning projects, “‘I am heartened by the care and creativity these students have pul into rais- ing awareness about human rights,’’ Dosanjh said. Parents take note SOMETIMES PARENTS don’t do their homework. The assignment was straight forward — Caledonia parents were asked to complete surveys on the school, asking them whal they thought of issues like teaching and safety, However, not enough parents have actually retumed those surveys to the school. The surveys should be brought back by Dec. 19. The school is hoping for 70 per cent return rate, Surveys can be mailed, or dropped off at the school office. No spirituality for Xmas THE WOMEN’S Spirituality Group, which runs each Sunday at the Terrace Women’s Resource Centre, will take a short recess over the holiday season. The group will hold its next gathering on Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. All women are invited to attend. Degrees awarded TERRACE RESIDENTS were among those who recently received degrees at the University of Victoria fall convocation ceremony. Fredrick Woods received a Master of Education, Kathleen Brookes was awarded a Bachelor of Aris. Both Kelly Gingles and Kyle Stevenson received Bachelor of Commerce degrees. Karen Erstling was awarded a Bachelor of Science in nursing, And Patricla Stone was given 4 certificate in adult and continuing education. Nearly 1,000 degrees were given out at the ceremony on Nov. 29. Five honourary degrecs were also awarded, including a posthumous Honourary Doctor of Leitérs to Roblia Skelton. He was the founding chair of the UVic Depariment of Writing, His poetry and prose are acclaimed in many countries.