ANOTHER INADEQUATE OFFER

Warning! The water .in this
ditch is contaminated with
sewage. If skin contact occurs,
washing with clean water and
soap will minimize the risk of
disease. _

Six signs bearing these words
were scheduled to be posted this
week in ditches alongside Bobsien
Crescent and Queensway Drive
between Bobsien and Mark Road.
If they haven't been yet, they will
be soon. The signs will bear the
signature: "Skeana Health Unit,
Environmental Health Protec-
tion."

The signs will do little to

alleviate the 15-year-long sewage

problem in the area, however.
Residents are already aware of
the steps to take should they
accidentally stray into a ditch.
And few tourists stop in the area.
And even if tourists did stop
there, the signs would not alert
them to a similar problem in
neighbouring yards and commu-
nity trails.

What Bobsien and many

Queensway residents really want
is a permanent method of pre-
venting the sewage from entering
their ditches in the firat place.
Namely, a proper sewage system.
Standing in the way of a proper
sewage system for years, however,
has been bureaucratic policy and
provincial funding.

~ Until a few days ago, the best
deal engineered by the regional
district was a funding formula in
which the Ministry .of Municipal
Affairs would pay $2.06 million

and the Ministry of Environment:

would pay $216,250 for the instal-
lation of a sewage system. |
In real terms, though, this
would have meant a cost per
person ranging between $1,100
and $1,400 a year for the next. 20
years. Add that to current. prop-
erty taxes, and it was estimated
the owner of a $40,000 home
would be paying around $2,000 a
year. The idea was rejected. At

owner, in violation of a public
health order to upgrade his exist-
ing septic system to the tune of
about $7,000, pondered his next
move. Even if he came up with
the $7,000, there was no assur-
ance it would work. © |
Spurred by the plight of their
neighbour and some certainty

they too would soon be faced with

a Public Health order, the already
closely-knit Bobsien neighbour-
hood. banded together. They

elected from their ranks an execu-.

tive for the newly formed Bobsien-

~ Queensway Action Committee and |
prepared for action.

' And there has been a break-
through, of sorts. The Ministry of... -[

Municipal’ Affairs has informed
the residents they qualify under a

little known, small community f° -

emergency formula that offers

75% funding. The area that qual-

ified, they were told, was the
length of Queensway and all its
side streets.

Calculators came out. Num-
bers were crunched. And it was

‘determined a sewage system

would now cost only $817 a year
per home. That’s still too much,
though, says committee president
Chris Clark.

She points out that Barnhart-
vale (near Kamloops) is currently
installing a system that will cost
$640 per residence and will be the
most expensive per residence
system in the province. The com-
mittee isn’t interested in taking
that honour from Barnhartvale,

' although they would accept a tie.

If the province can offer Queens-

way area residents a system for

around $650 a year, says Clark,
they'll accept it.

Clark says the committee is
now investigating federal funding

sources. Tomorrow morning they .

will state their case to the Kiti-
mat-Stikine Regional District
board of directors and ask their
assistance in securing that fund-
ing. .

— Tod Strachan

I = Ge yop Tercce :
he SANITARY
: DFILL

CITY OF

TERRACE

LANDFILL
_SITE HOURS
EFFECTIVE

APRIL 1, 1992
‘THE LANDFILL
SITE WILL BE

OPEN FROM NOON |

| TO 6 00 P.M. DAILY

Hear Ye!
Hear Ye

$48 Od

on a Standard Single, Double er Twin
Room any Friday, Saturday or Sunday

Come i and enjoy our

‘Waterfront Restaurant
or have a drink in

Charley's Lounge.
Call for a Reservation
Toll Free 1-800-663-8150

(Oa

MOTOR HOTEL
’ 222 West ist Ave.

Phone (604) 624-6771 scar

Terrace Review — March 27, 1992

least one unemployed home '