AY —

BYELECTION SATURDAY

hree seek council job

The Terrace Standard invited the three candidates in Saturday’s city council
byelection to submit 500-word statements outlining who they are, what they
would do if elected, and why they want to be a city councillor. Here are their

responses.

Olga Power

I was educated in England and after a three-
year college course, taught in Norwich, England
for three years.

} immigrated to Canada in 1965, and accepted
a teaching post in Terrace at Skeena Secondary
School, which at the time was grades 8-12.

I was in banking for 14 years and a real estate
sales associate for six years,

E married Hugh Power in 1966 and we have

7 yj three sons — George,
| David and Allan. Thanks
{ta the teachers and
{schools in Terrace all
{three graduated from
‘4 grade 12 and have been
4 able to further their edu-
qecation by graduating
4 from NWCC, UBC and
4 UVic,

In 1974 I became a
Canadian citizen.

I was active in the
= - Mills Memorial Hospital
Olga Power = Auxilliary for 10 years,
and president for a term; former memeber of the
Pacific Northwest Music Festival for 10 years
and president for three years, and continue as a
volunteer; I joined the Skeena-Kalum Housing
Society when it was formed; former volunteer
for the police-based Victims Assistance Pro-
gram; served as trustee and director on the Hos-
pital Board/ Termace Regional Health Care
Society for 15 years and chair for twa years. I
am now a member of the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Foun-
dation Society.

I am aware of the issues facing the community
and | will be able to make decisions based on
knowledge and believe that, through my in-
volvement, I reach a wide range of interests and
age groups,

I also feel that through my past efforts [ have
been able to communicate with neighbouring
communities and would like to see further
dialogue between Terrace and those regions,
particularly Thornhill, as I feel it will enhance
what we all have to share and will build a better
life for all.

We all have priorities and concerns as to our
future, and we can work together to make a dif-
ference.

Terrace is the hub for-bealth care, transporta- -
tion ard services and | see-these-roles continu-...

ing and ‘becoming more beneficial to all in the
northwest. .

As we all face economic restraints tough deci-
sions will have to be made, but with careful
thought given, I believe the right decisions will
be reached, ,

Enrich what we have achieved — recreational
and cultural facililies and continue with further
development of Ferry Island, Howe Creek and
other parklands.

Continue to support the Farmers’ Market as
this draws people from surrounding centres to
Terrace, The building of the Multiplex will con-
tinue this development.

I wish to help in the enhancement of the com-
munity plan to provide Terrace with a vibrant
and successful future.

Communication, leadership, decision making,
awareness and time are my strengths!

A supporter of the businesses, health, arts, and
sports in this city, Ihave the knowledge of the
issues facing council. I have the time required
and I believe that I can make a positive contri-
bution to the decision-making role necded in
council.

I ask for your support March 28th. Vote for
Power. .

_ James Fraser

My name is James Fraser and [ am a candidate
for the Terrace City Council, F have been
employed at the Terrace Co-Op for [3 years and
have lived in the community for going on 18
years. | have two daughters, Ashley and Randi
Fraser, that attend clementary school and are
growing up in our community.

Municipal elections are among the most im-
‘portant in our political system, but oflen receive
the least publicity and
voter tum out. Deci-
sions made at your
Municipal Hall have
the greatest direct im-
pact on you and your
family,

Pm running for Ter-
race City Council be-
cause I belicve we
need a voice on coun-
cil that will fight to
ensure Terrace’s

- citizens are the deci-
James Fraser sion makers, not just
the handful of city councilors that are supposed
to be representing the wishes of the people.

I will do this by adamantly opposing closed
door councit meetings and by pushing for more
consultation with the citizens on all issues.

I’m in favor of an open door council that al-
lows citizens to be informed at all levels of dis-
cussion.

I’m in favor of growth and development that
is sensitive to the people, neighborhoods, and
businesses already in our city.

I believe any proposal, with respect to growth
and development, must keep our neighborhoods
intact and must fall in line with a clear com-
munity plan that protects the sanctity of our
residential neighborhoods.

This community has been built largely by a
tradition of encouraging the development of
good-paying, locally operated jobs which is the
kind of development I want to continue to see in
our city, ~

T believe anyone that wants to be an effective
city councilor taust set aside partisan politics
and must put first the interests and needs of all
the citizens of Terrace,

A cily councilor must always keep in mind
that they are elected to a seat in Terrace not
‘Victoria or Ottawa and the.interesis. of Terrace
and its people must be the focus of their repre-
sentation.

I believe anyone that wants to effectively
represent the very wide ranging necds of this
community must be in louch with the needs of
average working class families. I may not own
a long list of stocks and bonds or shares in com-
panies and ] don’t own big chunks of real-
estate, but I do know how difficult it can be to
raise a family and make ends mect and this is
the sort of representation you will get from Jim
Fraser.

I will work hard to be part of a solution that
will address the need for expanded recreational
facilities. I would like to sce the proponents
seeking expanded facilities working towards
one common goal, a multiplex center.

In closing 1 would like to say a very special
Thank You to the people that voted for me in
the Jast municipal election, Democracy is a
fragile thing and for it to work properly people
must participate. This is your city. On Satur-
day, March 28, 1998 please exercise your right
to vote. oe

Dennis Lissimore

I’ve lived in Terrace 16 years and believe our
community is one of the best to raise a family.

My children are involved in soccer, dance,
Beavers, swimming, skiing and gymnastics, My
wife, Marilyn, works for Terrace and District
Community Services Society. We enjoy the
quality of life Terrace affords.

My involvement in community work has its
roots in Mission, B.C., where I helped my fam-
ie ily mun the soap box
; derby races and later be-
came a volunteer fire-
man and ski patroller.

After moving to Ter-
race in 1982, I became
involved with the Kins-
men Club and in 1996
was honoured wilh my
Life Membership for the
work I had done for the
community on behalf of
anus ES m= «the Kinsmen Club, ] was
Dennis Lissimore proud this honour could
be bestowed at the grand opening of the newly
reconstructed Kiddies Kamp as I chaired this
project for the six years of reconstruction.

I also chaired the Kinsmen/Caledonia After
Grad Dance for nine years. Ensuring that these '
kids had a safe celebration was one of the most
rewarding projects I was involved in. .

In 1984 I became involved in the site selection
process of a new ski area and in 1986 1 formed
the Shames Mountain Ski Corp. to bid on the
assets from Kitsumkalum Mountain. My in-
volvement ended in 1988, but thanks to the hard
work, determination, and commitment of the
Shames Mountain Board of Directors, my vi-.
sion of Shames became a reality in 1990.

My other community involvement included
the Skeena Valley Triathlon, the Terrace Figure
Skating Club, and Northwest Drama Festival.

I left Big Shite Ski Village in Kelowna to
come to Terrace to work for the Regional Dis-
trict as general manager of Kitsumkalum.
Mountain. In the five years that I worked for the
yegional district I also supervised the operations
of MK Bay Marina and worked as Tourism
Marketing Manager for the Economic Develop-
ment Commission. I later worked for the Ter-
race Review and Wilkinson Business Machines.
In 1991 | became a real estate agent. In 1995 1

. began.my present.position as.territory manager

for the B,C, Lottery Commission.

As councillor for the City of Terrace, my main
objective is to represent the people of Terrace to
the best of my ability. I feel some of the press-
ing issues now are:

@ Development of a multi-use facility that
could include a second sheet of ice, convention,
trades show and meeting facilities.

@ Finalizing negotiations on the airport in-
cluding lands for the development of light and
medium industrial park.

@ Finding a way to ensure the future of the
R.E.M, Lee Theatre.

i Working on a regional tourism strategy.

B Working with council to ensure Terrace
continues to build on its position as a major ser-
vice and supply centre.

i Study the problem of increased assessments

] am a busy person with family, work and
community duties and understand the commit-
ment of time and energy this position will
entail, I believe my background and record of
community service indicates [ always put in 110
% in whatever [ am involved and look forward
to representing you on council.

Many issues face new councillor

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 25, 1998 - AS

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

By JEFF NAGEL
WHICHEVER candidate takes the
vacant chair in council chambers,
they'll have a plateful. Here are
some of the issues looming.

Recreation

The term ‘‘multiplex’’ refers to a -
second-sheet of ice combined with
a youth/communily centre and con-
vention facilities.

By expanding the project beyond
just a second shect, council hopes
to dodge the problems that
bedeviled previous efforts to build
a second arena, shot down by
voters in 1995’s referendum. Many:
felt too few people were benefitting |
ata cost of all taxpayers. :

Expanding the project may defuse
some of that sentiment. But it’s
also going to mean a bigger bill at!
the end of the day. And it may be
one so large that it will shock tax-'
payers — already bracing them-'
selves for 1930s style economic:
austerity —— into reflexively mark- ,
ing the ‘No’ box next referendum.

Pressure to keep the price within j
reasonable limits could renew calls :
for the ‘‘bare bones’’ concept. But
that leads back to a question of
priorities and whether a smaller
project has broad enough appeal.

Big bills

There are some olher really big

ticket expenses on the horizon.

It’tt cost well over $1 million to
replace the sewage outfall pipe ¢x-:
tending into the Skeena River from
the sewage treatment plant.

Also for this year, a new waler

_ tank is to be built at Wilson St. on

the bench, Price tag: $500,000 plus.

One of these years, the road up

Lanfear Hill will have to be rebuilt,
Cutting into the bank and trucking
away thousands of loads of earth _
will be hugely expensive, with
estimates ninning over $2 million.
" The environmental bill for clos-
ing: the Terrace dump may be more
‘than $600,000. The city has so far
deflected regional calls to spend
big dollars on recycling as called
‘for In the regional solid waste man-
‘agement plan, a three-year-old doc-
ument now safely gathering dust as
‘far as council is concerned,

And, most councillors still feel
ahey need to find much more
-Money cach year to spend repairing
deteriorated roads,

_ Tax rates

This is a balancing act recently
«made easler because the city has for «
4 few years had huge amounts of |
‘new construction, which puts new
tax dollars into council’s hands.
} But with construction In decline,
council’s ability to spend -more
‘without dipping deeper into tax-

payers’ wallets is coming to an end.

Thornhill

The need to eventually amal-
gamate Thornhill and Terrace
won't go away or get easier,

While 40 per cent of voters in
Thornhill were ready to drop the
border last year, too many Were op-
pased, for a variety of reasons both
money- and style-related.

Now the city is pushing aggres-

_ sively (o make Thornhill taxpayers -
Share in expenses of services in

Terrace thal also benefit them.

For that, and for other reasons,
Thornhill taxpayers will eventually
find themselves paying higher taxes
than in town, and maybe rethinking
their opposition to joining.

Rut the cost-sharing issuc is a
touchy matter and council could
further alienate its rural neighbours
if it takes too confrontational a line.

The airport

Taking over the airport from the
feds is a responsibility the city
hopes to keep at arm’s length
through its new non-profit socicty,

But council’s job will be to watch
carefully to ensure taxpayers are
shielded from excessive costs.

If handled properly, it will ex-

pand the city tax base and open up

new light industrial land.

Pianning

A full-fledged rebuild of the
cily’s outdated Official Community
Plan will soon be underway.

The plan sets out the long-term
development direction for the city.

This could set off fireworks in
same neighbourhoods. Or it could
go through relatively peacefully, as
did amendments to protect green
space and plan trails,

That will likely depend less on
council’s actions and more on the
city planner continuing his record
of defusing most ticking bombs be-
fore they ever get to council,

Health care

Council is increasingly taking an
activist role in local beallh care.

That’s irritated the NDP
government-appointed Community
Health Council, which sees the city
as meddling in its jurisdiction. The
right-of-centre city council, mean-
while, views the health council as
being loaded with NDP lapdogs
whe can’t really be trusted to push
Victoria aggressively enough for
action to maintain medical services,

After a few skirmishes the two
groups have agreed to get together
and talk occasionally. How that un-
folds will be interesting, particular-

ly if Olga Power, a former hospital

board chair, is elected.

Privacy also invaded

Dear Sir:

In response to Claudette Sandecki’s Feb. 12, 1998

column ‘‘Fluttering Slips Tell All.”’

If the pervasive, lamentable loss of privacy is the
theme of the article, then Ms. Sandecki is equally
guilty of invasion of privacy by publishing. the name
and identification number of the grocery cashier. 1 am
that cashier,

My privacy has been violated, withbut permission
nor consideration of implication, by Ms. Sandecki’s
column, -

If the sanctity of personal information is important to
Ms. Sandecki, she should have have the decency to
respect my privacy.

Matilda, Terrace B.C.

- Coho finger pointing
Dear Sir:
I'm responding to Jim Culp’s finger pointing to the

'
«
r
'

ty

-+

4

commercial fishery at the mouth of the Skeena River as ~

a principal cause of the so-called coho decline in the
upper Skcena system, The Terrace Standard, March 4,
1998,

.
.

When Mr. Culp singles out the commercial fishers at’

the mouth of the Skeena River as the culprits of the *

coho crisis, he is altacking the First Nations people, be-
cause 85 per ceat of commercial fishers who work the
estuary are native people. Long before Jim Culp’s
antecedents crawled off their rat-infested and disease
tidden ships, native people were fishing the cnlire
Skeena River system using traditional technology that
included the use of gillnets hand woven by native
women using stinging nettle fiber.

The aboriginal system of harvest never compromised

’

,

7

“ss

the biological integrity of the salmon runs nor did it *

destroy the salmon habitat. The Skeena River system,
the Skeena estuary in particular, has been, and still is
the bread basket and the common bowl of First Nations
people from near and far. ] know because J was bom
on the banks of the Skeena estuary 53 years ago.

If the decline of the coho began in the 1970s as he
claims, then the obvious question he.should ask is —
what kind of human activity was occurring in that peri-
od that could impact the coho runs?

You can rule out commercial fishing because prior to
the 1970s, the commercial fishery at the mowth of the
Skeena River had been around for over 100 years, and’!
the aboriginal fishery has been around since time im-~
memorial.

af

Mr. Culp conveniently ignores his participation in the” =

destruction of the salmon habitats by the forest industry.
he was associated with. Nor does he mention the im-;
pact of the highways ministry road construction, The
impacts of municipal development aud the unregulated
and unenforceable sport fishery was alsa conveniently
ignored.

If the truth be known, the real culprits of the coho
crisis are (he sports fishery lobby groups when they ar-

bitrarily began dispensing ‘expert’ knowledge. Fimaie.

Culp is a member of this special interest group who ap-,
plied political pressure on the Department of Fisheries

and Oceans to re-allocate the salmon resource to an
ever expanding commercial sports and domestic sports
fishery, As usual, this re-allocation was couched in
conservation rhetoric which became effective bait on

~ an uninformed public,

Mr. Culp’s remark that the Alaskan flect made the
situation worse in the ultimate hypocritical stalement.
‘What is unknown to the public is that people like Mr,
Culp and his friends were instrumental in bringing in
an environmentally destructive seine-fishery in the
Skeena estuary as a selective fishery method.

Since the carly 1990s, the ecologicall y-scnsitive
Skeena estuary has been assaulted by a destructive se-,
lective seine-fishery because in their misguided wis-
dom, Jim Culp and company truly believe that destroy-
ing the biological integrity of the Skecna estuary to se-
leclively harvest coho and steelhead is an acceptable
trade-off. The legacy of that delusion, of course, is just
beginning to rear its ugly head,

If the public is under any illusion that Jim Culp and
his cohorts come off as lily white in the death of the
Skeena River as a salmon-producing river, they only
have to open their histary books and turn to the chapter
that lists all the salmon-producing rivers thal are now
devoid of marine life,

Jim Culp’s finger pointing is a hypocrilical disgusting
assault on common seuse and is an insult to the native

‘intellect,
Ray Guno, New Alyansh, B.C

Tolerance? Read on

‘An open letter to:
Manfred Lubke:

You should have chosen your words (March 18 Let
ter to the Editor) a little more carefully than you did.

You have a warped idca thal most women ending up
in Ms, Scarborough’s care are those which cannot look
alter their own. I challenge you to define your exacl
neaning of this because it is totally outrageous.

My children and myself ended wp in a shelter almost
two years ago because we were all being abused by the
man who was supposed to love us,

And iet’s not forget his liking to forge my signature
to things, or cleaning out the bank account, or the
girlfriend’s. The list goes on.

1 believe that also brings up the other word you used,
tolerance. How much do [ or any other woman need to
tolerate?

Belleve me, I can tell you how much I toteraled be-
fore finally coming to the decision [ made in 1996.

I am also intelligent enough to know that rela-
tionships are a two-way street, but before you go
knocking the only refuge women very often have, think
about other houscholds, and not just your own.

(Name withheld by request) Texrace B.C,

The Terrace Standard welcomes letters to the editor.
Our deadline is noon Friday for the follawing Wed-
nesday’s issue. Our mailing address is 3210 Clinton
St, Terrace, B.C. V8G 5R2, Our fax number is 250-
638-8432, We particularly welcome letters via e-mail.
Our e-mail address is
standard@kermode net

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