| Rough racing: Check out the’ results ° and highlights. of the © . Adventure Challenge.” downhill. \SPORTS. A13 ‘Market picks up” Local real estate: agents _ confident that the Terrace [housing market. is-on the» |upswing \NEWS Add gry, this year’s. festival . Riverboat rundown - See the schedule and get a glimpse of Blans f for. $4.00 pius'7¢ GST |: . . ($1.40 plus. at'asT. outslde oft! the. Terrace. area) am VOL.17 NO. By JEFF NAGEL . NORTHWEST TOWNS will -coilec=” tively write off more than half of the. ure. $30 million’ in unpaid. property taxes New Skeena owes -thermn under a. deal’ struck to help. restructure the company © -and allow. it-to’come: out. from under : bankruptcy protection. Tee ‘The provincial - ‘government. ‘18 8X pected to help the towns by ‘writing. off. some’ $5 million: in, school ‘property. _ taxes. That's money the lowhis ‘normal: .. ly collect. and: ‘forward: to: Victoria, and: ‘in this case’it’s ‘part of New, Skeena’s. collective debt: owed. to the towns. an Hazeltons.. Minister ‘of. community, aboriginal wo and’ women’s. services: Murray: Coell, signed a cabinet order: uly ‘22:that.al-- lows the towns: to. erase ‘or‘defér taxes. ; -and tax debts owed. by New Skeena:’ The. order followed a cabinet. mest province; - | Towns erase New Ske “ing the day before where! the’ premier. ‘and his ministers “approved the meas- “Skeena MEA Roger Harris; who did was nol participate in. the cabinet ‘meeting, : -defendéd the order,. which he said. he _ lobbied for in.advanee. 2°! “Towns aren't -allowed “to ‘forgive. taxes" “without ‘spectal: approval by the wi The taxes -are “owed. on New ‘Skee- na’ s pulp” mill: tocated beween: ‘Prince ©.” ‘Riipert and.Port. Edward,’ its ‘Terrace ‘sawmill. and ‘the Carnaby. mill. ‘in the O° ~ Harris, * whi confirmed’ ‘the ‘basic ~-elements”-of the: deal’ late ast week, oa “said. ‘erasing: “the. school: ‘property. taxes” must still-come: ‘back. For. approval by, . : _ Treasury board and ‘cabii = He said. av s a ‘strong ‘sign: al of ‘the. w.ter acestan: ans com. : province’ s support: for the region. “This is: being: responsible : ‘und da- “ing the-right: thing.” he said... bee 5 Harris “said: under the law thie? towns oS “would, have. been’ responsible: for. pay- _°New Skeena did Iwo years ago. “ing .the . school “taxes -even Jif ‘New : off, he said. : > Skeena didn’t ever pay: culties 4 Regardless: of’ whether ‘or: nol the company. restarted’ or secured’ new ins" community,” he ® ‘added. : :yestors, he-said. it. made. Sense lo: -ass- a isthe towns, 20.80 > Harris said’ he “dowsit*t vigw'it 7 ‘subsidy: to.New Skeena: “ST never’ ‘look’ at working. with ‘mu: * Bg nicipalities asa: " subsidy,” he Said. “We_all look: into the: same taxpayers billion. investment company, He: said: critics ‘of the. tax: writes off” plan. should ‘remember that: local. lax-, payers : would. still be in:the Same°sit-:. 4 uation = with: big: holes. in. local city. Kalum and Greig: is-set-to fill a local: knowledge gap. = explaining the’ purpose and. rale of steam- powered. . ‘River; -.° ‘time for Riverboat. Days: and | i -erboat Days. Society.” : ; Sam: MacKenzie, . hired to. “manage : the | project; onsored. by: the Riv" available on the role riverboats ‘played.’ kind of history,” said’ ‘MacKenzie.,"Growing up there“ name really meant.” ..” She hapes’ the, exhibit will provide. the kind. ‘of | ine’ formation: needed. for. locais and: tourists. - on into the early 20th ¢ century, tiverboats travelled up" and down the Skeena: River between Prince. Rupert and Hazelton, transporting supplies. and. People’ to: “des * veloping commiunities.;~ foe -Merchants, in:*Hazelton ’ even. had. one’ “built for. themselves and'there was. fierce. competition: between owners for business: and ‘ra es: between riverbr tains to determine which: boat: was-the® fastest Those: touring -the exhibit wi along the Sketna River. Prince Rupert i in the early part. of the 20th. century. _ Aside from photos, the exhibit:.contains ‘items which ‘were, once used on: the.tiverbo : . MacKenzie and: her crew of. three people:-have also “As: Bill. cand Helene, M GEANNIE JENSEN, left, and Sam MacKenzie are two of four people working at the riverboat histor “Cal exhibit on the corner of Kalum and Greig between now and the end of September. a Exhibit revives local history A HISTORICAL exhibil i ina building on thes ‘corner of = riverboats. which once. plied, the: waters, of the. Skeena : through to the end‘of September.: Admission is; by. do- ~. . It's also: fitting. that the exhibit ‘Spenied. this: week in grew up in. Terrace. but said: there. was 10. Information, Seum. “It, was pretty’ unfortunate. ‘students: didn’ L “have: that 2 ton: group: “and were.on display ‘Jast. year at, the: ‘Ksan oe oa | ‘was Riverboat Days: but never anyihing on what the’: Beginning in the latter: part of the 19th. weviy aid: “the: ‘West,.will provide some. excitement. for the down: T see large. photos of: ‘town area during Riverboat Days, _ tiverboats and: theif, passengers ‘at’: various locations ae me 2) Seu onthe * ‘bench -and: expect that: relationship to : The riveiboats: went out of business when: the: rail. “Toad .was’ built’ connecting -the: rést of, Canada: with Mystery ac ; MORE THAN $16,000. now rests with the. Bank of Canada in ‘an account called . “the swimming pool. fund”. which: origi-:- ~ nated at the Royal Bank bratich in Ter- race, =. _ And itll stay. al, ‘the. Bank of. ‘Canada until ihe accounv s rightful, owner — ora 7 proof to reclaim-the-meries:* _... The last transaction.date for tha i : count was: Feb, 1, _ the ‘Bank ‘of. Canada’s. website. ° ~’ “Federal. law requires ‘dormant’ accounts, “be transferred from. financiat- institutions’ ~ to the Bank of: Canada after 10. years: of. =no activity. 2” : ~~ Financial: instituiions ‘are. 2 required: to: _: send sout: notices to, the. accoiint holders : after: Lwo | “and ‘five: years: “of - inactivity, al ‘There’ s.nO. address. ‘listed ” for. the “swimming ‘pool fund, 7 ‘ Accounts containing: more: than-. $500 ‘as is the ‘ease with the * “swimming: pool fund,” are kept forever, ‘or until claimed, ‘ Accounts: containing Jess than $500 are. * * transferred: to federal. government coffers _ after 10-years of, ‘being: held. by, the Bank . of Canada, > | ~All told: nearly. 790, 000 accounts ‘worth $227: million-are being. held: by. the: Bank® of Canada. More than’ B8 per: ‘eént contain - ~~ ess’ than $500, representing 22. percent. of the total’ amount. The oldest balance’ dates back to’ 1900: . 4 The: mysterious swimming. pool fund sis | not. the’ only account from: Terrace: resting: “3 ~ with the Bank-of Canada, © Pe Joe A body. called. ‘the ‘Te Trace ~ “Justice -- Council has $476.49 in ‘an account trans- ferred to thie ‘Bank of Canada from the lo- * cal TD. bank branch in Dec. 1996.. Its last Rad i in providing items.. . ” “It's -been. really fieat 10 have some: of ithe old- i ‘timers come in and tell their stories and: identify some a (OF the; ‘people. inthe: photographs,” ‘said MacKeniie." . The exhibit is: open daily-from 10.a.m. to-8 p.m. a nation. -Visilors will: ‘also be able ‘to ‘book a. historical’ = .. tour’ of downtown Terrace developed: by Cynthia Han: -- /sen,. the: ‘director’ and: curator of ‘Heritage Park’ “Mu-.- “The exhibit’ s photos were pit. together byt a Hazel.) ‘Historical Nillage, and: Museum in Hazelton... :.° 5" op When Riverboat Days: Society. chair. Brian. Downie .. an ee visited the exhibit-last:year, the idea. of. bringing: iLto oP pe - Terrace was born. “got really. charged : up and when “we showed pictures: to the: [Riverboat Days Society]. so oard, they ‘also. got excited and. we ‘knew we hag to | do. ‘jl, he said last-week.'- . i ~The: society. ‘applied for. and got: a ‘federal ‘prant: wo. “pay for expenses. and. to hire MacKenzie: and. her _ three: meinber crew. The building’ on: the corner of Ka- : lum arid Greig. has been donated by: Northern Drugs.“ “Downie and. ‘MacKenzie say the exhibit, combined with an: -aboriginal carving. exhibit al_the:Coast Inn of - » They’ye also.had help from. the: Heritage’ Park ‘Mu- " ‘build local. and ‘tourist interest in that development...’ “This location isa ‘perfect location: It’s almost Jike.- ‘a test’for this area which :is’a tourism ‘development zone, ue -added ‘Downié in: referring’, to. the moving of... Terrace: founder Gearg Little’ S. house, toa: ‘Spot: just: | 7 Fresh coat of paint | Street. The basement of the building, whi “udets = “had: no investor ‘stepped for- ward to take over the operations. when. ! _ “Most people: see this liability” “over ~ the last:two” years ‘as. Titerally a writes “ SAIN of. this is not al about: ‘supporting: : an, industry, ii's“-about: “Supporting. a “But wiping out: great portion’: of. -New, ‘Skeena’s red ink ‘is ‘expected to. - * ease ‘the: worries: ‘of ‘probable - investor ° ! Wosdbridge, a Toronto- based: ‘multi- Tt once -sdid: it was. willing’ 10 put $10. million into: New ‘Skeena’ =‘ape i “proximately, half of. What. is “needed to, re-start the company" ‘put then:Backed : off slighily: after expressing concerns about the: hard ling’ taken by “towns” when it ‘came. to: collecting. the. tax” contains $16, 000 — thorized. agent = can provide: sufficient : 1993 and-its-balance is. $16,671.45, according’ to: information on : : an in ati-account whose: last’ transaction date . ~ Was. Féb. 1, 1984, It-was sent.to- the Bank - of Canada: from the local CIBC: ‘branch i in . Dec, 1994..No address is" listed. - : “glaimed. because they. ; the 20-year. mark: and. ‘have. balances. ‘of ” rn less than $5005 > “JASON VORHEES puts a naw coat of paint on the old school house on 1 Kanney Will be renovated | in the fall: REBECCA COLLARD: PHOTO - EEE ze 2004 debt. _ Woodbridge * itself ‘is: now ) looking “for. another partner to share the cost of putting together a: financial’ package lo... enable. New. ‘Skéena to -come_ out of. _ bankruptcy protection. © °° ; New. Skeena: has: already ° ‘lined’ up a financial: and -other.: arrangements to - “cover the rest of the” ‘Gost of Te- opening ~ its operations. a ‘New “‘Skeena “is ‘due ‘back i in’ BC. : eluding: the: Write off. deal ‘with the” towns. 3! ye “AS “successful ‘go: “forward” plan” of New. Skeena’s: operations late, this ; yeat. en “Cont'd Page A a2. count | transaction: date was July. 1, 1986, rn Just like the’ “swimming poo und, " a there is no address’ listed: on.the. Bank: of. “ Canada’ s website.” ” so -> An. organization called ‘the Tertace Jw “Site “Club”. has $157.79. in ah account: ‘that-was: tcansferred fromthe: Royal ° ‘Bank. branch: here:i in Dec, 1998; Tis" last’ transac. ioticdate. Was. Sept. “1.1988: a d listed at 970: 163 Miller Ave: tit - “The. "Terrace: Soceér Club hias: $129. a1. And- ‘an, ‘organization: ; called: errace Association. of ‘People With Dis-’ _ abilities’ ‘, 0. vaddress' is. listed, - last. used — its: local” ‘Bank of . Moatreal’ account’ in _ Dees: 1984): ‘Tt has: a‘ balancé-of $111, TT oe sand was senit: to’ the | ‘Bank: of Canada: “in. ‘Dec. 1994, . bia : Both the soccer, ® aluby ‘and: disabilities. _ group: accounts will: ‘revert: to: the federal, government - the ‘end: of: | Phe’ Bank’ of. ‘Canadi* § website 7 “ (www. Bankofcanada.ca) contains a link to’: -its unclaimed, :balances:data. base. A>. search engine: ‘allows z a: ‘search by name of::. "person. or organization.It. allows,’ for_.in-. “staticey a’ ‘search for Broups . “Terrace” mse with: the:n name. 7 ‘Tait. ~ A ‘full list.of- dormant. accounts in ‘their ao ‘oth year | containing more: than $100. is * published in the. Canada: Gazette’ each : years ; The ‘website also. contains s information on how {0, claim a dormant account: ch acts as aftees for the schoo! istrict, ied se Kaiba ch @ Eachog dob bide disnica deed odes “Supreme Court: “Aug. 9 to oulline. its: ; . ~ Jatest: financial. ‘rescue. ‘package, ifs “ teached over-the next few. weeks could. ‘lead: toa re-opening of al. jeast some. the ade the: | :