i

services, cutting.

~ Hospital Tax; Comedy of

confusion continues —

With the Municipal Tax
Sale only a matter of hours
away, the ‘‘circus’’
surrounding the tax
payments: by the hospital
‘continues. Another letter to
council from the Mills
Memorial Hospital Board
Chairman of the Finance
Committee was read at
Monday nighl’s council
meeting and it resulted in
another victory for Cily
Hall.

The letter addressed to
the mayor and council is as
follows:- ;

On September 30, 1975, the
Mills Memorial Hospital
wrote to Municipal Council
asking for consideration in
the form of a grant in lieu of
taxes to cover the tax bill

resented by the

unicipality. for 1974-75.

read,

Also included in the request
was that the: District of
Terrace designate hospital
lands as non-taxable to be
included in the Tax
Exemption By-Law up for
revision at that time.

The hospital has not
received a reply to this
letter up to the present time.
May we at time time,
Tequest a reply and again
request that you include
hospital lands in the 1976

amendment to your. Tax

Exemption By-Law.

After the above letter was
Mayor Gordon
Rowilarid made it quite clear
that the statement made by
the Finance Committee
Chairman was not factual.
He, in fact, read into the
meeting a letter dated
December 4, 1975 sent to the
Board Chairman, then Bill

Hospital Board
makes futile gesture

The Herald has learned,
despite the Mills Memorial
Hospital Board's in camera
meetings, that after four
years of haggling and
bravade, the members of
the Board voted to pay the
$7,000 in taxes owing the
District of Terrace in back
taxes.

However the gesture is a
futile one as there is no
source of revenue from
which the money can be
obtained. The provincial
hospital authorities have
already indicated that there
is no known way that they
can authorize this payment.

There is still hope that
City Hall will relent in-
dicated by Board Chairman
Vic Jolliffe ‘ona CFTK open
line show in which he
suggested that the two sides
could solve the problem.

However Council, which
has already paid half this
amount to the School Board
and ‘the Kitimat-Stikine
Regional District, has no
intention of relenting even if

..it-had. the’ power.ta.rescind,

an account payable. Council
has timeand: timé again

board » request. the funds
from the Kitimat-Stikine
Regional District Board in
view of the fact that the
hospilal serves the com-
‘munity beyond Terrace’s
borders. ;

It would appear thal the
hospital grounds and a
chunk of the new con-
struction will be sold
tomorrow morning at
auction.. There is a reserve
bid to cover the taxes so
someone can pick up this
choice property and a piece
of a hospital for the $7,000
owing. ;

There are some com-
plications however. The
Hospital Board can still pay
back taxes for a year before
the sale becomes final. It
will have to pay interest and
costs to the successful
bidder however.

Chairman Jolliffe
speaking to CFTK’s Al
Parfitt mentioned

* possibility of Supreme Court

=the: BC. vAssessmen

action which again would
cost the taxpayer a pile of
money. - :
Chairman Jolliffe still
seems to feel that this is a
problem between -the
municipality _ and -the
Hospital Board. whereas the
decision to tax,came from

Authority and was subject.to

another at the

provincial
level, ao .

If “no one bids on the.

property tomorrow morning
it will. revert to. the
Municipality. ;

Hospital told to
cut costs ... or else

Rumblings coming out of
the Mills Memorial Hospital
Board of Trustee secrel
meetings indicate that. the
hospital is in such dire
financial straits that, a task
force had to come in from
Victoria to put the brakes on
spending. = -

It would appear. that the
Board is presently: locking
‘at a $235,000. operating
deficit which ‘is stil clim-
bing with three months still
to go in this fiscal year.

The task force of three
spent several days at the
hospital showing where and
how costs could be cut.
These involved-cutting back
slaif and
closing award. = *

In an effort to scale back,
a ward it would appear, was

indeed closed for a short’
time but had to be reopened
by a rash of new patients..

There also is discussion of

rescheduling surgical. cases
and indeed consideration is
taking place which would
see many surgical cases
being sent to Vancouver:
hospitals in an effort to

reduce the number of highly |

skilled personnel on -staff
now. Lay-offs in the less
skilled areas are also being
considered.

Whatever measures are.
taken British Columbia
Hospital Insurance Services
has warned the local
trustees that it will not
consider any overspending

this year as had been the

ease over the past few
years.

Terrace

-NOTICE

Herald instead of the usual 80.
customers are advised that’ cents because of the
our paper boys will be EXTRA edition delivered

your homes this week.

The Terrace Downtown:
Lions Club will be receiving
a grant in Heu- of rental of |
the arena banquet room
because of an affirmative

lie breaking vote by Gordon

Rowland.

collecting . $1. this week. to

Mayor save

. The Lions: jubmitted the «

following request ‘to
Council:- . Loos
_ Inthe past three years, we'
iave hosted an annual,
Hallowe’en party which was
held in two sections: .

6 p.m. - 3 p.m: -party for,
children iar
9 p.m. + 11:30 p.m.: party for
teenagers. .

This annual, event has

‘ peen very successful due

the large number of par-.

ticipants and we haye_

os ae Nese 82a wee ane ng Litas Sek AF uma, BO a

received compliments from:
embers of. the -Royal
Canadian. Mounted Police
about this event.

Weare planning this event
again this year, to be held on
Sunday evening, October 31,
1976, Although this event is
very popular’ itis also very
costly to our: Club as no
admissionis charged and all
refreshments, etc., are free.
As this project is of great
benefit to the community in
keepihg persons amused on
Hallowe’en night ' and
minimizing property
vandalism, we request that
consideration bé given to
waiving the normal rental
fee for the arena banquet

room and permitting us to

A

Harvey, in which it was fii

stated: -

Please be advised that the
Board's application to
Council for a grant in lieu of
taxes respecting Hospital
lands taxed in 1975 has Deen
given the consideration of
Council of the District of
Terrace. ;

May I further advise that
the request has been denied
with the recommendation
that “your organization
approach: the Regional
District for assistance, in
view ‘of the fact that the
Hospital is a regional
facility. .

I trust you will find the
above self-explanatory;
however should you have
any questions or require any
further explanation con-
cerning this matter, please
do not hesitate tocontact me
at your convenience.

From left to right are: J.G. McMynn, Mayor, Midway, B.C.; D.C.
Maroney, Alderman, Terrace, B.C.; D.A. Carmichael, Alderman,

PROVINCIAL LISRARY

PARLIANENT BLDS.

VICTORIA

B.C,

COMP.

Maroney studies
civic leadership in
disasters

Problems and respon-
sibilities in planning for
local government response
to disasters were studied
and discussed by about 40
mayors, reeves, aldermen
and other elected officials

i during a recent four-day

conference on civil
emergency planning at the
Federal Study Centre,
Amprior, Ontario.

The Conference of Mayors
and Elected Officials ‘in-
volving representatives
from all provinces and the
Northwest Territories was
held September 20 to 23, 1976
under the auspices of
Emergency Planning
Canada.

Since the program of
specialized conferences was
started in 1957, a total of 28

Granisie, B.C.;  $.K, Metcalfe, Alderman, Gibsons, B.C. English and 17 French
_ language studies have been
VOLUME 70 NO. 39 PRICE: 20°
' . i
C) voy . : _ ow Po nei oo rman eee owes eee er renee .
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1976 TERRACE, B.C.:

the. _at-Monday night’s council

‘fiasco. _. However,

Pn ea

_ Jollif

There was
speculation around City Hall
all day: Monday as to what
Vic Jolliffe would be saying

meeting: . Jolliffe had. ad-
vised the City Clerk that he
would be making . a.
presentation during the
Guest. and. Delegation

‘segment af. the meeting.
However. :he.completely +
refused “ta divulge © the

nature of his business.

ith,:the . Mills. Memorial -
Hespital: tax: delinquency .
r.
Jolliffe had something ‘quite
different to tell the coun-.
cilmen.. . a :

much .

Infact Mr. Jolliffe warned
Council ‘that its Horseshoe
Drainage Ditch diversion
project.. would result in a

* Jandslide which would in his

own words (1) Bury the
houses that were built below
the Skeenaview Hill and (2)
Bring the houses that sit on

top of the hill sliding down. .

Mr. Jolliffe had two maps
to. demonstrate his concern

and madeit:clear thata real °

danger exists asking that all

0

- in existance, be
studfed':)). 5,
- In a‘ written
Mr. ‘Jolliffe sai

“I wish to speak to you
this evening in regards to

presentation

lily.

the recently announced
Horseshoe Drainage Ditch
diversion. I would draw to
your attention what appears
to be a design-error — and
ask that you have the
following facts checked out.

Thearea of concern is the
plan to dig a Large ditch and
place an ‘eighty (80'") inch
culvert in this ditch along
the base of the Skeenaview
Hill. By digging along this
base and disturbing the

<2 Mast’. peaples; speculated . Work:be.suspended until an... natural: foundation, in- -
sa he woul i pperalg-eeneicering stddy,-plceady’ stalling w large pipe whieh”
\ I ‘two apeals by’the Hospital “with. the . ron

suggested thal the hospital’ ‘Bodrd,‘one “locally and-

could cause a.landslide on
this hill, :which would:

1) Bury the houses that
are built below it, and,

PREMIER BILL BENNETT'S announcement of his economic plans for
the northwest last week have not raised the hopes of residents in the
Terface area. Residents say Terrace, which suffers from more than 20
percent unemployment, needs jobs now, not in 1980. One resident. said the . -

cabinet should have'stayed home

trip instead.

s Lions child

broke by voting against the ©

use this room free of charge
for this event.
When the request was
read ta counci] Aldermen .
Gerry Duffus and Mary
Little indleated -relictance
of discussing the matter in
public and “asked that the
matter be dealt with behind
closed doors in a Committee
of the Whole meeting. -.
Aldermen Helmut
Giesbrecht and Sharron
Biggs immediately in-
dicated their. opposition to.

thig and insisted. that the .
‘matter be dealt with: in”

public,
The matter went to the

‘yote and resulted in a tie

which Mayor’ Rowland.

secret hearing.

Alderman _Giesbrecht
then made a motion that a
grant in Heu of_rental be
made to the Downtown
Lions. This was seconded by
Alderman Sharron Biggs.
“Alderman Mary, Litile
immediately ~“ debated
against this proposition. She
said that service clubs
should undertake as their
duty the organization of
their charitable projects, as
well'as financing them. — -
‘She suggested that the
free drinks ete., would
probably be donated to the

- Lions atno cost to them. She
-said these groups mace
plenty’ of money from such

and sent the community the cost of the

ren's party

things as circuses. and
should not need any help
from the city.

-.Duffus supported Mrs.
Little, although with less
vigour. He took the stand

‘that council had refused the

Kinsmen on’ at least two
occasions and since this had
been done all requests
should be refused. a
Alderman Biggs said that

‘this ‘effort by the Lions to

keep the children off the
streets reducing vandalism
is the only reason that she
would vote in support of any
such request,
Alderman Duffus said
that lhe city would have to
ya rather large bill for
cleaning up arid staffing the

is. intended,.to. carry. flodd --I-am:saying.

*. water, the Municipality

-are occuring

hesitation.

2) Bring the houses that
sit on top of the hill sliding
down. ;

If you were to walk up the
sidewalk on this hill you
would see that in the last
year it has.dropped two to
three feet at this point, right
above where the District
Engineers have surveyed to

8. 7
Mr. Chairmen, Members

of Council’ —: 1 am not an-+~ ;
“tried to speak to the City '
. “Engineer. on. six occasions
bubatall-times the‘Engireer
. was “either in conference or

engineer, bu! I ‘do not
believe. you have. to ‘be to
noorwhat

hderstandthe log

“Dupe you |
walk and see the area of
concern for yourselves.

My
by this plan, but as a citizen

Cabinet

Premier Bill Bennett and
members of his cabinet met
in Terrace last week in the
first of a series of
‘‘working’’ cabinet
meetings to be held in dif-
ferent centres in the
provinee.

The cabinet will meet in
Kelowna September 29,
followed by Prince George
October 7 and Kamloops
October 13. Dates of
meetings in other centres in
the province will be an-
nounced later. ;

Premier Bennett said the
meetings away from Vic-
toria are sesigned to
acquaint cabinet ministers:
with regional problems.
“Before and after the
actual cabinet session,

ministers visit adjoining ~

communities to meet with
local groups, and. tour

-facilities of particular in- -

terest to their portfolios.
This gives all ministers a

chance to look and listen so

that we can develop policies
in the future that will solve
some of the problems that

in the par-
ticular area.” .,

room during the parties. He
said that it would take six
people all morning to clean

The vote was called for

‘with Little .and .Duffus
‘yating against paying the

grant while. Biggs and

.Giesbrecht voted in favour,

Mayor Rowland was ‘then
called upon to break the tie

and he vdted in favour
without a moments

Dave Barrett, leader of

_the Official Opposition in

B.c., will be the guest
5 eaker at a banquet and

-qdance sponsored by the

all to take a’

home is not affected

and taxpayer of Terrace, I
feel ti:ai this matter should
be brought to your allention
before work commences.
Previous engineering
studies carried aut by Willis -
& Cunliffe, 1965, declared
this part of the hill unstable,
and recommended certain
work -to be carried out.

_ Perhaps that study could be
“reviewed.” 0”

* Jolliffe said that he had

on holidays”. — . .

Following the meeting
Jolliffe observed that he had
been cut off from television
coverage as the camera was

“working”

in Terrace

For example during the
trip. to northwestern B.C.
cabinet ministers visited
Hazellon, Smithers, Prince
Rupert and Kitimat either
before or after the cabinet
meeting.

Prior to. the cabinet
meeting in Terrace the
premier announced. that
Prinee Rupert will become a °
major coal porl as the basis
of long-range economic
expansion in northeastern

The ‘premier — said
development of port and rail
lines are expected to cast
between $50 and $70 million.
“This will be the economic
anchor beyond the forestry
industry. in this area.”

Mr. Bennelt said Terrace
would become the main-
lenance centre for the
railroad which will carry

-not only coal from. B.C.’s

northeastern coalfields but
also sulphur, potash and
coal from northern Alberta.

The cabinet meeting
heard briefs from 15 groups
representing the Indian
community,, labor and in-

Municipal

~ District |
“televised “live” by Skeerna' ©

held with over 2,300 elected
officials participating.
Following. deseriptive
preserilalions and analyses
of disaster threats. with
which elected officials of all
levels of government might
_be faced, conference studies
were largely devoted to
problems of pre-emergency
planning, immediate
disaster response, and
recovery actions by local ar
jeaders. By
means. of lectures,
demonstrations and
discussion groups the civic
officials dealt with unusual
responsibilities which they
and their administrations
would ‘have to bear to
coordinate arid deal ef-
fectively. with disasters
‘ranging from _ floods,
hurricanes, snow storms,
earlhquakes, etc. to nuclear
attack. :

PARK AVENUE | ©

EALTY. LIMITED.

Tet

fe predicts Kalum Hiil disaster

only turned on following his
presentation. ,
A CFTK spokesinan ex-
plained that when the
camera equipment was set
up somehow or. other the
piug into the electric power
supply had come out and
this was not noticed until
after Mr. Jolliffe’s stint
before council. He assured
that: (he. mishap was nat
intentional, -—-
~ All council and Regional
Meetings are

Broadcasters on . Cable
Channel 10. However, to this
point the audio has been so.
oor that the audience has
ittle or no chance to follaw
these meetings.

session

dustry and education and
community organizations.

Some of the groups
presented their briefs to t

cabinet and then met
privalely with the ministers

concerned to further explain

their concerns,

_At the conclusion of the .

cabintt meeting the premier
said the visit was “very
rewarding and educational
far all of us. We came here
to listen and 1 know that all
af. the ministers will return
to Victoria with a much
greater understanding of
the problems of your area.’

The premier said he is
looking forward to doing the
same thing in other regions
af the province. “I must
emphasize that these
cabinet meetings are not
public relations exercises.
They are working meetings
where, in addition to
transacting regular cabinet
business, we get an op-.
portunity to learn firsthand
about problems

of our province.”

B.C. Hydro starts
construction

B.C. Hydro has obtained
an initial building permit
from the District of Terrace
and is presently excavating
in preparation for con-
struction on the Industrial

Park site purchased last

year,

A contract valued at
$172,000 has been awarded
to F, Hedges Construction

Terrace New Democrats ‘on
Saturday, Octeber 9 in the
Thornhill Community
Center.

There will be a social hour

Lid. of Prince George for=

the foundation. .
The | architects

anlicipated that the com-

plete building will cost
tween §3.5 and $4 million, *:,

Dave Barrett guest speaker

at’ 6:30 p.m. with the
banquet starting at .7;30

p.m. Mr. Barrett will speak
at 3:30 p.m.

facing .
residents in different parts ~

wt vo

are ~
working on the working ~
drawings for the remainder
of the building and. this -:, -
should go to tender towards *-
the. end of the year. It. ig“

‘
r

7

Sh Neier M mnt eh A nt