Do you think there is anything —

that can be done io relieve the
current housing shortage in

Shelley Vandale

| heard there is
income housing being
built across the tracks,
but ! don’t know who
they’re for. | don’t know
what the city policy is, but
low-income housing is
really needed in Terrace.

low-

Cinnamon Costello

[ think maybe people
could lower rents a little
so renting is more afford-
able. And build more
houses.

Al Reid

Get some kind of incen-
tlve from the government
to encourage people to
build. There’s really not
‘much money in renting
anymore, not after you
pay the taxes and what-
not.

Terrace?

ea

ngela Ryan
Maybe build a few more
affordable apartment
buildings. Some places
have basement suites to
rent, but not everyone
wants a basement suite.

Sherri Johnson

} don’t know. Maybe
build more apartments,
but apartments aren't
always the answer, espec-
ially for people with pets
ahd animals. We definite-
ly need more houses in
this area.

Bob Cuddeford, Nicole

Collison, Nicole Fick
- Have more people rent-
ing extra rooms; lots of
people have unused
rooms that could be ren-
ted. Bulld more apart-
‘ments and more low-cost

housing.

TERRACE — The results of a
couple of marketing surveys have
started to roll in, and it appears
that the city’s concept of a com-

- munity convention centre might
need to be reworked. In general, .

city aldermen are pleased with the
response to the surveys, but not
necessarily with the profile that is
beginning to develop.

As far as attracting major out-of-
town events is concerned, it’s a
split decision. There’s a 50/50
chance Terrace "might" be
selected, but half those bookings,
if made today, might be for a date

some five years from now. We.

could expect to see 100 people
show up at the average event.

Our physical location doesn’t
seem to be a deterrent, and local
recreational opportunities would be
a great attraction. The most impor-
tant factors, neither of which the
city can control, would be reliable,
convenient transportation and good
accommodation.

The first of the two surveys was
sent out to 158 companies and
organizations in B.C. and neigh-
bouring provinces and states. To
date, 33 responses have come in,
only one of which stated the res-
pondent would actually consider
holding a conference here. Of the
balance, 15 said “Possibly” and 16
said "No".

How soon would they come? Of
those who said they might consider
holding a conference here, if we
had the facilities, six are thinking
of the next three years, six the next
three to 10 years, and six aren’t
sure when they might want to hold
a conference here.

How many people would be
coming? Twenty-seven of the 33
respondents responded to a ques-
tion asking how many people
normally attend one of their
events. Fourteen said less than a
hundred, 11 said between 100 and
500, and only one said more than
500.

A final question asked the res-
pondent to priorize their major
requirements if they were to con-
Sider Terrace as a destination. A
Suitable conference facility and
reliable transportation ranked first,
accommodation second, meals and
entertainment third and recreational
Opportunities fourth, Of less con-
cem to most respondents was the
location of our community; only
four ranked this as a major con-
cem.

_ Well, if we’re not going to
attract a number of major events
from out of town, what about local

~users? Eighteen of 37 groups

polled have responded so far, and

Mixed results from —
convention survey

there doesn’t appear to be any Teal
excitement here either. Well over
half the respondents already hold
regular meetings in town and only
one of the 18 respondents would
be encouraged to meet more often
if there were a community conven-
tion centre here.

The average miecting would
attract about 30 or 40 people and
some of the participants would be
overnighting here. The meeting
would likely be regional in nature.
Some would be in the form of
seminars or workshops but an
equal number would probably be
dances, dinners, Christmas parties
and similar social events.

But as far as meetings ate con-
cerned, there may or may not be a
problem with the community-
convention centre. Sixteen of the
respondents hold annual general
meetings but only five of those
groups actually said they would be
interested in holding their meeting
in a community/convention centre.
Eight said they might,while three
responded with a very definite
"No",

It should be made clear, though,
even though it appears most
responses that are coming have
already been received, there are
still a few coming in. The picture
painted here could change a bit.

Also, this is only a preliminary,

locally-organized survey and not a
Gallop poll or referendum result. -

What this information allows,
says tourism and economic deve-.

lopment officer Peter Monteith, is
for the city to begin developing a
business plan and make a few
financial projections so everyone
knows exactly what's involved.

One response to Monteith’s sur-
vey came from alderman Ruth
Hallock. She wondered if perhaps
the city shouldn’t consider a “les-
ser plan"; a less ambitious project.
Jack Talstra replied by saying, "A
public hearing and a business plan
will give us a better idea,” and
alderman Danny Sheridan offered
the "chicken and the egg” concept.
What comes first? Building the
centre or booking the conventions?

Outgoing council member Dave
Hull, though, was not discouraged.
Rather than downscaling the pro-
ject, he suggested downscaling the
name from a community-conven-
tion centre to a community-
conference centre. "Conference has
a downscaled sound," he said. And
as. for the library, according to
Hull there’s a "very real chance
the library will be in the ’conven-
tion’ centre". .

Party turns into bust

A party in the 4500 block
Straume Ave. came to an abrupt
halt. early Sunday morning. The
25-year-old host was charged by
RCMP under the city’s Noise
Control Bylaw. According to
RCMP Cpi. Gary Moritz, police
received complaints of a noisy
party in a Straume Ave. apartment
earlier in the evening but the
tenant was let off with a warning.

The complaints contined, however,
and at about 4 am. RCMP
retumed to the scene and the
tenant was charged under the city
bylaw, :

Charges of this type may provide
future relief to neighbours of noisy
parties. Under the city bylaw, fines
range from $100 to $2,000 for a
first offence and $300 to $2,000
for any subsequent offence.

qi BE.

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