AA - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 16, 1999 ‘TERRACE.: STANDARD ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 PUBLISHER: ROD LINK ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C. * V8G 5R2 TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 = FAX: (250) 638-8432 EMAIL: standard@kermode.net Too secret DURING THE heat of the Skeena Cellulose meltdown last year a persistent refrain came from the beleaguered company — it must cut the unionized workforce at its Prince Rupert pulp mill. A hefty payroll there was simply putting too much red ink on the company’s books. The company laid out its position as to how many jobs were to be cut and the union responded with its own suggestions. It was all hinged on a comprehensive renovation project designed to make the mill more efficient and able to run with fewer people. . That theme continued into the summer of 1997 and into the fall once the provincial government and the company’s bankers ended up with con- trol of the company. A year and change later, the company has cut its Prince Rupert non-union workforce and trimmed its office staff, represented by a dif- ferent union than the one for the pulpworkers. But little has happened on the pulpworker side with the exception of those workers on lay off. That’s a mystery given the company’s position of last summer. To be sure, the stalled go- forward financing plan, as approved by a Supreme Court justice in taking the company out of creditor protection was to lead to the efficien- cies and a leaner, meaner pulp workforce. Still, the company has been less than open about what it has planned and why its pulp work- force remains at such a high level. It’s a far cry from those days when the company was under creditor protection and was required to make regular and public reports about its progress. Company officials should re-read the decision of Mr. Justice Allan Thackray in approving the go-forward plan: If the Government ts going to go into business, — and especially when it is entering into an.enter-_ totally open manner. The Government is in «@ particularly vulnerable position in that its-busi- ness creditors are also its constituents. Its acts must therefore reach the level that is prescribed for the courts, t.e. they must not only be justifi- able but seen to be justifiable. AN AMAZING transformation is taking place in the city. Through a well-thought out plan and in conjunction with volunteers such as the Terrace Beautification Society, the greenbelt association and other citizens, the city is adding greenery and walking areas. One of the more visible efforts to date is the project centered at the intersection of Kalum and Greig. Curves, red brick sidewalks and trees are going in that will revive and enhance that section of town. We all too often criticize governments for wasteful expenditures and unwanted intrusions into the lives of people and businesses. Fair enough, but in this case the city council is doing good work. As Kermit the Frog says, ‘‘it’s not easy being green.’’ But in the end, the resulting greenery is worth it. PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brian Lindenbach PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS Jeff Nagel * NEWS/SPORTS: Christiana Wiens NEWS/COMMUNITY: Alex Hamilton NEWSPAPERS OFFICE MANAGER: Sheila Sandover-Sly COMPETITION CIRCULATION MANAGER: Karen Brunette ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Sam Bedford, Bunnie Cote TELEMARKETER: Patricia Schubrink AD ASSISTANT: Kelly Jean COMPOSING: Susan Credgeur AD ASSISTANT/TYPESETTING: Julie Davidson SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: $56.18 per year; Seniors $49.76; Out of Province $63.13 Outside of Canada (6 months) $155.15 (ALL PRICES INCLUDE GST) MEMBER OF ‘ 7 B.C. AND YUKON COMMUNITY Atari brent } o CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOC 7 AND WCNA., connor B.C, PRESS COUNCIL Serving tha Terrace and Thomhilt area. Published on Wednesday of each weak al 3210 Clinton Street, Torraca, British Columbia, V8G SA2. Stories, phatographs, illustrations, designs and typestyles in the Terrace Standard are the proparty of the copyright holdats, Including Cariboo Press (1969) Ud., its ifustration repro earvices and advertising jeapreduction in pas, without written permission, fs specifically prohibited, Feats sacond ess mall pandng to Poet Cos Copartvet, fr payment o oatgo fh bash. Speclal thanks to all our contributors and correspondents "for their time andtalents” _ 1998 WINNER CCNA BETTER Telated Crlowtie end Bete "” political The Zalm is zooming again VICTORIA — The newspa- per ad announcing that the for- mer premier was to speak to the provincial Reform faithful © spelled his name Bill Van der Zalm. It could have been a typo. On the other hand, leaving behind the familiar Vander Zalm spelling corld mean the B.C. Reform Party president is going to present himself to British Columbians in a new, “ presumable improved package. Mander Zalm, or should that be Van der Zalm, tried once before to convince us that he was a changed man, a man who had learned from his mis- takes, of which there had been "plenty. ; That was in 1986, when he announced that he was going after the leadership of the So- ‘The man we remembered then had had a fairly stormy career, the “most memorable aspect of which ‘was his ability to make nation- al. headlines with intemperate or outright stupid statements. During his stints as cabinet minister in various portfolios Vander Zalm had, for instance, complained about French on een FROM THE CAPITAL HUBERT BEYER com flake boxes. During a party convention, he had a stab at stand-up comedy by singing a song about frogs, which didn’t amuse our Quebec cousins one little bit And who could forget his . Jeader: f the. . “give them shovels’? remark, “+ ocial “Credit Party, vacated by > : : ve oP ¢ Bill Bernetth - * eee prise that was formerly private; it must act iva *|-- his own proposal to deal with welfare recipients. And rather than accepting the public rebuke that swept through the province like an avalanche, he proceeded to hand out minia-: ‘ture lapel pin shovels with gay abandon, That was the Vander Zalm © who, along with eleven other contestants, referred to as the dirty dozen, vied for the Socred leadership 12 years ago. To lay to rest any fears that he might not have the political or intellectual maturity a party leader and premier should have, our friend assured us that he was a changed man. Yessir, he had seen the error of his - ways and learned his lessons. As it tumed out, the one les- son he had failed to learn was to correctly assess himself. He was a changed man, all right, _ pulling the previous Vander Zalm to shame, becoming more outrageous and unpredic- table than he had ever been. If there were a trophy for achieving the near-impossible, Vander Zalm would have been the undisputed winner for single-handedly destroying in five years the mighty Social Credit Party that had ruled, the B.C. roost for most of the 40 years preceding his leadership. Those five years were Nir- © vana for people like me who covered provincial politics. None of us had ever seen any- thing like it, We didn’t have to dig for storics. We were awash ” in them. One of the first moves that backfired on. him was the opening of a prayer room in . the Parliament Buildings, The arrangement deteriorated when various denominations began quarrel- ing, and came unglued when a Satanists showed up, demand- ing equal time. Usually, all you had to do was wait for the man at the bottom of the stairs, leading to his office in the west wing of the Parliament Buildings. The moment he showed up, another headline was born. I never forget the day he ar- rived at the aforementioned steps and told waiting reporters that Canada’s judicial system — reminded him a lot of Nazi Germany. He was peeved be- cause he was being investi- gated for a variety of things that eventually would bring him down. (AJL. that is, of course, now “behind him. ‘Vander Zalrii‘is'a |”; changed man. The new spell- °°” ing of his name proves it beyond the shadow of a doubt. He has obviously learned from his mistakes and is ready to lead British Columbia to new heights of glory with the provincial Reform Party. Beyer can be reached at: Tel: (250) 920-9300; Fax: (250) 356-9597; hubert@coolcom.com Gov't has screwy priorities WHILE OTHERS spent their Labour Day weckend cleaning up the garden and greenhouse, camping, or visiting the fall fair, we watched and smelled a dead bear bloat. Saturday moming, as we were about to leave for a 9:30 appointment, a yearling black bear climbed into our yard from the street and shinnied up a birch tree, With a bear up our tree and — our dogs at the foot, we couldn't leave, We might come home to injured dogs. Worse, an injured or angered bear might atiack neighbour’s kids in their backyard. Results could be deadly, I phoned the RCMP. As we talked, I saw the bear climb highcr vuati] he reached the level of the hydro line going into the neighbour’s mobile home. Suddenly, like a cougar shot Boy! you VE “TRAVELLEP All OVER THE NORTH! HOW DO you KEEP YOUR RV SO NEAT AND CLEAN?) ' THROUGH BIFOCALS- CLAUDETTE SANDECKI with a tranquilizer gun, the bear tumbled through the bran- ches to the ground on the neighbour's side of our fence. It had electrocuted itself on the hydro line. “Phone Wildlife,” the RCMP dispatcher said, and gave me the number 1-800- 663-9453, I[t was busy. Eventually, in response to the e HnNG'S MESSY! 5a fr dispatcher’s call, a conserva- tion officer phoned. He said no conservation of- ficers were on duty until Tucs- day after the Labour Day weekend; the bear had to stay where it was until three days ° hence. However, if he was called out on an emergency, he would swing by. Wildlife isn’t an RCMP re- . sponsibility unless human life is threatened. Neither was I permitted to load the carcass into our truck and dispose of it at the landfill. To do so could see me charged with various wildlife offences and big penalties. So thanks to another area where government agencies fail to mesh, or to have ade- quate staff, by mid-afternoon in the 64 degree weather, blucbotties buzzed about the bear’s eyes, nostrils and mouth, an ‘ appetizing and LookS To ME LIKE THEY YesSed!’ THE WHOLe. POINT OF TRAVELLING !! healthful situation for the neighbourhood. Thirty minutes after my ini- tial call, two patrol cars ar- rived, Standing well back, the officers declared the bear dead. It lay on its buck as though sunning its tummy, green cyes wide open, ten feet from the neighbour’s car, thirty feet from his front door. Surround- ing grass hid it from people on the street or waiting at the bus stop. Tuesday no one in the Ter- race conservation office knew about our dead bear, but they did have it picked up within an hour of my phone call, How is it B.C. can afford to pay a retired, pensioned ex- premier $950 per day to head a fishery inquiry, but we can’t pay conservation officers to be on duty long weekends? Is this how we prove preserv- ing wildlife is our priority? quickly | E-mail: er ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee a ae rr a ed