TERRACE Northwest mayors want more of a say in how land claims are negotiated. They’re worried that settle- ments won't lake into account economic and other impacts on non-native people and com- munities. Mayors from Terrace, Kitimat, Prince Rupert, Stewart and Porl Edward made the statements in a Dec, 3 press release. The key to the mayors’ position Posties boost charities TERRACE — Post office employees here have chal- lenged businesses to give up Christmas gift exchanges at work. They want workers to in- stead follow their example of giving the cash equivalent to charity. “A couple people objected, but not many,”’ says letter car- rier Laurie Lindstrom of the plan she and two co-workers put together. They'll draw up a list of three or four charities and the 28 Canada Post employees will then vote on which one should get the money. An added incentive is a draw to choose an employee who can claim all of the amount on his or her income tax, said Lindstrom. “The last thing any of us _aheeds is another. bottle of bub- ble bath or box of choco- lates,” she said. Lindstrom estimates that ap- proximately $200 will be col- lected for a charity. Post office employecs will be making their choice this week. kkk kk The 24 people taking North- west Community College’s 10-month early childhood edu- cation course have done essen- tially the same thing. They’ve bought suitable for pre-school chil- dren and will be donating them to the Terrace Anti- Poverty Group Society. Those presents are instead of having a Christmas gift ex- change between class mem- bers, says course instructor Joan Turecki. “They jumped on it. They thought it was a great idea,”’ she said. Turecki said giving gifts to pre-schoolers seemed propiate because of the course being taken by the students. TERRACE — Kewal Bal will have to wail until next year to find oul whether council will ap- prove his rezoning request. Bal has applied to rezone two 3500 block Kalum St. lots from R2 low density residential ta C2 jocal commercial, He has indicated he wants to construct a convenience store on ihe approximately 18,000 sq.ft. site, located on corner of Scott and Kalum. However, that plan ran into stiff opposition from neighbourhood residents. is an “agreement in principle on the Nisga’a land claim scheduled for. completion next March. ’ But the position also. applies to other land claims, including. that of the Tsimshian, yel io-be nego- tiated, - os we want {0 know ‘the impict “the non-aboriginal com: vaunities prior to the signing of any agreements,” said Terrace mayor Jack Talstra last week. alternatives to the province as part of the negotiation process,” he added, The mayors. also want. the ‘provincial government to finance '- studies ta back up their positions. ; -. The problem, said: Talstra, is’ that municipalities don’t have the _ kind of information ‘and back- ground’ enjoyed by ‘natives and the federal and provincial govern- ments, same amount of moncy $140,000 — given by the pro- vince to the Nisga’a Tribal Coun- cil recently. ‘That. money is. lo help: “the , ‘Nisga’ a pay for their involvement in an interim protection measures agreement, It gives the. Nisga’a a ”, say in resource development lead- ing to a final claims settlement. Talstra called the mayors’ Te- quest another step in the effort to presents ap- the northern “We might want to suggest ‘In’ - particular, neighbours “wanted to know exactly what the cily by-laws allowed under a C2 definition and what Bal’s plans were, Asking council whether the de- velopment would include any- thing other than a store, Scalt Ave, resident George May said he had heard: ‘teverything from a ‘7- 11 toa pool hall.” | City planning technician Jack Hepplewhite pointed out an ap- plicant was not required to delail exacily” what his commercial plans were, at ‘attributes of a Kemano.”? “Suspended - with the greatest of ease with the assistance of th | -ness which allows young skaters to hone their jump ‘| ahicky in the background and out of picture is Leonar ropes. By increasing the young skaters’ “hang time”, the harness allows them to work on thelr mid-air maneounres. The club anticipates t the equipment will prove a valuable addition. - , sient figs | ¢ Anew report backs the hospital's drive to get a CT scanner _ They've asked for more the However, he added, the busi- ness must fit the “permitted uses’? crileria included in the city’s zoning, by-law. In the case of C2 that included such enter- prises as barbers, laundrettes and shoe repair shops as well aS con- venience stores. Linda Harris, a,.Kalum St. resi- dent, said she was concerned by talk of an amusement arcade being located in the store. Pointing out.there was a high . crime rate in the arca already, she . suggested | the RCMP be asked for. - their opinion if there was any | in- gain recognition from senior animation “FIRST AIRBORNE. Terrace Figure Skating club coach Tanya Warkentin sails through the alr e club's newest piece of equipment, a har- s skills. That’s assistant coach Shirley Pal- d Warkentin, holding the other end of the lent to install pinball machines and the like in the store. Poinling out Bal’s proposed store would be the third such op- _ eration in two city blocks, Harris said the city should be encourag- ing a better varicly of services within the neighbourhood, ‘‘not triplication of what's already - there’, Noting Bal \ was not present to clear up the. apparent confusion over what his. intentions. were, alderman Rick King suggested the cily ask the applicant for more information before going any [ fur- governments, “We had wanted direct inpul as a member of the (provincial) ne- goliating team. We have not got- ten very far but the province has made a belter attempt al keeping local people informed. ta some extent,” he said. But regular meetings now being held between municipalities and the province give only gencral in- formation, Talstra continued. “We're not really getting to the More Mayors up land claim ante meat and - potatoes: of any: topics. We're not getting the details of any setilement, We're not sure of the basis of the statistics,’ he said, Talstra said provincial officials will ask in general ways what municipalities think of issues such as public access to Nisga’a land. “We'll ask what the provincial position is and they say they can’t Cont’d Page A2 city homeless will freeze TERRACE — More of the city’s homeless people will freeze to death this winter if some kind of emergency shelter isn’t set up soon, predicts local anti-poverty fighter Gerry King. I think we're in for one bad winter coming up,’’ says King, a longlime advocate for the poor with the Terrace Anti-Poverty Group Society. ‘‘Something bas to be done immediately.” He was responding to the death by exposure last week of 52-year- old Daisy Wesley, She and her husband were living underneath a tarp on a vacant city lot off Greig Ave, ‘*There’s at least 30 others that I know of on the streets here in town,’ King says. “T wouldn't be surprised if we're looking at two or three more bodies before the winter’s over.’ “T's, appalling,’’ said Recon: - nect’s Tonce Sabine, who works with street children. “Its hard to understand how it can happen. But il does.” King says some kind of safe house or emergency shelter could be set up at almost no cost to take in street kids and adults who have 0 Daisy’s spirit lives on. See story on page Aj. 5 nowhere else to go. — “Tm sure the cily has buildings that aren’t being used,’’ he said. “Tt would take a minimum amount of work to get something . like that set up.” “T know with all the Christians | we've got in this community, . something could be done."” He said past efforts so far have : failed to set up any kind of safe ' house or hostel for the homeless. But he hopes Wesley’s death | will spark a renewed drive for a: shelter. ' “90s very — sad,” added | : Kermode Friendship — Centre : director Sadi¢ Parnell.:("We need to come together and start provid- ing something for’ our homeless people.’*. “Ty's tragic that this could hap- pen. It’s even more tragic that it took that to happen to get people to start asking questions and trying to do something about it.”” Nyce defeated; and Leeson returns TERRACE — One familiar, name has returned and another was defeated in band elections held in the Nass Valley recently. Harry Nyce, an executive mem- - ber of the Nisga’a Tribal Council, was defeated by Perry Azak in an attempt to be re-elected chief councillor at Gitwinksihlkw (Canyon Cily). Nelson Leeson, the public rela- tions officer with the tribal coun- cil, defeated incumbent chief councillor Henry Moore at Lakal- zap (Greenville). Leeson has been chief before. Both were elected to two-year lerms., ther. Reiteraling the argument he used in the case of ihe Sandover- Sly rezoning application, - alderman Bob Cooper said any decision on Bal's property should be postponed until after the pub- lic hearings on the recently released draft land use plan That plan offered two oplions for Kalum St, one of which designated it as an arca of future commercial development. Describiig northern end of Kalum St. as “one of the most controversial areas”’ looked at in A NEW WAY + Scouts will be allowing girls to join their ranks. At least some of them will | COMMUNITY * B1- Edward Azak and Steve Azak were elected as the two council- fors at Gitwinksihlkw. — The Lakaizap council has 11. positions and there were 24 can- didates, Elected were Eric Martin, Wil- lard Martin, Henry McKay, Kevin McKay, Vern McKay, James Moore, Clarence Robinson, Earl Stephens, Mitchell Stevens and Wilfred Tait, Nelson Leeson was also elected to a council position but since he was chosen chief councillor, that seat has become vacant anda by- election will be held next week. Council holds off on ‘store decision the LUP, alderman. .Danny Sheriden said he didn’t like either of the options put forward,. He therefore hoped the public, through the hearing process, would be able to put forward a third and better one. .- Council agreed unanimously ta delay any decision on the rezon- ing unlil the LUP hearings bad _ laken place. Although a. date has nat ‘yet been set for the hearings, admin- istrator Bob Hallsor sald they would not take place before mid- -January. a