A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, Aprii 23, 1997

TERRACE.

STANDARD

ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988

A Division of Cariboo Press (1969) Ltd.
ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C. * V8G 5R2
TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 * FAX: (250) 638-8432
EMAIL: standard@kermode.net

Go, Jack, go

HE’S NOT only the most senior of municipal
politicians in the northwest, he’s one of the more ,
effective. And lately Terrace mayor Jack Talstra
must be thinking he’s acting more as a member
of the provincial legislature than as the elected
head of the city given the events of the past four
months .

There’s been, for example, the Repap fiscal
meltdown, logging issues surrounding that com-
pany and other forestry operations and fishing
licence fee increases. Singly, each of these issues
has an impact on Terrace and area. Collectively,
they add up to a whole lot of worry. All call for
accountability on the part of the provincial
government.

Throughout this Mr. Talstra hasn’t been a ranter
or a raver. He’s kept his head for the most part
and has employed to the maximunr his skills as a
listener and reasoner. There was one exception
— a verbal aside when Mr. Talstra said that what
the northwest needs is a political party in tune
with the region, and not a body tied to whatever.
the south wants. And that’s not far off the mark,
should Mr. Talstra alter his thinking just a little. .

He wants council to endure another think tank
exercise — an occasion when the elected mem-
bers of the city ponder what’s going on and what
should happen. These, unfortunately, take part in
private and that’s hardly what’s needed in Ter-
race this year. And it tends to follow one weak-
ness of Mr. Talstra and his council — the:
tendency to hold too many council in-camera
sessions when none are required and where the
reasoning is suspect.

Instead of a monk-like cloister exercise, Mr.
Talstra and his council should consider hosting
an old-fashioned, doors-wide-open town hall
meeting. In doing so, Mr. Talstra and his council
have the opportunity to hang out all the laundry,
develop key points for the council and its
citizens to act upon.

If we fail to get the south’s attention on issues,
it’s because we’re not acting as one body. A
town hall meeting just might be the start of
changing that.

Growing up
BACK IN the old days northern towns were
defined by their primary industries. But things
have changed in the consumer-driven and
service-sector oriented 1990s and the perfect ex-
ample here is the coming Canadian Tire outlet.

It’s location on the highway heading west of
town is going to define the future of that area and
become a powerful magnet to the already grow-
ing numbers of people who come from through-
out the northwest to shop here.

It’s also going to change traffic patterns. Most
startling is the news that the vehicle draw to the
Canadian Tire location has already figured in the
city’s calculations about what to do with Lanfear
Hill because it will act as a connector from the
bench to the store.

. It’s but another sign that Terrace is rapidly ac-
quiring all the characteristics of a modern city.

* ~

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~ Serving the Terrace and Thorbill area. Published on Wednesday af each weck by Cariboo Press (1969)
Lid, al 3210 Clinton Streel, Terrace, British Columbia, V8G 5A2.
Stories, photographs, Hlusttations, designs and typestyle in the Tertace Slandard are the property of the
copyright holders, including Garibco Press (1969) Ltd., its tlustration repro services and advertising
agencies. :
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Authorized as second-class mail pending tha Pos! Otfica Department, for payment of postage in cash.

Special thanks to all our contributors and correspondents
for thelr time and talents

ode

“THE VANCOUVER STOCK EXCHANGE
A GRIGHT SIDE To BREX

FINDS

Here’s another fishy story

VICTORIA — Asking the
public what its opinion is on a
certain subject is an iffy busi-
ness, because the answers can
be strongly influenced by the
way the questions are asked.
One of the more odious ex-
amples of tying to extract the

‘desired answer by phrasing the

. spending

question in a deliberately mis-
leading way was the last
Quebec sovereigaty
referendum, which made ab-
solulely no mention of separa-
tion,

Still, properly asked, a ques-
tion pul to the public, it is
believed, can yield important
information about how people
feel about a certain issue
which, in tum, enables govern-
ments to develop policies the
public will support.

Well, a recent survey of pub-

lic awareness of and attitudes |

toward he B.C, salmon fishery,
its problems and possible solu-
tions, should make govern-
menis think twice before
more money on
opinion polls.

The survey was commis-
sioned by the B.C, Fisheries
Secretariat and conducted by
Environics Research Group
Limited.

The objectives of the study

» were: to delermine how con-

cem over the survival of the

‘ salmon fishery ranks as a
“resource issue among British

Columbians; to measure
awareness of current efforts to
make the salmon fishery

FROM THE CAPITAL:
HUBERT BEYER

sustainable; to find out whom
British Columbians blame for
problems with B.C, salmon
stocks; to determine what steps

‘should be taken to make the

salmon fishery sustainable and
to determine attitudes toward
he federa? Mifflin Plan.

Environics surveyed 703
British Columbians, including
173 residents of the coastal and
northern Vancouver Island
region, A sample of this size
yields resuits considered ac-
curate within plus or minus 3.7
per cent, 19 times out of 20,

The first thing the B.C.
government can learn from the
results of the survey is that il
can’t depend on public awarc-
ness to formulate policies, at
least not any policies regarding
fisheries.

Only about nine per ceat of
British Columbians rank

fisheries, including shrinking

salmon stock, as high on their
list of environmental issues,
compared with 33 per cent
who expressed alann over
forestry-related matters.

You'd have expected more
public awareness of the B.C.
fishery problems, considering
the publicity surrounding the
issue. Then again, global
warning, an issue not to be tri-
fled with, was mentioned by
only one per cent

Once the polisters zeroed in
ihe fishery issue, 63 per cent of
those surveyed said they
believed the B.C. salmon
fishery was in poor shape. Ten
per cent thought it was in good
shape. They probably don’t
read the papers or watch the
news,

Another zinger came whea
people were asked in connec-
tion with which other issue
they had read, seen or heard
about B.C. salmon during the
past few months.

After all the kerfuffle and
publicity surrounding the pro-
posed reduction of the B.C.
fishing fleet, only three per
cent of the respondents
credited the (federal Fisheries
Miaister Fred) Mifflin ‘Plan
with having brought the sal-
mon fisherics issue to their at-
tenlion. Another three per cent
said they bad picked up some-
thing about salmon in connec-
tion with fish farming.

After being told about 12 dif-
ferent possible threats to
B.C.’s salmon fishery, a whop-

ping 71 per cent said American
over-fishing was a very major
or somewhat major threat. Pol-
lution was chosen by 67 per
cent. Yankee-bashing is alive
aud well,

Fifty-three per cent said
provincial government mis-
management was a very major
or somewhat major threat to
the salmon fishery which, con-
sidering that the province has
next to no jurisdiction over
fishery, docsn’t speak too well
of the level of public aware- -
ness.

Based on the fact that more
than half of those surveyed -
blamed the B.C. government
for the mess the salmon fishery
is in, you’d think that giving
the province more responsibili-
ty over the resource would be
the furthest thing from _

“‘people’s minds. Not'so.

Fifty-one per cent want the
provincial government to have
total or primary responsibility, |
while another 36 per cent want
equal power-sharing with the
Feds. Only three per cent want
the province to have no say at
all. Well, at least the majority
got its wish. A new federal-
provincial deal, just signed,
gives B.C. a lot more say over
fisheries.

With goofy results like that,
you tell me if we should spend
money on surveys.

Beyer can be reached at:
Tel: 920-9300; Fax: 385»
6783; E-mail:
hubert@coolcom.com

Backyard fires are a hazard

A NEW Aiyansh family is
lucky to be alive following a
house fire April 8 that
destroyed thelr home and its
coments, There was no

, Fesponse from the fire depazt-

ment, Weckend Advertiser,
April 12/97,

Why was there no response
from the fire department?

Maybe New Aiyansh
volunteer firefighters weren't
sure if the alarm was genuine,
or simply one more false alarm
or backyard fire choking the
neighbours.

In recent weeks, Thornhill
volunteer firefighters have
been summoned numerous
times by false alarms. They've
alsa altended a number of
backyard burns where burning
regulations were ignored,

- How do I know? I work with
a volunteer firefighter. When
his beeper goes olf, he whips
off his upholsterer’s apron and
Sprints to his car. [f he returns
in less than 30 minutes, I know

WASN'T THE FORMER.

MINISTER COMMITTED
TO OPEN GOUERNMENT 7

THROUGH -BIFOCALS

CLAUDETTE SANDECKI

the call didn’t amount to much.

In many cases, a worried or
annoyed neighbour has called
the fire department. These
days, often where there’s
smoke, there’s ire. No longer
do neighbours tolerate pollu-
tion deliberately created by in-
considerate property owners
too lazy to haul their refuse to
the landfill and too cheap to
pay the dumping fec.

Where once it was routine to

AND TRANS PAREN TF

heap up everything you wanted
to get rid of — from dead grass
rakings to cedar stumps and
bum it before fire season,
that’s no longer acceptable.
Environment Canada has
stringent rules for burning.
Heaps can measure only so
hig, ending blazes that rivaled
Atlanta’s burning in the final
reel of Gone With the Wind.
Tires, carpet, linoleum, vinyl,
plastics must be property dis-
posed of by a licensed landfill.
Forestry. expects cven the

- smallest fire to be altended at

all times, preferably by two
people, with water, hoses, and
shovels ready just in case,

In theo.y, anyone who ig-
nores these rules can face a
fine. In practice, I’ve yet to
hear of anyone being charged,

Terrace has a by-law curbing
false alarms. Not Thornhill.

Neither does Thornhill have
any way of recouping the cost
of mustering: firetrucks and
crews when they’ve proceeded

with all due speed only to find
their services unnecessary.

Volunteer firefighters
sacrifice their family life when
they put themselves at our
beck and call. They live with a
beeper clipped to their belt. In
addition, every Thursday is
practice night, year in and year
out.

Yet we expect them to
respond immediately, day or
night, regardless of whether
they’re at work, tuning up the
outboard = motor Saturday
afternoon, or driving their fam-
ily to McDonald's for Sunday
lunch.

If volunteer firefighters
weren't dedicated to protecting
life and property, they
wouldn’t sign up. The least we
can do is behave sensibly, act
cautiously, and minimize
nuisance alarms.

If we don’t, we could share
the fate of the New Aiyansh
family — no response from
our fire department.

THEN WHY ARE You \[HE SAID You

MANAGEMENT POLICES ? SHREDDING ALL . |}/NORTHERNERS
a! Documents 71) APPRECIATED
HiS VERY FIRE STARTER
OWN MoTTa |
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