The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 11, 1999 - A3 2 News In Brief Canoeists rescued THE TERRACE Water Rescue tcam saved the day at the Riverboat Days duck race Aug. 2 after a canoe carrying a local man and his two children overturned in the Skecna River. David Jephson of the team said it was at the race in case anyoue feli into the fast-moving water. Jephson said the man’s canoe overturned when it bit the large sct of rapids located near the pumphouse. "They were. six to cight foot standing waves,” be Said. “It’s a bell of a ride." The maa end the children were Wearing personal floatation devices which retain body heat and Kept their heads afloat. “They all had lifejackets on which | think saved their lives,” said Jephson, The man and his children made it down the rapids aud were able to grab hold of their canoc to begin kick- ing, to shore, But because the shoreline is littered with *“sweepers’”’, floating trees, the canoe hit onc of them, pinning the man and bis children, Jephson said is very dangerous when people get near sweepers since its easy for people to get caughil up inl tree brasiches, The man was able to get his children onto the tree but didn’t have the energy — due to the freezing waler — to get himself to shore. Rescue swimmer Fred Adair, who was equipped with a dry suil, flippers, lifejackct and helmet, was able to help get the man and his children onto shore and to safely. The canocists suffered minor cuts and bruises. Czech hiker killed in fall A SPECTACULAR journey down the Stikine Crops suffering th By ALEX HAMILTON loses woes mons DON'T EXPECT to nibble ~~ : os Jocal com or other home- grown vegetables anytime soon, The cold and wet spring weather has delayed harvesting for five to six weeks, say local farmers, Diana Penner, who helps manage ber parents’ 30-acre farin on Braun's Island, said it’s iffy whether or not Ter- race residents. will get ta savour locally grown corn this summer, “Everyone’s way hind,” Penner said, She said farmers were dealt a: “cruel whammy”? this’ year with rain, cold weather and flooding. In the 30 years she’s been farming, she’s never had to deal with’ such an ugly Spring. Penuer’s corn is far behind the five feet high it should be this time of the year, “It’s pretty’ pathetic,’ Penner admitted, Her peas and potatoes ‘haven't been growing well eilher, ‘We should be picking now, but. [the vegetables} haven’! even flowered yet,” she said, What is growing well for is year be- Ste: a : of Terrace, As with other farmers, crops have been suffering because of the rainy and cool weather that occurred here the early part of the summer. ORGANIC FARMERS: That's Maureen Bostock, on the tractor, and Elizabeth Schneider. They own the 146-acre Crowsnest Farm, about 50 kilometres east her year are fruits and ber- ties. It appears that straw- berries, cherries, blueber- ries, taspberries and apple trees have adapted to the cold, wet weather, Emma Koerner, who keeps a five-acre farm in Old Remo, said this is the worst sunimer she’s had in 34 years of fanning. Her tomatoes, = which should be ready to sell at the farmers’ market, remain as smnall and hard as litle mar- bles. - Sixty per cent of her potatoes were lost when the Skeena River flooded her fields, and the cold weather has affected her cucumbers, cabbages, onions, lettuce, beans, peas, and every other vegetable she planted, “The cabbage is only six inches — ‘it should be form- ing beads,’? she said. Whether |. or - squashes do well depends on how hot and sunny it is this month. As for com, Kocrner said hat :°-ber. she didn’t even bother plant- ing any this year, What worries her now are the slate of her strawberries as rain could rol the fruit. Certified organic farmers Maureen Bostock and Elizabeth Schneider, who own the 136-acre Crowsnest Farm 50 kilometres east of Terrace, said many of their crops didn’1 make it through the stormy spring, Bostock said ail of her com, which needs a intense heat and sunlight to grow, is lost. “If you don’t get the heat, you don’t get the com," she Bostock said. ‘‘It needs the full 90 days of sun,’’ Bostock said she won't have any mustlard, beets, carrots, onions, broccoli, let- tuce or spinach either this year, Aboul an acre of her crops. ‘Was. wiped" out by ground- “walter flooding. Other vege- tables have been affected by the cold weather. She said she hasn’t been able to sell anything at the farmer's markel this year Sitice all she’s been able to harvest are strawberrics, new potatoes, and — hay. Normally she’s at the fam- ers’ market at the beginning of June. “EUs depressing and frus- ating but weather is the weather and you have to roll with the punches,” she said, But when one crop falters others flourish, Bostock’s hay, garlic, strawberries and potatoes are thriving, In fact the hay, she said, is the best she’s ever had. So far she’s got 1000 bales from 20 hectares of hay. , “At least there are some peckets of hope,’’ Sclineider said, “That’s the advantage of having a mixed farm — some things grow well when others don*t,”! Although many farmers’ vegelables may not tum oul this year, they all scents to follow the planter’s philaso- phy. igo, where.” Hausen made the commeits after a visit recently to Terrace and to Kitimat. lal here lo temporarily freeze count exceeds 15 on-ils general medical ward. MLA criticizes nurse shortage THE PROVINCIAL govesmment should have been better prepared for a nussing shorlage it knew was coming, says the Liberal opposition health critic, lnstead, hospitals are being forced to manage from crisis to crisis without a long-term plan, says Colin Hansen, the MLA for Vancauver-Quilchena. “They kuew there was going to be a problem three years ” said Hansen. “This is a problem going on every- The shortage of nurses has forced Mills Memorial Hospi- admissions if the patient Hansen said the nursing Shortage issue isu’t one where money cat simply solve Ue prublem: “Sure, the maney has to be there, But this is also a mat- ter of uncertainty, Without along term plan, you can’t ad- dress the problem,’' he said. One possible ‘solution’ fronted by Hansen is finding nurses who, for one reason or the other, have left the profession.” With :some ‘programs: to-bring ‘them up to date, they culild possibly. lie ‘ised lo'ease the shorlage,’’ the MLA said. a : Overall, Hansen said the nursing lifestyle issues of strained budgets and too much overtime are making the profession less attractive, River turned tragic for a group of European tourists July 30 when one of them died ina hiking accident. Karel Turton, 42, of Opava in the Czech Republic, died instantly when he fell about 20 metres from a precipice above a waterfall, said Telegraph Creck RCMP Const. Peter Berndsen, The group had gotten about halfway down the river when they took a hiking side trip, he said, Berndsen says it was the first tourist death in the area in his four years there. Unemployment rate falls UNEMPLOYMENT in the northwest dropped more than half a point to 8.5 per cent in July from the month before. That’s about where it was in the spring, prior to June’s blip up to 9,1 per cent. This region’s jobless rate remains where in the interior. The provincial average held steady at 8.6 per cent. Unemployment was worst in the northeast at 10.7 per cen! and lowest in Victoria, at 7.6 per cent. The number of people employed in the northwest region rose by 1,800 full-time jobs in the last month. Province-wide employment has continued to decline, ‘Will lhe ‘iuinber-of people cinployed down: 15,200 since June. a ; Jower than any- ¢ ARCTIC CAT * KAWASAKI ¢ SUZUKI Hurry in for this limited time offer. We’re your place for prime prices, finane- ing and A.T.V.’s ‘Gear up now for the hunting season! MONTHS PAYMENTS 00 per month NEID ENTERPRISES LTD. Your Recreation Specialists 4921 Keith Ave., Terrace, B.C. 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