_ Ad - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 1, 2000 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@kermede.net Logging talk A RECENTLY-RELEASED report on the northwest forest industry once again outlines the infuriating ability of governments to enact regula- tions which often do more harm than good. There’s no question regulations are needed. And there’s a solid case to be presented that regu- lations are necessary in the forest industry to en- sure trees continue to be planted, that logging is to be done properly and that the resource is man- aged for the future. In a sense, regulations are also meant to sustain the industry itself. But the assumption is that the industry being regulated is always at the top of the economic | heap, that markets are always good and that pro- fits can both withstand the cost that goes along with meeting regulations and provide tax revenue. This is not the case in the northwest where too many trees aren’t of a high quality and where it ‘takes a lot of money to get to those trees. In good times, the companies can make a go of it. When ‘markets fall off, those companies and the econ- omy suffer. The problem is that although industry income ‘drops, the requirement of meeting regulations -does not. So the very regulations meant to protect -and enhance a resource and an industry then be- come a weapon of destruction. Such is the scenario outlined in detail by Wes Cheston, a retired assistant deputy forests mini- _ ster and the man hired to recommend ways to ‘kick-start the northwest forest industry. Mr. Cheston is careful not to advocate a com- plete trashing of the overall regulatory environ- ment in which the northwest forest industry ‘should and mist operate." : ” Yet he does suggest that modifications are nee- ded which recognize the unique character of the northwest forests and the current state of the in- dustry. Specifically, what Mr. Cheston suggests is the ‘creation of a “special economic zone” in which these modifications would take place. Roads, a very expensive proposition up here, would meet Forest Practices Code requirements but not ex- ‘ceed those standards. Up to 30 per cent of logs | ‘could be exported in small batches as long as the © remaining 70 per cent was milled in the north- west or elsewhere in B.C. Of particular interest would be allowing inde- pendents to log wood belonging to a licence held .by a large company if that company doesn’t cut it first. This is already the case with wood under li- cence to West Fraser and that’s put many Terrace and area people back to work. All and all these are reasonable and moderate recommendations and should be at the top of the ‘provincial government’s agenda. The pity of it all is that it takes a crisis for this ‘kind of rational thinking to surface in the first place. . PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brian Lindenbach PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS Jcif Nagel » NEWS/SPORTS: Keith Freeman NEWS/COMMUNITY: Jennifer Lang FRONT OFFICE: Darlene Keeping CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR: Carole Kirkaldy ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Sam Bedford, Mark Beaupre & Stacy Swetlikoff TELEMARKETER: Stacy Swetlikoff DARKROOM/COMPOSING: Susan Credgeur AD ASSISTANT: Sandra Stefanik & Clare Hallock SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: $54.88(+$3.85GST) per year; Seniors $48.62 (+$3.40GST); Out of Province $61.69 (+$4.32GST) Outside af Canada (6 months) $151.60 (+$10.61GST) MEMBER OF . B.C. AND YUKON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION, C CANADIAN GOMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION i: AND # CNA conuuyety Newearets Ni B.C. PRESS COUNCIL Serving the Terace and Tkomnhill area. Published on Wednesday of each week at 3210 Clinton Streel, Tarraca, Brilish Columbla, VAG SR2. 1 Stories, photographs, illustrations, dasigns and fypaslyies In ihe Torraca Standard are the property of the ‘copyright holders, including Cariboo Prass (1969) Lid., its illustration repro services and advertising vagencies, . : . Repraduction in whole or in part, without writen permission, is specttically prohibited, Authorized as second-class mall panding ihe Post Office Dapartmant, for payment of postage in cash. Special thanks to all our contributors and correspondents --for thelr time and talents - AND REMEMBER ... - NO KABEIT PUNCHES, . " AND NO LOW BLOWS. ‘Clark's charges a blow fo Us all VICTORIA - Surely, not even those who absolutely hate the NDP can take delight in the criminal charges laid last week against Glen Clark, the former premier. The public already regards politicians with enough suspi- cion and contempt, we didn't need this to seemingly justify the low esteem in which they are held. First off, a reminder for the Clark bashers: The man is in- nocent until proven guilty. And don't tell me that goes without saying. I have already heard more than enough of what Leonard Cohen in his fabulous song “Closing Time” calls “Johnny Walker wisdom” declare that “of course he's guilty.” Ever since we found out that Clark was being invest- - .. gated by the RCMP, my pol- lyannaish nature wouldn't let me believe that he would be charged. So much for that. But aside of whether Clark will eventually be convicted or declared innocent, the blow to the body politic has been severe and the bruises will re- main for a long time. As we lurch toward the pro- vincial election sometime next spring, we get the feeling we've seen that movie. And “FROM THE CAPITAL HUBERT BEYER we have. Barring a miracle, the NDP will be utterly destroyed in the next election. It is the same situation the Socreds found themselves in nine years ago. The anticipa- ted annihilation of the NDP is an replay of the destruction of the Socreds in 1991. In both cases, the parties’ respective Armageddon can be directly attributed to the wrong choice of leader — Bill Vander Zalm for the Socreds, Glen Clark for the NDP. In both cases, party con- ventions opted for the flashy candidate as leader, in the hope that he might restore the party's sagging fortunes. Both men single-handedly reduced to pale shadows of their former selves the parties they led. Both managed to do so for the same reason: they tried to run one-man shows and believed in their own infall- ibility. Supreme arrogance brought their parties crashing down. The once mighty Social Credit Party which ruled the province for the better part of 40 years is but a memory today, and the New Democratic Party, a sta- ple on the provincial political scene for decades could face a similar fate. Both parties could have avoided tragedy. When they made their wrong choices, there were quite a number of right ones, In 1986, the Socred leader- ship convention had a dozen candidates to choose from, some of them excellent, others mediocre. “By far the best “choice ’ would have been Grace Mec- Carthy, the Grande Dame of B.C, politics, In 1996, the NDP leadership convention ignored its best candidate, Corky Evans, and chose Clark. Even before the bombshell announcement that Clark had been charged with breach of trust and fraud in connection with the awarding of a casino licence to a friend, the NDP was in terrible shape, unable to overcome three and a half years of Clark's in-your-face style of government. The charges will only exacerbate the party's problems. As for Clark's problems, [ wish we had been spared the sad spectacle of seeing a for- mer premier in court charged with criminal offences. Yes, 1 feel sorry for Clark. And I certainly feel sorry for his wife and young kids. For their sake, [ hope that Clark will be found not guilty. The Americans haven effec- tive lool to spare the public such displays. The incoming president grants the outgoing one immunity from whatever dirt is expected to be dragged up. I must say, I like it, even though it demonstrates that -there is justice for the average Joe and then there is justice for ex-presidents. In the absence of anyone giving the ex-premier immun- ity, I may as well continue to ride my pollyannaish wave and predict that Clark will be found not guilty. At least, I hope he will. Beyer can be reached at: E-mail: hubert@coolcom.com; Tel (250) 382-6900; Web http://www. hubertbeyer.com Creating the ties that bind us “THE EASIEST WAY to have your family tree traced is to run for public office.” - Car- olyn Coats For all our advanced com- munications and travels with e-mails and transcontinental flights, many of us are so alie- nated from our family history we don’t even know the first names of our grandparents or how they met. This fact came out last week when 15 women gath- ered for a workshop to learn how to write their own life stories. At least five of us, aged 25 to 65, were so unacquainted with our ancestry we didn’t know basic information about our personal histories. To. be so aloof from third generation relatives must be unimaginable to anyone from a gregarious family. For the rest of us, the reasons are sim- ple and clearcut. Often we had no particular me RTENITHESE fies Pb ae | ‘THROUGH BIFOCALS CLAUDETTE SANDECKI curiosity about family history when we were younger. Our parents were too reserved and standoffish to be approached about relationships. Our mo- thers may have been too busy to bother with our childish shatter, Some were told, “Sit down and keep quiet.” One main curiosity squel- cher was we simply knew bet- Hi Tomy’ Perey! Eppig! “THE AREN'T THEIR NAMES! g ter than to ask. To ask would be to revive sorrows or kindle resentments long buried, I never asked because I feared I'd soon be awash in sentimental tears. I'd have had my Dad clearing his throat, wiping his eyes with a cal- loused thumb, and honking into his cotton hanky, Unless an ambulance was speeding up the driveway, Mom had no pa- tience with my tears. The younger women al the workshop have time to trace their family roots by cornering a chatty aunt during Thanks- giving dishwashing, We older folk are left reading family do- cuments or visiting cemeteries. Workshop attendees are keen to write their life story not only for themselves, to assess their life’s journey, o catalogue their achievements, and to re-route their progress, but to leave a paper trail for their offspring to read and enjoy —- or swear at. fYou MEAN You TOYS LILA THER MEN'S NAMES ON YOUR CLOTHES? £ If they’re worried about haw a son or daughter might react to what’s said about them, they can do what Margaret Laur- ence and other notables have done: stipulate in their will that their memoir is to be sealed until they’ve safely passed on. As a grandmother, I can convey in personal terms the monumental changes in life- style over the past 60 years. Nary a day goes by a grand- daughter doesn’t ask, “What did you do for fua when you had no computer, no TY, no McDonald's?!” They beg, “Tell us what we did funny when we were little.” Or that showstopper, “What was the biggest fight you ever had with Grandpa?” Anyone can write well en- ough to tell the stories that you feel are worth passing on. Al the very least, young folk de- serve to know Grandma and Grandpa’s first names and how they met. No! £ MEAN! we! TTS LIKE STYLE! AND.. UH SEEMS OKAY ATLEAST.