B6 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 12, 1999 wows PORTS oun ROB BROWN ean Chretien is a dissembler, In the run up to the bizarre election that saw the as- cendancy of the reformist neo- conservatives, and the ear dis- appearance of the Tories from the Cana- dian political map, the Prime Minister-in-waiting promised to get rid of the GST. Once elected, the not-so-honorable Jean charged the Honorable David Anderson with this task. Before we could say True Grits, Mr. Anderson was presiding over fish and the much-hated tax was still with ws like an ex- ecrable excrescence that simply can’t be removed, That was one big lie. Another spectacular fib was Chretien’s vow to re-examine the Free Trade the south. Instead of giving the first free trade deal a hard look, as he’d promised, our PM elect rushed head Jong into the North American Free Trade Agreement, began ‘schmoozing Chile, then in- structed his minions to enter into talks involving the mother of all trade agreements, the MAI, and he did all of this despite the fact that polls showed that the majority of Canadians were opposed to the first *“free’* trade deal. Free trade, as it turns out, isn’t free at all, On the contary, it’s extraordinarily expensive for us and extraordinarily lucrative for the multinational cor- porations who are the driving force behind it. If you want to gain an appreciation of how expensive context of this so-called free trade, Along with air and dirt it’s one of our most pre- cious resources, and, like the other two, it is diminishing in its pure and usable form thanks largely to industrial contamination. Water determines the shape and texture of the land and whether it will be rich or poor in the eyes of man. Water is crop fuel, it is fish highways, its a bit or a lot of everything. Not a single drop of B.C, water is unused, every drop has.a role to-play in our well being; there is no surplus water in this province, in fact, the notion of surplus water is bankrupt. In the 1980's the Socred government stupidly let the genie out of the bottle when it promoted the ex- port of water, In 1990, half a dozen licenses were issued for bulk water export. This act opened the floodgates and applications poured in. Enough of the public were alarmed by conservation concerns flowing from the export of B.C. water, that the Socreds placed « moratorium on its export, As far back as I can remember the Yanks. have been pushing for some kind of transcontinental authority with governance over the water and power. Every time there is a serious drought in Cal- ifornia, as there was late in the last decade, the idea of NAWAPA (the North American Weter: and Power Authority) rises from the swamp. This is hardly surprising considering that the Californian authorities have chopped, channeled and diverted so much water that more of it runs east to west than north to south nowadays. It was fear of this Califor- nian thirst and it’s environmental consequences that moved the New Democrats to pass the Water Pro- tection Act in 1996, This piece of legistation was intended to prevent all bulk water exports from the province, , The Act disenfranchised a Canadian company called Snowcap. Since Snowcap had been issued a license, the government paid them $335 grand to compensate them for money spent developing an infrastructure, Two years later a company called Sun Belt Water Inc. of Santa Barbara, California gave notice it intended to submit a claim under the investment chapter of the North American Free Trade Agreement allowing it to sue our provincial government (us) for somewhere between $105 and $219 million dollars U.S, It seems that NAFTA. al- lows Sun Belt Inc. to bypass our court system and sue our government directly, This greedy Californian corporation never applied for or was issued a license. But this particularly sleazy chapter of NAFTA insists that governments have to treat foreign companies as they do domestic ones. Sun Belt Inc. is suing on the basis of profits it projects it will make selling our water to California sonte time in the future, oS What this means is that we do not-have the right to implement measures to protect the most precious of our resources unless we're willing to face court challenges from foreigners which ‘may ultimately cost us hundreds of millions of dollars. Considering ‘that Californians are the largest consumers of water in the world and that most of that water goes to low-value subsidized agriculture conducted by large multinationals, we need to appreciate the grave economic and environmental peril we find ourselves in as a result of the fact that our menda-. cious Prime Minister and many of his cabinet, cronies are more concerned with the welfare of giant corporations than ours, - ce Agreement with our zany, gun-totin’ neighbours to. these pacts are, you need only consider water in the - Water is the stuff that makes up most.of all of is.. IT WAS COLD and the grass was wet but when high school athletes went home at the end of the first track and field meet in Ter- race this season —- they Imew they'd snapped a few records. Mount Elizabeth’s junior boys team, in -particular, broke an 18-year-old track record by almost minutes, running the 4x100 telay in 53:53 seconds. The Skeena junior boys came in a close second and crossed the finish line just 14 seconds later. “That was really fast,’’ said Skeena coach and organizer, Doug Steele, " WSkeena’s “sécond § junior’ :the"! age Northwest set Skeena records two | ‘TERRACE STANDARD. Ex at team finished third at 56:41 seconds, In the Grade 8 girls 400- metre dash, Hazelton’s top record-breaker, Leah Pare, shaved 1:25 seconds off the track record. She finished the run in 1:08.76 minutes. Amanda De Monte and Jen- nifer Haynes of Skeena took home silver and bronze. But when it came to the 400-metre junior girls run, Skeena’s Kim MacDonald out-ran Kitimat’s Nicole Cross and Stewart’s Nadean Doody for first place. She cut 2:36 off the track record finishing the race in 1:05.82 minutes, Points winners in each of (sgroups were hletes 638-7283, . 4- FORE a ree Skeena’s Tyler Sheasby with 35 points and Hazelton’s Leah Pare with 24 points for the Grade 8 boys aud girls. Alissa Gervais from Skeena and Jenna Lewis tied for first with 25 points in the junior girls category. Garrie Cartso from Stewart won the senior boys group with 16 points. And Caledonia’s Melanie Krug took gold with 25 points in the senior girls final. And, when team points were added up, Terrace's team finished first with 373 points. Kitimat took silver with 170 points and Hazelton and Stewart tied for third with 143 points. Skeena's Track and Field’ Results May 1 14.25 29.82 1:08:92; 2. Tony Du, 1:10:34 3:22.82 Skeena, 5:58.74 12:40.09 18.13 32.52 1312324 Harnel, Skeena, 6:51.95 Harmel, Skeena, 13:56.00 micn’s mulli-city league, Kitwanga and Kitwancool. GRADE 8 BOYS 100 metres; 1. Tyler Sheasby, Skeena, 13,94 seconds; 2, Brian Linford, Hazelton 200 metres; 1. Tyler Sheasby, Skeena, 29.46 seconds; 2. Brian Linford, Hazelton, 400 metres: 1. Royce Pritchard, Hazelton, 800 metres: 1, Jordan Wall, Skeena, 2:57.31 minutes; 2. Jared Toews, Hazelton 3000 metres: 1. Robert Blackstock, - Hazelton, 12:18.63; 2, Jordan Wall, Skeena, 4x10 relay; 1. Hazelton 58.76 Discus: 1. Tyler Sheasby, Skeena, 23,05 metres; 2. Jared Toews, Hazelton, 15.00 Long Jump: 1. Tyler Sheasby, Skeena, 4,7 metres; 2, Brian Linford, Hazelton, 4.4 High Jump: 1. Nathan Wilson, Hazelton, 1.40 metres; 2, Tyler Sheasby, Skeena, 1.40 Javelin: 1. Nathan Wilson, Hazelton, 19,75 melres; 2. Emmet Smith, Stewart, 19.24 Shot Put; 1, Nathan Wilson, Hazelton, 9.79 meires; Z. Tyler Sheasby, Skeena, 9,09 GRADE 8 GIRLS 100 metres; 1, Leah Pare, Hazelton, 14.62 seconds, 2. Amanda De Monte, Skeena, 200 metres: 1, Leah Pare, Hazelton, 31.38 seconds; 2. Amanda De Monte, Skeena, 400 meires: 1. Leah Pare, Hazelton, 1:08:76; 2. Amanda De Monte, Skeena, 800 metres: 1. Teagan De Sousa, Mount Elizabeth, 2:59.77 minutes - 1500 metres: 1. Teagan De Sousa, Mount Elizabeth, 6:15:09 minutes; 2. Andrea 3000 metres; 1. ‘Teagan De Sousa, Mount Elizabeth, 13:19.64 minutes: 2. Andrea 4x100 relay: 1, Skeena 1:05:84 Intercit soccer a possibility NORTHWEST SOCCER looks to be grow- ing again this season, with the creation of a : The Safeway Cup League, named after a “ key sponsor, hopes to enlist teams from Prince Rupert, Terrace, Smithers, Kitimat, The concept is the brain-child of Joe Paolinelii in Prince Rupert who organized that city’s May 1 Ice Breaker tournament, According to Jacques Corstanje of the Terrace Men’s Soccer Association, the league would be made of two pools of six _ teats. Each team would play five games — two at home, two away and one flex game Stewart, 3.79 Discus: 1, Alicia Chatelaine, Stewart 17.4 meires; 2. Elizabeth Fyles, Stewart, 15.4 Long Jump; 1. Amanda De Monte, Skeena, 3.86 metres; 2. Katrina Partridge, High Jump; 1. Nikki Mackenzie, Skeena 1.29 metres; 2, Kailee Penner 1.29 7.55 1500 metres; 1. Robert Blackstock, Hazelton, 5:52.26 minutes; 2. Jordan Wall, 12.78 200 metres: 1. Elizabeth, 26.08 seconds; 2, Ryan Collins, Stewart, 26.70 Skeena, 1:20.40 Skeena, 2:25.88 Skeena, 5:22.81 400 metres: 1, Blizabeth, 56.04 seconds; 2, Josh Murray, Javelin: 1. Lindsay Smaha, Skeena, 16.81 metres; 2. Sarah Wright, Skeena, 15,38 Shot Put: 1, Kendl Longridge, Skeena, 8.05 metres; 2. Lindsay Smaha, Skeena, JUNIOR BOYS 100 metres: 1. seconds; 2. Shawn Grant, Mount Elizabeth, Ryan Collins, Stewart, 12.74 Nick Markowsky, Mount Nick Markowsky, Mount 800 metres: 1, Nick Markowsky, Mount Elizabeth, 2:14.45 seconds: 2. Josh Murray, 1500 metres; 1. Nick Markowsky, Mount Elizabeth, 4:41:02 minutes; 2. Sean Casper, 3000 metres: 1, Danny Chapman, Skeena, 12:39.22 minutes 4x100 relay: 1, onds (previous record 55:45 set by Skeena, Mount Elizabeth 53:53 sec- 1982) 2. Skeena 54:07 30,91 Stewart, 5.38 High Jump: 1. 34:97 12.27 Long Jump: 1, Elizabeth, 5.44 metres; 2, Ryan Collins, 4x400 relay: 1, Skeena 4:42:54 minutes Discus: 1. Kiel Davis, Skeena, 38.65 metres; 2. Oscar Clayton, Mount Elizabeth, Shawn Grant, Mount Terry Du, Hazelton, 1.6 metres; 2, Tom Vu, Skeena, 1.5 Javelin: 1, Rob Haugland, Skeena, 37:06 metres; 2. Jeremiah Kasperski, Skeena, Shot Put: t. Kiel Davis, Sheena, 13.06 mnetres; 2. Jeremlah Kasperskd, Skeenn, men’s on the home fields of either team. The playoffs, said Corstanje, would be played in a central location such as Terrace. He wasn’t suxe whether Terrace teams. would be made of association teams or an amalgamation of local players willing to commit time to additional games. stanje said, He sald the games would allow soccer enthusiasts from across the northwest te mingie ina friendly environment. And, he said, the four-hour drive between more distant cities such as Smithers and Prince Rupert would be minimized. “They'd only have to do that once,’ Cor ON YOUR MARK. Sprintars and discus hundrends of athletes from five northwest teams track meet May 1. Sports Scope ; Social planned for golfers Goose and Gander mixer, anyone? On Friday, May 14 at 6 p.m. the Skeena Valley Golf and Country Club hosts a nine-hole mixer. It’s a social event for players who want to have fun Friday night, Players pair off, sirike from the tee and play alternate shots, Half of the combined handicaps will be used. ; A hamburger meal and prizes will be provided witha | $10 entry fee. _ The field will be cut off when full, so all entries are first come, first served. ; Call Linda at 635-5642 for more information, io r) Men’s soccer league growing ONE MORE team has been added to the men’s soccer association league this summer, bringing the total of teams in this summer's play to 10. Games start today | on Skeena Junior and Thornhill fields. Shames announces earlybird rates JUST IN CASE you miss skiing already, Shames Mountain Ski Corporation announced their earlybird season pass schedule for the 1999/2000 season. Front May 25 to June 15, an adult season pass will cost $429, youth and senior tickets are $269, and chil- dren seven and under are free. ' Family prices range from $698 to $1,045 for a family of five. Additional family members are $79 cach. GST is not included. For the second year in a row, the hill will offer sea- son pass insurance for season pass holders unable to ski the entire ski season, Ultimate ready for first competitive season — |. TERRACE’S Ultimate league officially played its first game of the season Monday, May 10, About 55 people have registered to play on four teams this summer. Competitive games run twice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m, on the field beside the Caledonia tennis courts, sald league organizer Cailin Kovacs. This is the first year that the sport has formed a com: petitive league but Kovacs says everyone is welcome. “Seventy-five per cent of people are new players,’’ she said, This year, the league also hopes to organize tourna- ments With start-up teams in Kitimat, Hazelion and Prince Rupert. Drop-in play runs Fridays and Sundays at Caledonia and Casale Hall fields, L Call Cailin at 635-1134 for more information. throwers were among — that took part in Skeena’s _