AB - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 31, 2000 VIA Rail’s business booming in northwest PASSENGER TRAFFIC has increased dramatically on VIA Rail’s Skeena train between Prince Rupert and Prince Gcurge since it converted to an all day- light service three years ago. : And Ali Macaraeg of the federal crown corpora- tion says passenger counts will continue. to rise, parti- cularly due to tourists from Asian countries. The Skeena train’s Totem class, which is its first class service in- creased from 8,203 pas- sengers in 1998 to 10,846 last year, he said. “Clearly the shift to a daylight run has had a dra- matic effect and is benefi- cial,” Macaraeg said. Over the same period, economy class passenger counts rose from 16,340 to 17,475, Passenger counts have now risen to the point dur- “Revenues have in- creased 67 per cent over the past two years and our costs are down.” ~ Katherine, Kaloutsky ing the height of the tourist season, which begins May 14, that VIA can add a car to its trains when required, That means the normal complement of four cars on the Skeena will be in- creased to five, said Ma- caraeg. Alliance marshals its forces THE PRESIDENT of what is now the Canadian Al- liance constituency asso- ciation here is surprised at the large amount of back- ing it has received. Lore Sexton was pre- dicting that 75 per cent of Reform party members would be in favour of fold- ing it into the new Cana- dian Conservative Reform Alliance. But a 92 per cent na- tion-wide acceptance an- nounced March 25 more than surpassed Sexton's prediction. “T had thought it would be hard to get a body of independent Reformers to agree on anything,” said Sexton. The Canadian Alliance is an attempt to break out of the old Reform party’s western base by creating an national alternative to the federal Liberals. This is particularly the case in vote-rich Ontario which has always been leery of the Reform party. The acceptance of the new party now leaves Sex- ton and others {ree to plan a founding meeting of the local constituency asso- ciation here’ later this spring. Sexton joined other newly-mined Alliance ex- ecutives al n provincial or- ganizing session last weekend in Kamloops. The new party needs a leader and several candi- dates, including former Reform party head Preston Manning and Alberta trea- surer (the equivalent to a finance minister) Slock- well Day were also there. Manning gave up his role as official opposition leader run for the leader- ship of the Canadian Al- liance. Sexton backs Manning in that bid but says it is too early to say how Skee- na members of the new partly feel. “Preston is a visionary. He's done what nobody else could have done in the last 10 years,” said Sexton, PASSENGER TRAFFIC has picked up dramatically on VIA Rail's ‘Skeena’ train which runs threa times a week between Prince Rupert and Prince George. The main reason was the switch several years ago to an all-daylight schedule and an increased emphasis on marketing the run to international tourists. “We can only see this continue to grow,” he said. “Not only do we have our traditional markets from Europe and the United states but you will see this year the beginnings of in- creased traffic from Japan and Taiwan.” All of this is.in stark contrast to the 1980s and early 1990s when the Skeena run was threatened because of law passenger use and cuts to the crown corporation’s subsidy from the federal government. VIA decided then at to increase traffic, it had to switch to an all-daylight schedule between Prince 3 “Cost: LIFESAVING SOCIETY Canada’s Lifequanding Experts Rupert and Prince George in order to attract tourists interested not only in train travel but in the scenery. “This is a success story,” said VIA official Katherine Kaloutsky from its Toronto offices. “Revenues have in- creased 67 per cent over the past two years and our costs are down,” That doesn’t mean the Skeena run is close to breaking even but it is slowly inching toward more financial respectabil- ily. Last year, VIA took ‘in 51 cénts for every dollar it spent on the Skeena run, ae TERRACE AQUATIC CENTRE OFFERS B.O.A.T. The rules have changed! If you're going to operate a boat with a motor, YOU'VE GOT TO GET THE CARD! Get your Pleasure Craft Operator Card through the Boat Operator Accredited Training Course. This course offers tha boater an opportunity to lean about many aspects of safe boating including: >Navigation Regulations > Responding to Emergencies >Rules of fhe Road > Knowledge about Operating a Pleasure Craft The 6.0.A.T. course is highly recommended for youth and adults with {ittle or no boating experience or training. All candidates will be required to pass a standardized written exam in order to receive thalr aperator card. A special “exam writing” option is also available for those boaters with previous experiance and knowledge, B.O.A.T. COURSE Mondays, June 12 & 19 6:00 - 10:00 pm $85.00....... 8 hour course and exam $45.00....... 4 hour refresher and exam $25,00.......study guide and exam Includes study guide and Pleasure craft Operator Card. EARN THE CANADIAN COAST GUARD PLEASURE CRAFT OPERATOR CARD AND TAKE THE B.0.4.T. COURSE! Call the Terrace Aquatic Centre at 615-3030 for more Information an increase of 20 per cent over the past two years, said Kaloulsky. , “There’s na publicly- funded rail service: in the world that makes money,” she added. ; Things are looking up for VIA with the announ- cement earlier this year that it will receive $400 million from the federal government for improve- ments over the next five: years, It’s tao early to tell what that means for the Skeena run but overall priorities are to modernize equipment and to fix up stations, she said. Support Hire-A-Student Week June 5to 9 a styGent The Human Resource Centre for Students can fill your temporary job. Call Anne at 635-7134 local 304 today. J CANADIAN ALLIANCE Skeena Constituency Association ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2000 AT 2pm COAST INN OF THE WEST; BANQUET ROOM Guest Speakers Mike Scott, skeena MP, Don Irwin, Executive Council, Jack Weisgerber, ma, Erin Airton, Former Federal Conservative Refreshments, Raffles, Door Prizes New and renewal memberships available. All members as of June 17 will be able to vote for the new leader of the Canadian Alliance, “THE NEXT Prime MINISTER OF CANADA” EVERYONE WELCOME! wh ae WILD SALMON POLICY - and SALMONID ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM COMMUNITY_ DISCUSSION PAPER 22 Prince Rupert - Tuesday, June 6 Fisherman’s Hall, 869 Fraser Street Smithers - Thursday, June 8 Hudson Bay Lodge, 3251 Highway 16 Queen Charlottes - Wednesday, June 28 Queen Charlottes Community Hall Terrace - Saturday, July 8 Best Western Terrace Inn 4553 Greig Avenue Open house « noon to 9 p.m. Facilirared discussions: Wild Salmon Policy (1-3 p.m.) Salmonid Enhancement Program (3-5 p.m.) 2 Evening presentations (7-8 p.m.) For more information, please see the web site at: ed | Fisheries and Oceans Péches at Ocdans Canada Canada LAURA You are invited to attend and provide your comments. ~~ httpillwww-comm.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.calwsp-sep-consult Canad - Vehicles - Tues pss | &% LS i Wi 22 (gr ON It's Qot LO YO.