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S

Woods reform may
spell big gain, pain

Critic says Veniez
sacrificing smaller

outfits, competition

By JEFF NAGEL
CRITICS fear Dan Veniez's plan for
a woodlands revolution will hand
total control of Skeena Cellulose’s
forests to an elite few logging con-
tractors while marginalizing the rest,

The company president has em-
barked on talks with SCI's biggest
contractors to explore his ideas.

He proposes to lease out manage-
ment of the woodlands for a 10-year
period to the loggers. Thal would
allow contractors to carry out much
more logging and independently sell
limber not needed by SCI's mills.

The increased logging and extra
profits would bankroll extra costs the

loggers would have to take over from
Skeena in managing the woodlands
- saving Veniez money.

But Ken Houlden, co-owner of
Houlden Logging, says concentrating
control in the hands cf the biggest
contractors is a huge flip-flap from
Veniez's earlier vision of wide-open
competitive bidding.

“] said ‘yahoo’ when he said
that,” Houlden said. “Pitter patter.”

“Now he says he’s going to close
it up. Three or four contractors are
going to own it all. And I say ‘Oh my
God. I’m finished.’”

Veniez last spring said the
“evergreen” contractors, who have
five-year replaceable contracts, in
effect had a guaranteed income that
was at odds with the competitive
bidding necessary to transform SCI

tractors and said he would have eli-
minated all the “perpetual” con-
tracts if the Jaw permitted it.

“Six months ago he called the
evergreen system a ‘culture of entit-
lement’,” Houlden said. “Now he’s
attempting to expand thal culture of
entitlement to include the whole
licence.”

Houlden predicts the evergreen
contractors will dramatically expand
their operations and do the work
themselves. He says that could
freeze out smaller logging contrac-
tors, eventually forcing them to sell
their equipment or leave the region.

“They'll operate with their own
iron,” Houlden said. “I have no faith
as a subcontractor for this new re-
gime of contractors that I'l get any
work. We've been totally excluded.”

He
M City’s symbol
A JOINT effort of the Northwest Community College welding program
and the Public Dreams Committee, the city’s Kermode bear logo now

into a low-cost producer.

He terminated two evergreen con-

Veniez admits his concept is a

Continued Pg. A2

graces the old bridge. That ‘75’ refers to the upcoming anniversary of the
city’s incorporation. A series of events are planned in 2003 as a result.

SHOOTER and gun safety instructor Tery | Morris praciises with his .45 calibre Colt 1911 semi-automatic pistol. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN

un owners defy registry

Deadline looming
By SARAH A, ZIMMERMAN
WHILE January ist marks the
start of a new year, it may also be -
the day local gun owner Terry

Mortis becomes a criminal.

That’s the deadline for gun ow-
ners in Canada to register their
firearms — something Morris says
he's not sure he's going to do, -

“The truth is as of yel, I have
not complied with the law,” says
Morris, who owns several firearms
which he uses -in competitive
handgun shooting,

He’s also been a shooting and
gun safely instructor since 1991.

“I'm still waiting hopefully that
someone will come to their.senses
and realize that this system will
not do what it claims to do,” Mor-
ris said.

The Jan. 1, 2003 deadline is
the ‘second stage in the new gun
licensing process run by the Ca-
aadian Firearms Centre.

Morris predicts many gun aw-
ners here and thousands more
across the country: will defy Oita-

informatian on their guns.
So far, the Canadian‘ Firearms.

Centre reports more than 90 per
cent of Canada’s estimated 2.3
million gun owners are complying
with the law.

Morris predicts national com-
pliance will be more like 60 per
cent and says the centre: may be

_way off in its estimate of the

number of gun owners.

Gun owners are already heavily
regulated and licensed, Morris
noted, adding that's not an issue.

“In fairness 1 think most of the
gun owners in Canada understand
and can accept a requirement for
a personal licence which gives
you — the rest. of the public —
some confidence that we have
been trained and have knowledge
for safety and and proper respect
for the current law," Morris says.

But he said criminalizing

people for previously legal activi- |
is “unaccept-

ties “for no reason”
able, oo
Morris doesn’t buy. the argu-

ment that registering guns. will.

prevent violent crime in Canada..

“They claim, incorrectly’ that =

dt will make’ the - streets sale:
wa and refuse-lo give the registry.” "

gister his gun). 0,

> month :

Ha ie
. theyvadmit they: were’ wrong ‘atid
“scrap the whole. blinkin’ thing?”

Skeena MP Andy Burton
agrees. “Crimes aren't committed
with registered weapons 99 per
cent of the lime — unless they're
stolen,” Burton said.

“Criminals are not going to re-
gister their guns, bottom line.”

He says the federal. government

_is making a huge mistake .by es-

sentially making untold amounts
of Canadians -
criminals
over night.

“Are they
going to pula
million gun
owners in
jail?” Burton |.
said,

, Auditor
general Shei- |
la’ Fraset’s
annual: report LL :
teleased this Andy Burton
re-
vealed ‘the registry has incurred
enormous cost overruns and de-
ceived Parliament,

- Burton calls it a boondoggle

The costs associated with the

gun registry have ballooned since —

its 1995 creation under then-jus-
tice minister Alan Rock.

Fraser predicts the gun registry -

may well hit:the $1 billion mark
by 2004-2005'— a massive overrun

from the original $119. million

cost estimate,

“Initially ° il: was forecast to

cost, with cost recovery, about $2
million,” Burton said, “We are
now well on the way to a billion
dollars.”

Fraser.also condemned Justice
department officials for hiding the
registry’s ballooning costs,

"The issue here is nol gun
control,” Fraser reported, “And
it’s not even astronomical cost

overruns, although those are ser-

ious, Whal’s really inexcusable is

that Parliament was inthe dark.”
Politicians should have had a.
chance before now to consider, al- ;

ternatives,: she said.
She abandoned ‘the audi be-
cause of the difficulty. her team

had i in getting. proper ‘information. :
and. a. disgrace. “The bottom line. .: ;

a huge mistake ~ why don’ t Deo: 3 “get
“tonal ‘sik. months: ‘without penalty
while they. awa ( their:tegistration.

ie see if anything can
‘bev done: to ‘improve':safety'

Group probes
road safety — -

on the’ region's. highways
this winter, .

It followed a Dec, 7 deci-
sion of the Kitimat-Stikine
regional district and trans-
portation ministry officials
to form an ad hoc commit-
tee to deal with safety and
road maintenance issues.

There have been a num-
ber of weather-related acci-
dents on the roads, includ-
ing a Dec, 3 fatality.

“We are, along with all
of the stakeholders, can-
cerned that we are doing
everything within our power —
to maximize safely on our roads,” transportation ministry.
regional manager. Don Ramsay aaid ‘in advance. of the
meeting.

The new committee includes representatives, from the.
RCMP, ICBC, the ambulance service and” local trpek.
drivers. 7

“If there are any instant actions that can be taken, we 2
will make them,” Ramsey said. nn oe

“We need to .make sure all of the parties “understand
how maintenance takes place and-we need-to: understand. _
where there are any potential shortcomings.”

Ramsay said the ministry’s winter: maintenance’ ‘stan? =
dards have not slipped despite provincial” ‘government »
cutbacks in other-arcas of the budget. ~ ;

Those cuts have resulted in wage: freeze
nance workers ‘and a reduction. in: -suniig
_ clearing on-rights-of-way. v8 :

He also stressed that the local mainieniane

Don Ramsay

racy

‘tor, Nechako' ‘Northcoast Construction, i is $ meeting tand

regional. ‘district meeting “which Teed. ti

session..” .

“I'm glad -you are, because 1 am not: _ ‘said Kitimat,

regional ‘district director Joanne Monaghazi, ‘who is .cir=

culating a petition and gathering-accident stalistics: -.;. :
“E can't even sleep at. night,” she said: “Sure, he’

“doing it to the standard — but maybe the: standards, ten’ t

(high] enough for this area.”

Well pondered —

THE CITY will look into developing a backup well. for
the one that now serves residents.

The Green St. well would feed off the same- aquifer
that delivers water to the present Frank St. well. Jt.could
cost an estimated $1.35 million, but federal- provincial
grants would cut the city’s share to. $350,000. .-

Council voted to refer the recommendation ‘from the
cily’s engineering department to a committee meeling
for further discussion.

The second well would serve as a backup system in
the event of a malfunction or during strvicing of the cur-
Tent pump and motor at Frank St.,’ engineering’ director
Marvin Kwiatkowski said. Green St. is. the: next streel
west of Frank along Hwy 16. a

Mayor Jack-Talstra said ah examination ‘is. ungerwvay

7 of | the. possibility of ‘extending city, ‘water to:realdents-just

north sat Fiat ‘in areas Buch is. John ide