Mayor chases Orenda approval Jack Talstra TERRACE Mayor Jack Talstra went to Victoria yester- day, saying he won't return un- til he finds out if the provincial government will approve the Orenda Forest Products plan te build a pulp and paper mill south of Lakelse Lake. The project has been before the provincial Major Project Review Process (MPRP) since ° last fall but it isn’t known if it - . has been given to a cabinet com- mittee for a decision or when that decision will be made... .... Talstra said the trip. is necessary because the city isn’t getting answers to letters it sent. _ The city has also been unsuc- cessful in attempts to meet with | a committee of civil servants that reviews major projects and then prepares recommendations for the cabinet committee on sustainable development. That committee can either ap- prove the’ project pending it receiving necessary permits and licences, ask for more studies or reject the proposal. Orenda wants to spend $365 million on a mill to produce 173,000 tonnes of chlorine-free, magazine-quality paper a year. Talstra said the situation is critical because Orenda. risks losing the 1992 construction season unless it hears from the provincial government this spr- ing. . a. SUNNY DAYS, Skiers on Shames Mountain take advantage of blue skles to carve some turns in the abundant snow and catch some of the mountain's spectacular panoramic views. The change in weather was a godsend for Shames, where the powder hounds were getting plenty of powder — but beginning to wonder if the sun ever r shines 0 on | the mountain. Sskeena Cellulose makes pitch for Hazelton wood TERRACE —Skeena Cellulose has the best chance to keep Westar’s forestry operations go- ing in the Hlazeltons, a spokesman for the company said Feb, 8, Westar has been trying to sell its Kitwanga and Carnaby mills and its forest licences in the area since last year. The statement by Skeena Cellulose vice president Reg Lightfoot to a provincial com- mission examining the implica- tions of what Westar wants con- firms long standing rumours the company was interested in the. cutting rights. . He also acknowledged - that there are more wood processing facilities in the area than there is wood available; : In such a situation, . “every: one benefits when the tenure is handled by a company with a track record in developing renianufacturing facilities such - as the Skeena (Cellulose) mill in Smithers,’? a company press release said of Lightfoot’s state- ment. Skeena Cellulose already is a significant purchaser of wood chips produced by Westar. They are used by Skeena Cellulose’s Prince Rupert pulp mill- and form 30 per cent of its re- quirements. ‘We believe that Skeena has the best chance of providing sustainable employment in the -area because of its experience in manufacturing and marketing and because of its track record -in investing substantial amounts of money in its business,’’ the ‘press release quotes Lightfoot . as saying. There is no direct mention of plans Skeena Cellulose has for the Carnaby and Kitwanga mills if it takes over Westar’s assets. But Lightfoot did say Skeena Cellulose’s plan includes setting up a joint venture with area nalive groups. cont’d A2 Orenda also has to find finan- cing and potential investors who “are not going to wait forever,” said Talstra. He said the marketplace is demanding the kind of product Orenda wants to produce, But continued delays in ap- proval could result in financial backers and Tampella, the Finnish-owned company which is to supply the machinery, to look elsewhere,,added Talstra. “This mill is going to bé built somewhere," he warned. Talstra’s trip comes just one day after provincial and federal officials discussed the. Orenda project in Prince. Rupert. with Haisla and Tsimshian represen-. tatives, The meeting follows a com- mitment made by the province last fall to the native groups, said David Parsons, the official in charge of the committee which makes recommendations on large projects to the provin- cial cabinet. “We told them we would meet with them before a deci- sion was made to discuss the technical results of the review,"’ said’ Parsons. He added the meeting falls under the provincial policy of discussing development projects with native groups. “We know we have. an: obligation to. consult. with - aboriginal groups that might be affected,’ said Parsons. The land upon which Orenda wants to build is in within ter- ritory claimed by the Tsimshian and it’s just north of land the Haisla claim. Parsons declined to. comment on the progress of Orenda’s ap- plication but did say native opi- nion on the project is, for the moment, the only outstanding issue. - Talstra said he plans to meet. with premier Mike .Harcourt and the ministers who form the cabinet .committee on sus tainable ‘development. One. of ‘the latter is‘ Dan Miller, forests minister: and MLA for. North Coast. . Unique literacy | course prepared TERRACE —A local group has come up with a plan to teach small groups of people how to read and write. | It’s designed to .be inexpen- sive and practical for northwest businesses and industry, says Nat Purcell of Project Literacy Terrace. Involved is teaching five peo- ple for five hours a week over a planned 16-week period. The cost would be $6,400 in- cluding teaching salaries, equip- ment and supplies, said Purcell. “Nothing like .this has..ever. .§ er) been done in Canada to my knowledge,”’ said Purcell, “It’s a curriculum we feel is needed at a very minimal budget,’’ he added. \ A proposal has already been submitted to Canadian National which, said Purcell, has shown a lot of interest. The course came out of a survey of businesses, public sec- tor operations and unions con- ducted by The Reading Place last year. . The survey found that 85 per cent of employers and 80 per cent of union representatives in- dicated some employees have trouble with basic reading and writing tasks. Two-thirds of union Nat Purcell representatives and one-third of the employers interviewed in- dicated that employees are unable to ad.ance because of a lack of literacy or language skills. The curriculum: is designed for people who now have the equivalent of a Grade 4 reading and writing level and for those whose first language is not English. ‘At the end, the people would have their English skills raised and reading and writing would be at a Grade 6 level,” said Purcell. Pamphlet ready that explains Nisga’a TERRACE —Northwest residents will soon be getting a pamphlet outlining the negotia- tions to settle the Nisga’a land claim centered on the Nass Vailey, It’s produced by the federal and provincial governments and the Nisga’a Tribal Council. The pamphlet was to be distributed last year but was held because of the October 199] provincial election. It explains what each of the talks three parties want, the general topics under discussion and how the negotiations are conducted. Although the federal govern- ment and the Nisga’a have been working on a settlement for years, negotiations accelerated last year when the provincial government formally agreed to join the talks, The pamphlet indicates the three parties will publish more: information and will hold meetings to explain the negotia- . tions and gather opinions. The proposed course assumes employees would be on com- pany time three hours and week and on their own time for the remaining two hours. ‘What we have is a quality product. We know there is a need, everybady tells us there is a need and have told us there is - a problem. This is a very economical way of addressing that problem” said Purcell. Purcell views the proposed course as the next step in Pro- ject Literacy Terrace’s efforts to improve. reading . and. Writing skills in the northwest. : Up until- now the group's store-front effort called The Reading Place has concentrated on matching those who want to ° learn with volunteer tutors in the year it’s been open. It’s also conducted small classes. “We've interviewed 60 to 65 people and have placed 58,’’ . said Purcell. ‘These are people who have come forward on their own and have decided they want to learn. The statistics are that there are 7,700 people in this area who. have a need — people who can't read prescriptions or bank machine instructions,’’ he said. Purcell said. the course’-was designed to fit in with a federal literacy initiative that would have provided’ money. The federal government has now put that initiative on hold. ‘Northwest Roundup ~ PRINCE RUPERT — Up to 20.of ihe city’s --outside ‘workers will be laid off if 2 provisional budget - is ace cepted, freeze capital projects. othe. only" way: -this will ae ‘change ‘is if the clty Is abte to ~ collect $750,000 in ~ ding taxes: from the“ Ridl _ land coal port. are ‘That’s because the ty: voll ‘outstan- SMITHERS _ The crime rate here rose by 16 per cent last year over 1990. . RCMP. officers handled 1, ,815 criminal complaints. in 1991 -compared io 1,47 the 7 year before. » Assaults increased to 294 from ‘241. ‘while crimes: Against property TOSE . from 66610 B49 es 7 HAZELTON —~ LA hotise fire. “An the'Two. Mille tural area has once again raised the issue of fire protection | for: unorganized areas. Although they didn’t have the Jan. 20 blaze because they thought there might be people Inside the house. .. Two: ‘Mile’ residents ; *|ast: year. turned . ‘down: tax. In tended fire protectis thelr area. opts munielpal offices: a smokes to, Hazelton firemen went to.’ free lire. » and that. it might: make HOUSTON — Counell ° members here. have rejected the. idea. of: declaring. _ Ald. Terry ‘Gautron, ‘sald. ‘a council didn’ have the right: to Impose its yalues on others, - : siokers. feel avelconie ar on : ipa c