THORNHILL

Time

THE PROCESS of
deciding if Thornhill
should incorporate,
amalgamate or stay
as it is has reached a

turning point, says
consultant Eugene
Lalonde.

Last week Lalonde presented
the final draft of his report on the
Thornhill government restructure
issue, one which included bottom
line projections for taxpayers.

With the “‘number crunching”
- done, be told the restructure com-

mittes the issue moves into the
' political arena,

Lalonde said it was now up to
the committee to make incorpora-
lion and amalgamation ‘‘as sale-
able as possible”’,

While urging members to pres-
ent both fairly, he pointed out that
at some point, and in the not-too-
distant future, ‘‘it has to be nar-
rowed down to one option,

Predictably, much of the discus-
sion focused on ihe taxation im-
plications for Thornhiltians,

David Lane said his feeling was
residents did not want to see any
increases therefore wondered if
there was some way to make any
reorganization tax neutral.

Since incorporation or amal-
gamation would in effect take
Thornhill off the province’s
hands, he said Victoria should be
prepared to pay for it

Lalonde, however, was not
hopeful on that score, He said the
province processes a dozen

. Festructures a year and would
likely be reluctant to set a poten-
tially costly precedent by giving
Thomhill special treatment.

The letters patent which would
be attached to any change could
specify a phase in period for any
tax increases, he added.

Chairman Gordon Hull
reminded the committee the pro-
vince was already threatening to
make unorganized areas pay a
greater share of policing costs so
tax increases could be on the way

CONSULTANT Eugene Lalonde (contr) explains datails of his 105-page ¢ draft report on Thornhill
local government restructure study while Thornhill regional district director Peggy Julseth and Gor-
don Kull, Terrace councillor and Restructure Committee chairman study the figures.

Gazing into the crystal ball

Incorporation

THORNHILL becomes self-governing with its
own ‘‘city hall’’, a limited public works de-
partment and a staff of 27 employees.

Road maintenance is contracted out.

RCMP continue to be based in Terrace but
Thornhill pays costs for five members and one
support staff.

New municipality receives one-time provin-

cial incorporation grant ($200 per capita) and -

operation-maintenance grants for five years,

Projected annual budget

Genera! government services............. $707,300
Planning/economic development....... $185,400
Protective SCrviCes ..........ssccsreceseeseees $921,400
Public WOTKS.susssssssonsesssssenessssersnieses $821,700
Public health. dasrasscavassversvsenersere serie $92,600
Recreation sisssasecossessesseseesessreneenes sseeee $439,000

Amalgamation

NEW MUNICIPALITY takes in Terrace,
Thornhill, Brauns Island and airport bench.

Having single council and staff would save
more than $400,000 a year compared to in-
corporation.

In short term, additional road maintenance is
contracted out.

Policing costs rise to 90 per cent from 70 per
cent because of population.

One-time and road maintenance grants still
available.

Projected annual budget

General government services.......... $1,464, 300
Planning/economic development seveans $485, 800
Protective services ....... ‘erseretarstentenens 9010, 700

Public WOrksS,.0ussesssasssatssssescssstecsssees $3,238,600 -

Public health.......-..ssssssusessesesssseeess $604,200
RECTEALION wrressrsenssisesseseessessessseere 92,050,800

even ifthe status quo remained.

Transfers to other ZOv’tS ........0.00008 $1,070,600

Transfers to other soils uses svrsueree $7,999,720"

And recalling comments at last
year’s first public meeting, he’
said his impression was some

Projected t taxes
people would be opposed to even

Current Year One

TOTAL: « Sevesestanneesstenseesnesensnseeneatesses $4, 608 900

TOTAL: soeeenes

seemanranentnreinnnn $2 32512

Projected taxes (Thornhill only)

a tax-neutral re-organization.

While that negative reaction
hadn’t surprised Sandy Sandhals,
he expected attitudes to change as
people became better informed.

Lalonde pointed out whatever
the figures said, there was another
bottom line to be faced: the pro-
vince wants to see some form of
restructure go ahead,

And, he hinted, when push
came to shove, Victoria was
ready to shove.

$1,378 $1,429

$3,639 $3,851
$3,031 $3,072

grant deduction.

tion grants.

Residential ($94,000 assessed value)
Light Industry ($100,000 assessed value)
Business ($100,000 assessed value)

Residential taxes do not include home owner

Year six figures reflect ending of i incorpora-

R.D. In Brief

Sewer, water line award made

STANLEY ASSOCIATES has been awarded the contract to draw
up masterplans for the Thomhill water and sewer systems.

At $26,947 (plus GST), Stanley Associates was the low bidder by
a narrow margin — all three came in within a $1,000 range.

Because the bids were so close, the Thomhill Advisory Planning
commission and regional district administration each carried out an
evaluation of the proposals, In both cases Stanley Associates scored
the highest.

Lakelse study goes on hold

PLANS TO carry out a feasibility survey on a Lakelse sewer sys-
tem this year have been put on hold,

Municipal Affairs ministry policy currently allows a local govern-
ment body to receive only one infrastructure study grant per year.

Directors decided to use that single application on the Thornhill
water and sewer masterplans.

The Lakelse study has therefore been postponed and will be
reconsidered for the *96 budget,

Impoundment figures rise

THERE WAS a sharp increase in dog impoundments in Thornhill
last year,

Figures released by Thornhill Dog Control show 215 canines were
taken into custody in 1994, up more than 40 per cent from the pre-
vious year.

But the number of dogs brought in for adoption dropped from 155

to just 61,

A total of 200 dogs were claimed and/or adopted from the pound '

— about the same as in ’93. And the number of cats and dogs that
were destroyed were both down sharply.

Crime rate dip continues

RCMP STATISTICS show a sharp drop in break. and exiters in the
Terrace Rural area since last year.

To the end of February there had been five break-ins compared to
19 over the same two-month period in 194,

Overall, the total of Criminal Code offences was also down, to 78
from 107,

Motor vehicle accidents were down slightly while traffic offences
overall fell by one third.

The number of false alarms had also decreased ramatialy to
| just 10, cones to 30 last year. vi

Year Six Current Year One Year Six
Residential ($94,000 assessed value)
$1,596 $1,378 $1,466 $1,537
Light Industry ($100,000 assessed value)
$4,456 $3,639 $4,655 $5,190
Business ($100,000 assessed value)
$3,496 $3,031 $4,198 $4,657

capital.

grants,

* = Includes debt financing and transfer to

Year. six figures reflects ending.of-incoporationi: *

Adding value

to wood

fuels.

gov't initiative

NORTHERN B.C. will benefit
from a new centre aimed at devel-
oping value added wood produc:
is, says provincial skills, taining
and labour minister Dan Miller.

The $22 million Centre of Ex-
cellence in Advanced Wood Pro-
ducts Processing at UBC will turn
out graduates in the field and
serve as a tesling ground for new
products, he said last week,

Two thirds of the amount is
coming from the provincial
government and Forest Renewal
B.C. while the rest is coming
from the forest industry and the
federal government.

“I see this as the spur to many
value added opportunities. It will
literally create thousands of
jobs,”* said Miller, ,

There will be tie ins between
the centre ahd community col-
leges and high schools throughout
the province, he added.

The centre will graduate ap-
proximately 30 people a year and
the first group is set to begin
studies this year in conjunction
with UBC’s forest faculty.

“This is very much a partner-
ship between government and in-
dustry,’? said Miller,

In addition to a two-year course
of studies, the centre will offer
shorter sessions for people al-

~ ready employed in the forest in-

dustry.
Miller views the centre as a
continuation of the effort to trans-

form B.C,’s forest industry from:
Just being a. producer of raw

Dan Miller

woods products.

“This centre will offer instruc-
lion in design and in marketing
— all the facets needed for ad-
vanced wood processing,’ he
said.

There’ll be labs and testing
facilities in a new $7.5 million
building at UBC financed by the
provincial government.

Equipment will be provided by
the forest industry and it’s con-
tributing $200,000 a year for op-
eratlons and $150; 000 a year for
scholatships.

The federal goverament’s con-
tribution will be announced later,

The push for a national ad-
vanced wood products processing
centre began with Canadian forest
companies in 1992,

UBC was chosen as the sile
after submissions were received

from a number of universities,

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April », 1995 - A5

ae ee re |
CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

Women’s centre objects

Dear Sir:

Your volunteer of the Year contest was on the agenda at our last
wonien's centre meeting.

We have many wonderful volunteers involved at our centre, and
surely one of our volunteers should be picked. But who?

From the woman who has cared for the centre and all of us for
seven loving years, ta the women who have spent intense hours for
a shorter term working on special projects like the children’s festi-
val or workshops, to those who help us with clerical or menial
tasks, each of our volunteers enriches the work we do with women......

| ---in our community; We appreciate each of owt volunteers for her (or

his) unique contributions,

We’re amazed that you would even dream of choosing one
volunteer’s contributions over those of any other, as we applaud the
work of volunteers throughout the community.

We submit the whole team of women’s centre volunteers to The
Terrace Standard to be honoured,

Terrace Women’s Resource Centre
; Terrace, B.C,

Pog is an issue
Dear Sir:

I am a student at Kiti K’Shan. I read your story on Pog fever (The
Terrace Standard, March 22). co,

You wrote that Pogs at my school aren’t even an issue. I think it
is! I have been watching my classmates. I heard someone in my
class is selling them for two dollars!

I don’t know if the pictures are violent or not because [ don’t like
them. I don’t know if they are playing for keeps, but all I know is
Kids at my school are playing with them! a

Caitlin Woods-Rotering,
~ Gr. 2, Kit K’Shon
Terrace, B.C.

French halt applauded

Dear Sir; ;

Hats’ off to the members of the Kelowna school board for its
recent decision to halt the spread of French immersion in one of its
schools,

Perhaps they came to the realization that to spread the teaching of
French is to spread the teaching of a language which is about as
relevant today to the students of this province as ‘is the proficient
use of the slide rule.

Less than one half of one percent of the population of B.C. speaks
' French as a first language, ranking it seventh, behind English,
Cantonese, Punjabi, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Hindi: and only
Slightly shead of Korean, Tagalog and Polish.

Let's face it, folks. There is no natural demand or practical use for
French in this province. Let’s recogalze its existence in our schools
for what it really is — an extension of that boondogggle of a nation-
al bilingualism policy, a failed federal program which continues to
cost Canadians between $4 and $10 billion each year.

Thus, not only is official bilingualism a sizable financial burden
on the taxpayers of the entire country, it fosters an expensive school
curriculum in British Columbia for a language whose cost/benefit

: Falio is too depressing to even contemplate.
_ Congratulations, Kelowna. I hope that your. first Step in. the right -
* direction is not-lost‘on thie rest of the ‘provineé, or should, ars Bay the.

whole country. =
Rob Hargrove,
Terrace, BG
_ Never had ¢ a problem
Dear Sir: ;

~ Tam writing in response t to the: statements Attributed to Mr. Amar. “e a
jit Sidhu, new owner of the Terrace Inn, in your paper of March 2, oe

1995,

the services provided by the staff. In fact, T always found them to be
willing to go the extra mile where service is concemed.
As for the comment about the plice being a mess and'no one

- Spent a dime before he came — Mr, Sidhu should have been here

. three or four years ago when the entire main Noor was renovated.

‘That is when they changed the name of the hotel from The Terrace _

_ Hotel to The New Terrace Inn,

The story carried on the front page of the same paper would sug- :
gest Mr. Sidhu is having some financial problems and his com- ©
ments suggest that he is attempting to place the blame for those dif-

ficulties on the staff of the hotel.
When it comes to employcr/employce relationships there, are :

some forms of behaviour that are acceptable and some that are not, . -

In this case the employer's attitude isnot acceplable,

I sincerely hope that Mr. Sidhu will come to his senses soon and
that he hasn't adopted the attitude of our local mayor - “that’s how *

wedo business in the 90s’*.

Gall Murray,

-. Terrace, B.C,

a
THE START IS FOR PEOPLE LEARNING TO READ

The Start

People worried

PEOPLE WHO work for the federal government here are;

worried. These people are at the employment centre...

They do not know if they will have jobs. This is because the

federal government has cut spending.

One plan is to close some employment centres. But nobody

knows if that will happen here, ;
Nearly 40 people work at the employment. centre, They will
not have any news for a couple of months..

People at the airport weather office already | know ey YY

won’t have jobs.

Fire burns home -

THE PENNER family home in New Remo burned down last Tri ;

day. :
Firefighters tried to put out the fire. But it was too big by ihe time
they got there.

One firefighter was sent to the hospital, A railing dropyed on him,

He was not hurt. His helmet protected him, But the ralllng dl ald rack ,

his helmet. Cs
Nobody clse was hurt in the blaze. Nobody. wis, bh
starled, The hotise is insured. cote

we

Yam appalled at the statement he’s made regarding the staff. =the ne
kitchen people didn’t treat the customer right.”

] have lived in Terrace. for nine. years ‘and have used the services

.., oF the Terract Inn’ ‘on ‘many, many occasions, Whether I was there

” For lunch, booking a Skeena Room for a meeting or planning a ban-_

quet I have never had, or heard anyone else have, a complaint about .

resend