Three Rivers Workshop seeks assistance

Mr. C, Ripmeester, the .
Managing Director of the
Three Rivers Workshop,
which is operated by the
Terrace Association for the

Mentally Retarded, has
launched an effort to try to
obtain provincial govern-
ment financing to double the
space of the present
facilities allowing the
organization to accept
additional workers. The aim
of the -school is to
manufacture forest orlented
articles.

Speaking to the Herald,
Mr. Ripmeester outlined the
problems that exist in the
present facility donated by
the school district. He also
explained the present
function of the school and
goes into detail as to the
future aspirations if the
required initial financing is
received which will allow
the school to expand and
become self-sufficient.

The Three Rivers
Workshop provides training
for the physically, mentally
and emotionally  han-
dicapped people in Terrace
and surroundings. The
training. program is
designed to develop clients
life skills and vocational
capacity, .including in-
creased social in-
dependence, emotional
stability and intellectual
skill.

The workshop is presently
located in two old portable
school rooms with a floor
area of 600 square feet each.
The buildings are not in-
sulated and are not fitted
with washrooms or running
water. Only a 30 ampere
electrical service is
available. ;

Over the years, through’ there is

local support mainly in the
form of donations, they have
been able to accumulate
over $10,000 in woodwork
equipment, including a
radial arm saw, two table
saws, two band saws, three
drill presses and a router
with most attachments. Due
to the low capacity elec-
trical service they can only
use two of these tools at any
one time. '

At present they have 16
full time and six part time
trainees. This makes for
very crowded conditions
and makes us unable to-
accept additional trainees,
The lack of washroom
facilities creates a real
problem in supervision as
the trainees must leave the
remises to go to a nearby
uilding.

In the past, the workshop
has received funding under
LIP, for staff salaries.
While this has been very
helpful it also created a
problem in that it does not
provide funding for the full
year. Historically, it has
been impossible to retain
stafffrom year to year. This
is not conducive for con-
tinuity in the training
program. To alleviate this
problem, the workshop

committee has conducted a -

marketing survey to
determine required services
not presently available in
the Terrace area. They
found that survey stakes,
pfuard stakes, marker
stakes, carrier blocks and
flat car stakes were among
those. There is also a
requirement for rough
boxes for the cemeteries,
trailer blocks, picnic tables
and card tables for which

no ~—_ local
manufacturer. It was found
that there is more than
sufficient work available
that the trainees can do and
make the school self-
sufficient to a large extent.

They have contacted local '

companies who have in-
dicaled they would be
willing to purchase the
above products from the
workshop. ;

They have the required
equipment, the available
manpower and the demand
for services to make the
workshop more _ self-
supporting. Their only lack
is space,

An important aspect of
this program are the
following benefits to the
trainees:

a) The workshop will
operate year round, ex-
cepting holidays and staff
turnover will ‘reduce
through a year around pay
cheque, allowing continuity
in the program.

b) The trainees will
participate in a work-
oriented program similar to
that found in industry, in-
creasing their chance to be
employed in the normal
labour market.

¢) It is anticipated there
will be periods that the
trainees can not fulfill in-
coming contracts in the time
frame allowed. During these
periods additional labour

_ will-be obtained through the

local Human Resources’
P.R.E.P. officer.

This will have a double
benefit. Our trainees will be
working together with non-
handicapped persons and
thereby adopt better ‘work
habits and behaviour. The
P.R.E.P. workers will be
shown the positive aspects

of employment and will
become used to keeping
regular hours. As they are
physically and-or mentally
more capable than the
trainees they will feel more
capable of coping with the
situation than if they were
placed directly in the nor-
mal work force where most
co-workers would be their
superior in skills and
stamina, — .

The type of work done by
the trainees and the
P.R.E.P. workers will be of
a forestry related nature, in
an area which is mainly
forestry oriented anécan be
integrated with the
P.B.E.P. program as it is

being implemented in
Terrace.
The above outlined

program can only be
initiated if they can
somehow double their
workspace. If they were ta
build they would require a
minimum of $85,000 to
$104,000 (2400 sq. ft. at $25
per sq. ft. or $35 per sq. ft.
plus $20,000 for property).

They have found an
existing building ‘with 2400
sq. ft. on a 120x186 ft. lot,
presently owned by the
Christian. Missionary
Alliance Church, It would
require approximately
$5,000 for renovation and

wiring.

The Terrace Association
for the Mentally Retarded
has made an offer of $40,000
subject to financing which
has been accepted, This
offer was made to forestall
an impending lease and in
the hope that the provincial
fovernment would be able
to provide major assistance
in the procurement of this

property.

City Hall happenings...

A special meeting of the
District of . Terrace
Municipal Council was held
in the Counci] Chambers on
Monday, March 28 with
Mayor Gordon Rowland in
the chair for the final time.
All aldermen were present
with the exception of
Alderman Helmut
Giesbrecht, absent on

“personal business.

Rubert Johnson,
representing the Terrace
50th Anniversary Com-
mittee, appeared before
council] to request per-
mission’ to look into the
development of Lower Little
Parkas a community effort.
He asked for permission to’
prepare plans for such a
project. He received
council’s blessing and the
assurance that some four
sets of plans that already
exist for such development
vill be made available to

m.

Council was reluctant to’

send the District’s En-
vironmental Branch Head to
Vancouver to study that
community's sanitary
landfill procedures.
Alderman Bob Cooper
suggested that it. may be
more beneficial if Mr.
Morehouse went to an area
which had sanitary landfill
facilities under the same
climatic conditions existing
in Terrace. Administration
was asked to investigate this
possibility and come back
with a recommendation.
The District of Terrace is
currently in the process of
establishing a sanitary
landfill for the disposal of
municipal refuse. Mr.
Morehcuse will be in charge
of this operation.

At the suggestion of -

Alderman Sharon Biggs
resolutions will be prepared
for submission at the North

Central Municipal

' Association convention on

board the Princess Patricia
early in May. A meeting of
the Committee of the Whole
will be called to discuss
proposed

Committee of the Whole
meetings are held behind
closed doors with the press
exempted.

resolutions. |

Mrs. D.B. Dozzi’s
resignation from the Parks
and Recreation Commission
was received by council
with regrets. A suggestion
that the commission be
asked to submit names for a
replacement was not acled
upon when Alderman
Sharon Biggs asked that this
be left in abeyance as she
expects another resignation
in the very near future. ©

A resolution that the
mayor’s, chair be suitably
engraved and be presented
to Gordon Rowland was
approved, The chair was
presented at Monday’s
meeting by Alderman Dave
Maroney.

A request from the con-
troversial Holy Spirit
Association, also known as
the “Moonies”, for per-
mission to canvass Terrace
for funds was refuselJ. The

_ address as shown on the

letterhead of the
organization proved to be,
on investigation, a vacant
apartment in Burnaby
which has been rented by a
Scatt Powell as of April 1. It
is believed that this apart-
ment will be occupied by

Powell and a group moving
up from Seattle,
Washington. The

organization was founded in
Korea in 1954 by Sun Myang
Moon and now claims
centers located throughout
North America.

A letter was received b
the Skeena Board of Healt
expressing appreciation for
the luncheon provided for
that body by the District of
Terrace.

A joint meeting of the
Council of the Distriet of
Terrace and represen-
tatives of the Terrace
Curling Association will be
held in the Council Cham-
bers on Monday, April 4
beginning at 8 p.m. This

meeting is open to the public —

and the press.

A letter coordinating
clean-up week by Outdoors
Unlittered has been passed
onto the Parks and
Recreation Committee for

sri Ist-10th

"Winterland ‘General Store:

3210 alum

“635-4636.

study and = recom-
mendations.
Council agreed to go 50-50

with the School District in
the by-election for mayor
and school trustee in so far
as costs are concerned,

No action was, taken in
connection with pending
committde © vacancies
caused by Mayor Rowland’s
resignation during a
Committee of the Whole
meeting held on Tuesday,
Mareh 15.

KERMODE BEAR PIN

The committee reviewed .

an administrative report
outlining pricing for various
quantities of the Kermode
Bear Pin as supplied by
Flage and
Manufacturing Limite

It was recommended that
400 sterling silver plated
Kermode Bear Pins with
“Terrace Hank” write-up
and packaged ‘individually
in cellophane bags, be or-
derdd from Flagg and
Company Manufacturing
Limited at the quoted price
of $1.60 each plus applicable
sales tax and that the use of
the Kermode Bear Pins be
restricted as mementoes to
be given to visiting
dignitaries and applicable
convention delegates, when
visiting Terrace,

It was further recom-
mended that administration
investigate the cost involved
in obtaining a _ plastic
Kermode Bear pin with
“Terrace, B.C.” denoted
thereon, for use by
delegates representing the
District of Terrace at
various conventions such as
U.B.C.M., ete.

At this point, 3:50 p.m.,

committee member J.
Talstra entered the
meeting.

CHAMBER OF COM-
MERCE _ GRANT
REQUEST .

The committee reviewed
correspondence .from the
Terrace and _ District
Chamber of Commerce,
outlining their requirement
for funds concerning
operation of the Information
Booth for 1977.

It was recommended that
a prant of $2,000 be ap-
proved for the Terrace and

ten :

District Chamber of
Commerce for use in
operating the Information
Booth during 1977.

It was further recom-
mended that the District of
Terrace not participate in
an advertising program
with the Trade and Com-

, Merce Magazine in the year

1977, oie
FERRY “ISLAND — PARK
FACILITY

The committee reviewed
and discussed the topic: of

Ferry Island eing
designated as a park
facility.

It was recommended that
administration contact the
Land Department, inquiring
as to what methods are
available for the District of
Terrace to acquire tenure to
Ferry Island, ie., lease
purchase, Crown grants,
ete., for the purposes of
eventual development of
Ferry Island as a
recreational park facility.
GRANTS

Approval was given to
grant the Terrace and
District Arts Council the
sum of $1,620 with the

roviso that the money not

used for capital projects.

No decision was taken on
a request from the Terrace
Public Library Association
for a grant of $88,500.

Council ° approved in
principie the concept
proposed by Kalum Gardens
Ltd., to convert 40
townhouse units under the
Strata Titles Act, subject to
a formal application for
conversion being filed and
the subsequent final terms
and conditions being agreed
upon and further that the
applicant be required to pay
the cost. incurred by the
district in processing said
application and that the
application be subject to the
Municipal Act and the
Strata Titles Act.

Fire Chief Cliff Best has
been authorized to attend:
the 46th annual Fire Chief's
College at Pentiction May 2
to 6:

Mr, D. Sivyer will attend a
Water and Waste School to
be held May 16 to 20 at the
University of B.C.

a a reason,

CARPENTRY GRADUATES — Northwest Com-
munity College of 1977 are (lef? to right back) Tom
Young and Don ibbott (left to right front) Brian

Tuscher,

Christo Holmes, Chris Jinicki,

Sharon

Gans inn.
e '
Peyrsir fa

HEAVY DUTY GRADUATES — Northwest Com-
munity College class of 1977 are (left to right) Mike
Potter, Dell Rempel, Eddie Sousa, Bill Holmberg,
Russ Tataryn, Charles MacFurson, Mark Hancock,

Summerfeld, Bill Gair, Humphrey Davis, John
Magdanz, Dino Colangeli, Ron Feuchuk, Clay Bearn,
with union representative Jerome Avriat and in-

Structor John Peters.

Terry Rainetz, Charles Somoley, Rick Innes, Murray
Kester, Jon Schulfaut, Greig Anaka, Frank Thomp-

son and Tom

Kenna,

class instructor,

IN TERRACE REGION
Employment program creates 197 jobs

A total of $239,812 has been
allocated from Phase One of
the Ministry of Labour’s
Provincial Youth Em-
ployment Program to
provide an estimated 197
summer jobs for students
and unemployed youth in
the Terrace region.

Phase One, is providing
funds for jobs in non-profit
organizations, farms,

businesses, regional and Q

improvement districts,
municipalities, hospital and

school boards and univer-
sities and community
colleges.

The program has been
designed to encourage
employers around the
province to hire young
people in hewly created jobs
y assisting in payment of
wages or Salaries. Farms,
businesses and non-profit
organizations must apply
for the funding before
March 25 to be eligible.

The Ministry of Labour
will provide 13,300 jobs for
youth through the program.
In the Terrace area
potential employers may
contact the - Provincial
Youth Employment
Program representatives,
Jane Booth and Vince
Heslenfeld, by calling 635-

Dennis, the Carpet and
Kitchen Cabinet Consultant:
at Al & Mac is very, very
busy these days sa
sometimes he has to work at
night. If you wish him to
drop in to discuss your plans
wilt! |

you and throw some

figures around, don’t bef §

bashful — call Al & Mac and
ask for Dennis or better still
drop in to see his bountiful
stock of Carpets, Kitchen
Cabinets, Vanities, etc. —
just another offer to be of
service from IRLY Bird!!
“Nearly everybody shops
lat Al & Mac”, There must

4977. Applications are also
available through Ministry
of Labour offices, provincial
Government Agents and in
many remote northern
areas, at municipal halls.

and the kids are out of school.
How about a break for Mom?

Come to Dog ‘n Suds for supper.

various ministries to hire
youth for summer jobs in
government, Thus far 16,000
student applications from
across B.C. have been
received by the program.
Student names are being
entered into a computer
system called the Youth

Regular $2.25

Hi-Boy
Regular $1.00

1.90

OPENING HOURS

10) 0am.
10 am. - 1

4342 Lakelse Avenue, Terrace
For takeouts Phone 636-7100

a.m.

10 p.m, Sun. Thru Thur.
Friday & Saturday

eh!

Referral Service which will
cross-match students with
the available government
jobs. The first of its kind in -
Canada, the service makes
it necessary for students to
file oniy one application for
a variety of government
jobs this summer.

Fish & Chip Dinner