Mat 2 sm oon ride Call ing all volute wig Detractors of the Nisga’ a Agreement i in Principle have their say\NEWS A5 The search is on for the 2 1996 Volunteer of the Year.\COMMUNITY B1 WEDNESDAY _ MARCH 20, 1996 Two winners Two Cal students have received $500 scholarship | awards\SPORTS B7 93¢ PLUS 7¢ GST VOL. 8 NO, 49° Hospital accused of race-based plan MILLS MEMORIAL Hospital is being accused of singling oul natives in its at- tempt to establish a policy on viewing deceased people. And its governing society is being asked to apologize for a March 10 inci- dent in which a-family came to pay their last respects to a relative killed in a motor vehicle accident. The request of the family members to view the remains of the person, a Nisga’a, was granted but a senior nurse afterward made comments considered unacceptable, say two other hospital em- ployecs. “That was the icing on the cake. This isn’t the first time those kinds of com- ments have been miade,’’ said nurse Elaine Pigeau who was on duly that day. “They were very subtle in their nature about this group.’’ Pigeaw bas written a letier about the in- cident to the hospital’s chief administra- tor. Another enployce has wrilten to chic hospital administrator Michael Leisinger ‘requesting thal an apology be made, Donald Roberts, a licensed practical inurse, said senior nurses at the hospital are trying to establish a view policy based on race. The perception he said is that only na- lives visit the hospital in large numbers to view deceased relatives. “That’s wrong. There are as many large non-aboriginal families who come to the hospital as there are aboriginal ones,’’ said Roberts. At the heart of the situation is the hos- pital’s budget problem which restricts the number of employees it has on shift and consequently the number of duties they are expected to perform, Hospital managers say employees are ofien hard pressed to handle visits by large numbers of people all at the same time. But Roberts and Pigeav point to notes from a senior nurses’ management mect- ing of late last year that singles out na- tives. Under: a subheading of ‘aboriginal customs’, the Dec. 20, 1995 meeting note states: ‘Wanted to know if there was any way a policy could be developed so that when an Indian passes away that we can get their bady to the funeral home as scon as possible as we do not have the staff or facilities to accommodate the family and friends of the deceased who come to pay their respects,”’ Roberts and Pigeau point to the word “Indian” as insulting and inappropriate. “T's just not a term used anymore,” said Pigeau. “To me it's pretty clear that this is singling out a group of people.”’ Roberts, who is a Nisga’a, said he found the word ‘Indian’ degrading. He doesn't question the need for a viewing policy but says that the hospital must recognize that it serves a wide vari- ety of people. “TF we are to operate a morgue service then we should be prepared to have viewings,”’ Roberts added, ‘In some cases arrangements have been made to deliver the person out of town, Viewing in the hospital may be the only chance for relatives to pay their respects because they don’t have the resources to attend a funeral out of town,’? he said. Roberts said his letter was prompted because his father was one of those who came to the hospital March 10. Terrace Regional Health Care Socicty chairman Olga Power termed the March 10 incident as serious and that it will be brought up when the society's board meets tomorrow night. “This is a very sensilive issue. What happened should never have happened,” she said, Power said the hospital tries to accom- modate as many people as possible, ad- ding that it dacs not single out ethnic groups for particular attention, But she did say that limited staff time and facilitics may make it difficult to m Now look here JOHN'S A UNIVERSITY professor and his vision of life doesn't exactly match that of student Carol, Their drama plays out this week and next in Ofeanna, courtesy of Terrace Little Theatre. John's played by Alan Weston and Carol by Marianne Weston. The production concerns sexual harrasment and the interplay of the sexes In the 1990s. Tickets are available at Uniglobe Courtesy Travel. The show dates are March 21, 22, 23 and March 28,29 and 30, It'll also be in the zone drama festival. Public invited to spot comet during star gazing EVER WANTED to take a closer look at the heavens? Here’s your chance, Bring the family down to Copper Mt. Elementary School the night of March 25 for an evening of star gazing. Comet Hyakutake will be burning its way across the sky that night, pass- ing very close by the earth on its way to the sun. You'll have a chance to spot it through a pair of binoculars or a telescope. The comet was only recently dis- covered, and hy an amateur at that. Japanese backyard observer named Yuju Hyakutake spotted the comet on January 30 this year. Weekender Advertiser astronomer columnist Brian McNair has organized the event and he will be at Copper Mt. Elementary with his tcle- scope. The school district will also have their telescope out, and there will be a number of binoculars to go around, The comet can be spotted by the naked cye. First locate the big dipper and then scan the area surrounding it carefully, looking for a bright fuzzy ball of light, possibly with a small tail behind it. But your best chance to see it will be through a pair of binoculars or through a telescope, The star gazing evening starts at 7:30 p.m. and people are advised to dress warmly. If the weather is rainy or cloudy, the event may be ‘post- poned by a day or two, BRIAN MCNAIR will be bringing his telescope to Copper Mt. Elementary on March 26 for a for an eve- hing of star gazing. handle specific circumstances. Rupert bridge plan trashed A PROPOSAL to build a $108 million bridge system to the Prince Rupert airport is being met with skepticism. The proposal, which would better position that airport to take on the one here in the fight for survival once federal subsidies disappear, indi- cates, a 920-metre, . three-. span bridge to Digby Island could be built for $65 mil- il Alrport competl- lion. The bridge would look thon drives bridge like the Alex Fraser Bridge idea —- A13 in the Lower Mainland. m Terrace chases Tt would cost another $43 4; _ million to build a road airport land — A13 across ihe island to the airport, and more bridgés and roads to link up with the 1,700 residents of Metlakatla and Port Simpson, North Coast MLA and deputy premier Dan Miller told a transportation conference in Prince Rupert last week the bridge’s benefits would be unparalleled. But he said it would be too expensive for the province to build alone. “We would need to partner with the federal government, the city and the project beneficiaries if it is to proceed,” he said. “I am hopeful that a cooperative effort would enable us to overcome the considerable challenges involved.”’ Miller’s support of the project drew accusations of elec- lioncering, “Give your head a shake,”’ said Terrace city councillor David Hull. ‘Over $100 million to build a bridge across to some swampy island when the Lion’s Gate bridge is fall- ing apart and needs to be replaced?”” “It's not fair to the people of Prince Rupert to get their hopes up with this kind of hollow election promise.” Federal transportation minister David Anderson said he couldn’t make any promises about delivering the $30 mil- lion federal commitment Miller said would be needed, He also suggested Miller’s enthusiasm for the project might be ‘‘election-induced,’* “This is his constituency and it is election time,’’ Ander- son told the Prince Rupert Daily News. ‘‘Suddenly money has started growing on trees.’’ Provincial government officials say the project would depend on federal support. “Until the feds have shown strong interest, there’s very little chance that the project could go ahead,’* said Ian MacLeod, communications director for the B.C. Trans- portation Finance Authority. “‘There’s no prospect at all of the province proceeding with this on its own,”’ Clark may be no show at signing ceremony WILL PREMIER Glen Clark show up in the Nass Valley on Friday? Nobody in Victoria knew for sure yesterday, despite statements by Clark last week that the Nisga’a organized ugreement-in-principle signing ceremony didn’t appear to fit his schedule. Prime Minister Jean Chretien won't be Showing ip in New Aiyansh either. And although aboriginal affairs minister John Cashore will be there, Clark's statements led to speculation this week _that the province -is somehow distancing itself from the Nisga’a deal. : Nisea’a Tribal Council executive director Rod Robinson suid if Clark isn't coming, he hasn't { given any indication of that to the Nisga’a. : “He has not yet officially inférmned us of that, ” Robinson said Tuesday. “As of this point i in time we are still expecting him.” Robinson said the Nisea’ a are: sill planning a celebration for about 1,000, adding media reports that the event hs been scaled down i in size are nol correct.”