Seniors’ apartment gets green light, aims for late summer construction By JENNIFER LANG A PROPOSED apartment building for seniors is nearing the approval Stage at city hall, meaning construc- tion could begin by mid-August. With a just-approved develap- ment variance permit now in place and a building permit on its way, it’s full steam ahead for the Terrace Elks’ 21-unit, four-storey seniors’ complex at 2812 Tetrault Ave., housing committee chairman La- wrence Baker said. The future of the proposal, which has been in the works for‘four years, now hinges on financing, Baker said interested buyers will now need to put some. money up front in the form of deposits on the apartment units, confirming interest and assisting efforts to borrow cor- struction money. a The Elk’s hope to keep unit costs at $125,000 each, but the selling price hasn't been nailed’ down yet. _ “We should know thal factor probably within the next month and a half,” he said, adding that {nterest- ed buyers should get in touch with him, or anyone else on the Elks’ From front Lodge committee, “We are trying everything we can to lessen the cost.” The demand for more seniors’ housing is there, he said, Baker points to research -the. Elks conducted in: Terrace about. a year and a half ago that showed 137 sen-. iors were on the wail list-for the kind of housing the new’ Elks’ Seniors Manor would provide. me “T think there’s lots. of people out: there who want.this-type of housing.” Baker'said prospective purchasers — are: homeowners wanting ‘to ‘move * someplace smaller, requiring ‘less maintenance and upkeep, “IF we can’t get enough people interested, we'll just put it-on hold,” Baker said. “It won't be a dead issue.” © ; He hopes construction onthe in- side of the building will be. by win- ter, in preparation for a spring. com- pletion date, : : Looking back, Baker said it’s tak-., en the Lodge four years of hard work and planning to get ta this stage. The idea originated when one af their fellow Elks passed away, leav- ing an option for the Lodge to pur- chase his Tetrault street property - on one condition: “He wanted seniors housing in ihere.” - A number of factors had stalled the project after the initial push te create a seniors apartment. was ‘launched, but a $100,000 grant from - dhe:Real Estate Foundation of B.C. wo. years ago injected new life into the effort: — —That-money has paid for the de- tailed “architectural drawings te- quired: to get’the proposal off the drawing board. - ~ The plans, prepared by architect - ‘Royce Condie™ Associates, call for one storcy of underground parking, an clevator, coffee“ and reading rooms, indoor mailboxes, a manag- er’s suite and office, and a security system. ae Most units will be 970-square- foal, two-bedroom apartments. There will also be five one-bedroom units with.760 square fect of living space. Apartment owners will. form a strata group to administer building operafions. New financing could give Hawkair August launch aircraft now no longer re- quires Hawkair to sell its Carvair cargo airplane, al- though that would make fi- nancing the new airline considerably easier. Certification work is proceeding well, Menzies said. Two engineers pradua- ted fram their maintenance training program in Toron- to and the company’s first flight crew will go for training July 10th ~ if the financing deal is finalized. The airline is to fly with experienced contract pilots for a considerable period afier startup as part of a routine process known as “line indoctrination.” Menzies said Hawkair’s flight attendants will begin training around the third week of July, after the company gets a final go- ahead from the Depart- ment of Transport. The company is also in the pracess of choosing a reservation system to use. “We've been working very, very hard,” Menzies _ Said. “This project is really taking a toll on us. It’s tak- ing absolutely everything we've got to make this happen.” Hawkair has had an avalanche of local support for the project since an- nouncing in April its plans ito launch the new Terrace- Vancouver passenger ser- vice at fares well below those currently charged by Canadian Regional Air- lines. Air travellers’ frustra- tion with the merger of Air Canada and Canadian Air- lines has grown in recent months, particularly after Air B.C. pulled out of the Terrace airport. That left just Exemptions pondered THE CITY of Terrace may add more groups to the list of those who get exemp- tions fram properly tax, The Elks Hall, the Ma- sonic Lodge and the Car- penters Hail all qualify for discretionary properly tax -exemptions under a sec- tion of the Municipal Act, city officials recently de- termined. The. city will invite the three groups to apply. ' The Municipal Act al- lows exemption from prop- erty tax of land or impro- vements “not being opera- ted for profit or gain and owned by a charitable or philanthropic organization supported in whole or in part by public funds and used exclusively for char- itable or philanthropic purposes.” ' Already exempted under the same section are local properties such as the Child Development Centre and the Kermode Friendship Centre, three flights in and out of Ter- race by Canadian Regio- nal, and left some passen- gers unable to gel a Might on certain days. After loud complaints the airline agreed to try adding a fourth flight into Terrace, to start in mid- July. Menzies said Hawkair’s success would be the re- gion’s best assurance of sufficient service and above all more reasonable prices, “If the communities come on board and they support us in this venture, it’s going to be this area’s statement that to hell with the big companies that are _ focussed on the down south big market travel. We're going to look after ourselves.” “That’s what this is really about, trying to look after ourselves.” It’s also Hawkair’s way to help itself and shift gears. The company’s core bu- siness of cargo hauling has Dave Menzies been very slow since the closnre “Or x iihe near Stewart. “We really care about Terrace and the area here,” Menzies said. “We want to be able to stay working in. this town and have an operation and provide some employment that would be good for this community,” he said. Hawkair expects lo em- ploy 14 people here, a major increase from its present four-person opera- tion. “I don’t want to have ta move to Vancouver and take a job with the Depart- ment of Transport,” Men- zies said bluntly. “We are doing absolutely every- thing we can to make this happen.” - He’s optimistic that if Hawkair’s passenger ser- vice gets off the ground, it will soar. Last week alone, they had calls fram two base- ball teams and one fishing lodge wanting to book seats for “fairly large groups ef people.” Likewise, he said, a he- li-skiing company has ap- proached Hawkair, wan- ling to book the plane for one day a week all winter “There seems ta be a really significant charter market waiting to be served here,” he said. “It seems to be a case of ‘If you build it they will come,” We offer small classes, lots of student-faculty contact and very low tuition. Inquire today about our University transfer courses. "Profile of BC College transfer students by BC Council on admissions & transfer, ‘College; a tring OF CO MRAROTE BH TATENE ET 75 PEATE community: For Mare Information Call 635-6511 —_ ‘THE: CORNERSTONE OF COMMUNITY. spasvangnatanac Fathead Electro-Fi Recording Artists DID YOU KNOW: |. THAT STUDENTS WHO TAKE UNIVERSITY CREDIT CLASSES AT NWCC ‘DO BETTER OR EQUALLY WELL AT. UNIVERSITY IN-THIRD AND. EDUCATION FOR 25 YEARS Courtesy Travel 4718A Lazelle Ave. © fax 638-8562 « 638-8522 Based on double occupancy, Includes 2 day car, Requires 3 day advonce booking and must stoy Sat. night. *Plus applicable taxes. See Uniglobe Courtesy Travel for Details ~~ gtoYnING mips Love” 4639 Lazelle Avenue, Terrace, B.C. Ph. 635-5150 Fax 635-6675 YOu BE THE JUDGE Don’t Take My Grandchild! Melanie smiled ot her newborn boy, trying to ignore the suffocating tension in the hospital room. Melanie’s parents looked on in disbelief. They had become grandparents at the age of 36. Melanie's boyfriend stared owkwardly at his BY CLAIRE BERNSTEIN BASED ON ACTUAL COURT eet, CASES Finally, Melanie's mother, Gladys, broke the silence. “Can | hold my little grandson?” Gladys lovingly picked him up. Then she turned to Melanie’s boyfriend. “How could you let this happen, Steven? Melanie was only 13 when you hwo got involved. Justa silly lit- tle girl. But you were 17 and should've known better, Gladys racked the baby. “But not to worry. | will take care of this beautiful little boy and Melanie will finish school,” Two years later, Melanie ran into the house. Gladys was at the stove slirring chili while her 2 year old grandchild played by her feet. “Mama, I'm clmost Finished high school, Now I can go live with Sleven and we can bring up cur of the house. The next day, Melania called her mother, “Steven and | want to get married, We need your permission because I'm under age.” “VIL let you marry if you let me adopt my grandson.” Melanie yelled into the phone. “Never!” Melanie and Steven came to visil their son as much as they could. But Gladys wouldn’t let them be alone with the boy. Ske hovered aver them, worried and frettul. The visits dwindled, At 18, Melanie married Steven. Gladys still refused to hand over her grandson. Melanie and Sleven went to court for custody. In court, Melanie and Steven were nervous. "Your Honour, we know we can take care of our little boy. He belengs with his natural parents.” Gladys rushed to her feel. “Your Honour, my husband and | have raised him successfully uniil now in a stable hame that my daughter canna} provide. Melanie's life is in up caval with finish- ing schoal and choosing o career, And Steven is recovering from medical problems while locking lor a new career. Even the court expert agrees thal my grandchild is better off with my husband and |, nm. Gladys dropped her spoon, splattering chili all over the floor. Her voice was shaking. “I've raised him like my own son while you were at school with that boyfriend of yours. Leave if you want but the boy stays with me.” Melanie's was in shock. “But has MY son!“ Gladys tried to reason with her, “He's thriving here, honey. You don’t even know if they'll let you keep him, Steven would probably be charged with having relations with you when you were under 14." Shaking her heed in disbelief, Melanie gave her son a heart wrenching hug and stumbled out SPONSORED BY WRIGHT & MARDIROS TRIAL LAWYERS Seroviug the Pacific Northwest TERENCE WRIGHT 15 years experience DAVID MARDIROS me Who should get the child? You Be The Judge! Then loak below lor the decision. Criminal and Family Law Civil Litigation Aboriginal Law Free Initial Interview for I.C.B.C. and Personal Injury Claims 4730 Lazelle Avenue, Terrace, B.C. V8G 1T2 Phone: 638-0354 Fax: 635-2919 | YOU! BE THE JUDGE - DECISION "There is no reason thal Melania and Steven can not provide opprepriate care for their son,” held Judge Tom. "They haven't failed to care for him, they just havan’t had the opportunity. Ii’s in the long term best interest of the boy that ha be raised by his natural parents.” Today's column is based ona case fram New Brunswick. tI you have a similar problem, please contact Wright & Mardiros or another lawyer in your pravince, Wa are proud to bring you some af the cusrent legal issues from acres the country far discussion and debate, To provide compelling entertainment, wa have fictionalized the names, the characters and the scenerias in the case. Any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental. In the interast of clarity ond brevily, the legal istues in the case have bean greatly reduced and simplified, Claire Bernstein is a lawyer and nationally syndicated columnist, Copyright 2000 Haika Entarprisas. C23-1