Collins wins vote Happy 80th Kitsumkalum band members : elected their first ever female chief councillor\NEWS AQ | Record broken | The Royal Canadian Legion branch notes an important milestone\COMMUNITY BL | Local swimmer sets new pool. standard for the 100m breast. stroke\SPORTS B4 | WEDNESDAY March 10,.1999- $1, 00 0 PLUS 7 ast ($1.10 plus 8¢ GST outside of the Terrace area): VOL. 14.NO. 48 : Orthopedics still sonable nore TERRACE MAY yet be home io some form of orthopedic surgical service, Underway this week are meetings be- tween northwestern health councils and the health ministry which could: see a change in the way northwest orthopedic. surgery is now handled, Kitimat and Prince Rupert have been the traditional homes of one orthopedic surgeon each. But the last permanent ones for each city left last year and no new ones have been recruited. Other northwestern medical specialists, the majority of whom live in Terface, say this city is the logical location from which to base orthopedic services be- cause of the existence here of those specialities. They can offer relief, as- sistance and support when required. Specialists and physicians say it will be Log export plan dodgy By JEFF NAGEL WEST FRASER’s plan to keep nearly 400 workers in the bush this year by export- ing raw logs to Japan is get- ting a rough ride from, unionized workers, govern- ment officials and Skeena’s MLA. Helmut Giesbrecht wants the company to first guaran- tee better protection for sawmill workers who face layoffs in June, as well as other measures to ensure the operation here remains vi- able for the long term. “f think the community has a right to expect more than this,’” Giesbrecht said of the-plan, which he said would do nothing for saw- mil] workers. “I think there’s another alternative and I think we have to look for it.’” Skeena Sawmills has been nunning just one shift since September, but a federal work-share program has so far averted layoffs and kept all 140 mill employees working. That ends in June, when layoff of about half the payroll is expected. The company expects to only run one shift of the mill all year due to depressed taarkets and as a result will need to conduct almost no logging to feed the Terrace mill. West Fraser is asking for .permission to export up to 200,000 cubic metres from ‘its North Coast licence and offshore portions of Tree Farm Licence 41. It also ‘wants the government to lift Continued Pg. A12 Pe cali difficult to find replacement orthopedic surgeons for Kitimat and for Prince Rupert because they’fl be working in iso- lation and subject to overwork. But protests erupt from health and civic officials in those two cities cach time the suggestion is made to relocate ‘orthopedics. That’s what happened 4 in January when health ministry officials suggested Ter- race as the logical base for an orthopedic surgeon. Health minister Penny : Priddy ‘ bas since said orthopedics won’t move. from Kitimat. Terrace and Area Health Council chair Larisa Tarwick was reluctant to outline what is being discussed or what role Ter- race might play. “We're in the process of talking to each other and to the ministry,’’ she said. But Tarwick did say the idea is to come up with a way to enhance what isa regional service to. benefit as many people as possible, This falls under the idea of regional cooperation, she added, And Tarwick Terrace has to be careful in making any suggestions for change because of the perception that this ‘‘is al- Ways the community that wins’’. “Perceptions are really important. Per- ception is the issue,’’ Tarwick continued. She hopes a new-look orthopedic ser- vice in place by the end of the year. Tarwick favours suggestions made by local specialists to share services. That would come about by making’ Terrace the base for regional orthopedic. - surgery. And since this would put more demand on operating room time at Mills, ARTIST Edward Epp holds a collaborative paint- ing he created with his wife Leanne Boschman- Epp. Edward, a painter, and Leanne, a poet, be- olber specialists would schedule proce- dures at other hospitals where more op- * erating room time is available. That would help accomplish two things — ensure the continuation of nursing. and other support services in those hos- pitals and eliminate. the need for people to travel to Terrace for surgery. OR tok HEALTH MINISTRY olficial Jeff Gaulin said it is waiting for more details from the health council as well as results of a review of orthopedics in the north- west. “There’s been a review of orthopedic services in the northeast so having one in the northwest isn’t unusual,’’ he said. “What we're saying to the health council is if you think there is a need for one, at the end of the day, what kind of service for the area are you proposing,”’ Gaulin said. The health ministry has various pro- grams which could give financial as- sistance, he added, kKakkk ONE NORTHWEST health care official isn’t in favour of any local move to orthopedics just yet. Tom Novak, the person hired to restore financial stability at Mills Memorial Hospital, says it can't afford the service. “T’m recommending to the council we not look at anything new until we Tesolve the current situation,” said Novak. ‘‘We should wait until there is solue money in the bank and we can af- gan merging written text and visual imagery four years ago. They are constantly exploring new boundaries to explore their art. (Story, Page B1) Mayor's vision includes green downtown area MAYOR JACK TAL- STRA’s vision of Terrace by 2020 includes a vibrant new downtown with saw- miils, log yards and even the CN rail yard relocated to an industrial site at the airport. Talstra set the scene in an election-style ‘‘state of the city’? address to nearly 50 people at a March 4 cham- der of commerce luncheon. He said the expansion of city boundaries to include the airport lands and to eventually create an indus- . trial site there is a step toward a radically new Ter- race, ‘Just imagine seeing 100 to 150 acres of downtown core lands freed up for . green = space, recreation facilities, commercial use and small business use — a vast area in our downlown core, planaed brilliantly by our planner,’’ Talstra said. ‘Imagine for a minute SCI’s new mill or a joint venture milling/chipping op- eration between SCI, West Fraser and First Nations, lo- cated in the new industrial park at the airport.” ‘Then imagine for a minute that the CNR’s tracks and marshalling, yard in the centre of Terrace is relocated al the airport lands”? Belongs to. ', centre with . facilities, tourism and con- . vention centres, educational Jack Talstra “Those of us who lived here a- long time know that the next century the north, and really, to the northwest. And we are the north- west” become a true regional “proper medical campuses, restructured forestry base, all resulting in ‘a decreased tax burden for all of us,”’ Talstra said the idea is not just a dream. “We may be in a temporary province-wide The result, Talstra con-| downturn,’’ he said. ‘But tinued, could be attraction of new industry to the air- port area, fuelling the city’s tax base, and replacement of existing industry and rail yards with a new downtown from Park Ave. in the north to Keith Ave. in the south and from river in the east to river in the west. At the same time, he said, the city’s population would double and Terrace would ~ this is a pause that allows us time to think about the fu- ture,” “Those of us who lived here a long time know that the nexi century belongs to the north, and really, to the northwest. And we are the northwest,’” “‘We have a great future. We have to seize it. We have to work together. And we should never let up.” Mayors push for mill money NORTHWEST mayors are calling on Premier Glen Clark to back Skeena Ccl- lulose’s plan to return its Prince Rupert pulp mill to full production. The Prince Rupert pulp mill’s B line has been down for many months but the company has proposed to reopen it. ' ‘That would require a new capital in- vestment — in the range of $40 million . — but would make overall pulp produc- tion more efficient and make the compa- ny more profitable. - Government support for the plan is « needed as it is the majority owner of the company. Artd it has yet to tap a sum of money it set aside for capital expansion. The company projects the expansion would create 150 additional jobs at the pulp mill and 350 in logging and sawmill operations throughout the northwest. The mayors want a meeting with the premier to press the company’s case — possibly as early as this weck. “In. order to obtain the commercial . loan needed. to. implement this capital program; we understand a provincial government ican guarantee is required,” states a Ictter to the premier’s office from the nine northwest mayors, “The NW mayors wish to discuss the provincial government’s intentions and encourage the premier to expedite a deci- ° sion to support SCI.’ The letter notes a major component of the company’s year-old restructuring plan was a major capital expenditure commitment financed by the owners — which include the province and TD Bank, ; “Several industry benchmarks indicate that the pulp market should experience a_ tumaround in 2000,’ the letter says. “Given the Iead time of 10-12 months tequired to implement the program, it is critical that the decision be made soon to allow SCI to be in a position to take full ' advantage of a market upswing.” Employment and investment ministry spokesman Don Zadravec said any deci- sion to back a company loan to restart the B mill might not come for a few tmore months, ~ ' ~ “Ith -be. based on market conditions and pulp prices,” he said. Zadravec said he understands the local desire to get the money advanced now to be in position for price Increases later. “But at the same time you want to have an indication of where prices are going,’’ he said. Any decision will be in consultation with the province’s partner in the compa- ny — the TD Bank — and will be based ona sound business case for the expan- sion, he sald. Skeena Cellulose officials declined to comment on the mayors’ letter or the possibility of expansion.