The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 11, 1998 - A3. | Soclety worrled about its assets More gov’t control feared By JEFF NAGEL ALOCAL agency with con- tracts to care for mentally handicapped people fears the province will gobble up its real estate holdings. Terrace, and District Com- munity Services Society (TDCSS) executive director Mike Beausoleil says be and his colleagues at similar agencies around the pro- vince believe Victoria will only issue new contracts to agencies that agree to turn their assets over to the pro- vince, The idea of land and buildings being seized is. just the latest concern raised about the ministry of chil- dren and families’ plan to save money by lumping agencies and contracts to- | gether, reducing overlap of * services. TDCSS, which has around $4 million worth of con- tracts with the ministry up for renewal by Mar. 341, owns properties in Terrace worth bundreds of thow- sands of dollars. They include four homes for mentally handicapped ddults, one children’s residence, and one respite facility. : “It looks like there is a thove toward that kind of expropriation,’ says Beausoleil. ‘If the povern- ment does do that sort of thing there will be a big legal backlash.”’ : Ministry of children and families spokesman Chris Ewasiuk says those fears are overblown. > He said the ministry has in Some cases been placing covenants on properties cwned by societies that forebids sale, lease or remortgaging of the properties without govern- thent consent, : Victoria’s view is that be- Cause it has provided money to agencies through their contracts to pay for building costs, the province has ac- quired an interest in those properties. “The government’s inter- est is to ensure that the as- NEW OWNER? That's Marilyn Lissimore, manager of a respite home for young people which could be be- come the property of the provincial government. Cur- rent owners, the Terrace and District Community Ser- vices Society, fears the province wants it real estate in return for giving it social services contracts. sets it’s had some role in funding continue to be used for the community services they’re . meant for,”’ Ewasiuk said. Beausoleil is not con- vinced, adding the society is secking legal advice on how to best fend off any possible grab of its assets, Non-profit agencies in Vernon and Comox have gone to court in recent months to ward off govern- meut attempts to grab title to an extended care home in the Comox Valley and land. “owned by the Vernon and District Association for the Mentally Handicapped. Mike Holland, a lawyer acting for the Glacier View Lodge in Comox, expects the legal battle to drag on for months if not years. But his advice to other: groups is simple. “Be afraid,’’ he says.” ‘The fiction that the government peddles here is that by providing a fee for service they somehow have a proprietary claim. “Their agenda is clearly fiscally driven,’’ he said. “CAF of a sudden these as- sets will show up on the government books. They are going to try to balance their budget on the backs of charities.’? Beausoleil says the con- cept could extend to all sorts of people who work for goverment. “What about the people who contract with highways to provide road maintenance? Are they going to say hand over your trucks?” He said the same logic could be applied to local -dactors who are paid exclu- sively by the government and used that money te build the giant medical centre on Park Ave. Beausoleii said TDCSS also fears restructured con- tracts will mean budget cuts and that prompis the society’s 165 employces to worry for their jobs, Other agencies in town with ministry contracts, such as the Terrace Child Development Centre, are more concerned amalgama- tion could fead to bigger, less focussed organizations. Coordinator Margot Hayes said the child development centre relies heavily on volunteers and fund-raising. “If you amalgamate with a bigger agency you're going to lose a lot of that,’ Hayes said. ‘‘I don’t know where the cost savings are going to come in.”’ But ministry regional op- erations officer Margaret Anne Gallagher says every- one’s going to have more time to figure out how it’s going to work. She said she’s extending the amalgamation process in the region to ensure there’s adequate consultation. Gallagher _ said the regional office is behind schedule because it’s had difficulty in attracting staff to the northwest. “Contracts may have to be extended the way ihey are mow for a couple of months until we're caught up,” she said. Teacher faces charges A FORMER local school teacher will be in Terrace court March 27 facing two sex- offence charges. The 30-year-old teacher is charged with indecent assault and gross indecency dating back to alleged incidents that occurred in 1979 and 1980 when he was taught here. The man has been teaching in Nanaimo for the past eight years, Terrace RCMP fe. 22.98 Mens Fleece Pants with pockets $74 799 Mens Fleece $90 Tops $9999 Levis Red Tab Jeans 5549 Storm Rider ~ SFO ss ed 3 pak Aeg. 5.98 White Sport Socks $499 Stanfield Knit Boxer Briefs 2/°19". "| Reg, 12,98 pr Reg, 9.98 Gildon Short Sleeve ° heavy weight T-shirts $ a Ladies Blue Bay $7), Pants 99 3 pak 71% _ “Reg, 14.89 Kodiak Dress Socks 99 : Terrace oe -Skeena Mall, 635-3249 Store Hours Man. - Sat. 9am -6pm m 6 ri. ‘til 9 pm Sun. 12-5pm staff sergeant Doug Wheler says the police investigation into the charges dates back to late 1996, “We really can’t say much more because of the publication ban,’’ he says. A publication ban has been placed on all court proceedings. Bans are used to protect the privacy of viclims and witnesses. laid Feb. 3. The accused teacher was suspended from his teaching position at an elementary school in Nanaimo after the charges were Officials with the Nanaimo school district say counselling has been made available for students there, although no suspicious ac- ‘tivities by the teacher while in that city have been reported. Wheler doesn’t expect any more charges to be laid. The accused is out on bail. News In Brief Press head named THE MAN who wrote the report which caused the downfall of former Premier Bill Vander Zalm is now the chairman of the B.C. Press Council. Lawyer Ted Hughes, Q.C., served as the province's conflict of interest commissioner from 1991 ta 1997, has been a federal land claims negotiator, and has served on a variety of commissions on contentious is- sues in westem Canada. He takes over as chairman of the press council from retired Admital Robert Yanow who served for cight years. The B.C. Press Council was formed in 1983 to deal with freedom of expression issues and to hear com- plaints from the readers of its more than 125 member newspapers. Vander Zalm resigned in 1991 after Hughes released his report dealing with the former Premier's business interests surrounding his Fantasy Gardens develop- ment, Timber supply reviewed THE KALUM TIMBER supply area is under review and local opinions are wanted on the future of forestry in the region. ’ An information report is now available from the forests ministry, which summarizes technical informa- tion and management practices that provide the basis for the TSA report. That report will be released later this year. It will be followed by the chief forester’s annual allowable cut _ decision, which will be based on the report. Public opinion on the information report will be ac- cepted until Feb. 26. The Kalum TSA covers 550,000 hectares of land sur- rounding Terrace and Kitimat. The current annual al- lowable cut, set in 1996, is 464,000 cubic metres. Road work sought THE 1998 highways ministry budget may finally in- clude money to help improve Hwy37 North and the Nisga’a Memorial Highway. The budget isn’t due to be finalized until March, but highways regional director Dirk Nyland says his office is pushing to have some upgrades done. “Jt’s too early to teli,”’ he said Friday. ‘But we certainly advised our headquarters that we should do some work up here.” Nyland says be can’t say how much work would be done sitice that depends on how much money is made available. Local governments, including the City of Terrace, Nisga’a Tribal Council and the Kitimat-Stikine Regional District have been pushing to have the high- ~ways upgraded and paved for years. , The municipalities say current road conditions are dangerous and impede tourism. Spring Is Just Around The Corner Are You Ready? Shopping List Save on the following items while stock lasts! $73),, (Reg. 1.75) 1.4 BL. Nursery Flats with or without boles | Black Inserts for starting seeds (Reg. 1.19) 9 oa | Clear Domes 3” x11°x22” IZ 09 (Reg. 3.99) Growth Plus Fertilizer 227ml (Reg. 12.95) $9704 (Reg. 44.99) *3 Growth Plus Fertilizer 11 1Sea Mix 11. (Reg, 19.95) $7 O° a Shop And Save! feo-op\ Terrace CO-OP ayer” Farm & Garden 635 46 4617 Greig Avenue, Terrace