a ana, a i see eee ee a, i oe, Runway remains open The second runway at the airport - won't be closed and that makes users happy /NEWS A9 Remembering D-Day Local vets recall the day which began the end of the Second World War /COMMUNITY B1 Fastest yet Richard Harrison posts the fastest Kermodei Klassic men’s 10km time yet /SPORTS C2 WEDNESDAY JUNE 8, 1994 LAND CLAIM - settlements should be pul to referendum be- fore they are put into force, says the leader of the provincial Reform party in the legislature. Jack Weisgerber said all people living within the boundaries of proposed claim settlements will be affected and 80 should have a say. The MLA for Peace River South called the pian an expan- sion of what will likely already lake place -within native com- munities. “No doubt there. will be ratification by members of tribal councils, one of the partners in the negotiation process, so [ be- lieve it is important that the op- portunity be given to all other people who are directly af- fected,’’ said Weisgerber. B.C. Reform members also want- more openness in land claims negotiations, That way, said Weisgerber, there’ll be better public knowl- edge of the issues involved and perhaps a -belter chance of public acceptance when referenda are held. “T think we need to ensure there is an open process, to know what the demands are and the compromises,’ said Weisgerber. - “Tf all sides knew a settlement was to be put to a referendum in advance of a formal treaty, I think realistically there would be a bet- ter chance of them proceeding,’’ he said. “T think also that with any agreement negotiated behind closed doors, in secret, people will trash it ala the Charlottetown Accard.”” “Some people will say it’s too much. Others will say it’s not enough. Nobody wilk be happy with it whereas if people were in- volved, they would sce what kind of concessions were made,’’ said Weisgerber, “I think also this would dis- courage the parties to start with more realistic positions. It would discourage them from having over inflated positions. There would be a better chance of hav- - Kalum Lake. i Getting a bearing STEADY EYE: Compass work and orienteering were among the outdoor activities for Chris Collinson and other young members of the 7th Terrace Scouts at.a recent camp. at Kitsum- + PHOTO — ERIG HARKONEN ing more acceptable positions all the way around,” he added. Weisgerber served as aboriginal affairs minister in the last Social Credit government. Tt was one of three parties sign- ing an agreement on how the Nisga’a land claims talks are to be run. Clauses in the agreement prohibiting release of information about the talks have been criti- cized. Weisgerber now says he’s dis- appointed by how the agreement is being interpreted, “I believe there should be a much more open process. The province has now taken the nar- rowest of interpretations of the agreement,’’ said Weisgerber. kaekekk There is no clear idea yet of how the provincial and federal governments will deal with pro- posed iand claims agreements. It’ll form part of the plan on how the newly-formed B.C. Treaty Commission will operate. The Nisga’a claim is being ne- gotiated under a separate arrange- ment. The provincial government has said it will release an agreement in principle for the Nisga’a claim, once it is approved by negotiators and their superiors, for public comment. But there are no details yet on what that will entail. RD = 75¢ PLUS 5¢ GST VOL. 7 NO. 8. Jack Weisgerber Need to get realistic cited College justifies course cuts DESPITE PROTESTS, North- west Community College board members voted to suspend or cut ascrits of programs as planned. The automotive/neavy-duly me- chanical program in Terrace will be closed, Office careers programs in Ter- race and Prince Rupert will be cut and replaced with a smaller office lechnology program, The present. nursing program will be phased out and a mejor teview of the college’s ‘health- care education will) be | un- derlaken. Unofficial news of the cuts several weeks ago was grected | with petitions and delegations to aboard meeting. “We will be starting a new pro- gram of one sort or another in the fall of 1995 —-.one. of which could be nursing,’’ said Terrace campus director “Doug. Baker. “The whole kerfuffle. that we’re not going to have any- nursing i is’ very premature.’* He said: the next ‘scheduled : registration of nursing. studenis, set for December, will be can- celled, bu! students already in the program wili be allowed to com- plete il, , College officials insisted all af- fecied programs will eventually be either brought! back after being changed or replaced with some- thing else. “It's not a cut — it’s a “change,” said administrative offi- cial Ella Goodlad. A commercial transport tech- niclan program will replace the - heavy-duty automotive program, Baker noted. “Other new programs on the drawing board include an entre-_ pteneurial service. worker pro- gram in business hospitality, a two-year ‘tourism management program, and a natural resource worker program. ~Graduaies. of that program would ‘emerge as fishery or forestry technicians to take. new ‘jobs arising as the forest industry moves towards more. intensive fotest management a At the heart of the changes is an edict from Victoria telling col- leges to do more with less and to be more responsive to changing ” times. Extra money from Victoria this yeur is aimed only at new pro- grams. With core prants frozen and ex- penses increasing by about 3.5 per cent, the college had to reduce some of ils present offer- ings, said (he officials, Ail the programs being cut or suspended. are. ones in which praduales had poor prospects for future employment because of workplace or technology changes or because of poor job markets, they said. Acute care nursing jobs are in extremely short supply now and the shift to more community- based health care is expected to make the market even tighter, A changed nursing or other health care program may emerge al the end of the review with bet- ler job prospects, Ba Baker said. ‘To malntaln Vitality, you have to innovate, respond and adapl,’”’ he said, Goodlad said the college is being more realistic now aboul the job market. ‘“Everybody’s looking at their programs and making sure they're as up to date as possible,”’ added academic representailve Norma Kerby. Slight increases in. universlty- transfer and business administra- tion instructors will offset some of the staff reductions. One. office careers instructor and one instructor-aide position is being cut in. both Terrace and Prince Rupert. One heavy duty mechanical progtam instructor is also being cut in Terrace, as well as the open learning manager position. “Very few people will be leav- ing the college — and not likely more than one in this campus,” Baker said. . He predicted there will be a net “Increase of staff by about six positions once new programs are ‘nplace later this year. ” a a VOTERS IN the Kootenay community of Rossland have turned down three successive attempts by council members to ratse their pay. They did so under a unique constitution which allows voters to pul certain tissues to referendum. Get in focus We asked three local people for their opinions on referenda. You'll find their comments on Page AS. It’s also the start of a regu- far feature culled Focus in which we'll be publishing the views af local residents on Selected tapics. City has power over tree cutting THE CITY does have the power to control tree cutting within its boundaries. That according to Brian Taylor, a lawyer and expert on environ- mental issues, Taylor was one of the speakers at last week’s by-law enforce- ment and licensing officers con- ference held here, He said 1992 legislation gave municipalities broad powers to regulale or prohibit the cutting of trees and introduce a permit sys- tem. Regulations could be applied to specific areas of the city, certain tree species and/or sizes or target ‘‘significant’’ trees. _ However, he cautioned, ‘the Tegulations could not be so Stringent as to prevent develop- ‘ment of land unless they included ‘a formula for compensating land owners. IF there was no compensation, he explained, the city was effec- tively expropriating the land without ever paying for it. Noting environmental issues were increasingly coming to, the fore at a local government level, Taylor said that was particularly so where urban development started to creep inlo rural areas. . That inevitably created a clash between those who favoured. de- velopment and people who wanted to retain the rural atmo- sphere. - Taylor said environmental is- sues could also be addressed by introducing development permit areas (DPA). ‘ (Terrace’s latest official com: munity plan has done just that.) That system can prohibit any construction or altcration without a permit. And a recently added section to the Municipal Act says a permit can be required even to clear Jand within a DPA. However, he cautioned,’ local government had to be careful it didn’t regulate to the extent that it “sterilized” land. THE IDEA of Thornhill either joining Terrace or forming its own municipality is the drawing board, Terrace mayor Jack Talsira, also a regional district direc- tor, said new members should be appointed to a now- dormant restructuring com- mittee later this month. A new regional district report says the study. will ex- amine other surrounding areas, including north Ter- race, Braun’s Island, Copper- side and Dubose. Dubose is the proposed in- dustrial site south of Lakelse -Orenda Forest Products wants fo put its long-planned puip and paper mill, Merger group to be revived back on Lake and is the location . Two years ago —. when the Orenda proposal seemed more ~ likely to: proceed —— Terrace, city council asked Victorla to consider a special extension of city boundaries to en- compass that site and make it part of Terrace’s industrial tax base. Two years ago — when the Crenda proposal seemed more likely to proceed — Terrace ¢lty council asked Victoria to consider a special extension of city boundaries to. en- corhpass that site and make it part of Terrace’s industrial tax base, The idea accomplished little olher than irritating Killmat councillors, who had similar tax-grab plans. "I don’t know why some- body. slipped Dutose in there,’? Talstra said. “I had considered it to be fust the Im- ~ mediate area surrounding, Ters race. Le