A6 Terrace Review — Wednesday, May 16, 1990 There is-a tide... We're trying: to imagine this conversation taking place, say, in the Noranda head office in Toronto. "Well, Perkins, did you take care of that booking for the annual general meeting?" "Ah... sorry, sir, but I had to settle for the second choice." "What, Banff, again?" "I know your heart was set on Terrace, sir... but they don’t have a convention center." ) "Remember that opening for company landscaper in Sudbury? Pack your bags." The idea that Terrace needs a combined community and convention center has burst into the public domain rather suddenly in recent weeks, and we have to wonder where the demand has come from. The city council is discussing a move for referendum in November, suggesting it as casually as a decision to have cornflakes for breakfast. Members of the administrative crew early this year checked out a number of similar facilities while on other city business, presumably because they were told to do so. Terrace has many attractions that the-usual urban con- vention setting can’t offer, but even something the equal of Canada Place wouldn’t act as a magnet until some glaring problems are overcome. The local airport has a reputation for being unreliable, and although that is somewhat exaggerated, the idea that convention participants would have difficulty even arriving works against us. Terrace is slated for a microwave landing system in the mid-1990’s, but conventions come by charter airlines, which use older aircraft that are more likely to have the older but less expensive instrument landing system. Appearance is another factor: even the day after the © annual Garbathon, most of Terrace’s side streets were still awash with litter and debris. Cost is yet another: we could offer cheaper accommodation and amenities, but it would | cost more to get here. Meanwhile, the library board is getting alarmed and feeling antagonized — and rightly so — because they already have an expansion proposal, complete with dem- onstrat-:’ demand, growth projections, drawings and costs, -.,.. . 4 the voters. And the civic election this coming RE _ bea golden opportun::, :he provincial - tax relief measures through increased home atts could put voters in an unusually generous owiie. mood. Now that the pool expansion money is safely spent, who ' wants to catch that generosity at high tide — and wo erracEe wu on pm id BLE OME TEL OP pe, serktee at 2 OL anteitinin pad The view from Victoria — by John Pifer Established May 1, 1965 The Terrace Review is published each Wednesday by Close-Up Business Services Ltd. Publisher: Mark Twyford Editor: Michael Kelly Staff Reporters: Tod Strachan, Betty Barton Advertising Manager: Mar] Twyford Typesetting: Carrie Olson Production Manager: Jim Hat! Production: Charles Costello, Gurbax Gill, Karyn Kirk, Linda Mercer, Ranjit Nizar Office: Carrie Olson Accounting: Mar] Twyford, Harminder K. Dosanjh Second-class mall registration No. 6886. All material appaaring In the Terrace Review is protected under Canadian copyright Reglatra- tion No. 362775 and cannot legally be repro- duced for any reason without permiasion of the publisher. Errors and omissions. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of typographical error, that portlon of the advertis- -Ing apace occupied by the erroneous item will not be charged for, but the balance of the adver- tlaement wilt be pald for at the applicable rate. Advertisera must assume responsiblity for er- rors in any classified ad which is suppiled to the Terrace Review in handwritten form. In compliance with ihe B.C. Human Rights Act, no advertisement will be published which discriminates against a parson due to age, race, - feliglon, colar, sex, nationality, ancestry ar place of origin. 4535 Grelg Avenue, Terrace, 8.C. V6G 1M7 Phone: 635-7840 Fax: 635-7269 One year subscriptions: « In Canada $24.00 Oui of Canada $50.00 Seniors In Terrace and Distriat $12.00 Seniors out of Terrace and District $15.00 VICTORIA — Mid May mus Throughout his distinguished career in government, Frank Rhodes, deputy minister to Premier Bill Vander Zaim since mid-1988, has been the epitome of the efficient, educated and effective senior civil servant. So the appointment of the ‘‘Triple E’’ Rhodes as president and chief executive officer of _B.C., Ferries (effective June 15) comes as no surprise to those who have dealt with him in this - community and beyond. The man has always had a | love of ships and the sea; and although the ferry fleet’s opera- tion through George Strait is hardly the bounding main, _ there is little doubt that Rhodes will be happier there. Currently the most powerful civil servant in B.C., Rhodes will certainly continue to serve, and to serve well, in his new role, Speculation is a natural state of mind for journalists, so forgive me if J muse aloud about whether Mr. Rhodes is the spearhead to a long-range plan to privatize the ferries altogether. Nah, I’m almost _ sure that’s way out to lunch... almost. It may also be worthy to note that on the same day that Mr. Rhodes’ appointment came _ down, B.C. Ferries announced a 12-month, market-research program, to. include. no less than eight passenger surveys. Everything from the response to: passenger-only ferries to ways to improve service for commercial travellers will be in- / cluded. Amid the repeated govern- ment promises for more ferries and improved services, Mr. _ Rhodes has guite.a challenge , ” before him. But given the way in which he handled the sensitive post as deputy to Mr. Vander Zalm — arriving when the Premier was in the deepest do-do (cabinet resignations, David Poole, et al, lest you forget) — you may. bet the family silver that Frank will be a class act for the ferry corporation. His honest, sincere efforts behind the scenes to try to resolve the Meech Lake Discord were considerable, and may yet bear fruit. Herewith the absolute latest scenario about a spring elec- tion, I promise. This evening (Wednesday), there is a mandatory caucus meeting for government MLAs. An election writ announced tonight or tomorrow by Premier Vander Zalm would bring an election on June 13 or 14, That is considered by most observers to be the absolute last possible date which favors the sitting government — before kids are out of school, and affluent Socrets are off on © holiday, etc. - Will it happen? No, I doubt it very, very much. The Socreds don’t have the troops, the money, nor the heart for an election right now, and they . would be whipped, regardless of the fairly bland performance to date of Mike Harcourt and Co. in the NDP. And Socred claims of a bal- anced budget and fiscal re- sponsibility is in tatters, thanks, to professional criticism of Finance Minister Mel Couveller’s bafflegab and B.S. Fund, and the polls are only slightly heartening for them. However, if Vander Zalm’s reading of the stars and tea leaves convince him that he can win despite all of the above, hey, he is just likely to go for it, ; (Please note: This item is known in my profession as covering your butt, just in case the loony, losing proposition — happens, against all odds!). Leonard Krog, the Van- couver Island NDP candidate whose last name will be used a lot by the Social Credit Party province-wide come the elec- tion, has kicked back at the premier. Mr. Vander Zalm had prom- ised to use ‘‘krog’’ to describe “lose’’, after Leonard said . taxes would have to rise under an NDP government. Now the NDPer has given the premier his dictionary’s definition of krog: ‘1. v. to win, esp. in elections 2. n. a winner 3. v. to benefit from publicity arising from being quoted out of context,’’ In an open letter to The Zalm, he writes: ‘‘If you really want to be ‘krogged’, come and debate me.”’ He also reminds the Socred leader about just how much taxes have been raised by Vander Zalm and Co. since 1986. Turnabout is fair play, so I fully expect to see the NDP campaign about how the people of B.C, have been “zalmed”’ over the past four years. The election fight will be bit-— ter and dirty, believe me... and no, that'is not wishful think- Continued on- page A7