Hose

TERRACE — The provincial
government has been asked for
$150,000 to top up the $610,000
raised locally for a CT scan
device.

The extra money will allow
Mills Memorial Hospital to pur-
chase a higher tech device than
originally planned, says Terrace
Regional Health Care Society
chief executive officer Michael
Leisinger,

‘We were looking ata mid,
mid-range scanner but now feel a
high mid-range one is needed,”
he said.”

The latter is faster than the for-
mer, meaning that more people
can be scanned in a shorter period
of time. .

“Tl enable us, for instance, to
do a week’s wark in three days so
operating costs are then lower,”
said Leisinger,

“We've laid out the options
and bave ‘asked for their
opinion,’’ he said of the $150,000
request.

And the health care society
might still go ahead and purchase
the kind of scanner it wants even
if it does not receive the extra
money, Leisinger continued,

“There are a whole number of
options. The (Dr. R.B.M. Lee)

_ Foundation could raise the dif-

ference, Or the company we
choose could say ‘Here’s a high
mid- “range scanner at a mid mid-
range price,’ ”’ he said:
eo. £2
In the meantime, A -CT scan
machine could be up and running
by this fall provided everything
goes according to plan, said
Leisinger. -
He made the comment follow-
ing the. provincial government’s

pital wants CT top up ©

announcement last week it will
provide 75 per cent of the ma-
chine’s annual operating costs.

Three years of community ef- -

.. forts to raise money for ils pur-
_ Chase culminated this spring
when the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospi-

tal Foundation collected
$600,000, That’s $10,000 more
than its goal.

Reaching the goal then lead ta
an official request for operating

money and for money to renovate
hospital - space to . contain the
device, «4. .
- “We can now begin specilic
negotiations with suppliers,’ said
Leisinger. |

Three companies contacted for
general prices now wanted to

come. up to make specific
presentations.
Cont'd Page A2

in by

TERRACE — Council has
given the go-ahead for a new
animal shelter.

To be constricted on cilty-
owned land adjacent to Rotary
Park, the estimated cost of the fa-
cility is $350,000,

The new shelter will replace te
present 28-year-old building
which has been showing its age in
recent years.

By-law enforcement department
head Bob Lafleur said the pro-
posed shelter will be 3,360 sq.ft.
in‘ area, three times the present
one.

Lafleur said if construction

wére to get under way by May,
the new shelter could be up and

ruining by September, .
Describing the new building as
“high security, . aid low

maintenance," he sald tlie ‘edri-
crete block, metal roof structure
woilld be enclosed in a chain link
compound and alarmed through-
out. ;

“Tv'll last forever if it’s
maifitdined properly,”’ he added,

Lafleur said-the shelter would
include 24 ‘dog .Kennels, com-
pared to the present 12, outside
runs, 2 separate room for cat
cages and a wildlife holding area.

The proposed: medical room,
private office and showers for
staff would be among the new
features, ;

Pointing out the recommenda-

tions of the humane society had’
been used in designing the build-
ing, Lafleur said it could not be
made any smaller.

Administration has been told to
go ahead with drawings and spec-
ifications so the project can go
out to tender,

The project will be financed by 3

$250,000 of short-term borrow-
ing, the balance to be borrowed
from the city’s land acquisition .
fund and repaid from the sale of

the land on which the existing

hel ter stands.

Sandy

overpass?

TERRACE —- The City of
Terrace was named B.C, Mini-
ng Community of the Year at a
luncheon in Vancouver March
12.

This is the first year for the
award which is sponsored by
the Mining Association of B.C,

It was given as part of Mini-
ng Week activities in Van-
couver.

4 provincial mines minister
Anne Edwards to Terrace
councillor Danny Sheridan

who represented the city,

City recognized -

for mining boost

‘promote mining but to spread

The award was presented by.

“We're pleased for Ter-
race,” mining associalion rep-
resentative Ida Makaro said

Fast week in adding that the’ [

city has done a lot not only to -

ils message to the public.

Three ‘other. communities
were nominated — Fraser.
Lake, Kimberley and Prin-
ceton. °
Sheridan said he was happy
to accept the award.

“The presentation took place
at the Hotel Vancouver during
Mining Weck activities.

YOUNG BUILDER Caylan Carruthers, 4, was caught last
week doing her bit for the city's building boom at the Dis-

covery Daycare. What she and the other kids attending
the facility are too young to know is they're lucky. That's
because available licensed daycare places lag far behind
the need. Those involved in providing the service also
warry the city's policy on daycares is not helping the -
situation. To find out more, turn to page A8& for the story..

+

Land overlaps
| key to settling
land claims

TERRACE — A tentative agree-
ment settling the Nisga’a land
claim will have to iriclude the size
of the territory involved, says the
federal government’s chief nego-
tiator,

And that means settling over-
laps between the Nisga’a and
neighbouring native groups, said
David Osborn last week.

Negotiations on- the tetitative
deal called an agreement in prin-
elple will address aréas of Juris-
diction such- as hunting and
forestry rights, said Osborn.

Resolving overlaps  ‘‘will
certainly be one issue we'll have
to dddress in the tear future,”” he
continued. 7

The Nisga’a claim 9,600 square
nilles centeted on the Nass Val-
ley.

But the Gitanyow (formerly
Kitwancool) to the east also claim
some of that land as do the Tsim-
shian to the west.

The: Gitanyow~have “been “tie*

most forceful of the two groups in
saying the Nisga’a are claiming.
land that is theirs instead.-

Altempls for years now by the
Nisga’a and the Gitanyow have
‘so far failed to settle the conflict-
ing claims.

The most recent took place in
February when the Nisga’a were
told at the last minute-that a meet-
ing in Gitanyow had been can-
celled.

“The agreement in principle
will include rights and obligations
and jurisdiction,’’ said Osbom of
negotiations now underway.

Although he said the federal
government prefers that native
groups work out overlaps be-
tween themselves, Osborn added
that it has involved itself in other
overlap disputes.

Methods include using
mediators or factfinders who
gather information on historical

use of land that is claimed byv var-
ious native groups,

On one occasion, the federal Ine
dian affairs minister drew a line
on a map to settle a dispute, said
Osbom.

“(’m) not suggesting that’s a
widely used device. It does not
mean that first nations can riot sit
together and negotiate coopera
tively arrangements on territory,”’
he added,

Osborn described the overlap
situation in B.C. asa ‘'mess’’.’

‘Look at a map. Look at the
lines on it. It gets pretty compli-
cated,”’ he said,

“The federal goveniment will
have to come to a negotiaitd
agreement with all of the first ha-
tions. We'll have to try to bring
them in in some way,’? he said. ..

But he doubts if ihe Nisga’a
would. be willing ‘to have . the
Gitanyow. sit in on the Nisga'a
claims talks.
~sbomsaid ‘there: is avsense of

. urgency in resolving-overlaps be-

cause there cannot otherwise be

_ ah agreement in principle,

The negotiator added that there
are ways to resolve overlaps even
after an agreement in Principle is is
negotiated.

The agreement was to have
been negotiated by March 20 but
talks are still going on. :

There's no indication of when a
new deadline will. be decided
upan.

The federal. and provincial
governments and the Nisga’a
have said in the past that failure
to reach an agreement in principle
by the deadline date does not
mean that the talks are in trouble.

The agreement will contain all
of the elements in a final treaty
and will be presented for discus-
sion and comment before that
final treaty is settled.

Housing group gets boost

ac om re eee

TERRACE — In a curious form of the
domino effect, the city’s decision to build a

- new animal shelter could mean new aflfor-

dable housing in the community.
~ That, explains Skeena Valley Co-op Hows-

~ ing secretary Heather Eyjolfson, is because
__it frees up land the society needs to make its
: “project work.

Council last week agreed that if the society

~ ig successful in ils application to the B.C.

Housing Management Commission
(BCHMC), the. city will enter into negotia-
tions for the lease or purchase of the existing
animal shelter site,

And that promise is “‘crucial’? to the
society’s efforts to build its proposed 24-unil
development, Eyjolfson said.

The development will include one to four-
bedroom. units intended for one and two-

parent, low income families. |

It will also include four units which can
adapted to accommodate those with special
needs,

With the land now secured and architect’s
drawings completed, she said the society is
now waiting for the BCHMC to issue ts call

' for applications, expected any time. -

Each year BCHMC announces how many

affordable housing unils it is prepared to

build and invites interested groups to submit
proposals,

Because applications always exceed avail-
able units, there are no guarantee the local
society’s proposal will be accepted.

However, Eyjolfson said the chances of
success appeared to be good.

Terra Housing Consultants, who are assist-
ing the Skeena Valley Housing Co-op, have

considerable experience with non-profit
housing projects.

Based on that experience, Terra had told
the sociely its proposal would have a good
chance of success, she explained,

However, it still has to ensure it meets one
more condition: it. must gather enough ap-
plications from potential tenants to prove the
community really has a need for affordable
housing.

Under BCHMC. regulations, the socicty
must come up with about 200 signatures to
do that. Eyjolfson said it has-134'so far but
hopes to add to that as a result of an in-
formation display at the Skeena Mall over
the next two weekends,

Those wishing to find out if they meet the
residency qualifications for the development
can contact Eyjolfson at 635-9088, °