Lang defends withdrawal of Northland subsidy By Edie Austin Service to communities along the west coast will not be substantialiy reduced by the withdrawal. of a $4 million annual subsidy to Northland Navigation Co. itd., according to Transport Minister Otto Lang. In a statement released Tuesday, Mr. Lang said “The removal of the subsidy will end the present inequities and distortion of rates and put non-subsidized transpertation firms in a better competitive position to serve these communities. Bul representatives of Local 505 International Longshoremen’'s Warehouseman's Union disagree.” Longshoremen president ‘Stan Dahlgren sent a telegram to Skeena MP Iona Campagnolo Monday night advising her: ‘The mem- bership of Local 505 In- ternational Longshoremen’s & Warehousemen’s Union strongly protests the federal government’s decision concerning the cancellation of the Northland Navigation, subsidy. ; “No words can describe the terrible effect this will have on 50 many small west coasl ports. and the inhabitants. We request you consider the posilion you ” have taken and do all within your power fo ensure that this subsidy is not with- drawn. We would also like to remind you that this with- drawal would be devastating to the income of this port.” “Northland is unique in its service,” Ray Mitchell, Longshoremen vice- president told The Herald. “Il takes anything from a letter to a forty ton jift and E. can'tsee any barge or truck or airplane replacing it. It's a personalized service.” Northland now provides a scheduled cargo and passenger service to 16 communities, including .. around the | Regional Disirict The monthly meeling of the Board of the Kitimat- Stikine Regional District took place at the District Office on Friday, August 27. Chairman Joe Banyay was in the chair. The Board has been in- structed ta obtain in- formalion as to why a request for. capital assistance by the Terrace Child Development Center has been turned down before the Board takes any action in this regard. . Mr. G.H.F. Elliot, Deputy Minister, Community Health Programs, in in- dieating that He could not be more positive in regard to the request at this time, - suggests that the Cenler contact service clubs or the Regional District for help. The Board appeared to be miffed that its chairman, Joe Banyay had not been contacted directly by the coordinator of a proposed visit to this area by a group of Japanese Travel Agents under the sponsorship .of British Columbia Yellowhead 16 Travel Association. Members of the « Boarabfelt that since il pays this association's way, in part, personal contact should have been made to meet the group. The ad- ministration will set up a meeting for Mr. Banyay. Directors Gordon Rowland, Jean Sarich and Paul Monaghan voted against a recommendation brought down by the Ob- jectives Committee that all alternate directors attend two meetings per year and be reimbursed expenses and $100 for atlendance at these meetings; and that the alternates will still attend regular meetings in the absence of the Director but attend standing committees as observers only. The proposal passed by majority vole. The three directors voting against the resolution thal alternates replacing Directors should be allowed - input to standing committee discussions since they will be allowed a voice and a vote at the regular _ meetings. Director Paul Monaghan was the only dissenting yoter when the Board decided to up its pay. It was ‘decided to return the overnight expense allowance to $50 per diem from $40 while on Regional District business within the region and to boost the per diem rate to $75 when . Sister Mountains. oulside the region, Director Monaghan agreed that the within the region rale should be inereased but that the out of town rate should remain the same as the lwo balanced each other off. The Regional District paid over the one third eslimated cost lo dale of the loss on the Terrace Swimming Pool- Arena complex. The _ estimaled joss for the 1976 operating scason is estimaled at $81,433. The same action was taken in regard to the Terrace Municipal Cemetery. . Mr. Doug Aberley was hired on a three month probationary period to the staff of the Regional District Planning Department at a monthly salary of $1000. The Board's Planning Committee expressed considerable concern in regard to logging the Seven It was decided to ‘have a representative from Forestry present at the next meeting to provide the Board with more details. It was also recommended that because of the unique visual aspect: of the Seven Sisters Mountain Range, particular attention be paid to land- scape logging. Lucy Wood reported to the Board on her trip to Prince George to attend a meeting on the Election Act changes. : She reports that the major ' change is that now non- resident property owners and non-reporting cor- porations can be registered as electors in municipal, school beard and regional district elections. Both of these groups must fill in a registration card if they wish to vote. These cards are available at municipal and regional district offices. Ms, Wood also notes that in the afternoon at this Prince George meeting, Mr. Al Keylock, who has been retained by the Provincial Government from the AIB explained the procedure for filling in some required AIB forms. The Minister of Transport and Communications in the provincial government, Jack Davis, has replied toa. letter from Regional District Planner Ray Parfitt in regard to communication deficiencies in the northwest in part as follows:- “I understand that the three common carriers, B.C. Tel, B.C. Rail and C.N. Telecommunications, receally had relatively firm plans which would have secn all major towns and villages in your area ser- viced by 1979. However, beeause of conflicts in planning, the delay in construction of the Dease Lake Railway, and slower than anticipated mining ‘developments, doubt now exists on the linling of any communications’ developments in the area. “Discussions are currently underway bet- ween the Departmenl of Communications, the CBC, C.N, Tel, and B.C. Tel to seek ways to expedite these programs, improve the routings and services, (i.e. CBC television}, and establish priorities in a ‘manner to ‘best meet the needs of the area. In this regard, my department continues ta have regular discussion with the various | agencies involved. “Madame Sauve referred to a proposed federal government common carrier shared cost program for extension of service to the north. We understand that this program will apply _ only to satellite service and only to the -Yukon and the -Northwest Territories, but we are currently ‘seeking clarification on these points. ‘Ifthe program is applicable -in the province we will in- vestigate the possibilities of applying it to your area, since such a shared cost program could result in service in a much earlier . time frame.” | The Provincial Minister of ' Highways and Public | Works, Alex Fraser, has | written Kilimat-Stikine { Regional District Chairman ! Joe Banyay informing him | that his department plans to call a 22 mile contract as ‘soon as possible on the Meziadin to Cranberry jseclion and lo carry out | same clearing on a day labour basis between Kit- | wanga and Kitwancool. |: The Minister also states i that he plans also to call (rari fr contract further | north from Pinetree Lake to Cassiar Junction. — | Mr. Fraser said that it. {was also the intention of his (department to speed up the ‘work in the Bear Pass ‘seclion to reduce the ‘avalanche problem, He jadded that it was his in- ‘“tention of keeping a close (watch on ‘the remaining section outside of the above deseribed work on the Kitwanga {to Meziadin section so that travelling hifficulties will be minimized. NOTIC in observance of Labour Day, Monday, Stptember 6, 1916, the following change in refuse pickup is introduced: . Garbage normally collected on picked up on Tuesday, September 7, 1976. The Garbage Disposal Ground will be closed Monday, September 6, 1976. | Tho Municipal Office will also he closed on Monday, September 6, 1976. | fenday will be _ DISTRICT. OF TERRACE Juskatla, Masset, Stewart, Kineolith, Skidegate, Kitkatla and Port Simpson. Other companies in- cluding Rivtow Straits Ltd., Bute Towing Ltd., North Arm ‘Transportation Ltd., Shields Navigation Ltd. and Johnston Terminals Ltd. have expressed an interest in serving the north coast region, but say they feel unable to compete with a subsidized carrier. ‘'We are competing directly with oyr own. tax dollars,’ Peter Shields, president of Shields Navigation; told the Herald. These companies, with the exception of Johnston Terminals, are tug and barge operations. They would be unable to provide the passenger service now provided by Northland. Johnstone Terminals handles cargo by truck and rail. RivTow, the largest of these companies, currently operates tug and barge services between Van- couver and Prince Rupert and between Rupert and the Queen Charlotte Isiands. The company announced it plans lo provide an alter- native freight service to serve B.C. coastal com- munities, in conjunction with two other compames, Bute Towing, partly owned by RivTow, and Coast Ferries. More exact operation plans are now being developed and will be an- nounced shortly, a company representative told the Herald from Vancouver. . - According to Longshoremen vice- president Ray Mitchell, “RivTow is taking all the pravy. Anything they can aul cheap and fast. and make money with a barge, fine, bul anything that’s — all the little bitsy, nitty picky things, that is what old Northland is stuck with now. Northland Navigation president, Captain L.B. Fleming told the Herald the company is studying its options al the moment and has not yet decided to continue operations on the eoast after October 31. In an interview with the Herald last week, Capl. Fleming said communities along the coast will be forced lo use air carriers. or tug and barge operations, neither of which is very reliable, unable to continue its -ser- vice. There is nol enough volume of goads ordered from the more remote areas {o make it economically feasible for tug and barge- operations to make regular runs up the coast. Capt. Fleming said tug and barge companies provide limited service and are hampered a great deal by weather conditions that if Northland is° do not generally affect Northiand Navigation. And Mr, Mitchell agrees, “I’ve seen when the Nor- thland is travelling out there in a 35.0r 40 mile an hour gale, and there's no tug or barge that'll de it,” he said. Cecil Caselich, president of RivTow Straits Ltd., told the Herald his company has had ‘no great problems” due to weather. Once in a: while we lose time in winter, he said, but not often; less than 5 percent of our runs are nol on time, said Mr. Coselich. ; But according to an in- terview with Stan Dahlgren, “in winter there can he weeks on end" when it is impossible for a barge to get into some of the com- munities now being served by Northland. RivTow has. not yet announced exactly which communities will be included in its proposed service. . He also indicated that if Northland decides to discontinue its service, longshoremen will] lose about $300,000 per year in wages, or about 50 percent of their combined income. In a time of high local unemployment, such a loss would have serious effects on this community, Mr. Dahtgren said. Members of the Longshoremen's Union would not be used by Riv- Tow to load or unload barges. City council agreed at their meeting Monday night te send letters to Iona Campagnolo and Transport Minister Otto Lang THE HERALO, Wednesday, September 1. 1976, PAGE AS protesting the subsidy cul. Concern for the com- munilies to be affected, and for longshoremen who will lose their jobs will be ex- pressed in the letters, -*] think Iona has forsaken us,". Mr. Mitchell said, *'! think that the RivTow people gat to Iona or her principals down there and sold her or them a bill of goods and that’s it. She doesn't seem tocare about it all, and the people here. am Mrs. agnolo travelled to Saskatoon ta meet with Transport Minister Lang. She met with representatives of RivTow and with Northland Navigation. Capt. Fleming, Northland resident, did not seem appy with the meeting: “We feel she was not fully . conversant with many of the aspects of our coastal shipping services and had not appreciated the im- portance of our cargo- passenger vessels to provide an adequate level of service to’. the affected com- munities,” he said, adding that there may secon be a fragmentation of service belween a number, of in- dividual operators ahd duplication of equipment, - service and runs. Northland Navigation are “reluctant monopolists,” Mrs. Campagnolo said in a recent interview. They want to continue to be subsidized, she said. . _ Mrs. Campagnolo said she is not satisfied Northland has been supplying service at the lowest rate possible, and other companies seem sincere in wanting to give the lowest rale. ' If free competition can be brought into play, the government will only subsidize where necessary, . she said. “But I want people to know that I want as much informalion as {can gel on a town by town basis, on a case by case basis, because I have assurance from the minisler (Lang) thal these communities will continue to receive subsidies where needed," the Skeena MP said. . are interested in The Handicraft Shop {Located af JIM‘S TACKLE SHOP) 165 - Hwy. 16 East Macrame, Ceramics, Leatherwork, Sewing, Knitting, Needlework — and more to come— All professionally done by local residents. If you selling your through a retail outlet, please phone 635-9471 for further information. All inquiries welcome. handicrafts Realty World Member Brokers bring you their best Asking Central location. $53,500, Full finished basement, two fireplaces, carport, sundeck, iarge landscaped lot. A real beauty ready for immediate oc- cupancy. Phone F. Skidmare for viewing, 635-5691. Modern living In this very spacious home, 1442 sq. ft. with sunken living room & fireplace, lats of storage cupboards & closets, utility room near kitchen. W-W throughaut. 3 bedrooms. Phone Hans Gaulian for more infarmation. 635-3708. Super location! Close to schools - on dead end street. Phone for appointment to view this new 1 bedroom, full basement home. Call Barb Parfitt to view, 635-6768. 3 bedroom duplex unit. Very large and spacious. A good home for your own family plus investment income. Located in preferred area on bench. A very good buy at $59,000. Phone Hans Caulien, 635-3708, for durther details. MLS. Park Avenue Realty Ltd, | 4615 Park Avenue , vu . Hans Caulien 635-3708 Frank Skidmore 635-5891 Realty World. The Buyer Finders... Parklike setting, view of Skeena River, plus deautiful 9 bedroom, full basement home. 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Modern § bedroom home, finished basement, w-w, natural gas heating, nice ‘kitchen. This property is in excellent condition and has to be seen fo be appreciated. Priced at $56,000. Call H. Godiinski, 635-5397, Low cost housing. We have a 2 bedroom mobile hame for sale only 4 years ald on 60x125 ft. fot, all fenced. Owner will consider rental purchase. Priced at only $16,500, Call H. Godlinski, 635-5397, MLS. 635-6768 “Barb Parfitt hobby farm. Partially cleared, all flat land, lacated at the end of Munsen Raad in Thornhill. Try your offer. Ye aM Four bedrooms in this split- jevel home, needs some finishing inside. a good potential for a handyman. & Priced af only $26,000. For further information call H. Godlinski, 635-5397. 5 acre fot with creek running through. Not far fram town. $18,000 with terms. Hans Caulien, 635-3708, or any of our sales people for further in- formation. children. Yard borders on park. Paved street and very little traffic. Clase te elementary school. Near new home with 3 bedroams, § basement and carport. Peiced to sell in mid-$40,000 range. Call Hans Caulien, 635-3703. 1 acre building fot. Private road, very secluded, Phone Barb Parfitt, 635-6766 for further information. 635-4971 | ang Ed Diess!.er 635-2089 el } 4.6 acres. Suitable for small wee a