Two of a kind Calling all thespians Cowburn sweeps field 4 Liberal leader Gordon Campbell views two northwest mayors as potential candidates/NEWS A8 Terrace Little Theatre is on the search for actors for a fall murder mystery/COMMUNITY B1 Kim Cowburn broke the course record in a runaway Northern Golf Open victory/SPORTS C1 | » WEDNESDAY AUGUST 31, 1994 NORTHWEST RESIDENTS can expect ever increasing chances to learn more about land claims, says B.C. aboriginal affairs min- ister John Cashore, Cashore, who went on the of- fensive last weck to deflect criti- cism of his government’s hand- ling of land claims, says more meelings and more visits are in the works, “Geiting information out there and receiving advice has been.a teal concem of mine,'’ said Cashore. Although the government has set up various advisory groups so it can bounce off general land claims positions and gain opinions, Cashore said more pub- lic methods of distributing in- formation are being con- templated. One idea under consideration is to have the provincial legisla- ture’s committee on aboriginal af- fairs tour the north once an agree- ment in principle on the Nisga’a claim has been reached. That might come about becanse the province will have to Intro- duce legislation in order to enact any deal it strikes with the Nisga’a. The committee is made up of NDP, Liberal and Social Credit Members of the Legislative As- sembly. It sits only when given a specific task, “'This is not yet a fait accompli. ANDAR Gov't to spill land claims beans One idea is to have a committee of MLAs visit the north once an agreement in principle with the Nisga’a has been reached and before legislation to make the claim seitle- ment official has been passed. It’s still under discussion, but it is high on the list,’’ said Cashore, Having the standing commitiee go through the settlement legisla- tion in the northwest is probably going to be the closest local resi- denis will come to giving their opinions in favour of or against Nisga’a settlement details. The provincial government has tuned down the idea of a teferendum on the Nisga’a claim, a Not just horsing around THE HEAVY HORSE PULL returns and so does a variety of other events and attractions this Saturday and Sunday at the Skeena Valley Fall Fair. It takes place at the exhibl- tion grounds in Thornhill. The activity bagins 2 p.m. Friday with a horse show dressage event, features official open- ing ceremonies at 2 p.m. on Saturday and winds up Sun- day at 5 p.m. with a fell fair auction sale, In between there are all kinds of things to see and do, saying some of those affected by the setttement who should have a Tight to vote live outside of the northwest and the province, Cashore’s comments follow a tunning debate last week with Skeena Reform MP Mike Scott on a number of topics, including the confidentiality surrounding. land claims in general and the Nisga’a talks in particular. Cashore acknowledged the » - . ils dogs Compromise deal done between mill, neighbours By JEFF NAGEL ANGRY WORDS and accusa- tions flew between Terrace Pre- Cut sawmill owner Mo Takhar and his Braun St. neighbours last Thursday. But by the end of the meeting, city councillors had forged a deal both sides were willing to accept, The city will issue a two-year special use permil to Takhar as a compromise measure allowing him to store lumber on the back- yard of a property adjacent to his mill. There’ll be a series of restrictions aimed at satisfying the neighbours. ° Councillo: David Hull said the permit will give council much more control over the use of the ~ property Ilhan they would. have had if they rezoned it. “Tt’s not a perfect solution,’ Hull said, ‘But I think it’s a good compromise,” City planner Jack Hepplewhite, who came up with the idea, noted council is allowed to. put. just about any imaginable resiriction on the permit. Phos Councillors hope the deal will put to rest the unpleasant spur between Takhar and the neigh- bours over where he was going to store ¢xtra lumber from the mill. His original plan to rezone the adjacent property was defeated in May. by councillors and residents who feared the mill would slowly invade the residential zone. Takhar responded with what he saw as his only other option: get a permit to run forklifts across Braun St. and along the 20-foot- wide Pohle Ave. right-of-way to _ another property he owns that fronts ontg Kelth Ave. That prospect enraged residents who feared loaded forklifts run- hing. through. thelr backyards, within feet of. houses and chil- dren’s play areas. It took an hour's debate at last Thursday’s planning committee meeting before residents and Tak- har agreed on the «temporary permit solution. — =. Hull. noted . that. Pohle. is a | gazetted street — despite being a. mostly treed bush zone between os ‘Agar and Keith Ave, lots, °°... And, he’ ‘said, perma allowing industrial traffic to cross strects are very common. ‘“We probably couldn’t stop him if he tried to challenge us in court,’’ Hull told residents. ‘‘I think if I lived here I’d take a temporary lumber storage permit as the lesser of two evils.” Residents weren’t completely overjoyed at the prospect, “Tt still moves light industrial activity into our residential neigh- bourhood,’’ said Charles Johnstone. Kaeleen Foote expressed con- | cerns that temporary permits could turn into permanent use. “Tt is in the nature of successful businesses to expand and [ don’t want you doing that in my neigh- ‘bourhood,’’ she said. But they agreed to work with City administrators and Takhar to come up wilh permit restrictions that would address thelr concerns. - Permit réstrictions would likely ban’ permanent buildings and vehicle parking, restrict. it to. strictly lumber storage, and limit . 2 the height oflumber stacks,’ |. Takhar told’ residents he would a agree to additional restrictions re- quiring him to preserve the lot’s house and front-yard maple trees, some of the jack pines in the. backyard, and build a cedar hedge on the southern edge of the prop- erty. He also agreed to sign an agree- ment promising not to use the Pohle Ave, laneway for at least five years. Takhar predicted residents won't see much, if any, of the lumber from the road, “I's a good compromise for both sides,’’ he said. . Council is expected to approve the committce’s recommenda- tions next Monday to rescind Takhar's two permits to develop and use Pohle Ave.: ‘Councii will also have to desig- © nate the arca a special use permit area under the city’s Official Community. Plan. in order to create such a permit, , City officials will have a few weeks to meet with both Takhar ‘and the neighbours to decide what restrictions 20, © put on nthe Permit : secrecy aspect of the Nisga’a talks is perhaps too restrictive and not something he would want repeated, But he said the provincial government is bound by a con- fidentiality clause in the agree- ment signed by the former Social Credit government on how the setilement talks are to be con- ducted, ; Cashore also denied sugges- tions that criticism of the secrecy around the Nisga’a talks is a sign of lack of information. “Let me put it this way, This is brand new. We're not behind. We’re in the forefront. I’m not afraid to meet in any community at any time and deal with the is- sue head on,”’ he said, 75¢ PLUS 5¢.GST VOL. 7.NO. 20. John Cashore Council faces snake vote SNAKE DEFENDERS sare That motion will come before. close to getting the clty to call off council for a vote next Monday and —- if passed — would cffec- CBiRaNST David Hilf iiguedt dt ‘tively “Tescild CORMEN's 3-2 ‘decl- last week’s city council meeting that the city is wasting time and money trying to develop a bylaw to ban snakes and exotic pets. The whole issue started, he said, when a few people spotted one young snake owner taking his pet for a slither in Lower Little Park, The person in question now realizes the error of his ways, Hull sald, and won’t'be doing it again. *] think we're overreacting. to one little issue and we’re wasting our money,”’ he said, predicting the city could spend several thou- sand dollars in staff hours and _ legal fees on the project. But councillor Ruth Hallock — on record as being repulsed by snakes and favouring a bylaw — moved that council maintain the Status quo and let staff develop bylaw options. Councillors David Hull, Gordon Hull and Rich McDaniel defeated the motion. David Hull gave notice of a mo- tlon that council ‘‘cease and desist expending time and money . developing an exatic -~pet/dangerous animal bylaw.” ston on July 25th to ask. bylaw enforcement officer Frank Bow- _ sher to research theldea. ° Last week’s debate came ‘after 13-year-old Cascy Orr presented council with a 366-name petition opposing a total ban on reptiles: Banning the pets:. altogether would detract from students’ edu-. cation, said Ron Orr, Casey’s fa- ther. “The . future. biologists of the world are cutting their teeth today on snakes in their homes,” Orr told councilors. . : On said it is the duty. of ‘laws makers to ‘*refrain from frivolous Jaws,’’ **There are no poisonous snakes in town,”’ Golden Pond: pet shop’ owner Judy Henry said. ‘They're ; illegal to own and illegal to sefl:?’ If the city is committed to de- _ veloping a: bylaw, she. said, -just - ban the animals from parks and 7 public places, Mayor Jack Talstra: noted. a draft bylaw has not been prepared yet and council has made no deci- sion on the issue. He predicted the city will some- how survive the great snake debate, THREE HUNDRED. down, 300 more to go. That’s as in radio trans- mitters attached to Skeena coho and steelhead.” To last Friday, 200 coho and 100 steclhead have been equipped, said - provincial fisheries: biologist Mark Beere. Based on the number of transmitter-equipped fish that eventually reach the spawning grounds, It will be possible to “get a feel” for. the total numbers of fish returning to varlous streams, he added. Information gathered will be used to determine the health of the stocks, As for estimated totals of summer run steelhead return. ing to the Skeena this year, Beere was waiting for the latest figures from the Tyee test fishery operated by feder- ‘Radios provide salmon clues | _ al fisheries. Me A few transmitters have also been. attached by sports fishermen and more were now being done by those running the Kitselas fish wheel. Plans call for a total of 600 transmitters —— they cost $300 - each —~.10 be attached. . . Transmitters’ are already providing information. Beere said recelvers placed along the banks of various .. streams in the Skeena sysiem ... had picked up fish moving . Into the Bulkley, Morlcs,. - Kispiox and Suskwa Rivers, ... -. Slats gathered earlier . this’ year indicate the summer. . réturn could be the fifth high- est since record keeping be- gan in 1956. Beete suggested limiting the. commercial fishery to 24 — hours . fishing per week . through this month had played a large: Part in that improve ie ment. coe :