Ex-Cassiarites get taxes bac

TERRACE — Former Cassiar
residents are getling back nearly
$5 million in federal and provin-
cial income taxes.

The money was deducted from
severance, relocation and home
buy back payments made earlier
this year when the Cassiar. as-
beslos mine closed, throwing
more than 400 people out of
work. a . ;

Skeena NDP MP Jim Fulton,
who pushed for the refunds,
estimates former residents will

receive between $1,000 and more
than $5,000 depending upon the
size of severance packages paid
out and the amount of home equi-
ty they had.

“It’s good to wring something

out of the Grinch before Christ...
_mas,”’ said Fulton last week.”
' Federal and provincial paper-

work putting the refunds into
place was completed this week.

It’s only the third time in the -

last 25 years the federal govern-
ment has done this and perhaps

ER

the first time ever in B.C., said

federal and provincial officials.
The first took place when a

mine closed in the Northwest

Territories and the second when a

mine closed in Quebec.

~ “Tt has to be quite clear that the

_. major employer in a town is clos-

irig.and won’t open again and that

‘residents have no choice but to
‘Jeave,’” said Jeff Parker, an ad-
visor in federal finance ‘minister’ ~

Don Mazankowski’s office.
Such an order won't be consid-

Stet

CE STANDAR}]

ered if a plant closes in a major
cily because workers have other
employment opportunities, he
added.

“What you're really talking
aboul is the end of a com-
munily,’’ Parker said.

Also required is a severance
package ‘spread . throughout all
former employees, said provincial
finance official Steve Hollett.

“Tf only ‘senior ‘executives
received a severance package —
a golden parachute — then some-

Fu

tt

Splish,

AND DOLLIE MAKES THREE. Towed along by her mother
Lil, Kirsten Korpi does some towing of her own as they enjoy
another Water Sabies session at the local pool. The program
}s.for youngsters from ages six months to two years and intro-
duces them to a pool setting. The parents also tearn how to

splash

confidently and safely handle their youngster in the water.
The current sessions wrap up tomorrow, but the recreation
department has new ones planned beginning the first week of
January. To find out more about this and other pre-school
programs offered, phone the Aquatic Centre at 638-4755,

thing like this wouldn’t be con-
sidered,”’ he said,

Cassiar Mining Corporation
was put into receivership by the
provincial government in Febru-
ary after it refused to loan the
company more moncy.

‘A massive provincial and feder-
al effort to provide refocation‘and
job training programs for mine
and other workers in Cassiar was
put into place. :

The assets of the mine were
auctioned off this fall. All but a

ee aloe

ocal

handful of residents had moved
away by late summer.

Many of the 1,100 people who
were living in Cassiar when the
mine closed have now settled in
Terrace, Smithers and Prince
George.

MP Fulton said that while che-
ques are being mailed out auto-
matically, questions should be
directed to his Terrace office or to
Arthur Andersen and Company in
Vancouver, the firm that acted as
the receiver.

mills

ave busy

hristmas_

TERRACE — There won’t be
any extended closures this
holiday season at the city’s two
large mills.

A booming American lumber
market and a cheap Canadian dol-
lar have resulted in lots of orders
to fill.

Things weren't that way last
year with both Skeena Sawmills
and Skeena Cellulose closing for
more than regular holiday hours.

Colder weather this year than
last has hardened bush roads so
there isn’t any problem in build-
ing a log inventory, says Skeena
Cellulose mill manager Rand
Menhinick,

Soggy roads this time in 1991
made it difficult to get enough
wood into mill yards for process-
ing.

“We may work mote hours
than normal,” said’ Menhinick.
“We don’t have any plans for
down time than what are planned
as Statutory holidays.”’

“The markets are improving
aud when they do, this is no time
to be taking time off,”’ he added. '

Increased lumber orders are
good news for Skeena Cellulose
because those sales are helping
parent Repap deal with a
depressed pulp market and a large
debt load.

Skeena Sawmills manager Don
Chesley said that mill will go
down after the final shift on Dec.
23.
That’s because the mill is tak-

Province says if will try more
ways fo open up

TERRACE — The provincial
government will increase its ef-
forts to-invoive municipalities in
the } Nisga’a ‘land claims talks,
says aboriginal . affairs minister
Andrew Petter, ': “ ;

But the'talks are too far long to
have.;the municipalities take a
place al the negotiating table, said
Petter who'was in town last week |
for aiseries of meetings.“

Instead they'll be .asked for:
ihcir opinions as the provincial
government develops ils negotiat-
ing positions, he added.

Northwest mayors who met
with Petter wanted more of a say
in how the negotiations are con-
ducied,

They are now included in a
group which meets regularly with
provincial officials before and
after negotiating sessions held. by
the Nisga’a, federal and provin-
cial governments.

Yet the mayors have said the
kind of information they are

pero ate

Nisga’a

a a ee ee ee
Cup eyes we

given is often general and leaves
them not knowing whal is going
on.

The. mayors also wanted the

‘same amount of money given the

Nisga’a in an interim protection
measures agreement — $160,000
— td conduct their own studies,
That isn’t going to happen ci-
ther, said Petter, as that would

‘duplicate information the pro-

vince already has.

“There is a framework agrec-
ment in place for the Nisga’a ne-
gotiations and there is a con-
fidentiality clause that places
some restrictions on informa-
tion,’’ said Petter,

“Expectations arc already set as
to how the negotiations will take
placc.. There are ways we cam
compensate for thal, by coming
back for clarification and for fur-
ther input,”’ he said.

Al the same time, Petter said it
was important to convince the
that the distribution of

a Weg Re

‘If you could fix
‘up some of the old
buildings so that —
others won't freeze
to death, it would be
wonderful,” ~

NEWS ¢ A3

Claim conflict

¢ A dispute between
native groups is eased,
but not settled.

NEWS + AQ |

Andrew Petter
more information about the talks
will eventually lead to a sctile-
menl agreed to by as many people
as possible who live in the north.
“We have to prove aur good
faith,’’ said Petter in agreeing thal
the same Is true for the Nisga’a.
The minister also conceded that
the confidentiality clause con-
tained in the framework agrec-

ment setting out how the talks
will be conducted could be
stretched to meet changing cir-
cumstances.

“f would hope that we could
persuade the other two pariies
thal sharing information is to
their benefit,’ he said.

And Petter admitted he is not
entirely happy with the way the
Nisga’a talks are being con-
ducted.

“This is different than what I'd
like to sce in olher negatialions,”’
he said.

Future negotiations on other
land claims will give
municipalities a higher profile
and allow ihem more participa-
tion, Petter added.

“We have becn negotiating
with the UBCM (Union of B.C.
Municipalities) on a province-
wide protocol agreement and we
expect that to be signed shortly. It
will allow municipalities to sit as
observers,” he said.

Gitksan.

laims talks

Petter said first steps at improv-
ing the role of municipalities will
take place as talks head toward an
agreement in principle deadline
of next March.

Mayors want delails of the
agreement released before it is
signed,

Petter said he wasn't sure bow
that might work but he did give
assurances there will be plenty of
opportunity to study the agree-
ment.

Yet he rejected a suggestion
made by Port Edward mayor Don
Simmons that a final Nisga’a land
claims deal be put to a northwest
referendum.

Terrace Mayor Jack Talstra
has his version of last week's
meeting with aboriginal affairs
minister’ Andrew Petter. That
story on Page A9.

Also on Page A9 is the latest
on the land claims overlap be-
tween the Nisga’a, Gitanyow and

i

THE CITY OF

RACE |

NLT WHET a

Winning ticket? |
FEATURE ¢ AS |

wave.

Rand Menhinick |
ing Dec. 24-off in liett of Boxing.
Day which falls on a Saturday
this year. It will fire up again on
Monday, Dec. 28.

Expected to close down before
iat, however, is the third planer
shift. .

Chesicy explained that shut-
down is an annual planned one
and-the situation is no different
than last year. _
The extra shift is put on to
reduce the amount of.non-planed
wood out in the mill yard before
it becomes unworkable because
of the winter freeze-up.

He anticipated the shift would
be recalled next spring.

Don’t
touch

TERRACE — If people are
determined to go out and cul
down their own Christmas tree,
don’t take them from a tree
plantation.

‘Everyone figures its only
one tree,’’ says local forest ser-
vice official Bob Wilson, but
those single trees added up.

‘Plantations don’t have extra
irces,"? he emphasized, The
number of scedlings planted
had been based on getting the
best results possible in terms of
the next crop.

Cutting down those trees
reduces the amount of wood
available for harvesting years
down the road.

Wilson said people should
restrict their cutting to high-
way and hydro line rights-of-
way.

The forest service instead
prefers that people buy their
trees from loca] organizations
such as the Boy Scouts, minor
hockey or from other outlets,

STREAK ENDS

# Kermode hoopsters
swamped by coast city

Se

SPORTS # Cl