Sen UEP pape ae TO om TG Gitxsan launch internal Kemess road review Opposition among chiefs now main barrier to construction By JEFF NAGEL ADDRESSING dissent among the Gitxsan is emerging as the final key obstacle to construction of the pro- _.posed Kemess road. The project would extend existing logging roads running from Hwy 37 northeast to the Kemess mine and its existing road to Mackenzie. =~ Advocates say -it would allow: Kemess ore to be shipped west out through Stewart boosting that town’s fortunes — as well as opening new access to other potential mi- neral deposits and timber in the Sus- tut region. Gitxsan negotiator Elmer Derrick says .a $300,000 provincial grant over two years will, among other ‘things, help finance an internal re- “view to help various Gitxsan house _- groups sort out the issues surrounding the road, Some Gitxsan chiefs oppose the road over risks to fisheries, wildlife and archaelogical sites, while others ‘want to build the road immediately -to take advantage of the tourism and other job benefits expected to flow. “There are some extreme views from: both: sides,” Derrick said. “We'd like to see them arrive at an understanding amongst themselves,” Studies already completed need to be reviewed and discussed by all the interested parties, Derrick said, adding it’s hoped that will lead to agreement. _ “People need information — they need good reasons why they’re for or against,” Derrick said. “Hopefully this will answer most of the ques- tions that are raised.” The road would run though the heart-of Gitxsan -territory-and- open up access to the mostly abandoned northern village of Bear Lake. Derrick said it’s long been a Gitx- “There are some ex- treme views from both sides. We'd like to see them arrive at an under- standing amongst themselves.” san objective to get a road connec- tion to the village, allowing families from there to choose to return. He said it’s hoped the Gitxsan in- ternal review will be completed by the end of this year. That's not as fast as Skeena MLA Roger Harris would like. “It would be a shame for the pro- ject to be held up,” Harris said. “I understand people have concerns. But the benefits of this road far out- only “Ba and S weigh the downside.” He had hoped major construction could take place this summer. “We're ready to go,” Harris said. “But at this point we're not bulldoz- ing it through.” Benefits to the northwest would be tremendous, he said, adding it would be a boost to Stewart, the Ha- zeltons, -help. open-access to the Bowser basin, and create a comple- tely new east-west route across northern B.C. Harris said it appears the road would be built with private invest- ment, in a partnership between Ter- con Construction, Lomak Transpor- tation and possibly the Gitxsan. The province may not have to contribute to the upfront construc- tion, he said, but rather assist with annual maintenance until industrial traffic on the road pays for itself. ‘Harris said. provincial ministries are now collaborating on design standards to ensure the road can handle oil and gas equipment that may use the road to access the Bow- ser Basin. That’s been a problem in other areas where forestry roads turned out to be unsuitable. “If we're going to be doing this, we'd better do it right because 1 think we're going to be seeing a lot of activity.” 24 / mo. monitoring 5008 Pohle Avenue, Terrace, B.C. 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