bere ae

ficlal word yet but the federal
government is planning to cut

_ VIA Rail’s Skeena run through
the north, says Skeena NDP

MP Jim Fulton.
| He made the comments based
on 2'1989.-report on potential

traffic done by VIA and on cor- |

respondence with the crown
corporation.

» “VIA says there’s a potential
for 10 million people who want
to see the Rockies a year, but

none of the. options in its plan

include the Skeena,’’ he said.

Fulton added that VIA is
backing off on plans to improve
the equipment on the Skeena
run. - ,

“What we need is more ser-
vice to capture some of that
market. It is tourists and they
will have high disposable in-
comes,'* he said.

-And even though Fulton
described: the VIA service
through the north now as inade-

plans to build a copper-mine in
the northwest corner of the pro-
vince near the Tatshenshini
River will undergo further
review, .
Geddes Resources wants to
build the $00-employee 20-year
open pit mine on Windy Cragey
Mountain high in the remote St.
Elias mountain range near the
B.C.-Yukon-Alaska border.
The plan faces fierce opposi-
tion from environmental groups
concerned about acid mine
drainage from the planned
mine. Acid mine drainage — oc-
curting when acid is leached out
of crushed rock by rainwater —

»

Jim Fulton

quate, he noted that it has the
highest occupancy rate — 42 per
cent — of all remote runs.
‘Passenger service is grow-
ing, from 23,000 five years ago
to 28,000 now. It’s doing that
despite a schedule of three times
a week and dome cars: that run

can kill tife in lakes and rivers.
*"We recognize the substan-
tial concern centred on potential
impacts on the wilderness and
recreation values of the Tat-
Shenshini River,'’ mines
minister Jack Weisgerber said
last week in announcing the fur-
ther review of the project.
“Therefore, a multiple-use
plan is needed to ensure that
resource development in the
area does not detract from
wilderness and recreational
values. ] expect we can develop
this plan within 2 months.”’
Weisgerber said the first-
Slage review of the plans — in-

cluding comments from govern- '

a :

warns Skeena MP_

: TERRACE — There's no of-

backward,’ he said. :

The MP did concede that it
costs the federal government
3484 for each passenger that
rides the Skeena. .

“I share the concern of VIA
that this isa lot of money — on-
ly 13.3 per cent of cost recovery
and that’s not good enough, but
new equipment and a better
schedule could change that,”
said Fulton,

In the meantime, VIA Rail is
still waiting for a federal report .
on the future of the Skeena and
seven other remote passenger
runs in Canada,

These runs were spared by
VIA. two years’ago when it cut
other -passenger service in
Canada: because they were re-
quired to continue by the
federal. government. That re-
quirement has now been lifted.

The report was to be released
last month but there is no word
on when that now might take
place, .

Environmental review ©
ordered for mine plan

TERRACE. — Controversial

ment agencies, native and en-
vironmental groups — will be
released soon.

Geddes’ original plans were
sent back to the drawing board
by government agencies last
year when acid drainage fears
were first raised. The company
carried out more study and
revised its first-stage report late
last year in an attempt to ad-
dress the acid problem.

Victoria has been reviewing
that report for the past year.

Environmental’ groups
against the mine development
oppose further review: ~ They ,

want the region preserved as a i_

park.

ce

CER cata

i

OCTOBER 17th

ORF

UNNECESSARY
LIGHTS

COLOR THIS
PAGE AND WIN!

Just drop off entries at Terrace

Hydro office by October 25.
5220 Kelth Avenue, Terrace

AGO. ee:

Must be 72 dr undar té participate)

CREAR a ELA Ri A Sa Se. at
a

ie
ai Nuabe.

Wat gee es cities Qe ahd gd:

.f

PPM i tence
want someone with vision who will
~ continue to

| said they wanted someone
| who would do the job.
HeDid