tT Teco na tenner pune eine rename ne en en Page 2, THE HERALD, Progress Supp., Tuesday, August 29, 1978 The early settlers saw their community becoming (he hub of this region and with development in specific areas of its natural resources, Terrace may yet become the administrative and supply centre for the region. ; Within ten years, the forest industry wiil have to look farther afield for its raw material. The local timber stands which has sustained the industry for so long are gone and these which remain contain a high percentage of decadent timber. Even today some timber brought into Terrace for processing is trucked to local mills, a distance of over a hundred miles. Information contained in the “Report of The En- vironment and Land Use Committee" supports the supp*sition that the forest industry is going to decline in the Terrace area. Thereport makes note that . inventories of timber resources have been previously overestimated “by failing ta adequately consider; the actual quality id degree of defective waod -i the stands; the economic jerability difficulties of - arts of the region’s forest as ‘result of factors such as: vy rugged terrain (in tions), harsh climate, low :lue species and extremely iriable diameter com- sition of stands, resulting . the marginality of the sion as compared to the st of 3.0," a The report goes on to state at in Terrace area which ‘ludes the area around vansh, the logging has - en taking place faster than ‘be maintained in a stained yield level, What this might mean for “errace is the closure of one {the two major saw mills in he community with a loss of bout 300 jobs by 1985. In rder to maintain the woods qdustry at the present Irzel - Development: Pr no expansion and.no new jobs created - the report says that the various levels of government will have to give haul routes and tran- sportation subsidies to the forest industry. The com- pletion of the rail line north of Terrace to join the British Columbia Rail line to Dease Lake would help as this line would open up country previously inaccessible to the logging companies.” No matter what, it is time that Terrace started to look toward the north and future development in that concept. The future of Terrace will have to rely on an alter- native industry which can use the existing timber inthe area, Which is useless to the woods industry at the present time, ‘or look elsewhere to industries nat based upon this natural resource. The extension of the rail line to join the BCR line north from Fort St. James to Dease Lake would open this part of the country not only to the forest companies but also to the mining com- panies. This line would provide ready access to the resources which are at this time not profitable to bring out. . The BCR once extended to Dease Lake could then be extended to the Yukon border to provide even more resources of this area for development. .With .the completion of two spur lines, one into Telegraph Creek and one from Terrace to Suskeena, the minerals and timber of this part of the province would be available and in such a way that the companies would profit as well as the area. With the need to stimulate economic development outside the lower mainland, not only to enhence development throughout’the rest of the province but also to alleviate the population pressures in that part of the province - ‘mineral development represents an alternate industry for the Terrace area, Not only just the mining of the resources but also-the refining of the minerals and ihe realted administrative and service sectors that would ac- company this type af development. -- - The shipment of mineral concentrates to Pacific Rim countries (particularly Japan) and the locating of - mineral smelters in this area - would alleviate the decline in the woods industry. For toolong this part of the province has been concerned with a “resource-based export-oriented economy". With little secondary in- dustry to fall back on in times of a downturn, Terrace has felt the . economic pressures of this downturn perhaps more than most regions of the province. Now is the time for this com- munity to look towards and work towards development in another sector, but at the same time not forgetting the forest industry. By promoting expansion into different fields it would then become possible for the community to maintain its economy and would allow ‘developmetn in the service sector without fear of an economic downturn. MINING . Any development in the mineral] sector In this area will not take place unless the following six conditions are met: - the government must settle native land claims - the BCR extension to Dease Lake must be com- pleted , - the CNR from Terrace to Suskeena would have to be completed or at least star- { ; {Con't on page 3) ‘CONSTRUCTION LTD. Commercial and Industrial Building Contractors “SERVING ALL THE NORTH COUNTRY” a aaa tig Te Sea A “Since 1958” 695-5213. Terrace - Yellowhead 16 would | ospects Ahead.