Abortion access lacking A provincial study finds there isn’t: equal access to abortion Services/NEWS A7 Highway turns 50 |The Second World War spurred Terrace’s road connections to the ~ outside/COMMUNITY BL Dynamic duo The Gibsons turned on the power to give locals lots to cheer at Grass Blast ‘94/SPORTS C1 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER Th 1994 a) TAND RD = 75¢ PLUS 5¢ ast VOL. 7 NO. 21. Health society set to disappear WHAT COULD very well be the last ever annual general meeting of the Terrace Regional Health Care Soci¢ly takes place next week, Responsible for the operations of Mills Memorial Hospital and the Terraceview Lodge extended care facility, the society and its board manage a budget 9 of $15 million, ° But it?s due to disappear when a new community health council to handle all health care issues com- es into being, : “Under the current plan, the 4 eH, a iM » Peaches on Pear Terrace Regional Health Care Society is to cease to exist be- tween this fall and the fall of 1996,’’ society chief executive officer Michael Leisinger said last week. That new health council is in its formative stages and anticipates recciving official status from the provincial government next Janu- ary. Although all of its members are to be appointed (o begin with, one-third of ils members will be elected directly in November 1996 at the time of regular. municipal, regional district and school board elections. Another one-third of the board will be appointed by the provin- cial government and the remain- ing one-third appointed by exist- ing local governments. Leisinger said it’s too early to tell if the new health council will retain health care society board members in some kind of ad- visory capacity. “They could simply turf. the saciety board, modify or choose something in the middle,’’ he said. “The community health council: will have control and will have the mandate to do what they want, Each community is being allowed to develop their own model,’ Leisinger added. — At $15 million, the budgets of Mills Memorial and Terraceview wil! form a substantial part of the mon¢lary responsibility of the new communily health council.’ Leisinger called the regional health care society an carly model - of what the new community health council is all about — the integration of health care ser- vices. That’s because the society ilseif was formed in 1988 when the boards of Mills Memorial Hospi- tal and Terraceview Lodge amal- gemated. “Ours was one of the first to look at what was possible,” said Leisinger. Also scheduled to disappear i is the regional hospilal district, made up .of Kitimat-Stikinc regional district directors, and the Skeena Union ‘Board of Health, made up of appointed members from local governments. Ka kkk The annual general meeting of the Terrace Regional Health Care Sociely takes place Sept. 15-at 8 pm. in the cafeteria of Mills Memorial Hospital. Conling open are the positions now held by board members Ray Jones, Wilma Costain and Sandy Bullock. The current chairman is Lael McKeown who has one year left to serve on the board, Executive positions are decided upon each year meaning the new board will choose a chairman, vice chairman, finance chairman and two other executive mem- bers. OLIVIA AND MARIO Henriques have been eating, canning and giving away the peaches growing on the peach tree in their Pear St. yard. Olivia planted a peach pit six years ago, un- sure of whether It would grow, but the tree now produces over 200 peaches a season. it's an- other example of local agricultural capabilities. Low interest forces S LOCAL MEMBERS of | the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) have closed down operalions, Spokesman Bob Childs cited lack of support and a heavy work- load on the local seven volunteers as Teasons. - As of Sept. 6, all calls a are being referred — lo. valion officers and the RCMB, | he said, oe : the Terrace: -and — Thornhill antinal shelters, conser-— “It wasn’t money,’ the bodies were the main thing, We just didn’t have the people,” Childs continued, **The pet show at the fall fair was our lasl official act. We have some-money from a bingo we just had. We'll use it for spaying and _ fievtering so we'll end ‘ona pro- active note,’” he said, «There'll be a hole here, but we | have no choice. With 25,000 ~ pedple in our area and if we can’t get more people, we jusi can’t continue.’? | , “We Teally had only five active people. Two others were going back to school,’? Childs said, “We have families, too, and found that the commitments were, just (oo much,’’ he added. The closure puts this area as the: only one of its size in. the. pto- vince ‘without. a~ functioning SPCA outlel. “We. are very “proud of -our ‘. as distress. Phone THERE ARE now 7,024 tesidential lines in Terrace, compared to 6,818 for the same period last year, reports B.C. Tel. The number of business lines has also risen from 2,776 lo 2,969 for the same period. B.c. Tel notes that some of ihe increase is due to lines needed for fax, modem and lines increasing dala communications. Installations ar climbing in Kitimat, from 1,185 business lines last year.to 1,225 this year and from 4,113 to 4,175 tesidential lines. Stewart's growib |. is = réeflecied in its now having 392 residential lines . com- pared to 343 the year before. ‘In New Aiyansh, the num- - ' 42 to 38. ber of business lines grew over the last year from 130 to 153 while there’s been one additional residential line — from 257 to 258. - The ‘number of residential lines in Greenville dropped one, from 113 to 112 over the last year. There was also a drop in business lines — from Treatment centre | to challenge gov't A LOCAL social worker is doing what he says governments can’t — or won’l— do. Jim Pushie has leased a vacant house on the Bench and is turning it into @ recovery home for drug . and alcohol abusers. Pushie calls the project Paving the Way and for now is financing the $1,200 a manth rent out of his own pocket. He admits he is forcing the Provincial government’s hand to recognize the need for some kind of irealment centre in north- western B.C, “These people need a safe place other than the psych ward at the hospital, or shelters or in jails or warse,”’ said Pushic last week. The closest such facility is in Prince George and there’s an ex- tensive wait for local counselling, he said. ‘“*For some people, they can’t wail, And if they’re put into the psych ward, it doesn’t make sense. They’re nol sick in that sensc. They look around and it just confuses them - further,’’ Pushie added. a Now on leave from a job at the Ksan House Society, Pushie has spent the {asst four months promoting the need for a primary (reatment centre in the northwest. He held a meeting in June with - northwest polilicians and health care officials at Gim’s Restaurant, a building. that’s for sale and which he describes as a perfect place for a treatment centre, ; have worked tirelessly to protect the rights of animals from: Shames River to Kitwanga and from the Nass. River to Lakelse Lake; often to the detriment. of- their home lives,” sald Childs in a letter released last week. - ‘With: the - local branch. now . Closed. down, he said it’s inipera-~ ive that people do whal they can when coming @ across an animal in OPEN DOOR TO a Bench area home signifies local social worker Jim Pushie's intention to turn ft into an alcohol and drug abuse recovery place. He says there'll soon be enough room to house 10 people and to conduct programs on the premises, 'Pushie followed that up by . forming a committee of northwest people intcrested.in opening up some kind of centre in the north- west. - The northwest commiltee isn’t involved in Pushie’s Paving the Way project but he does have a registered nurse with detox expe~ rience commitied to volunteering PCA to close seven remaining volunteers who - . The local branch had 25 paid members in 1992, 40 in 1993 ‘ad jus! 12 this year. This is‘ the second ‘time. “the society has closed down here. . It ceased functioning in the lale 1970s and was revived in the next . ‘decade with two People. acting as 'SPCA agents. : a ; _; That resulted. In. the area being granted’ a provisional charter, ane.- - step. below: a full branch, “by: the: : parent. organizalic nin ‘ Be ghee time. —_ Pushie has also received sup- port. fram ihe Terrace. Anti- Poverty Group Society and sits on that body’s board of directors, **We have a program. We have. the staff. We'll be open,’’ he said. Pushie estimates the home with full basement can handle. upt to 10. people, - : down Since then, SPCA records indi- cate there were 120 animal adop-_ tions, 360 spaying and neuterings, 155: animals were -rescued, 110 _adoptive homes were inspected,. 1,890 telephone calls were: taken and 18 injured animals put down, “Members investigated 145 com- - plaints, conducted 58 wildlife res- cues, conducted. 140. public rela- “tions efforts;'did 12 school talks and: held. 40, membership drives ? and money relsing efforts.