A& - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 12, 1996 BUSINESS REVIEW Central Mountain to fly Deal eliminates four jobs here By JEFF NAGEL CENTRAL MOUNTAIN Air will lay off its four Terrace employees under a new alliance with Air B.C. unveiled last week. The Smithers-based airline will cease to compete directly with Air B.C. and instead become a northern extension of the Air Canada con- neclor, Central Mountain Air will adjust its schedules to connect with Air B.C. flights and drop its Prince George to _ Vancouver and Vancouver to Vic- toria runs that flew in direct competi- tion to the major airline. Casualties of the plan include Cen- tral Mountain air ground crews and counter staff in Terrace, Prince George, Kelowna and Kamloops. Air B.C. staff will take over all terminal services at those airports. The deal cuts Central Mountain Air’s costs at the four airports and plugs the smaller airline into the tick- et marketing and reservation system might of Air Canada. Air B.C. gets a significant exten- sion of its routes into northern B.C. and cuts ils competition on the high- ‘traffic ‘runs from “Vaneouver to Prince George and Victoria. effect July 2 and doesn’t involve any purchase of any portion of Central Mountain Air. Mountain Air. marketing director Peter Bymes. ‘But Air B.C. has given our em- ployees hiring priority so that if any positions do come un, they will be given first opportunity.” ” manager is expected to undergo training with Air B.C, situation. feed. them,”’ he said. : greater opportunity for growth potential by working together than by remaining an independent airline,”’ The airline partnership agreement takes “There will be layoffs,’’ said Central He added that CMA’s Terrace base AIR B.C. and Central Mountain Air flights will now connect with each other under @ new partnership arrangement announced last week. with Air B.C. Passengers on connecling Qights will only need one ticket and can have bag- gage checked straight through, he added. 41 Also under the deal, all Central Moutitaia Air” fights “will qualify “for Aecroplan frequent flyer points. Central Mountain Air flights | from Watson Lake and Dease -Lake will originate from Terrace, Byrnes said. “Terrace becomes a minihub for Air B.C. and Central Mountain Air,”’ Byrnes said. CMA stopped running direct Terrace lo Vancouver flights two years ago. Central Mountain: Air’s financial restructuring of two years ago was nol a factor in forming the partnership, Byrnes said, © Byrnes describes the deal as a win-win ‘They'll feed us passengers and we'll | “There is much .;, “Tt gives a good seamless product when we do il this way,’ added Air B.C, spokesman Angela Mah. ‘‘There’s going to be benefits to both companies in the long run,” Byrnes says the arrangement will give Copper mine faces court challenge LAWYERS ACTING for the Chestatta Carrier Nation will seek a court injunction this Friday to halt work on the Huckleberry copper mine. The Burns Lake-based native group says it is concerned about environmental damage and the destruction of wildlife habitat on the site, which the Cheslatta say is part of their traditional territory. The Sierra Legal Defence Fund (un- ‘affiliated ‘with the Sicrra Club) i is: acting on: sary federal and provincial approvals. Princeton president Jim O'Rourke said Friday he wasn’t aware of the reasons for the injunction request, but doesn’t think it poses any threat to the project. ‘We see no basis. under which they would be granted an injuuction,’? O’Rourke said. “From our point of view, we’ve been issued our permits as we've proceeded, we've had independent environmental in- Cheslation . east ‘December the Fund petitioned the B.C, Supreme Court on behalf of the Ches- latta asking for a review of an environmen- tal assessment office recommendation lo is- sue a project certificate for Huckleberry. This weck’s application is expected lo seck a court injunction preventing any de- velopment until thal review is completed. Princeton Mining Corporation, the Vancouver-based company developing the mine with Japanese partners, recently an- nounced a formal decision to go into pro- duction and wrapped up a financing deal for the $137-million project, by, all the ‘various government authorities and we have no infractions,” Now that formal approval has been reached and financing is in place, construc- tion at the mine site 85 kilometres south of Houston will proceed ‘‘fui] speed ahead,” O’Rourke said. "We've got an eslimated production date of the second half of 1997. We don’t sce anything that would hold it up.’? Meanwhile, a native liaison committee set up as @ condition of the project approval certificate held its first meeting in Houston Friday. Business awards Thursday BUSINESS AWARDS for will be an- nounced Thursday at the Terrace and Dis- trict Chamber of Commerce annual gen- eral meeting. The luncheon takes place at the Coast Inn of the West and will include election of of- ficers for the 1996-97 term. Winners of a range of awards, including business executive of the year and two new awards — student of the year and company of the year — will be announced. The awards will be presented at the Chamber’s installation of officers and busi- ness awards banquet on June 22, Speaker at Thursday’s luncheon will be Terrace Regional Health Care Society chair Olga Power, who will talk about Mills Memorial Hospital’s planned renovations and budget problems. Those interested in attending should con- tact the chamber at 635-2063, Volunteers moving NEXT WEEK will be moving time for the Terrace Volunteer Bureau. The local volunteer placement organiza- tion moves into office space next to Hava Java on Lakelse Ave., vacating their old premises in the St. Matthews Church build- ing. **We have tripled our services to the com- munity during the past four years and final- ly had to hire some extra help,’’ said bureau director Lovina Tyler, “We hired Gloria West as an office assistant, but have no space for her to work.’’ Tyler says she’s fielded crilicism thal the location is an expensive onc, but says the bureau got a ‘“‘wonderful deal’? from Hava Java owner Darrell Booth, “I don’t want people to think we’re shooting the wad here because we're get ling an extremely goud deal," she said, She would not disclose the amount of the rent, but added the construction costs are also eased by significant donations — of labour from local contractors and suppliers. Tyler said the new space will have more room and will make the office wheelchair- accessible, They’re also looking for office furniture for the new location, so aiyone waiting to donate items can call 638-1330. Central Mountain Air passengers many tral Mountain Air’s network to Air B.C. benefits, Connecting tickets through from Cen- sespretors ‘onthe ‘site:* We've: been inspected. - Out & About Grain down THE PRINCE RUPERT grain terminal will shut down temporarily starting this weekend, throwing its 91 employees out of work until late October, President and chairman Alex Graham said last week grain exports through the west coast in the coming ‘months simply aren't forecast to reach levels that would justify operating the Prince Rupert termi- nal. The grain thal is shipped will go south through Vancouver because . of cheaper shipping rates, Up until this year, federal subsidies had equalized rail freight rates be- tween the ports af Vancouver and Prince Rupert, The end of the subsidy this year means it costs an extra $4.50 a tonne to ship grain to Prince Rupert. Inspectors get help THE CITY will add a temporary building inspector for a couple of months to help the swamped building inspection department catch up ils backlog, The flood of building permit applications this spring has translated into delays of up to three weeks to get approval to begin con- struction. Olf-the-shelf house plans from other regions often need major redesigns to meet Terrace snow toad requirements. That Means more. time, “The two existing staff looking after licensing and building inspection. simply can’t keep up,” said cily councillor David Hull. The extra permit fees thal have been com- ing in this year will more than make up the cost of hiring an extra inspector to get through the busy season, Hull said, “Is been. unprecedented,’’ Hull said of the pace of development. ‘Last year was a record but at this rate we’ Te goitig to blow last year out of the water,” Me were definitely not forced into the situalion,”’ he said. ‘‘We are a finan- cially viable operatian,”” or Air Canada destinations could become cheaper, he said. BUSINESS TO BUSINESS Directory of Services ~E Chapma ® Stationery @ Office Furniture * Fax Supplies www. kermode. net «email ‘internet access + web pages * training pat) * Office Equipment * Business Machines * Sales, Service & Repairs Terrace’s only locally owned full service internet provider. 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