'93 contender considering run for mayor with a slate

JACK TALSTRA says he’s going to mun for a fifth
term as mayor of Terrace.

‘'T think there are some areas that I'd like to see
finished off,” Talstra said last week. “I’m ready to
gO.

‘He cited the Terrace/Thornhill restructuring
debate, the lingering uncertainty of native land
Claims, the unresolved need for a second sheet of
ice, and ongoing uncertainty of the standard of
health care at Mills Memorial Hospital.

.. “I think that council has settled in fairly nicely,”
he said: “It was basically a brand new council, but
.-they’ve-been at it for three years.” ---

“YT still think I can be of assistance for council 3 as
a whole as a steady band and someone who can
tecall things and how they’ve developed over the
years,”

Talsira says he canvasses a ‘‘cross-section of
people” in town he knows at the end of each term
about how he’s doing and says they’ve indicated
they want him to run again.

Gordon Hull
Not telling

years.””

David Hull

Yes

**] think I’ve been really
effective in the last three

Jack Talstra Lynda Lafleur

“They keep tabs on me and let me know how Pm
doing and they seem to feel that I should run,’’ he

said,

Will they run again?

Rich McDaniel
Yes

**T don’t have a whole
bunch of land to develop.
But I have an agenda and
I’m doing it.’’

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 11, 1996 - AS

Talstra will seek fifth term as mayor

Talstra was first elected as a councillor in 1975
and served on council for six years before taking
four years off,

He came back in 1985, defeating then-mayor Hel-
mul Giesbrecht in what Talstra remembers as his
most hard-fought election campaign.

Talsira was returned to the mayor’s chair un-
challenged in elections in 1987 and 1990.

“We would cover the tourism side,
retail, the logging industry, the ser-
vice sector as well as environmen-
tal. | think Terrace is ready to look at
a package deal."” — Lynda Lafleur

But in 1993 he had what he described as.a

“wake-up call?’ when Lynda Bretfeld {now
Lafleur) came close to an upset. Talstra wan with
1,104 votes to Bretfeld’s 976 and Francisco Trigo’s
431.

°93 contender ponders run

Lafleur says she's now considering a second nun
at the mayor’s chair.

If she does run for mayor, she says, it will be with
a slate of candidates for council.

She won't name ‘the. people she's seeking, but
says they would represent a cross section of the city
both in terms of politics and professions,

“We vould cover the tourism side, retail, the log-
ging industry, the service sector as well as envirot-
menial,’’ Lafleur said: ‘I think Terrace is ready to
look ata package deal.

She said she is sure that she won't conduct a solo
campaign for mayor — she'll only nin if her entire
slate comes ‘together.

“T's either all of ‘nothing,’ ‘she said,

Also contemplating a run for mayor is councillor
David Hull.

“T really baven’t decided,” Hull said. ‘7 think
I’ve been really effective in the past three years.
I've had some encouragement from a number of
people in town to run for mayor, but I’ m not in it
for: a big ego trip.”

Val George
Yes

**T feel it’s a good contri-
bution to the community.”

Ed Graydon
No

Says it’s time to devote
more time to his family
and business.

Ruth Hallock
No

City’ s growth may signal changing politics |

THE CHANGING face of the com-

River _ Industries,

and numerous mayor.

wing leanings of council. Plans lo mun.

munity may also herald a change in
politics come November.

The -Jast three-year. council term has
seen the most rapid development and the
greatest influx of new people to Terrace
in recent decades,

‘The surge of development has dillutea

the influence of the city’s ‘fold money’?

and increases the odds that new con-
tenders could break the pattern of a city
hall ‘that’s been tightly controlled by
small business and development inter-
ests,

“Last time around two candidaics from
the left — Joe Duben and Carol Sabo —
finished well back. Somewhat closer to
gaining a council seat was greenbelt ad-
vocate Scott MacDonald.

“In fact the only councillor elected in
the last 10 years who could be described

as left-ieaning was the late Rick King, a
CUPE union president and second sheet
of ice proponent, .

. On. the other side-of the political fence

from King have been councillors like
Bob Cooper, Mo Takhar, Darryl Laurent,
and Danny Sheridan. All had strong
small-business connections and all have
actively worked for one of the federal or
provincial parties of the right (Takhar
and Cooper worked for the Reformers;
Laurent worked for the Socreds;
Sheridan was the Progressive Conserva-
tive candidate in Skeena in the 1993 fed-
eral election.)

The present council remains heavy on
Rotary Club members and business con-
nections:

@ Gordon Hull is part-owner of ex-
tensive business interests including the
community’s largest logging contractor,

properties around town, in Thornhill and
at Lakelse Lake. Courted by Reform
B.C. organizers who wanted him to rn
in the provincial election. Won’t say yet
whether he’ll run again or not.

@ His cousin, David Hull, was a
realtor who is now involved in a residen-
tial land development project on the
bench. Maintained ‘‘non-partisan’’ im-
age until throwing his hat in with the
B.C. Liberal forces in the recent provin-
cial election. Has confirmed he will run
again, but won't say if for a council seat
or for the mayorallty.

m@ Mayor Jack Talstra has run a suc-
cessful law firm for many years and de-
veloped his own subdivision in the
Spring Creek Drive area. Actively
worked for the B.C. Liberal campaign in
the last election. Will seek re-election as

@ Ed Graydon, ¢ partner in Tolsec
Communications and TOC Com, had
close connections with the Chamber of
Commerce executive, bringing Chamber
concems 1o council's altention on
numerous occasions. Has indicated he
doesn’t plan to run again.

W@ Rich MeDanicl, owner of Totem
Beverages and an active Rotarian, has
also been quick to respond to business
concerns. Boasted about the number of
B.C. Liberal party memberships he sold
in the recent provincial election
campaign. Plans to run again.

@& Val George has worked as a consul-
tant in recent years after leaving the ad-
ministration of Northwest Community
College. As such, he’s from a more aca-
demic background than the rest, bul bas
for the most part fit in with the right-

@ Ruth Hallock, who is seriously ill
and not expected to run again, has been
more centrist than the rest. Hallock is the.
longest-serving councillor. She was
elected several terms ago and was well-
known as a broadcast news reader with
local Skeena Broadcasters and editor of
the naw-closed Terrace Heraid newspa-
per. .

Oct. 11 deadline

to file papers

The deadline for prospective candi-.
dates to file nomination papers is 4 p.m.,
Friday, October 11.

Candidates can file papers al city ‘hall
from Oct, 1-11. Nomination forms are
also available at city ball,

The election will be held on Saturday;
November 16.

Every vote’s crucial in a municipal election

IN AMUNICIPAL election, every vote can mean
the difference between victory and defeat.

In 1993, a field of 10 candidates vied for the six
council seats,

“Councillor Ruth Hallock tapped the polls that
year with 1,677 votes, and councillor Rich

. McDaniel was second with 1,447 votes.

- But after the two front-runners came a tight pack
of candidates.
‘Less than 100 votes separated councillor Ed
Graydon (1,340 votes), Gordon Hull, Val George

David Hull squeaked into the sixth council seat
with 1,259 votes — a mere 47 more than seventh-
place Bob Cooper, whose 1,212 supporters were
not enough to keep him out of the camp of the also-
vans,

Thus a 100-vote shift in a municipal election can
change half the faces on council.

What that means is it’s a lot casier for an
organized campaign to make a difference and get
their candidate elected than in larger provincial or
federal elections. .

Campaigners’ strategy in municipal elections is to

convince supporters 10 mark just one name —~ their
owa candidate — on the ballot,

Voters can select up to six vandidates when they
go into the booth, but there’s nothing requiring
them to mark that many names.

A serious campaiga for a single candidate will try
to convince their supporters that marking any otber
hames on the ballot could cost their candidate the
election.

The logic behind thal is that an extra vote for an-
other candidate whe ends up having greater support
could be enough to edge the person you really sup-

The most dramatic example of a tight municipal
election happened here in 1990, when two candi-
dates finished tied for the sixth and final seat on
council,

The vote count on election night pegged chal-
lenger Adrian Van de Mosselaer al 766 votes — 14
behind incumbent councillor Danny Sheridan,

But a judicial recount resulted in 64 ballots being
rejected, and Sheridan and Van de Mosselaer were
tied with 732 votes each for the sixth council seat.

Returning officer Elaine Johnson cast the decid-
ing vote — as required under the Election Act —

and David Holl,

-FROM FRONT

NDP workers
plan city slate

direct conflict.

Giesbrecht was mayor of Terrace until he was un-
seated by Talsira in 1985,

Talstra and about half the existing council actively
worked for the Liberal campaign in Skeena here this
spring,

Giesbrecht’s record as MLA was the subject of off-
the-cuff scorn and derision on a number of occasions in
banter between those councillors at city hall during the
campaign. |

His supporters are likely to seize on any chance to
doubly punish the Jocal right wing.
~ A move to the left here would be a significant shift,
Unlike Prince Rupert and Kilimat, organized labour

has never played a strong role in Terrace municipal
politics,

‘ - That’s primarily because of the lack of large industry
and the resulting powerful union groups here.

. Organized labour hasn’t gotten any stronger, but
much else has changed In the fortunes of the Icft when
a trio of candidates finished far back in the 1993
municipal electlons.
’ That vote came on the heels of the NDP’s 1993 fed-
eral election defeat in Skeena to the Reform Party — a
-time of poor morale and disarray for local party mem-
bers: The party machine had simply failed to work for
parachute candidate Joe Barrett.

‘Now, with May's victory still fresh in the fall air, it’s
-a Whole new ball gaine,

port out of the winners’ circle,

and the incumbent Sheridan was declared elected.

School board race tightens

School district amalgamation plan trims number of trustees

FIVE ‘Terrace/Thormhill seats on
school board here will shrink down to
just four seats in clections this No-
vember.

The plan to amalgamate the Kitimat
and Terrace school districts will result
in fewer trustees in each community
served by the new Coast Mountain
School District #82.

Terrace gets three trustees, Kitimat
gets three and there’s one each in
Thornhill/Lakelse Lake, the Hazeltons
and Stewart.

I'll mean tighter competition here
for the remaining three Terrace and

one Thornhill/Lakelse school board
seats.

Terrace/Thornhill is presently
represented by trustees Roger
LeClerc, Stew Christensen, Laurie
Mitchell, Gary Turner, and John
Pousette.

LeClere topped the polls last time
with 1,967 votes, He was followed by
Christensen (1,787), Mitchell (1.662),
Turmer (1,499) and Pousette (1,469).
Norm Lavallee was the next nearest

candidate, with 1,237 votes.

So far most of the current trustecs
haven’t decided yet whether they’ll be

REGIONAL DISTRICT

Director Sandhals won't run again

and Hawke was a distant third with 58.

IT LOOKS like another tight race is shap-
ing up this fall for Regional District direc-

tor of Area E — Thomhill.

While incumbent director Peggy Julseth
says she has yet to decide, she certainly

isn't ruling out running again.

“T haven’t made up my mind,’’ she says.
“It's a big committment, but I certainly

am considering it.”

the leaders.

The 1993 election proved to be tight
battle between veteran director Les Wat-
mough and then newcomer Julseth. Rick
Hawke also ran, but finished well behind.

In the end, Julseth came out on top, with
261 votes, Watmough was close with 204,

minning this November.

Mitchell is the only one who’s
thrown her hat into the ring so far.

LeClere, Christensen, Pousette
haven’t decided yet whether they'll
try for aspol on the new board.

Also considering a run for trustee is
Frank Bowsher.

The city bylaw enforcement officer
says he’s incensed at the school
board's plans to offer Punjabi lan-
guage asa third language in the dis-
trict, contending other more widely
used world languages would be more
useful to students. . ,

this term.

Laurie Mitchell

-Watmough is also expected to run again

The field is open so far for electoral area
C, which covers Lakelse Lake, Jackpine

Flats and rural Terrace, Arca C director

for re-election.

Sandy Sandhals says he will not run again