SECTION ALTHOUGH Terrace hosted SOME | hinese New Year events last week 5. TERRACE — STANDARD = including this parade by ET, Kenny students — Chinese faces here are far outnumbered by those of aboriginal or East Indian ancestry. Most Chinese, Japanese gone Census shows East Indians still top visible minority here By JEFF NAGEL WHILE aboriginal numbers are up, the number of people who identify themselves as visible minorities in areater Terrace. dropped sharply in the 2001 census. . The count found 825 visible min- ority people in greater Terrace, down 25 percent from 1,105 in 1996. That’s a sharper decline than the close to five per cent drop of the general: population here. The aborigi- nal‘population increased 37 per cent to 3,085, making up 15,5 per cent of the Terrace-and area population. ~-About'500 of the visible minori- ties, counted’ here’ are identified as “South Asian” (East Indian). ~ While their numbers fell by 65. most.who left were of Chinese, Ja- -oanese*or- Southeast Asian ancestry. The Chinese population fell from 150 to 40 and the Japanese popula- tion dwindled from 75 10 10. (Numbers aren't exact as Stats Can rounds them to protect privacy.) The Chinese exodus means Ter- race's 95 Filipinos have replaced them as the city's second largest visible minority, followed by the 85. blacks here. The new count found 15 more Latin Americans, who now number 65. And it also measured 10 Koreans here, up from zero in 1996, Ethnic. minorities with family in other urban centres or readily trans- portable job skills are among the quickest to leave rural regions when the economy turns bad, analysts: say. | But.demographer Andréw Ramio, of the Urban Futures Instititute, says ~ the minority population drops here may nol actiially-be “as-dramatic- as the numbers suggest. Shopping couldn't ‘| @ be easier at Shoppers Drug Mart for Valentines Day. pr -SHOPPERS SDRUG | ADULTS | 1» ONLY » ~~ mail@ebonys.net | ppones: www.ebonys.net | : Name: | Drop off this entry coupon at this | participating merchant's drop box He says part of the numbers shift may be the result of people ~ espe- cially those born in Canada ~ in- creasingly identifying themselves as “Canadian” rather than by their Chi- nese or other ethnic ancestry. The stats also revealed -some neighbourhood preferences: All the Fillipinos and. almost all the area’s 500 South Asians live within Terrace city limits, while the Latin Ameri- cans live primarily in Thornhill. While. Terrace. and area has’ the most’ South Asians, Prince Rupert has much larger numbers. of South- east Asians, Chinese and Fillipinos. ~ Kitimat is similar.to Terrace. with ‘South Asians most numerous. “The' numbér of foreign-born immi- grants in Terrace dropped 11 per cent to 2,340 in 2001 from 2,640 in. the 1996 census. ‘ | Cottonwood k Massage I Name: Native labour ready to boom Aboriginal workers, not foreign imports, touted to solve future workforce shortages By JEFF NAGEL AN ABORIGINAL baby boom in rural regions is being called a wakeup call for federal officials who think more immigrants are needed to avert a future labour supply shortfall. Demographer David Baxter of the Urban Futures Institute says new census numbers released by Statistics: Canada 5 should make policy. | makers reconsider _ increasing immigra- tion to fill. future jobs. Canadian’ population means the number of — working people will fall in the coming decades; .leading to a workforce shortage. nour Change + “ Second of a two-part special report on our changing ethnicity Baxter noted companies in some areas: have already imported large numbers of foreign workers to meet their needs. Meat-packing plants in “Alberta have. brought in Somalis and Sudanese people, and the use of Mexican labour in North Dakota has made that state one of the largest Spanish-speaking enclaves outside the southwest U;S. Similar things could happen in northern B.c. at the expense of the . under-em- ployed aboriginal po- pulation already here, he said. “Rather than just let- ling it happen, we have an opportun- ity,” he said. lt makes more sense, Baxter says, to :em- bark. on an’ all-out But Baxter says “immigration doesn’t. make sense — particularly to solve labour shortfalls in rural regions. _“Why. wouldn't we simply engage the First Nations communities that are’ al- ready there?” he asked. . Aboriginal populations are growing and there are large numbers of children and youth who will move into. the job market: in years ahead. - ; In’ Terrace, new census stats. show more than 44 per cent of the aboriginal. population is under 20 years old... “Someone from Guangzhou China‘isn't "going to move. to Terrace,” Baxter said. “All you have to do is engage those young people in those First Nations com- munities and you've got an answer.” Clinie ' Phones: | Phones: | Draw takes place February 13, 2003 ; a At ‘ | Brow lakes to i ora _ - Loe -, - LARGE SELECTION OF: - CARDS & SWEETS TO. - ~ CHOOSE FROME Drop off this entry coupon at this | participating marchant’s drop box HIDDEN TREASURES Terrace | Shopping Center 635-7261 Enter by February 12, 2003, 4:00 p.m. | : 1/2 Hr. - $25.00 +tax rf lH «6 - £45.00 +tax ' Catherine Hart N “Relax This Valentin 3231 Kalum St, Terrace’ Serve seperated Fudge and Chocolate Cru * OUR PRIZE * Valentine’a Heart Cake $18,99 value Valentine Dream Contest ie Drop off this entry coupon at this 1g | perticipating merchant's drap box | Day is the you love a . blossoming . bouquet of Name: I ae. affection. 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