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The future of Mountainview

school is back on
the district's

Can’t wait
Three young: skaters”
are looking forward
to a big upcoming -

Gulf\COMMUNITY B5 agenda\NEWS A11 competion SPORTS B Be
$1.00 plus 7¢ GST 7
($1.10 plus 8¢ GST :
outelde of the Terrace area} —

VOL. 416.NO. 33

Welfare
layoffs
prelude
to pain

By JEFF NAGEL
FOUR welfare — services
workers here will lose their:
jobs at the end of March
after Victoria announced
the elimination of 324 jobs
in the ministry of human
resources.

The cuts affect 20 minis-
try workers in the northwest,
including three full-time and
one part-time position at the
Terrace district office. -

Two training consultants,
an administrator and a half-
time employment assistance
worker were notified Nov.
13, according to Rusty
Blanes, a, client service
worker and union rep here.

“They were stunned,”
Blanes said. “They had no
idea whatsoever this was
coming down.”

The cuts are based on

projections thet fewer min- i

istry workers will be needed
to deal with people on so-
cial assistance after April |
— when the government cuts
off benefits for many long-
term welfare recipients.

New rules allow single
people deemed employable
to be on social assistance for
ho more than two consecu-
tive years. —

B.C. Government and
Service Employees Union
tep Don Philpott said the
layoffs are just a prelude
to the chaos that will strike
once welfare recipients are
cut off.

Government officials
refuse to release estimates
of the number of recipients
who may be cut off, arguing
it’s possible many will find
jobs before then.

But Philpott thinks the
number of local people

Continued Page A2

WORKERS from Lindsay’s Cartage and Storage were busy Wednesday hauling heavy equip-
ment like this forklift from New Skeena’s sawmill to the city’s public works yard. Northwest towns

seized everything from vehicles to office furniture. JEFF NAGEL PHOTO

dnesday,; November: 19, 2003.

City plans
fast sale of |
seized gear

Won't give New Skeena more time

By JEFF NAGEL
THE CITY will sell off the equip-
ment it has seized from New Skeena
Forest Products as quickly as pos-
sible to recover unpaid taxes, city”
councillors and officials say. .

“The plan is, unless we hit some
big snag, this will be done before
Christmas,” councillor David Hull
said.

Northwest towns moved simulta-
neously Nov. 12 to haul equipment
away from New Skeena mills.

Hull said there are no plans to
wait to allow any more time for New
Skeena to find financing and possibly _
purchase the seized equipment back
from the city.

“This isn’t a hostage-taking ora
negotiation,” Hull said. “This is just
about collecting some taxes for the:
city.”

' Hull said the plan is simple: “Seize
it, Auction it, And take the money. It
wasn’t seize it and sit on it for four or
five months until spring.”

New Skeena got fair warning of
the city’s intentions. when_ bailiffs
placed liens on the equipment at the
Terrace sawmill in early September,
he said,

Company officials had indicated
the current situation would not be

allowed to continue on into the new
year.

Hull said that raised. fears. that
some event - possibly a new round of
bankruptcy protection — could jeop-
ardize the city’s ability to recover the
money.

“We think we're at a critical
juncture where if we don't protect
ourselves we're setting ourselves up
for another loss,” he said. "We feared
for our money.”

More inside
@ Northwest towns send
in the bailiffs, page A9

Theoretically, unpaid taxes are

eventually recovered by a tax sale of *
.the Jand.

That's what the Terrace council
wanted to happen with the previous
round of unpaid Skeena Cellulose
taxes,

But Terrace was outvoted in 2002
by Prince Rupert and Port Edward.
Those towns. pushed through an
agreement allowing new owners to
repay the older. back ‘taxes, includ-
ing $576,000 for Terrace, over eight

“years.

Continued Page A8

Make most of shot at Alcan cash, Terrace urged

By JEFF NAGEL
TERRACE is uniquely positioned
to extract money from Alcan right
now and should capitalize on that
in any way possible, says Kitimat’s
top administrator,

Trafford Hall was ‘reacting to
Terrace’s pursuit of a major dona-
tion from the aluminum producer
in the range of $1 million for the
proposed sportsplex here.

Terrace city council has stayed

mostly neutral on the issue of pow-
er Sales by Alcan - over which Hall
and Kitimat officials are preparing
to launch a court challenge.

“I think the City of Terrace is
in a good position to receive gen-
erously Alcan’s public relations
doliar,” Hall said.

“Alcan is looking for friends -
they are standing increasingly alone
in British Columbia,” he said. “They
see Terrace might be influenced by

certain largesse. And If I was Terrace
I would play it to the hilt.”

“I'd say go for it - get as much
as you can ~ because that window
is going to close.”

Kitimat is expected to file its
court action soon if talks with se-

nior provincial cabinet ministers

don’t show signs of converting
Victoria to the Kitimat position.
The town wants everything pos-
sible done to block power sales

Four-day foes —
demand backup

Longer day takes toll

By JENNIFER LANG

A KITIMAT parent who helped organize
a public meeting over the four-day school
week says the fight will continue only if
more parents are willing to join the battle,

Denise O'Neill said plenty of people are
lending their verbal support to the cause, but
80 far, few are prepared to sit on a lobbying
committee.

“So far, I've had lots of calls, lots of
support. I know people are talking about
it,” said O'Neill, president of the Mount

Elizabeth Senior Secondary parent advisory:

council.

‘The group organized a Nov. 8:commu-
nity forum on the four-day week — the first
meeting of its type since the new cost-cut-
ting measure went into effect.

About 30 parents and teachers showed up
to voice their concerns and demand a meet-
ing with Skeena MLA Roger Hartis, who
was unable to attend.

A meeting with Harris is tentatively
scheduled for Nov, 29, but O'Neill says
the meeting will be called off unless there’s

more interest, She’s set a deadline of tonight .

at 9 p.m. Call her at 632-5345.
School board chair Peter King -told. the

forum the four-day. week was. the least dis.

ruptive option when trustees were forced to
make $5 million in cuts last spring.

He also said the impact of the new school
week is being monitored.

“We understand our school board is do-
ing what they can with what they have,”
O'Neill said, “It's not enough.”

She said the board has no control over de-
clining enrolment — or the amount of fund-
ing the Coast- Mountains district receives
from the provincial government.

“T think overall, we’ re just frustrated with
lack of commitment from the government in
education,’ she said, .

_ Meanwhile,. the longer school day ap-
pears to be taking 4 toll’on students, and
teachers, she said.

One teacher speaking at the forum said
students now find it difficult to pay attention
in the afternoon. “The kids tune out at 1:30
[p.m.] They've got nothing left. That was a
real eye-opener for me.”

Others reported insufficient time to assist

children with learning difficulties,

O'Neill believes it’s time for parents to
take a stand — but she’s not sure if the will is
there for a political fight.

“If they: don't move beyond words then

‘this whole attempt at addressing anything is

pointless, That tells us a Jot, doesn’ t it, if the
parents arén't prepared to go.”

BOBTAIL, Tag and Rag "check out a beauliful dandelion in the upcoming Terrace Little Theatre production of

Cinderella. The three slapstick characters are played by Diana Braathen, Dawn Marshall and Sandy Watson,
They're just three of the musical comedy's giant cast set to take to the stage at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre this

pretty!

to force Alon to use energy for
aluminum production.

Hall predicted any Terrace
benefit from Alcan’s present strat-

egy would have no effect on Kiti-.

mat’s chances of victory in court.
“To have the mayor of Ter-
race photographed accepting that

cheque I don't think will do our °

power sales issue any harm what-
soever,” he said.
Hall said he'd view it as a mod-

est sliver of Alcan’s profits being
left with northwesterners,

‘That’s a million bucks we
wouldn’t otherwise have gotten
that would be invested in Science

. World or something down south to
curry favour there — or invested in
Quebec.” .

Terrace mayor Jack Talstra and
other sportsplex fundraisers met
Alcan officials last month to pitch
for a contribution.

Friday and Saturday. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO

4

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