"Mr. Clark. You're fired A12 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 16, 1998 Locals join huge rally to oust the government A LOCAL contingent was on hand Sept. 11 as more than 2,000 people overflowed the Prince George Civic Centre for a unite the right rally to send a loud message to Glen Clark and the NDP government. The message: you’re fired, “We, the people of British Columbia are the boss, not Glen Clark. What ] want to do is I want to fire Glen Clark,” said Rick Berry, a speaker from Mackenzie, “Mr. Clark, your little buddy Rick in Mackenzic, says you’re fired.”’ Everyone from business leaders and politicians to aver-. age people shook the Civic Centre floors as they cheered and waved ‘‘we’ve had cnough’’ signs in what was possib- ly the largest rally Prince George has ever seen, They came from as far away as Prince Rupert, Dawson Creck and Mackenzie to protest against the NDP’s performance and to call for a right wing allernative that will stop splitting the vote. Among the locals attending was Lome Sexton, the man who tried to gather enough signatures to have Skeena NDP MLA Helmut Giesbrecht recalled and to force a by- election. Deborah Townsend of Houston says she attended the ral- ly because she is unable to find work, a situation unaided by “a government that stinks,”’ Many in the crowd had similar sentiments. “T'm tired of the NDP bleeding us dry and stealing from the bingos and then changing laws ta make it legal to steal from bingos,” says Rick Frechette. Speaker and political commentator Gordon Gibson called the rally astonishing and very unusual, noting the widespread anger of the crowd may actually have the power lo enact political change. Mr. Gibson, a former Liberal MLA and party leader and now a newspaper columnist, spoke not only of people’s dissatisfaction with the government, but of the need to form a right wing alternative to the NDP in an attempt to stop splitting the vote. ‘*We meet tonight against a system that allows a govern- ment power when 60 per cent of British Columbians don’t vote for them. That’s wrong,’’ says Mr. Gibson, He suggested inviling Liberal leader Gordon Campbell and Reform B.C, President Bill Vander Zalm to Prince George to ask them ‘‘what the differences are between them that are more important than the things that concern us?” He also suggested supporting only one candidate in cach riding and pushing for electoral reform ‘‘that will reflect the will of the majority.’’ Economist Dr. David Bond voiced his opinion of the NDP’s effect on the business climate of B.C., calling Glen Clark a “headline junkie with the forward vision of a turnip” and his cabinet the 12 dwarfs named Dopey, He criticized the NDP as business unfriendly, claiming uncertainty, high taxes and regulatory burden are chasing investment out of the province. His comments were met with cheers and a standing ova- tion from the crowd. Both Mayar Colin Kinsley of Prince George and Mayor Steve Wallace of Quesnel attended the rally to hear what: | the public had to say. Mr. Kinsley felt the turn-out proved ' that dissatisfaction with the Clark government is no longer a fanatical few. “This tells ihe government it’s not a radical group of people who don’t have any support,”’ says Mr. Kinsley. “I | haven't scen anything like this before.” There was little visible opposition to the rally as no NDP Supporters protested at the rally, Prince George NDP MLAs Lois Boone and Paul Ramsey did not attend, Some graffiti expressing dissatisfaction with the rally was on the Civic Centre entrance carly Friday but was gone by the RCMP check area drivers ONLY ONE person has been charged with impaired driving here in the first 14 weeks of campaign in which ICBC has paid the RCMP overtime bill for intensified road checks. “Of the 39 times when there were road checks, 8,605 vehicles were checked Corea added thai the provincial crown corpora- tion is also happy that drivers are getting the mes- sage through road checks and through advertising that drinking and driving don’t mix. In Prince Rupert, 23,672 vehicles were stopped in 43 and 47 suspensions for 24 hours were handed out,” added ICBC spokesman Sam Corea, The statistics. begin May 16, when the summer CounterAtlack = campaign began, and include ‘road checks up until Aug. 16. Corea said ICBC is happy with the results it is getting from summer Counter At- tack campaigns in 51 com- munities across the pro- vince. “We are paying $9 mil- Hon in overtime. We eslimated that we receive a dollar benefit of three to one in reduced insurance claims, so that means we should be looking at a $27 million or more reduction,’ he said. ICBC estimates that $270 million in claims are filed each year from impaired driving crashes, different road checks over the 14-week period. Four impaired driving charges were laid and 54 24-hour suspensions were handed out. For the area from Quesnel north, 326 road checks were carried out and 100,000 vehicles were stopped with the result being 49 impaired driving charges and 317 24- hour suspensions. Across the province, 2.1 million drivers were checked, 496 impaired driv- ing charges were laid and 5,246 24-hour suspensions were issued, kk kkk In the meantime, ICBC is placing life-size cut out posters of B.C. Lions kicker Lui Passaglia in the pro- vince’s 220 liquor stores with the message to not mix drinking and driving. CORRECTION NOTICE WE WISH TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO AN ERROR IN OUR CURRENT "FABULOUS 2-WEEK SALE* FLYER Page 11 - Envira(resh Bags, 43-6441- 2. Tha Envirofresh Bags ae not avall- able. Rainchecks will not ba issued, WE SINCERELY REGRET ANY INCONVENIENCE WE MAY HAVE CAUSED YOU, soote 0337 - All Zones evening. Organizer Bill Lynch says he tias had discussions with several communities around the province and expects to see other rallies such as this onc in the near future. He promised the crowd that the Northen Coalition of Dis- salisfied Citizens would continue to work for political change. ‘We the people of the grassroots want a right of centre party to put B.C, back at the top of the country,” says Mr. Lynch, ‘'We must come together,” Company audited WEST FRASER’s forestry operations in this area are being probed by the Forest Practices Board. The independent body, set up as part of the provincial government’s Forest Practices Code, will audit West Fraser’s Tree Farm Licence #41, which includes the upper Kitimat River valley, the Douglas Channel to Hawkesbury Island and the Devastation Channel area. The audit was selected randomly, the board said, and was not based on location or past performance. A Forest Practices Board team will be in the area for three weeks to perform office and field examinations of logging areas and many kilometres of road. The audit examines recent logging, silviculture, fire protection, road construction, maintenance and deac- tivation activities, and operational planning for com- pliance with the Forest Practices Code. Active Living Exercise Your Options ASSOCIATION CANADIEHNE Ou DiaBETE CANADIAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION “They showed me how to use the Internet down at the library -in just 15 minutes! " “Government of Canada . ~ du-Canada "We learned all about dinosaur eggs.” Gouvernement : Connecting anadians is a Governme “| found a great used car on the internet.” ~ .+-For your free information kit, call 1-800-575-9200 or TTY: 1-800. 465. 7 735 or visit our Web site at http:/ /www.connect-gc.ca They played math games with aliens, oe _ learned about WHALES, and spoke with — grade 3 students in the ARCTIC. Then they didn’t want to stop for recess. it's amazing what you can do when you connect to the Net. Learn how to trace your family tree. See what's new with your favourite hockey team. Take your kids on a virtual tour of a pyramid. There’s a world of information just waiting to be discovered. Become a “Connected Canadian” - library near you, It’s easier than you think. It’s quick and it’s fun. The sooner we’te all connected, the better . ptepared we'll be for success in the 21st Century. Learn more about how to get connected, and about the. - thousands of public places the Government of Canada is helping to connect. at home, schoo! or work, or at a _ “Im picking up terrific health tips for me - and my baby,“ * Free airtime on your first 30 calls every month - no mattter how long you talk * First 30 days of usage free. ® Just 30¢ per minute. “30° It’s Not About Time. * Unlimited free caliling each and every weekend Sane | , Ovrwens Sena KEITH AVE. MALL CITY CENTRE "SKEENA MALL mp TERRE KITIMAT TERRACE aa = * 635-5333 632-5000 635-4948 ite 36" ANNIVERSARY 1962-199 ‘BCTEL on Mobility Authorized: Dealer