A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 1, 2002

' TERRACE-

STANDARD

ESTABLISHED APRIL. 27, 1988

PUBLISHER: ROO LINK
ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C, * V8G SR2
TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 * FAX: (250) 638-8432
WEB: www.terracestandard.com
EMAIL: standard@kermode.net

Northwest hub

SITUATED AS it is in the centre of the north-
west, Terrace enjoys a privileged role as a provi-
der of various business, recreational and consu-
mer services. Because surrounding communities
treat Terrace as their regional shopping centre, we
enjoy a higher level of services than would other-
wise be justified or viable given our population.

So that’s why it is vitally important that this
city take an active interest in outside events.

Consider Kitimat which has one of the highest
incomes per capita of any municipality in the
country. It treats Terrace as its shopping suburb
meaning that the health of Kitimat contributes to
the overall economic health of this city.

Kitimat mayor Richard Wozney is now chal-
lenging the provincial government to take a tough
love approach to Alcan, the major employer of
Kitimat residents.

Alcan is showing every sign of being vitally in-
terested in selling as much power as it can gener-
ate from its hydro-electric generators. Good for
Alcan, but not so good for the jobs now in place
at the company’s aluminum smelter.

Mr. Wozney is insisting the provincial govern-
ment hold Alcan to its 1950 agreement with the
provincial crown that every watt of electricity it
generates be used for industrial development in
the northwest.

Given the constant parade of vehicles coming
north from Kitimat every day to shop in Terrace,
city council here should throw its complete and
full support behind Kitimat’s stand.

Now look west to Prince Rupert. Hammered
by economic bad news ranging from closures or
cuts to its grain terminal;-coal port, commercial
fishing and, of course, Skeena Cellulose, the city
is attempting to claw its way back.

Specifically, Prince Rupert is focussing on the
cruise ship industry. It is developing Cow Bay as
a cruise ship reception centre backed by a core of
shops and restaurants — a mini Granville Island.
This year 30 small cruise vessels from four com-
panies will dock at the refurbished Atlin fish plant
in Cow Bay, up from just four in 1998.

But Prince Rupert has its eye fixed on a large
prize, a massive dock jutting out into its harbour
to handle the big boys. The economic spin offs
from this would be enormous and dollars bur-
geoning cruise ship industry would be felt in Ter-
race both from attracting those visitors to Terrace
and from Prince Rupert residents themselves.

Construction of this dock will cost an estimated
$10 million. The City of Terrace would gain:
much by finding a way to financially assist Prince
Rupert in this project.

By taking a strong stance politically in Kitimat
and economically in Prince Rupert Terrace would
solidify its position as the hub of the northwest.
Strong and healthy neighbours can only benefit
us in the end,

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Special thanks to ail our contributors and correspandents
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Se
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WSs

A NEW SYMBOL
FOR A NEW HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM

Private power is bad news for us

VICTORIA — The Ontario gov-
ernment’s attempt to sell off
Hydro One Inc. suffered a ser-
jous setback two weeks ago
when Ontario Superior Court
Justice Arthur Gans ruled that
the government lack the legal
authority to do sa.

The ruling put on hold the
largest privatization and pub-
lic stock offering in Canadian
history.

I hope Gordon Campbell,
British Columbia’s Premier,
will take a long and hard look
at the judgment before he de-
cides to put B.C. Hydro on the
auction black.

The Ontario Court’s deci-
sion was hailed as a victory by
a coalition of groups opposed
to the province's attempts to
sell the electricity transmis-
sion company for as much as
$5.5-billion and to deregulate
its electricity market.

Judge Gans ruled in favour
of a petition filed by two un-
jons, the Communications En-
ergy and Paperworkers and the

, Canadian Union of Public Em-
‘«“ployees::(CUPE);‘ that claimed '

the province's Electricity Act
prohibited the province from
privatizing Hydro One.

The decision was the equi-
valent of a bombshell on Bay
Street, where bankers were
looking to earn millions in
commissions from the initial
public offering (IFO).

It also was an acute embar-
rassment for new Premier
Ernie Eves, who said his gov-
ernment will abide by the rul-
ing for now but will appeal it
and pass legislation ta get the

AONB ps Lei

HUBERT BEYER

Hydro One sale completed.

“We've asked the Atlorney-
General [David Young] to
come forward to Cabinet with
options,” Mr. Eves told repor-
ters while campaigning on a
dairy farm for his May 2 by-
election northwest of Taronto.

One course of action is a
plan to recall the legislature to
pass a law giving Ontario the
legal right to privatize Hydro
PEPE QR ee La PY

“Well, that’s an option I
suppose. I'll have to wait to
see which options the Attor-
ney-General recommends,” he
told reporters.

The initial public offering,
scheduled for in June, will be
delayed, Eves said. “I live in
the real world and you’re not
going to get that changed in a
matter of hours or even a mat-
ter of days.”

The unions who carried off
the victory, however tempor-
ary it may turn out to be, were
ecstatic,

aw

?

“We've made history,
We've managed to stop a gov-
ernment that worships at the
altar of privatization,” said
Cecil Makowski, a CEP vice-
president. “We managed to
stop them from selling the
crown jewel of this province
while they line the pockets of
their friends on Bay Street and
Wall Street.”

Dalton McGuinty, the On-
tario Liberal leader, who op-
poses the sale of Hydro One,
said the decision was “a major
embarrassment” for the new
Eves government.

“I’m delighted with the
court decision. It’s a major
victory for working families
and all of us who are fighting
the sale of Hydro One,” he
said.

The Ontario government os-
tensibly wants to sell Hydro
One because it needs the pro-
ceeds to help pay down a $21-
billion debt accumulated by
the old Ontario Hydro monopo-
ly

companies that emerged fre
Ontario Hydro. The othet' Was”
Ontario Power Generation Inc.
(OPG). Financiers have said if
the Hydro One sale was ‘a suc-
cess, the government would
consider selling OPG , which
could funnel between $8-bil-
lion and $10-billion into the
province’s coffers.

I’m sure Campbell has been
watching the battle in Ontario
with great interest, He
wouldn't hesitate a moment to
sell B.C. Hydro if he knew he
could get away with it. And

Hydro One Wah ong oF AD
TOmM-

with his lopsided ‘mandate in
the legislature, he probably
thinks he can,

Nor might he stop there.
More than 90 per cent of the
province,s forests are owned by
the Crown, thal is by us, the
citizens. Some of my contacts
in the forests ministry tell me
they do not rule out a big forest
privatization program,

One government MLA told
me thal private forests in Bur-
ope are well-managed and pose
no threat to the forest industry’s
sustainability.

What he didn’t say or know
is that no gavernment in British
Columbia or North America,
for that matter, would have the
guts to impose the rules and re-
gulations private owners of for-
est land in Europe are subject
ta.

In Germany, for instance,
one-third of all forest -land is
privately owned, but it is the
government that tells the ow-
ners which three they can cut
down. And ] man tree by tree.

aflearguisaare. often sjimited to

one-third of an acre: '

“We should watch Campbell

and his government like a hog
and make sure B.C. Hydro re-
mains where it is: in our hands,
not those of private profiteers.

The private sector's track
record in the energy field is
abysmal. Ask the Albertans.
Ask the Californians. And think
about Enron.

Beyer can be reached at:
E-mail: hubert@coolcam.com;
Tel (250) 381-6900; Web
hutp:{/www, habertbeyer.com

Liberals need better glasses

WHEN OUR daughters were
small, the older one often
made up elaborate rules for
their games.

As the game progressed, her
tules became more complica-
ted. Having no say in the
rules, the younger one would
finally leave to play else-
where.

Gordon Campbell is making
up education and health care
rules as he goes along, without
consullation or regard for the
human toll,

Not satisfied gutting our
education system, now Camp-
bell has closed community
hospitals, expecting residents
to drive miles while blood
pumps from a severed artery or
a clot clogs a heart.

We're talking health care,
not bank robberies. Four min-
utes was enough for the Stop
Watch Gang to rob a bank, but
under adverse weather condi-
tions, 50kms, to the nearest
emergency room can take a
lot longer than one hour.

Has Campbell stop-watched
for icy roads, washouts, ava-
lanches, and other interior ha-

3 MoRE SECONDS
AND Tile PR EAK
THE MOSQU (10 RECORD
FOR A SINGLE Suck !
va a

THROUGH BIFOCALS
CLAUDETTE SANDECKI

zards?

Campbell expects patients
to spend less time recupera-
ting in hospital. So Iskut and
Telegraph Creek patients
won't be the only ones riding
home prematurely over bumpy
toads, tearing open surgical
closures, and hemorrhaging
along the roadside. Has Camp-
bell factored in the cost of re-
lapses?

Campbell would have us
believe these education and
health “reforms” are necessary

L CAN'T FU

| TUL BE FAMOUS. 1c, oO.
LAYANILUN EGGS! o@
LU. T'MStUcK!! op SB

because the province is deep
in debt. Yet a recent report on
The National pointed out
B.C.’s Auditor General found
our financial debt to be no-
where near the size Campbell
claims.

I suspect Campbell is exag-
gerating our debt and slashing
services so he can offer lucra-
tive private contracts to
friends. The amount of driving
involved with the hospital clo-
sures will certainly enhance
the bottom line of gas stations,
car repair shops, and road
building contractors. Pharma-
cies, too, should enjoy higher
sales.

So what if the environment
suffers from more exhaust
fumes, ,

Campbell’s shortsightedness
and lack of planning is evident
in his neighbourhood school
closures. Bussing our kids to
far away schools will promote
obesity, leading to an increase
in diabetes, heart disease, and
even osteoporosis among our
young. That will increase

a

2.

ri}
LLO “en, a

sf

health care costs in future
years, not to mention loss of
work time.

Last week Campbell cut
funding for sign language inter-

preters in college classes. He

also ended the one support pro-
gram for Vancouver’s Chinese
speaking seniors. Earlier he

wiped out funding for talking |

books; the blind rallied and re-
gained a year’s partial funding. .

To realize Copper Mountain’
kids may be bussed to an over-
crowded, musty portable; se-
niors may be turfed out for long
term beds to survive alone al
home; and Kimberley, popula-
tion 7,000, will lose its hospi-
tal, all so Liberals and business
can profit, sickens me. -

Doesn*t business realize
where its customers come
from? And why would any bu-
Siness relocate to B.C. if we
lack good schools and nearby
hospitals for their employees’
families?

Even if Campbell restores

funding minutes before the next
election, he may find himself
playing alane.

CONGRATULATIONS

DAD!!12 SECONDS I
BEFORE IT ExPLODED.
THATS A RECORD !1/

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