‘Despite direction from Supreme Court Justice Beverly MacLaughlin for the province to balance out wide differences in population among its electoral districts, it appears the B.C. government is in no hurry to redraw the map. — by Michael Kelly - Justice MacLaughlin handed down the decision last month, just before she was appointed to the federal Supreme Court. Her judgment upheld an argument by the civil liberties union that the one person, one vote princi- - ‘ple is violated when there are big - ‘ disparities in voting district populations. As it currently ’ stands, some of the urban ridings in the Vancouver area have more than 45,000 people represented by one MLA, in ~ contrast, for example, to the Atlin riding with a population of less than 6,000. oo The B.C, government began to address the situation in April 1988 by appointing a Royal Commission on Electoral Boundaries, headed by Judge Thomas Fisher. Fisher com- pleted his report in December, and Justice MacLaughlin said his recommendations meet the criteria of her decision. In.a joint interview Friday in Terrace, Skeena MLA. Dave Parker and Minister of Regional Development Elwood Veitch both expressed ambivalence about acting on the recommen- dations... ” On’ Fisher’s new map the Skeena riding. would “undergo | considerable shrinkage, losing the Hazeltons and. Smithers. _ Parker appeared to support that move, saying, ‘‘It makes life easier for the MLA.” Both Parker and Veitch, however, expressed concern about the size of the newly- created neighboring riding of Bulkley Valley-Stikine. It would incorporate portions of the pres- ~ent Skeena and Omineca ridings with the northern part of what is now Atlin, resulting in a huge constituency extending from Ootsa Lake in the south to the Yukon border in the north. Champion beanstalk | Angela Gillis, a Grade 1 stu- dent at E.T. Kenney Primary School, has won the school’s ‘*Giant Beanstalk Contest’’ in a big way. Her entry grew to ‘a little over six feet (183 centi- meters) leaving many other con- testants in the shade, Closest to Gillis were two Grade 2 entries submitted by Erica Lloyd and Isaac Brown, whose beanstalks tied at a little better than five feet, ten inches high (178 centi- metres), ’ Best in the kindergarten cate- gory was Pamela Ross, whose plant reached a little more than four feet, six inches (138 centi- metres), and for Grade 3 it was Ben Daniels, who did a little better with a beanstalk four foot, 10 inches high (148 centi- metres). It was a fun contest for all and the one to beat in next » year’s contest will be green thumb pro Angela Gillis. “This was done by someone who has no grasp of the north,”’ Parker remarked, and Veitch added that “‘rep-by-pop just ‘isn’t sensible in B.C.” In his report Fisher noted that - he didn’t go strictly by the numbers because the impact on northern representation would have ‘been unacceptable. In- gtead, he increased the size of -the legislature to 75 members and allowed a 25 percent plus- or-minus deviation from the ___ EMPLOYME. average representation.” The resulting extremes are Vancouver-Kensington with 45,216 constituents and North Coast -—— the present Prince Rupert riding with the Nass Valley and Stewart added on — with 29,444. The new Skeena riding would have 30,778, with ~ Terrace-Thornhill and’ Kitimat being. the only large. centers. ‘ Cedarvale and Kitwanga would. remain in the riding. But. Parker expressed fears IF YOU ARE: AN EMPLOYER wanting to hire help now; ~* @ able to trainon the job; and © — e interested in wage assistance during the training period, ASK US ABOUT EMPLOYMENT PLUS! . 117’§ GOOD FOR THE EMPLOYER! ‘EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM FOR PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESSES, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS a . | Receive Half of an Employee's Wage - You can help ease your workload, and receive 50% of an employee's. wage, up to $3.50 per hour assistance, when you hire and train someone now receiving income. . assistance from the Ministry of Social Services and Hous- ing. We'll help you, while you help someone develop or up- _ date skills on the job. Government not ready to move that even with the built-in devia- tion factor the north is still going -to lose clout in the legislature. “we could wind up like the federal government,”’ he said, referring to the extreme. in- fluence of heavily-populated Ontario and Quebec. ‘In‘his report Fisher also ex- amines the work load of MLA’s and the resources provided: to them by the government.. He recommended -better access for northerners to their represen- on electoral revamp tatives, = _ Parker doesn’t expect a fran- tic rush to bring things in line with the Supreme Court direc- tive. He said the Fisher report is currently being studied by a two- party legislative committee. | Justice MacLaughilin stated that the. changes should be -im- plemented “‘within a reasonable period of time’’. . With a shrug, Parker said, ‘What does ‘reasonable’ mean?’’ 4 work force.” T= “t's an excellent opportunity for businesses. . . 1 and in the end they're getting better employees. People who want to work and get back into the Prince Gearge Golf & Curling Club _ Flo McKintey Food & Beverage Manager - Fo Qualify ‘As an employer, you must be able to: * create an additional jab for 30 to 40 hours per week for a minimum of 2 months; and ¢ pay at least the provincial minimum wage; and * provide a trainee with work experience and job skills. - IT'S. GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY! © COMMUNITY TOURISM EMPLOYMENT TRAINING PROGRAM FOR REGISTERED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Receive All of an Employee's Wage You can receive 100% of an employee's wage, up to $7.00 per hour, plus a supervisor's wage, when you hire and train someone in a project leaving a tourism legacy in your community. ff you can provide materials and can offer in- come assistance recipients jobs that provide the wages. Use This Program to: work experience and develop skills, we'll pay * organize festivals and special events; « create or upgrade tourist and recreation areas; - ® construct or complete arts and sports facillties. Ask Us About Your Project! ‘IT’S GOOD FOR PEOPLE! The Employment Plus group of programs is part of a $25.7 million conti- nuing commitment from your provincial government to help income assistance recipients get back into the work force by assisting British Col- umbia employers to hire and train. Employment Plus gives people receiving income assistance the oppor- tunity to develop or update skills while training on the job. This work re ENVIRONMENT YOUTH CORPS A component of the Environment Youth Corps provides work experience and job skills to income assistance recipients between 17 and 24 years through park Improvement projects in both rural and urban areas throughout British Columbia. This is made possible through the of the Ministry of Environment, the Minlstry of + Tourism and Provincial Secretary, and the Ministry of Social Servicas and Housing. - experience can be their first step to permanent employment and an indep endent and secure future. Employment Plus is a major commitment under a federal/provincial agree- ment to provide employment opportunities for incame assistance recipients. Province of FOR PROGRAM DETAILS AND APPLICATION FORMS, CONTACT YOUR NEAREST DISTRICT OFFICE. British Columbia Ministry of Social Services and Housing Honourable Claude Richmond, Minister TOGETHER. A BETTER BRITISH COLUMBIA. - "Terrace Review — Wednesday, May.17, 1989 24 SR So ' é a bet Pare Tipe idle Sy Pees es ee cag Tp, 7.