New physio clinic opening soon\NEWS A10 Injured workers can be treated — locally in a new rehab clinic Flying high Going for big air Overcoming crippling G forces was part of training for Terrace jet Shames Mt. hosts boardercross and freestyle jump snowboard | competition\SPORTS B12 WEDNESDAY December 30, 1997 THE UNCERTAINTY surrounding Skeena Cel- lulose continues with a second vote of creditors scheduled for Jan. 6. It comes after lawyers huddled with Supreme Court Justice Allan Thackray carly last week to dis- cuss complaints surrounding the first vote beld on Dec, 17. Although creditors, chiefly unsecured northwest logging contractors and supplicrs, had enough votes to scuttle the company’s plan to give them $10,000 and 10 per cent of the balance of unpaid debt, it passed when the province and the Toronto- Dominion bank declared some of their debt to be unsecured. That amount was sufficient to overpower the un- secureds. , Tt was this lactic which caused Thackray to as- semble the parties involved and work out the plan for the Jan. 6 vole. Unlike the first vote which was conducted entire- ly in Vancouver, creditors this time will be able to year, cast ballots at polling stations in Terrace, Prince Rupert, Hazelton and Smithers as well as Van couve}r. But this time the province and the TD won't be allowed to vate. They will, however, have the right to relurn to court to argue their case should next wecek’s vote be defeated. Thackray has also scheduled a fairness hearing Jan. 9 to go over the provincial government and TD maneuvre to push through the Dec. 17 vole. Justin Rigsby, a spokesman for a group of un- secured Terrace and Hazelton creditors owed $20 million, said all they want to do is negotiate a fair deal with the company. ‘We have the willingness, but the government doesn’t. It won't give anything more and wauts to get the company moving again,’’ he said. For most unsecured creditors, the issue remains onc of fairness, Rigsby continued. That dates back to the summer and fall when the province worked out a pay cul for sharcs plan with pilot\COMMUNITY B1 Skeena Cellulose’s Prince Rupert mil] workers. This lowered production costs, a key part of the plan to revive the company. But while the government went back aad forth with the Rupert workers, it didn’t with unsecured logging contractors. a _ “We tried but they were simply not interested,” said Rigsby. “The company and the monilor view that any- thing better than a bankruptcy is a win, but we have people who view that anything less than 100 per cent (of debt repayment) is a loss,”’ he added. The company did sweeten an original offer of $10,000 and five per cent of any balance by adding another five per cent, And it has committed itself to as much as another 10 per cent provided pulp prices bit certain targets over the next sevell years. Should next week’s vote pass, Rigsby said he has some ideas on how creditars who will be stung can pulp 93¢ PLUS 7¢ GST __ VOL, 10 NO, 38 creditors get another vote receive some assistance. The same kind of suggestion was made last week by Skeena NDP MLA Helmut Giesbrecht who said logging contractors might bring, pressure to bear on the company. ‘They have a case they should be paid by indus- try slandards — a couple of times a month or once a month, I think they are in a position to demand this,’” he said. There are indications that creditors, weary and tired of the battle, will vote ‘yes’ Jan, 6 and then deal with the consequences. Any hope of getting more money out of the com- pany died when Thackray ordered that the Jan, 6 vote be according to the $10,000 and 10 per cent plan, In a press release, employment and investment minister Dan Miller said the company has no more mouey, ‘TAs ] said previously, this is an offer based on the ability of the company to pay,’”” he said. =z Winter wonderland THE SPIRIT of the holidays is alive at 2510 Craig, near the bridge leading to Braun's island, The Bruneaus went all out this constructing a glowing snow fort and leaving a ladder for Santa. There's plenty other great Christmas lights display to look at this year. Try also 2630 Braun, right around the corner. On the banch check out 5306 McConnell, Hatton Place, Hundal Drive and 4910 Gair. If you don't mind a drive, then the L. Campbell home in the Chimdemash Loop. take a cruise by City hall and fire department consider move to Greig Ave. CITY HALL and the fire hall are outgrowing their quarters and will need to expand or even relocate in the years ahead, Cily officials haven’t begun actively planning for that but they have asked the Tourism and Economic Advisory Commission (TEAC) for idcas of whatto do, ~ : City hall might be able lo continue in its pres- ent location with a renovation or further recon- figuration. oo , But the fire hall will. very least expansion. ns ‘Thal’s because the city has approved in princi- ple fire chief Ratidy Smith’s request to purchase a $500,000 new aerlal ladder fire truck in. 2000. Ivll replace a 1975 pumper truck and the new track will simply be toa long to fit in the exist- ing fire hall. . ; oe, Councillor David Hull says the fire depart- - ment is already leasing space elsewhere, storing some tricks and equlpment: at “ils: secondary Greig Ave. halle ee “Tt isn’t terribly convenient, handy of cost.” effective to have fire equipnicnt sprcad out all- definitely: need at the over the country side,”’ he added, Council chambers are too small for more than about 30 protesters to pack into the room if a controversial issue is being debated. And the mayor’s office is a small cubby-bole. Part of the idea behind handing the subject aver to TEAC is to consider the pluses and minuses of relocating city hall or the fire hall altogether. One possibility is combining one or both buildings into a downtown castside revitaliza- tion project on Greig Ave. “If you put a new city hall at that end you might have a very positive effect in that part of town,’” Hull added, “It’s a big ‘if? game.” City planner David Trawin says that arca needs something to anchor it aud spur further development. _ We've got to do something,’’ he said. “That end of town has so much potential and it’s so underutilized right now."* “Councillor Rich McDaniel. says another pos: - sibility would be to combine new city hall: of- fices into a proposed multiplex — a building combining a second sheet of ice with a com- munity centre and a mini-convention cenge. He said that type of combined facility ap- proach is used in many other commmunilies he's visited. ; - Helping. offset any such move would be the city’s probable sell-off of its existing buildings. at Eby St; which occupy prime real estate right now, Te : Hull says ati expansion or relocation of the fire hall is more urgent than the situation at city hall. ie : : “An addition or reconfiguration of city. hall might serve the city for the nexl 25 years,’” he said. ‘‘It will probably be a fair while before the City of Terrace is looking for fancier digs for office space” McDaniel thinks the building is antiquated and won't las thatlonge 20° “he said, Coa ERB eo ‘10s something we're piobably looking at for the year 2000 rather than ’98 or '99,”. he said, but added planning would have to begin soon, “7 don’t think they cai renovate iLany mor¢,”" Shelter hours get extended THE TERRACE Emergency Shelter is now open extended hours, thanks to a grant from the mental branch of North- west Communily Health Services. The shelter will now be Beg open an extra three hours, The new winter hours are 4 p.m. to 11 am, — formerly they were 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. *“TVl make a big dif- ference,’’ said house man- ager Janet Costain. The shelter is located on Hall St. aud offers seven beds to men and couples needing cinergency housitg, The money for the cx- S tended hours is available till ~ April. It goes directly into Janet Costain staff salaries. As of April Costain said community health services will review the contract. The extended hours means Costain and ber staff will be able to more easily meet with workers at other community help organizations. Costain also plans to pursue other sources of money for the shelter, so she can offer more life skills programs for shelter clients. Right now the government only provides moncy for shelter, not additional programs. But shelter staff offer counselling services anyhow. It’s necessary because some clients lack the skills to effectively search for housing. “J(’s not just a bed that these guys necd,’’ says Costain. She’s hoping the United Way might be persuaded to help, since she’s recently learned that the charity is giving money to shellers across Canada. The emergency shelter was also the recipient of a few donations this Christmas. Staff at Mills Memorial Hospi- lal’s psychiatric unit donated money to the sheiter to help staff purchase Christmas gifts for whocver might need the shelter on the holidays. And inmates at the Terrace Regional Corrections Centre also donated a cheque. Board wanted THE SOCIETY which wants to take over the airport now needs to recruit a board of directors. Seven people are needed for the Terrace-Kitimat Air- port Society board which faces the task of negotiating a takeover of the facility from the federal government, One person each will be named by the society's sponsors — the City of Terrace, the Kitimat-Stikine regional district, the Terrace and Arca Chamber of Commerce and the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce. And three more will be named as at-large appoint- ments, says Terrace economic development officer Ken Veldman. ‘These are for one and two year appaint- ments. The sponsor ones will be for two years and the at-large for one year,”’ he said. The society wants names of interested partics for both sponsor and at-large positions to be submitted by mid-January, “We're looking for people with skills in all areas —— marketing, finance, communications, a cross section,”’ sald Veldinan. He nated the board will be extremely busy the first while as it negotlates the takeover waters with the fed- eral government, The Terrace-Kitimat airport is one of dozens being off-loaded by the federal government. Key issues concern the amount of money the federal government will supply as a subsidy, the level of emer- gency and flight services that'll be in place and the ability of the socictics to gencrale their own income. For this airport, a crucial negotiating point will be the amount of land surrounding the airport the society will control and how it can use the land to bring in addl- ional revenue. §