Claim jumpers More than books Kermodes win big faked their border to get more | Gitksan natives say the Nisga’a_ The Terrace Public Library is a happening community Caledonia senior boys head south to the — land\NEWS AS centre\COMMUNITY B1 provincials\SPORTS BG WEDNESDAY. March 3, 1999 ~$4;00-PLUS-7¢-GST~ ($2.10 plus 5° GST outalde of the “Terrace area) © ‘VOL. 41 NO. 47 RCMP want a second police dog here Too much crime here for just one hound, police say By CHRISTIANA WIENS A SECOND police dog, subpoena staff, and computer equipment are among Ter- race RCMP Insp. Doug Wheler’s $118,000 wish list to city council. By far the largest chunk of that — $84,000 per year — would be used to give Terrace a dedicated police dog and handler. Cpl. Lothar Bretfeld and his dog, Cody, are already booked solid for northwest emergencies and police work, Whieler told city council. Terrace and area make up for almost 66 per cent of the 180 calls Bretfeld and Cody attended in 1998, And another 32 calls were actually ‘missed last year because the unit was out of town. Wheler says the number of unattended calls could easily be a lot higher because local members know when Bretfeld is unavailable and don’t bother to put in a Tequest. He said police dogs and handlers work on a number of different cases and are: especially helpful in break and enters and child abductions, Wheler assured council that there is enough crime in Terrace alone to keep a dog busy. Add another $13,000 to $15,000 for a part-time municipal staff member to serve court sumunons and subpoenas. Wheler said officers need to con- centrate investigations and community subpoenas, He recommended the cily pay a municipal staff member part-time to serve the documents. The cily plans to investigate liability and safety issues before examining the cost of hiring a part-time member. And while the cost of replacing most of the RCMP’s computers which are not year-2000 compliant rests with the feder- al government, Terrace city council will need to pay to upgrade the court liaison computer. Wheler asked that the computer be in- cluded in the city’s year-2000 upgrades at an approximate cost of $2,000. Another computer system that helps the RCMP book and photograph newly arrested suspects is broken and needs repair —- its only replacement is a second-hand machine worth $15,000, Several other: minor equipment re- placements like bullet proof glass and new cameras in the RCMP lockup would add about $4,000 to the RCMP’s request. Wheler plans to mect with City Ad- ministrator Ron Poole this week to dis- cuss priorities, RCM dress for tea! RCMP Insp, Doug Wheler donned his official uniform, danced up — seniors, four othar ROMP officers dressed In red serge to serve a storm and served tea and cookies to senior citizens like Anne them. Officers were also celebrating Dress Red Day to raise Hampton Feb, 26 at Terraceview Lodge. To the delight of money and awareness for heart disease and stroke. policing, their time is wasted serving Alcan says smelter expansion looks good ; By CAM McALPINE PRINCE GEORGE — Alcan officials say they now expect to go ahead with a proposed $1 bil- lion expansion to aluminum smelting operations in Kitimat. “We need to get a world class engineering finn to look at the estimates we put together, but if they agree, we think we have a viable op- eration,” says Eric Sykes, vice president of Al- can’s corporate affairs, Alcan and the provincial povemment reached an agreement in the summer of 1997 that ended legal action over the province’s cancellation of the Kemano Completion Project. As part of the agreement, Alcan committed to a feasibillty study into the possibility of expand- ing its Kitimat operations, In return, if the ex- pansion went ahead, the province would replace a portion of the power lost in the cancellation of the Kemano Completion Project. Two studies later, and Sykes says Alcan is prepared to go ahead with its expansion, albeit a scaled back expansion from the original estimate of 225,000 tonnes per year in produc-. tion capacity. The latest study situates a new smelter next to the original smelter, It would produce approxi- mately 160,000 tonnes of aluminum per year and create approximately 300 to 400 direct, long-term sustainable jobs, says Sykes, The price tag for its three- year construction phase would be between $900 million and $1 ‘billion, Sykes says that despite poor economic conditions, both here and in Asia where the company ships 70 per cent of its aluminum, Al- can is in B,C. for the long term. ‘We've been interested in expanding our business on the west coast, in spite of the Asian crisis, and we have a very’ positive economic outlook over the next five years,’’ Alcan has now forwarded its report to SNC Lavelin, a world expert in the construction of aluminum smelters te re-crunch its numbers. If SNC Lavelin agrees the project is econom- ically viable, construction should begin when aluminum prices show a recovery patiern from a current low price of $1,200 per tonne. ‘ ‘All bypassed by mid-year,’’ says Sykes. Sykes said the three year construction project Should boost the construction. industry across the north. Alcan’s current Kilimat smeller produces about 270,000 tonnes of aluminum per year. Its main buyers historically have been Japan (50 per cent), Korea (20 per cent), United States (20 per cent) and Canada (10 per cent). Paper owner didn’t muzzle treaty opinions, council says council said. the economic hurdics should be DFO seeks public input THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT came to Terrace Feb. 24 to ask locals for their feedback on how to rebuild north- west salmon slocks. And locals — in the form of unemployed fishers, First - Nations fishers, city politians, guiders, employment coor- dinators and recreational users —came in droves... ..- They told three Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) staff that they had trouble trusting a government who had mismanaged the fishery for such a long time: ‘You missed the boat on the cast coast:and. almost missed the boat here,’’ said Nisga’a representative. Charles McKay, Local Jim Culp said locals -were tired of bickering amongst themselves for fish and wanted somebody who could envision northwest watersheds asa systems. 7. “Let's not be fighting with each other,’’ he said. ‘ This is a real opportunity and a commitment not shown be- fore.” City councillor Rich McDaniel said he wanted the DFO's $35 million dedication to resource rebuilding. =-- 50. to 80 contracted habitat auxiliaries or stewardship coor dinators — to be in place by April 1. But he doubted it could happen that fast. We hope you’ve heard what we're saying and act upon it,” said city councilfor Rich McDaniel. McDaniel said like it seemed like a lot of work to do be- fore the Apr. 1 deadline when up to 14 of the auxiliaries could start work in the northcoast. DFO representatives Martin Forbes, Tom Pendray and Gregg Mallette listened and took notes. The trio toured Prince Rupert, Terrace, Massett and other northwest communities last week asking what habitat aux- iliaries and stewardship coordinators should do, Options ranged from fish inventory to liasoning with the community, to launching public awarcness campaigns and getting involved in active decision making. The goal, said Forbes, is to create and follow watershed management plans, increase community awareness and. participation and. ultimately improve and protect the: resource. Money for the program is part of the $400 million Pacif- ic Fisheries Adjustment and Restructuring plan announced’ in June, 1998. . Food bank need hits new record THE DEMAND for food from the Terrace Churches Food Bank is greater than ever with February’s distrib- ution numbers setting record highs. This month 689 bags of food were given out to people in need, which is the most food the food bank has ever distributed, said Kathy Miller, coordinator. “We're getting a lot of new applicants coming [or- ward,’’ Miller said. ‘‘People are just strapped and are finding it hard to make it in between pay checks.” The demand for food has been steadily growing since Kathy Miller money in November and December have carried the By JEFF NAGEL THE B.C. PRESS COUNCIL has ruled newspaper owner David Black did nothing wrong in ordering his 50-plus com- munity newspapers, which in- clude The Terrace Standard, to oppose the Nisga’a treaty. The provincial government argued free speech was muzzled and asked the quasi-judicial councll to condemn Black’s directive : last fall that his editors not run editorlats In favour of the treaty. _ The press council found that the edict did not breach its code of practice that says papers ought to “defend their hard-won right to ex- a Full text of the Press Council decision, Pg. AS ercise the widest possible latitude in expressing opinions,’’.. . In fact, the council ruled that trealy was controversial. and ‘uit- popular with ihe provincial govern- ment, it was fully consistent with the democratic iraditions of the press as a watchdog on government and served to lend opinion and widen the debate. While Black exercised bis right as owner to set the institutional opinion of his papers in their ~ editorials, others with contrary _ views were not denied space. _ Dissenting columnists :and letter writers. were } f. . shice - Black's opposition - to the "free to express pro-treaty views, the: ‘editors, - exisiing “David Black newspapers did in fact carry a diversity of opinion on the Nisga’a Treaty,’? the press council concluded. Although it’s. customary for owners to delegate the paper's editorial direction to cditors, ‘the ultimate cbligation and right to direct editorial Policy rests with the owner,” “Premier Glen: ‘Chink ‘said he was | ; dissappointed with’ the: decision, _ Continued Page A2 October, when 427 bags - were distributed, In Novem-, ber, 646 bags were given out and 671. bags were handed out in January, Miller said many. of the. “new applicants for food ‘are people who have moved to Terrace from Prince Rupert, ‘We can. see: -from our numbers these people 1 need - wed,” Miller said. “It'll be help,’® she said; Miller ‘said the generous - donations of «food - and. food bank through until now, She's hoping the - dona- lions coming .in will carry the food bank through until ‘April, . She expects the food bank to remain open until March ‘or April, depending on how far she can stretch supplies. “We .can’t..tun in the tough < especially: -if the demand keeps growing.”