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| NEWS BRIEFS
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Voyageurs Touch Down

THE FIRST group of Voyageur Canada travellers from Quebec ar-
tived in the area last night.

Eighteen young people and two group sponsors landed at the air-
port here before boarding a bus for nine days in the Hazeltons.

; They're from the tiding of Berthier-Montcalm and their trip here
is part of Canada’s 125th birthday celebrations.

The Voyageur Canada’ program twins federal ridings by arranging
exchange visits of 125 young people from each riding. Those in the
Berthicr group are 19 to 21 years old and their group sponsors are
over 25 years of age.

The first Skeena riding group going to Berthier leaves the north-
west later this month. Jt’s composed of secondary students from the
Hazeltons,

While in the Hazeltons, the Berthier group will spend a day at the
Kispiox Rodeo, be entertained by the 'Ksan Dancers, take part in a
feast at Moricetown, visit Smithers and tour totem pole sites.

The Berthier-Montcalm riding is located near Trois-Rivieres, ap-
proximately halfway between Montreal and Quebec City.

More young people from that riding will be arriving in the narth-
west as summer continues, All travel will be finished by the fall.

Still A Long Distance |

KITIMAT RESIDENTS have voted down a proposal to call Ter-
Tace at no long distance charge in return for paying extra on their
monthly bill. Lo

Just under one-third of the 2,564 ballots returned to B.C. Tel wete
marked in favour of the move, said company representative Kathy
Meares, . . -

The proposal needed. a. simple majority to pass, B.C, Tel asked
Kitimat residents to vote because 60 per cent of their long distance
calls arc to Terrace. That’s the minimum amount requixed before.
such a vote can beheld. :

Greenville residents have been asked‘ if they want to call New
Aiyansh residents under the same arrangement. .

May 29 was the end of the mail-in voting period and results
should be ready by mid-June, said Meares. _

RCMP Raise A Ruckus

Police officers will be patrolling noisy parties and will lay charges
under the city’s noise control by-law.

The move follows complaints about the number of such gather-

ings.
Part Two of the by-law defines noise as “any loud outcry,
amplified voice or music, noise created by an animal, clamour,
shouting, or that created by construction activity or motors or
equipment which disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace,rest,
enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood in which
the sound is received or of persons in the vicinity of the area in
‘which the sound is received." ;

If found guilty, the penalty for such an offence is a fine ofnot less
than $100 and not more’ than $2,000 for the first offence and not
‘ess than $300 and not more than $2,000 for second and subsequent:
offices.

This is the latest policing initiative on the part of the RCMP. Just
last week, the detachment put out a press release saying it will crack
down on errant cyclists.

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them with

BY CRIS LEYKAUF

TERRACE — Sixteen unem-
ployed women, most of whom
were not able to finish high
school, have been given another
chance by the system that didn’t
meet their needs the first time
around,

The women are enrolled in a
35- week office skills employ-
ment training program, run by the
Terrace Anti Poverty Group
Society.

“We're trying to retrain people
-- get them into saleable occupa-
tions," says Ross Walker, project
manager.

The society interviewed 58 ap-
plicants, and selected the final 16

on the condition they were cither -

on ULC. or welfare, and
preferably had some past office
experience. It is only a coin-
cidence that all of them are
women, explains Walker.

"Several of these girls had to
quit school to work, and then
when they lost their jabs, or got
laid off, they didn’t have an edu-
cation, so they ended up on wel-
fare,” Walkersays.. 2.

"There are so few who are on
welfare who don’t want to work,
but they don’t know how to get
off the railroad train," he says.

Jill Veefkind, one of the stu-
dents in the program, would have
tun out of U.L.C. and been forced
to tum to welfare had she net
been accepted to the program.

A former automotive parts sales
representative, she was unable to

- find work in Terrace.

"I wanted to go back to school
and upgrade ... but college is a

Jittle intimidating," says Veef-

kind. “This (program) has been
excellent. The computer experi-
ence is parnone.” . ‘
"Before we started this pragram
we did a quick analysis of the
town.” says Walker. "Employers
complained their secretaries had
poor English skills and office
procedure skills, and didn’t know
how to deal with the public."
Students in the program: are
taught math, English, office pro-
cedures, and. to use. computers
and. office machines, including. a

Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 3, 1992 — Page Aa
aad vitae ge rT ee OP .

foun et
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Training program provides

eRe ee

IN TRAINING: Jill Veefkind (

iit

ont) and Ka

a chance

“A

ri Date are enrolled in an employment training program

%

run by the Terrace Anti Poverty Society. The program teaches office skills and upon completion
students meet college entrance requirements. :

few popular software packages.
They are also taught life ‘skills,
Study skills and job search techni-
ques and go on two work terms. |
"It’s an awful lot to get through
for the girls," says Walker.
"They’ve committed them-
selves to this program for 35
weeks, and they still have to deal
with small. babies, husbands,

homes and three to four hours of —

studying a night," adds Jacquie
Dale, secretary of the anti poverty
society. "It shows you can do it."
"Ross and Jacquie are very sup-
porlive and gung-ho," explains
Veefkind. "They make you want
to work for them." - :

The time the students invest in

learning helps to give them self
confidence and self-esteem, par-

‘ticularly when they start to earn

their own pay cheques says Jac-
quie Dale. :

The employment training pro-
gram began in November last
year, and in January the students

completed their first work term at .

local businesses. .

"We've had excellent reports
from the employers about them,"
-Walker says. _

Four of the students have al-
ready been placed in jobs, and the
remainder will complete their

_ second work terms this summer,

’ The Canada Employment and

Immigration Centre (CEIC) has.

sponsored the employment train-

ing program, subsidizing day care -

for students who required it, and
purchasing computers and office
equipment...

Walker convinced the CEIC to
make the investment in the cam-
puters and equipment since: the
anti poverty society hopes to run
the program again.

The. teachers are brought in
from. the Northwest Community
College, and a local software

firm. Walker, a former university.
professor, also teaches the life ©

skills section of the course.
Teaching the course is reward-
ing for Walker.
"Je sure is nice after you've
been with the students for three

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days. The light bulbs: come on,

and they really want to team.
They can’t get enough," he says.
Kari Dale, who worked at‘ the
Lucky Dollar Bingo Palace short-
ly before starting the employment
training program,
Walker. ot,
"Its a good feeling when you

can upgrade yourself,” says Kari - .

Dale. : ;
Completing the coutse enables
the students to meet ‘college
entrance requirements, even if
they do not have their high school
diplomas, and two of the women
have decided to -atterid ‘college
fulltime. = |.
Walker hopes to find employers
for the remairiing 11 students for
their upcoming five weck work
terminJune, us
"We pay the students’ salaries,"
he ‘explains, "This gives
employers a good-opportunity to
look over a prospective employ-
ec, .., However, an employer has

to indicate there is a. potential ~
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-—CHIMO HOME—

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