Big air

Riders rocket down
rugged course on Shames
for McBike’s Wild

Cruising

Passengers from five
cruise ships are expected
to come here by rail next
year\NEWS A9

Helping horses

A caravan of hope will
rescue foals from
drought-stricken

Descent HINSPORTS B7

Alberta\COMMUNITY B1

$1.00 pus 7¢ GST
($1.10 plus 8¢ GST.
outside of the Terrace area)

IWA, SCI having phone troubles

CROSSED LINES of communication
may be to blame for the lack of talks
between unionized sawmill workers
here and Skeena Cellulose officials.

IWA officials say they have repeat-
edly sought a meeting with SCI’s ow-
ners or their negotiators, to no avail,

But company negotiator Doug
Quinn last week said he’s had no con-
tact from the union since Aug. 8, the
day of a Terrace city council commit-
tee meeting in which SCI CEQ Dan
Veniez listed a series of concessions
he’d be willing to make from his
“Fresh Start” agreement.

“[[WA business agent] Surinder
Mathotra phoned me as ] was on my
way to Calgary, saying they’d be pre-
pared to get together,” said Quinn.

“[ told Surinder it would have to be

on the basis of the agreement and he
said he’d call me back and I never gat
a call back.”

John Demedeiros, the union’s newly
elected SCI sawmill plant committee
chairman, said the entire committee
watched Malhotra leave a message
seeking a meeting on Quinn’s voice
mail.

“We phoned him on Aug. 14 and
the whole committee was present,”
Demedeiros said. “We told him we
wanted to meet with him.”

Nat only does Quinn say he never
got that message, he says two mes-
sages left for Malhotra - one at his
house and one to the [WA office here
—on Aug. 16 have never been returned.
Malhotra was on vacation last week
and unavailable.

Unian leaders interpreted the si-
lence from SCI as a sign the company
was trying to reach a deal with pulp
workers in Prince Rupert first as the
future of that operation will determine
the future of the company.

But Quinn said last week there may
be some merit in reaching a deal with
the IWA here first.

Demedeiros said he’s frustrated that
no real talks have taken place be-
tween the IVA and the company yet.
There’s been virtually no activity
since IWA members rejected the
“Fresh Start” proposal May 23.

Demedeiros said Veniez may have
counted on some sympathetic IWA
executive members to deliver the

‘union’s support. He says that may have

Stalled what could have been substan-

tive negotiations to reach a
deal. “There’s been a lot of
time wasted,” he said.

“We want to get talking
with these guys,” he said.
“We want to get something
done. We want to talk to
them any time.”

He says Veniez must re-
cognize that talks are ne-
cessary and that a my-way-
or-else approach with no

20 per cent wage cut
coupled with profit sharing
and other changes to the
f collective agreement.

“We can maybe live with a
{ wage cut but that’s some-
thing we'll have to work out
with Mr. Veniez,” Deme-
deiros said.
“Depending on what he
ij gives us, maybe we could
give him that 20 per cent.”

room for negotiation is un- John “We're willing to give him
productive. Demedeiros = some of the things he wants.
Veniez has said the We have to get some of the

union must agtee to the new labour
contract by about Sept. 1 if there’s to
be any chance to reopen the mill on a
Nov. 1 timetable.

His Fresh Start proposal calls for a

g Red hot

SPARKS FLY when farrier Dan Muller swings in to action. The accomplished craftsman and certified
journeyman will be giving a demosntration in horseshoe making at the fall fair on August 31.

SCHOOL DISTRICT officials won't know

. how many teaching positions wil-he nee-

ded for the new schdol year until. the:
doors open Tuesday and students return: to
“classes.

Class lists for Terrace schools are ex-
_ pected to be posted Monday ~ Labour
“Day — which is tater than previous years,
director of instruction Rob Greenwood
_ Said.

Parents are welcome to drop by their

.child’s school this week to meet with
staff and principals, he added.

So far, the equivalent of 30 full time
teaching positions have vanished over the |
summer.

The district is closing five elementary
schools and has delayed opening a brand
new school in Terrace in order to balance
its budget.

As teachers displaced by school clo-
sures have accepted new teaching posi-
tions in the district, it’s lead to staffing
changes al the remaining schools.

“There’s been a fair amount of shuf-
fling, yes,” Greenwood said.

The district is working on the assump-
tion 250 students ~ equivalent to the po-
pulation of an elementary school — have
left the district over the summer.

Officials are waiting to see if the ru-
mours of scores of families leaving the
district because of the economic situation
are true.

Greenwood said it’s nearly impossible
to determine an accurate enrolment fore-
cast over the summer when classes are
out and schools are empty.

Between four an five teaching posi-
tions in Terrace are being held until the
final enrolment tally for the upcoming
school year is taken on Sept. 30.

Those classes will be taught by substi-
tute teachers who could be hired on for
the remainder of the year if enrolment is
high enough, Greenwood said.

“We'll have to wait to late September
to make sure we've got the enrolment.”

It’s been a summer of uncertainty for
many teachers in Terrace.

“Overall it’s a very chaotic climate
right now,” said Terrace and District Tea-
chers’ Union president Richard Eckert. “A

“schools.” >» _

things we want.”

He said he’s also dissappointed
many locals are pressing [WA mem-
bers to take the deal without under-
standing the details of the proposal.

Unknown factors
make for chaotic
new school year

lot of mem-
bers have
liad to shift -

Others
are. waiting |
to hear if
they'll have
a job.

“They
have. until
the end of
September
to actually
fix classes,”
he said. “If
they have
more kids
than they
think, they
will rehire |
people.”

Under
Bills 27 and |
28, intro- §
duced in the
legislature
earlier this
year ta end
a teachers” Peg
job. action, Biam
schoal |
boards will
establish
class sizes,
tather than §
have class J
sizes estab-
lished in
collective
agreements.

That could lead to larger classes in
Terrace schools, Eckert warned.

New class size limits fix the number of
kindergarten students at 22 per classroam..
Classes in Grades 1-3 can be no larger
than 24 students. But there’s no fixed
class size for Grades 4-12. The district
must meet a district-wide average of 30.

Eckert said that means class sizes in

Richard Eckert

Stewarl or Kitwanga schools may be

smaller while schools in Terrace exceed
the district average.

Multiplex may trump sewer, director fears

By JENNIFER LANG
LES WATMOUGH fears Terrace’s
multiplex proposal is overshadowing
Thornkill’s plan to extend its sewer
system into its commercial core when
it comes to getting senior government
money.

The electoral area E director
waiched with dismay earlier this suim-
mer as the City of Terrace learned its
1999 multiplex proposal wil! receive
$2 million from the federal and. provin-
cial governments. -

Meanwhile, the Kitimat-Stikine re-

gional district is still waiting to hear if

its planned sewer project will qualify
for the Canada-B.C. infrastructure pro-
gram.

Watmough is appalled that a re-
creation complex was approved ahead
of the sewer extension.

“Iwas very, very disappointed with
the multiplex going ahead. over our

sewer,” the electoral atea B director

said. “I’ve told {Terrace mayor] Jack
Talstra this, ‘We're all going to come
over there and.use the: -crappers in the
multiplex.” ar

“The application. for the $1.6 million

: commercial core sewer extension sent

in back in March 2001.

He said it’s the third time the regio-
nal district has applied for infrastruc:
ture money for the project.

Meanwhile, Thornhill’s sewer ex-
tension and other Jocal applications to
the grant program. are piling up.

Last year, the regional district was
‘asked to rank its three infrastructure
grant applications in order of priority.

The sewer system extension is
ranked first; ahead’ of ‘applications

made on behalf of the Totem Saddle
: Shab ‘and the Nordic Valley SkiClub.
The regional district has sincd been;

told its sewer project will be reasses-
sed to determine if it qualifies on the
basis of health or environmental con-
cerns,

Watmough wonders if the sewer
project — seen as key to developing
Thorahill’s commercial! sector ~ is los-

ing out to Terrace’ § multiplex propo-

sal. |

tant.”

Passed in Terrace. :

: ‘The-referendum. question asked vo"

‘So, multiplexes are more impor-

Although” a 1999 referendum on a:
taxpayer-supported multiplex failed, it,

ters if they were in favour of the city,
with the participation of the regional
district, of borrowing up to $7.6 mil-
lion,

Three years have passed since, but
mayor Jack Talstra recently said the
city still has a mandate from Tertace
voters to pursue the multiplex bid.

“I’m not sure [ agree with-him on
it,”. Watmough said,

” He 3 also riot certain if Terrace will
‘seman: true to its word and. come up
with the remaining costs of the multi-

~plex of-its-own, or ask. ‘Thorahill to
contribute at a later date,