partner ir in. their ‘plans foi a. a | container: ort. in’ ‘the e city \NEWS At. Find ot to ‘the title of Terrace: Mountain. ; 7 \SPORTS Ba. ‘$4.0 00 F PLUS. 7¢ GST” ($1,410 plus ae. GST: outside of the ® Terrace area) a Shell starts gas search up north ednesday, August 4, 2004 a a ONE OF the world” $ largest « ‘eneigy: companies: is heading north of Terrace to look for natural gas. - Shell: has’an eight- year exclusive a many. ‘as four. exploratory: “wells: ‘could . be drilled later this year in’: vaddition tol deal, “signed: this’ past week, “with: the ” + province to: ‘explore for. coal bed meth?" ‘ane under 412 ‘000ha’ of land: commoi ly known asthe. Klappan area. _ It's within’. the ‘Bowser: Basin. thé term given by geologists ‘and_others for. -the area north of Terrace ‘to the Yukon: border that: could: contain significant a "amounts of: natiiral ‘gas.and oil. . “And the potential, total find ot natu- ral gas and.oil rivals: that said to be: ‘under the seabed. off ofthe coast of. B.C. which. has: become: a flashpoint of. controversy. for its possible | environ- . mental: implications.’- ‘Natural pas, when found with, coal ‘. early: things ‘Shell “might ‘find ‘that would then’ -:. a coal: bed. methane projects. underway. “.“But.we have-been. looking at what --1 ‘has. been © ‘going on. in ‘Canada and” ~south: of the border-and at how. best: ‘tO ™ . "go about this and:our people are ready.” Shell’ § eight-year, exclusive deal. a) : The provingjal government has" “itso Y - and. ‘the Klappan area in 1 particular “contains significant amounts of. very. ‘hard-anthracite coal. “geological wol a ‘Bit he” cautioned. that-it is “toe ‘speculate! on whats. if: any: ‘determine: tk scope. and . extent, of fur resource,””. Mann ‘said, ed. methane’ itself i in. Canada? wand ‘is‘a: potentially. large “With. a. ‘gradual, decline: being OXs _perienced’ in’ conventional, natural gas “drilling. more and more.energy com-~ . paniés are looking’ tc to coal bed Bas, he - ~~ added.~ : ws “And the Price itcrenses. For’ natural gas and the: increase. in demand make this an attractive possibility,” Mann . ; . said, - : Shell- official Jeff ‘Main said ag drilling ‘projects, underway. in. B.C, “but ‘no producing ‘commercial. wells’ as of ~ yet.’ Coal bed. ‘methane extraction does. - make Up. AO per cent,of the natural gas -- business in tlie United. States. : Sheil: Canada. has no ‘current other’ ““to-recognize: that, northeastern. invento*. There are several coal bed ‘methane. to undertake-a project,” said Mann. - Shell's -lease ‘in: the: Klappan area a marks’ the first sign of an energy com: — pany. doing: work on the ground in the’. area’ since two wells: were drilled in the Bowser i in 1969- and 1973, The: previous: ‘NDP government -be- “gan- promoting . the. Bowser: — and “neighbouring ‘Nechako. basin — in 2000, _ a-process that was. accelerated: when. the ‘Liberals ‘were elected in-2001.- -It-began ‘soliciting . interest. .in ‘the: S Bowser and other. potential oil and ' pas. repositories - as a: Way! to ‘both encour". ‘age exploration away. from: the. tradi-: tional northeastern energy hotspat and °°... a that’s. the real -driver,” he: ‘said of. the ty » Boal bed: methane, possibility. Soe _ a. resource ‘perspective, plans.” (Cont'd Page AQ : “Clearly. the. biggest, group ‘is: “the. Dos ‘Tahltan. and “Wwe- have “an: “MOU oe “memorandum: of understanding} ‘with. sO ~ tBe- Tahltan: on how. Shell’ should act. seams, -is: known as coal: bed methane That’ s partially in recognition of the Ru ert to lose most. on tax deal | _By JEFF NAGEL . weal towns, | -» $23 million it's owed. | unpaid. taxes: . million it is owed: on to Victoria for’ School. laxes, is: also: to be erased,” - $20 million is written off. FU N. FR | DAY RIVERBOAT DAYS got off to: a sunny. start Friday - ae ; perfect for blowing: bubbles at’ Terraceview Lodge, -:;,, g nearly $14 million. | KICKS OFF where Curtis ‘Rutledge (top) took in the Afternoon’. CITY’S BIG. For Kids. Also there was Kendra Shannon, : bottom left, who: tried her hand at. panning for penniés, pearance, is also ‘expected to, show’ Prince, Rupert has me! Renee ‘Costain, below, was: one of thé’ those ar: -- agreed to, further concessions WEEKEND. « crested at-the Jail ‘n Ball. She was charged with tak- rs ing a transter to Smithers. JEFF, NAGEL PHOTOS — five’ years, New. Skeena’ 'S unpaid” taxes on. the’ expecta ment... wf . recovering’ more. money.- _ the total amount that: woiild: be forgiven, : ‘and then: decid-. ed among ‘themselves how much: each. would: contribute. . : wanted, " he said. . i if the operations were: liquidated. -. News Skeena rises -out of. creditor protection, THERE ARE no plans to , approach. Terrace: ‘provinée pitching t the idea to Various towns, city council for permission to install slot-ma-. -.; Walker: said ‘the decision to skip Terrace chines at the Lucky Dollar: Bingo" Palace, B. C. w WAS: ‘based on an ‘assessment ‘the community. Is _ slots to ‘bingo halls. is to: ‘revitalize, the. bingo Lottery Corporation officials:say. -": ot receptive to:the idea.” _ ~ industry, and projects bingo hail Teveriues: t Spokesman. Greg Walker said Terrace i is. to “Currently. there are ‘four: ‘communities: in? more than triple by 2006.60 22 one of the cities where the corporation: is pur-..., the: province: ‘thal. have. held public meetings’... And that’s part of a provincial edvernmeni ey suing the ‘idea. of. transforming existing bingo™. ary. zoning: “approvals,” plan 10, vastly: expand the amount, Of: mnoney, - plan. ; halls into new- “look “Community: Gaming. ‘said,: they.‘are. | ».. gambling, it collects.’ a Centres,” > i Williams Lake}, Kelowna. and Campbell River. “2 Critics of. expanded, aimbling have . worried : The. new Centres. would be approved to add. Several other: towns = none of which’ are in.” ‘about: the effects, increased access..would have _ slot machines. and. terminals with i : rth ier -on'those with’ gambling addiction problems. video-poker. ©. °°" ne “- Slots have just been: approved for the, They will: share! 10: per- cént’ of net: pro ings: horse: ‘racing’ track In Vancouver. with partner. municipalities. “grounds. that the- former will help. keep. the ; The otter corporation fs has er in 1 operation, : tax forgl chines within city limits, The corporation’ says: the. “goal Of adding: other Yequirerients. arin “paid, thé: unsectireds ‘and so on, s0:do- we.” vate @ tax deal such as the-one: struck fo ‘thes and New Skeena took place. ‘errace: ‘city’ Sourtell ‘has: harrowly but: cone sistently: rejected: proposals: to-develop.ac no here: and has a bylaw t that al prohibits slot m “Prince Rupert’ city ‘council has ‘agreed to. “accept 2 ar ound $5.3 million or close to. 25. “per cent: of the. nearly eo . In contrast; Terrace, ‘Port Edward. ad, New Hazelton ree "the towns that to the-end took ‘a harder line on repay-.: ° ‘ment = will: each: recover, ‘close to, 1.85 ‘per cent. cof their me The agreement hasnt been released; ‘but further de- 7 oa tails began’ to seep-out after. this newspaper. ‘last week're- ~~. . ported. Terrace .will fecover $2. 5 million out: of, the’ $3. _ ~The -written- off, portion: “inéludes’ approximately $6. Sa million in. school: taxes that the: ‘provincial - government - : has. pledged. to‘erase. After: the school: ‘taxes-are deduct- _ed, it’ means Prince. Rupert will Bive up hope. of recover. The agreement, ‘which. could be. uinveited as early: as Aug. 9 when New. ‘Skeena: makes - its next court ap. . = including: delayed inter- ..- .. eSt-free repayment. of some of its: back taxes arid forgive... = ness of. some of.} New Skeeng's'f future lakes. over the next. sO . The financial. stisis’ in: ‘Prince Rupert was s already ‘dire oo 7 because — unlike Terrace: =it’ ‘borrowed: against, some. of ‘of. pay- 7 “Prince. Ruipeit is. ‘taking tie biggest hit" » said Poit. a . o Edward mayor Ed- ‘Waimpler, ‘adding. Terrace, Port Ed- 2” ward and New. Hazelton stuck fogether and insisted on Terrace ‘mayor. Jack ‘Talstra said. all. four towns bir. ts - = gained with New Skeena together : as a, group to establish ous “Weal had a preity: good understanding of what wee 7 . - Wampler. said the. towns. should: get ‘paid: the agreed a : amounts of money’ when’ the Yestructuting: conclisdes and we wo He: estimated that could happen: around mi “Septem: io » bers: although. Talstra, cautioned: there: are: still Le serles of = alstra‘said ‘the. province ‘rust: iil fulfil its pledge’ to > Wipe “out the: ‘school: property. taxes; New Skeena: mist . conclude deals. with. Woodbridge. ‘and. -any other. inves: . ‘tors, and all’ creditors. have to agree. on: the : restructuring a Sot “Those are’ the: three - ‘furdles: ‘that have: to be - overcome,” Talstra said. “As. ‘the “other: éreditors Bet. a - Noone in the. ‘provincial government can recall the last oe ; he, munielpalt- . ~ See. Page Al2 forth that At StOry. and forother details of the so pe ' 7 PRINCE RUPERT will. give up.a much. larger vonion ot . : a : the, unpaid, property. taxes. New Skéena Fores Products _ owes under: a still- secret ‘twortrack deal struck by: torth. a A further: $400, 000't this’ city's was 2%, t6 collect and ‘pass a All told, the agreement requires New: Skeena: to pay. a” aa total of: $10:million:to: the | four: northwest. towns, while: Prince Rupert's council has: ‘always: been. under mote. a - pressure. because of the: much grealer amount of money” _. owed, the-seinsé that the pulp mill there is ‘etitical to. the = “town's economy,” and” the fear that: it: ‘would. never feapen ot ,