Crowning glory

Masters of the mountain.

crowned in annual King
of the Mountain
footrace\SPORTS B4.

Happy anniversary
Members of a local church -
gather to celebrate 50
years of worship in
Terrace\COMMUNITY B1

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Party time

yey Hundreds of people
take in the excitement
of Riverboat Days
\NEWS A5

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

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ast 7,.2002.

Depopulation drives ridin

By JEFF NAGEL
A PROPOSED new Skeena-Chilcotin
federal riding that runs from Lillooet in
the south to Atlin in the north defies
logic, admits the head of the team re-
drawing the electoral boundaries.

But B.C. Supreme Court Justice
Robert Hutchison, chair of the federal
electoral boundary commission, says
the change is driven by the reality of
B.C.’s population shifts.

Hutchison said the depopulation of
the north revealed in the 2001 Census
coupled with strong growth in the
urban south has forced the elimination
of one of the north’s 10 ridings.

Meanwhile, three new ridings are to
be added in the Greater Vancouver

area.
The proposals tabled by the com-
mission eliminate the old Cariboo-

Chilcotin riding and add its consti-
tuents to surrounding ridings, Skeena
loses Smithers but gains the Chilcotia,
including Williams Lake and Lillooet.

Critics have roasted the proposal,
saying it would forge a bizarre new ti-
ding no one could properly represent
and fuse together regions with radical-
ly different interests.

“I think once people have heard
and considered it, they'll realize it’s
not as easy as they think and we
haven’t been smoking as much as they
think we have,” Hutchison said in re-
sponse to a Lillooet man’s suggestion
commissioners were on drugs.

The boundary changes mean a more
than 50 per cent increase in the ri-
ding’s size — from the old Skeena of
244,570 square kilometres to the new

lometres.

It would be the size of England, Ire-
land, Scotland, Wales, Belgium and
the Netherlands combined — an area
comprising nearly 40 per cent of the
entire province,

Despite the increase, the new
Skeena-Chilcotin would still be B.C.'s
least populous riding, at 93,877.

That’s about 13.5 per cent below
the commission’s goal of drawing
boundaries so B.C.’s ridings average
108,548 people.

That figure comes from the total
new B.C. population figure of
3,907,738 divided by the 36 seats allo-
cated to the province in the House of
Commons.

The commission doesn’t have ta ri-
gidly stick to the average. Federal law
says ridings can be as much as 25 per

cent below or above the population
average so boundaries can be drawn
that respect the riding's history, keep
groups of people with common inater-
ests together, or to ensure a manage-
able geographic size.

And the boundaries commission can
even exceed the limit in
“extraordinary circumstances.”

But this time Hutchison and the
commission have not attempted to use
the full 25 per cent wiggle room al-
lowed. He says they tried to keep ti-
dings within 10 or 15 per cent of the
average this time.

Allowing a riding 25 per cent below
the average means packing 25 per
cent more voters into an urban riding.

“It gets very complicated,” he said,
adding that can cause objections in
the Vancouver area.

g change

The commission tries to keep ri-
dings close to the average population
because of the principle of one person,
one vote. A voter in a sparsely popula-
ted riding has more relative clout
compared to someone in a more den-
sely populated riding.

“How would you feel if you live in
an apartment in Vancouver's west end
and you look at those guys in Terrace
getting the equivalent of two votes for

- your one?” Hutchison asked.

One alternative would be to put
Williams Lake back into a Prince
George riding and extend Skeena back
along Hwy L6 to take in Burns Lake
and possibly Vanderhoof.

Hutchison said that sort of thing
could be contemplated when the com-
mission holds hearings in the fall.

Cont'd Page A2

one clocking in at 370,754 square ki-

Council urged
to back new
SCI contract

CITY COUNCIL plans to meet both sides in the Skeena
Cellulose contract dispute, although councillors aren’t
sure what they can achieve,

Councillor David Hull says he and other councillors
have come under- pressure from some local business ow-
ners to endorse Skeena CEO Dan Veniez’ new contract
offer, The “Fresh Start” offer includes a 20 per cent pay
cut in favour of profit sharing amid other changes, is-
cluding decreased vacation times.

Hull said same people say the cuts effectively result
in pay and benefit losses on the order of 38 per cent.

Others contend the cuts could be minimal because
profit sharing could deliver large amounts of money each
year, if the reduced costs make the operation profitable.

Hull said council is reluctant to take sides on the
issue because it doesn’t have detailed knowledge.

Even if it did, he said, it’s unlikely union members
would promptly take council's advice. “Who are we to
analyze a labour deal and say if it’s a good deal for
you?” he said. “I think councils have to be a little cau-
tious in not sticking their nase in,” he added. “Right now
there seems to be some real ambiguity.”

Councillors do agree the region is losing skilled work-
ers as the dispute drags on and council should act in any
way it can to help resolve the issue,

“People are suffering, people are losing their jobs and
we are losing people,” councillor Rich McDaniel said.
Marylin Davies said the city should show leadership.

Hull said part of the challenge is that Veniez appears
to have issued his bottom line position, rather than an
initial bargaining position from which there'd be move-
ment allowing union leaders to save some face.

He said union members are likely under tremendous
pressure from unions across the continent that fear a
major concession at Skeena could be used by other pro-
ducers to try to achieve similar cuts elsewhere.

“You can imagine the rest of the pulp unions across
North America going ‘Whoa, guys if you settle for this,
we're all done.’” | ,

Meanwhile, New Hazelton’s council has come out in
support of the 20 per cent pay cut plan. Town mayor
Peter Weeber urged workers at the Carnaby sawmill to
accept the offer. “This is not the time to wave around
old union agreements, it is time to go back to work at a
decent wage and revive our failing northwest communi-
ties,” Weeber said,

City councillor
wont run again

NEW CONTENDERS planning to run for city

SELF-PROCLAIMED “Citizen of the world" Steve Hili stopped
in Terrace last week to help paint the Baptist Church. Hill says

he’s known the church's Pastor for over 17 years and so he
made the trek down from Dawson City to lend a hand.

Council declares Pride Day

CITY COUNCIL has proclaimed a gay pride
day in Terrace rather than spend tax dollars
appealing a human rights tribunal ruling.

“It would be too castly to appeal — we don’t
have the bucks,” mayor Jack Talstra said last
week.

Terrace’s small gay community will mark
this Saturday, Aug. 10, as “Lesbian Gay Bi-
sexual and Transgender Pride Day”.

The proclamation was signed last week by
the mayor, in compliance with the human
rights tribunal order issued July 26.

Councillor David Hull presided at a cerem-

one individual's statements ts a stretch, he
said.

“L think it's hard for the tribunal to get into
the heads of seven other people,” he said. “If
you read the decision, you’re hard pressed I
think to find sexual discrimination.” |

But Talstra said refusing to comply was not:
an option. : ;

“It can be registered as a court order, so we .
have to abide by it,” he said, “I would be the
last one to suggest we not comply with a court
order.” :

The city spent $1,268 on legal advice rela-

He noted council in the past has decided
not to take positions on issues that might di-
vide the community — such as the province’s
treaty principles referendum.

“['m saying on
balance divisive-
ness is not the
most desirable
thing to have in
the community,”
he said.-“I think
it’s appropriate to
have discretion.”

ony issuing ihe proclamation Friday morning Talstra also led to the issue. The city did not pay for the CO
because the mayor was away on legal busi- said while coun- lawyer who acted for the city at the hearing in council will have at least one empty seat to shoot
ness. cillors cited a June -- he works on salary for Talstra’s law for in elections this fall.

Veteran city councillor Val George says he
doesn’t plan to run again. “Nine years is enough,”
the three-term councillor said. “I'll turn to doing
other things in the community.”

Councillor Marylin Davies, elected in a byelec-
tion.two years ago, says she will run again.

And cauncillor Lynne Christiansen says she will
also likely seek another term. “I think-I’d like to,”

firm so his work was effectively Talstra’s gift
to the city,
“We did not want to spend City of Terrace
taxpayers’ money on this issue,” Talstra said,
He said council had contemplated letting
some outside group — for example a Catholic
organization — pay for the appeal,

The signing ends a two-year legal battle
over city council’s refusal to proclaim a gay
pride day in the summer of 2000,

Rainbow committee members who lodged
the human rights complaint were jubilant after
beating city hall.

“We're planning a potluck - a very cele-

variety of reasons,
there’s no conclu-
sive proof the de-
cision was moti-
vated by discrimi-
nation on . the
basis of sexual or-
ientation.

Jack Talstra

bratory potluck,” said local lesbian Maureen
Bostock, adding she is pleased with the. is-
suance of the proclamation.

Talstra said he and council were disappoin-

ted with the decision.

“It's a highly sensitive matter in our com-
munity,” ke. said. ‘

He said counci] should-be able to act with
discretion on matters that-come before it.

otherwise those items should be handled by-

cily staff in lhe same way as sewer and Wate
hookups. Co a, Se

Only one councillor ~ Val George - expli-
citly indicated he objected on moral grounds,

The judgment says the human rights code is
broken ‘even if discrimination was just one of
many factors in councll’s decision.

But Talstra noted a council decision is a
majority vote. Enough councillors vated
against proclaiming ‘that the decision could
have been made without councillor Gearge.”

‘To say the decision of the group is in’ part
motivated by. discrimination on’ the basis of

“We thought about it then we thought the
money would be tainted,” he said. “Can you
imagine the criticism we'd get if we accepted
money from some obviously slanted source?”

The gay pride proclamation is expected to
be a one-time only event in Terrace.

‘That's because the city ended its policy of
issuing proclamations afler the gay pride day

“camplaint. an

The motion to proclaim the day was moved.

by councillor Rich McDaniel, seconded by

Marylin Davies and passed unanimously,

she said. “Your first term is sort of like basic
training.” rs

Other city councillors say they haven't yet

made their decision. Mayor Jack -Talstra has also
so far avoided the question. — ;

A slate of candidates organized by the Action
Coalition of Terrace —.a group formed to fight pro-
vincial government cutbacks — is also preparing for

_ municipal elections, Former provincial. Marijuana

“Party candidate Bob Erb says he’s also considering

~ ‘running for council, :
_