The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - A3 KEN WATSON has lived for two years in his camper at the Reel Inn. City officials are enforcing a bylaw that limits the stay in a camp- ground or RV park to 150 days in a calendar year, JEFE NAGEL PHOTO Permanent campers get the boot Seniors among illegal RV residents who the city says must move along By JEFF NAGEL THE CITY is cracking down on residents who are illegally living year-round in a local RV park. .. §ix tenants, some of them se- nior citizens, have been living in - Campers, trailers and RVs at the ~-Reel inn for months and, in some cases, years. That's contrary to a 1996 city bylaw that bans campers from slaying more than 150 days in a year in a campground or RV park. After more than a year of pur- suing the issue the city has or- dered the RV park owner to get the residents out or face fines. “We're not trying to kick old people out,” said Paul Gipps, city . director of regulatory services. _“That’s not the intent at all.” ~ He said RV parks and camp- ‘grounds aren’t intended to act as trailer parks. The trailers and campers in question have been set up as per- manent dwellings, Most are skirted and have alta- ched joey shacks or porches, And many have permanent phone lines and cable TV connections. None of the attached porches or steps meet the building code, cily officials say. “There’s a safety issue involved,” said David Trawin, the director of development services. Park owner Peter Gill says he’s willing to let the RVs stay parked where they are for the winter and allow residents to live in vacant cabins at the Reel Inn watil they can move elsewhere. “We're going to obey and comply with the bylaw,” Gill said. But most residents say they'd prefer to stay where they are. Jim Irvine, an 83-year-old se- nior on the waiting list to get into” Terraceview Lodge, says he never would have paid $35,000 to buy his fifth wheel if he’d known this ‘rock and a hard place.” - would happen. “There’s just no place else to move,” he says. “There’s no other place for us ta go.” Irvine said he was never told about 150-day maximum stay when he moved in four years ago. “I’ve been in this spot two years,” says 72-year-old neighbour Ken Watson. “Now they're start- “There’s no other place for us to go.” ing toe raise hell about it. They should have told us from the start.” “If ] had known about this we wouldn’t live here,” adds Carol Rioux, “We're. caught. between a ~Trawin ‘said .one: resident has said he'll move back and forth be- tween the Reel Inn and the Rain- we bow Inn every six months. “That meets the intent of the bylaw,” Trawin said. “He's more than welcome to do that.” When the bylaw was debated slaff wanted stays limited to 90 days, while some on council wan- ted 180 days, to accommodate vi- siting construction workers, The end result was the 150 day maximum, Trawin said. Even if council increased or eliminated the maximum stay - rule, Trawin said enclosing an RV with skirting or building additions onto them would still be illegal. The city considered making that part of the Reel Inn a mobile home park, but Trawin said it would need too many exemptions from the bylaw governing trailer parks. City regulations also require mobile home parks to be paved, and that may have proved too costly as well, he said, News In Brief Tires stolen FOUR BRIDGESTONE tires were stolen from a BC, Hydro vehicle in the carly evening of Noy. 9 from B.C. Hydro’s locked compound. in the 5000 block of Keith Ave., report RCMP, The tires are model M773 225 75 R15 and any information is needed by phoning the RCMP de- tachment at 638-7400 or by calling Crimestoppers at 635-8477, Kalum break and enter RCMP ARE looking for a Canon GLI digital cam- corder and accessories taken during a break in be- tween Novy. 2 and Nov. 9 from a residence an Kalum Lake Drive. The camcorder's serial number is 2210201043. Also stolen was a GE cordless phone, a dual battery charger, Eight DVDs, 15 CDs; an RCA portable CD player and three computer games. Those with information are asked to call the local RCMP detachment or Crimestoppers at 635- 8477. NDP names executive FEDERAL NDP members have elected Larry Guno as president of the Skeena constituency uassocia- tion. Guno, a Nisga’a lawyer now involved in lacal theatre, ran here for the NDP in the 2000 federal election, losing to the Canadian Alliance’s Andy Burton. Former NDP Bulkley-Stikine MLA Bill Good- acte was voted vice-president. Kathy Booth and Jennifer Davies, both of Prince Rupert, are treasurer and secretary, Dialysis urged here THE CITY has Jent its support to calls for a kidney dialysis service to be lacated in Terrace. The service, to have six dialysis stations, which had been approved by the provincial government, is now on hold pending a review. “This should have been implemented many months ago,” said councilor Val George. “It shouldn’t have been caught up in this review if it had been done properly.” The service is desperately needed here to serve patients who need ongoing kidney dialysis, said councillor Lynne Christiansen. “It’s heart-breaking to see how this affects people,” she said, People now needing dialysis have to move elsewhere. City changing trucks THE CITY is buying new vehicles. Council approved the purchase of a new garbage truck, a backhoe, three pickup trucks and a disas- ter trailer. W’s selling an older backhoe and two Chev Bla- zers. The net cos! is to be $545,000 and is to come fram the city’s equipment reserve fund. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED New Program: In School Mentoring 1 Hour a week during school hours on school grounds. Must be 19 years of age Volunteers are required to fill out an application, provide references and have a police record check. Children in our community are looking for adults to share experiences, talk to and have fun.