Lan

TERRACE -- Representatives
from two groups who met fast
weck with federal and provincial

negotiators working on the.

Nisga’a land claim say they'll
continue to press for more in-
formation.

What’s needed are
reports on the progress and con-
tent of the talks, said Pat Ogawa
from Skeena Cellulose and the

person responsible for arranging

the mectings.

"We just didn’t know what was
going on," he said as the main
reason for organizing the sessions
with the woods industry, sports

were In ‘costiim
ning. Step
Details'c ‘On Page Bie ¢

regular

fishing groups and local elected.
officials.

The sessions were the first of
their ‘kind between the govern-
ments and what are called third
partics interested in the Nisga’a
claim.

Along with knowing what is.

going on in negotiations is having -:
a-say in how a settlement will af :

fect them, said Ogawa.

“We know we can’t go in there.
and do the negolialing, but before: :
“there is a final agreement, we'd’

like to take a look at it," he said.

The goal of the woods industry

is to have a final and binding:

Dancing duo |

LATE SPRING brings out colourful flowers and dancers as ‘shown here by Stephanie. Baker .
and Santrina- Kuslas. They are two of .dance- instructor. Vick Parviainen's students and thay’,
gas dress rehearsals took place for the aninual dance revue this ‘Friday eve-_
zand Santrina and others. in their class, wil

‘be dancing to. music: from Oliver.”

agreement providing clear rules
for resource development, Ogawa
continued, ;

"We want to know who we will
be dealing with and on what
basis," he said. "Just.as_ the
Nisga’a say they want certainty,
so do we."

Provincial chief negotiator
‘Tony Sheridan said his govern-
tment welcomes any suggestions
on how to better provide informa-
‘tion on the claim and negotia:

“tions.

- But that won't extend to giving
details on the negotiations of
specific items because of a con-

Mill jobs eyed —

TERRACE -- Dissident Kitsclas

band*members plan - to use the

Kitselas ‘Development Corpora-
tion to negotiate a benefits pack-
age for local natives with Orenda
Forest Products..

They want the company to pro-
vide a cerlain number of local na-
lives with training and jobs if the
proposed $400 million, pulp and
paper mill south of Lakelse Lake
goes ahead.

"Usually when anybody’s. de-
veloping in our country, we eid
up ‘with nothing,"
Bevan, the newly. clected presi-
dent of the corporation, "We're
not opposed to.any development
-- just as long as we get some
benefit out of it". ; ;

Bevan will-replace current Kit-
selas Development Corporation
president Ralph Wright when the
change is finalized at a June 14
mecting.

Wright is also the ‘embattled

chief councillor of. the: Kitselas:
band, continuing to. ignore calls

“said Mel:

‘from the majority of voters, there:
.to resign.

Bevan said a deal with Orenda
is just onc of the plans in the
works, adding band members also
want to ‘resurrect. proposals . to.
work with Parks Canada to devcl-

op the Kitsclas Canyon area into a

a national historic site.
The: corporation -- formed four
years ago to develop. nalive-
owned businesses -- owns the
buildings -on.-Queensway Ave.
that house the band’s administra-
tion” office, Northern, Native
Broadcasting and a carving shed.
‘Protesting band members who
wanl the existing band council to
resign plan to. meet with tle
leadership this week. - :
kak kk ;
In the meantime, the stove
government, Orenda’ Forest Pro-
ducts and nalive groups conlinue

to. work -on details of a study
“that'll - examine .impacts ‘of the

proposed on arca natives,
.- Those. details, called terms of

reference, were ta have t been fin-
‘ished May 10.

The study will also determine
ways. for local natives to benefit

‘from employment and other eco-
_nomic opportunities arising from

the he proposed mill project.

fidentialily clause in an agree-
ment signed setting up the negati-
alions process, he said,

"We can discuss the general
direction of the talks and ask for
advice and opinions,” said
Sheridan.

Sheridan did add that comments
gathered by groups arc given to
the provincial cabinet which then
sets the government’s policies on
specific items.

And federal negotiator Gay
Reardon said her government will
release the agreement in principle
for the settlement before il is con-
sidered for final adoption by the

three parties.

"There will be time for com-
ment from interested groups," she
said.

Terrace mayor Jack Talstra,
who attended the sessions for lo-
cal elected: representatives, said
he isn’t satisfied with what hap-
pened.

He said local officials repeated
Suggestions made a year ago that
a local person be put on the

_ provincial negotiating team.

"We like the concept of the up-
dates but we want to get into the
specifics more than the gener-
alities," said Talstra,

laim info need grows _

"We think we have oe actos

to offer. We do live up bere, tao.
We'd like to have certainly in our
lives as well."

"When - it comes. ta con-
fidentiality and that kind of stuff,
[’'m sure a local ‘representative
could mect that requirement,"
Talstra said.

The mayor added. that local
elected officials. may have to
make. the same.kind.of joint. rep-
resenlations made ta University
of Northem B.C. officials in

Prince George which resulted in
more local involvement.

Hospital closes —
beds, axes jobs

TERRACE -- Twenty-two beds
will be closed at Mills Memorial
Hospital in early June to avoid a
$525,000 budget deficit this year.

Eight hospital workers will lose
their jobs. as a result of the
closures, hospital administrator
Michael Leisinger said Friday.

The measures include:

@ 16 beds lost due to the amal-
gamation of the pediatrics and
matemity wards. The pediatrics
ward takes the brunt of the cut.
The new combined unit'will be
comprised of six pediatric beds
and 18 obstetric beds.

@® Six beds cut from the
psychiatric unit, which goes
down to 10 beds from 16..

@ Cuts in the equivalent ‘of 10
and a half full-time positions
from departments throughout the
hospital.

The cuts were made in response
to a budget freeze decreed by the
health ministry this. spring. All
hospitals north of Kamloops also
face budget freezes, forcing them

to lay off staff to pay for inflation

and contract settlements. Hospi- .

tals in the Ckanagan and Lower
Mainland received ‘budget in-
creases of six to eight per cent,

The $525,000 shortfall
represents about four per cent of
Mills Memorial’s $12 million
budget.

"The ministry people categori-
cally, emphatically and definitely
Stated there is no more money,”
Leisinger said. "Once those beds
are closed, they are in cssence
lost to the community,"

But the greater danger, he said,
is that the bed closures will

~-prompt some-of the specialists the“:

“city has attracted to leave.

"Right now with the number of
physicians at Mills, we've got
stability,” he said. "If you lose a
‘specialist or lose an anesthetist,
there’s a danger the whole thing
could start to unravel."

Dr. Geoffrey Appleton agreed,

Massive march
to protest cuts

TERRACE + Health care
workers want a large crowd on
hand Friday evening to march in
protest against cuts at Mills
Memorial Hospital.

The march begins at the hospi-
tal and ends with a rally in front
of Skeend NDP MLA Helmut
Gicsbrecht’s office on Park Ave.

"We want the ordinary cilizen
involved - to get their support and
tell the government this won’t

do," said organizer Elaine Pigeau

who is also chairman of the Has-
‘pital Employees Union (HEU) lo-
cal here.

The idea for the march began

- with the HEU and support was

gathered by other unions at the
hospital - the B,C, Nurses Union,
the Health Sciences Association
and the ‘International Union of
Operating Engincers.

:. Pigeau and others are also con-

-facting service clubs and other

groups for their participation, -
She said support of service
clubs who have donated moncy
and equipment over the years to
the hospital is invited. _

"We must change the goverm-
men’s mind. This is a very
visible way of doing that," Pigeau

sald.

Pigeau last year headed the
joint action committee at the hos-
pilal which collected more than
14,000 names on a petition to
protest cuts that were planned
then.

The petition helped convince.
the provincial government to.give
the hospital more money to avert
the cuts,

"Why should we have to go
through another petition drive.
Why should we have to collect
another 14,000 signatures. They
are still valid," said Pigeau.

The march is on the agenda
taday of a mecting to revive last
year’s joint action committec.

Iv have representation from
all sectors of the hospital.

The march begins at 7 p.m. al
the hospital before going across

he overpass to Giesbrechit’s of-

fice,

It’s timed to coincide with the
arrival by plane of Gicsbrecht
who'll be returning from the
legislative session ia Victoria.

Pigeau said the march will fea-
ture banners, balloons for chil-
dren ard that there will be enter-
tainment at Giesbrecht’s office.

saying that kind of “domino cl-
fect" is the biggest’ long-term
threat to health care here resulting
from the cuts.

If a surgeon leaves, Appleton
explained, then there might not be
enough work for two ancsthetists
here, and one of. them might
leave, Attrition of that sort can
make the cily unatiractive to
other doctors and specialists.

"Quite frankly, the bureaucrats
just don’t give a damn," Appleton
said. "We have a pretty bare
bones, basic operation here, and
we don’t fee] the people of the
north should ‘get’ any Tess carc
than that."

»Dr- + Mohammad. - Howidi,-..
pediatrician based here, said he
will consider moving as a result
of the culs, ¢

' He said he has given the hospi-
tal notice that -- in light of the
pediatrics ward cus -- he feels he
is free of the commitment: he
made to stay in Terrace for three
years. That commitment, he said,
was based on being able to prac-
tise pediatrics under reasonable
conditions.

"It’s unfortunate," Howidi said.
"J just settled down. I like the
area, J like the people."

He said he has had offers from
olher hospitals, including Prince
George. Howidi said Dr, Martin
Van Lietde, the area’s ear, nose,
and throat Specialist, is also con-
sidering moving.

Page
Turners

Students need
jobs,

Page AQ.
Kemano hearing

mystery,

Page A10.
Kitselas carving,
Page Bi.
Rugby massacre,

Page C1.

_Northwest Roundup _

PRINCE RUPERT --_ City
‘residents. are paying more
property taxes this year but
they still get a good deal » Says
the city’s treasurer.

cent of the total. property

said Dick Hemingway.

“cent tax increase this year.

- That's because up to 50 per

taxes in Prince Rupert. are”
' paid -hy ‘large corporations,

-Homeowners face a 5.4 per |.

Le economy dipped.

SMITHERS -- A Calgary-
based firm has purchased the
Telkwa coal property.
:Manalta. Coal: Ltd. the
largest coal producer in Can-
ada, bought the property
from Shell, Canada. -

‘The property was’: ex-
tenslvely tested by Shell Can-
ada in-the early 1980s but a

decision to develop a ming:
‘was put on hold when the:

the property was purchased

= (HITS) :: is being " financed®
“with”
the health minstry. me

A Monatia spokesman said

for Its long term potential a

HAZELTON ~ A ‘trans- —

portation service for disabled -
" people and senior citizens be- ,

= gan here May 5.
' Hazelton Independent”
Trmisportation ~. Services

$15,000 grant: from

2 ‘prelimtiary design. fo

“ ready for the fall of 199

repeal school: here:
d..

Tell replace | ioe ‘aging Wik

or