BRIEF TO CABINET.
1 would first like to thank
the Premier and Cabinet for
coming to the area to see
first hand our problems. I
intend to lay out a few key
issues that should be con-
sidered in the weeks and
months ahead, in order to
help the economy of this
area, which has been going
downhill since 1973.
~~ 4: The cutback by Can-Cel
inits logging operations has.
been very severe, not only

- . affecting those working and

-  gontracting for the com-
pany, but also affects other
companies’ and supply
companies in the area. The
most severely hit are the
pole companies that take out
- cedar poles when new areas
- ate opened up. One com-
_ pany, L.H. and K. has had to
“lose down, throwing 50 men
"out of work. .
This comes at a bad time
and the -area will face a
difficult time unless - the

timber supply. can be-

resolved. First for the
existing plants and second,
for a proposed cedar lawn
furniture plant for Terrace.

‘This problem, along with
the plight of the independent
contract logger has been
before the Forest Depart-
‘ment since May. This
simply cannot .wait for the
Pearse Royal Commission
report, which may not even
. deal with the problem. In
June I asked that Roy
Travers, who carried out.a
study. for. the northwest for
the Land Use Secretariat, be
asked to look at these

' problems, so that the Forest:

Department could resolve
some ‘of these immediate
problems. .

“2. Unemployment in the

area is over 20 percent and
_over. 58 percent in many
Indian Villages.
"3. The North. West Rail
agreement with the federal
poverniment was thrown out

by ‘assistance to northern

PAGE 2, THE HERALD, Friday, September 24, 1976

Cyril Shelford

by the present government,
and must be replaced as
quickly as possible by a new
agreement, in order to get.
things moving. ;

4: The government should
consider, when the new
D.R.E.E. agreement with
the federal government:
comes up, that this area’
should be placed in number
one priority for assistance,
as the only way British
Columbia can move ahead is |

areas.

5. Agreements with the.
native Indians must be
reached as soon as possible
as this issue is holding -up
development, not only in the
north, but in all British
Columbia. The uncertainty
is holding up.individuals an
companies who do not know
where they stand until this
issue is cleared up. No doubt
some of the ‘increased
unemployment is caused by
this uncertainty. a

6. A new Provincial.
Building should be built in-
Terrace to bring all

‘departments under one roof, -
assisting

in making
decisions whére they affect
more than one department. .
7. Astudy should be made
of the Kitimat port area to
ensure that itis developed in -
a manner to ensure all in-
dustries have space, and not.
be controlled by two or three:
companies. = =
8. In order to assist the
recreation industry and the
economy as a whole, the
government must consider a
ferry service from Port
Hardy to Kitimat, as asked
for. by. several groups
before. oy , —_
_9. Some time ago I asked
by letters to the Provincial ©
Secretary, that ~ the

' government buy out the’ Hot
Springs at Lakelse Lake, so
‘that never again can a few
individuals’ bottle up the

— Skeena M.L.A. Cyril She

best recreational resource
in the north with 300 acres of
prime recreational land; the

est hot spring in. the
province, which if
developed, could have a Hot
Spring complex for the
whole area; a Marina on
Lakelse Lake; golf course,
riding stable, etc. It could be
the convention center of the
whole northwest.

A complex such as this,
along with the ferry link to

Kitimat, could keep tourists

in the area longer, and
would do more -than. any
other thing to help’ the
economy of the area, by
making it more than a two

industry area. The acreage |
could be made ‘into a park’

and the complex either

d rented or leased out to :
This Hot -
‘the northwest, using local

private people.
Spring has been of little use
for six or seven years, and

people that are told by their

doctors to go to a-hot spring:

for various ailments have to
‘leave the area and travel to
jeither . Fairmont. or
Harrison. Very few can
-afford this, and again I must

say it is a crime to see a

valuable resource such as
this tied up by a few people,
and excluding thousands of
people that live in the north-
west from the enjoyment of
this lovely resource. on

10, I would ask the
government to appoint a
Royal Commission to study
the economy of. the
province, and the effect

- Jabour-management

disputes are having on the
overall economy, such as
the .long shutdown or
slowdown. on B.C.R., the

forest industry last year,.
and now the -construction .

industry. Unless this kind of
thing can: be resolved, not
only unemployment will
continue to rise, but the total

~ economy of the province will

be -destroyed, and all the

Iford with the premier. ~

"social programs we “as.
British Columbians are s0 .
‘proud of, will also be

destroyed. ne
In order to give the Royal
Commission the. best
possible chance of success,
the terms of reference must.
be worked out and agreed to,
by labour, management and:
government. Without this
agreement, the chances of
success would be nil.
11. In order to assist the
economy of the area the
Kitwanga Stewart iets
and the Hazelton-Nass
Bridge loop for recreation
and tourists be placed in

‘number one priority for. the

next three years, using -
whenever possible, local.
labour and equipment. —

12, Mining and : forest
access road development in

people and equipment would

- also help the economy, and

keep key peo le in the area
until Can-Cel of other
companies are able to get
back into full production. If —
something is ‘not done ‘to
keep these people in: the

area we. will have. the

greatest shortage of trained
people we have ever known.
Close to one-third of the .
independent contractors
went to Alberta and other
areas between.1973 and 1976.
Respectfully submitted.
Cyril -M. Shelford, MLA.

- Appendix “Ar
Honourable. Grace Mc-’
Carthy,

Provincial Secretary, -

Parliament Buildings.
Dear Madam Minister:
Enclosed you will ‘find a

‘copy of a letter I received

from Theresa Johansen, in

regard to the sale of the

Skoglund Hotsprings
Resort. oo

As you will note, there.are
305 acres of. prime
recreationa! property on_

ao

~

Lakelse Lake near. Terrace.
This. hot. spring, is -the

. greatest natural resource in -

the northwest, and.I would
like to see. the government
buy it. Part of it. could .be
leased or sold to. the
Regional. District. fo
development, which’ coul
be turned. into the best
tourist attraction. - con-
vention centre in the nor-

- thwest. This could do more

to assist the depressed
economy of the area than
anything else.
{trust you will give: this
your careful consideration, .
and not: miss a good op-
portunity such as. this. I
would like to keep this out of
the press for now. -
Yours very truly, «
Cyril.M: Shelford,
MLA, Skeena'.- ~

Honourable. Grace Me-

Carthy, -_.
Provincial Secretary,
Parliament Buildings.
Dear Madam. Minister: -
‘Enclosed you will- find’ a
copy of.a letter from. Mr.
Tom Kelway of Burns Lake,
which outlines clearly. the

problem of Lakelse Lake —
. Hotsprings, the resort which

L asked you to buy in order |
that it can be improved for
the general public. I am

sure it could do more for the
area than any other move

the government could make.
It would also help the
economic climate in the
area, as hundreds’ more
tourists would stop. in and
stay: three or four days
longer. -

This, however, would be
only one small part of the .
advantages. Many years” -
ago the healing properties of -.
the water were superior to —
any other hotspring. I know
personally of one case
where the woman travelled
all over Europe trying to
find a cure for her sickness, _
after being told she had one _

- year to live. Finally’ she
went to Skoglunds, soaked in.

the springs, and is. alive
today — 15 years later.

' _ (Mrs. Don Vinnadge of Fort =
St. James)..I know also of

many other .people helped -
by the springs.. - Co

The springs could‘do' the .
same. thing . today - if | the

_ property was putin shape— =~

and could help people like. -
Mr. Kelway. oe

J trust the ‘government .
will move quickly while.we

‘have the opportunity. The

people of the area have a .

Mgnt to this wonderful

resource. : ;

Yours very truly, Pee
- Cyril M. Shelford, =
MLA, Skeena — _

‘

CAREFUL to

: crushall . -.
smokes dead out. ~

ae