Not so fast Mystery dinner Miners and environmentalist look to square off over a northwest mine\NEWS A113 Norm heads south cooking contest this Two locals are off to a challenging weekend\COMMUNITY B1 A local snowmobiling champ expects more wins at world competition\SPORTS B7 WEDNESDAY MARCH 25, 1998 Nisga’a to examine c THE NISGA’A will get an independent legal analysis of a Supreme Court of Canada decision on native land claims, says Nisga’a Tribal Council president Joe Gosnell. Gosne!l, who is under internal pressure for staying on the same treaty path in the face of a major Supreme Court of Canada ruling, made the promise last week. Some Nisga’a have said he and other Ieaders should resign if they won’t toughen their negotiating stance in the wake of the Delgamuukw decision of the court on the Gitxsan land claim. Gosnell said some Nisga’a and many otlcr natives across the province are now under inflated expectations of the resulis of treaty because of the court ruling, viewed by many to strengthen the native bargaining position. “There is an overexaggerated expectation from aboriginal people as a result of the Supreme Court ruling. Which is unfortunate,” Gosnell said. Internal critics have accused the Nisga’a leadership of having invested too much time and energy in their current direction to consider other options. Gosnell said he’ll seek the independent legal analysis through a law firm nol connected to the Nisga’a talks. And he said he'd hope to have it available by late April, when the Nisga’a Tribal Council holds ils annual conven- tion and debates the direction of trealy talks. Gosnell] added he does not believe dissent is as some of the critics have claimed, ‘Our people have a wide ranging difference of opinion, and that’s good,”’ he said. *T think our people have every right to question the work we're doing. Once we've completed cur mandate the final decision will rest wilh our grassroots people. They can ¢i- ther accept the treaty as will be presented to them or they have the option of rejecting it.”’ Gosnell also took aim at Ray Guno, who last weck called, -- on the leadership to resign. He said Guno has not attended any of the recent informa- tion sessions conducted bv the Nisga’a Tribal Council for ils people. “T find it quite strange,’’ Gosnell added. ‘‘He is a teacher who is reaping one of the benefits our tribal coun- cil fought long and hard for.”’ Gosnell also denied allegations that Nisga’a leaders might want to drag out the lalks to continue drawing pay as negotiators. not prolong it,’’ Gosnell said. Gosnell said the Nisga’a have speat about $39 million over the years on negotiations, not the $45 million Guno had claimed last week. That money is being paid by the federal government in the form of a loan, which will be deducted from the final treaty settlement, expected to be around $190 million. Kevin McKay, a Greenville village councillor and for- mer tribal council official, also spoke out last week against internal critics, who he sald are betier at speaking out in public than persuading the majority of Nisga’a of their views during annual Nisga'a conveutions. . Where are they at the convention,’ McKay demanded. * don’t see them there. Ask them to stand up and be heard. “Don’t air your dirty laundry in the media, There’s more productive ways to address the conceris. On the conven- tion foor.’’ McKay said the majority of Nisga'a support continued negotiations, adding internal critics are a minority. 93¢ PLUS 7¢ GST VOL, 10 NO. 50 ourt rull “We would like to wrap it up as quickly as possible and Joe Gosnell we te ete a a ae g Sr ee ey ae ae tte this Saturday. 8:00 p.m. Vote March 28 DON’T FORGET to vote in the city council byelection Polls open on Saturday, March 28, at Clarence Michiel Elementary School at 8:00 a.m. and close at Three candidates are running — James Fraser, Dennis Lissimore and Olga Power. For profiles on the three candidates, sec page AS. Missing son FLYING INTO Terrace at 450 mph, you want to be pretty sure you know where the mountains are. Two pilots from Canada’s famous Snow- birds aerial acrobatics team dropped into town Friday to scout the location for this summer’s coming, Terrace-Kitimat Airshow. Pilots Emmanuel Belanger and Richard Walsh have never Down into Terrace before, since it was a completely different Snowbird team that was here for the last airshow. Snow- biids have a short rotation, and pilots only spend two years in the program. After two years you're exhausted,”’ says Belanger, whose call-sign is “‘Manu.’’ "You don’t gel sick of il, but living in and THE BIRD HAS LANDED: Two ‘Snowbird pilots. were in town Fri- Kitimat day to scout the airport in preparation for their visit at the Terrace-_ international flair with the inclusion of the American military. Snowbirds scout for summer airshow’ out of hotels all the time takes its toll. It’s very demanding and high-pressure.” That’s probably an understatement. This year the Snowbird team is doing 66 shows in 44 different locations. In every show, pilots are required to perform precision stunts that would send the average person reaching for the barf bag. This year the snowbirds will perform several different manoeuvres they that haven't donc before, including the ‘Domino Burst’’, the ‘Bomb Bust” and a new one invented by the team called “Starship.” Belanger says that each pilot has a different manoeuvre that be finds the most challenging. For him, it’s the ‘‘Line Abreast Combo’’ with irshow this summer. This year's airshow will take on an a rollover. “That’s very, very challenging for any pilot,” he says. ‘‘You really have to stay in position to make it look good,” At just 26, Belanger is the youngest of the Snowbirds. Most of the other pilots are in their 30s, but that doesn’t mean Belanger lacks experience, He’s actually a five-year veteran teaching others how to fly. Belanger, Richard (Rocky) Walsh and the rest of the Snowbird pilots will be coming back to Terrace July 21 for the biannual Kitimat-Terrace Airshow. | Organizers say this year’s show will be the biggest yet, and will also include visitors from the Canadian and American militaries, ' then leaving a friend’s results in plea A TERRACE family is making a desperate plea to the communily for help in finding their missing son. Larry Vu, 28, disappeared Feb, 24, and hasn’t been seen since. Family members say the disappearance is complete- fy out of character, and they’re hoping the public can tell them more about what happened. ‘We don’t know what else to do,’’ says Lindsey Reim- che, Vu’s aunt. ‘“The family is very sad; nobody can even eat.’’ Reimche came back to Terrace from her home in Kam- loops to hetp comfort the family, and to act as a translator since the Vus are Vietnamese and speak little English. “We don’t understand what has happened,’’ she says. ‘That day just seemed like a normal day, but he never came home.” Vu dropped his mother off to work at Hanky Panky’s Cabaret al about 11 p.m., Feb, 23. He was later seen at the Skeena Pub at about 1:30 a.m. and house at 9 a.m., Feb, 24. Reimche says the family is especially concerned because Vu’s car, a gold, four-door Dodge Aries, was found abandoned off Kalum Lake Drive near Deep Creek. Larry Vu “Tf he was going to visit friends somewhere why would he leave his car there?’” she asks. Reimeche says Vu is a hard-working young man who has never been in trouble, He works several cleaning jobs at night ard lives with his family. At the time of his disappearance, be was planning to quit onc job and go back to school. **He’s a very kind man,’ Reimche says. ‘‘We want him to come home. If there’s anything that people know, please help us out.’’ Vu is about 573” tall and weighs 135 Ibs, Anyone with any information about his disappearance should call Crimestoppers or Terrace RCMP. Surgeon gap could occur again THE CITY was without its two general surgeons for four days last week, And for those four days, from March 19 to March 22, general surgeons in Kitimat and in Prince Rupert were alerted that they might be taking emer- gency cases from here. It’s a situation which may happen again, says Dx. Geoff Appleton, a local physician who represents the north on the B,C. Medical Association board, Specialists in different citics will most likely be. working more closely so their pecrs can take days off or go away for educalion, he said. ‘These kinds of arrangements do represent sharing of resources between communities but Appleton — ack- nowledged that there can be difficulties. ‘“Tt's not a bad thing but it docs represent second best care as it does mean a person will have to travel if there’s an emergency,’’ said Appleton. “IE it's going to Prince Rupert it is a one and a half hour drive and that can be uncom fortable,’’ _ Terrace has been without surgical coverage before but not for as long as four days, Usually, because Kitimat and Prince Rupert have only one general surgeon - each, Terrace ends up covering for those For more on fast week's lack of general surgical coverage, Page A2. Skeana MLA Helmut Giles- brecht agrees Milis needs more money, Page A9. communities, sald Appleton. “What is happening is a growuig realization that being on call one in two_ (days) and one weekend in every two is something that can’tgo on,’’ he said, “They're asking why they can’t get away more often and if Prince Rupert and Kitimat can provide coverage, that . could work out.”’ Appleton added that a regular system of having the four gencral surgeons in the three communities spell each other off could bring their on-call level to one night in four, something being adopted as a standard elsewhere. He said there are elements in the local situation equal to that of general prac- tioncrs in smaller communities to the east which withdrew on-call services be- cause of the workload, Northwestern community health care councils will be talking about ways of sharing their resources later this month. - Prince Rupert Reglonal Hospital ad- ministrator Roger Walker said Prince Rupert has depended heavily on Ter- race’s two general surgeons when its single one necds a break. It's not at all unusual situation to have some kind of back up rellef in place,’! he said. As with Appleton, Walker's predicting there’s going to be more health service related co-operation among communities atid hospitals in the north.