_SKEENA: ANG
ROB BROWN

Gov't needs support

very time the beleaguered and befud-
died New Democrat government
drags a plow across the political field
of this province the furrow fills up
with snakes. The history of preterna-
turally Supernatural B.C. is full of political
boondoggles. Some of them even bigger than
the great fast ferry debacle, But under the infla-
tionary glare of a media corps dominated by i
journalists scrambling over themselves to curry
favour by conforming to the codes set down by
their rich, righteously, right-wing, millionaire
bosses, the flimsiest threads of every picayune
peccadillo are spun into a threadbare suit of
scandal. ‘
For those who think I exaggerate the bizarre
nature of B.C. Realpolitik and dispute my asser-
tion that, for the most part, the media compro-'
mises its integrity in its zeal to discredit the
NDP, consider the actions of the Spokane Po-
lice in the case of one Robert L. Yates..Possess-.
ing incontrovertible DNA evidence pointing dir-
ectly at their man, the Spokane cops chose to!
wait patiently near a freeway on ramp where, ,
ultimately, they apprehended and arsested their
suspect. Asked the reason for their modus oper-
andi, a spokescop said it was decided that
¥ates would not be arrested in his home out of
respect for his family. Yates was charged and
later pleaded guilty to the murder of some 13
women.
Compare this to our province, where the
cops, on the suspicion that someone may have

‘built a deck on the back of it for, political fa-,.)

“vours, enter the home of the premier of the pro- -
vince, then riffe through his belongings — an in-
dignity to which no other political figure in this
country has been subjected. All of this is done
in front of the premier's family. And, as if the’
wound hasn't been salted sufficiently, the not-
so-covert operation is captured on film by the
largest private TV network in the province. With
the act itself bold evidence that someone within |

the constabulary directly or indirectly tipped the:
newsmen to the raid, the real scandal refuses to'
stand up as the press heads for gaming tables at

a Burnaby hotel. 4

The actions of Minister of the Environment,
Ian Waddell, have already caused considerable
fuss and fulmination amongst developers and
realtors, and will inevitably draw opprobrious
fire from BCTV propagandists and the reactive’
press as well. Waddell has had the temerity to
table legislation to protect small urban streams.

'“Some landowners have already suffered
steep losses, according to landowners, develo- |
pers and municipal planners who are familiar |
with the Act, which forbids any form of deve-
lopment-including the construction of pathways’
‘and the clearing of vegetation-within 15- to 30-
metre-wide buffer strips along urban rivers,
creeks, brooks and even ditches,” reports the,
Vancouver Sun.

Especially galling to the developers, whose’
colleagues, incidentally have paved over, filled’
in and generally wrecked hundreds and thou-!
sands of streams and invaluable wetlands, is the
fact that Minister Waddell does not envision
any need for compensation.

Ian Beveridge, Past President of the BC Fe-
deration of FlyFishers, is not persuaded by the
Sun or the Land Men. “If there is any need to
justify the enactment of new streamside protec-
tion regulations, the following statistics should
certainly suffice,” writes Beveridge. “The
world's most significant salmon river, the Fraser
and its 200 major tributary streams, together,
constitute a system which is recognized as the
most productive salmon freshwater habitat in!
the world.”

“Of the 60 salmonid producing streams,
which existed in Vancouver in 1859, only 6 re-
mained in 1989, and these were only marginally'
capable of producing salmon.” ;

Beveridge observes that “this deterloration:
has occurred mainly within the past 100 years,
in an area which constitutes only 0.6 per cent of
the province's land mass, yet houses 65 per cent
of B.C.'s population of 4 million.”

Emphasizing the urgency of the problem in
urban areas, Beveridge suggests it is reasonable
‘to assume that, “the same destructive trends
exist in all areas subject to population and in-:
dustrial expansion,”

“This legislation is unquestionably a step in
the right direction, but to be equitable and
meaningful, it must ultimately be extended to
lands impacted by all forms of resource sector

“activity, not restricted only to urban develop-
meni,” says Beveridge. .

Sireams are to the environment what capil-
laries are to the circulatory system. Losing them
to greed-driven suburban expansion is unaccept-

- TERRACE STANDARD?

PORTS...

Powder makes for excellent ©

skiing

SKIERS and snowboarders
couldo’t stop talking about
the snow at Shames
Mountain last week.

That’s because there is
so much of it.

From Jan. 26 - Feb.2
Shames received 89 cm of
new snow, and that much
fresh powder makes for
some great skiing and
snowboarding conditions.

While some ski resorts
in B.C.’s interior are de-
sperate for snow, Terrace
has had outstanding con-
ditions.

Shames was buzzing
with activity Jan. 28 after
the hill received 32 cm of
the white stuff the previous
night. ;

“You would never know
it in town, but you get up
here and it’s 2a whole dif-
ferent story,” said skier Ed
Moore about the recent
dump.

Moore was at the
mountain with his wife,
Julia, and their two-year-
old son, Harold.

Harold is still too young

- to ski, but he gets a bird’s

eye view of the action

from the baby carrier on

Sports.
$a Ela Moras,
fa lee ee ee

menu _

To get your game, avent
or meeting added io the
Terrace Standard Sporis
Menu or Sports Scope,
fax us at 638-8432, or
you can e-mail us at
slandard@kermode.net

Feb, 5-10

MAI Native Basketball
Tournament. in Prince
Rupert. Support the Ter-
race Spirit Riders
(women’s division) and
the Predators
(intarmediate boys). Gall
(250) 627-8997 for ticket
Info,

Fob, 9-11

‘46th annual Terrace
Ladies Valentine's Bon-
spiel. Registration dead-
ling is Feb. 7, call Keith
at 635-5583 for info,

Fab, 9

@ Celebrate the arrival
af power to Onion Laka,
Switch will be flipped at
tonights reception: 7:30

pm.

Feb.10 .

@ Snow Vallay Nordic
Ski Club hosts It’s 20th
annual cross-country
marathon, Ragisiration
forms at Source for
Sports and Vathalla.

Fab. 10

@B.C. Senior Games
Zone 10 monthly meet-
ing. Happy Gang Centra
1:30 pm. For detalis call
Maxine 638-8648 or
Hugh 635-3933,

Feb. 14

m@ Sweetheart spacial at
Shames Mountain. Wear
rad and you gat two lift
tickets for the price of
one.

Feb, 18

m@7th annual Dummy
Downhill at Shames
Mountain. Call-635-3773

ber,

JULIA MOORE and her son Harald, 2, gear up for a

great day of skiing, Harold isn't old enough to ski on,

and boarding conditions :

his own, but he doesn’t seem to mind the bird’s eye

view from the safety of his mom's backpack.

his mom’s back.

While Julia Moore has
her second level ski in-
structor’s certificate, there
were plenty of novice
skiers and snowboarders
out for their first time.

Meagan Biow, 13, was
just one of many people,

young and old, strapping
on a snowboard for the first
time.

“It’s fun,” she said
with a big smile.

And members of the
Ruins hoard team were
also on the hill.

With oodles of fresh

SYLVIA GRIFFITH comes out of the hack during a

practice session before heading to the BC Scott
Tournament of Hearts in Port Alberni, Jan, 22-27,

Local curlers Power arrives
win in Kitimat

“TERRACE’S John Kenne-
dy rink took top honours at
the 33rd annual Aluminum

City Men’s Bonspiel Jan,

19-21 in Kitimat.

Kitimat took three of
the bonspiel’s four events
but the A event went to
the Kennedy quartet.

Blaikie’s rink won the
A ‘two years ago while
Kennedy went down 8-3 by
Wolf DeSmet of Smithers
in Jast year's final.

Kennedy jumped early
with a deuce in the first,

but Blaikie hauled him.

back with a single in the
next and.a steal of two in
_the third. © .

dy elected to blank in
hopes of better things to

come ~ and was it ever the’

right choice.

Coming .to throw his
last, Blaikie faced three
reds but had to throw the
freeze, A great try got him
in to count,-but with en-
ough separation to allow
Kennedy to make a fine
chip and stick for four and
a6-3 lead, -

- Blaikie’s quartet had a
shot at fashioning a come-
back in the tenth but Dale
Walker’s dolible put paid
to that idea to a 9-6 vic-
tory for Kennedy, third

Walker,’ second Richard.

powder to play in, Terrace
riders Tyler Wilson and
John Moher joined up with
the team’s youngest rider,
Mike Pederson from
Prince Rupert, to show off
some of their tricks.

One after the other,
they launched off a jump

MacDo

made from snow and de-
monstrated their mid-air
antics.

The team is preparing
for the Ruins Cup and Big '
Air competition in March.

If Sunday’s action is
any indication it should be
a great competition.

ugall

rink returns
from provincial.
playdowns

THE MACDOUGALL rink
is back in Terrace after the
B.C. Scott Tournament of
Hearts women's curling
championships.

The cream of the cur-
ling crop gathered in Port
Alberni Jan. 22-27 for the
tournament.

The ladies played nine
games in the round robin,
the most curling the team
has done this season,

“The level of play was
excellent,” said MacDon-
gall of the opposition.

Up against the best
teams in the province, skip
MacDougall, third Joan

_ Kucharyshen, second Jac-
quie Eves and lead Sylvia

’ Griffith won three of their
nine match-ups,

“In all of our games it
could have gone either
way right up to the seventh
or eighth end. I think that
comes from them playing
more ten-end games than
we ever get to,” she said.

The highlight of the

tournament came early for
the MacDougall rink when
they took on the Shelley
MacDonald rink and won.

The MacDonald rink,
from Richmond, B.C., went
on to take the title.

Though hopes for a top-
three position were high,
MacDougall is happy with
how well the team played.

“We curled well the
whole week, I'm very
proud of my team,” said
MacDougall.

“There’s a lot of pres-
sure, a lot of demands and:
a lot of curling. They did
really, really well.”

The current team has
been together for two years
and MacDougall is confi-
dent that if they stick to-
gether they could have an-
other stab at the provincial
title next year,

“It'll be our third year
playing together,” she
said. “If we can stay toge-
ther I think we have a shot’
at it.”

to Onion Lake

SkiTrails

THINGS are looking
brighter for cross country
skiers at the Onion Lake
Ski Trails.

It’s been twelve years
in the making, but the area
finally has electricity,

“We have power in the

two gafages on the high- -

way, the electrical build-
ing and club trailer,” said
Terry Brown, chairman of
~ the Snow Valley Nardic
Ski Club,
“And everything is set
, up for future power for
lighted ski trails, a lodge,

will come about sometime -:
in the future, the new
power means added safety ~ :
for skiers now. i

“The front parking lots
are always lit up now,
which adds to security and |
safety,” said Brown,

Brown commended the
efforts of an extensive vo-
lunteer team for helping -
out with everything from- -
wiring buildings, digging
trenches to overseeing
construction efforts, a

A reception celebrating ’

‘the arrival of the power “'[

will take place. at the

and a caretaker building,” -
he said,

able, The media in this province should forget Low, —
While the lt ski: trails

for detalts.
their bias and support Jan Waddell on this one. ee

Onion Lake ski trails at -
7:30 p.m. Feb, 9, se

_ Rather than take the Blanes and lead- Shane
“Bitigle in the next. Kenné- “Burke. °°