Be PE OE ROR rE ROE PE sgrererss tests: . * TERRACE — After four years "away, Kevin Marshall returned to Terrace six months ago br- inging with him wife Stephanie ‘and their baby daughter, ‘Heaven, “ “D like this country,” he ex- | ‘plained. “This place has. got some kind of magnet I think — © ‘everybody who leaves comes ‘back sooner or later,’” ‘But much as he may like it, ‘Kevin, --faces the very real i : possibility his young family will ‘soon have to leave the com- munity, Although recently laid ‘off ‘from his supervisor’s job with a local janitorial contrac- -tor, it is not the lack of employ- ment that may drive them out — he sees no difficulty in fin- ding another job. What he cannot. find is a place to live, When they first arrived, he said, they stayed° with his parents but with three of them, that’ wasn't a long term solu- tion. “Since then it’s been all motels,’” And while he has no com- plaints about the motel they are ‘staying at, Kevin points out, “It’s not a good place to live, ‘ho hotel or motel is,’’ "T's not for want of trying ‘that they’re still living there. Having spent most of 25 years in Terrace, Kevin knew a lot of people who rented out proper- ties. He phoned them all, but without success. They both listen to the radio every chance they get and scan the classified ads in the newspapers every week. ‘But everytime I’ve phoned a place since | got back, it’s been taken or, ihey won't take pets.”” The Marshalls’ pet is Bear, a big but friendly dog they got because Kevin's job meant a lot of night work, But even though he has prov- ed to be a fine watchdog and is good. with the baby, the couple ob, TERRACE — It will be the end of the month before the Cana- dian Mortgage and Housing Corporation brings out its latest rental vacancy statistics, but its market analyst does not expect the new fi igures will show any let up in what is one of the tightest SEO PE pe BR ea Rental aa strikes. home for young family PO eS SP Ras et Te Oe STILL SEARCHING. When Kevin Marshall, 25, decided to return to Terrace last year, his father warned him it would probably be difficult to find a place to five. Six months later he and wife Stephanie, 19, know that only too well. Still unable to find rental accommodation, the couple and eight-month-old daughter Heaven have been living in motels far most of that time. Kevin says although there is a lot of construction going on in the community, “They're building to sell, they're not building anything to rent anymore.” The lack of a home may eventually force the Marshalis to leave the city. say they are ‘ready to let him go if that’s what it takes to get a place. With that in mind, they have even gone to see ‘no pets’ places only to find they were too _ small. **One we looked at in Thor- nhill was no bigger than this,”’ Kevin said, gesturing to the few hundred square feet that serves as kitchen, dining and living room. rental housing markets in the province. CHMC's last survey, con- ducted in October 1989, showed the local vacancy rate had shrunk to just 0.6 per cent, the lowest in northern B.C. It was also less than one-sixth the rate The dilemma facing the Mar- shalls now is while Kevin wants to find another job and is sure he can do so, the couple first need to know they will be stay- ing in Terrace. And that means finding a place to rent. Pointing out they are not the only ones in this situation, Kevin says a friend who had just put in a month at Northwest Community College ended up of only a year previously. Noting the number of places available for rent in the com- munity had remained ‘fairly static” over the past six months, Ali Manouchehri said the vacancy rate could not improve to any significant extent while Many people have to buy TERRACE — The local rental accommodation situation can be summed up quite simply, ac- cording to a local realty agent. “Demand is strong, supply is close to zero,” said Hans Stach, adding the apparent continued influx of newcomers to Terrace means rental units are almost’ impossible to find. That view was echoed by fellow realtors Joe Barbosa and Verne Ferguson who said their agencies were fielding a steady stream of enquiries for places to rent, “They see a vacant house and call to see if they can rent it or rent-to-purchase,’* Barbosa explained, adding many of those enquiries came from peo- ple who only expected to be here for a limited time. However, the problem is the same for those moving here with longer term residence in mind, Ferguson pointed out. “Normally, these people would rent and then look for the right house,”’ he explained. Whatever their long term in- tentions, all three realtors agree the accommodation squeeze. means many mewcomers are purchasing in the absence of an alternative, Indicating most of the buying was of homes in the lower price range, Stach said, “They take something they can get into and can sell later when they find the home they would really like.’’ Mobile homes were proving particularly popular, Barbosa added. Where there had been a number of such homes on the market a year ago, now there were “very, very few.” Mobile homes, he explained, are attractive because they are relatively easy to sell. ‘Even if a mobile home owner sells for less than than his or her purchase price, Barbosa con- tinued, the amount would pro- bably be less than the cost of renting over the same period, abandoning his studies and the city because he couldn’t find a place to live. “If things don’t get better, we're going to have to leave too and I don’t want to move out of this country,’’ he adds. The couple have another pro- blem to face beginning tomor- row. That’s the day they will have to start paying summer rental rates at the motel — $800 per month, ‘ight rental market to continue. - that remained the case. He therefore expected this month’s figures to show it continuing at below one per cent. However, while constructing new rental units might appear to be the only way to reverse the situation, Manouchehri em- phasized ‘““We have to very careful dealing with the pro- blem.’’ A good deal of the demand, he explained, was only tem- porary and generated by people who only intended to be in the community for a year or two, He said this was particularly true of those in the construction industry, adding the permanent workforce was often far less than the number of workers needed to construct a given facility. Pointing to past examples .— such as Kitimat. — where numerous rental units were built during a construction boom on- ly to fall empty once that period came to an end, Manouchehri said, “Hopefully we have learn- ed from that lesson,” _One way to k boost housing TERRACE — ABC. Housing Management Commission pro- gram could offer a solution to the city’s chronic rental accom- modation shortage, but a member of that body says local developers so far have shown little interest. ' The rental supply’ program offers: developers — _ cither private or non-profit — a sub- sidy to reduce mortgages to only eight per cent, says Danny Sheridan. It’s offered in areas where there is two per cent or below rental vacancy rate, ' He said program guidelines required developers to come up with’ 15 per cent equity in the project and:.arrange. the re- mainder of the financing with a Canada Mortgage and. Housing Corporation-approved | -lender before submitting a. proposal. ! The proposal : specifies the number of potential units, who — would rent:them and the rental amount, ‘Both the ‘initial rent ‘and any ‘subsequent increases. Are subject ‘to agreement with the commission..: » While, the commission would ONE KIND of housing to alleviate the rental crisis in in Terrace is is a 13-duplex complex off Pear being developed by Muks-Kum-Ol Housing Society. Although it'l help, the @ society will still have 500 people on its walting fist. enter into an assistance agree- ment of up to five years, he said preference was given to pro- posals. indicating the properties . would remain. in .the - rental. said, because it offered a signifi- market once the agreement; had expired, . - Preference was: also given. 'to projects aimed. at families or comes are $27,000 or less if a ‘two-person household’ “and $45,000 if four or ‘more. He pointed out those Income levels . were ‘‘well above’’ those “specified under social housing programs, ~ “This is a good program,” he cant. financial break to the @ developer and at the same time could: provide the type of ac- seniors and where’ renters’. in. Commodation needed by a fami- dy of three or four who relied on a single and not that high an in- sen, there was a need for such developments in the community, Sheridan pointed out the Muks-Kum-O] housing society projects over the past two years had created a signifi- cant number of new rental units. Given the families moving in- to those units had been renting elsewhere until then, ‘‘It should have freed up rental accom- modation throughout the com- munity,” he said. However, the latest CMHC vacancy rate figures indicated that had not been the case. While those statistics in- dicated there was a need for ren- tal housing in Terrace, Sheridan said interest by local developers since the introduction of pro- vincial incentives last year has been limited to ‘‘a couple of en- quiries.”” . -- “The problem is encouraging an investor to go into something like that,’’ he said, suggesting the reluctance to become involy- ed with rental properties may be due in part to memories of the high Vacancy rates during the recesslgn., of f the early, 80s. Se pone ee ee a a all to et Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 2, 1980 — Page. AS LETTERS _ TO THE TERRACE STANDAAD An open letter to: Teresa Nicholl, M.D. Terrace, B.C. ", Dear Dr. Nicholl: == ' _ Thank you for your letter regarding news coverage of physician billings in Terrace and Kitimat (Apr. 25, 1990). lam sorry you felt the report did not give the complete pic- ture “regarding -doctors’ net incomes, but, the report was not about doctors’ net in- comes. The story dealt with ‘billings to the Medical Ser- . Vices Plan and how those charges vary between Ter- race/Kitimat and the rest of the province. Of course, office and other overhead costs must be paid out of the money received, but these costs are not unique to the northwest, nor are they, I suspect, greatly dif- ferent from other parts of the province. However, charges to the Medical Services Plan do vary significantly between Terrace/Kitimat physicians and their provincial counter- Parts, as does the rate of in- crease in the charges and this is what the news report was about. ; It follows if doctors here have higher billings than doc- tors elsewhere. in the pro- vince, the local doctors must also be busier and this was pointed out in the report. The report also revealed Dr, Pieter Van Herk is the area’s busiest doctor, although ‘it did not elaborate on his hours of work, which you have done in your letter. 1, too, would not trade salaries with Dr. Van Herk if I had to put in the hours he does. But again, the report was not about the justification of . Physician salaries, rather the — An open letter to: Mr. Donald H. Lander, President and Executive Officer, Canada Post Dear Mr. Lander: This letter is to protest your use of Communist Nor- man Bethune’s picture on the 39 cent postage stamp. I recall the use of Louis Riel’s picture a few years back, and wonder how deep in the barrel you will go in order to find pictures to adorn our Canadian postage stamps. Would it be safe to assume that all of our wor- thwhile and honest people, past and present, will be shoved aside in your ap- parent attempt to depict the sordid, the revolutionary and the eccentric on this nation’s mail? - Is it also possible that future postage stamps will feature the Mackenzie- Dear sir: The contribution to Earth Day published in the April 18 Terrace Standard signed by the teachers of the district is commendable and it would be difficult to contest the value of its recommenda- tions, 1 would however consider it an omission that the sub- ject of “‘littering’’ is not enumerated. | Billings, not | income the issue ’ residents needing emergency .|Doctor on stamp] draws a protest Note Earth Day all year round difference i in provincial bill ing patterns, I add, it’s perhaps acom- mentary on the state of our. medical system, that Terrace - room care might receive. it from a physician coming off a 32 hour shift, sometimes working under conditions of extreme duress. I also agree it’s difficult to attach a dollar figure to the stress and The story dealt with billings to the Medical Services Plan and how those charges vary bet- ween Terrace/Kitimat and the rest of the pro- vince, responsibilities of the medical practice, as it is, for all work done for society. Again the news report did not deal with this issue; it merely indicated latest government figures show medical doctors in Terrace and Kitimat are, on average, busier than most. I should mention TK News also reported Prince Rupert physicians bill the govern- ment, on average, less than what doctors in other parts of B.C, bill. In closing, I appreciate your interest in the story. Judging from comments received, others were also in- terested. I note; your com-. ments do not question the facts of the story, but rather what some might construe from it. Sincerely, Blaine Gaffney News Director _ Skeena Broadcasters - Papineau volunteers who fought for the Communists in the Spanish Civil War? I would not be at all surprised! Let me make some sugges- tions, Mr. Lander. Stick to the honest, hard-working and wholesome, or use birds, animals and plants, as so many countries do. Her Ma- jesty the Queen looks well on our postage. We have even known some worthy statesmen and ever- day heroes, such as the un- forgettable Ferry Fox. Try to be positive and avoid those who either worked against the majority public interest or went to aid and abet the Communist takeover of our erstwhile Chinese friends. Needless to say, I do not buy or use the Bethune stamp. Yours truly, Thomas Atrill New Hazelton, B.C. To contral toxic emissions by industry, the millions of car exhausts, sulphur-dioxide fallout, the carbon-dioxide buildup and associated depletion of the life-giving oxygen are a few of the ma- jor complex problems we face. How do we eliminate the use of plastic and styrofoam cont'd A6 The Terrace Standard welcomes letters to the editor on all topics, All letters must be signed and carry an ad- _ Gress. and local telephone number. Addresses or phone numbers won't be printed with the letter, but they are necessary for confirmation of the letter’s authenticity The writer’s name will be published. Requests ‘for names to be Withheld may be granted in extraordinary cir- cumstances. Thank you letters should be submitted to the ‘Card of Thanks’ section of the classifieds. Letters containing libelous or objectionable matter will be edited or returned to-the writer, All letters are run.on a space available basis, with shorter letters’ likely to be | phe poe ple abt ars pak te par ge Pak ik alll a allt ae ae nee published soonest, .