Controversy continues A new home There's a wide range of. opinions over the signing of the Nisga’ a AIP\NEWS AS. | Bosnian refugees escape the conflict for a new life in Terrace\ COMMUNITY B1 neg eee Trio of Wins Local boxers come home from a Prince Rupert tournament with — victories\SPORTS B7 WEDNESDAY MARCH 27, 1996 Hospital to start renovati MILLS MEMORIAL Hospilal is going ahead with a plan to renovate its main nursing floor, allowing it to trim costs by centralizing services and laying off em- ployces. The renovations, which could cost up to $1 million, should be finished by De- cember. The Terrace Regional Health Care Society, which runs the hospital, made the decision despite being turned down by the health ministry for immediate financial. assistance for the project. Instead the hospital will put its own money into the project for now and app- ly io the health ministry and the new regional health financing authority for help later, says Mills chief executive of- ficer Michael Leisinger, The decision to go ahead with the renovations comes after the health minis- try suggested the project isn’t completely tied to plans to cut costs by Jaying off workers. “The board has decided that the plan is central to our ability to balance the budget and re-organize service,”’ said Leisinger after a health society meeting last week. Renovations will result in a centralized nursing, station and moving various wards to be grouped around that station. The result, expects the hospital, is the need for fewer workers to cover the wards. Although the hospital at first wanted to cut the number of beds on the main nurs- ing floor from the current 42 to 33, its plan now wouldn’t involve any bed losses. Up to nine beds will be placed in reserve, ready for use when emergencies of other demands require them. The hospital’s operating budget will be structured to run with 33 beds at an aver- age 80 per cent occupancy level, Bui there will! be allowances made to use the other beds should they be re- quired. ; The budgetary plan is based on the hospital taking a cut of up to $500,000 from the provincial government. Leisinger said the number of jobs that'll be cut hasn’t been decided yet but che does want to circulate the anticipated reductions as soon as next month, “Tl know this is causing uncertainty. It’s unfortunate that this is taking such a length of time,’’ said Leisinger. And once the job cut plan is released, Leisinger said it'll be gone over by hos- pital workers who may come up with altematives to the jay of6s. The renovations plans should be ready for tendering by the end of April with construction anticipated to start in June. It’ll be a five-phase project because Mills can’t shut down the floor while the work is going on. Anticipated construction cost is $860,000, not including architectural and other fees which could push the price up has ’ has economic justification,” 93¢ PLUS 7¢ GST VOL. 8 NO. 50° Ons to the $1 million range. Leisinger’s confident that the price tag will hold firm, saying the architectural company’s track record has shown il to be an accurate cost estimator. He said the health care society feels it Stands a good chance of receiving finan- cial assistance later on based on a sound application. “We are looking for efficiencies in our budget and we feel this re-organization Leisinger added. The usual financing of capital projects is split 60 per cent between the provin- cial government and 40 per cent bya regional health financing authority. Mills gives apology for insensitive word MILLS MEMORIAL Hospital tive several weeks ago was insensitive and s Egg-cellent volunteer MARGE GOODLAD is one of many volunteers who helps out every month at the Food Bank of the Chur- ches. Here she helps pack eggs that will be placed in the food bags for needy families. Last week volunteers at the food bank handed out 466 bags of food. There will be one more food bank before the summer's closure, and that takes place April 15-18. apologized for the use of the word Indian contained in minutes of a senior nurses” meeting, “The word did not reflect the true tone of the mecting and it was completely in- appropriate,’’ hospital chief executive of- ficer Michael Leisiiger Said last week. “That word should not have been printed.”' The apology extends to anyone clse who might have been offended by the minutes. The apology came after two hospital em- ployees wrole letters protesting the use of the word, It was used in relation to the dilemma hospital employees sometimes face when lamge groups visit the hospital all at once to view a deceased person. Senior nurses at a meeting ast December wanted to put a viewing policy in place. But the minutes of the mecting gave the impression that it is only native groups who visit the hospital in numbers large enough which can then present hospital workers with problems. Thal and the use of the word Indian formed the basis of the complaint letters by the two hospital workers. They also said the treatment of a native family who came to view a deceased tela- wrong. Leisinger said hospital workers will receive cultural sensitivity training, He said the minutes were wrong to give the impression that it was only natives who -visit the hospital in large cnongh numbers to view deceased relatives. “The hospital serves a number of people. The First Nations are the largest of the vari- ous cultural groups so that’s where we’re beginning with cultural training,” Leisinger said. At the same time, Mills will begin to work on # policy of how it can accom- modate large family groups. Increasingly tight budgets and limited numbers of employees at times make it dif- ficult for the hospital to meet a wide variety of demands, said Leisinger. ‘We have to come up with a consistent policy if there is a death or a death watch,’ he said. “We want to minimize the disruption that may occur to other patients and to provide for the comfort and care of the person who is dying,’’ Leisinger added. “The policy will be how to deal with large groups of people in the hospital.”’ “It may be that we might not be able to deal with it at all,” said Leisinger. Private arena idea probed By JEFF NAGEL CITY COUNCILLORS are taking an apprehensive step toward lelling a private developer build a second are- na here, The idea is full of tempting pluses. Unlike last year's defeated referendum proposal to bor- row $2.1 million and face even higher annual operating costs, a private development would cost taxpayers noth- ing to build and could even end up reducing the city’s annual arena subsidy, But it’s also fraught with possible trouble - everything from union opposition over job losses to objections from user groups over pricing, Second sheet proponents tabled a brief with couneil Monday that outlines an example arrangement under which the city would make a 25-year commitment to buy 3,400 hours of ice time a year at $130 an hour, That ice time would then be sold back to local skuters at whatever rales council deemed appropriate - allowing the city to continue its policy of subsidizing youth recreation, The second sheeters' example suggests that if adults paid full rate ($130 an hour) and youths were charged $65 an hour, the city’s operating cost for two arenas would be $176,800. That's less thin the $204,000 operating enst to Tunonearena today. However, those prices reflect increases of 3{) to 40) per cent over what ice users pay today and could generale opposition from skaters. ‘The example is based on discussions with Community Facilitics Development Inc., a firm that has built a second sheet of ice for the town of Whitecour,, Alta. Monday's ‘session featured an upbeat company video outing the success of its Whitecourt project, Whilecourt officials tald The Standard the two-sausan- old project has been a success for the town, however they noted the company is still ha ng diffi rly making m mon- ey at it: If the: company’s ‘Whitecour venture. were: 0 fail, corimunity services director Jay. Grunley said, the town would g get the awe, but they woul also get the Continued on wn Page A2 Local college students getting a break STUDENTS planning on taking courses next year at Northwes! Community Col- lege will be getting break. For the first time since the 1980s, there won*t be a tuition hike. Students were preparing for the worst in light of cutbacks in federal transfer payments to the province. With those payments cut, the provincial government was expected to chop the amount of money it sends along to post secondary institutions. The University of Northern B,C,, for example, had already forecast an anticipated tuition hike of 25 per cent for courses beginning this fall. But Jast week Premier Glen Clark an- nounced that tuition would be frozen for a year. ‘Overall [ think it’s very good news,” said NWCC president Michael Hill, But Alex Nemeth, president of the NWCC student association, isn’t ‘‘puti- ing out the party flag just yet,’ “It’s all fine and well but it’s Just an election play,’’ he said. “Don't get me wrong — we’re all thrilled about, but the reality is that sooner or later the ax is going to fall,’’ “T would have rather seen a modest in- crease year by year, because the follow- ing year they’re going to be making it (the shortfall) up,’’ Nemeth added. Tuition has increased at least at the rate of inflation every year, sald Hill, He thinks the tuition freeze this year will be a welcome change for students. ‘Jt keeps education affordable for ‘stu: dents,” said Hill. Although fees vary depending on courses, a student enrolled in university transfer courses at NWCC would pay about half what university students pay in tuition. "We're quite well positioned in com- parison,” said Hill. Clark did temper his tuition freeze an- nouncement by telling post sccondary in- stitutions to find more room for students wishing to enrol. That was part of a second annotncem- ent in which Clark said that more spaces for students should be made available provided institutions tighten up their cur- rent spending. Providing more room for students shouldn’t be a problem, says Hill. He added that while costs can be expected to rise if student numbers do increase, it won't present an overall budget dif- ficulty. The college had already been Io’vking at ways to trim its budget and to find new money, and Hill said it will continue to do that.