A devastating legacy Back to the books Sydney slam dunk Terrace-based residential school abuse counsellors begin outreach program\NEWS A15 Students at Cassie Hall say why they like doing their -homework\COMMUNITY B1 Terrace basketball player shows the world her talents at Olympic games\SPORTS B6 WEDNESDAY — September 27, -2000 §1.00 PLUS .7¢ GST (32. 10 plus 8¢ GST outside of the Terrace area) VOL, 13 NO. 25 - STANDARD Doctors urged to stand together Offer to individual docs called ‘strike-breaking’ A LOCAL DOCTOR is urging his colleagues to stay away from the pro- vincial government’s offer of more money last week, saying it does noth- ing for northern physicians. And Dr. Geoff Appleton, who repre- sents the north on the B.C. Medical As- sociation board, describes the govern- ment’s offer as an attempt at “strike breaking.” The province last week released what it said was a new package worth $58.5 million in the hopes of stopping a series of doctor strikes across the province. It’s proposing to take $18.5 million in tion Allowance (NIA) program and an- other one one that pays doctors to be on call in rural areas and roll it into $40 million of new money for doctors every- where else in B.C. except for the popu- lated southern areas. The plan is that there’l! be enough money to find and keep doctors not only in the north but in other places, health minister Mike Farnworth said. In Terrace, for.instance, the province wants to pay general practitioners a lump sum of $45,000 a year and spe- cialists $56,250 a year to stay here. That’s instead of a 14 per cent premi- um now paid here on doctors’ billings. Specialists and general practitioners would also get money to be on-call, the lack of which is a contentious issue in Doctors and dollars m@ A special report on the history and the numbers behind the rural doctors dispute. Page A5. On-call money for specialists in Terrace is where the provincial government's offer falls apart. Page A6. centres the size of Terrace. Bul Appleton says he hopes doctors won't give in and end their withdrawal of all but emergency services at the hospi- tal. “Terrace would get very little. There’s not much in it for physicians in NIA “Hopefully the guys won’t sign. There’s lots of downside in this.” Appleton’s particularly galled at the province wanting doctors to sign personal service agreements in order to get the new money. “What it is is strike breaking,” said existing money froma the Northern Isola- areas already like Terrace,” he said. Cont'd Page A2 TERRACE BYLAW official Frank Bowsher isn't convinced of of officers on the trail of vicious dogs. Most animal owners the necessity of a new provincial law which boosts the powers New dog law need downplayed NEW PROVINCIAL legislation aimed at curving vicious dog attacks won’t make much difference here according to Terrace’s bylaw enforcement director. Frank Bowsher says that the legislation, which gives animal control officers clear au- thority to make the first call on deciding whether a dog is dangerous, is unnecessary here. “We've always taken the initiative anyway,” he said. “I don’t know why it’s being put on our backs.” Before the legislation took effect, officers had to have the consent of the owner before entering property. Now they can enter and sieze with or without police officers after ob- taining a warrant. “When you're entering a yard, you're tak- ing your own chances,” said Bowsher, one of two animal control officers in Terrace. Bowsher said that police officers can and will still make the first call a lot of the time, adding that dangerous dogs aren't a huge problem here. “The majority of the citizens here are responsible dog owners,” he said. “Maybe one per cent, maybe not even that pose a problem.” Last year, five dogs were siczed by offi- cers in Terrace in situations where it was fell the owners weren't being responsible. Orders to owners to leash and muzzle the dogs are almost always followed, Bowsher said. So far this year, animal control has heard of 10 dog bite incidents, most of which - Bowsher described as “nips”. The legislalion, which took effect Aug. 30, also reaffirmed the right of animal con- trol officers to apply for a court order to de- stroy dangerous dogs. Under the legislation, a dangerous dog is defined as one that has killed or seriously in- jured a person or domestic animal or is like- ly to do so. ~ [In an open letter to dog owners, Aitorney- General Andrew Petler said that the new here are responsible, he says. laws “strike a balance between respecting the rights of dog owners and making sure dangerous dogs don’t pose a threat to our communities.” “The new law is aimed at dog owners who tefuse take the necessary preventative mea- sures, even when faced with evidence that their dog has killed,” Petter said. Bowsher said that a big problem officers face here and elsewhere is that of unlicensed dogs. Through August this year, 101 dogs have been picked up unlicensed, mostly: running © loose. Identifiable owners have been hit with $50. fines and licensing fees as ‘a result: Bowsher said that Terrace has about 800 licensed dogs: Fines can also be handed out for dogs that aren’t on a ‘leash in parks or anywhere else, although the park arcas are more strictly en- forced, Bowsher said. Owners can also be fined $50 if they don’t pick up after their dogs. Dr. Geoff Appleton Health bucks bit of a puzzle HEALTH COUNCIL officials here continue to pore over budget documents received last week from the provin- cial government indicating they'll be getting $2,015,810 more to spend than last year for a total of $17,364,665 million, They’re already cautioning that $491,915 of the $2 million is for capital spending, and must be removed in order lo get to the real increase when it comes to opera- ding expenses at Mills-Memorial-Hospital-and- the Terra- ceview Ladge extended care facility. ’ That leaves $1,523,895 for a true operating budget in- crease amounting to 9 per cent over last year, says health council chief administrater Dieter Kuntz. But $146,530 is a one-time grant, details of which are still being worked out, he said. Swill, the operating amount comes close to what the health council wanted for a series of real medical ser- vices increases including an eighi-bed alternative care ward for elderly patients to free up acute care beds and more money for ophthalmology surgery, Kuntz said, “If we could do the things we wanted to do, we'd need a lift of $1.4 million,” he said. At the same time, the money must be used to pay for wage increases and to cover deficits incurred since the beginning of the health council’s budget year April 1. As well, health council officials have to set aside what’s: needed at Terraceview Lodge before they can determine the real increase for Mills Memariai. “It’s hard to say what we have right now,” said Kuntz. , “This is going to be analyzed and we have a lot of ques- tions for the [health] ministry.” Exactly how the health council will spend the new money it has will have to wait. until next month, on Oct. 12 when the health council meets, Local doctors are also waiting for those details, says physician spokesman Dr. Bill Redpath as part of their job action is tied ta demands for better services at Mills Memorial. “We just don’t know how far that $2 million will go,” he said. “More OR (operating roam) time is crucial to us.” Skeena NDP MLA Helmut Giesbrecht was happy with the increase, saying it represents a chance for in- creases in services at hard-pressed Mills Memorial. Some of the $491,915 for capital spending will be used for a new patient care software system and replace-: -ment beds and stretchers at Mills. The increase this year follows on a budget boost of nearly $1 million ‘last year. That helped cure a chronic deficit problem at Mills which, two years ago, amounted to more than $600,000. ~ Still left to be resolved is the impact of an arbilrated wage setllement of hospital workers across the province that’s over and above i increases contained in union con- tracts. Kuntz said the health council has yet to determine its financial impact here. Giesbrecht said he’s been assured that money to pay for this will come later and won’! come out of the new health council budget, Miller won’t wade into natural gas fray ENERGY minister Dan Miller says he has no plans to name a customers’ re- presentative to act for ordinary north- westerners al upcoming hearings ex- pected to further increase natural gas charges. Alarm has been raised by Terrace city council about a deal being nego- tiated between Pacific Northern Gas and its biggest customer, Mcthanex Corp. . PNG is under pressute to reduce the price it charges Methanex to transmil gas to its temporarily closed Kitimat methanol plant. Methanex threatens to make the closure permanent if there’s no deal. A cut in Methanex’s transmission cost would lead to an increase in the iransmission cost for all other natural pas users. That would be an extra jolt for northwesterners on top of the stea- dily rising price of the gas itself. While he said he understands north- westerners’ concern, Miller said the decisions are largely. out of govern: . ment’s hands. . “There's nolhing [ can do as the minister of energy ard mines with re- spect to elther the closure of Metha- — nex or ultimately about what the B.C. Utilities Commission might do with respect to an application for a rate in- crease by Pacific Northern Gas,” Mill- er told The Standard. Miller did say anybody can make their case about what should be done to the utilities commission. “Write a letter asking for intervenor , status and go make a pitch,” he said, ~Skeena MLA Helmut Giesbrecht, however, said there’s merit in the idea - of having: someone al the hearings de- dicated lo representing consumers. He said the representative would have more credibility if, rather than being named by the government, they were picked by either.a grassroots citi- zens group or else one or more muni- ‘cipalilics: Giesbrecht said. the provinee could defray. some of the costs of that effort lo. make presentations ‘al the hearings. “[t> might give. the public some comfort that. the “decisions. the -B.C. Utilities: Commission. might end. up ‘making’ would ‘al least consider the hardship some of these incteases. are. “going to have on northern consumers,” he said. “There's a perception that the BCUC just makes its decisions based on numbers and figures and don’t al- ways consider the other social impact factors,” he added. Miller said offering natura@els- " tomers a rebate — as Alberta is doing -- would be unfair to users of other hume heating fuels like heating oil and pro- pane. He maintained that when heating and electrical biils are looked al toge- ther, B.C. residents are better off on the whole than Albertans because of much lower electricity costs here.