AQ - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 18, 1998 “TERRACE STANDARD Business REVIEW Phone service more expensive B.C.Tel plans more rate hikes BASIC telephone service just got more expensive. B.C. Tel rate increases that took effect Jan. 1 jacked * the cost of a single residen- tial line in Terrace from $15 to $18.35 per month. The latest round of rate in- creases are steepest in more rural and remote parts of the province — areas that B.C. Tel officials say have paid to litile for too long. It’s the second hike in less than a year, Rates rose to $15 last April from $13.50. The price here is still lower than the provincial average of $22 a month. It’s also lower than the $30 a month the company Says it costs to provide residential service. “Rural areas cost more to service than more densely populated areas, so we're moving rates closer to actual costs,” said B.C. Tel spokesman Ed Clark. The CRTC agreed to al- low local service competi- tion starting Jan. 1. Local service has always been priced below cost and Out & About Asia clouds LNG plans OFFICIALS at Pac Rim LNG aren’t sure what effect the crash of Asian economies — including South Korea — will have on their plans for a Kitimat- based gas cooling plant. ‘Although Pac Rim now has commitments for its nat- ural gas supply, the mell- down of the Korean econo- my has stalled negotiations on a deal to sell iiquified natural gas io Korea Gas. The country’s economy was thrown into turmoil last fall when several Asian stock markets fell in value. Currencies were devalued, and the cost of imports into South Korea has doubled. However, Pac Rim vice- president Wayne Stanley believes the project will be insulated from the current crisis because it’s such a long term prospect. The Koreans were looking for natural gas to generate elec- tricity over a 20 year term. Stanley added his hunch is if any country will mount a quick recovery from the crisis, it would be Korea. He said Pac-Rim is going back to re-pitch its LNG to Japanese and Taiwanese companics while talks with the Koreans are on hold, Firm adds third lawyer A NEW LAWYER has been added to the five-year- old Terrace law firm of Lindsey & Grueger. Marshall Matlas joins firm pariners Grant Lindsey and Holly Grueger as an as- sociate. Matias, 27, of Winnipeg, moved here from the prairies last summer. He’s doing primarily fam- ily law and legal aid work, The expansion of the firm to three lawyers has allowed Lindsey to concentrate on criminal work, Grueger docs a blend of civil, criminal and family law. Grucger said the change has helped ease the shortage of lawyers who do family Jaw and in particular Iegal aid work in Terrace. Matias says he’s enjoying ae life in a smaller city. “There’s so much court work here and that’s the biggest part of the law — going and secing the results,’’ he said. ‘It makes you feel like you’ve done something.”’ while . the losses were traditionally recouped through higher long distance charges. The strategy worked well in a monopoly market, but long distance competition deprived providers like B.C. Tel of profits with which to sibsidize local service. The result has been steadily in- creasing local rates. This month’s increase is just the latest step in B.C. Tel’s plan to double local service rates aver four years to between $25 and $30 per month for residential customers. Although iocal service competition is now possible, Clark says northerners will likely be the last in the pro- vince to geta choice. Business customers are getting a break, however, The CRTC refused B.C. Tel’s request to increase lo- cal business rates by nearly 30 per cent. ‘i Toyota expansion TERRACE MOTORS Toyota is doing a 3900 square foot renovation and expanston to their show room and service centre. Progressive Ventures workers were adding finishing touches to the roof last week. “a BM B.C. near recession, CIBC says B.C, WILL barely skirt a recession in 1998 as its resource economy is bat- tered by falling commodity prices. That’s the prediction of senior CIBC economist Linda Nazareth. The bank is projecting the B.C. economy will come precariously close to reces- sion over the first half of the year, expanding by barely one per cent in 1998. A slight recovery is expected the next ycar. “The deck is stacked against =BC.,’? Nazareth says. ‘‘Exporis are being hurt as a result of the Asian economic crisis, migration from other provinces is slowing, commodity prices are soft, and the consumer sector is suffering from high debt and lack of con- fidence,” In addition, she said, the B.C. goverment has few options for energizing the economy. \CHRYSLER’S OLYM CRIME |i! STOPPERS 635-TIPS #1 Contributing Salesperson #2 Contributing Salesperson #3 Contributing Salesperson The Northwest Real Estate Board is proud to congratulate the three highest contributors to the Board for 1997 in recognition of their outstanding sales achievements: Shelia Love (Right) Re/Max of Terrace Gordon Olson (Centre) Re/Max of Terrace John Evans (Left) Re/Max of Terrace Awards were presented at the Annual General Meeting held January 24th in Terrace. AYN northwest real estate board PIC E “i QE 5?) ‘Chrysler and its dealers are proud to sponsor our Canadian Olympic athletes. 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