TERRACE'STANDARD SECTION B ALEX HAMILTON 638-7283 INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 SPEAKING OUT. ’ SARAH de LEEUW MAI? No thanks. still remember my first trip to the skating rink, In Grade 10, I had just moved to Terrace from the Queen Charlotte Islands, where there weren’t any luxurics like an arena, There I was with my gym class trudging through falling Terrace snow, the bad kids lag- ging behind to chuck snowballs at passing cars. Checks frosty, breath white and puffy. Worried about falling over on the ice in front of the boy I'd just started dating. Gelting to the arena, there weren’t any girls’ skates that would fit my {cet, and [ remember my embarrassment at having to wear boys’ skates — clunky black Bauers. A decade later, those Bauer boys skates bring to mind something quite different from the fashion anxiety of grade 10. Now, they are a pertinent symbol of globalization, a symbol of changing times. Not so long ago, the students in schools in Cainbridge, Ontario proudly skated on skates made in their hometown. When they walked to their arenas, a walk passed the local Bauer fac- tory would not have been unheard of. Then Nike, the U.S.A. based multi-national, bought that Ontario company. Within three years, Nike learned the technol- ogy and moved its new operation to Indonesia, throwing 400 unionized Canadian workers out of their jobs. ’ Free trade agreements like. the. MAI. are out to make. sure companies are happy at any cost. Welcome to the work of free trade. In this world, deals like the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI), which threaten the labour standards of Canada, undermine human rights globally, erode social programs locally, and pose risks to our environment, are making *progress’ happen. They are on the table, so to speak, and looking for ratification. What is the MAI? The prime objective of the MAI is to allow the movement of money across international ,bor- ders by imposing a new sect of rules restricting countries from using legislation, policies and programs which companies see as impediments to the free flow of capital. In simpler words, if something stands in ihe way of a company’s bottom line or profit goal, thal thing could be litigated out of existence. Think minimum wage contributes to a compa- ny’s ability to make profits? What about on-site day care or maternity Icave? Environmental slandards codes or health care premiums aimed at a universal system? Not a chance. These things are just obstacles to a compaay’s ability to make more money. And free trade agree- ments like the MAT are out to make sure com- panics are happy at any cost. When was the last time a company thought of you? Sure, we work for them and they pay us, but that’s fair, they need our labour, and we sell it to them. But I mean cared...wanted the best for you even if it wasn’t all that cost effective or in line with their bottom line. I didn’! think so. Of the top 100 economies in the world today, 61 are the economies of corporations. The econ- omy of Walmart is larger than that of Indonesia. Toyota’s, larger than Denmark’s. Think those economies factor in social welfare and an Employment Insurance Program? Now you're catching on. In our ‘best interests’, the Federal government is negotiating the MAT even though the agree- ment has clauses which prevent a country [rom imposing performance requiremenis on com- panies, allows foreign companies access to our resources Without the companies being required to create a certain number of jobs, and prevents restrictions on foreigu ownership and control of our energy and resources, Fresh water anyone? Look around at the forests aud rivers of Ter- race, Think about the unionized jobs based on resources which drive our local economy. Ask your kids how important minimum wage is if they're thinking of going to universily or getting an old car. Think about lacing up a set of Bauer skates, and the fact they are now made by the hands of underpaid Indonesians rather than unionized workers. ~ On February 17th, starting at 2 p.m. in the Skeena room of (he Best Western (the Terrace), a panel is in Terrace to hear. your thoughts on the MAL Everyone i is welcome la come and make their. thoughts known. 1 hope to see you there, HEART ATTACK SURVIVOR: Terrace resident Patty Dougan is much healthier today since she made lifestyle changes after suf- fering a heart attack nine years ago. Taking care of herself has become her number one priority. Heart patient takes care February is Heart month. Heart disease kills 75,000 Canadians yearly. ALL THE warning signs were there. Patty Dougan just didwt recognize them. Heart attacks weren't supposed to hit healthy 37- year-old women — or so she thought. She vis wrong. After her heazt atlack Sept, 25, 1990, doctors told her she had all the classic symptoms. For mouths, her body had been trying to tell her that her heart was iu trouble. . Looking back, Dougan, who does finance work for the Ministry of Forests, remembers being extremely tired all the time. “Pd come home after work and [7d just * she said. ‘I was so very, very tired.’”” Butlike most people, she brushed off the fa- ‘ligue “and promised herself her next holiday drop,’ would involve alot of rest aud relaxation. When she developed severe shoulder pain, she dismissed it as well. “T thaught it was just a pinched nerve,” said. And when Dougan started getting chest pains and numbness in her arms, she assumed they her sore Were syinptoms shoulder. stemming from she She also remembers symptom of heart attacks in women, I just needed a vacation.’ Dougan explained she only went to the hospi- tal when there was ‘something really wroug’”’ with her. So she said took a couple of pain kil- Jers and hoped her aches would go away. “YT was 37 years ald. Who the hell has a heart atlack at 372”? she said. ‘‘] had no conception of -it whalsoever.’” of cardiac arrest. care unit. Doctors said she could have died. WORDSMITHS: Walter Raedeke won Terrace’s first Scrabble tournament Feb. 15 and Karen Chrysler won the second division. scrabble tourney a first IT WAS Terrace’s first nationally sane- tioned word war. Fifteen people showed up Feb, £5 for the city’s premiere Scrabble tournament, with soine competitors coming from as far away as Calgary and Smithers, The big day was a huge success, said the Terrace Scrabble Club’s director Walter Racdeke. “People came oul of the closet so ta speak,’ Raedeke said. ‘The event, which was authorized by the National Scrabble Association, bad cach wordsmilh play seven gaimes. All games were timed with tournaments clocks. Each player had 25 minutes to com- plete a game. before getting into penalty points. Participants competed in two divisions: the serious division for rated players, and the ‘kitchen table’? division. Raedeke wan the. event defeating nation- ally ranked player Walter Bialobzyski, i, who nutis a Scrabble‘club in Calgary. 7. “Twas ‘quite surprised, ” Said Raedeke, ~-who has been playing competitively for two ‘years. “On any given aay ‘Walter cal beat anybody.” Raedeke said he plays Scrabble and studies the game twice a week. “It’s a pastime that people can get real serious about,’’ he said. Some people, he explained, play everyday on their home computers, Player Phil Bialobzyski, also from Ed- monton, finished third in the competition. Local Karen Chrysler won the second divi- sion and Sheila Watson, Phil’s partner, fin- ished second. Hasbro Canada provided 10 games for prizes. Prizes were given for high score (465) won by Walter Bialobzyski, high single move (97) won by Christine Kofaed, high loss (369) won by Louise Radford, low win (284) won by Joc Zucchialli Jr., most outrageous phony word played and not challenged (ploom) won by Rob. Rell- ing, and even a {ough luck award for the three losses by the fewest points won by Louise Radford, ~The Serabble Club’s next tournament. is planed. for. this fatl, Until then the club incels Wednesdays al 7 pam. at Ground: Works, having a grinding toothache. But when she went in for X-rays, dentists couldn’t find anything wrong with her, Litle did she know that jaw pain is a unique “T didn’t think any of il was a big deal,”’ Dougan said. ‘‘T was working a lot and thought It took Dougan’s mother to recognize that her daughter was ill. Jt was her mother who helped , her to the hospital when she was in the throws Dougan was in Vancouver at the time and she spent the next LO days in a cardiac intensive When Dougan looks back, she said she’s shocked she couldn't hear the warning bells. “T don’t think it was denial,” Dougan ex- plained, ‘‘just nota clue.’’ Dougan is not alone. Very few people recog- nize the warning signs before heart failure. What she also didn’t realize was that ber life- style at the time put her at a high risk of heart disease. Dougan smoked; she didn’t exercise regularly; she was stressed; she. ate foods high in saturated fat; plus, she had a family history of heart dis- case, Today, however, Dougan is dialed in, When- ever there's something wrong wilh her, she gets il checked out. She also started exercising mare aud chooses ‘aheart-healihy diet, | *T cannot take the grease,” dhe said: Me love bacon but I can’t eat it.” , Although, she quit smoking for years, she said nicotine remains a problem. — Dougan had this advice for people: “Be per- sistent. If you have something that doesn’t go away, figure out what it is.’’ She also had this to say: ‘Life is short, sa nake it sweet.”’ Around Town Phone books recycled 1ST TERRACE Scouts are looking for your old phone books to recycle. Scouts will be collecting phone books again this year from March 1 to May 1. About 8000 phone books are delivered annually to the area, but only 3000 were turned in for recycling last year. The Scouts ask for your support to help protect the en- vironment. Drop off boxes are located at Safeway, Overwaitea and the Real Canadian Wholesale Club. Scouts wil pickup books from businesses and organizations. Businesses should call Kim at 635-3656 to arrange for pick-up. Musicians wanted THE TERRACE Community Band and Big Band are actively secking musicians in percussion and all other seclions. If you are interested, please call Carol at 635- 4729, Volunteers are knocking ABOUT 13,000 volunteers in B.C. will be knocking an their neighbour’s doors next month on behalf of the Kidney Foundation of Canada. March is kidney month in Canada, The Foundation hopes to raise $625,000 in B.C. Tax receipts will be issued al the door with each donation. Funds raised during the month enable the Foundation to conlinue supporting important medical research into kidney disease, improving services for B.C, residents living with kidney disease and providing otgan dona- {ion awareness. Hike for Hunger TERRACE SCOUTS and Guides are celebrating their founders’ (Lard and Lady Baden-Powell) birthdays Feb, 22, Terrace Scouts and Guides will celebrate the week from Feb. 21-27 together. They have planned the fol- lowing aclivities: a flag raising ceremony at City hall, group banquets, a church parade, a campfire and swim- mitg, with the weck: culminating with lhe Hike for Huger. The Hike for Hunger is intended to raise awareness of the food bank’s need for-donations afler the holiday season rush, Lacal Scouts and guides would be pleased if you would join them in their third annual Hike for Hunger. They will be marshalling at City Hall at 1 p.m. Feb, 27 and. marching to the Terrace Food Bank with food donations.