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TERRACE — Kitimat resident
Mike Corbeil ended a period of
low-level speculation last week
by announcing he will be the
third candidate seeking the
nomination to run for the NDP
in the Skeena provincial riding.

The Skeena riding association
has scheduled its nominating
convention for March 31.in Ter-
race. Corbeil joins Atlin MLA
Larry Guno and Terrace school
teacher Helmut Geisbrecht in
campaigning for the nomination
to represent the NDP here in the
next provincial election. In an-

nouncing his candidacy, Corbeil ©

said he expects the. Skeena

nomination race to be “the

toughest nomination to win. in
the province’’

Jan. 4 press conference to dispell
the aura-of mystery surrounding
identity of the executive
membership of the riding
organization, declining to even
reveal the number of paid-up
members the party has in
Skeena. ‘“The executive wishes
to keep that confidential. The
issue needs to be discussed... it
will be open to public scrutiny at
some point,’” he said.

_In addition to his candidacy,
Corbeil is currently president of
the riding association, having
taken over the position from
Helmut Geisbrecht, who resign-
ed when he entered the race.
Corbeil said he will stay on as
president, but vice-president

Frank Rowe will handle the’

nomination proceedings at the

convention.

When questioned further
about the membership secrecy
issue, Corbeil suggested there is
a concern that if members’
political affiliations were pub-
licly known, it might create con-
flicts with their. employers or
business contacts. He also
hinted with a smile, ‘“There are
rumors that several former
Social Credit supporters have
signed up with the NDP, but I

aim not in a position to confirm ©

those rumors.’’

The riding association ‘consti-
tution requires anyone who is °

going to participate in the nomi-
nating convention to have taken

: out membership 60 days prior to

the convention date. Corbeil
says he is going on a drive be-
tween now and Jan. 31, the
deadline date, to enlist as many
new party members as he can.
He also noted that he will use the

‘drive to try to convince new

members that he is the best can-
didate for the nomination. —
. Corbeil has lived in the riding

for 10 years, during which time

he has been district supervisor.
for the Ministry of Human
Resources (now called the
Ministry of Social Services and
Housing), an alderman for the
District of Kitimat for the past
eight years, and a director at one
time for the Kitimat-Stikine
Regional District. His current
occupation is manager for the
Skeena Health Unit, He said he

‘has taken his annual vacation to

coincide with the political cam-

‘paign.

The resolution of aboriginal

‘Jand title and. the degradation of
: the environment are going to be
Corbeil did nothing: at the

the two predominant issues in
the next provincial election,
Corbeil says. He indicated that
he is in line with New Democrat
policy on both issues, saying the
current situation with regard to
native land claims is restricting
development and provoking

confrontations.. The Social»

Credit government’s stance on
the issue is that aboriginal title
does not exist in B:C., and they
have refused to participate in
negotiations with native groups
and the federal government. The
NDP acknowledges the existence
of aboriginal title, Corbeil said,
and the claims issue has to be re-
solved.

He said he has no pre-con-
ceived notion of what form a

settlement” would take, aside.

froma ‘“‘fair and equitable”
agreement. ‘I’m not advocating
any position,’’ he explained.
‘The recent closure of fishing
activity in the Kitimat Harbour
illustrates the severity of en-
vironmental problems in the
region, he said. ‘‘We need
significant penalties for consis-
tent polluters,”’ he said, instead
of permit ‘‘variances’’ to accom-

‘modate industries that exceed

limits.

Corbeil visualizes a region-
wide system to monitor en-
vironmental quality, a process to
reduce consumption of goods,
and locally-based recycling
systems. The government’s role,
he said, would be to “‘broker’’
the recycled materials to
markets.

He noted that communities
within the region have the ability
to set up ‘blue box’”’ collection as
part of municipal waste disposal
programs, but without markets
for the recycled materials al! the

U.S. tourism plan
draws questions

A referral regarding an ap-
plication for a 10-year licence of
occupation of B.C. crown land
by a U.S. cilizen has been tabled
by the Kitimat-Stikine Regional
District board of directors. The
application was made by Pete
Rearo of Washington stale, who
already owns property on Wales
Island at the entrance of
Portland Canal. He is:now seek-

ing rights to slightly less than an
‘acre of crown foreshore proper:

ty for the maorape of boats and

a seaplane.

His application doesn’! state,
however, if he intends to use the
land for private or commercial
purposes, and the regional
district board wants more infor-
mation before making a recom-
mendation. As was pointed out
by director Harry Nyce, com-
mercial aquaculture ventures

~ have already been established on

Wales Island by B.C. residents,
and their interests need lo be

protected,

program would accomplish
would be to create ‘neat and
tidy landfills’.

Despite his position as a pro-

‘minent administrator in the civil

service, Corbeil said he has no
inside or confidential informa-
tion that he could turn to his.

- political advantage. He added

that he is bound by an oath of

confidentiality in any case. -

Corbeil described: his nomina-
tion run as “‘a rich multicultural
campaign’,
from native people, trade union-

ists, members of groups that are
politically active on issues.

specific to women, and other
traditional areas of NDP back-
ing. He added, however, “‘I have
not been given approval or of-

fered support from any specific

entity.”’
With regard to the next

general election, Corbeil said he.

‘“would welcome the opportuni-
ty to run against any candidate’”
in Skeena.

Corbeil’s campaign for the
nomination is being run by co-
chairmen Detlef Beck, the ad-
ministrator of Terrace and
District Community Services,
and Kitimat resident Graham
Darby.

‘claiming support

Mike Corbeil: Toughest nomination to win in the
province.

“Janet Lennox, a graduate of Caledonia Secondary, receives a
$500 scholarship from George Buckley, President of the
British Columbia Principals’ and Vice-Principals” Association.
Janet is studying at the University of Victoria, where she plans -
to earn her B.A. in French Janguage and literature.”

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