~— — alll lei i... Duo fit for B.C. finals | , Terracé sends two locals to compete in B.C. Fitness Championships\SPORTS B7 Council to debate Chamber of Commerce and RCMP committee’s ask for photo radar in city limits\NEWS A114 | Terrace tops in trades Terrace and Kitimat students in Vancouver this week for a skills competition\COMMUNITY B1 WEDNESDAY APRIL 23,1997 93¢ PLUS 7¢ GST VOL. 10 NO. 2» Loggers brace for rate rollbacks — By JEFF NAGEL LOGGING contractors fear Skeena Cellulose Inc. will try to force them to accept reduced payment rales. The company, which last week changed its name from Repap B.C., is asking the courts to rule on whether replacable lag-- ging contracts can be terminated under the Companies Creditors Arrangements Acts. If that happens, contractors here expect rate rollbacks will be proposed and con- tractors who don't agree to them could be terminated. , “Ifa contractor was not willing to accept : the rollback in his rate then they-could argue thal the contractor, by refusing to Sobol will lead NDP in Skeena IT REALLY wasn't much of a battle at the Skeena NDP avree to the rate reduction, was putting a wrench into the restructure process,” said Justin Rigsby, of Alm- Wood Contracting, “They would fike to have the freedom to dictate whether there’s going lo be a roll- back or not.” ”-The‘so-culled “evergreen’ “contracts are renewable-every: four-years and can nor- mally: only: be terminated. If there's Bross “negli gence. Rigsby “said power’ to terminate those contracts. would amount to: a gun to con- tractors’ heads. - “It's scary because: loss oF the contract means loss of your livelihood, he said, Skeena Cellulose: lawyer John Spars said it may be necessary for the company to terminate contracts, adding it feels log- ging contracts shouldn't be treated any dif- ferently from contracts with — other suppliers. '“The. company is going to have to change certain aspects of the way it does business in order to ensure it’s viable into the future,” Sparks said. -“It may mean we're going to need con- ‘cessions from different groups and it will be part of an economic plan that we're put- ling together to address some of the issues ihat got us to the point we're at right now.” Rollbacks for the contractors could be just: part of wide-ranging concessions for other groups. “Everything’s on the table.” he added. “Some difficult decisions are going to have lo be madeas we go ahead. “With everyone’s cooperation we think we can have a viable company that will keep everyone employed and contribute tu the economy” in the northwestern part of: the province.” Rigsby predicted contractors would po along with rolJbacks if they’re fair and all other creditor classes - including union- ized mill workers — take a hit. “If contractors were asked to take a roll- _ back and nobady else was, I think you'd see some opposition to that,” he said. Court-appointed monitar David Bowra said it will be some time yet before the restructure plan is on the table. : “It’s one step at a time and the next step is to finalize the business plan,” Bowra said. “And we're three or four weeks away from that yet.” Bowra: was appointed to oversee: the company’s testructuring afler it was grant- ed protection from its creditors last month. Bankruptcy protection was granted after Repap Enterprises moved to sever the B.C. operation and turn it over to the banks. That was aimed at appeasing sharehold- ~ ers of Avenor Inc. But a proposed merger” of the two companies was voted down. f Population = tops 20,000 Fastest growth recorded here candidate convention, held here last Saturday. Nass Valley doctor Issac Sobol was chosen by a vast majority of members on the first ballot. He will represent the New Democratic Party £ here in the upcoming federal election, “Tt was simply no contest,” says Terrace party member Norman Read. About 150 people turned out to cast their ballots. while others mailed-in their votes. Sobol received some 250 of the 355 voles cast, outdistanc- ing second-place candidate Ken Alton who took anly 50 votes. Skeena federal NDP president Ray Skelly received 25 votes, and Larry Guno 22, (o round out the field. Sobo! has been working on a Master’s degree in Vancouver, but says he’s com- ing home Monday to start his campaign rolling. “The schaol has been very supportive about giving me a leave of absence,” he says. “So I'm packing up and head- ing back. I miss the place.” Sobol says he’s happy to have won the nomination, but the field was stocked with well-qualitied candidates. “Any of the candidates would have made a greal MP.” Now Sobol says he’s look- ing forward to a tight race, and he's already showing signs of the eclectic humour that brought him notoriety in the 1993 campaign - when he ran for the now defunct National Party, “Lust time you guys called me the Energizer Bunny,’’ he says of the Standard. “So I'm hoping to strap on a big drum anu parade around.” Sobol joins Reform Party incumbent Mike ‘Scott. Liberal candidate Rhoda Witherly, Christian Heritage Party candidate Rod Freeman and Progressive Conservative candidate Kent Glowinski in their bids to represent the Skeenu riding. . Glowinski was canfirmed as the conservative candidate over the weekend by acclama- Han LOCAL RCMP officers were among the northwest Emergency Response Team members who carried out a training exercise on Lazelle Ave. last Wednesday aftermoon. Squad storms house EXPLOSIONS and shotgun fire echoed across backyards near cily hall last Wednesday. Neighbours who looked out their windows were surprised to see a black-clad, machine gun-toting as- sault squad surround a house on Lazelle Avenue. They were even more surprised ta see the masked figures storm the innocent-looking hotse 1o the soundtrack of gunfire and grenade blasts. But for all the appearance of a real assault, the police were only practic- ing their response tactics in case of an emergency. The crack Emer- gency Response Team is made up of 10 RCMP members from Terrace and Prince Rupert, and they hive to be ready to respond to potentially dangerous situations. ‘They are called in for anything that involves hostages or barricaded, armed suspects,’? says Terrace RCMP inspector Steve Leach. “Basically anything that would call for an armed intrusion.”’ The police use 3 variety of devices to assist them in that regard, includ- ing bullet-proof vests, smoke and tear gas, distraction grenades, shot- guns and machine guns. Leach says that the number of real situations the team has to attend varies every year, but averages at about two or three —- and those can occur anywhere in the northwest. The team practices twice a month and = holds more complicated scenarios twice a year. They held their most recent scenario last week atan abandoned house on the bench. This time they were practicing a hostage negotiation. TERRACE IS the fastest growing municipality in the northwest, far outstripping Prince Rupert and Kitimat, indicate Statistics Canada’s 1996 census figures, And the city and surrounding area houses the largest population concentration in the northwest. The city added 1,346 people between 1991 and 1996 for a population total of 12,779 — an increase of 11.8 per cent. In contrast, Kitimat dropped by 1.5 per cent from 11,305 in 1991 to 11,136. Prince Rupert barely broke even with a 0.6 per cent growth, from 16,620 to 16,714 people. These figures are based on the May 14, 1996 census population count date. Increases were also registered in the Thornhill area © surrounding Terrace, making Terrace and area the northwest’s largest population base. In what Statistics Canada calls a census agglomera- tion, it lists Terrace and area at 20,941 people. Thornhill and area grew by nine per cent between 1991 and 1996 — from 7,173 people to 7,818. Population increases were also recorded in the Nass Val- ley. m Lacklustre growth elsewhere a con- cern, city official says — Page A2 Census area New Aiyansh 1 in the Nass Valley, for in- stance, grew from 621 people to 739, an increase of 19 per cent. Stewart registered a drop of 25 per cent, from 1,151 in 1991 to 858 in 1996. Terrace’s growth of the past five years just about kept even with the province’s population increase of 13.5 per cent. Most of those people are now: crowding into the lower mainland. There were 3,282,061 people in B.C. in 1991 and that to- tal has now grown to 3,724,500 as of May 14 last year. B.C.’s growth is more than double the 5.7 per cent rate of Canada’s growth. The country, as of May 14 last year, was home to 28,846,761 million people. While May 14 of last year was the official count for the 1996 census, Statistics Canada officials do conduct growth estimates. As of July [, 1996 they say the country’s population was 29.963 million with 3.855 million people living in B.C, Growth caused by immigration is nearly tied with that of births when it comes to increases in B.C,’s population. Between July 1, 1995 and June 30, 1996, Statistics Cana- da says there were 47,995 births in B.C, compared to an immigrant influx of 45,790. Population figures are but the first to be processed by Statistics Canada based on the 1996 census. Those consumed with numbers will be looking for trends in births, deaths, marriages, consumer habits and the like. Births per thousand in B.C. in 1995-1996, for instance, were 12.4, a tad under the national average of 12.7. Council divided over bench apartments COUNCIL is split on whether land at points,” George said Monday night at a arrived in town and left promptly specialists. “Highways are ultra-cautious,” Hull §230 Kalum Lake Drive should be rezoned to multifamily to allow con- struction of an apartinent building. Counciliors Val George, McDaniel and Linda Hawes opposed to the rezoning and change of the Official Community Plan, citing heavy opposi- tion from Mountain Vista tesidents. “People in the area made a lot of good Rich | committee meeting, adding the neigh- bours have some right to keep the area zoned sitigle-family, But councillors Tim Down and David Hull disagreed, saying the pressing need for multi-family units in the city over- rides the inlerests. of , the immediate neighboiits. : Down told council of a co-worker that because he was unable to find rental accommodation. “There's not a lot of multifamily land available,” said Down. “We need to start providing adequate rental properties.” Hull said city council should decide whether apartments in. that area are desirable and leave the technical Issues surroutiding the develapment to the Geotechnical concerns will be addressed by engineers, he said, and traffic concems will be dealt with by the ministry of highways. , Highways officials have indicated that even if council votes yes, they won’l approve the rezoning unless access comes via Floyd St., and not Kalum Lake Drive. said. Councillor Ron Vanderlee sided with Down and Hull, leaving council split 3- 3. The proposed rezoning and OCP amendment. will come to council Monday night for a final vote. If the councillors remain evenly split, mayor Jack Talstra will break the tle. te we mem km cant te mmr tins them mn m-wmamn aman mum muha_m sh.m cm mm mum mmm oman alam