worke rs\NEWS Al2—

Mills Memorial Hospital braces for details of its budget and impact on

Caledonia Grade 12 students mark the end of an era in their. lives\COMMUNITY B1

WEDNESDAY JUNE 12, 1996

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Amazing display

Wheelchair athletes put ona show of skill for local ‘students\SPORTS BO

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Gov’t gives $30M for wood jobs

UP TO $30 million worth of foresiry projects are to be announced by provin- cial officials this Saturday in Thomhill.

The money’s coming from Forest Renewal B.C., the provincial crown cor- poration established by the provincial government ta take stumpage revenue and turn it into various forest enhance- ment projects.

This year’s planned expenditures will be almost double the $17 million spent last year in the northwest.

Not only was Forest Renewal B.C. very new last year but it took time to ex- plain what it does and what’s available lo those who could take advantage of it, explained Amy Hart, its northwest in- formation officer.

And although the public won'l get to

hear the nitty pritty of who gets what this year until this Saturday, those with projects have already received their ap- proval letters, she said.

The overall goal of Forest Renewal

‘B.C, is to spend $400 million a year on forestry projects around the province.

Projects include ways to grow trees better and faster and to repair damage done to streams and watercourses from past logging practices.

And it’s trying to return in expendi- tures to one area the amount of money it

takes from there in the form of stumpage revenue.

‘Last year in the Skeena-Bulkicy the amount of money spent by Forest Renewal was 13.6 per cent of the $125 million spent across the province,’ said

Hart. In dollar terms that worked out to $17 million.

For the 1994-95 fiscal year, Forest Renewal spent $6.8 million in the north- west -~ 13 per cent of the $52 million provincial total.

An average 11 per cent of the stumpage revenue going to Forest Renewal B.C. comes from the northwest.

This year’s expenditures across B.C, are calculated to be between $250 and $275 million.

If Forest Renewal gives the northwest

11 per cent of the stumpage revenue,

based on the idea of a dollar for dollar return for projects, $27.5 million will be spent here this year should the total provincial expenditure reach $250 mil-

But that ammount could jump to $35.75 million if the 13 per cent on projects over the past two years in the northwest is repeated and if provincial expenditures reach $275 million in total.

The announcement will be made at the Forest Renewal booth al the Northwest Loggers Association trade show al the Thornhill community grounds Saturday at 11 a.m. ,

In attendance will be Skeena MLA Helmut Giesbrecht and deputy premier Dan Miiler.

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Forest Renewal isn't limited to financ- ing watershed restoration projects or those that boost tree growth.

[tll also provide moncy to train people

to work on the projects aad will provide money lo help woodworkers find new jobs should they lose the ones they have because of wood shortages or shut- dowus.

Forest Renewal will also help smaller autfits find money for value added op- portunitics.

Through a deal with 16-37 Communily Futures here in Terrace, Forest Renewal is offering loans of up to $75,000 for small or medium size forest-based businesses.

Expected in three weeks is word on an- other program that’s meant to help com- Tunilies cope with fewer jobs resulting from being able to cut [ewer amounts of wood,

lion.

# Hang in there

PARAGLDING ENTHUSIAST Brian Fell demonstrates a technique called kiting used to practice maneuvering the glider. Fell can often be seen floating In the skies over Thornhill and is fooking for others to join him in riding the winds. For more on paragliding, see page B89,

Three businesses defy

By JEFF NAGEL THREE KEITH AVE. businesses have not met a deadtine to file plans to clean up land contaminated by pollution fram an old pole treatment plant.

Norm’s Auto Refinishing, Copperside Foads and the Greyhound bus depot have not coniplied- with. the requirement to file an outline of a clean up plan by May 31.

CN Rail, Coast Tractor, and ‘the Keith Ave. Mall -have filed: plans,-according ta B.C. Environment officials,

The property owners, who have not

complied won't say if they will or what their plans are.

“We haven't decided how to handle them yel,” B.C. Environment waste management officer Alex Grant said.

Copperside Poods general manager Chris Cormier said the company is reluct- ant to join CN's probe of the contamina-

Won — deing carried out by Morrow

Environmental Consultants.

CN bought the old MacGillis und Gibbs pole yard in-1984 and then split off some of the property, which hag'since developed into «string of businesses on the north side of Keith Ave.

Contaminated all. was: ‘kept on the site by CN in three éleyated tanks for 10 yeurs

school lunch program gets hit with a freeze

TERRACE WON’T sec any of the in- creased moncy the education ministry is spending on school Junches beginning this fall.

While olher school districts received in- creases, School District 88 was given $101,206 for school lunches for next year — exactly what was in the budget this year.

In a letter to the schoo] board, education minister Payl Ramsey wrote, “Rapid pro- gram expansion and the rising costs of school meals caused last year’s expendi- tures to exceed ministry funding levels." As a result, many school districts spent sur- plus trust funds, against ministry guidelines at the time, fo top up the lunch program.

In Terrace, the school district spent $20,000 from its trust fund in order to keep

' supplying maney for Junches at ET Kenney

and Clarence Michicl, as it had donc in the past. Other schools in the district also ex- pressed a need for money for lunch pro- grams, but there was none available.

At Kiti K’Shan the Royal Canadian Legion stepped in to fill the gap, giving the school $1,000 to help feed hungry kids who were sent to school without lunches. That

money has now been spent.

“I’m very disappointed,’’ said Kiti K’Shan principal Brian Phillips when he heard there was no increase for Terrace,

The legion’s donation last year was gréat- ly appreciated, but Kiti K’Shan couid have used even more moncy, said Phillips.

Foriunately the Icgion has told Phillips that it will support the school’s lunch pro- gram again next year.

Since there hasn't been any increase ‘in money for the lunch program next year, school district assistant secretary treasurer Bruce Matthews says the money will likely remain wilh ET: Kenney ..and . Clarence Michicl. Otherwise, the district would only be taking food away from more hungry children.

“T have no idea why we didu’t get any more maney,”’ said Matthews.

Mary Spooner, chair of the board of trustees, also didn’t know why the Terrace school district was passed over.

Edscation ministry officials were con- tacted, but didn’t say why the Terrace school district wasn’t given any of the in- crease.

Pre-schoolers target of measles campaign

HEALTH OFFICERS in British Columbia are urging parents of preschoolers to make sure their children receive a second dose of measles vaccine to help prevent an oul- break of the disease.

Four walk-in clinics have been held in Terrace in altempts to stave off any pos- sible outbreaks like the one thal recently occurred in Washington State.

Eileen Callanan, a public health nurse at the Terrace Heallh Unit, is pleased with Terrace’s vaccination rate.

‘Most of the schools have been done,” Callanan says, ‘‘And we have a very high tale of vaccination, 93 per cent in schools and 83 per cent in kindergarten.’”

But Callanan says that it’s especially bard to reach children who aren’t yet in school.

‘We've done 61 per cent of the pre-

schoolers in total,*’ she says. ‘‘We would like to do more, but it’s hard to find them all.” -Mcasles is a childhood disease that is casily spread by coughing or sneezing, It cau cause car infections, pneumonia, and in severe cases, death.

Canada has the highest incidence of

measles in the Western Hemisphere. A major oulbreak of measles is expected to occur in B.C, within the next two years.

‘We know that, given the cycles of out- breaks of the disease, we can expect one every eight to 10 years,’’ says Callanan. “And we haven't had one in a while, so we're preparing.’”

Although 95 per cent of B.C. children

receive a measles vaccine alter their first birthdays, health officials caution that a second shot between the ages of 19 months aud five ycars is necessary to provide pro- tection.

‘Ninety per cent of people are im- munized after one shot,'’ Callanan says. “But with the second shot we’re hoping to get closer to 99 or 100 per-cenl. It’s goad insurance, ”’

Callanan points out thal while the disease can pose potential dangers ta adults and the elderly, most people are already protected.

**Most people. who were born before 1956, when immunizalion started, were children when measles: were common,”’ Callanan says. ‘‘So they have most likely already been exposed to the disease.”

clean up order

until it was shipped uway aad incinerated in 1994,

Cormier says CN has told the business- es the tanks — which are scheduled lo be removed this summer - did notleak.

~ He claims CN has tested soil in a wide variety of locations,:but not directly under the tanks,

“Why did this product sil in storage tanks from.1984: ta 1994 when il was pumped oul?’ he demanded.-“CN says the tanks didn’l teak; But wouldn't it be prud- ent to-get the soil tested: under neath the - tanks?"

“Cor mier says il might be « good idea

for the businesses to carry oul an inde- pendent assessment.

“We think we should have someone independent — not CN - check those tanks and see if in fact they did lenk,” he said. “We'd like thal independently verified,”

“If they'd disposed of it five years or so earlier maybe it wouldn't be the problem it is today,” added Greyhound bus. depot awner Gordon Hull: .

Cormier said it's to CN's advantage ifa large number of other businesses are affected by the site,

SCN is irying*to spread ‘responsibility among as many people as they ean to Gfl-

set their costs in the whole thing.” Cor mier said.

“We're thrown into a situation where we're being held responsible for problems MacGillis and Gibbs had. 20 yours go.” he said,

And he said he feels B.C, Environment is taking aim at the businesses on Keith because they're easy turgels.

~"trs much easier to tell a business per- son You've pot a contuminated sile, clean it up’. But it's a lot harder (o tell w home- owner- you've gol contaminated groundwa- ter 40 feel underground. :you've got to pump it aut”