Mountains of empties That's how they do it The big event There'snow a depot accepting i The area's young scientists Local cross country skiers are cans and bottles and +giving , + [gathered last weekend for an readying for the area's major deposit refunds/NEWS A13 :+:. i annual fair/COMMUNITY B1 annual marathon/SPORTS Cl i = i :+ WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY/8, 1go • • + T,zkNDARD • +. ......,,+. :+, More people, rules at area mills ++ By MALCOLM BAXTER Despite going down a little ear- forestry programs fell into decline Both Marleau and MacDonald lier than usual to try and beat are what are known as the regula- alone, he added. "Some of the during the late 1980s, he said, said the changes introduced by THE CHANGING rules in others to the punch, Marleau said "We're feeling the effects now." tions: he anticipated anything forest service people are feeling forestry are increasing the work- company representatives found the Code are having the greatest from 10 to 15 of those. Hc also suggested there were effect in the area of planning. in the dark as well," he ex- load for local companies. themselves jostling with counter- Which leaves the even more plained. even insufficient new graduates For example, most of the six And that in turn means they parts from Macmillan Bloedel, specific field guides, probably 25 MacDonald said Skeena Cel- to meet the growing demand new positions to be filled at need-more staff to deal with the Fletcher Challenge and others. minimum. lulese's new cutting plans were throughout the industry. Skeena Sawmills this year will be increase stemming from the new "Pretty well everybody was put together based on known While news of increased job in their planning deparlment. "Without knowing what those Forest Practices Code. down there," he said. changes and the assumption com- opportunities in industry -- and While neither attempted to criti- are, it's hard to tell what the im- However, the same applies While competition is tighter in the forest service, for that matter pact will be," he said. mon sense will prevail. across the province as Skeena cize the requirement for more that area, Marleau pointed out it's might spark increased carol- That meant adopting a rea- Sawmills found out recently. detailed planning, both made the Echoing that assessment, Mac- still easier to find individuals mona, MacDonald emphasized sonable approach when planning Company spokesman Scott point the companies still don't Donald said those unknowns fresh out of school than it is good there will still be a time lag to which included recognizing as Marleau said the mill made two know what will ultimately be ex- were creating a lot of uncertainty. and experienced people -- those deal with since a university de- many of the other forest values as recruiting trips to the University pected of them. "It's difficult to do the work if possible. with five to 10 years under their gree co~rse took four years. things are changing and you don't of B.C.'s forestry faculty, one in belt. Marieau pointed out the Code "We're just trying to do the Assuming a company wanted has 312 sections but that's not the know what those changes are December targeting summer stu- Archie MacDonald at Skeena best job we can and, if we do, someone with some degree of ex- ful! extent of the changes. going to be," he pointed out. dents and the other last month Cellulose agreed. Pointing out en- being within the realms of the perience, that added up to a six- One step down from the Code where it hoped to woo'graduates. rolment in various post-graduate eight year wail And the companies are not Code," he said. Staff Unions se,ek :+ needed +:~:.•.-.~ ~ ;, +~ ~i '• ) THE LOCAL forest district Saan work ,++/+Y+ :.i+? anticipates hiring 10 new staffbe- • f:: +:+ •fore the year is out. LOCAL UNIONS have dressed to Rick Holdings Ltd., ~- Kalum district manager Brian organized a petition and letter the Medicine Hat, Alberta, com- Downie said the introduction of writing campaign to have union pany which is tobuild the,stores the Forest Renewal Program, for workers and contractors build and lease the premises to Saan. •:.example,... added'..to.~=lhe .exLsting new Saan stores here and in Company official Kim: D0nais workload and therefore made it Kitimat i • .+~-~.#?~-,-/.':= = ::~,. • said itwillin'vite+,b|ds:homuiilon necessary to increase manpower. Letterssent to Saan's Winnipeg and non union finns. The new positions will include head office and to ~the general "It's our policy~to+.use-16Ca/ field technicians and foresters in contractor chosen by the compa- trades and+ sub +trades wherever engineering, harvesting and sil- ny say union workers: and con- possible. It's going to bean open viculture. tractors can provide •the .quality bidding process. We're going to However, the hiring process is needed for construction. be looking for thebest qualified, not a simple one. But they also tell Saan to be whoever they may be," he said. The government has indicated it concerned about its public rela- " +And.rail things being equal, wants to move people out from tions image and hint that they Donaisexpeets local contractors- behind desks in Victoria and out don't want another Port Alberni to do well in the bidding process. into the districts. happening in the northwest. He said his company has never Downie said the individuals That's a reference to the long had the volume of phonecalls tagged for that move get first standing strike against MacMillan and lettem over a construction refusal on the Terrace-based jobs. Bloedel on Vancouver Island plan as it's.now getting from the If positions remain unfilled over its choice of a ~conlxactor on northwest • - after that round, the probable next an expansion project./ . "It's as If they're expecting us step is to open the jobs to current Employees of the company to freeze them out. That's just not forest service employees through- chosen by MacBlo don't belong the case,,' Dennis Continued. out the pr0,i~ce. to a main line union. That lead to He said he told one Kiflmat And should the district still be pickets and sympathy strikes by a union official that shoppers go unable to find enough qualified number of unions. where they get the bestrdesl, and people to fill the vacancies, the The letters come f~om the Com- that his company is no different. jobs will then be advertised munications, Energy and Paper- Saan official Tom Peske said it across Canada. workers Union of Canada which encourages the company to hke However, Downie added, represents workers at Eurocan in local workers wherever poss~le. "Terrace is a desirable location Kitimat, from the carpenters "We just want to bepart of the and so we expect quite a bit of in- union, from the B.C. and Yukon community and hiring local is terest." Buildings Trades Council and going to be part of the~com- Conceding the difficulty of from the Canadian Auto Workers, munity," Peske added. " finding very experienced individ- which represents workers at AI- Saan announced plans: in late uals, he said the forest service can. ,1994:to build, stores in Terrace and industry both had to combat "We have written Saan store's and in IGtimat. Each will cost ap- what was called "the northern head office impressing upon them proximately $2 million. drain". that the goodwill and improved That refers to the tendency for public relations generated by Skeena NDP MLA. Helmut the more experienced foresters to utilizing local building trades Giesbrecht has also written a let- gravitate south. [] Hoopla contractors will go a long way in ter encouraging Saan to favourab. Which results in having to hire ensuring Saan's prosperity in the ly consider the request of the inexperienced personnel, some CALEDONIA KERMODES were down in Abbotsford over the weekend getting their third taste community," writes carpenters unions. .+ + just out of school. Downie said of the season of playing tough Lower Mainland teams. Above, Shawn Cross (in white) goes up union business agent Dan Fun'eli. Skeena Reform MP Mike Scott the district tried to offset that lack for another two against Vancouver College in action from earlier in the season. Like all "We don't wish to be the next is also going to write a letter but of experience by teaming new- schools basketball teams, the Kermodes are on the countdown now to the zones and, hope- Port Aibemi, but ... it's your won't indicate a preference for comers with experienced staff to fully, provincials, call," wrote the paperworkers union or non.union contractors or accderate their training. union local in Kitimat workers. Both of those letters were ad- Companies map out claims strategy ..... ii( FOREST COMPANIES are to the misga'a to settle their claim called "core land", quirement to reforest it. done so for the Jan. 20 meeting, settlement lands in lab i/61i+y)dt trying to figure out how to get to land and resources centered on That monetary figure falls The notes also have the corn- But she did say COH con- claims negotlatiom, +i +ii!'i~+ i their point across on land claims, the Nass Valley. within the range of settlements mittee asking itself if the public indicate notes taken at a meeting tinually looks for ways to make Province wide standards Of of forest company officials last "Should we as, COFI Com- accepted by natives in the North- will accept its side of the land its case to governments and the west Territories.