Carving contest Great grants Bully bashing ii Get ready for a special, Find out why Terrace has The Candadianr : skill-testing event just $447,000 to help mold Half-Pints bringtheir : prior to Halloween the new look of big message to : i \COMMUNITY B1 downtownkNEWS A8 Terrace\SPORTS B8 : Sl.O0 PLUS 7¢ GST . " : . :: ~': ~i!': t,-¸ ($1.1o plus 8¢ GST outside of the Terrace area) ,~: ~ (i ~, • ~' i:, i ......(Z,t ...... I ~ecn'~oF ( [ TE_RRACE.... 75 ,*~lblWERI~tJW TANDA 2003 .... , , , City wide open to holiday shopping Failed by-law would tury or we're going to stay wherever time for And councillor Stew Christensen we're going to stay." More shopping on A2 council to did not vote. He declared a conflict of have permitted Leclerc said it's time to get in line pass a new interest when store workers presented with most other places, noting they [] One city councillor pre- bylaw before a petition that listed the McBike Shop dicts council will ultimately only three stat days don't restrict holiday shopping. Nov. 11 with- - which Christensen owns with his son give up on the idea of reg- By JEFF NAGEL Councillor David Hull said he lob- out holding - among local businesses against holi- HOLIDAY SHOPPING is now legal in bied Davies and Leclerc to reverse ulating shopping. special meet- day openings. Terrace after city councillors voted 4-0 their previous votes and defeat the by- [] Workers fear stores ings. Christensen, who had previously to defeat a compromise proposal that law, which had received three read- would violate a by-law any- Absent backed the compromise,: said voting would have let stores open only on ings, because he says the compromise way and simply pay fines. from last could have been construed as a benefit three summer holidays. served neither side. week's vote to him via the bike shop. The Oct. 14 vote saw holiday shop- The vote sets the stage for a final was council- He said his son plans to keep the ping opponent Lynne Christiansen join all-or-nothing battle between retail lor Rich Me- store closed on holidays no matter forces with Marylin Davies and Carol workers who oppose holiday shopping "There's a huge majority in the Daniel, who what council decides. Therefore. Leclerc - who had spearheaded the and business leaders who favour it. community who want to keep stat had previous- Christensen said voting to block com- three-day compromise but now see a Christiansen says she will likely holidays closed," she said, adding op- ly favoured MarylinDavies peting bike sellers from opening on chance to win a total victory' allowing propose a new bylaw be drawn up to position will likely increase now. the three-day stats could be seen as potentially wide-open holiday shopping. restrict all shopping on the holidays : Because of the legal vacuum, summer-only compromise. Mayor Jack channelling some sales back to Me- "I am going to change my vote and that were Previously covered under the stores could have opened Thanksgiv- Talstra tried but failed to convince Bike. "It's marginal,", he said. "But. vote 'No'," Davies said. "Either we're provincial Holiday Shopping Act, ing and will likewise be able to open council to pass a tabling motion to it's perception." going to become part of the 21st ten- which expired Oct. 1. Remembrance Day. There isn't enough stall the vote until McDaniel returned. Cont'd Page'A16 i I ICBC drops A new way ' " • 3 auto death :. 7[~./.' ':i/,[i ;:. :: i.,:,:~i. : 7111 award appeal Burdett, first I - ' - to relate an vice president of By SARAH A.'ZIMMERMAN the legion s THE INSURANCE Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) has tt onal executive, i i:i :~i I dropped an appeal of a court=ordered $100,000 award ~,d~stinefl,.foI:,.~.|o.cal..coup/eafter the loss of their daugh- go ahead with Poppy ter in an automobile acctdentl ........ ..... : Puppies was made by : !~:,[:~ ;ii Gordoh and Nancy Lee were awarded the $100,000 old me.ssage (!!ast yi~i"after launching a iawsuit Connected to the June a body of 35 people :~!i: ::12, 1999 car crash death: of their daughter, Laura. representing all 1:0 '?The Terrace couple hopes the award " the largest of By JENNIFER LANG Canad an commands, THEY'RE CUTE, they're cuddly, and they're designed to appeal its kind in Canadian history-will'set a precedent for JENNIFER LANG other families who lose children .in car crashes. to kids. PHOTO "Hopefully by setting a precedent we can help prev- The Royal Canadian Legion's newest venture, plush toys ent other parents from having to deal with ICBC in the called Poppy Puppies, aims to teach children same way," says Nancy Lee. about remembrance and the sacrifice of ': , There was no immediate reason from ICBC as to why it dropped the appeal. our veterans. i The Lees sued Aaron The legion started selling them in Douglas, the driver of the September, but Terrace's Branch : Speeding car involved in a 13 didn't approve their sale here police chase when it until last week. | slammed into the vehicle carry Laura Lee, 17, and Despite reports that some her Belgian boyfriend Re- veterans have complained that naud Fontaine, 19, at the the puppies trivialize a revered intersection of Highways 37 symbol, few of the legion's and 16. 1,600 branches have refused When Douglas did not respond to the suit, ICBC to sell the dogs. ecame the defendant Poppy Puppies were rough provisions under the pioneered in the U.S., where provincial Family Compen- the Veterans of Foreign sation Act. The Lees believe the act Wars group sold more than .~ needs to be changed to fur- a million of them. ther compensate grieving laura lee "The first time it was relatives in situations simi- presented, we said no, ,i :~,:' ,' ' lar to theirs. poppies are not for toys," " ~~:' ':~ i~ The early October payout comes nearly a year to the date of the start of the jury trial against ICBC for dam- explained Terrace's Mary ages for Laura's loss. Ann Burdett, first vice president of the national executive and find a way to reach very young children with the message. ICBC had offered the Lees in the neighbourhood of chair of the poppy and remembrance committee. She plans to give one to each of her grandchildren. $20-40,000. The Lees argued that figfire didn't reflect the "Wewanted to rest assured that in no way would the sanctity of "I think that overall, we have taken the right step, but we have actual loss the family would suffer because of lost future the poppy ever be questioned," she said, adding debate lasted one to be patient. We are aware that with any change, there will be a wages their daughter would have earned and may have contributed back to the the family. small amount of upset or dissension." year. "It was never about the money,,' explains Nancy Lee. In the end, the executive realized it was vital that the legion They go on sale here Nov. 1. "It was always, to me, more looking at what is a fair settlement for the loss of a child's life." Lee says the payment came out of the blue with no prior indication the insurance corporation was prepared to avoid the court appeal process. Health workers vote again "We don't feel like celebrating at all," says Lee, ad- ding she and her husband never want to see the inside of HEALTH CARE support workers will vote ear- health care in the public sector," she said. Union of Operating Engineers. a court room again. ly next week to decide if they'll take wage The Northern Health Authority had told Jessome described the situation as upsetting The award puts nearly four and a half years of crimi- cuts in return for keeping their jobs. workers they would begin to contract out serv- and extreme to her members. nal and civil court eases stemming from their daughter's The vote will be the third this year in the ices such as laundry, food and housekeeping if "We will survive day by day," said Jes- death to an end. Now the Lees say they can carry on attempt by health care authorities to cut costs, wage and benefit cuts weren't accepted. some. "There's a lot of anger out there." with the healing process. The first attempt was province-wide and Those cuts amount to $3.25 an hour, a loss "The members are being boxed into a corn- was rejected. Two weeks ago the Northern of a cost of living increase, working an extra er and it is completely disrespectful to state Health Authority reached a tentative agree- : hour and a half'each week and losing four va' that someone else can you their job cheaper Stranger lures boy ment with union leaders for wage and benefit cation days each year. and better. We know that is not the case," she POLICE are investigating an incident of a strange man cuts for the northern portion of the province, Health authorities estimated they need to added, : : attempting to get a nine-year-old boy into his car. Although it was passed by workers overall, the cut nearly $7 million to help ease a deficit But JesSome'said union members don't lay The Oct. 17 incident happened at 7 p.m. on Paquette agreement failedbecause not enough workers that is already higher than they had forecast, the blame for the cuts on the Northern Health Ave.