Crowning glory Happy anniversary Party time Masters of the mountain Members of a local church Hundreds of people crowned in annual King gather to celebrate 50 take in the excitement of the Mountain years of worship in of Riverboat Days footrace\SPORTS B4 Terrace\COMMUNITY B1 \NEWS A5 t.- ~1I $1.00 PLUS 7¢ GST ,i ~o o (01,10 plus 8¢ GST u') outside of the Terrace area) u') o~ TANDARD " 'b-0 b,- ----~vm m u.toroll: ~ " -- ..== ,~aw,ma~,=~.~ ............... Depopulation drives riding change By JEFF NAGEL Chilcotin riding and add its consti- lometres. cent below or above the population A PROPOSED new Skeena-Chilcotin The commission tries to keep ri- tuents to surrounding ridings. Skeena it would be the size of England, Ire- average so boundaries can be drawn federal riding that runs from Lillooet in dings close to the average population loses Smithers but gains the Chilcotin, land, Scotland, Wales, Belgium and that respect the riding's history, keep the south to Atlin in the north defies because of the principle of one person, including Williams Lake and Lillooet. the Netherlands combined - an area groups of people with common inter- logic, admits the head of the team re- one vote. A voter in a sparsely popula- Critics have roasted the proposal, comprising nearly 40 per cent of the ests together, or to ensure a manage- drawing the electoral boundaries. ted riding has more relative clout saying it would forge a bizarre new ri- entire province. able geographic size. But B.C. Supreme Court Justice compared to someone in a more den- ding no one could properly represent Despite the increase, the new And the boundaries commission can Robert Hutchison, chair of the federal sely populated riding. and fuse together regions with radical- Skeena-Chilcotin would still be B.C.'s even exceed the limit in electoral boundary commission, says "How would you feel if you live in ly different interests. least populous riding, at 93,877. "extraordinary circumstances." the change is driven by the reality of an apartment in Vancouver's west end "I think once people have heard That's about 13.5 per cent below But this time Hutchison and the B.C.'s population shifts. and you look at those guys in Terrace and considered it, they'll realize it's the commission's goal of drawing commission have not attempted to use Hutchison said the depopulation of getting the equivalent of two votes for not as easy as they think and we boundaries so B.C.'s ridings average the full 25 per cent wiggle room al- the north revealed in the 2001 Census your one?" Hutchison asked. haven't been smoking as much as they 108,548 people. lowed. He says they tried to keep ri- coupled with strong growth in the think we have," Hutchison said in re- One alternative would be to put That figure comes from the total dings within 10 or 15 per cent of the Williams Lake back into a Prince urban south has forced the elimination sponse to a Lillooet man's suggestion new B.C. population figure of average this time. of one of the north's 10 ridings. George riding and extend Skeena back commissioners were on drugs. 3,907,738 divided by the 36 seats allo- Allowing a riding 25 per cent below Meanwhile, three new ridings are to The boundary changes mean a more along Hwy 16 to take in Burns Lake cated to the province in the House of the average means packing 25 per and possibly Vanderhoof. be added in the Greater Vancouver than 50 per cent increase in the ri- Commons. cent more voters into an urban riding. area. Hutchison said that sort of'thing ding's size - from the old Skeena of The commission doesn't have to ri- "It gets very complicated," he said, The proposals tabled by the com- 244,570 square kilometres to the new could be contemplated when the com- gidly stick to the average. Federal law adding that can cause objections in mission holds hearings in the fall. mission eliminate the old Cariboo- one clocking in at 370,754 square ki- says ridings can be as much as 25 per the Vancouver area. Cont'd Page A2 Council urged to back new SCI contract CITY COUNCIL plans to meet both sides in the Skeena Cellulose contract dispute, although councillors aren't sure what they can achieve. Councillor David Hull says he and other councillors have come under-pressure from some local business ow- ners to'endorse Skeena CEO Dan Veniez' new contract offer. The "Fresh Start" offer includes a 20 per cent pay cut in favour of profit sharing amid other changes, in- cluding decreased vacation times. Hull said some people say the cuts effectively result in pay and benefit losses on the order of 38 per cent. Others contend the cuts could be minimal because profit sharing could deliver large amounts of money each year, if the reduced costs make the operation profitable. Hull said council is reluctant to take sides on the issue because it doesn't have detailed knowledge. Even if it did, he said, it's unlikely union members would promptly take council's advice. "Who are we to analyze a labour deal and say if it's a good deal for you?" he said. "I think councils have to be a little cau- tious in not sticking their nose in," he added. "Right now there seems to be some real ambiguity." Councillors do agree the region is losing skilled work- ers as the dispute drags on and council should act in any way it can to help resolve the issue. "People are suffering, people are losing their jobs and we are losing people," councillor Rich McDaniel said. Marylin Davies said the city should show leadership. Hull said part of the challenge is that Veniez appears to have issued his bottom line position, rather than an initial bargaining position from which there'd be move- ment allowing union leaders* to save some face. He said union members are likely under tremendous pressure from unions across the continent that fear a major concession at Skeena could be used by other pro- ducers to try to achieve similar cuts elsewhere. "You can imagine the rest of the pulp unions across North America going 'Whoa, guys if you settle for this, Council declares Pride Day we're all done.'" Meanwhile, New Hazelton's council has come out in CITY COUNCIL has proclaimed a gay pride He noted council in the past has decided one individual's statements is a stretch, he support of the 20 per cent pay cut plan. Town mayor day in Terrace rather than spend tax dollars not to take positions on issues that might di- said. Peter Weeber urged workers at the Carpaby sawmill to appealing a human rights tribunal ruling. vide the community - such as the province's "1 think it's hard for the tribunal to get into accept the offer. "This is not the time to wave around "It would be too costly to appeal - we don't treaty principles referendum. the heads of seven other people," he said. "If old union agreements, it is time to go back to work at a have the bucks," mayor Jack Talstra said last "I'm saying on you read the decision, you're hard pressed I decent wage and revive our failing northwest communi- week. balance divisive- think to find sexual discrimination." ties,'.' Weeber said. Terrace's small gay community will mark ness is not the But Talstra said refusing to comply was not this Saturday, Aug. 10, as "Lesbian Gay Bi- most desirable an option. sexual and Transgender Pride Day". thing to have in "It can be registered as a court order, so we The proclamation was signed last week by the community," have to abide by it,'! he said. "1 would be the City councillor the mayor, in compliance with the human he said. "I think last one to suggest we not comply with a court rights tribunal order issued July 26. it's appropriate to order." Councillor David Hull presided at a cerem- have discretion." The city spent $1,268 on legal advice rela- won't run again ony issuing the proclamation Friday morning Talstra also ted to the issue. The city did not pay for the NEW CONTENDERS planning to run for city because the mayor was away on legal busi- said while coun- lawyer who acted for the city at the hearing in council will have at least one empty seat to shoot ness. cillors cited a June - he works on salary for Talstra's law for in elections this fall. The signing ends a two-year legal battle variety of reasons, firm so his work was effectively Talstra's gift Veteran city councillor Val George says he over city council's refusal to proclaim a gay there's no conclu- to the city. doesn't plan to run again. "Nine years is enough," pride day in the summer of 2000. sive proof the de- "We did not want to spend City of Terrace the three-term councillor said. 'TII turn to doing Rainbow committee members who lodged eisnon was moti- taxpayers' money on this issue," Talstra said. other things in the community." the human rights complaint were jubilant after vated by discrimi- He said council had contemplated letting Councillor Marylin Davies, elected in a byelec- beating city hall. nation on the some outside group - for example a Catholic tiontwo years ago, says she will run again.