Police slim down The nominees are .... Up in arms The RCMP have removed a layer You can check out who the A clinic last week introduced of bureaucracy, making them candidates are for Volunteer of the locals to the challenging sport of leaner\NEWS A12 YearNCOMMUNITY B1 arm wrestling\SPORTS B5 93¢ PLUS 7¢ GST WEDNESDAY VOL. 9 NO. 52 APRIL 9, 1997 NDARD Politics slows logging relief FRBC to slash projects A SOLLrrlON to the northwest's forest greater issues across the province are be buttoned down in less than six weeks," FOREST RENEWAL B.C.'s board of FRBC regional director Alan Parkinson industry troubles is bogged down in addressed and the conapanies are willing to Repap's Dan Tuomi said. "But we've heard directors will vote tomorrow on what would not say what level of spending has Premier Glen Clark's quest for a "Jobs and sign off on the timber jobs accord," that before." local consultants fear will be the slashing been proposed, adding that decision will Timber Accord." MacNicol said. "We first thought it was going to be of grants for watershed restoration work be made by the corporation's board of West Fraser and Repap B.C. officials say "They're tying a solution to our problems Christmas, then we were into April. Now here. directors on Thursday. they came away dissappointed from a to a political decision,'" we're looking at sometime in June. Who They say a forests ministry document He added that projects that don't make meeting with forests minister David West Fraser has said it won't resume log- knows." signals FRBC plans to chop by nearly 65 the priority list will become part of a Zimhelt last Wednesday. ging until there's some prospect of Given the situation in the northwest both per cent spending to deactivate roads and three- to fiVe-year strategic plan to be They said Zirnhelt maintained Clark's improvement from Victoria. Tuomi and MacNicol were skeptical about clean streams and fish habitat in logged assembled in the months ahead. stance that the industry must commit to Logging has to resume in the next week the possibility of creating new jobs while areas. Bolin says he believes the spending cuts creating 21,000 new jobs within four years or so or else the company,s Skeena the existing ones are threatened. The document, entitled "WRP Budget are the result of Victoria's recent move to before Victoria makes changes to stream- Sawmills operation iu Terrace will run out The industry's position was strengthened Reductions', has a list of nine projects, have FRBC take over $100 million a year line the Forest Practices Code or ease of wood in Junel forcing a shutdown. Friday by the release of an independent stu- including restoration work on the Copper worth of silviculture work previously han- stumpage. "We're still waiting for the government to dy that concluded government regulations River, Kalum River, Lakelse River, dled by the forests ministxy. Bruce MacNicol, northwest manager for come up with some changes to justify us have increased the cost of logging by 75 Kitimat River and others. After two years of planning and prepara- West Fraser, says issues here are specific to going hack," MaeNicol said yesterday. per cent over the last lbur years. It indicates $3.85 million in previously tory work in most watersheds, Bolin said, this region and should be dealt with sepa- Repap B.C., which is under protection The study by KPMG lumped the north recommended spending for 1997-98 will 1997 was supposed to be the year that real rately from the province-wide issues. from its creditors, has been pressing for coast area into its "northern interior" cate- now be reduced to $1.4 million, says Pat field work would happen and displaced "They are unwilling to look at the specific much the same changes. gory, where logging costs went up 80 per Bolin, manager of McElhanney forest workers would get jobs doing it. issues in this area until such time as the "We hear the jobs accord was supposed to cent. Consulting Services Ltd. Continued Page #,2 Feds marshal vote list force for election A WAVE OF door knockers wearing bright yellow badge~ begins descending upon area homes tomorrow night. ! They're enumerators and they're making up the voter~ list for the federal election which is widely antidpated t~ take place in June. i !.'-We're getting ready if there is an election called That's a pretty strong 'if', I guess I should say when," said Skeena riding returning officer Bruce Forward last week. : Tihe list will be used for the 159 electoral polls in thd riding and Forward anticipates nearly 300 enumerators willI be going out beginning tomorrow. They'll be dropping off registration forms and picking them up until April 16. This list marks the last time Elections Canada will be going door to door. That's because the information gathered will form the; basis for what will be a permanent list. While assembling the list this time will cost $41 million, i Forward says Elections Canada will save $30 million for: each of the next two elections because there won't be any; door to door enumeration. Instead the federal government will use compnterized data bases to bring lists up to date for each election. AJnd voters will have a chance during subsequent elec-!. tions to make changes. Gathering names for this list is also different because enaneratioa used to happen only when a federal election was called. Since enumeration won't be happening again, the elec- tion period has been shortened to 36 days from 47. These and other changes were brought in when the Elec- CENSORSHIP - Jim Faberis one of a group of artists Theatre. Several paintings were removed Sunday oin the tion Act was revised last year. One of the key changes is in showing nude sketches and drawings at the REM Lee orders of school district officials. voting times. It used to be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in B.C. but has been switched to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It's an attempt to equalize as much as possible 1~!1 open- School district censors art show ing and closing times across Canada. Polls are opening later and dosing later in the Maritimes, for example. SEVERAL PAINTINGS of nude women have Warning: h, painting reproduced on page tre feel uncomff)ratable with those pictures up? been removed from an art exhibition at the The answer was yes." The effect is that there will be only a three-hour dis. A2 may not be suitable for children. That was czepancy across the country instead of the four and a half R.E.M. Lee Theatre on the orders of school dis- the deeislon of school district officials. You He said the complaint did not come from the hour one of previous elections. trict officials. can judge for yourself. music festival organization, but he would not say The nine drawings and paintings came down who complained. The Skeena riding is a tad larger than the last lime be. Sunday night- three days after the exhibition come down, said the board received a complaint "I'd rather face the criticism that I've taken cause of redistribution. It now includes Bells Bells and went up - and just in time to prevent them from that the art was too explicit for children attend- something down than the criticism that I've Ocean Falls to the south and Lower Post to the north. being viewed by children coming through the ing the festival, which began Monday. allowed something to be inappropriately hung," Forward's based in a Prince Rupert office but has as- theatre as part of the Pacific Northwest Music "The question I asked myself is would these be Piersdorff added. sistant returning officers in Terrace, IOtimat and Smlthers. Festival. appropriately hung in one of our schools and the The show went up Thursday morning, and by They'll also have offices in those cities but only when School district secretary-treasurer Barry answer was no," Piersdorff said. Friday school trustee Roger Leclerc had directed the election is called, he said. "They're out looking fog Piersdorff, who selected several paintings to "Would thechildren coming through the thea- Continued Page A2 space," Forward added. B.C. fish fees higher than elsewhere "That's not really a fair comparison. If you look at "It's already had a big impact," says Jay, one of lack of response to northwest concerns. BOTH TOURISM minister Jan Pullinger and en- "I voted for the NDP," he says. "That was my vironment minister Cathy McGregor insist that new Washington and Oregon, out fees are comparable, the owners of the Rainbow Inn on Highway 16, Alaska h a different experience." who declined to give us last name. "I don't even mistake and now I'm paying for it." fishing iicence fees of $42.80 per day for non resi- But Don Fast calls the potential huge losses c~ dents are completely in line with comparable fish- In fact, fish licence costs in northwestern states know whatto say I'm so pissed off." are not conparsble. Yay says the motel's owners just spent more than tourist dollars to the northwest "blips in the sys: ing areas, if not less. tern," that will soon go away. But phone calls placed to other jurisdictions indi- According to the Washington department of fish $600,000 on a new 12 suite building and renova- and game, annual licensing fees for a non-resident tions to the whole complex u something they are "You often get short term cancellatiom --blips." cates B.C.