AiO - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 10, 1997 SKEENA CELLULOSE CRISIS | | Miller roasts ban DAN MILLER changed gears in dramatic fashion last week, The depuly premier has for months maintained a diplomatic neutrality when asked about the role of the banks and the unions in ef- forts to restructure Skcena Collulase. That all ended Thursday when he appeared before a 500-strong crowd that turned out in Prince Rupert to support the defiant stand by unionized pulp mill workers there. In an interview with the Standard Friday, Miller painted the Royal and Toronto-Dominion banks as unsympathelic and out-of- touch — not just with or- dinary Canadians but with the realities of the business “When you're in busi- ness, you understand the na- ture of risk-taking,’’ Miller said. ‘‘]. don’t think the banks understand the nature of business and risk- taking.’’ “They're not entrepre- -“Pya done lots of deals with business people. | under- stand them and ! understand busi- ness. These guys don’t.” neurs. Entrepreneurs under- sland risk,” he said. ‘What this is a]] about is everybody taking a bit of risk to save ‘year and have already hit ks “Pye done lots of deals with business people. I un- derstand them and J under- stand business. These guys don’t.?? Miller pointed ont the two banks recorded combined profits of $2.3 billion last close to that. figure in the first nine months of 1997. “T think, quite frankly, it’s been so casy for the banks to make money that they’ve gotten fat and, quite frankly, they’re very bad business people,’’ Miller continued. — ‘When businesses get too fat when it’s too easy they get sloppy.,”” he said. “‘I think the banks have just Dan Miller “Business people under- STARTING September 15, canvassers from the Arthritis Sociely will be knocking on doors, looking for donations. - Arthritis affects one in seven Canadians, or more than four million people across the country. It’s the leading cause of disability in Canada. If you can help canvass one street, call Joy at 635-0702 or the Volunteer Bureau al 638-1330. Free home catalogue. Helpers needed had it too easy. They can make money without really trying. It just comes rolling stand that you've got to take risks, you've got to be entre- preneurial and I don’t think 1-800-570-6002 At Nelson Homies, our track record covers.40 years and over ~ world. Stop doing business with TD © the operation.’ in.” these guys understand it.”’ and Royal, Watmough urges A THORNHILL politician says the City of Terrace and the regional dis- trict should stop dealing with the banks involved in the Skeena Cel- lulose shutdown. Regional district director Les Wat- mough says the Royal and Toronto Dominion Banks now running the troubled company are behaving ir- responsibly and don’t deserve their business. “The banks have to deal with this issue on an honest basis and they’re not doing that,’’ Watmought says. “They're silting here with a mill that can make them money and yet they're passing up the best logging time of the year.” Watmough says the two banks have waged a campaign of misinformation on the public, trying to keep them in the dark as to why the mill is still closed. “They keep throwing out these red herrings,”’ be says. ‘First they started with stumpage, then it was unions, now it's roads.” But Watmough points out that log- gers were pulled out of the woods on a week’s notice, leaving plenty of ac- cessible wood behind. “7 think with a few well-placed phone calls they could have trucks rolling into the yard wilhin a week,”’ he says. . Watmough also points out that the banks have laid off some SC] employ- ees since the shut down. “They sent their people up here from Vancouver and they fired them,”’ he says. ‘‘Meanwhile the mill had been making money, I think that’s disgraceful. They should have given them bonuses,’’ Watmough says he will make a mo- tion at the next regional district board meeting, September 20, for the RD to stop dealing with the Royal Bank and take their money elsewhere. Waimough has also been in touch with Terrace mayor Jack Talstra to sce if city council might consider a similar move away from the Toronto Dominion Bank. School enrollment numbers dive CLASSROOMS IN Terrace and Thomhill are going to look a little emplier this year. The education ministry predicted there would be 5,472 full-time equiva- lent (FTE) students this year in Ter- race, Stewart and Hazelton. Last year there were 5,436. But assistant superintendent Skip Bergsma predicts there will be under 5,300 FTE students by the end of Sep- tember. “Irs down quite a lot,” said Bergsina. The actual sumbers of miss- ing students could be even higher, since not every student goes to school full time. Back in the spring he predicted Ter- race, Stewart and Hazelton schools would be down 80 students next year. Then the area was hit by the shul- down of Skeena Cellulose. Terrace and Thornhill have ab- sorbed most of the losses. Hazelton Secondary lost students as well, be- cause of the mill closures, but sur- prisingly the elementary schools haven’t been effected. Enrollment is up in a few places -— Thornhill Jr. Secondary experienced an unexpected surge and Uplands Elementary is, as usual, very full. Earn at TAX. extra money time. Every yearn Canadians spend more than $100 Surprisingly Stewart schools experi- enced only a small drop in student wunbers, despite dire predictions about that community, says Bergsma. For every full time equivalent stu- dent under the predicted numbers, $3,100 is removed from the school district’s budget. But even the lower-than-expected numbers won't hurt Terrace schools, says Bergsma, He hedged his bets last spring, and didn’t fill eight teaching positions. That means there won’t be any teachers laid off, even though the -budget could lose up to $500,000. 40,000 homes. Custom home planning with us brings cogether ‘your dreams and our craftsmanship. Por your free copy ‘of our home catalogue and/or video, call us toll-free. eWe/lson HOMES 7a www.borderciry.com/nelson-homes SPECIALISTS « Shocks Brakes ¢ Wheel Alignment Front End Work = Tires & Balancing « Oil Change & Filter (Kitimat Location Only) Exhaust S =) MON On Sale Available HOES ee ted 95% OFF =r SHOCKS & sTRUTS “= 635-7707... —««s« 632-7747 4-800-561-7707 2 1700 Nalabila Bly oo “4526 Greig Ave., Terrace oo Kitimat, B.C. : million to bave their tax returns prepared. 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