ation, .

“The ministry recently issued a

“one-year investigative permit to
- ‘Seven Sisters that will allow
- ‘them to do detailed studies and -
_ write a complete: business pro-

posal. The company is seeking
permission to build 80 kilom-

"eters of hiking trail and a series
-of. camps and lodges in the
‘wilderness area northwest of

Cedarvale.
They plan to market the de-

- he. Northwest. ‘region’ presi- .
“dentof the B.C. Wildlife Feder-
Terrace resident «Gil : 1
‘Payne, has filed. objections ‘in.
writing with the Ministry “of
_, Crown - Lands. regarding the
‘Seven ‘Sisters Ventures hiking
a trail development proposal.

t hiking trail i proposal"

velopment. as: an: international hension about ing Fakare of the ,

_tourist attraction. and say it has

the potential to generate over

$10. million annually in reve- °

nues. .-
‘In his letter, ‘dated May, 24,

‘Payne asked: Skeena, senior lands
officer Bob Brodie : for. public
hearings“ on the Seven Sisters

proposal. Despite recent public

assurances by Titus Nelson,”

president of Seven Sisters. Ven-
tures, that local residents -will be

guaranteed a minimum number °

of daily. passes. into the area,
Payne says, “If this proposal

goes ahead, it will not allow the :
- locals access to this area and it is
‘Crown Land.”

Payne also expressed appre-

_ Federal tax feared

The Regional District of Kiti-

~ “mat-Stikine supports ‘the City of

Quesnel’s position on the pro-

. posed nine percent federal sales.

tax and has suggested that the
matter be added to the agenda
of the Union of B.C. Municipal-

. ities meeting to be held in Pen-

ticton from Sept. 19 to-22.

In a letter addressed to all
municipalities.and regional dis-
tricts, Quesnel: mayor Michael

Pearce states that at a recent
meeting Quesnel city council
‘lamented over the ramifica-
tions that the new tax will bring

— - particularly when compound-
: ed with. our existing provincial

sales tax’’. Pearce says that his

council is speculating that even-
_ tually even utility services will be

subject to the new tax. “Where

will it stop?’’ he asks.

Pearce continues by saying,
‘*This all wouldn’t be so hard to
swallow if our federal govern-
ment was interested in reducing
spending in proportion to in-
creasing taxes — but ‘that
doesn’t appear to be the case.”’
And he says everyone must ex-
press their opinion on the
federal tax. ‘‘One alderman sug-
gested it wasn’t council’s
responsibility to become in-
volved in ‘federal matters’,’’
says Pearce. But, ‘‘That’s the
easy way out — if everyone had
that kind of an attitudc,* we
would “be taxed to death —
literally.’’

Government to sink $1.
million into Bob Quinn

The B.C. Ministry of Trans-

‘portation and Highways has
committed $1,020,000 to im-.
"prove the airstrip at Bob Quinn

Lake 300 kilometers north of

‘Terrace and 60 kilometers cast
of the Iskut River gold fields.

Controversy over the use of

-the gravel airstrip, which is ac-
tually a section of Highway 37,

erupted last year when the Min-

_-istry .of Highways limited the
: hours” of use due to dangérous

conflicts between aircraft land-

cing-and taking off and vehicle
. traffic on the highway.

The limitations prompted

- ; Skyline Explorations, (now Sky-
e line Gold) to use Wrangell,

Alaska, as a transfer and mar-
shalling point for freight and
personnel going into their

Johnny Mountain gold mine in -

the Iskut River valley.
The ministry says the finished
airstrip will be about 3500 feet

of gravel suitable for large trans-

port aircraft.

Work on the improved strip
will be directed by Ministry of
Transportation personnel, using
equipment supplied by Pickell
Construction Ltd. of Fort St.
John, who were awarded the
contract June 26.

"’ The project is scheduled for
completion Sept. 30.

-Minimum wage to be.

~ $5 by next

B.C.’ minimum wage will in-

‘crease from $4.50 an hour to
2 $5.00 by the Spring of 1990.

‘Labour and Consumer Ser-

--vices Minister Lyall‘Hanson said
"last week the increase will come
jn two increments: 25 cents an
~ hour on October 1, 1989, and an
_ additional 25 cents on April 1 1,
of 1990,

-. Bot workers under 18 years of

-Jageé, the minimum will increase

_ from the current $4.00 per hour

6 $4.28 on Ociaber L and $4.50
| 98 Atlee ene ecnete ne

spring

Minimum wage ‘rates for
domestics, live-in homemakers,
farmworkers, and horticultural
workers will also be adjusted to
reflect the new rate. |

Approximately five percent of
British Columbia’s. work force
currently earns the minimum

wage — mostly workers in the -

accommodation and food ser-

. vice industry, trade and finance,

and agriculture.
The last minimum wage pay
boost occurred in July, 1988,

when: it increased 5O cents an
“hour.” wo ne

forest industry: if the plan ds
approved. “... will. the Seven
Sisters. Ventures people begin.

‘to lobby against logging in the

vicinity ‘of their proposal?” he — 4

‘asks. 0.

In an interview at the end of

‘May, Nelson said the company
-has ‘{nitiated. discussions with
Westar, the forest licensee in the

area, in an attempt to dovetail

‘their; operations with Westar’s 4
five-year logging plan. The ob- f
- ject is to prevent clear-cuts from
being. visible to hikers.

Payne .also forecasts curtail-
ment of hunting in the trail area:
“T can see that once this pro-
posal. gets approved that this
group will not want hunting in
and around their proposed hik-
ing trails from a safety perspec-

_ tive, as well as seeing animals .

shot and dressed, as some people
find this offensive.”

Payne concludes by comment-
ing, ‘‘They have also set a dan-
gerous precedent by recognizing
the Gitksan Wet’suwet’en land
claims by first getting their

‘agreement to this proposal.’

_ Seven Sisters has signed an
agreement in principle with the
house chiefs of the Gitwangak
Band regarding use of territorial
lands they claim, employment of
Gitwangak people on the project
and: the possible purchase of
equity.
Shortly after the investigative
permit was issued, a Crown

‘Lands representative in Smithers

said that public hearings will
probably take place prior to any

tenure being granted.

Following the sale of the Glacier Concrete batch plant on
Highway 16 to a Vancouver firm, workers were busy last
Saturday loading cement blocks and other construction
materials for delivery to Glacier’s Kitimat operation.
Glacier Concrete recently purchased a portion of the
assets of Kitimat Valley Concrete. _

Casual job competition
underway this week _

Contributed by
Hire-a-Student staff

The Canada Employment
Centre for Students is again
holding its annual tri-city
(Prince Rupert, Terrace,
Kitimat) Casual Job Competi-
tion. During this week — July 10
to 19 — each city will try to
place as many students into

. casual jobs as possible.

Casual jobs include anything
that lasts for five days or less. It
may be mowing lawns, hauling
- firewood, general yard work,

painting, moving, or any
number of other types of work.

Last year the Terrace CEC-S
placed 83 students into casual
work while Kitimat placed 82
students. This year Terrace is
hoping to beat Kitimat as well as
Prince-Rupert, but we need the
community’s support. Any
householders or employers who
need extra.summer help are
asked to call the Canada
Employment
Students and we'll find the stu-
dent for the job. Contact Rosa
or Kathryn at 635-7134.

(O

its rewards.

on export. |

~ GOINGTI
FOR BC. BUSINESS _

So, whether it’s high fashion or high tech
.. services or submarines ... B.C. Trade is
ready to go the distance for British

It's a big world out there but more and
more British Columbia companies are
accepting the export challenge and earning

— In fact, British Columbia's exports total
$17.4 billion each year — that’s almost
$6,000 for each man, woman and child —
and one out of every seven jobs depends —

On June 1 British Columbia business got a
new export partner, the British Columbia
Trade Development Corporation.

As anew Crown corporation under the
Ministry of International Business and
Immigration, B.C. Trade works closely with

Columbia. -
BRITISH COLUMBIA

- TRADEDEVELOPMENTCORPORATION
750 Pacific Blvd. South, Vancouver, British C Columbia, oy
Canada V6B5E7 |
Telephone (604) 660-4568 a

Chairman

companies to ensure they are gettingthe — ”
export advice they need, and that every 4 aes
BC. company begins to put exporting oy “eu
into their business plans. y “ oe

HE DISTANCE

9
_ Honourable John Jansen Lf. s .

“

Centre for |

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