“By BRIAN GREGG : .
. ” Herald Btalf Weller

How dods a town of '900 civilians behave when $,000 of
Canada's beat trained troops decide to: mutiny, kick the
‘dificers out of the camp and run the ahow by themselves?

ww quietly; and that's just whal Terrace residents did”

on. Nov. 25, 1444 when home defence. conscripts. marched
through ‘town in a shaw of independence against Ottawa’ s.
decision ‘to send: them overseas. .
Ttstarted on a weekend while the chief officers were away
in Vancouver ata special. meeting, It ended’ with 10,000
soldiers disappearing into the Canadian, hinterland while
Ottawa olfictals closed their eyes. .

Terrace was a sleepy, peaceful town in those days. ‘Aller
Pearl Harbor it became a military ‘training ‘center. and
. defence base for as many as 10,000 soldiers; but by. late 1944 .
the ‘threat ofa Japanese invasion had: disappeared and .

those soldiers who remained behind felt bored, miserable.
and lonely:. ,
After all, what is there to do ina town that only hadaio .
foot by 10 foot Post Office, a small Gddfeltows Hall for
dances anda drill hall for reminding soldiers of, why they
were here, .
Terrace was the Siberia of Canada. ‘The solders who

‘ls tower
historical?

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‘ PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS,
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. were here were feellig more The the. Zombies (walking .
“déad)

they © were’ called than‘ ‘anything. else.
The first hint of trouble was felt when two alrforce men

. picked up'a__desiel ‘engine: from the army: facilities on the .

Bench (Skeenaview) which: ‘was being used for radar and.

drove down ta the beer parlour before completing their iob..
_ One of the Zombies threw'a tabléat them, . .
. That night a soldier listéiiing to the wireless beard that 7

the home defence troops were being sent overseas. ‘The

next day, at 10:20 a.m., the whole army. marched down:
Park Avenue and Kalum Street past the Post Office fully
armed. Occasionally a few soldiers would drop into a.

restaurant but would return to the parade soon afterwards.

The only damage done was to the flag that flew over the —
Legion, which was located where Totem TV i is now sithated. '
“Ht was'a lucky thing no one made an effort to use arms’. ;
against them,” recalled Sam Kirkaldy, who witnessed the —
~event, “I'm afraid Terrace would have been-a shambles if

anyone had-- which they. didn’t. wo ‘

Pioneer Floyd Frank: recalled. that the event ‘was’ very. ae
well organized. Was it possible that some ‘officers : ‘put

ordinary army wniforms on and were directing the roops?’
“It went off like clockwork," says Frank. -
"They carried Dlneards: ‘which read: “We don’t want to,

_ fight- ~ ‘eran oa ma
“at all?” 7
- Both statements ‘summed | up the causes of the one ‘event

“government: that was trying -to avoid-a national jague. a.
: division that rémalna ‘with. us. today, *

ee “3 000 50 Canadian t troops: 1 sear Terre

, a ‘

al ani Tot |eomserito or none

that could have’ toppled ‘a. weak and troubled Liberal

; “Tn 1994 the-people of Quebee aiid the Prairies saw the:

“"Enrépean ‘conflict as one of Britain's wars and they wanted.
‘to stay out-of it while the hawks of Ontario and. the:

Maritimes wailed to head off further trouble inEurope..:

“. Prine-Minisler Mackenzle- King thought he had settled ~

the: problem by saying: “Conscription if necessary-but not.
necessarily. conscription.’ He devised a two-army system.
One army, the general s volunteers, were to fight in
the European theatre while the homme defense army would
remain at home to defend Canada if the need ever arose. -
There was ona big Profile and that was what to do with

“the thousands of troops who remained behind. The mothers -
., and wives of men overseas knew what they would do. They ©

handed the Zombies : white feathers. . The - officers”

* repeatedly asked far. volunteers and.when'no one’ ‘stepped
forward they screamed “Yellow bellied SOBs” at them.” It
_.. was generally felt that. if anyone did volunteer it wat. :: |

_ Recguse hey was a breaking wader pressure, aay not because...

fn

i rer wr

Volume 75° No. 75

Thursday, Apel 16,1901 |

ehoe

e]. continued ineetings ‘bet-+ ‘ Se
» General Tosurance . em.

- conscripts wentactive the reniaiting soldiers became more:
lésely knit, ‘They knew each other and knew each other's

Olnwan Ottawa. -

" then’ releaked: for. : a
“remembering the depression years they just didn't want a

_ they didn’t went to go overseas. |

a GEC sigeaoe :

“be waa eave. "kis the ‘weaker 6t the’ hotse’ detenct
thinking. They’ were prepared: to wage any war sgalnet

Mtn problem was thatthe conscripts were unéd aa
labor poo! for: farms, mines, logging camps and factories:
“They began by being trained as mililary troops bat syere.
military job. ‘They dida't want to go back to the army end

Ove conscript called himself a child of the depression.”
“Agoelety bad falled Ua give me the opportunity taba:

.. hing.” :
"The olficers sald the Praltie boys wera thé real

‘makers. (They, were the children“ef Central Europesty

* peasants who had moved to Canada to get away from the -S

_ eoblcins of Op cidenaniry: and because they were mostly,
Continued « ‘on page. Ban i

movement at all. ‘acid it is
ail] 2 matter of waiting at
the moment”.” peg

By MICHAEL HOWLETT
Herald Staff Writer

The strike at the In
surance Corporation of
British Columbia.(ECBC) is
close to a.month old- ‘and’
shows no sign af an early =’
settlement

A mediation effort made
by Clark Gilmore, head of ©
the .Province’s “Mediation ©
_ Services, has failed: leaving: i
union: spokesmen Blaming

the corporation. ' Ae

- Gilmore. had sclieduled,

li pilowpacs. and ‘on
jeeeinne

Take an offer to the cor. -
‘poration: involving: the -
return ‘to: work ‘of 150 |

ween the . _ Offiee

avoiding.
negotiations.

overtime workers, northern

Accarding to OrEY Lecal
378. shop ‘stewart Kevin
Krueger. the union: had,
agreed to moet and.keep
lines of communication .
open, but the corporation

“could see no purpore” in
the encounter.

“There has: ‘been’, no

strike.

However, Krieger is not
optimistic that the cor-.
poration will) accept. the -.
“There is not much”
bope that they will scoept
“- said Krueger, went

offer:

— 4 They'll sell oft
_all the land and sefd the

‘people away. People who -

- grew up here and settled
* bere would like to stay with
‘heir. families, and not be

thifted around. 1 would like ”

to see the Lodge improved
ais ‘tore locals will end up -
' there the way Terrace: is
- growing.” As far as the
tower is concerned I’ve'seen
the:one in Prince George.
“‘Théy. fixed it-and pul’ a:
proper reservoir on, top.
‘Tha barracks should also be

something I’ve thought] .
" ahould be e kept around.

Allan Siredeells ‘There
has’ been. talk. of
preservation -; of * older

buildings and structures in -

town with historjeal value.
Ome could consider anything
to be a landmark and. clutter

up -living space’ with old |

structures. . People that 7
have talked to feel that a

“landmark itself doesn’t hold

too much significance, My
life would not be .@ lot less
with oul it. . Change takes
place, all things must. pass’

and fade away. One must * .

be aware. of that.

; Bee :, They should

keep it for- ‘historical .

te
reasons.

‘Terrace man
was: murdered

‘ at the home of Louis Gilbert
in Port Edward early in the

Regional Hospital and later

Kitimat hatchery

- page 3°

Don. Coburn’ 8. forestry. page. 4

k ‘seyeah-oid Terrace. | "the of Ape is,
resident hes died and 4.38 seen deed oe (OR
resident charged with released, was: flown to % ok “page 8 ,
second degree murder Vancouver General by A) _
" follawingan incident in Port Hospital where he died that | vs “Comics:
Edward Aprils. . © evening, oo - -

wn Apri IE seave, of ae Pe © pages 128 13

"Pott Edward bas-been- A third adult ‘male — > in .

charged With socxpe degree involved in the incident wad = Classifieds —_
marder after an alterca taken to Prince Rupert - "pages 14-16

The cold weather iooks like it tls finally on “torrent of the - normally placid Thornhill
"the way out, allowtng the spring run-off and Creek Falls.
alt the recent rainfall to make” a rushing

“Doctor resigns

aa “political ‘mévet oon
Abrahamse said that'he i,

Dr. Cl. Abrabartané his
" gubmitted his resignation to
Mills Memoria! Hospital

j aftet: having “his ‘bel aed"
temporarily,

- suspended April 7.

* privileges

Abrahamse, who was on

holiday when the Medical:

Executive suspended his
privileges, dald the move

- was totally unexpected. He

was informed of the

* deciaion by letter ypoo his

Deseribing the suspersion

a4

contemplating
“treater ' ‘eo Soar -26"

Abrahamse, “wht | bas
practised for the past year
aud a half in , wee
invited to present his case
belore the medical
executlve but sald he.

Mills Memorie] Hosgital
confirmed. Dr.
resignation,

Morale -
trikers: rémaiis high,”

change in the ‘situiation”.

said Krueger, “Thé cor. - “People ‘are. bitter” aK

poration hag made"; ‘no _[Kyueger. °

pubbern

, The Dally Herald has Séijred that there could be,
__ athreatened walle-out’ at Alcén if demands tocken
"> Up the workplace gre t Rh met.

A list, “ot nine demands was presented wo Alcan:

- executives Wednesday by tins Canadian Association
of Smelter and Allied Wotkerd Exdcutive; -

Among the demands the Migion wants to see im-
plemented immediately js ng overtime for patline
workers, rigidly enf; | Workers’ Compensation
Board regulations, and an enfirced rest period after _
open-pot operations.

The union also wants. Alcan to sét a definite
schedule for repairs and improvemienta to thé work: °
place and asked for a change of priorities ‘from. -
company officials. Union members say that Akan
is spending money on computer banks, lights, and —

la

landscaping around the main offices andatallingon —-

improvements in the workplace, =’ ‘
The unlon also wants potroom workers bours:be’ :

reduced from a 48 hour, 6day a week work schedule
toa regular-40 hour week, | =
Union officials reported that the compary's”

-Tespoase was not overly enthusiastic, and plan to’. 7

meet over the weekend to formulate strategy to
follow wp their demands.

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