nainland US state he had not Visited. Ithough he achieved his goal, it was the Skeena Valley ihat captured his attention and: imagination — “a novelty for one who grew up in the flat and arid goidtields of Yilgarn in. Be Western Australia.” 7 And while in the northwest, he. tried to ipar “something of the region’ s largest industry What folio ws is? Chris Greaves The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 23, 1995 - AS Greaves says he first became really conscious of the trees around Quesnel, ne trees? Fir trees? Non-deciduous trees, at Lo through Prince George, Burns Lake, Ter- ce-and on to the coast, ~ : Trees all the: way up Hwy 37 North through New. my y , Meziadin and Stewart, Trees up past Dease Lake fo the Upper Liard and* rth to Alaska," ‘trees:'Until he learned about the variety of 8 by walking the ‘'Tall Trees Trail” in Prince “then, hemlock was 4 poison Socrates ;?' he says. “Now I know it’s more than a poisonous shrub — it’s a majestic tree,” eon aving seen the forests, Greaves decided to see “= What*happened to the trees once. harvested. After _ unsuccessfully trying to seea Prince Rupert mill, he ~ tied his luckiin Terrace. ~~ = “And was: pleasantly surprised. “You phone a sawmill here. and ask for a tour and they say ‘Sure’,”’ he recalls, Those calls’ got him a trip around Skeena Cellulose and the value-added For- - . West mill. “Organized mayhem” mo hat, , Says Greaves, was his initial — and tasting © mpiession ‘of a sawmill operation, “You know: “organized and rational, but it still looks like « ybem. . ‘Mammoth fork- lift Vehicles 1 s Taise a truckload of Jogs,20. ft. into ‘the air ‘and “dump then, Tike spil- || likins,. on to'a pile. Smaller forklift trucks grab logs "from the pile and dump them, helter-skelter, onto “ramps which feed the first of a series of processes based on sawing and planing, Sawing takes about “15 minutes, the planing process about five, Scanning devices, computers and the human cye and band ‘monitor the process. “Skilled workers scrutinize and tum every plank, marking -each with a.code that can be read by a “computer” which decides how best to “process the ~ plank, where to sort and where to store the finished IMPRESSIVE. During his tour of the Skeena Cellulose mill, Chris Greaves came across the “big forklift” {Letourneau) used to move logs around the yard. Not surprisingly, the massive machine proved memorable for the visitor. product.’? - ‘For all the manual, nicchanical and technological skills involved, Greaves says the most impressive part of the tours Was he got toask any question about anything at any lime. While pointing out he’s cynical enough to think he might have been getting carefully crafied answers, he adds, “‘There’s something special about a place that opens its doors anid says, “Take your best shot’. Even if it knows it’s Playing on home turf, even if it _ Knows: it can’t lose, it’s open, not closed.’"- - - Touriig the sawmills in Terrace helped reverse an n earlier perception he had the foresi . industry had something to hide, »*Maybe the dialogue is tainted,” he admits. ‘But I'm of the view tainted dialogue ds = better than no dialogue at all. ” a we . An unexpected bonus “Too late. on his sojourn, Greaves discovered local sawmills provided detailed maps ‘of ~ their logging operational areas. They also offered daily advice on good roads to travel. “Reading these maps, ! realized I’d probably missed many great views in quiet sur- “roundings because I stuck to the highways,” he says, adding the maps have given him a . bigger in incentive to return lo the northwest than ail the tourist brochures he’dseen, ~~ - Speaking of trucks... Gre ives discovered old logging roads make great pull-offs for an impromptu picnic, ‘but , . advis $.no one try such a picnic until they’vc bad a good look at a few logging trucks. : ' >He’d read a pamphlet that cautioned logging trucks had the right of way on-the back | ' toads. or drive a tiny Hyundai Excel. I worry about bicycles and am certainly prepared to a concede right of way to a logging truck, loaded or not.” ~ ‘For ihose who might feel braver, he suggests they get a good picture in their minds of what a logging truck would do to a stationary car. “IE there’s any doubt in your mind at all, don’t stop,” he warns. “Passing space for trucks on these roads | is Himited. a A hint of home Greiives got lost on the way to Cranberry Junction as a result of a vital signpost being - nailed to-a tree 208. or more above: the. road, He ended up heading for Alice Am, he _ thinks. _Stumbled across a logging camp sind tumed in, hoping for directions. Found it deserted | that late Friday afternoon... : But tlie open doors of the camp reminded him of his days in the Auistration gold fields. an where doors were left open to accommodate travellers. : Needing’ nothing other than directions, he didn’t go inside: Bui Greavéi says there wage sp a feeling of comfort from knowing he could have if he had been | in trouble, perhaps’ even found aradio-to summon help. A different perception _ The Forest Service i is currently wrestling with what they call it VO08 “objectives, It all revolves around not cutting trees in such a Way'as'to, offend tourists.’ - During his trip: through the northwest, Greav says he found himsel€: thinking i in quite, ‘opposite tetms,: {'T lost count of the number of times I stood’ ona. roadside or a hilltop, camera: “and CB aS ~ binoculars at the ready, only to find my view ‘screened by a half-dozen trees.” ~ Which prompted the frequent'comment, “If only they*d. cut down the trees, ne an -While conceding that would sound environmentally rapist t to a city dweller’s éars, he™ . makes a distinction: ‘Clear culting is one thing, making scenery viewable is another. tr longed for a stout chain saw time and time again,”® he confesses, = TWO-TONE. The many miles travelled on wet northwestern logging roads Ieft It's mark on Greaves’ car — @ mud | “paint” job he decided had to be captured on film. Happily, that was the worst misfortune the vehicle suffered, The memory lingers - One week after retuming ' ‘to: Toronto, Greaves” i ‘found himself at_a Canada Day carnival in: New; | Liskeard, Ontarlo,. | - ’ He says his introduction to the forest’ industry prompted him to approach two “tree climber guys’? “s to inspect their boots, ‘Instead of the spiked soles he expected, he ‘saw? sheathed dagger-like devices strapped to the. inside: - of the knee and calf and Projecting down below the: sole. - An incident : of no significance, he says, except “Now Isec I am a litile closer to the industry than T. was before my visit 19 Terrace. The sawmill tou have made mean Insider”? ae have: : gravely, misinterpreted |. sequence: ‘of the... misleading Aide | ‘no doubt. Tae: *“pomnducé iovels are-a’ popular. : part: of. the collection ‘whose pee bed Same time, next. year... Greaves intends to return to the Skeena al. ; ley in. ‘96. "My interest and” ‘curtosi piqued, not peaked.” - His return might mean a few more. fouris: dollars in the communal: pot,. but.the most’ ite" portant resulf'in:his: eyes is improved. Commu ‘nication * between .an. Easterne: Coasters, between two camps of people. “That has. to. bé.a.good thing,!" he. says whene pinmnunication breaks dowi,. hi ; wpb yS Ba ‘ ay ‘deadiine- <7. noon for next. 7 nesday’s: issue, ‘Our - fax num Is : CORRESPONDENCE _ FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The “Mail Bag A bad attitude . Dear Sir: - The recent vandalism on 1 the - two native-art murals. is typical of attitudes found here in Ter: “face. I knew it was just # mat- vter of time before. someone - io destroyed these beautiful de. ‘signs, -, Tam also tired of reading the: : papers just. to find someone ‘| else: whining about the. First- Nations and all. the. so-called fabulous luxuries that we get. Jf-anyone is to complain’! be-. = lieve:it should come from thé - voices of the First’ Nations- people, Why is it that some ~Ron-natives complain’ more about the: First ‘Natlons:: ‘than any other minority group? :: », [read just recently that banks : “are now: changing..their , on how they treat the “customers, The Canadian Im: - "_perial | Bank of Commerce . ‘recently ‘announced’ “it” is “suspending its normal ‘rules re- . - quiring sufficient collateral for - ~ personal loans and mortgages . _ Tequested by | "Teserves. _ * TE bet that someone. é will write “in the local paper and.complain even further * of ‘our’ ‘special natives © * ‘rights since “this: latest: Teport. “Why don’t people just accept it and Satry on with). their: own” lives~"and «> quit complaining « “ about the First Nations; cs -sT would:like ‘to acknowledge {call those First’: Nations that: ~ have obtained ‘mortgages, paid::. taxes, ‘graduated - “from? cole. ' Jeges/universities, and started - their own businesses. :* a Yes, there: are: First Nations. - people that are’ striving to be: success(ul despite’ ‘living: ‘under: . the microscope and ‘being cones stantly criticized, © ae It seems that the non-natives: continue to ignore these’ People fy and can" ‘only » see". * their stereotypical’ native person from which they. base’ all. their. a "assumptions..." >" To all those who’ have noth. ing nice to ‘say about: the ‘First, . Nations people,’ spare us’ your: views and kee your: An open letter to: : Isobel Brophy Dear Madam: ; __. What.-a fing; “soapbox : have. How: good: of you to: -optmy column-to build it : “It. seems, however, : that ; ‘yo “my: swords, din part a: . y: . pectre « of censorship”? was.tiot ‘column about. cehsorshi, Rather; it sought to explain. the - |... method and logic of Acquisi "tions at the library... 4 As T ‘remark: in: ‘the. ‘column, ; yi or even to. teal your: po ‘views at a future: ‘library board: Loe méetl There i ce . ‘fs: - Friday : Wed: SS opis.