Pace of improvements too

Slow, regional board says

by Tod Strachan

A number of Ministry of High-
ways improvement projects for
Hwy. 37 North are on this year’s
agenda, but for some directors of
the Kitimat-Stikine Regional Dist-
rict, what has been planned is not
good enough.

On the list is the first half of a
two-year, 14.9-kilometre recon-
struction and paving project from
the end of pavement at Hanna
Creek north, a 60-kilometer seal-

coating project in the Iskut/Tatogga -

Lake area, sealcoating the Cassiar
access road, a number of smaller
upgrading projects in the Cassiar/-
Dease Lake area, and a design
project that will lead to the recon-
struction and paving of Hwy. 37 to
the Bell I crossing in 1991.

The only thing that interests
Telegraph Creek director Dan
Pakula, though, is pavement, and
he calculates, "By doing four and
a half miles each year it’s going to
take about 50 years to reach Dease
Lake.” Pakula’s view of northem
development caught director Les
Watmough's attention, prompting
him to draw a comparison with a
more politically-oriented southern
B.C. project. "Imagine how long it
would have taken to build the
Coquihalla,” Watmough quipped,
suggesting that that mulitmillion
dollar government-backed project
didn’t take long 1o build at all,

Staying on track, Pakula
described the balance between the
province’s Stewart/Cassiar high-
ways upgrade and tourism promo-
tion for the same route was not
acceptable. He said that there were
no dust control measures taken on
the route until July last year and it

didn’t appear that it was going to
be any different for the current
tourism season,

According to Pakula; the dust
situation at the present time is
"incredibly bad" and he has recent-
ly timed forced stops as long as
eight to 10 seconds due to zero
visibility caused by passing trucks
For tourists, he said, "It's an inti-
midating experience. I’m sure."

The province wasn’t without
Support, though. Terrace director
Bob Cooper said a fair amount of
upgrading work was being done in
the north — particularly on Hwy.
16 ~— and on Hwy. 37 the total
amount of work affected nearly
100 kilometers of road. Hazelton
director Pete Weeber concurred
with Cooper’s view and mentioned
the new Carnaby crossing as an
example of the good work that’s
being done.

But this only brought Hazelton
director Alice Maitland into the
debate. "Carnaby is 20 years old,”
she said. "It’s not new. And it’s
the same for all of Highway 16."
As far as Hwy. 37 is concerned,
she added that she has been push-
ing for a major upgrade for four
years, particularly in light of the
province’s tourism promotion
there, but still, "There are horror
stories coming out of that area."
Cahirman Jack Talstra suggested
that tourists head into the
Stewart/Cassiar area ‘with the in-

Terrace Review — Wednesday, May 9, 1990 A3

Be

:
, i Oyen
te

Le Semon Grit
~~ PAC Cite

The Happy Gang Centre has had its parking lot lowered considerably in the past few weeks, and
perhaps someone should think about removing the sign. Francisco Trigo is developing the Kalum
St. lot as an office complex, one of several construction projects taking place around Terrace as

the spring weather puts builders and equipment in motion.

tention oF "rougtiing’ it"; to which

Maitland responded: "And they jf

really rough it."

The discussion did eventually §
lead to a conclusion. The board fj
voted unanimously to write the §
government again, reconfirming }
their position that a major upgrade &
on Hwy. 37 is a top priority item. §

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