‘around’. politiclans © | by. ya greedy as Orenda gets antsy TERRACE — Orenda Forest Products is worried about the length of time it’s taking for the province to decide if it'll be allowed to build a pulp and paper mill near here, ‘‘Qur time line is in pieces at the moment,’” company : vice president Frank Foster said last week, Foster’s comment follows a decision by the province to in- volve two native groups in the review of the company’s plan to build the mill south of Lakelse Lake, The Haisla of of ‘Kitimaat ‘and . the Tsimshian ‘Tribal: ‘Council have an interest in the land upon which Orenda wants to build. One person has already been hired by the province to do the review but there’s no word yet on how long it might take. Orenda filed‘ its application with the provincial Major Pro- jects Review. Process (MPRP) last fall. That process didn’t then in- clude a native review compo- nent, something the new government says it now wants ~on-large industrial ‘projects. Orenda wants approval-in- principle, defined as permission to go ahead providing the com- pany receives necessary permits and licences, The company wanted that ap- proval early this year so it could prepare for those licences and permits leading up to a spring construction start, Foster said Orenda told the government. its worried about the delay at a mesting last week to go over plans for the native review, The permits and licences “will take time that’s not ‘available. There’s no way we'll be looking al turning sod. by May 1,” said Foster, That’s caused Orenda to now look at plans for winter. con- struction which, Foster said, will drive up the price of: the project estimated last year to cost $365 million. “Rach day that goes by sees the cost in dollars going up. We're working very hard to avoid being pushed over the financial brink,’’ said Foster, ‘We have to show what im- pact there will be to the finan- ciers and we don’t. know what. cont'd Az. ERRACE STANDAR Outrage erupts over sewage mess ERIC BRORUP) ~ Cool customer CROSS- COUNTRY SKIER Dave Allwood, of Hazelton, cruises to first place i in the'37- kilometre Alcan Marathon out at Onion Lake Feb. 15. Allwood was one of 75 competitors racing. in either. the marathon or the 18.5- kilometre half-marathon. See race results on page B4. (PHOT =. Spring start forecast New jail beckons TERRACE —Construction of a -new $2.3 million correctional centre should begin this sum- mer, says the district corrections director. Rob Watts says he hopes to see tenders on the project go out in late April or May. Final work on the centre’s plans and drawings are now be- ing worked out, It’s hoped in- mates and staff will move into the new jail sometime early in 1993. The final selection of a . parcel of industrial land between Keith Avenue and the CN. railway tracks last year ended months of speculation and opposition. from local residents. Now, says Watts, the centre appears to have a home that meets with the - approval of everyone, © 2°. The correctional. centre is now -Braun St. in a former. “motelon . | Hwyl6. Watts says the $2.3 million budget includes the purchase of the land. ~ Watts said work will be done to cut corners and minimize costs wherever. possible, because costs have: increased. greatly since the search for a new cor- rectional centre: began three years ago, ‘Two and a half years of in- flation. has eroded the buying power of our initial budget,’’ he explained. . Located at the north end of ; the centre will be sur- rounded by other industrial pro- perties and by" ‘the railway tracks. The new property will also mean a huge expansion for the centre’s workyard. ‘Inmates work on a small- scale logging operation.run out of the correctional centre. Right now the entire centre ‘sits on three acres of land. At the new site they'll have seven acres for the workyard alone. ‘tll more than double what we have right now,” Watts said. TERRACE — A disease out- break appears to be the only prospect for a quick fix to the sewage woes of residents on Bobsein Crescent. Regional district ad- ministrator Bob Marcellin predicts Victoria will’ react quickly with aid to help build a proposed $5 million sewer system if anyone gets sick there. Until the epidemic arrives, however, regional district of- ficials and Queensway-area residents — who also live under the fear of eviction — will have to continue chasing individual government agencies for grants. The Thornhill subdivision — described by former regional district chairman Jack Talstra as having ‘‘deplorable, third- world conditions’? — was cited last month by B.C. Environ- ment.on.a,province-wide list, of polluted or contamtinated sites. The high water table -there causes septic fields to fail and brings raw sewage to the surface in ditches and yards. “You cannot tell me that there isn’t a health problem on Bobsein,’’ resident Jim Olson told people at a meeting here Saturday. ‘‘Kids play in those ditches.”’ ‘It’s like a war zone,”” added Chris Clark, “we're just waiting for the bomb to drop.” Residents called the meeting to try to find a solution after Bobsein Cres. homeowner David Giesbrecht was hit with a health ministry order giving him until this Saturday to fix his house's septic system. Environmental health officer Russell Seltenrich told residents at the meeting at least five other homes in the area are also under investigation. “So who's next on the hit list???’ Olson demanded. “Are you going to make me wait on pins and needles to see if you’re going to try to evict me too?” Although eviction is unlikely, a court order could be sought “What would happen if all of Thornhill was cote » declared’ an Sea * varit’ for habitation?” forcing residents to take action if the health ministry decides to - enforce sewage regulations in the Queensway area. Giesbrecht is asking for an extension of the deadline he’s been given by health ministry officials. The order was issued when dye tests determined his Stewart workers getting a hand TERRACE —Another commit- tee to help people affected by the Cassiar mine closure has been set up. This time it’s in Stewart where 30 pecple were laid off alter the northern asbestos mine shut down this month, Those people are employees of Arrow Transport, trucked asbestos from Cassiar to the docks at Stewart, lease truck operators, longshoremen who worked at the docks and those connected to servicing Ar- row Transport. The industrial adjustment committee, with the financial help of the federal and provin- cial governments, will set up a job search centre, said Stewart alderman Kirsten . Chapman who attended the founding meeting. of the committee last week. A similiar committee was established in Cassiar earlier this month for the 450 people who lost their jobs there. which - “The committee through the job search centre will set up a fax service and help people go out on interviews,” said Chap- man. Northwest Community Col- lege is also considering putting on a job resume preparation course, said Chapman who is the administrator of that in- stitution’s campus in Stewart. A similiar committee will be established in Stewart later this year when the Westmin gold mine phases out operations. keke ak In the meantime the District of Stewart is waiting to see if itv’ll receive any help from the provincial government because of the Cassiar closure, says mayer Darlene Cornell. Cassiar Mining Corporation owes the municipality back taxes in the ‘‘six-figure’’ bracket, said Carnell. Having to write off that amount will hurt the municipality's budget, she said. septic system had failed. Apart from construction: ofa new subdivision sewer. system, the only other option to™ residents in violation is to spend: about $5,000 to build up the level of individual yards’ by 29° inches and install a new Septic system. But officials admit even that’s not a guaranteed solu-. tian. Giesbrecht is halding out for - agreement on building a sewer- system — even if he has to ap-: pear before a judge in the mean-: time. : Several other: residents ‘in-- dicated they'd make a_-stand- with him. ‘'What would happen -‘ if all of Thornhill was declared: an. area unfit: for habitation?” one man asked. ‘ The regional district.has been: ‘trying for more than 10 years to: . get-a sewer;system. bulit.there... Each proposal has been discard. ed‘ as too expensive. . The cheapest of four options. before Queensway homeowners this time would see each of them. pay more than $700 every year,. making .it the most. expensive. sewer system in the province, And that proposal is predicated . on the $5 million project receiv- ing every government grant '. available, amounting to anearly 80 per cent subsidy. Homeowner Rick Hawke ‘blasted the regional district for not taking action sooner. “They've screwed around for 10 years, the prices have tripled and they’ve done nothing,”’ he said. ‘‘The only thing delay is doing is making the problem bigger and more expensive." _ PRINCE RUPERT — Plans _ continue to be made for a “new Alaska ferry terminal here, | Alaskan officials say their _ end of this year unless there -. ave new facliities,. ferries will pull out by the. The city wants to build 2 new: terminal provided. the - “and upon which thi old one... ¢ SMITHERS — The mayor: here is worried about any plans to shift wood process- ing away from the. ‘Hazeltons. Jim Davidson said taking ; wood from the Hazeltons to - Terrace, for example, could one day be followed by tak- ing wood = from ‘Smithers elsewhere, 7 a mie ls fooking at m ov : --Feverves, ae a orthwest Roundup ‘ing to an underground opera- tion to replace its current open pit. The move could keep up to 50 workers employed past the mine’s scheduled October - closure. That underground opera. : ‘tion could be sustained until mid-1993. The mine last year an- nounced if would be closing’ - down: because: of. 00 _ and conducted” searches - ot : arrested: about aix: miles from. - town. ne, BURNS LAKE — A.11-year- old’ male was arrested here ‘Monday after.a woman was ‘stabbed ind a gun shop rob- RCMP ‘sealed off the rea . vehicles ‘uitil ‘the: youth: was: ~The woman ‘was, flowit to.