Al0 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 26, 1998

City says farmers’ market must move WEARHOUSE

CITY COUNCIL tumed down pleas this month to give the farmers’ market a long term lease at its present location on Davis Ave. near George Little park.

City economic development officer Ken Veldman said the city has a different vision for the site.

He said the market would be better to- cated in the southern end of downtown where it can be tied into the revitalization process.

But representatives of the market say they don’t want to move.

“We like our location,’’ sald Lynne Christiansen, the market's spokesperson. “We're central, downtown, and we’ve been established here for 15 years. The park and the Farmer’s market enhance each other.

FROM FRONT

SCl awaits markets

ment needed to restore the company’s efficiency and profitability.

Ii was also the main fea- ture of the business plan put together which allowed the company to come out from under court-sanctioned pro- tection from creditors.

Once efficiencies are made at the pulp mill, for instance, the company projects saving money by cutting its workforce.

McDonald said. the rea- sons for the plan haven't changed, adding new com- pany president Bill Stecle wanted a more indepth review when he was hired,

“The estimate is for $170 million. We just want to see how real that number is,’* he said. “The money will be there when it’s needed but I should note that the restruc- turing plan is to take place | over a three-year period.’’

“Our job is to get the mast productivily we can; to be able to produce pulp at the low end of the market | cycle without losing money.

It’s tough, but not im- possible,”” McDonald said.

McDonald did say some of the $170 million bas al-_ ready been spent on build- ing roads to cutblocks which will feed SCI’s sawmills and provide chips for the pulp mill, That roadbuilding amount for this season works out to $18 miltion, enough for 200km of road.

This has translated into about 10 weeks of work for 24 contracting companies and 120 people, said McDonald.

Part of the capital ex- penditure plan also calls for a reduction of 150 people out of a workforce of 650 at the company’s Prince Rupert pulp mill.

The company has already cut non-union and manage- ment positions in Prince Rupert and in its Vancouver head office. In any event, half of the Prince Rupert mill is closed because of poor markets and there’s no indication when it will reopen.

Get going, city urges

THE CITY is pushing the province to go ahead with capital spending promised for Skeena Cellulose.

The moderization pro- gram is anxiously awaited as a sign that the owners — the province and the TD Bank — are still prepared to fulfill their commitment to rescue the company in the face of broad criticism else- where in the province and collapsing Asian markets.

City economic develop- ment officer Ken Veldman said it doesn’t make sense for the company to wait on the expenditures if the owners are indeed still com- mitted to the company.

“The whoie reason the cap ex program 1s coming into being is so the company can survive in those exact market condititons,’’ Veld- man said,

Because the improventents will take at least three years, the company risks missing an eventual peak in markets if it delays now.

“You want to be doing these things at the lower end of the scale so when things do rebound you're ready for them,"’ Veldman added.

Veldman, however, says the market's site is being underulilized (used only Saturdays and Wednesdays in the summer) for its high retail value.

Plus, he said the market causes prob- lematic traffic congestion along Davis Ave- nue and the heavy flow of people walking through Little Park to and from the market is hard on the grass.

Christiausen said Veldiman’s reasons for moving the market were ridiculous.

“T don’t think we should ever worry that our park is being used too much,’" she said, “With our climate, the grass is going to grow well no matter what.’

As for the traffic congestion problems, she said parking hasn’t been a problem for other events held in the park. She said the

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market's spent more than $1,000 on signs trying to comply with the city’s wish to have parking on the south side of Davis

. only,

She also doesn't know where else in the cily there will be more parking available since the market has access to the vacant lot, the library's lot, and the medical build- ing’s spots.

Instead of being supportive of their market, Christiansen said she feels the city is against them.

“It’s remarkable that we have a market our size (70 vendors) for a town of our size. We had 2,600 people walk through the market three weekends ago. That’s 2,600 votes,”’

Veldman agreed that the market was an

important part of the city, but he said it would be better situated centrally downtown (south), where it can be used to atiract traffic.

“Everyone knows the farmer’s market has been a heck of a good success,”’ said Veldman. ‘‘The last thing we want to do is jeopardize that success.”

Veldman said the city wants the market committee to draw up a wish list of poten- tial sites in order to mesh it with the city’s wish list so they can come up with a plan together.

“This move we want to sce as “The move’ ——a permanent home for them, said Veldman. ‘‘The city is willing to put some money into the market once they have a

new permanent spot.” Pa

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