THE CITIZEN, Prince George — Wednesday, February 20, 1980 — 3 A Citizen SSKT 562-24 11 Local news V ___/ JOHN POPE By the way . . (An occasional column by Citizen staff members.) Recently-appointed College of New Caledonia board members will have to become a team of tact-, ful midwives to handle the institution they oversee. For CNC is full of growing pains, caused by rapid change through an administrative reorganization and an increasing emphasis on vocationa 1-trades programs. This has caused increasing paranoia among the faculty association who have lost power. 11 is a situation further compounded by the strong leadership of principal Charles McCaffrey and a comparatively weak CNC board which rubber stamps his initiatives. A feeling of powerlessness among teachers at all academic levels is so common it is almost a phenomenon. Most are frustrated because they are responsible for what goes on in the classroom, yet unable to control factors which affect it, such as the size and, in some cases, even the textbook used. This is why one of the most unhappy groups at CNC seems to be the English department, which is also one of the hardest hit by faculty cuts. Change of any kind is*always an unsettling factor. It has taken place at CNC through the resignation of five senior administrators within a year, plus the creation of a new mid-management level .that chipped away at faculty association power. The faculty association believes the administrative expansion has been at the expense of instructional programs. But many of the administrators are happy because it has given them more responsibility and the power to fulfil it. The college has also expanded into the community. Upgrading and apprenticeship programs are now offered in a variety of vocational trades areas. Many use part-time instructors from local industry. The college also has expanded into the region with fulltime directors in Mackenzie, Vanderhoof and Burns Lake. A continuing education program is offered in Quesnel through the school district and a consultant is now exploring program possibilities in the McBride-Valemount area. But the real challenge of the new CNC board is to make sure the change isn’t made at the expense of faculty association morale. This means more public accountability before changes are made. It hasn’t been this way in the past because the board is dominated by conservative Social Credit government appointees, who like operating it like a business — quietly in private boardroom sessions. Although school trustees from Quesnel, Vanderhoof, Burns Lake and Prince George dominate the CNC board in numbers (four to three), the government appointees are generally more experienced. They are more experienced because they are appointed and not subject to the whims of the electorate like school board trustees. Their qualifications are also generally superior. Government appointees Don Flynn and Bob Steward are both businessmen, while Glenn Barr of Quesnel is a chartered accountant. But the new board with Austen Howard-Gibbon as chairman and another soon-to-be-named appointee from the Prince George School District could change the rubber stamp nature of past boards. It could mean a much-needed check to balance the system. REGIONAL DISTRICT Park needs eyed by LESLIE PERRY Citizen Staff Reporter Fraser-Fort George Reg-. ional District should have a draft of a new parks plan for .the district by this spring. Regional administrator Ron .Haggstrom said the plan will .determine if there’s a need for more parks in the district and where they should be. . “The district is growing in population and we should be prepared to acquire sites before we’re pressured to,” 'Haggstrom said. The regional district’s population is 93,000, including -Trince George, 26 unincorporated communities and the ^Villages of Mackenzie, ; ^McBride, Valemount and Bear ^ake. ; ; That compares with a 1971 .population of 64,500. -.. There now are three parks ; in the district, all of which serve the area west of Prince ■ George. Berman Lake Park is 42 km west of the city off Bednesti-Norman Lake Road and sits on 93 acres with 1,100 metres of ; shoreline. Ness Lake Park is 32 km north-west of Prince George off the Chief Lake Road and includes 35 acres and 700 metres of shoreline. ; Both those parks began developing in 1976 and have free day facilities for boating, picnicing, fishing, hiking trails, canoeing and change houses for swimming. Wilkin? Park, 14 km west of the city in Miworth next to the Nechako River, is not open to the public yet, but should be ready for use by late 1981. The park will have year-round facilities, such as crosscountry ski trails, nature trails for all abilities, scenic protection areas, nature study areas, river launching facilities and a large parking lot for boat-trailers. Haggstrom says the regional parks plan fits in with the regional and settlement plans for the whole district, which are currently under discussion. Home wanted Cktara Photo by Dave Mllrw Joan Roe of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Prince George shows off a Great Dane “pup” saved by her organization. Roe saved the dog after it was found near death three weeks ago in -30 weather. The SPCA will turn the dog over to anyone able to give it a good home in the country or in the city if there is a large yard with a Five-foot fence. The SPCA would also appreciate a generous donation to cover costs. The purebred animal would cost about $400 if bought in a kennel. LOCAL STEERING COMMITTEE SET Anti^Kemano group forms The settlement plans for each of the seven electoral areas in the district outline detailed “blueprints” for land use control in those areas over the next five years. The regional plan is general one which designates projected land use in the regional district for the next 15 years. The regional plan and the first settlement plan were adopted on Nov. 8, 1979. Haggstrom says the regional parks plan is also of a general nature which “must reflect financial planning.” “It should be a brush plan, if you start getting down to the nitty gritty you’re almost expropriating by planning,” Haggstrom said. The provincial government has requested all regional districts with parks (there are 11) adopt 10 to 15 year regional parks plans by the end of this year. City restores water service Edgewood Terrace and North Nechako Road residents have water again, after more than a 24-hour drought. City water works crews restored a broken water main at midnight Tuesday, a spokesman said today. The main, under the North Nechako Road between the Old and New Nechako River Bridges, broke Monday afternoon, and crews spent all day Tuesday digging for the line. The pipe was 22 feet underground, and when reached, crews discovered the leak was 15 feet from where they had expected. Single-lane traffic was moving again today on North Nechako Road, but two-lane traffic was not expected again until Thursday. About 150 homes, and the Cedars Christian School were without water because of the break. The 100 pupils who had an unscheduled holiday Tuesday were back at school today. by DON MORBERG Citizen Staff Reporter Prince George may soon have its own anti-Kemano II organization. The spontaneous result of an information meeting on the proposed hydroelectric development, which would affect the Nanika, Kidprice and Nechako Rivers west of Prince George, was the formation of a steering committee to set up a protest group in the city. Kemano II is an $800 million hydroelectric development, part of Alcan Smelting and Chemicals proposed expansion at Kitimat. The organization of the committee followed a presentation by Dave Gillespie of the Smithers-based Save the Bul-kley group. Gillespie gave a slide presentation and talk on the project and its impact on northwestern B.C. Gillespie told 125 people at a meeting organized by the Spruce City Wildlife Club at the College of New Caledonia that a full, public, federal-provincial inquiry into the project was the aim of his group. “Six organizations have been formed in six months to look into the Kemano II project,” Gillespie said. “I was four years old when the Ootsa Lake was dammed (Kenney Dam) and I don’t want the same thing to happen to the river I live on.” Gillespie’s home is at Quick, on the Bulkley River near Tel-kwa. “More and more people are giving their support,” he said. “The whole thing is snowballing." He said the thrust of the effort of the groups is for a moratorium on the project until a full federal-provincial inquiry is completed. “There has to be a federal-provincial inquiry because there are overlapping jurisdictions. The provincial government does have the power to stop or modify the Kemano plan,” he said. “It could be considerably altered to make it more acceptable for contemporary standards.” The Kemano project is based, on a 1949 water license which permits Alcan free rein to develop the hydroelectric power of the Nechako River until 1999. Alcan’s proposal would see a dam built on the Nanika River, making a seven- square-mile reservoir of Kidprice Lake and Nanika Lake. The water would then be diverted to the existing Nechako Reservoir and u^ed to power hydroelectric generators to be installed at Kemano, adjacent to the existing facility. Part of the project is the closure of the Skins Lake spillway which feeds the Nechako River. Gillespie produced figures showing the flow of water required to power the proposed generators and the existing ones would be 9,360 cubic feet per second. The total of the existing reservoir, the Skins Lake spillway and the Nanika Lake diversion is 7,430. Where will the rest of the water come from? Gillespie looks to the 1972 B.C. Energy Board proposal to dam and divert the Morice and Dean Rivers, both popular fishing rivers. With 620 cfs from the Dean and 1,235 cfs from the Morice, Gillespie said, the total of 9,315 comes close to the required 9,350 cfs. Without the Dean and Morice, Alcan could power only 68 per cent of its generators, and if federal requirements for fish protection are met, Alcan would have only enough water to power 45 per cent of the proposed generating capacity. Gillespie said federal fisheries is concerned and has been helpful and supportive in the campaign against Kemano II. “What we want is an inquiry similartothe Berger or oil port inquiry, one where we can be financed, where all the cards are on the table,” he said. “This isn’t 1950 any longer.” The company doing an environmental study for Alcan on the project says there will be a 20 per cent reduction of the Fraser at Quesnel, Gillespie said. “If you look ahead, you can see the whole salmon system in B.C. in danger. A lowering of the Fraser will increase water temperature, increase effluent, increase suspended solids, who knows what else?” Gillespie said Alcan claims the project will create 2,000 jobs, “but for a $2.5 billion investment that means each job costs $1.25 million to create.” “When Alcan created Kitimat, they talked about a city of 50,000 people,” he said. “I doubt that there is 15,000 there now.” Gillespie said the world price of aluminum is currently 78 cents a pound. Japan stopped smelting because energy costs were too high. Eastern U.S. concerns pay 45 cents a pound for smelting costs. Smelters in the’ Northwestern U.S. pay 12 to 14 cents a pound for smelting. Alcan pays three cents a pound. Gillespie indicated there was suspicion that Alcan’s sudden lust for electrical power isn’t for itself, but for B.C. Hydro to sell to power-hungry smelters in the U.S. Smelters there are taxing existing power-production facilities, he said. “Alcan pays a .17 cents per pound (of aluminum) royalty to the province for the power it generates from B.C. water,” he said. “If that were increased to the Western U.S. price, it would mean an additional $60 million a year in B.C.’s coffers and Alcan would still be competitive.” Gillespie said 20 per cent of the U.S. aluminum is used for beer cans, but recycling recovers very little, despite the fact that reusing aluminum used one-tenth the power of smelting. “A significant chunk of power could be saved if just the beer cans were recycled.” J. Ian Evans & Associates OPTOMETRISTS J. IAN EVANS D.O.S. F.A.A.O. GREGORY E. EVANS B.Sc., O.D. J. SPENCER CLARK O.D. Optical Wing 401 Oueber St. Fane Building Prince Goorgo, B.C. 562-1305 A Thought for Today Opportunity rarely knocks; you must look for it yourself. — Anonymous The(fr (HoppyfcxePtoce -V I UltTe In budoon to motm you tmfte Presented os a Public Service Every Day by: Schultz Pontiac Buick Ltd. 1111 Central 563-0271 OFFICE SPACE Are you a DOCTOR, DENTIST, CHIROPRACTOR, REAL ESTATE AGENT, ACCOUNTANT, or FINANCIAL LENDER — looking for an attractive, air conditioned premises in a very rapidly growing residential market?? If so, consider one of remaining areas in the Austin Centre opposite new Hart Centre Mall and in the New Mall. • Choice of 2180 sq. ft., 1433 sq. ft., 800 sq. ft., or 260 sq. ft., —Air-conditioned —Fully decorated —Lots of free parking —Excellent rates —Occupancy March 3 or April 1, 1980 —Free set-up time Join 42 other successful businesses in this promising suburban community. For details contact Leasing Agent Ted Matte 964-6313 (eves.) or Matte Bros. 563-0611 (days) 813 Victoria Street, Prince George, B.C. BUILT IN B.C. 8 FT. CAMP ER —Fire Extinguisher —One Piece Roof —Screens on all Windows —Propane Stove —Escape Hatch —Sleeps 4 —10,000 BTU Furnace —75 Ib. Icebox Weighs only 840 lbs. *2688 Ideal for 4x4 & Short Box PUs. MOTORS LTD. 1877-1 st Ave. 563-8891 Dealer Licence Number 01 145A Over-crowding at Heritage prompts action by JOHN POPE Citizen Staff Reporter Prince George school district trustees stressed it was only a temporary solution Tuesday when they decided to handle over-crowding at Heritage Elementary School with portable classrooms. This was favored over shift schedules or transferring students to Highglen Elementary. “The important thing is to make it clear this is an ad hoc decision,” said Trustee Austen Howard-Gibbon at the board meeting Tuesday. “It is just a short-term solution and not (district) policy.” The school board is now in the process of finding a longterm policy for handling surplus space in the district. Although School District 57 is one of the few in the province not to have a dramatic decline in enrolment, the trend to smaller family size plus a move to the suburbs has meant surplus space in some areas. Heritage subdivision, which is in the area north-west of Fifth Ave., and Tabor Blvd. is one of the growth areas now. But enrolment projections suggest long-term enrolment at the school, after the initial bulge has passed through, will be less then 300 students. There are now 378 students attending the Kindergarten to Grade 6 school, compared to the 354 that should be there according to school district class size guidelines. Prince George elementary school principals at 29 schools feel that changerooms are essential and most believe showers are either essential or desirable. The 29-school survey was conducted after trustee Doug Quinn questioned.whether the showers were being used. Of the 29 schools surveyed, 19 have showering facilities, five have them under construction, and five are planning on getting them. Most of the principals sur- veyed considered showering facilities essential to the daily physical education program. With a few exceptions, the survey found that showering facilities are used extensively in association with extracurricular sports programs. The strongest support for the showers came from the outlying rural areas where there is often not running water in houses. Time constraints and concern about students using the showers before going home in cold weather were two reasons why the showers are not used sometimes. The trustees approved a motion to continue providing changeroom and shower facilities in the schools. Crash injures truck driver The driver of a logging truck was taken to Prince George Regional Hospital after a collision with another logging truck on Shelley Road Monday. RCMP said a loaded logging truck driven by Lloyd Nelson, 47, of Aldergrove, was in collision with one driven by Bob Castle, no age or address available. Castle was taken to hospital in a private car. The accident took place about 4 p.m. and police said it was a case of one truck sideswiping the other. There was only light damage. Police nab 3 juveniles Prince George RCMP are holding three juveniles for return to Burns Lake. They were picked up in Prince George early Monday in what police said was a car stolen from Burns Lake. The juveniles are also believed to have been responsible for a number of break-ins in Prince George.