' '.* . •:>*■'■' '"’'v ,,*■ iV A-. ’. PRINCE GEORGE High today: 16 Low tonight: 10 Details page 32 Citizen Serving the Central Interior since 1916 SATURDAY, JUNE 28,1997 80 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 50 CENTS A DAY) TODAY COMMUN top local headlines PAGE 13 Fiddle orchestra plays here today PAGE 13 You’re invited to Canada Day party PAGE 3 Revamped programs help students CNC forest centre planned by BERNICE TRICK Citizen Staff The College of New Caledonia in Prince George is planning to be the home base of a forest institute that would help sustain the forests which provide Prince George’s main industry. “This has nothing to do with teaching forestry courses, but would be a centre linking people with (forest) education and training opportunities,” John Backhouse, CNC director of institutional development and the head of the project, said Friday. Such an institute would establish the North-Central Interior as a centre of excellence and world leader in getting the most benefits from forests through development of improved management programs while, at the same time, protecting the lands and forests of this region, the former mayor of Prince George said at CNC’s “Our interest is in sustainability of the northern region and everything that relates to the support of the resource. We have the forests, wildlife, water and air. There’s far more in terms of economic value than just the trees.” monthly meeting. The institute would have close ties with such organizations as the McGregor Model Forest Association and the Fraser Basin Council, and eventually could develop an information network stretching around the world. “Our interest is in sustainability of the northern region and everything that relates to the support of the resource. We have the forests, wildlife, water and air. There’s far more in terms of economic value than just the trees, and a lot more can be harvested from the forest than just trees,” said Backhouse. He’s secured a verbal approval of a $60,000 grant from Forest Renewal B.C. to finance the planning stage. To bring the project to this stage, after a year’s work, CNC staff members Backhouse, president Terry Weninger and Peter Ewart met with representatives of three levels of government and many forest-related associations and companies and attended four conferences connected with the forest industry. A 13-member steering committee has been established to draw up the blueprints of the program in three phases. Right now phase one is under way at the CNC library for information pertaining to similar institutes that are operating in the world. From this, two or three suggested models will be presented to the committee assigned to design a model fitting the needs of the region, the institute and its potential partners. In phase two the committee will take the model throughout the region to the stakeholders, including colleges in Terrace and Dawson Creek, and revisions will be made. The proposed model will then be made available to all participants. The hope is the plan can become a working program by the end of the year, Backhouse said. I INDEX 309819 Check Out Prince George's Newest Pizza Location The Wings are Free Forever! Order any Super Pan or Traditional Pan Pizza with 2 or more toppings and get a second pizza of equal value free or a chicken wing meal free. Your choice of Western Canada's Best Screamin' Hot or Golden Crispy chicken Wings! 770 Tower Plaza on Central Ph: 614-2173 Open: Mon. - Wed. 4 PM - 2 AM • Thurs. 1 1 :30 AMi- 2 AM • Fri./Sat. 1 1 :30 AM 4 AM • Sun. 1 1 :30 AM - Midnight SWITCHBOARD: 562-2441 CLASSIFIED: 562-6666 EADER SALES: 562-3301 E-Mail address: citizen@pgonline.com I I ^!e: HE southam.com/princegeorgecitizen Huge gift for PGRH by Citizen Staff A Prince George farmer has given the Prince George Regional Hospital Foundation its biggest gift from an individual. 2 John Ryser, 64, ranks with corporate donors with his $300,000 gift, making the foundation the sole beneficiary of his life insurance policy. “I am pleased to be able to contribute,” said Ryser. “I have lived here all of my life and people have been good to me. This is a way for me to give something back. I know the hospital does a good job and needs the support.” The foundation hopes the unique gift will encourage others to consider planned giving. Because the foundation is Ryser’s beneficiary, his payments to the insurance plan are tax deductible. Ryser told representatives of the foundation he wanted to donate money here to help people in the Prince George area rather than sending more taxes to Ottawa. “Planned gifts are an extremely important part of our long term development and a great way for people to invest in the health of the community,” said Foundation president Tom Griffiths. “The foundation has received bequests from estates but this is the first planned gift of this kind. We are most grateful to Mr. Ryser and hope that it encourages others to look at planned giving as part of their own financial plans.” The foundation recognized Ryser at a ceremony at the hospital on Friday. Protesters end barge occupation PORT HARDY, B.C. (CP) — Six Greenpeace anti-logging protesters are ending their four-day occupation of a log barge docked near this Vancouver Island community. The activists feel they have made their point about rainforest destruction in British Columbia, Greenpeace spokeswoman Tamara Stark said in Vancouver. The activists had tied themselves to a crane on the barge, which is anchored in Port Hardy. The barge is loaded with 12,000 cubic metres of cedar logs. The occupation began Tliesday to coincide with the arrests of 24 protesters on King Island, near Bella Coola. From the start of the protest, however, protesters have been without extra food and water supplies because RCMP confiscated them, Stark said. Four of the activists are Canadian. One is German, and the other is Australian. Ann Landers---- ........15 Around Town ... ........16 Bridge......... ........29 Business ...... .....22,23 City, B.C....... .....3,6,13 Classified ...... .....28-32 Comics........ . .34,39,40 Crossword ..... ........34 Entertainment . .....33-36 Horoscope ..... ........29 Lifestyles...... .....15,16 Movies......... ........35 Nation......... .........7 Sports ........ ......9-12 Television...... ........35 World ......... .........8 o 58307 00100 Citizen photo by Brent Braaten JUST HANGING OUT — Betty-June Gair and Coun. Shirley Gratton water a hanging basket from their vantage point above the Bypass. The Civic Pride Committee began Friday to hang almost 40 baskets along the Bypass (also known as Highway 97) between Fifth Avenue and Highway 16. Businesses and individuals interested in sponsoring baskets to help beautify the city can call Mike Maguire at 561-7698 or Gratton at 962-7055. ■ Face/Off, starring John Travolta, left, and Nicolas Cage, is the best slam-bang action flick of the year. Face/Off bucks the trend in a summer of disappointing big-budget films. /33 HEALTH ■ Social butterflies get fewer colds than loners, perhaps because being active and needed improves immune responses, researchers say. Having friends, neighbors — even a boss — helps people resist colds. /17 Cornered by Baldwin 1997 “I meant bring your fishing tackle.” Kemess mine blockaded by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen Staff A northern Indian band put up a blockade on Friday on a remote logging road in north-central B.C. in an effort to stop construction of a $390-mil-lion gold and copper mine. The road is the only hauling route into Royal Oak’s Kemess South construction site, where hundreds are working on the mine. But by the end of the business day, Royal Oak had obtained a court injunction to stop the roadblock. In a prepared statement released Friday, the Tsay Keh Dene said it’s frustrated with the “total failure of the provincial government and Royal Oak Mines to consult with the band in a meaningful way.” The band also said it believes there have been significant environmental dangers associated with the project, expected to create 300 full-time jobs. “The band’s chief and council take this action only after every other avenue has been exhausted,” concluded the one-page statement. The roadblock, near the Blackpine Indian Reserve, is about 300 kilometres northwest of Prince George. The mine site is a further 100 kilometres northwest beyond the roadblock of pickup trucks and logs. In a prepared statement of its own released late Friday evening, Royal Oak stressed the project had passed environmental assessment from the federal and provincial governments. “Royal Oak’s compliance with environmental regulations is among the best in the mining industry.” Two RCMP officers from Mackenzie flew into the area on Friday morning. About 30 natives are manning the blockade, which let S' o u t h -bound traffic through while he and another officer were there for about an hour, said Staff Sgt. Ken Craig. “We’re adopting a wait-and-see attitude.” The Tsay Keh Dene has tried since February to halt construction of the mine and a 380-kilometre transmission line that cuts through its traditional territory. A B.C. Supreme court judicial review scheduled for June 16 was cancelled because a judge wasn’t available. The band is also upset, it said, because Royal Oak cancelled a meeting with it and the province set for last Wednesday. But Royal said it remains willing to meet with the Tsay Keh Dene, only cancelling the Wednesday meeting because a corporate officer the band had wanted to meet with couldn’t attend. Aboriginal affairs spokesperson Peter Smith also emphasized the mine has passed federal and provincial environmental assessments and a public review. “This project certainly has significant economic benefits to British Columbians, including First Na-tions and including the Tsay Keh Dene.” But the band alleges the environmental approval process was tainted by a back-room deal worked out between the provincial government and Royal Oaks to compensate the company for the loss of Windy Craggy when the Tatshenshi-ni Park was created. The province announced Friday the finalized terms of compensation for Windy Craggy to Royal Oaks, which totals $166.6 million. 058307001008