PRINCE GEORGE
                                                                                   High today:-4 Low tonight: -17 Details page 2
Citizen
 Serving the Central Interior since 1916
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2002
                                                                                   80 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 54 CENTS A DAY)
PM makes Hedy small Fry
  Kinsley says he’ll shed no tears as fed minister canned from cabinet
                                                                                          by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff
  Nearly a year alter a national furore erupted over Liberal MP Hedy Fry’s remarks that Prince George was a hotbed of racism, she’s been ousted from cabinet.
  But “there will be no tears shed” over her departure, said Mayor Colin Kinsley on Tuesday. “Nobody likes to see a B.C. member of parliament kicked out of cabinet but in this case I’d have to say what goes around comes around. I couldn’t see the prime minister keeping her in there.”
  The B.C. MP lost her multiculturalism post in Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s cabinet shuffle on Tliesdav.
  “1 think it was about time," Prince George city councillor Don Zurowski said Hiesday. “Typically,
the prime minister never deals with a problem when he’s asked to by the Opposition or when they’re under fire, but he does so under his own schedule.”
  Zurowski was acting mayor while Kinsley was on vacation when Fry falsely said in March crosses were being burned on lawns in Prince George “as we speak.”
  The city had found Fry’s apology — in which she said she had made a mistake and that she was referring to another city she wouldn’t name — inadequate.
  The province didn’t lose a cabinet spot in the
FRY
shuffle as B.C. MP Herb Dhaliwal (Vancouver South) was promoted to Natural Resources Minister.
  Victoria MP David Anderson, B.C.’s most senior cabinet minister since 1993, retained the Environment post.
  Rookie MP Stephen Owen (Vancouver-Quadra) was named secretary of state for Western economic diversification, Indian affairs and northern development.
  Zurowski said considering Fry is gone, and Dhaliwal is taking over Natural Resources, an important post for B.C., the shuffle looks good for the province.
  UNBC political scientist Tracy Summerville said she wasn’t surprised to see Fry go, although she noted the community certainly wanted to see ac-
tion much earlier. “In this case, what maybe a lot of people don’t recognize (outside Prince George) is how deeply it hurt this community, which is trying to attract professionals,” she said.
  The Natural Resources post and the secretary of state for northern development and Indian Affairs are a good fit for this area as both are big issues, added Summerville.
  The region relies heaving on lumber and pulp production, while the province is in the midst of settling treaties with First Nations.
  “How much it will make people feel that there’s strong representation, I don’t know,” said Summerville. “But it maybe says there’s some recognition British Columbia has distinctive needs that need to be dealt with.”
                                                                                                                                                                                   — What does Fry think? See page 6
Local residents praise outgoing health minister
                                                                                                     by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff
    People in Prince George are expressing a sense of loss now that Allan Rock is no longer the federal health minister.
    “He’s been an outstanding health minister,” said Dr. Charles Jago, UNBC president, who had a number of dealings with Rock during the past few years.
    “Mr. Rock’s involvement with UNBC and the dty reflects his commitment to address northern and rural health issues. I’m sorry to see him give up this portfolio, but glad to see him take on the Ministry of Industry, which is a very senior position.”
    Dr. Bert Kelly, vice-president of Northern Medical Sotiety expressed uncertainty at the loss of Rock.
    “I think Mr. Rock expressed quite an interest in rural med-itine. He appointed Mayor (Colin) Kinsley as the national chair of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Rural Health, and we saw this as a definite way ahead for northern reaches of the counuy.
    “His being removed leaves some uncertainty,” said Kelly.
    Mayor Colin Kinsley said although he’s saddened to see Rock leave, “the good news is he’ll be coming back here be-
JAGO
  cause we need help with industry.”
    “And we’ll be talking to health minister McLellan shortly to be sure she’s aware of the excellent working relationship between the health ministry, UNBC and the city,” said Kinsley.
    Cal Tant, executive director of Prince George Regional Hospital said he hopes the momentum and input created through the national rural health council will continue.
    “I think (Rock) was doing a good job, and one measurement of that was he appointed Mayor Kinsley as the chair of that council,” said Tant.
    Speaking of Anne McLellan (from Alberta), new minister of health, Kelly said he wonders if the idea is for her to “deal with Ralph Klein’s coming assault on the Canada Health Act. Jago said he has “every confidence in the new minister. I think she understands northern health issues and we look forward to working with her.”
    Rock has made a number of trips to Prince George in the past few years to make announcements and allocate funds.
    In July, 2001, Rock appointed Mayor Colin Kinsley to lead the newly established cross-Canada Ministry Advisory Council on Rural Health.
    During that visit he handed out more than $500,000 for health initiatives in northern B.C.
    Northern Interior Regional Health Board received $300,000 to reduce the incidence of Type-2 diabetes plus $38,000 to address issues of seniors falls.
                                                   INDEX
  Ann Landers...............17
  Bridge....................20
  Business ..............22-24
  City, B.C.............3,5,13
  Classified ............18-21
  Comics ...................16
  Coming Events..............2
  Crossword ................16
  Entertainment.............17
  Horoscope ................20
  Lifestyles................17
  Movies....................17
  Nation ..................6,7
  Sports .................8-12
  Television................17
  World ....................14
  Canada .com
Scottish doctors ponder RG. move
                                                                                        by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff
   A project to recruit medical professionals from Scotland has generated more than 25 resumes from people interested in coming to Prince George, said Dave Yarmish, recruitment consultant for the Northern Health Authority.
   Recruiters, Dr. Bert Kelly in Edinburgh, and Dr. Tony Eckersley in Glasgow, focused on nurses, but also invited other health professionals to attend,
  Yarmish said.
   The two doctors went with 50-pound boxes full of information about the region, city and hospital and set up in advertised locations.
   “The result is we received 27 resumes and letters mainly in December and we are dealing with
                                                                                        YARMISH
                                                             each one of these people,” said family doctor from South Africa has
  was a useful project, and I believe if we treat these people properly, they’ll spread the word. We’re hopeful we’ll see a number of resumes move forward,” said Yarmish.
    There have been 22 doctors recruited since August 2000, but the story doesn’t end there.
    Yarmish and the recruiting team are in discussions with a neurologist who will visit here Jan. 30, and a thoracic surgeon from the Northwest Territories who also wants to practice here.
              Discussions are ongoing with an orthopedic surgeon, an internist, ophthalmologist, ear-nose-throat specialist and a pediatrician.
              Two new family physicians, Dr. Nicolette Dreyer and Dr. Jean-Pierre began practices here in December, and Dr. I. Reddy, a
New York Fire Department " 1 ",' donation
  Yarmish.
    Those interested include 10 general duty nurses — who are equal to registered nurses — three mental health nurses, five medical lab technologists, two social workers, two physiotherapists, two podiatrists, and an audiologist, an X-ray technician and a neuro-physiology technician.
    “1 think we have reason to feel this
  also arrived.
    “On Monday, new psychiatrist Dr. Rizwana Shaheen from Ohio arrived, and on Jan. 26 Scottish family doctor Scott Lennox will arrive to start a practice here.”
    In February, look for anesthetist, Dr. Boshoff to start work, and within two months Yarmish expects family doctor, Satish Mann from the U.S. to set up practice.
                                                                                         by SCOTT STANFIELD Citizen staff
    The New York Fire Department has thanked Prince George for supporting its Ground Zero relief effort, which continues around the clock in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
    “The generosity of the people of Prince George, British Columbia will be remembered by this department for years to come,” said FDNY spokesman David Billig in an e-mail to The Citizen. “This heartfelt gift from our friends, the good people of B.C., Canada, is representative of the continuing support of all of our friends and neighbours throughout our country and the world.”
    Last week, council unanimously approved a $5,000 donation to purchase winter items such as sweatshirts, socks, work boots and thermal underwear for
                                                                                                                                                                                      hard hats needed by New York firefighters.
    The city contacted New York shortly after Sept. 11, and by early December received a fax from New York with a list of the needed items.
    i’We’re not sending $5,000 into a pot of millions that have been raised,” Kinsley said. “This is actually giving them something they’re having difficulty getting. They can’t procure them quick enough.” Kinsley said he has also written to major corporations such as Canfor, B.C. Hydro and B.C. Gas, which he said have boxes of gloves and other items in their warehouses.
    “What we’ve asked them to do is not send money but ship directly from their suppliers these goods to New York to the fire department for distribution to the workers,” Kinsley said.
                                                                                                                                                                                         — See Meisner’s view on page 4
Cornered by Baldwin
Outpatient recovery lot.
Citizen photo by Dave Milne
  RIDING THE RAILS — Stratus Crew in-line skating team member Chris Hooper performs a rail slide under the library Monday evening. The reasonable temperatures and lack of snow has allowed the team to continue practicing outdoors, even in mid-January.
1400 4TH AY ENEE,       GEORGE,
504-2020 ok 1-S00-957-RRSP (7777)
BERKSHIRE
INVESTMENT GROUP INC
                                                                                                                             Sandy Ramsay Isabel Fleck
 Investment Funds Advisors
SWITCHBOARD: 562-2441
CLASSIFIED: 562-6666
READER SALES: 562-3301
m
^
058307001008