City
condominiums
prices
falling,
buyers
scarce
Every
year
In
Prince
George
about
$78
million
in
housing
changes
hands.
Citizen
reporter
John
Pope
examines
aspects
of
this
real
estate
industry
in
a
four-part
series.
by
JOHN
POPE
Citizen
Staff
Reporter
Owners
of
about
270
condominiums
here
are
stuck
with
units
nobody
else
wants.
Almost
one
in
five
of
the
units
available
for
rent
were
vacant
in
July
as
a
CMHC
survey
discovered
a
vacancy
rate
of
17.6
per
cent
in
row
housing.
And
the
price
of
those
units
up
for
sale
has
not
kept
pace
with
the
generally
increasing
price
of
housing.
Units
in
one
condominium
complex,
for
example,
are
now
selling
for
$25,000.
They
sold
for
$32,000
each
about
three
years
ago.
Low
land
prices,
high
average
incomes
and
an
independent
attitude
among
northerners
that
demands
"elbow
room"
are
all
factors
here
in
resisting
a
"southern"
preference
for
condominiums
or
row
housing.
"It's
a
bloody
disgrace,"
says
local
real
estate
appraiser
Bert
Godfrey,
in
commenting
on
the
decision
to
build
condominiums
here.
"They
should
never
have
been
built
and
will
eventually
almost
be
like
a
ghetto."
Godfrey
says
the
builders
were
the
only
people
to
make
money
on
them,
even
though
many
show
signs
of
"shoddy
workmanship."
Several
condominium
owners
or
tenants
have
complained
their
units
are
not
sound
proof
and
need
carpeting.
The
poor
market
for
selling
condominiums
has
made
many
owners
decide
to
rent
them.
This
has
resulted
in
an
even
more
threatening
situation
for
the
owners
who
still
live
in
their
units,
since
many
people
Wednesday,
July
27,
1977
Blackburn
runs
low
on
water
Blackburn
is
being
urged
to
conserve
water
today
as
city
crews
work
to
solve
a
low
water
problem
in
the
area's
system.
Both
reservoirs
in
the
area
are
running
very
low
on
water
a
city
engineering
department
spokesman
said
and
residents
are
asked
to
carefully
observe
sprinkling
regulations
for
the
area
which
prohibit
putside
use
of
water
between"
10
a.m.
and
4
p.m.
The
spokesman,
engineer
Les
Nemeth,
said
the
Blackburn
main
well
pump
is
unable
for
some
reason
to'keep
up
with
demands
on
it..
The
well
usually
produces
275
gallons
a
minute.
Another
well
gives
15
gallons
a
minute.
A
new
300-gallon-a-minute
well
is
under
construction.
Nemeth
said
the
present
well
should
handle
demand
but
there
is
some
unknown
problem
with
the
supply.
He
said
the
shortage
began
Tuesday
morning,
more
than
three
days
after
the
beginning
of
the
current
hot
spell
and
city
crews
are
checking
the
system
for
pumping
problems,
leaks
or
some
such
occurence
that
could
answer
the
riddle
of
the
missing
water.
Meantime
residents
are
urged
to
conserve
water
as
much
as
possible
and
sprinkle
on
alternate
days
only
in
the
morning
and
evenings.
Pipeline
blast
suspect
held
FAIRBANKS,
Alaska
(AP)
A
26-year-old
miner
has
been
arrested
and
charged
with
setting
the
explosions
that
state
officials
have
branded
"an
amateurish
attempt
at
sabotage"
along
the
Alaska
pipeline.
Larry
Wertz
was
arrested
Tuesday
night
as
he
walked
along
the
Elliott
Highway,
about
10
miles
north
of
Fairbanks
and
only
two
miles
from
the
explosion
site.
State
police
said
Wertz
was
carrying
a
rifle
and
a
pistol
in
a
shoulder
holster
when
he
was
arrested.
Police
suspected
that
commercial
dynamite
was
used
in
the
explosion,
which
caused
minor
damage
to
the
$7,7-billion
pipeline,
but
they
have
no
idea
how
much
was
used,
Pollitt
said.
I
Vol.
21;
No.
145
.Condominiums
are
a
"southern"
preference
renting
do
not
have
the
same
interest
in
maintaining
the
units
as
an
owner.
Prince
George
CMHC
regional
manager
Jack
Hadden
says
the
independent
attitude
of
northerners
is
one
reason
for
the
poor
market
for
condominiums.
"
It
began
to
gradually
change
here
in
1973
when
they
began
to
agree
that
you
could
put
up
a
party
wall
and
have
someone
living
on
the
other
half,"
says
Hadden.
"But
by
and
large
a
northerner
won't
consider
a
semidetached
anything
but
a
rental
unit."
Hadden
attributes
this
attitude
to
the
type
of
person
who
has
been
attracted
to
living
in
the
north.
"This
is
the
independent
type
who
stands
on
his
own
two
feet,"
says
Hadden.
"But
as
civilization
advances
here
you
get
those
who
are
1T17AT1
TODAY
Cillwn
photo
by
IJoug
Weller
"This
here's
the
Steamfitter.
Anybody
out
there
order
a
barbecued
hot
dog?"
Jim
Wilson
is
practising
for.
the
4.000
CB
radio
fans
expected
to
gather
in
Prince
George
Friday
until
Monday
at
the
Exhibition
Grounds.
Wilson,
the
chairman
of
the
Spruce
Cooking
Capital
Radio
Association's
jamboree
committee,
is
leaning
on
a
giant
motorized
on
CB
barbecue
specially
built
to
cook
up
to
200
pounds
of
meat
at
one
time.
It's
expected
to
operate
day
and
night
during
festivities
to
include
chuckwagon
and
chariot
races,
dances
and
loggers
sports
events.
,
'My
God.
They're
using
the
new
B-1
arrows!'
Postal
violence.
Page
9.
Bridge
24
Business
.0,
12
City,
B.C
2,
3,
8,
33
Classified
20-30
Comics
31
Crossword
22
Editorial
4
Entertainment
34,
35
FUTURE
OF
BCR
tottering
a
bit
and
those
who
have
fallen
over
completely
so
you
get
a
gradual
change
in
thinking."
High
personal
incomes
and
the
low
cost
of
land
here
are
also
factors.
Prince
George
taxpayers
earned
an
average
of
$9,451
in
1973,
giving
them
an
11th
place
ranking
on
the
list
of
100
top
wage
earning
communities
in
Canada.
The
cost
of
buying
a
house
here
is
usually
at
least
20
per
cent
less
than
it
is
in
Vancouver.
Rick
LeFebvre,
a
senior
appraiser
with
CMHC
in
Prince
George,
says
the
cost
of
an
existing
1,000
square
foot
three-bedroom
home
here
is
about
$45,000,
compared
with
a
cost
of
between
$55,-$60,000
for
a
similar
home
in
Vancouver
or
Edmonton.
The
difference
in
lot
prices
is
the
main
reason
with
the
standard
55
x
110
foot
lot
costing
about
$12,000
to
$15,000
here,
but
usually
$20-$25,000
in
Vancouver,
Financing
home-ownership
has
also
been
made
easier
due
to
a
$1,000
increase
to
$39,000
in
the
price
limit
for
homes
eligible
for
CMHC
assistance
under
the
Assisted
Home
Ownership
Program.
People
purchasing
AHOP-built
homes
are
eligible
for
mortgages
of
up
to
95
per
cent
of
the
home
value.
They
are
also
eligible
for
five-year
interest-free
CMHC
loans
to
reduce
interest
to
eight
per
cent.
AHOP
home
buyers
with
children
are
also
eligible
for.
federal
and
provincial
subsidies
to
reduce
payments
to
25
per
cent
of
their
income.
During
1976,
six
out
of
every
10
housing
starts
in
northern
B.C.
and
the
Yukon
were
financed
by
CMHC-approved
loans.
Only
one
29-unit
rental
complex
was
built
with
an
NHA
loan
in
Prince
George
during
1976
and
no
NHA
rental
units
will
be
approved
this
year
due
to
the
high
vacancy
rate.
The
over-all
rental
accommodation
vacancy
rate
in
Prince
George
in
April
and
July
was
10.1
and
11
per
cent
more
than
twice
the
five
per
cent
rate
that
is
considered
acceptable.
OTTAWA
(CP)
The
threat
of
a
national
air
strike
remains
after
release
Tuesday
of
a
conciliation
board
report
on
the
air
traffic
controllers
dispute.
But
union
and
government
representatives
both
say
they
are
ready
for
further
talks.
Contract
negotiations
are
not
expected
to
resume
until
after
results
of
a
strike
vote
are
announced
Fridav.
Prince
Georce.
British
Columbia
:.
s
Bennett's
silence
'hurts
province'
by
AL
IRWIN
Citizen
Staff
Reporter
Premier
Bill
Bennett
is
doing
the
province
a
great
disservice
by
remaining
silent
on
the
future
of
B.C.
Railways
Fort
St.
John
to
Fort
Nelson
line,
says
Fort
Nelson
mayor
Andrew
Schuck.
Schuck
made
the
comments
today
following
reopening
Monday
of
the
250-mile
line.
The
line
was
closed
June
14
due
to
a
bridge
collapse
at
Ellah
Creek,
30
miles
south
of
Fort
Nelson.
Schuck
said
rumors
the
line
will
be
closed
permanently
have
been
encouraged
by
the
government
representatives,
and
"it
is
time
the
premier
stood
up
and
told
the
public
what
it
intends
to
do."
"You
just
can't
imagine
what
it's
like
to
be
a
businessman
and
have
banks
and
customers
calling
up
and
asking
what
is
going
on
with
the
railroad?,
Schuck
said.,
BCR
spokesman
Hugh
Armstrong
said
today
that
repairs
to
the
Ellah
Creek
bridge
are
temporary
and
engineering
studies
are
being
made
for
permanent
repairs.
SANTA
BARBARA
SANTA
BARBARA,
Calif,
(
AP)
A
brush
fire
fanned
by
gusty
winds
roared
down
from
the
Santa
Ynez
Mountains
today,
destroying
expensive
Spanish-style
homes
and
threatening
businesses
in
this
coastal
city.
Hundreds
fled,
and
as
many
as
200
homes
were
destroyed.
Officials
said
the
fire
was
man-caused,
but
would
not
speculate
whether
it
was
arson.
The
blaze,
which
started
Tuesday
night,
raged
out
of
control
in
the
northeast
section
of
the
city,
less
than
one
mile
from
the
city's
courthouse
area
and
about
two
miles
from
the
Pacific
Ocean.
Shortly
before
dawn,
the
winds
which
had
been
blowing
from
the
mountains,
behind
the
fire,
shifted
to
a
sea
breeze,
raising
worries
that
the
fire
might
burn
back
on
itself
and
hit
areas
which
escaped
the
first
siege
of
flames,
There
were
conflicting
reports
on
how
many
homes
burned.
The
U.S.
Forest
Service
said
at
least
150
houses
Armstrong
said
he
was
not
aware
of
any
plans
to
permanently
close
down
the
line.
He
said
no
estimates
of
the
cost
of
the
repairs
are
yet
available.
About
700
jobs
in
Fort
Nelson
are
dependent
on
the
railway.
About
300
peoople
were
laid
off
in
the
town
during
the
six-week
railway
closure.
The
royal
commission
on
the
BCR
was
told
in
Fort
Nelson
in
June
that
the
250-mile
line
has
run
up
$74
million
in
losses
in
six
years
of
operation.
The
total
projected
loss
by
1981
is
$111
million
plus
$50
million
in
upgrading,
the
commission
was
told.
The
line
has
experienced
270
derailments
in
the
last
two
years
and
a
total
of
75
operation
disruptions.
Schuck
said
"if
the
line
had
been
properly
constructed
in
the
first
place,
these
problems
would
not
have
happened."
Due
to
an
early
completion
deadline,
sections
of
the
track
were
laid
without
ballasting,
and
in
some
sections
plywood
was
laid
under
the
ties
in
order
to
sustain
loads.
Fire
toil:
200
homes
were
destroyed
and
the
blaze
blackened
600
acres.
But
Ken
Bishop,
a
city
fire
department
spokesman,
said
the
fire
burned
"at
least
200
homes,"
many
costing
at
least
$250,000
to
replace.
"We
will
be
lucky
if
that's
all
we
lost."
At
least
17
persons
were
reported
injured,
including
seven
persons
who
suffered
smoke
inhalation.
Numerous
persons
were
unaccounted
for,
"
It
happenedso
fast
we
don't
know
how
many
people
may
be
missing,"
Bishop
said.
"We
do
know
there
are
a
couple
of
eight-or
nine-year-old
kids
up
there
unaccounted
for.
But
there
are
probably
a
lot
more."
Homeowners
used
garden
hoses
to
wet
down
their
wood
shingle
roofs
as
winds
blew
sparks
and
ashes
ahead
of
the
advancing
flames,
which
could
be
seen
more
than
20
miles
away.
Police
said
they
have
received
reports
of
looting
and
will
arrest
anybody
who
was
not
authorized
to
be
in
the
area.
Photos
page
5
Airline
threat
remains
The
country's
2,200
controllers
are
voting
on
a
request
by
the
Canadian
Air
Traffic
Control
Association
(CATC
A)
for
authority
to
call
a
strike.
Ballot
boxes
will
be
opened
at
noon
EDT
Friday
and
results
announced
at
4p.m.
Jim
Livingston,
CATCA
president,
said
the
conciliation
board
proposals
provide
"no
basis
for
settlement,"
FEATURED
INSIDE)
(
THE
WEATHER
)
(
NOW
HEAR
THIS
)
Family
36,
37
Horoscopes
35
International
5
National
9
Nixon
Column
8
Sports
17-19
Television
35
Youth
Clinic
37
A
gradually
weakening
ridge
of
high
pressure
over
the
province
is
expected
to
bring
Prince
George
mainly
sunny
skies
with
a
slight
risk
of
showers
today,
Thursday's
forecast
is
for
mainly
sunny
skies
with
an
increasing
risk
of
showers.
The
expected
high
today
is
30,
the
low
10.
The
high
Tuesday
was
29,
the
low
10
with
no
precipitation.
On
this
date
last
year
the
high
was
20,
the
low
5.
A
Citizen
report
Monday
stated
that
Vanderhoof
had
its
first
fire
victim
of
the
year
when
a
young
man
died
in
a
house
fire
during
the
weekend.
Not
so,
says
Vanderhoof
fire
chief
Jack
Roche.
"It
was
the
first
time
ever
that
we
had
a
fire
fatality,"
Roche
said,
adding
he
searched
all
records
available
of
the
village's
history.
Even
we
at
The
Citizen
can't
figure
out
how
wc
aged
to
reach
so
far
so
fast.
A
local
realty
firm
advertised
a
gas
station
for
sale
Monday
and
had
a
phone
call
Tuesday
from
someone
in
Hamilton,
Ont.
asking
about
the
gas
station
advertised
for
sale.