The Prince George Turner shuns parliament 8
Rogue beats racist 9
Stamps, Argos in final 13
Citizen
Pirates sell videos 18
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18,1991 51 CENTS
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Premier in Japan to boost trade
by Canadian Press TOKYO — B.C. Premier Mike Harcourt kicked off an eight-day trip to Japan, Hong Kong and China today with the opening of the largest British Columbia trade exposition outside the province.
B.C. Week brings together about 65 B.C. companies, along with cultural ambassadors such as painter Toni Onley and architectural glass designer Joel Berman, in a massive effort to bring the province’s Open for Business message to 5,000 Japanese businessmen and women expected to visit the exposition.
It runs for five days at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. Harcourt, who was sworn into
office only 13 days ago, said today his message lo Japanese business will be that British Columbia aims to become a stable partner with the Japanese and “the focus of Canada’s outreach toward Asia and the Pacific Rim.”
Responding to questions about possible fears of a government linked to socialism, Harcourt said his experience shows the premise to be untrue.
“That is not the response I’ve had from the Japanese business community,” he said. “This first visit to Japan was consciously chosen and is a clear signal that we welcome” Japanese business.
Harcourt said his government
has no fight with business, domestic or foreign, as long business treats “employees fairly, doesn’t mess up the environment, and pays its fair share of taxes.
“We are bringing order to government, stability that has not been there for the last four years, and I think providing an open government with no surprises will allow us to build on the relationships” already in place.
Harcourt said 25 per cent of B.C. exports are to Japan and he intends to build on existing ties.
He said British Columbia has a century of experience dealing with Japan, but trade in the next 100
years will see more value-added, manufactured exports.
To move away from resource-based exports, Harcourt said a team of experts and ministers will visit Japan regularly to meet the market and nurture relationships.
Harcourt said he will also visit more often.
“Four years between visits by the premier is not going to happen again,” he said. “I will be back and our trade and investment program will be backed with consistent, regular, intelligently targeted activities.”
British Columbia will reinforce traditional resource-based exports, work to attract new investment, and emphasize that Japanese firms
running out of land, skilled labor and energy should invest in British Columbia where there is ample supply of each, he said.
The province will also spotlight its fashion industry, computer and other high technologies, and educational expertise as further drawing cards for investment and export, Harcourt said.
During his three days in Tokyo, Harcourt will meet with the Japanese ministers of international trade and industry, construction, and agriculture, forestry and fisheries, a range of business organizations and individuals.
He will deliver a major policy speech to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan on
Tuesday and leave Wednesday for Hong Kong and later for Guangzhou, China.
He said he will press for removal of an eight per cent tariff on exports for spruce, pine, and fir lumber, discuss how the province can work with Japan to end driftnet fishing in the Pacific, and emphasize the importance British Columbia places on relations with Japan.
Tourism may be the first area to receive new emphasis in an effort to attract Japanese skiers who already know Whistler and Black-horn to resorts and tourist destinations in the interior.
Bulletin
NOT AS BAD AS FEARED
OTTAWA (CP) — John Munro, a former Liberal cabinet minister, must continue to stand trial on charges of fraud, Judge Jack Nadelle ruled today.
But Nadelle, of the provincial division of Ontario Court, threw out more than a dozen other charges.
Munro and six other men have been on trial since January on 36 charges of fraud and corruption, accused of using government money to help pay for Munro’s 1984 bid to become leader of the federal Liberal party.
Storm damage assessed
by DIANE BAILEY Citizen Staff
Prince George insurance companies are busy assessing claims after Friday’s windstorm felled trees, levelled fences and generally wreaked havoc throughout the region.
But spokemcn say the damage was not a severe as they feared it might be.
“Wc got a couple of claims, but
actually nothing too bad,” said Eileen Matthews, a homeowners agent with Howat Insurance.
“We were really fortunate this time.”
Darryl Colley, an agent with Sedgwick James, said the worst problem he had to deal with came from clients in McBride who “had a bit of nastiness with their mobile home and a tree.”
The tree hit the roof at the rear end of the trailer and came right through the rafters, he said.
But overall, Colley said, damage from the storm “really wasn’t a bad as we thought it would be.”
Sky Schumaker, who handles incoming calls at Barton Insurance, said there was a rash of claims between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Friday.
“Most of the ones I talked to were about trees falling on fences and sheds,” she said.
Some people were also wondering whether parked, uninsured cars that were in the line of falling trees were covered under home insurance, Schumaker added. They’re not.
There were some serious isolated incidents caused by winds gusting to 93 kilometres an hour. The wind rolled up the tin roof of a mobile home at the comer of Williams Crescent and Lansdowne Road, flipped a light plane at the
airport and ripped about a quarter of the roof off the Bingo-go Emporium on Robertson Road.
Shane Hennan, spokesman for SGS Enterprises in Abbotsford which owns the Emporium, said the damage totals about $15,000.
He said the Emporium will not be open for business until repairs arc made.
“We won’t likely be open until towards the latter part of the week.”
B.C. Hydro crews restored power by Saturday night. They worked straight through from 5:30 a.m. Friday to about 9 p.m. Saturday, said area field operations manager Ed Elliott.
“The Beaverly area got it pretty good, and the Pineview area and around Hixon,” he said.
Wet snow added to their problems Saturday, Elliott added.
He said Sunday was spent cleaning up the mess caused by falling trees, some of which were a “pretty good size.”
Power in parts of College Heights also was out for about three hours Sunday, but Elliott said he is not sure what caused the problem.
WAITE
Long-time
hostages
released
by Canadian Press BEIRUT — Shiite Muslim kidnappers freed American hostage Thomas Sutherland and Briton Terry Waite today and both were reported on their way to neighboring Syria.
At the United Nations, instrumental in recent negotiations for the freedom of the westerners held in Lebanon, spokeswoman Nadia Younes said Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar had just heard from his envoy,
Giandomcnico Picco, that the two men were released and were expected shortly in Damascus, the capital of Syria.
In Beirut, Lebanese Foreign Minister Faris Bouez also confirmed the release. A government source close to Syria said Waite and Sutherland were being driven to Damascus.
Earlier, a Christian-controlled radio station quoted an unidentified Syrian source as saying the two captives were freed somewhere in Lebanon at 3:30 p.m. (5:30 a.m. B.C. time).
David Murray, Sutherland’s brother-in-law, said he had a telephone call from Sutherland’s relatives in Scotland “who say that Tom is indeed on his way to Damascus. This is certainly wonderful news.”
Waite, now 52, was special envoy for the Archbishop of Canterbury when he disappeared in Beirut on Jan. 20, 1987, while trying to negotiate the release of American hostages.
Sutherland, 60, dean of agriculture at the American University in Beirut, was kidnapped June 9, 1985.
Traditionally, freed hostages go to Syria before returning home. The British Foreign Office said it sent a military transport plane to the Middle East today carrying a medical team and Waite’s brother, David.
Sutherland’s wife, Jean, who has lived in Beirut since his abduction, left the Lebanese capital on Sunday because her 88-ycar-old father had died the day before.
Four Americans are still held hostage by Shiite Muslim fundamentalists linked to Iran. The longest-held is Terry Anderson, chief Middle East correspondent of The Associated Press, who was abducted March 16, 1985.
Day pass review set
EDMONTON (CP) — A federal panel will review controversial day passes that prisoners receive to attend recreational and other events, Solicitor General Doug Lewis announced today.
“I’m all for rehabilitation and returning people to society,” Lewis said. “The thing to ask the panel, is whether golf or hockey are the best way to rehabilitate people.”
The move follows public outcry over high-profile cases in which dangerous convicts were released on day passes.
Convicted killer Daniel Gingras fled his unarmed escorts while on a birthday pass to West Edmonton Mall in 1987 and killed two people, including Wanda Woodward of Medicine Hat, Alta., before being recaptured.
CITY YOUTH HONORED
Matthew Hunt, a Lakewood Junior Secondary School student, was honored Saturday by the B.C. Royal Lifesaving Society for his bravery.
Hunt, 13, rescued a baby in July from flooding Baker Creek, near Quesnel.
He received a medal from Lt.-Gov. David Lam during a ceremony in Vancouver, where 61 other brave people from throughout B.C. were recognized.
Hunt rescued 22-month-old Jesse Williams, who fell into the creek after crawling unnoticed away from his family, during ceremonies honoring native Indian students.
Hunt saw the baby floating face-down and waded into the swollen creek.
The Prince George Native Friendship Centre earlier presented a plaque to him for his bravery.
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Prince George RCMP constables (left to right) Gary Bailey, Glen Pitcher and Tracey Thompson tie a ribbon around the Brunswick Street detachment symbolizing their participation in Drug Awareness Tie a ribbon Week which runs until Saturday. Local residents and businesses are urged to participate in a drug
awareness event or activity and display a ribbon to signify participation. It’s hoped a total of 340,560 feet of ribbon will be used to symbolically encircle Prince George.
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