The Prince CZeorge
Citizen
MONDAY, APRIL 22,1991
51 CENTS
(Plus GST)
Low tonight: -1 High tomorrow: 16
Health user fee
Crisis program unveiled 7
Bruins take series lead 11
Husband home too much 20
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562-2441
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RESEARCH AT COLLEGE
Study analyzes crime here
by BEV CHRISTENSEN Citizen Staff
A study linking the number of single-parent families with high property and violent crime rates here in 1986 resulted in some confusion at Saturday’s meeting of College of New Caledonia directors.
At first the directors thought the research undertaken by the college’s senior criminology students meant single-parent families with three or more children were responsible for the crimes.
But the head of CNC’s
criminology department, Ken
Parker, said that although the prop-
erty and violent-crime rates rise when there are more single-parent families with three or more children in the community, it is wrong to say they committed the crimes.
“But it does indicate there are things in the social environment that could be adjusted, such as pay equity, which have the potential to reduce the crime rate,’’ he said.
The study revealed the number of single-parent families in a community has the strongest association with high property and violent-crime rates.
Student-researcher Ken Hebert told the directors the ratio of single-parent families with three or
more children could explain 27 per cent of the property crime in the community.
Prince George had the highest rate of single-parent families in tliat category among the 14 B.C. cities with a population of 50,000 included in the study, he said.
This city also had the third highest rate of property and violent crimes among the 14 cities, he said.
But the city’s violent-crime rate is 19th among the 55 communities with a population of 5,000 or more included in the study.
A more complete report of the study, including the ranking of the crime rates among the 55 communities studied will be released later, Parker said.
The research project also revealed four social environmental factors are found in 87 per cent of violent crimes committed in B.C: single-parent families with three or more children, the number of people in the community aged from 25 to 34, the ratio of aboriginal people living in the community and the number of children between the ages of 18 and 24 who are living at home.
When looking at the last factor, researchers found the crime rate drops when there is a larger percentage of children aged 18 to 24 living at home.
Mulroney gives federal cabinet major shakeup
by Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Joe Clark will look for a way to defuse the national-unity time bomb and Michael Wilson will study world trade instead of domestic economics.
Robert de Cotrct bids farewell to his much-touted green plan and Marcel Masse will run tanks and planes as defence minister instead of the arts as communications minister.
Don Mazankowski adds to his power, becoming finance minister as well as deputy prime minister.
That’s the new scenario for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who juggled most of his senior cabinet ministers Sunday in one of the biggest shuffles since he took power in 1984.
The vital issue on his agenda is national unity, he said.
Clark becomes the chief spokesman on national unity. Wilson, blamed by many people for the recession, moves to industry and international trade.
De Cotrct becomes secretary of state.
Jean Charest, who resigned as sports minister in 1989, returns to cabinet to take over environment.
Mulroncy sneered at Clark’s views on the Constitution when the two vied bitterly for the Conservative leadership. Now, Clark will be minister responsible for constitutional affairs and Mulroney’s chief lieutenant in the constitutional debate.
The former prime minister also becomes chairman of a new cabinet committee on unity and constitutional negotiations and president of the Privy Council.
Liberal Leader Jean Chretien and NDP Leader Audrey McLaughlin both wished Clark luck in a difficult role.
Wilson, architect of the much-disputed GST, will handle the industry and international trade portfolios in a sort of supcr-ministry aimed at promoting greater international competitiveness in Canadian industry.
Wilson will also lead a new cabinet committee on economic and trade policy.
Mazankowski, Mulroney’s right-hand man as deputy prime minister, becomes the first westerner in more than half a century to run the economy.
Don’t expect many changes in finance, though.
“When you’ve got sound policies, you don’t have to be different,’’ he said.
At his news conference after the swearing-in ceremonies, Mulroney said he moved Clark from External Affairs, not because of any problem there, but because national unity is vital.
“The national unity question has been driving a number of important agendas, including this one.’’
The were other promotions in the shuffle Sunday:
Barbara McDougall moves to External Affairs from Employment and Immigration.
Benoit Bouchard moves to Health from Industry.
Bernard Valcourt moves to Employment and Immigration from Fisheries and Oceans.
Marcel Danis goes to Labor from Youth and Fitness and Amateur Sport.
PAUL PERREAUIT/Southam News Graphics
The only brand-new face is Pauline Browes, a Toronto MP who becomes minister of state for the environment.
Some veteran ministers have been shuffled around: Perrin
Beatty to Communications from Health; Bill McKnight to Agriculture from Defence; Jean Corbcil to Transport from Labor, Doug Lewis to Solicitor General from Transport.
John Crosbie moves from International Trade to Fisheries and takes charge of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
Gerry Weiner, who had been secretary of state, leads a new ministry, Multiculturalism and Citizenship.
CABINET LIST, PAGE 6
Earth ceremony
Eugenia Johnson throws a wreath into the Nechako as part of a ceremonial tribute to the river held at the Spruce City Wildlife Association fish hatchery Sunday afternoon in conjunction with Earth Day. Tucked in the wreath was a poem Johnson wrote voicing her concern for the health of the river. Wreaths were used in the ceremony because they symbolize the eternal circle of life. Earth Day is today, but celebrations began Saturday and run through the week.
YOUNG PEOPLE TAKE OVER
Council chambers invaded
A takeover of Prince George city hall is being planned by a group of young people.
But it’s all in the interest of education and the city’s way of commemorating Civic Awareness Week from today to next Sunday.
The annual event promotes awareness of civic politics and gives high school students an opportunity to participate in meetings, elections and dealing with issues of the day, says Aid. Don Bassermann, who heads the project.
The main student council meeting will be televised Wednesday from city hall at 7:30 p.m.
The 14 students from five secondary schools attended a series of preparation meetings with city clerk Bruce Williams and his deputy Jennifer Forrest as well as members of administration in meeting procedures and duties of mayor, aldermen and administration.
Then they participated in mini-candidate forums, complete with speeches, before electing a council from among the ranks.
When this year’s mayor, Catherine Edgar from Kelly Road Secondary, was unable to attend the election, she wrote her speech and had it delivered by a friend. “She was still elected,” said Bassermann.
Since then, the Grade 12 student has attended city council lo learn how Mayor John Backhouse conducts the meetings.
This year’s aldermen arc Dean Ellerton, Grade 10, and Michelle Lecomte, Grade 12, College Heights Secondary; Chris Sdoutz and Laura Ryscr, Grade 12 students at Prince George Secondary, Jaswinder Dhillon, Trcena Firth, Lisa Bachand and Meena Sidhu, Grade 12 students at D.P. Todd Secondary.
Administration seats will be filled by Afica Moreno (city manager) from College Heights, Michelle Elliot (city engineer), Sara Redford (director of development services) and Alec Tomkiw (director of leisure services) from Lakewood Junior Secondary and Valerie Bailly (director of finance) from Kelly Road.
Civic issues to be raised by the mock council include housing for the homeless, performing arts theater, recycling, bus service, downtown revitalization, youth, landfill problems and transportation credit system.
Each member received four invitations for family and friends, who will bc guests at a reception following the meeting.
Citizen photo by Dave Milne
Youth mayor Catherine Edgar practises conducting a meeting for Civic Awareness Week.
Mil? I" I EX
Ann Landers ____14
Bridge ____19
Business . . . .....9
City, B.C. . . ----2,3
Classified . . . . 16-19
Comic . . . . .....8
Commentary .....5
Crossword . . ____17
Editorial . . . .....4
Entertainment ... .8
Family . . 14,15
Horoscope . . ____19
International .....7
Lotteries . . . .....7
Movies .... .....8
National . . . . . . 6,10
Sports .... . . 11-13
Television . . ____18
'Let me write you a check for the other 40 cents."
Agriculture
Immigration & Employment
Communications
Bill McKnight
Bernard Vaicourt
Perrin Beatty
Transport
Jean Corbeil
Secretary of State
Labour Marcel Danis
External Relations, Indian Affairs (junior) Monique Landry
Fitness & amateur sports, Deputy House leader Pierre Cadieux
Transport (junior) Shirely Martin
Environment (junior) Pauline Browes
Multi-culturalism Gerry Weiner
Robert de Cotret
hand after the big shuffle
Fisheries, Atlantic development Health & Welfare
Benoit Bouchard
Solicitor General
Doug Lewis
Defence
Marcel Masse
Brian Mulroney shuffled many of his senior ministers in one of the biggest cabinet shakeups since he became prime minister in 1984.
John Crosbie
Citizen photo by Brent Braaten
058307001008