Leaders gear for major debate
B.C. ELECTION
by JILL St. LOUIS The Canadian Press
NDP Leader Mike Harcourt is promising to stay positive. Premier Rita Johnston is doing some homework. And Liberal Leader Gordon Wilson is hoping to raise his profile.
With nine days to go before the Oct. 17 election, tonight’s televised leadership debate is a makc-or-break event for Premier Rita Johnston and Social Credit, a University of B.C. political scientist said Monday.
Ken Carty said with the NDP’s current lead in the polls, it’s vital for Johnston to score well in the debate.
“What the Socreds have to do is give people a reason to vote for them,” Carty said. “The New
Democrats basically tell people enough is enough and it’s time for a change.
“What the Socreds aren’t doing is saying why people should vote for them. If they have any hope of winning this election they have to get out and convince people there is a reason to vote for them.”
Harcourt said he will stick to the issues — no personal attacks on Johnston or Wilson.
The three leaders will answer questions posed by a panel of three journalists.
The hour-long debate begins at 8 p.m. on CBC. BCTV attempted to organize its own debate next Monday but the NDP refused to participate, said news director Tony Parsons.
Harcourt said the debate is im-
portant because it will give British Columbians a chance to size up the leaders.
He said he’s looking forward to
il.
"I’ll probably have to respond to a few curve balls from Mrs. Johnston or the leader of the Liberal party but that’s fine. That’s what a debate is all about.”
Johnston said she planned to spend part of Monday and all of today "boning up” for the debate.
"I place a great deal of importance on the debate — not only for the candidates but for the people of the province,” she said. "We
haven’t been talking about issues in this campaign.”
Wilson said he hopes the debate will give him the kind of recognition that Saskatchewan Liberal Leader Lynda Haverstock got from Saturday night’s debate in Saskatoon.
Meanwhile, the Green party will be in B.C. Supreme Court today trying to get in on the debate.
The Green party’s writ says its exclusion violates the Broadcast Act and infringes on the party’s right to protection from discrimination under the Charter of Rights.
Campaigning in Vancouver, Johnston used a venue on the edge of the former Expo site to attack Harcourt’s record as Vancouver mayor and to answer his charges
that the Socreds botched the Expo sale.
Johnston said Harcourt opposed major projects such as SkyTrain,
B.C. Place Stadium, the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre and even Expo 86 itself.
She said the Expo sale will eventually prove to be a smart decision.
The property was sold to Concord Pacific Developments, controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, for $145 million.
Some real estate agents have estimated the land now could fetch $400 million.
Harcourt, meanwhile, described Social Credit as a party in panic.
Campaigning in Comox on Vancouver Island, he said the latest Socred to come down with cam-
paign jitters is Education Minister Stan Hagen.
Earlier this year, Johnston said the ferry Queen of Sidney’s overnight berth would be shifted to Powell River, north of Vancouver, from Little River, near Comox, forcing about 110 ferry workers to move with it.
Last week, Hagen announced the ferry would not be moving after all and Powell River would get its own ferry.
Then Johnston said she was standing behind her commitment to Powell River and that Hagen was premature in announcing a second ferry.
Harcourt said the Socreds arc in such disarray that Johnston is publicly disagreeing with some of her own candidates.
What are you breathing?
by DIANE BAILEY Citizen Staff
Smoke may get in your eyes, but it’s the number of tiny particles that settle in your lungs that the B.C. Environment Ministry is concerned about.
The ministry has installed $28,000 worth of state-of-the-art equipment at Plaza 400 to measure minute smoke particles in the air on an hourly basis.
The particles arc less than 10 microns, too small to be seen except as a haze in the air.
"Recent studies indicate there may be a major health concern from particles this size,” said air quality research officer Steve Lamblc. People with asthma or other respiratory problems are particularly susceptible.
The particles are inhaled deep into lung cavities where they can become trapped, he said. They also tend to attract other harmful compounds in the air, which then get trapped, too.
The particulate readings will be incorporated into the ministry’s daily air quality report, which until now has been limited to levels of total reduced sulphur in the air. (See page 2.)
Including a particulate rating will provide a more complete picture, said Lamblc.
"Now when we say the air quality is good, that is to some degree incorrect because there arc other things out there,” said Lamblc.
The new sampler measures the weight of tiny smoke particles in the air. When there are 0 to 30 micrograms per cubic metre, air quality is judged good. From 30 to 50 is fair, from 50 to 100 is poor and over 100 micrograms per cubic metre is very poor.
When the measures dip into the poor and very poor range, people with respiratory problems should look at regulating their outdoor activity.
“Average people probably wouldn’t notice anything, except it would be hazy,” said air quality meteorologist Warren McCormick.
“Sensitive people may notice decreased breathing function, especially during physical activity.”
Both Lamble and McCormick say that besides enhancing air quality reports, the information will be used to build a case for more stringent pollution controls.
The particles come from beehive burners, wood stoves, slash burning, automobile emissions and industrial activity, and are gaining more attention, not only here, but across North America.
“There is increasing concern in some areas, particularly in the States, where they are going to regulate their emission,” said McCormick.
The: Prince George
Citizen
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8,1991 51 CENTS
CAMPAIGN NEARS HOME STRETCH
Parole
reforms
planned
OTTAWA — Violent criminals and drug dealers could serve more time in prison under sweeping reforms announced today by the federal government.
But first-lime prisoners who are not serving sentences for violent or drug crimes could bc released sooner according to an overhaul of Canada’s parole and corrections laws unveiled by Solicitor General Doug Lewis.
The proposals tabled in the Commons would also open up the parole system and give victims a formal say in whether inmates are released early from prison.
“Protection of society is the primary objective,” Lewis said in a news release.
“This bill reflects the government’s determination to restore public confidence in the corrections system.”
Under the plan, a judge could delay violent offenders’ eligibility for parole until they have served half their sentence. The same new rules would apply to drug traffickers, money launderers and sexual offenders involving children.
Now, all prisoners arc eligible for parole after one-third.
“This provision reflects the belief that the courts should bc able to order that serious offenders spend a longer portion of their sentence in penitentiary before becoming eligible for parole in order to emphasize the public denunciation of serious offences,” Lewis said.
But inmates serving their first sentence in a federal penitentiary would be eligible for release earlier as long as they were not violent or drug offenders. These prisoners would bc automatically released after one-third unless there was reason to believe there was “a risk of violence.”
Lewis also announced that the National Parole Board will bc able to keep drug dealers and sex offenders involving children behind bars for their full sentences if they continue to pose a danger to the public.
Citizen photo by Brent Braaten
The creative crayons of Foothills Elementary School student Kimberley Meroniuk, 9, won her school a Colorful kid performance Monday by the Science World Roadshow, valued at $600. Meroniuk’s entry, a winner in
a coloring contest for children of B.C. Hydro employees, will be included in the Energy, Mines and Resources Canada 1992 calendar.
Residents lose truck battle
by BERNICE TRICK Citizen Staff Loggers will keep on truckin’ along Foothills Boulevard as an alternate route to the John Hart Highway despite protests from residents.
Prince George city council approved a recommendation Monday allowing the route to be used by all trucks with legal axle loads defined in the Motor Vehicle Act as up to 17,000 kilograms per tandem axle. Overweight loads, requiring permits, are a maximum of 18,600 kilograms.
Signs will be posted advising of the legal limit, and those with overweight loads will be considered illegal.
Spot checks will be made for weight, height and mechanical condition with the use of portable scales and enforcement by the RCMP.
In 1989, the city banned logging trucks from the route when correction was needed for pavement failure and there was concern about load overhangs.
Following rehabilitation work and changes in legislation to reduce the overhangs, the city’s traffic committee recommended earlier this year the restriction bc lifted.
Jill Zielke, representing the Foothills Community Association, opposed the reinstatement of heavy trucks on the route due to child safety, traffic congestion, noise, impact to the road and danger to cyclists, joggers and pedestrians.
Zielke, who told council she has the support of school trustees and Heritage, North Meadow and Hart Highland elementary schools, said everyone is distressed about the increased traffic since trucks were reinstated.
She believes the 70 students crossing Foothills Boulevard are in danger during icy conditions when “heavy loaded trucks find it impossible to stop” and in winter when students walk to and from school in the dark.
“No five-year-old is streetwise.
They believe when the signal says walk, they are safe to walk.
“And we wonder what amount of deterioration (of the road surface) we’ll have as a result of heavy trucks. Will the city be able to afford to maintain and repair it?”
Kerry Marsolais, defending the right of logging truckers to use Foothills, said if the city wants to turn it into a residential route, it should restrict all classes of trucks, not just logging tucks.
He said although the distance is about equal, the alternate route is important during peak traffic times and when school students are crossing the Hart Highway.
Traffic is much more congested on the Hart Highway and drivers can avoid several sets of traffic lights by going south along Foothills and turning east on 15th Avenue to get back on Highway 97, Marsolais said.
But the matter may not end here.
Council wants to look at trucking through the city on a broader scale through traffic counts, types of trucks and safety factors on all main routes including the Hart Highway, North Nechako Road and Queensway.
City engineer Ernie Obst said there have been no reported accidents due to heavy truck traffic on Foothills, which has an underpass at North Nechako Elementary School, a pedestrian traffic control at Cascade and adjacent sidewalks.
Mayor John Backhouse supported the truckers, saying, “We are an industrial city and we do have to ensure vehicles can move through the city with ease. Moving traffic from one route to another will not solve the problem.”
Backhouse, who’s more concerned with safety hazards on North Nechako Road than either of routes at issue, said, “We can’t drive truckers off the roads, but we have to make the city safe.”
Support also came from Aid. Ron Thiel, Bob Harkins, Monica Becott and Rino Fomari, who reminded council that logging trucks are the backbone of our industry.
“I don’t blame truckers who use Foothills. There's only one crosswalk at the bottom of 15th Avenue,” Fomari said, pointing out the Hart Highway is congested with several schools along the way and “that Mickey Mouse bridge” (John Hart Bridge) with only two lanes at the bottom of the hill.
Aid. Colin Kinsley, who advocated in August council reconsider the lifting of the restriction, opposed the motion, saying he will not compromise safety.
Aid. Don Bassermann voted against it, feeling the Hart Highway is a “slightly safer route” as did Aid. John Last and Anne Martin who said council needs to address the concerns before allowing trucks to travel the route.
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HERMAN®
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Business 10,11
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