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The Prince George
Citizen
NDP debt busters
TUESDAY, MARCH 2,1993
51 CENTS
(PIUS GST)
MORE WOMEN JOIN WORKFORCE
by Canadian Press
OTTAWA — A total of 1,748,920 people were in British Columbia’s workforce in June 1991, Statistics Canada said today in releasing census information. The total participation rate in B.C. was 67.6 per cent, up from 65.7 per cent in 1986.
The participation rate among women rose to 59.9 per cent (786,210 women) in 1991 from 55.5 per cent in 1986, while the participation rate of men declined to 75.6 per cent (962,715 men) from 76.2 per cent in 1986.
More women with children at home were in B.C.’s labor force. The percentage of all working women with children at home rose to 70.0 per cent in 1991 from 61.7 per cent in 1986. The participation rate of working women with children under six
years of age was 65.6 per cent (58.8 per cent in 1986), compared to 63.8 per cent (52.2 per cent in 1986) for those with some children under six, and 72.8 per cent (64.9 per cent in 1986) for women with all children over six.
The leading “major occupational group” in B.C. was clerical, with 309,630 people (18.0 per cent) reporting that they worked in that group, followed by services with 251,110 employees (14.6 per cent) and sales with 176,735 employees (10.3 per cent).
Among women, the leading “major occupational group” in the province was clerical with 249,980 employees (32.5 per cent), while the leading group among men was construction trades with 113,340 employees (11.9 per cent).
Nationally, the four leading jobs for men were sales clerks, truck drivers, sales and advertising managers and motor vehicle mechanics. Among women, these jobs were secretaries, sales clerks, bookkeepers and cashiers and tellers.
A new female-dominated profession was identified in 1991. Women accounted for 56 per cent of all opticians.
In Canada as a whole, the proportion of women in the workforce climbed to 45 per cent in 1991.
Most women still held traditional clerical-secretarial jobs but more were entering higher paid professions as lawyers, accountants and economists, the Statistics Canada said.
Grit leadership showdown set
by Canadian Press
VANCOUVER — He has yet to enter the race for his own job but B.C. Liberal Leader Gordon Wilson says he wants to ferret out his political enemies in the weeks leading to a leadership convention this summer.
At a news conference Monday, he announced the Liberals will go directly to a leadership convention at a date to be announced in a few weeks.
Wilson stepped aside as Opposition leader Feb. 19, succumbing to weeks of unrelenting rumors of an alleged extramarital affair with Judi Tyabji, his former house leader. He kept his title as party leader.
Wilson, maintaining he’s done nothing immoral in his personal life, said he needs time to contemplate whether to try to earn a renewed mandate from party members. But he sounded Monday like a candidate taunting his opponents.
“If they’re hiding in the shadows, step into the light. Let’s see who they are. Let’s not have any more people that are ducking away or hiding behind the shadows.”
The Liberals’ annual convention, scheduled months ago to start April 30 in Vancouver, will be scrapped in favor of the leadership vote.
Wilson wants “establishment
figures” to prove their mettle by nominating leadership candidates.
In the next few weeks, he said, he will talk with party members to see how they respond to his potential candidacy.
“To the extent that the people are behind me and with me and want to see that come about, then we’re going to take it on.”
Still, he acknowledged his caucus felt questions about an alleged affair with Tyabji, his hand-picked former house leader, impeded the Liberal Opposition’s ability to criticize the NDP government.
Wilson became party leader in 1987 and took the Liberals from obscurity to 17 seats and official Opposition status in the legislature in 1991.
He said his demise has been predicted numerous times and he’s proved his critics wrong each time.
“By nature I’m not a quitter,” said Wilson, once considered British Columbia’s most popular politician.
Three months ago pollsters said Wilson, buoyed by aggressively opposing the Oct. 26 national referendum on constitutional reform,
Two area men charged with $4.4-million fraud
Two area men face criminal charges after a 10-month investigation into a complaint from Imperial Oil that it was defrauded of over S4.4 million worth of petroleum products during a two-year period.
James Boyd Gibson, 60, is facing one count of fraud.
Lloyd Milton Conn, 44, is facing three counts of fraud over S 1,000, three counts of fraudulent use of credit card receipts, three counts of
manufacturing false documents with the intent they be used as genuine, three counts of the use of forged documents and one count of intent to defraud by omitting material particulars in documents.
Both men are scheduled to make a first provincial court appearance April 6 in Prince George.
The offences are alleged to have occurred between Jan. 1, 1990 and April 30, 1992.
New Yorkers frightened
Bure finally hits 50
13
Something unique at CNC 19
had the highest approval ratings of any B.C. politician.
Norman Ruff, a University of Victoria political scientist, said it’s difficult to predict how the Liberal leadership convention will unfold.
“People are trying to out-wait each other to see what the moods are,” he said.
Wilson said deputy leader Fred Gingell will continue to take on his Opposition leader duties at the legislature, which resumes silting March 18.
Wilson, 44, has filed for separation from his wife, Elizabeth, but denies having an affair with Tyabji, 28. She was fired in early February amid charges of Wilson favoring her over more experienced Liberals.
Tyabji, recently separated from her husband, staunchly defended Wilson’s performance but was disappointed about his decision.
“1 just can’t believe it’s come to this,” she said Monday. “Practically single-handedly he put together a party and an Opposition caucus. . .and now he’s been forced to call a leadership convention.”
Liberal party president Floyd Sully said it’s best to view the leadership convention as a positive process with the potential to boost party morale and win public support.
Bids sought for building of new jail
Sealed tenders arc being invited for the construction phase of the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre.
Quadra Construction of Vancouver was awarded the first phase of the contract and has begun site preparation work before pilings are put in place.
The phase two tender ran as a “revision” in	The Citizen
classified pages Monday, not because the contract is being reawarded, explained a B.C. Buildings corporation spokesperson, but because dates were transposed in an earlier advertisement.
A tour of the site for prospective contractors will be held March 23 at 10 a.m. Deposits for sub-trade bids will close April 8 at 3 p.m.
The $30.2-million facility to house 144 inmates is being built just east of the current jail on Highway 16 East.
The full cost of the two-year jail is being paid for by the provincial government.
Bank rate
OTTAWA (CP) — The Bank of Canada set its bank rate today at 5.89 per cent, down from 6.09 per cent last week.
Economy our top concern
Southam News Copyright 1993
OTTAWA — Reports of an end to the recession have done little to reassure Canadians, who cite the economy as their No. 1 concern, according to the latest Angus Reid-Southam News poll released Monday.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of the 1,501 Canadians surveyed indicated the economy was the “most pressing issue currently facing the country,” while unemployment was named by 45 per cent of those
polled, followed by the federal deficit at 18 per cent.
The interest in fiscal issues came from across the country with those in central Canada most concerned about the economy, Atlantic Canada and Quebec citing the unemployment rate and the West adding its voice to the problem of the national debt.
Other issues mentioned in the survey done between Feb. 16 and 22, 1993, included: the environment, political leadership and free trade — six per cent each; and taxes, availability and quality of
social services and national unity at five per cent each. The national survey is said to be accurate within 2.5 percentage points plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.
Meanwhile, Ontario Liberals continue to hold a commanding lead among decided voters in that province as the ruling New Democrats fell to third place behind the Conservatives. An Angus Reid-Southam news poll gave Lyn McLeod’s Grits the support of 48 per cent of decided voters, with the PCs stalled at 26 per cent and the NDP falling to 2.3 per cent.
MONTREAL RIOT SQUAD CALLED IN
Taxpayers trash city hall
MONTREAL (CP) — The monthly meeting of Montreal city council was cancelled Monday night for the first time in years, and the riot squad was called in to evict hundreds of irate taxpayers who ran amok in city hall, police said.
The greatest damage was on the second floor, where demonstrators broke down the antique door leading to the eastern galleries overlooking the council chamber.
Panels were knocked out of the doors to two more offices. In one office, a bookcase was overturned and broken. In others, the remains of potted plants littered the floor.
At one point, demonstration organizer Peter Sergakis and a handful of supporters acted as a
human wall to stop chanting demonstrators from trying to break down the main door to the council chamber.
No arrests were made.
The anger arose from the city’s decision to scrap its business tax paid by tenants and replace it by a non-residential surtax charged to property owners. It is then up to property owners to recover the tax from the tenants.
In the chamber, demonstrators threw two chairs from the galleries on to the council floor. Several eggs were smashed on Mayor Jean Dore’s desk. Papers and metal keys thrown from the gallery littered the floor.
Council tried to convene on schedule at about 7 p.m. but councillors who tried to enter the chamber were greeted with boos
and cascades of leaflets and metal keys.
Speaker Andre Berthelet finally decided to cancel the meeting because it could not be held in
safety.
Berthelet told reporters later it was the first time in his 18 years, on city council that a meeting had been cancelled.
Organizers estimated the crowd at several thousand. But Montreal police spokesman Yvan Goyette estimated there were 300 people inside city hall and between 100 and 150 outside.
Bernard Perreault, supervisor of city hall security, said a last-minute decision was made to open the doors because organizers appeared to have control of the situation.
Low tonight: -1 High tomorrow: 5
Phone: 562-2441 Classified: 562-6666 Circulation: 562-3301
INDEX
Farcus
National . Sports . . Television
U*'S6o1{j/c*0<.TM»a.T
“This is my boss’s idea of a raise.’
Ann Landers	.... 18
Bridge.................22
Business............10,11
City, B.C..........2,3,19
Classified 20-23
Comics..................8
Commentary 5
Crossword..............21
Entertainment .... 8
Family.................18
Horoscope..............22
International	.... 7,9
Movies..................8
Citizen photo by Brent Braaten
Jason Froelich, 5, enjoys some bannock he made himself and cooked in a open fire as part of the Fort George district Beavers Winteree. A crowd totalling 170 Beavers, parents and leaders pat-icipated Saturday in the Winteree at the snowmobile club south of town.
Bannock