7 wy/ r
Low tonight: 2 High tomorrow: 24
Details page 2
PRINCE GEORGE
Citizen
Serving the Central Interior since 1916
TUESDAY, MAY 9,1995
65 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 47 CENTS A DAY)
MERCURY SOARS TO RECORD HIGHS
Citi/en staff
Clear skies and warm temperatures cut across all of Northern B.C. Monday, leaving a wake of record highs and snjiling faces.
Prince George, Terrace and Smithers enjoyed new highs for May 8 as a system stretched north into the high Arctic sending temperatures soaring.
The mercury peaked at 24.2 at the Prince George weather
office, shading the old mark of 23.9 set in 1969. Terrace’s high hit 27 and Smithers climbed to 25.
The biggest jump was in Inuvik where the previous high of 11 was shattered with a sweltering 23. The good weather here should continue today so enjoy it before the clouds move in, says Jack Bowling of
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Environment Canada.
“We have a big ridge of high pressure over Northern B.C., keeping it sunny and warm for the next 24 hours,” Bowling said.
Today’s high should reach 24 and could eclipse the 1969 record of 25.6.
But there’s a good chance of showers or thundershowers by Wednesday afternoon.
TIME OF CONSTRUCTION
Group to steer aquatic centre
by BERNICE TRICK Citizen Staff
A building committee will decide when the proposed aquatic centre will be built in Prince George.
City council decided Monday to strike a committee for the newr facility as quickly as possible so that it can deal with the matter of the time frame, finances and needs of the community.
Council made the decision after hearing a second submission from Blaine Werbecky, chairman of the Aquatic Centre Now Committee, about the need for a new pool and its construction time to be advanced.
The city had decided to delay construction for one year with completion slated for 1998 in order to avoid borrow-** ing $1 million and city staff from being overworked. The delay meant local tax dollars could be used instead of outside money.
Since that decision last month, the ACNC has been lobbying the city to begin building in 1996 rather than 1997 as recommended by city administration.
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Werbecky, who made a similar presentation during the April 24 meeting, pointed out again how taxpayers voted for the facility in a 1993 referendum and how the city should honor that vote.
He referred again to overcrowding and health hazards of the Four Seasons Pool.
“If there’s a cost, it should be in dollars; not in quality of life,” he said.
When it was council’s turn to talk, swimmers filling gallery seats were reminded by Coun. Cliff Dezell that the referendum provided through the year 1999 for completion of both the aquatic centre and multiplex.
“I’m concerned about increased operating costs in 1996. Increased taxation to property owners seen this year will continue,” said Dezell.
He suggested if health problems exist, parents should use common sense about using Four Seasons Pool.
Coun. Don Bassermann told the group there are more people to consider than them.
Every day somebody corners him, Bassermann said, and advises him to go at a manageable pace when placing this load of tax dollars needed for building and operating of new facilities including the Civic Centre, Multiplex and aquatic centre.
Mayor John Backhouse told the group to stop with the complaints of asthma and respiratory problems.
“I regret that asthma problems have been dragged into this. We’ll deal with health problems at the Four Seasons,” he said impatiently.
On the suggestion by Coun. Don Grantham to establish the committee, he said “I’ll support a building committee, but it’s not a committee to push this project forward by six months. > 1
“It’s an opportunity for a building committee to have responsibility of the financial component,” said Backhouse.
The committee will need to look at the impact of borrowing money, taxation and impact on other projects, like new soccer fields, which may have to be deferred to make way for the aquatic centre.
Strapping, caning urged
Citizen staff
A group of Northern B.C. politicians says it’s time to restore law and order in schools and the justice system.
Delegates attending the annual North Central Municipal Association conference at
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Williams Lake passed resolutions to bring back corporal punishment in schools and clamp down on privileges of convicted sex offenders.
Both resolutions, submitted by the City of Fort St. John,
were passed by a majority of delegates for submission to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in September.
Prince George councillor Ron Thiel says there was some debate regarding the resolution to consider reinstituting the strap and look into the concept of caning misbehaving students.
Delegates also passed a resolution that would see offenders serving entire sentences without day parole or halfway house stays for those convicted of sexual assault or sexual exploitation of minors.
A resolution to confiscate
vehicles of drivers convicted a second time of impaired driving was defeated by delegates.
“Too many delegates felt a car is a necessity of life these days,” said Thiel.
It would also mean the loss of a vehicle to people lending their car to someone they didn’t realize had an impaired conviction, Thiel said.
Prince George city council’s resolution requesting municipal authority to regulate the wearing of bicycle helmets was approved.
Citizen photo by Brent Braaten
City firefighters dnd Forest Service crews battled a forest fire Monday near a mobile home park on Blackburn Road.
Forest fire hazard rises
Citizen staff
There were nine new forest fires in the Prince George region Monday, three near Prince George.
The fires were mainly about five hectares in size, said forest protection officer Dave Dunsdon.
The three near the city
were at Murch Lake, Red Rock and near Blackburn.
“It’s getting fairly crispy for this time of year,” Dunsdon said.
More fires caused by lightning strikes are expected this week, especially on Thursday.
Automated lightning
strike indicators tell forest protection staff wherever lightning
touches down in the region, so crews can quickly check to
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find if a fire has started. This has reduced the size of fires.
ChLSCR INTERCHANGE
Rail cars collide here
Rail cars being pulled across the interchange between BC Rail and Canadian National had a collision with CN rail cars being pushed across the interchange at about 3:45 p.m. Monday.
The accident took place at the east end of the Grand Trunk
Pacific Bridge in Prince
George, a city landmark since 1914, across the Fraser
River.
“No cars were derailed, but the collision caused a tank car
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of diesel fuel to leak,” BC Rail spokesperson Colleen Brow said today.
Crews dug a dike around the area to contain the spill, she said. Crews are digging into the area today to find how deeply into the ground the fuel penetrated.
INDEX
COMMENTARY
Ann Landers .. ......6
Bridge........ .....21
Business...... . .10,11
City, B.C...... ... .2,3
Comics ....... .....17
Coming events . ......6
Commentary .. ......5
Crossword..... .....21
Entertainment . .....17
Horoscope..... .....21
Lifestyles ......
Marketplace .. . .20-23
Movies........ .....17
Nation ....... ... .7,8
Sports ....... . .13-16
Workplace..... .....12
World ........ .. .9.24
minute,
f
expected in three weeks but clashes that started earlier are expected to continue. Page 9
WORKPLACE
58307
0010C!
■ Was Premier Mike Harcourt too soft on Moe Sihota? Columnist Vaughn Palmer says he u as.Page 5
ENTERTAINMENT
■ The Canadian-produced musical Show Boat has been nominated for 10 Tony Awards in New York for it’s Broadway version. Page 17
LIFESTYLES
■ Paranoid or realistic? Ann Landers and a reader disagree about a
young man who walked into a woman student’s dorm room in the middle of the night. Page 6
LOCAL
■ The prizes were rich and the competition was pretty. When the dust settled city dancers claimed $10,000 and top honors at the B.C. Annual Dance Competition. But there’s no rest for the dancers, another competition is set for the weekend. Page 2
NATION
■ The secret Fairy Godfather in a bizarre story of love and betrayal being played out in an Edmonton court
room was revealed Monday. Wealthy financier Bruce Sansom failed in his bid to get the court to protect his identity as he prepares to testify in the Marilyn Tan trial. Page 7
■ New wood and new paint have restored a Canadian classic in time for the G-7 summit in Halifax next month. After an expensive restoration the Bluenose II sailed through Lunenburg to mark a new chapter in her sometimes rocky past. Page 8
WORLD
■ The death toll climbed to 40 today as opponents contested seats in bitter senate elections in the Philippines. Complete results are
■ The Canada Employment Centre for Students at the College of New Caledonia helps university students and high school students as well as those attending CNC. It also helps people make career choices.Page 12
■ Business doesn’t create jobs, nor governments, says columnist Roslyn Kunin who says what happens depends on how consumers decide to spend their money - if they do. Page 12
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