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PRINCE GEORGE
Citizen
Serving the Central Interior since 1916
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2002
80 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 54 CENTS A DAY)
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INDEX
Annie’s Mailbox..............17
Bridge.......................30
Business .................20-22
City, B.C..............3,5,6,13
Classified ...............28-31
Comics ......................26
Coming Events.................2
Crossword ...................26
Entertainment................27
Horoscope ...................30
Lifestyles................17,19
Movies.......................27
Nation.....................7,14
Sports ....................8-12
Television...................27
World.....................15,16
Resident wants killer corner fixed
by KAREN KWAN Citizen staff
Jennifer Sumner is sick of watching people get injured or killed in collisions along a sharp curve on Queensway Street.
The Prince George resident is lobbying the dty to erect a median between the north and southbound lanes, and is scheduled to make a presentation to dty council tonight.
Sumner, who used to live in the house owned by her father at the corner of Queensway and Houston Lane, said she’s witnessed seven acddents at that location in the past three years. After a woman died in a crash in March — Sumner tried unsuccessfully to revive her using CPR — she said she had to move. “It was a lot of emotional trauma,” Sumner said. “I wouldn’t let my daughters into the front yard because I was afraid traffic might coming crashing into the yard,” she said.
The problem, she said, is that traffic heading south on Queensway often fails to negotiate the sharp curve that veers to
the right, near Jasper Street. The vehides then roll into the oncoming lane, where they’re struck by northbound traffic, or careen off the road into an empty lot or onto Sumner’s father’s property, which is adjacent to the lot. A barrier would prevent southbound traffic from crashing into the oncoming lane, Sumner said.
In the latest incident last month, a man died when the vehide he was in plowed across the curve, through the vacant lot and ended up in the Fraser River. Another man who was in the car remains in hospital and police continue to investigate.
“It’s a bad comer on a good day. Then you factor in speed, alcohol and icy conditions...” Sumner said. “Somebody has to do something. I hope it could save somebody’s life.” Pedestrians who walk along the river trail are also at risk of being hit by out-of-control traffic, she added.
City traffic engineer Glenn Stanker said die dty is already working on ways to improve the safety of the curve. Over
the past couple of years, he said the painted lanes have been widened to give drivers more room to negotiate the curve, and two types of warning signs have been installed. An analysis was also conducted to determine if the speed limit should be reduced from the current 50 km/h, Stanker said, but the test showed the curve could be safely taken at that speed. “The traffic safety committee is well aware of the history of the curve and we’re always discussing ways to improve it,” he said. The dty is currently reviewing the situation to see if the changes have improved safety, he said.
Stanker said installing a median is an expensive option that would involve widening and realigning the road. “We’re exploring lower cost options before considering higher cost ones,” he said. Speed and alcohol are other factors that can contribute to acddents on that stretch of road, he pointed out
Sumner acknowledges the city has taken steps to try to improve safety, but said she doesn’t believe they are working.
U.S. official hopes for new lumber deal
VANCOUVER (CP) — Stiff duties on Canadian softwood lumber have failed to reduce exports to the United States, leading some American sawmill owners to resurrect an old compromise to the long-standing trade dispute.
An official of the U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports is suggesting a quota agreement similar to the five-year deal that expired in 2001 should be negotiated in exchange for an end to the duties.
“The coalition is changing its attitude,” Dick Bennett, the coalition’s western region vice-chairman, said Monday. “At fhis time, the coalition is looking for a Volume restraint. The old Softwood jAimber Agreement, or a renewed version of it, is starting to look pretty good.” But the idea is being rejected out of
hand by Canadian lumber interests.
“Quotas are not on,” said John Allan, president of the B.C. Lumber Trade Council.
The 1996 Softwood Lumber Agreement, negotiated with the U.S. to forestall an earlier round of tariffs, capped duty-free lumber exports and imposed export charges on any shipments above
the ceiling. The major producing provinces — B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec — each received quotas and individual companies were also allotted quotas based on previous exports.
The system quickly came under fire by producers unhappy with their quota and with U.S. trade officials who reclassified previously duty-free products to come under the quota. The arrangement helped double exports from exempt Atlantic provinces and also increased foreign lumber’s share of the U.S. market.
But despite low lumber prices and a softening U.S. market, some of the more efficient Canadian mills have boosted production as a way of lowering their unit costs, which minimizes the impact of the anti-dumping part of the duty.
From May 22 when the duties were introduced to Nov. 29, B.C. lumber exports climbed 1.86 per cent over the year before. Production rose even more, jumping 6.7 per cent over the previous year from January to September.
‘We have to do something to keep our industry alive and right now we are getting killed,” said Bennett, who represents about 50 western forest companies with up to 40 per cent of U.S. lumber production. “And if we are getting killed, from what I can see in the financial pages, the Canadian industry is getting killed, too. What we have right now is not working."
The B.C. government has been engaged in informal softwood talks with Americans that revolve around a border
tax to be imposed while the province reforms its forest policies. Forests Minister Mike de Jong had no comment Monday on Bennett’s suggestion.
But Steve Crombie, director of media relations at International Forest Products, said the new U.S. push for a quota agreement indicates the Americans are more interested in controlling Canadian exports than in pushing for market-based timber pricing in Canada.
“We have been saying all along the U.S. wasn’t really interested in policy reform in Canada,” he said. “They simply wanted to restrict supply coming into the United States. But if they have a suggestion to make of how to resolve this in a temporary or long-term way, then let’s get back to the table and talk about it”
Coalition denies altered stance
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff
The U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports said Tliesday is not seeking a return to a quota system as a way of resolving the softwood lumber dispute.
The coalition — which includes hundreds of large and small producers, including giant International Paper — also characterized a recent description of its position as inaccurate. The coalition’s western vice-chairman Dick Bennett told The Vancouver Sun on Monday the U.S. lumber group was changing its attitude, looking for a volume constraint like the old softwood lumber deal.
“The coalition’s proposed solution is to create fully open and competitive timber and lumber markets to best assure long-term stability and fairness to all parties or to fully offset the unfair trade at the border,” said coalition chairman Rusty Wood. “Our objective is to have the price and volume of Canadian lumber reflect the same levels as in a free market.” Wood also said Canadian practices, particularly in the B.C. Interior, further undermines fair and free trade. He accused B.C. of flooding the market with bug-killed timber at a tiny fraction of the value, and encouraging predatory dumping of lumber.
“The result has been collapsing prices,” said Wood. “The coalition has requested the U.S. government to investigate these practices and, consistent with U.S. law, offset any increased unfair trade with increased duties.”
The Northern Forest Products Association has already dismissed claims mountain pine beetle-infested timber is being sold at less than its value, saying B.C. Ministry of Forests figures bear this out
Those figures show that there has been little or no change in stumpage charges in the Interior in the past three years, the period in which joint B.C. govemment-industry efforts to halt the advance of the beetle have intensified.
The average Interior stumpage — the fee charged to harvest Crown timber — was $22.86 per cubic metre in 2000, $19.10 in 2001 and has averaged $19.53 in the first nine months of 2002. Coastal average stumpage rates remained below the Interior’s during this period.
In forest districts where the beetle epidemic has been concentrated, stumpage has been higher than the Interior average. For example, during the three month period ending September this year, the Vanderhoof district paid average stumpage of $20.51, Fort St. James $23.74 and Quesnel $24.61.
In one district, the Lakes, it was slightly lower at $18.46. The Interior average during this period was $19.52.
—See related story on page 3
SPCA
shelter packed
by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff
What is normally a quiet time of year has instead become a Christmas season that Prince George SPCA manager Jeannine Woodhouse would sooner forget.
Woodhouse said Tliesday that the shelter is packed to overflowing with dogs and cats, not to mention rabbits and guinea pigs. In all, she said there are about 150 animals currently housed — nearly double its capacity.
“It’s quite quiet normally,” she said. “People keep their animals closer to home as the weather gets cooler and they’re not surrendering as many animals.
“This year it’s the opposite. We’re absolutely packed.”
According to a story in the Vancouver Sun, an influx of animals into shelters on the Lower Mainland is common around Christmas as owners become unable to cope with the stress of caring for their pets.
But Woodhouse said Christmas is normally a quiet time of year at the Prince George SPCA, and could not figure out why there has been such a surge.
“We don’t normally get litters and litters in at one time,” she said. “I don’t know what’s causing it.”
Foster families have been found for some of the animals, so they’ll have a home over Christmas, but it has reached the point where the shelter is turning surrenders away until early January because
Citizen photo by Dave Milne The SPCA pound Is filled with cute dogs heading Into Christmas.
there is no room.
“Plus I don’t think it’s fair that people who own animals drop them off, and then they have to go to someone else’s house over Christmas,” Woodhouse said.
Tlirning surrenders away concerns Woodhouse in that the animals may simply be abandoned or worse, “but where are we going to put them?”
Much of the trouble is due to owners failing to get their pets spayed or neutered, Woodhouse said. People who adopt animals from the SPCA are required to get them fixed within six months, with the shelter offering a discount for the cost of the operation.
Woodhouse expressed frustration with the situation.
“People are not taking responsibility for their animals. They’re not caring for them and they’re not keeping them, they’re just dumping them,” she said.
“I had a lovely little puppy dropped off here this morning, just tied to the fence. And that happens every day.”
Meanwhile, Woodhouse advises against giving pets for Christmas, in part because the receiver may not actually want the pet or be incapable of caring for it, and because it’s just too stressful for many animals coming into a new home over the holiday season.
Those interested in adopting are welcome. But other than for those picking up claims, the shelter will be closed from Saturday until Jan. 2.
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