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CITIZEN
Serving the Central Interior since 1916

PRINCE GEORGE

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2004

80 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 56 CENTS A DAY)

Roll-a-Dome plan hits snag
by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff The Roll-a-Dome's expansion bid has run into a roadblock. City hall has turned down a request from the Prince George Dome Group, a group of shareholders who own the Roll-a-Dome, to purchase 1.25 acres along Highway 97 to help address parking at the site, city real estate manager Ian Wells confirmed Wednesday. "But we are discussing alternative city-owned land within the Bowl area," he added, declining to say which specific spots are being offered. Wells said the proposal was rejected for several reasons, including concern that even with the additional land, regulations for parking would still not be met without city council granting a variance for the site. As well, Wells said plans for a road link from Recreation Place to Pine Centre Mall, beautification efforts in the proposal, and reluctance by the Ministry of Transportation to give up space it may need at the intersection of Highways 16 and 97 were factors. Dome Group spokesperson Mike Moore limited his comments to saying they're interested in the offers the city may generate. Had the Dome Group been able to purchase the land, it would have pursued a $1-million expansion that would have included a third indoor soccer floor ready for use by as early as this fall and an upgrading of the building's exterior. Meanwhile, it's expected city council will take a look at some alternative strategies during the May 3 regular meeting for realizing the Family Y's expansion proposal. The Family Y had asked the city to cover half the cost of a $7.5-million project to expand the facility by 43,000 square feet to include an indoor soccer pitch, three basketball courts and a running track. Staff was urged to look at the possibility of the city lending the money to the Family Y under a policy adopted about a year ago, but never used.

Appeal taps Saini as Liberal candidate
by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff Williams Lake businessman Gurbux Saini will be the Liberal candidate in Cariboo-Prince George after an appeal of the result by challenger Steve Wallace was dismissed by the party's appeals committee. In a decision made public Wednesday, the committee ruled the problems with the way the April 4 vote was handled were not enough to have affected the outcome. Wallace's appeal hinged largely on the late start of the voting at the Quesnel poll, thwarting his strategy for rallying support in Prince George and Williams Lake. Once voting had started in Quesnel, Wallace and his wife had planned to drive to the two other cities to rally support there. However, noting that Wallace had very few campaign workers, the committee found that his strategy was not sufficiently flexible to allow for such contingencies as a delay in the start of the vote. "It is unfortunate that Mr. Wallace's strategy apparently required him and Mrs. Wallace to be physically present in Williams Lake and Prince George to campaign at the voting stations in those centres," the committee said. "However, he cannot be said to have been placed at any greater disadvantage than Mr. Saini in that regard." No specific numbers were released but, according to the ruling, while Wallace won Quesnel by just over 13 per cent, Saini's ratio of support for all three centres was roughly two-to-one. Wallace said he was disappointed with the outcome but felt he got a fair hearing. Held in Vancouver on Saturday, eight witnesses, including Wallace and Saini, gave testimony over four and a half hours. "I was happy with the hearing I had, I have no argument with the process," Wallace said. "I was disappointed with the decision but you win some, you lose some and this isn't the end of my seeking political office." Saini said he was confident Wallace's appeal would be rejected but was still relieved at the decision. "Now it's my job to make sure that all the Liberals are together and we have to win the riding," he said. "That is our next step." Meanwhile, the Conservatives' revote to decide whether Dick Harris or Elmer Thiessen will be their candidate in Cariboo-Prince George will be held this weekend. Members will be able to cast ballots at the Williams Lake Curling Rink on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sunday at the Coast Inn of the North in Prince George from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
T R A I L E R S

Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

SHIVER ME TIMBERS -- Foothills elementary students use a sling shot to launch a water balloon during Pirate Day on Wednesday. Jessica Van Rhijn, 6, loads her balloon in the sling shot while Tenley Pearce, 8, left, and Taylor James, 11, hold the ends.

Nursing grads staying in health region
by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff Northern B.C. will gain 33 new registered nurses this spring, and they are all graduates of UNBC. The Northern Health Authority says it has successfully recruited 33 of the 38 graduates to positions within the health region. The graduates will work full-time in acute care sites, mental health and addictions settings, and public health units in Prince George, Fort St. John, Prince Rupert, Terrace, Vanderhoof and Quesnel. "We are pleased with recent progress in attracting nurses who have been trained in the North," said Malcolm Maxwell, CEO of the NHA. "Recruiting the nurses for the North is an important step in the NHA's long-term approach to attract and retain health professionals, especially given the strong competition in nursing recruitment among health providers worldwide," Maxwell said. UNBC president Dr. Charles Jago said he is proud to see the students apply their skills and education in the region in which they studied. "In working closely with organizations such as Northern Health, we can provide academic services relevant to the needs of northern communities," he said. Shirley Bond, minister of advanced education, said the strong recruiting response from the graduates "clearly demonstrates the benefit of training health professionals here in the North." The NHA will need to continue its recruitment and retention initiatives in the future, officials say. "We estimate that about half of our current 1,600 registered nurses will be eligible to retire within the next 10 years," said Cathy Ulrich, NHA chief nursing officer. "By acting now, we will have better success in retaining the nursing staff we need in years to come."

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Brink worker seriously injured during early morning accident
by KAREN KWAN what happened and what can be done to prevent future Citizen Staff incidents, he said. The Workers' Compensation Board and Brink Forest In 30 years of operation, the plant, which employs 150 Products are investigating an accident at the company's people, has not experienced any accidents that resulted in plant that seriously injured a worker and shut down oper- serious injury or death, said Brink. a t i o n s a t t h e R i ve r Ro a d f a c i l i t y "We go to great extent to create a Wednesday. "(The employee) has safe working environment," he said. A longtime employee was injured in "Obviously it's always devastating if been taken to the any kind of an accident happens to us the incident, which occurred between 8 and 9 a.m., said company owner hospital with some as a company and to the employees John Brink. and we will together go through all the He was reluctant to elaborate on serious injury to one procedures that we need to to make what type of work the man was doing of his arms and may sure every appropriate step has been or how the mishap occurred while the taken to understand what happened, have severed it." investigation is being conducted, but a to try to find out why." WCB official said it involved a piece of -- John Brink The injury rate in the wood-and-pamachinery. per-products manufacturing sector has "(The employee) has been taken to the hospital with always been higher than all other B.C. industries comsome serious injury to one of his arms and may have sev- bined, but the gap has shrunk over the past few years, ered it," Brink said. "We are quite upset about it, obvious- WCB figures show. ly." In 2002, the sector posted an injury rate of four per 100 Brink said the plant, which produces finger-jointed lum- full-time employees, compared with 3.2 for all B.C. indusber, was closed for the day to allow WCB and internal in- tries. vestigators to conduct their probe. The employee's wellBoth categories saw a 25-per-cent decrease in injury being is the main concern but also crucial is finding out rates between 1998 and 2002.

INDEX
Annie's Mailbox . . . . . . . . .23 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Business . . . . . . . . . . . .20-22 City, B.C. . . . . . . . . . .3,5,6,13 Classified . . . . . . . . . . .24-27 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Coming Events . . . . . . . . . . .2 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . .19 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Lifestyles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Lotteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-14 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,9

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