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CITIZEN
Serving the Central Interior since 1916
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff Alberta Premier Ralph Klein said Friday he's willing to back B.C.'s demands that Ottawa help combat the fallout of the mountain pine beetle epidemic, estimated to top $1 billion in the next decade. Klein made the pledge at a new conference following a joint B.C. and Alberta cabinet meeting in Cranbrook. "I have to support B.C. in this particular issue because I didn't realize how serious it was until a map was produced showing the extent to which the infestation has already impacted the B.C. forest industry. Probably it is a $1-billion program over the next 10 years," Klein told reporters in Cranbrook and via a telephone conference call. "Indeed, to prevent the infestation, to restore the forest industry, it's going to require that kind of money," he said. Klein said he would join B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell in making that case to Ottawa. Campbell welcomed the support, saying he believes it would make a difference in swaying Ottawa for aid. "There's no question when we speak with one voice, we have much more authority I think at the national table than when we speak with individual voices," he said. Campbell said he is confident the federal Liberals are going to offer help, particularly with the "aggressive" support of Industry Minister David Emerson, B.C.'s top minister in Prime Minister Paul Martin's cabinet. Emerson said last week the federal cabinet will be examining a plan within 90 days to fight the beetle epidemic.

PRINCE GEORGE

SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2005

80 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 57 CENTS A DAY)

Alberta backs B.C. quest for beetle funding
The Conservatives have been accusing the federal Liberals of not taking the epidemic seriously and stalling on significant help for B.C. Provincial politicians and Prince George municipal leaders had also expressed concern when there was no funding for the beetle epidemic in the federal budget in February. Just before the budget was released, Forests Minister Mike de Jong had accompanied Campbell to Ottawa to lobby the prime minister for help in the beetle battle. De Jong said the province's experts had determined $100 million a year would have to be spent to replant and rehabilitate lodgepole pine forests in each of the next 10 to 15 years. The federal government contributed $40 million to beetle research in 2002, but has been reluctant to commit to contributing on-the-ground assistance, saying forestry is a provincial responsibility. The epidemic is already estimated to have attacked or killed one-third of the lodgepole pine in north-central B.C., the region's most abundant commerciallyvaluable tree. By the time it runs its course in 2013, 80 per cent of the Interior's pine is expected to be dead. As as result of the joint cabinet meeting, Alberta and B.C. also agreed to work together in the Peace region to combat the beetle epidemic. Alberta will contribute $742,000, while B.C. is adding another $900,000 in the first year of a five-year renewable memorandum of understanding. The plan is to minimize the potential for beetle infestations moving eastward across the border into forested areas of Alberta. -- See related story on page 7

Citizen photo by Dave Milne

St. Mary's Grade 5 teacher Idelle Beauchesne doesn't let deafness slow her down in the classroom.

Sense of accomplishment
Deaf teacher hopes to inspire students
by PAUL STRICKLAND Citizen staff Perhaps the first teacher in B.C. with major hearing loss to teach a regular class, Idelle Beauchesne of Prince George believes hard work can overcome any challenge. "Basically the one thing I want to do is make a difference, treating people equally and telling kids that, whatever obstacle they encounter, they can do anything they want to," said Beauchesne, who teaches Grade 5 at St. Mary's School. Born in Regina, Beauchesne came down with German measles at the age of six months, and a complication from that illness was severe hearing loss. When she was three, her parents sent her to a school in Regina that emphasized the instructional approach known as oralism. This is the practice of teaching the hearing-impaired to communicate with spoken language. Lip-reading is emphasized rather than sign language. "My mom and dad wanted me to grow up and have every opportunity as everyone else and to be able to speak for myself," she said. -- See TEACHER on page 3

Natives disappointed in funds for mine review
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff First Nations are not satisfied with the $200,000 a federal agency is making available for the public to take part in the environmental assessment of the proposed $200-million Kemess North gold and copper mine in northern B.C. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency made the funding announcement Thursday, just days after the B.C. government and Ottawa took the first steps to establishing a three-person panel to review the project, about 450 kilometres northwest of Prince George. Any person who may be impacted by the mine can apply for the funding, which includes First Nations. However, the funding is not exclusive to aboriginal people, something four First Nations with traditional territory interests in the area of the mine have been seeking. The four bands are the the Gitxan House of Nii Kyap, the Kwadacha First Nation, the Takla Lake First Nation and the Tsay Keh Dene First Nation. Justa Monk -- a spokesperson for the four First Nations -- said Ottawa has not communicated to them about funding for participating in the review. He said the $200,000 funding the federal government is offering is not what they're looking for, as it's not enough and its not meant specifically for First Nations. The B.C. government has also offered to put up $80,000 specifically for the First Nations to participate in the environmental review process. "As far as I'm concerned, they're not near to what we're requesting," said Monk, a longtime northcentral B.C. aboriginal leader. The four bands have been seeking a more significant role in the environmental review, proposing a $3.1-million budget to the provincial government and a $700,000 budget to Ottawa, aimed exclusively at First Nations involvement. There also appears to be some confusion on the B.C. government's perception of the $200,000 federal funding. In an interview with The Citizen this week, B.C. Sustainable Resource Management Minister George Abbott had lumped the $80,000 offered exclusively to First Nations by the province with the $200,000 from Ottawa, saying it added up to a substantial amount of money. But Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency spokesperson Elise Dhaussy clarified that the $200,000 was not exclusively for First Nations, and that all people impacted by the mine project could apply for the funding. Monk said they hope to meet with Abbott soon and before they decide on any other action. The four First Nations have already demanded a halt to the environmental review process, demanding the Canadian and B.C. governments first negotiate a consultation and protocol agreement that addresses aboriginal rights and title before the review gets underway. Abbott said this week there are no plans to halt the review process. The largest environmental issue is Northgate's wish to store waste rock and mine tailings underwater in Duncan Lake, which the company says is the best environmental option as it prevents oxygen from starting the acid-generating process. The group of four First Nations has said they are not in favour of Northgate using Duncan Lake for mine waste storage.

High : 2 Low : -6 page 2

Spring virus seen among local children
by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff If your child's face looks like someone slapped them, it could be Fifth disease. Dr. Lorna Medd, Northern Health medical health officer, said fifth disease, which tends to strike in late winter or early spring, is definitely around the Prince George area at this time. Fifth disease, caused by parvovirus B19, appears as a bright red rash on the face and is often referred to as slappedface disease. It is especially common in children aged five to 15, is contagious and can be spread through coughing and sneezing, and touching tissues and handkerchiefs. Although called a disease, it's actually a virus most children will recover from in a short time with no complications. Common signs of fifth disease in chilslapped while the area around the mouth is pale. A red, spotty, lace-like rash may appear on the arms and spread to the chest, back and thighs. The rash, which can persist for several weeks, may fade away and then return, or become worse when exposed to heat like a warm bath or direct sunlight. In some cases, the rash may not appear at all, and can look different in adults who often experience joint pain as the only symptom. Medd said there can be a small risk to the fetus when pregnant women catch the disease. Some fetuses may develop severe anemia, especially if the infection occurs in the first half of the pregnancy. "But physicians are very aware of the presence of the disease, and if they know their pregnant patient has been exposed, extra precautions are taken to ensure the pregnancy is healthy," she said. About half of pregnant women are already immune, some will not catch it, and of those who do, only one in 100 will have an affected fetus. Fifth disease strikes any age group, but is more common in young children. Like the mumps or red measles, once you've had it you're immune from getting it again. About half of adults have had it and won't catch it again, but most preschoolers and school-age children have not had it, so if the virus is around, children are more likely to get it. Parvovirus is a human virus, and not the same parvovirus that affects pets, like dogs, and it cannot be passed between animals and humans. For more information visit the website at http://kidshealth.org.
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INDEX
Annie's Mailbox . . . . . . . . .31 Business . . . . . . . . . . . .36-38 City, B.C. . . . .3,5,7,13,31,39 Classified . . . . . . . . . . .20-23 Comics . . . . . . . . . . .26,39,40 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Entertainment . . . .25,27,28 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-12 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Photo courtesy allrefer.com

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Fifth disease makes a child's face appear as if it has been recently slapped. dren that differ from other diseases causing fever, rash, cough and runny nose are that three weeks after exposure to the virus, a red rash may appear on the face. The rash has a shape that makes it look like the cheeks have been

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