Ellard's lawyer ponders appeal /5
Liberal MP jumps ship /7

Teslak gets second shot at Vernon /8
Britney's having a baby /14

CITIZEN
Serving the Central Interior since 1916
jecting a $180-million surplus, while the Liberals had a $220-million surplus in their budget released in February. "After four years of broken promises, failed privatization schemes and reduced patient care under Gordon Campbell, British Columbians want a balanced, sensible alternative they can trust," said NDP leader Carole James. "That's what my plan is all about." Prince George-Omineca Liberal candidate John Rustad noted the platform talked about reducing class sizes when this year is the first time that school districts have money to put back into education. The NDP went through nine years of cutting eduction in the `90s, said Rustad, a Prince George school trustee. The NDP platform is outlined in a 73-page paper -- emblazoned with the catchphrase, "Because Everyone Matters" -- which includes dozens of promises but also plenty of commentary and criticism directed at the Liberals. Among the economic initiatives that would impact northern communities is a promise that during periods of high commodity prices, the province will return significant portions of the provincial budget surplus to rural and resource communities. Regional and community leaders -- not Victoria-based insiders -- will decide how to spend the funds, says the plan. James also says timber harvesting revenue gains from higher logging levels to combat the mountain pine beetle epidemic will be turned over to communities to help them prepare for decreases in the timber supply and job losses in the future. The NDP plan budgets $40 million for that this year. It's not a new idea, as James unveiled a similar plan in Prince George five months ago. The Liberals have also said they are examining the idea. The NDP is also promising a long-term plan to improve freight and goods transportation, but no details are provided. The report criticizes the Liberal government for a preoccupation on the corridor that runs from the Vancouver Airport to Whistler. "While the Campbell Liberals are spending more than a billion dollars on public private

PRINCE GEORGE

THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2005

80 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 57 CENTS A DAY)

NDP emphasizes health, education
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff The B.C. New Democrats finally released their election platform Wednesday, a plan that includes promises aimed at resource-based communities as well as a $5-million public inquiry into the sale of B.C. Rail. But the main thrust is health care and education, where the NDP is promising thousands of long-term care beds, reduced surgery wait lists, reduced class sizes and tuition freezes for colleges and universities. The party had been under pressure for months to release its platform before the May 17 election. "The big areas where it will help is in health care and education," said Prince George-Mount Robson NDP candidate Wayne Mills. The budget is being balanced by rearranging priorities, said Mills. The NDP says it would shift or defer $186 million in spending within ministries, reduce a contingency fund by $100 million and reduce the forecast surplus by $40 million. The NDP is propartnerships for the Richmond/Airport/Vancouver transit line and the Sea-to-Sky Highway, other key corridors and communities elsewhere are left waiting," says the platform. Prince George North Liberal MLA Pat Bell said the criticism is ridiculous as the millions are being spent on improving roads in north-central B.C. Road improvement projects have been announced recently in the Mackenzie area, the Robson Valley and in the Prince George area. Premier Gordon Campbell was in Prince George on Monday to roll out a five-year, $200-million plan to twin the Simon Fraser Bridge and upgrade portions of Highway 97 to four lanes between the city and Cache Creek. "Carole James has been paying lip service to the rural parts of B.C. since she was first elected as leader of the NDP," said Bell. He wanted to know which projects the NDP was considering cancelling as part of its $119-million spending reduction. Bell wondered if yhat include dhighway projects or the Salmon Valley curling rink upgrade. -- See Willcocks column on page 4

Province to pay for new Duchess Park
by PAUL STRICKLAND house 800 full-time students and also Citizen staff have enough space to accommodate The province pledges to build a francophone students attending new Duchess Park secondary school, classes held at Duchess Park under Prince George-Mount Robson MLA the Francophone Education AuthoriS h i rl ey B o n d a n n o u n c e d a t t h e ty. school Wednesday. "I've discussed this project with The money will come out of the (Education) Minister (Tom) Chrisgovernment's 2007-08 education tensen because it's the No. 1 project capital projects budget, she this board has identified," said. Bond said. "I think it's imA feasibility study would portant for governments to determine what the new respond to the priorities building would look like that locally elected boards and what it would cost, she set. This will be fully funded added. by the government." Bond did not announce a Bond said the feasibility dollar value to the project. study would be a joint effort However, Bryan Mix, secof the school district, the edretar y-treasurer of t he ucation ministry and a conPrince George school dissultant. BOND trict, said the cost would be The study will, among around $18 million. other things, identify where "It could be less once a feasibility on the current property the new study is done," said Bill Christie, building should be located. chair of the Prince George school The original portion of the current board. "That'll determine the scope Duchess Park secondary school was of the project and the exact cost." built in 1955 and has expanded three Mix said the $18-million figure is times since, Bond said. "A facilities based on the assumption that the audit indicated it needs to be rebuilding would be large enough to placed," she said.

Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

GRASS FIRE -- Firefighter Dan Pollard with the Prince George Fire Department puts out a grass fire Wednesday afternoon behind the Lombardy Mobile Home Park on Norwood Street. Firefighters were busy with several grass fires during the day.

High : 11 Low : -3 page 2

Home sales, prices up across city
by PAUL STRICKLAND Citizen staff More homes are being sold in Prince George and at a higher average price. Between Jan. 1 and March 31, 223 single-family houses were sold in Prince George through the Multiple Listing Service at an average price of $133,560. That was up from 216 homes sold during the first three months of 2004 for an average price of $129,485, according to a quarterly report from the B.C. Northern Real Estate Board. During all 12 months of 2004, 1,073 single-family houses were sold in the city at an average price of $129,761. "There is a renewed sense of optimism in every community," said Delores St. Amand, board president. During the first quarter of 2005, 328 properties of all types were sold in Prince George, up from 310 during the first three months of 2004. During the first quarter of this year, 328 properties of all types were sold within the city of Prince George, up from 310 during the same period last year. However, the total value of these properties was $39.4 million, down from $42.5 million for the first three months of 2004. Yet that is only an apparent decline because the dollar figure for the first quarter of 2004 includes the sale of P.G. Place, the casino property, which was close to $5 million. Seventeen lots and acreage parcels have been sold this year, compared to 10 by this time last year. Forty strata units (which include townhouses, half duplexes and apartments) have changed hands so far this year, up by 10 from the first quarter of 2004. At the end of March, 640 properties of all types were available on the MLS, down from 697 on March 31, 2004. Fewer properties in inventory are a sign of an active real estate market. Indeed, the first three months of this year have been busy ones for buyers and sellers all over northern B.C. A total of 1,067 properties of all types have been sold through MLS so far this year, up nine per cent from the first quarter of last year. The value of these properties is $125.8 million, up eight per cent from 2004. St. Amand said she is confident the active start to the year will continue. "I don't think we'll see any dramatic increases in sales or in prices this year, but instead a steady climb upward, which is good news for all homebuyers and sellers in this part of the province," she said. "Our prices continue to be affordable, but with increased sales will come a shortage of homes in some price ranges."

drive! fr ee t
with a

2005

twis

INDEX
Annie's Mailbox . . . . . . . . .14 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Business . . . . . . . . . . . .16-18 City, B.C. . . . . . . . . . . .3,5,13 Classified . . . . . . . . . . .19-23 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Coming Events . . . . . . . . . . .2 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . .14 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-11 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Mental health group opens new headquarters
Citizen staff AimHi, Prince George's Association for Individuals with Mental Handicaps, has a new home. A total of $770,000 in renovations have been completed in the former Lakewood elementary to accommodate staff, programs and services. AimHi moved into its new location March 5 and it was fully operational there by the middle of last month, said Bill Fildes, co-executive director of AimHi with Melinda Heidsma. Forty-seven staff work in the newly renovated building providing services to about 500 clients through day programs, Fildes said. The Prince George school board closed Lakewood elementary in 2003. The school district concluded a lease with AimHi for the building last fall. "This is a great day for School District 57 and the city of Prince George," board chair Bill Christie said during ribbon-cutting ceremonies Wednesday. "This facility is like a phoenix rising from a closed school." Programs offered through the new AimHi Lakewood location include lifeskills training, kitchen training, social skills training for children and adults, work opportunities and training for work, Fildes said. Almost everything has been remodelled at the school except the gym and the kitchen. New facilities include administrative offices, work space, craft rooms, training rooms and meeting rooms, Fildes said. The kitchen has been left mostly intact except for new fire-rated gyproc that has been put in, he said. The public is invited to see AimHi's new home at an open house today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- See photo on page 3

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