Dark days for Hershey / 34

Cox stuck in muddled `November' / 27

NHL deal gets green light / 8, 9, 11
FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2005

London hit by more bombings / 14
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District signs off on maternity ward
by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff Agreeing it remains worth pursuing despite the skyrocketing cost, directors voted Thursday to increase the Fraser-Fort George Regional Hospital District's contribution to complete the maternity ward project at Prince George Regional Hospital. The district will contribute an additional $2 million through a short-term loan after directors were told the project's cost had jumped to $11.25 million from $6.45 million two years ago. Hospital districts traditionally cover 40 per cent of the cost of major capital projects, with other sources such as the province picking up the rest. The rising costs meant the FFGRHD's portion rose to $4.5 million from $2.58 million. For the owner of a $100,000 home, that will mean a $3.15 increase in the hospital portion of the 2006 property tax bill to $52.67 according to staff projections. Additional increases from $1.58 to $2.28 will follow until 2010. While directors believe the project is needed -- it will combine all maternal and child-related services into one location on the first floor and will improve the special-care nursery -- concern was expressed about the impact on taxes. Although fairly small, such increases do add up, Valemount director Jeanette Townsend said, particularly for people living on fixed incomes. Prince George director Don Zurowski asked about spreading the cost over a longer period, but was told the district would have to pay a higher interest rate as a result. Directors also raised the possibility of finding a way to have taxpayers from surrounding hospital districts cover the cost and Mackenzie director Tom Briggs said it's time to revive the argument that PGRH is a trauma hospital and therefore deserves more support from the provincial government. On that note, directors voted to request meetings with Health Minister George Abbott and local MLAs. Some choice words were also reserved for the Northern Health Authority. Electoral area D (Tabor Lake-Stone Creek) director Bob Headrick said the NHA needs to be put on a shorter leash. McBride director Mike Frazier voted against the increase, saying it will only encourage the NHA to come back for more money. However, Prince George director Colin Kinsley said he agreed with the NHA's assertion that the cost of materials is the prime culprit. "Steel has been going up at such a rate that it has blown all projects out of the water," he said, adding that a trades shortage in the construction sector has meant contractors have had to pay extra for workers. The cost of the pediatrics side of the project remains unchanged at $1.25 million, making the overall bill $12.5 million and the district's total contribution $5 million.

Top court forestry ruling a blow: Carrier Sekani
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff A northern B.C. aboriginal leader believes a Supreme Court of Canada ruling on the right of Eastern Canadian First Nations to log trees on Crown land and sell them will negatively impact native forestry and logging issues in B.C. The court ruled Wednesday that the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick need permits if they want to cut down trees on Crown land for commercial gain. In a unanimous decision that applies to both provinces, the high court said commercial logging does not represent a logical evolution of the traditional Mi'kmaq trading activity described in 250year-old treaties. "So far, we've been winning cases in the Supreme Court and B.C. courts, and this was a significant case for everybody across Canada," Carrier Sekani Tribal Council vice-chief Patrick Michell said Thursday. "It's the treaty right to harvest timber and sell timber products. That's what they lost. "We're a timber-resource province, and I think this definitely has a negative impact," said Michell, chief of the Stella'ten First Nation, 170 kilometres west of Prince George. "We arguing that we should be a part of the economic landscape in forestry, but because this case was lost, that argument has lost validity." However, a trio of B.C. First Nations leaders said the Supreme Court decision will not affect current political negotiations or court cases dealing with forestry and logging issues in B.C. "These decisions do not establish new legal principles," said Ed John, a member of the B.C. First Nations Summit executive. "They are based on the facts about the Mi'kmaq people's relationships to the Crown and to particular portions of their territory in the 1670s." "The court's rejection of a Mi'kmaq treaty right to log will not affect First Nations in B.C. because such a treaty right is not asserted in B.C. since the federal and provincial governments refused to negotiate treaties here until very recently," said John, a member of the Tl'azt'en Nation northwest of Prince George. Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, and Shawn Atleo, B.C. regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations, were in agreement with John. The court ruled the treaties "only granted the Mi'kmaq the right to continue trade in items traditionally traded in 1760-61." -- see MINING page 3
Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

High : 25 Low : 11 page 2

CN rolls to a huge quarter All eyes on P.G. Folkfest
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff CN put in another stellar financial quarter in the three months ending in June with a profit of $416 million, a 28per-cent increase from the same period in 2004. Six-month profit surged to $715 million, or $2.51 a share, from $536 million, or $1.85 a share -- and company officials believe shareholders are in line for more glowing numbers. "They're some obviously dynamite results," CN president and CEO Hunter Harrison said. "When a group of railroads produce these kind of results, it makes the CEO's job pretty easy." Harrison said the integration of B.C. Rail and Great Lakes Transportation were now complete and continue to provide benefits for CN. CN purchased the two railways last year. Virtually all of CN's key sectors performed well in the quarter, including forest products, metals, minerals, and petroleum and chemicals. Revenues from forest products -- which includes lumber, panels and pulp from B.C.'s Northern Interior following CN's purchase of B.C. rail -- rose 14 per cent to $450 million. Metals and minerals were up 11 per cent to $214 million, while coal revenues were up 32 per cent. Coal revenues in Canada were up even more, at 90 per cent, a result of the several new coal mines coming on stream, including in the Tumbler Ridge area north of Prince George. Those Canadian mines are expected to increase their output this year, and further expansion is expected in 2006 and 2007, noted James Foote, CN's executive vice-president. "So the outlook for Canadian coal, which had dropped down to basically nothing, has turned around dramatically and looks very promising going forward," added Foote. -- see PORT page 3 by FRANK PEEBLES Citizen staff The Prince George Folkfest begins today at 5 p.m. at Fort George Park and it has more than just local people excited. Organizers from similar festivals in Western Canada are waiting to see how the festival does in its second year. "We are very interested in what happens in Prince George. Their success is very important," said Doug Cox, one of Canada's leading acoustic folk artists and artistic director for the Vancouver Island Music Festival. "The stronger Prince George is, the stronger the circuit is." Terry Wickham is an artistic director involved with both the Edmonton Folk Festival and the Calgary Folk Festival, considered two of the premier folkfests in the world. He has also been watching the progress of Prince George and feels it is a bona fide success story in the making. "We're delighted to see Prince George develop like it is," said Wickham. "In Edmonton and Calgary we are in many ways sitting pretty. We were sold out nine of the last 11 years, which is great for us and I hope to see Prince George reach that as well, and they can, they have the right beginnings." What makes Prince George different than other festivals is all organizers are volunteers. "Prince George has a gem in its infancy," Jo Beattie, an organizer, said. "On the national music scene we are already known and this year, if it is a successful year, the national profile will be quite significant. It shows Prince George in a very positive light. It is an event that the community can be proud of and all ages and walks of life can come and enjoy themselves."

Gordie Tentrees, lead singer of the Gordie Tentrees Band, an alternate-country-rock group from the Yukon, plays the Folkfest launch party at Art Space.

FACTBOX
Today at the Prince George Folkfest:  5 p.m. -- Opening ceremonies with guest host Daniel Lapp and students  5:30 p.m. -- Maryem Tollar  6:30 p.m. -- Andy White and One Tall Friend  7 p.m. -- Eliana Cuevas  8 p.m. -- Freeflow  9 p.m. -- Folkquest Winner - Matt Robinson  9:15 p.m. -- Sarah Harmer  10:30 p.m. -- Alpha Ya Ya Diallo Folkfest runs today and Saturday in Fort George Park and features about 30 acts from local successes to international stars. Tickets are on sale at CN Centre, Studio 2880 and at the gate. Weekend passes are: adult $80, student $50, senior $50, children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Friday tickets only $45, students $25, seniors $25. Single tickets Saturday are adult $55, student $25, senior $25.  The north side of Fort George Park will be closed beginning today to accommodate Folkfest setup. The area from the Heritage River Trail -- behind the bandshell -- to the area north of the playground will be closed from 7 a.m. today until 11 a.m. Sunday. Both the Rotary playground and spraypark will remain open. For more information contact the city at 5617600.

E-Mail address:

news@princegeorgecitizen.com
Our website:

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INDEX
Ann Landers . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Business . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-36 City, B.C. . . . . 3, 5, 13, 16, 29 Classifi ed . . . . . . . . . . . 17-22 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Coming Events . . . . . . . . . . 16 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Entertainment . . . . . . . 25-28 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Lifestyles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 27 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 15

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