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Census helps out residents
by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff It's to ever yone's advantage -- young people and single men included -- to fill out and return their census forms, says Jerry Page, a Statistics Canada regional director. This is especially important in B.C., where there was a higher-than-usual undercount in 2001, said Page. An estimated 4.04 per cent of the province's population was not counted in the last census, well above the national average of 2.99 per cent. The difference meant B.C. got a lower share of the pie in terms of transfers from the federal government than it might have deserved. As a rule of thumb, those transfers amount to $1,100 per person per year. To put that into perspective, that adds up to $22,000 over five years for a family of four. It's suspected the highest percentage uncounted people are aged between 18 and 24. "It's not necessarily that they don't want to participate," Page said. "Quite often those young people who are away at university think `well, mom and dad will include me at home,' and their mom and dads are thinking they'll probably get enumerated wherever they're working." Page hopes the number for that group will improve now that they're able to complete their forms online. The next most problematic group, said Page, are single men working in the oilpatch and other resource-based industries where much of their time is spent in camps. -- See YOUNG on page 3

Firm fights order to widen deadly logging road
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff WorkSafe B.C. has told Babine Forest Products that the North Road near Burns Lake -- the site of a fatal log truck accident three years ago -- is still not safe and has directed the company to fix the problem, The Citizen has learned. In an order issued in March, WorkSafe B.C. said Babine Forest Products Co. Ltd. had not maintained the North Road in a manner that ensures the health and safety of persons on the road. The company is appealing that order, said WorkSafe northern regional manager Bruce Clarke. "In an appeal, they still have to act on our orders," said Clarke. "That's why there are interim measures, otherwise they would be in hot water with us." One of the options the company could consider is widening the road. Clarke said WorkSafe officials will be following up to see if that takes place. "If they don't do that, we will expect some sort of compliance plan that meets our expectations," said Clarke, headquartered in Prince George. In the interim, Babine Forest Products has been restricted to loaded trucks travelling one way on the North Road, east towards Decker Lake sawmill. Empty logging trucks can travel in the other direction to the Babine sawmill. Up until March, loaded logging trucks were still travelling in both directions on the road. The latest action by WorkSafe B.C., the new name for the Workers' Compensation Board, resulted from an inspection of the logging road in February following a call from an anonymous person who said the road was "way" too narrow, there was too much traffic and some one else would be killed on the road. Veteran Burns Lake log trucker Craig Payne was killed on the road in February 2003 in a head-on collision with another loaded logging truck. Payne was killed when both loads broke free -- nearly 100 tonnes of logs -- crushing his cab. -- See CRASH on page 3

Citizen photo by Dave Milne

Lisa Boyachuk, left, Johanna Sam and Shelley Johnson are three of the four student employment officers in Prince George this summer.

Hire-a-Student opens
by STEPHANIE MORGAN Citizen staff If you're looking for a summer job -- or if you're looking for someone to do a job -- things are looking up. Hire-a-Student has reopened for the summer in a new location at 1363 Fourth Ave., in the Service Canada building. "We're hoping to meet or exceed 1,550 jobs (this year)," said Johanna Sam, one of the four student employment officers in the Prince George office. Last year, the centre had 1,427 jobs by August. Full-time or part-time jobs ads are posted online, reaching a larger number of skilled workers, as well as a pool of student workers for casual labour is available. "Casual jobs (are) jobs that are two hours to five days (long)," said Sam. "Employers and homeowners can phone the jobs into the office, and we'll match the qualifications necessary with the youth from our casual labour pool." The office helps students and youth with resume and cover letter creation, interview tips and job search skills. The office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you'd like to call to place a job, phone 561-5200 ext. 329. The job bank can be viewed online at www.jobbank.gc.ca/.

Pulp sector upbeat
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff The pulp and paper sector in B.C.'s Interior has a tremendous opportunity to reinvent itself because of the mountain pine beetle epidemic, PricewaterhouseCoopers said in findings released this week at its annual forest industry conference. The pulp sector could take advantage of the lowest chip prices in the world from a glut of wood in the sawmilling sector from increased harvesting of mountain pine beetle-killed timber, said PricewaterhouseCoopers senior official Craig Campbell. He noted that wood chips are the largest input into the pulp and paper-making process and the price is expected to stay abnormally low for the next five to 10 years. If the Interior pulp industry capitalizes on the window of opportunity of low chip prices and invests in world-class technology and retrofits its inefficient mills, it could become globally competitive like never before, said Campbell. -- See ROSY on page 3

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Spirit bears sprinkle colour across city
by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff The 15 spirit bears who've found homes in Prince George have all settled in nicely, seeming "beary" content to stand watch over the daily bustle of the city. The seven-foot Kermode bears, which are unique to the Nass and Skeena valleys in northwest B.C., all pose in unique dress by artists. For the most part, they depict northern life from forests and wildlife to northern lights and First Nations legends. The provincewide project by the B.C. Lions Society is about raising funds for its Easter Seal houses, camps for children with disabilities, buses, patientcare grants, laser skin care and the helipad at Vancouver General Hospital. Each fibreglass bear has been sponsored for $4,500, which pays for the fabricating, shipping and artist's supplies. On Nov. 4 the Prince George bears will go on the block to be auctioned off at Coast Inn of the North by bidders from anywhere in the world. But in the meantime, residents and tourists are encouraged to enjoy the culture, colour and curiosity they bring to the city. The legend of the Kermode bear, by First Nations people, is that these bears were made white by the Raven, their creator, as a reminder of the time when the world was pure and clean, covered with snowdrifts and ice blue glaciers. Raven promised these bears would live in peace and harmony forever. For those who want to get to know the bears and enjoy them while they are here, the following information is presented to guide you on the spirit trail: Aurora Bearealis Over Land and Sea at Fifth and Brunswick is the e f f o r t o f Ta t i a n a W i m m e r, t h e youngest Spirit Bear artist in B.C. The 15-year-old Grade 10 student at College Heights secondary was selected by sponsor SpeeDee Printers as the artist through a school art assignment. Aurora "Bearealis" features the northern lights swirling in between bubbling blue waters and a landscape of greens and browns. Spirit of the Ancestors by Peter George is at the Civic Plaza. Sponsored by the City of Prince George, the bear is done in subtle cream with Sahara gold native art, depicting the legend about the raven. "It's said the raven created the Kermode bear when the world was white, pure and in harmony," said George, a First Nations artist. A Bear in the Woods by woodworking artist Gordon Rapson, is uniquely covered in different reddish

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INDEX
Annie's Mailbox . . . . . . . . . 39 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Business . . . . . . . . . . . .32-34 City, B.C. . . . . . . . . . . .3,5,13 Classifi ed . . . . . . . . . . . 17-21 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47,48 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . .29 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-12 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,23

Citizen photos by Dave Milne

The spirit bears by Maureen Faulkner at Prince George Regional Hospital, left, and Laura Chandler at the Coast Inn of the North are two of the decorated bears to be found in the city.
and brown shades and types of wood to make it look like a big furry, grizzly. Sponsored by the City of Prince George the bear is located in the Civic Centre lobby. -- See BEAR on page 13

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