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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2006

Council awaits bridge options
by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff A less-expensive alternative to building a brand new bridge across the Nechako River has been found to be feasible, but city council will wait for more details on options for funding the projects before making a decision on which route to take. City councillors voted 7-1 Monday night to endorse a staff recommendation to defer a decision until November, when they'll look at capital projects for 2007, so they'll know if either of the options will qualify for a grant from the federal and provincial governments. In a report to council, city transportation manager Frank Blues said placing a new crossing over t he Cameron Street Bridge's existing support system is a feasible alternative to a completely-new crossing at the same location. And at $9.5 million, it would also cost a lot less than a completely-new crossing, estimated to cost $18 million. But Blues also said there is a chance the less-expensive alternative may not as easily make the grade in terms of being selected for funding from the federal and provincial governments under the Municipal-Rural Infrastructure Program. He said the program's criteria includes assessments of the project's environmental benefits and said projects from other communities competing for the funding may better fit the bill. In June, the federal and provincial governments announced that $80 m i l l i o n w i l l b e m a d e av a i l a b l e through the infrastructure program for projects for B.C. communities with fewer than 250,000 people. -- See CITY on page 3

Citizen photo by David Mah

RECLINING CHAIR -- Codie Young didn't let the angle of the bench stop him from getting in some reading time while waiting for a bus Tuesday afternoon on Austin Road West in front of the Hart Centre.

Pine beetles could cross Rockies, research shows
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff Researchers at UNBC have discovered that mountain pine beetles can fly to heights up to 800 metres above the ground, evidence that had not been documented previously and which means the insects can travel long distances. "It was suspected but not known for this insect," said Peter Jackson, a UNBC professor who headed the research over the past two years. The new evidence -- that beetles have been found at these heights where they can use air currents to travel -- means they will be carried greater distances, noted Jackson. "It proves the potential for beetles to jump the Rockies, for example, to go quite a distance in a season," he said. "If you had to relay on local flight unassisted by the wind, then it would take quite a few years for an infestation like the current one to move very far." There has been some debate about the beetle's expansion. For example, there was a question of how beetles arrived in Chetwynd, east of the Rockies, in 2002. The research helps to address that question, said Jackson. UNBC researchers -- who included Dennis Straussfogel -- used a small airplane with a net attached to one of its wing struts to capture beetles at different altitudes. Preliminary work was carried out in 2005 in Prince George, in part to test suspected insect echoes on weather radar installed in the city in 2004. During that summer season in Prince George, usually five to six beetles were caught during 15-minute flights. The most caught in the net at one time was 29. The scientists -- who were assisted by UNBC students -- moved to Mackenzie in 2006, where many more 10-minutes flights at different altitudes were conducted. During those flights up to nine or 10 beetles were captured. While the numbers might seem small, calculation based on the data collected show more than nine million beetles would cross along a one-kilometre line during an hour, explained Jackson. It takes about 700 beetles to kill a lodgepole pine, so that amount of beetles potentially could attack and kill more than 12,000 trees. Jackson said they believe the beetles use updrafts to reach the 800-metre heights as they are not very good fliers. Under their own power, beetles can fly only about two or three kilometres, said Jackson. But he said they can travel more than 100 kilometres, carried by the wind, if they can stay at the higher altitudes for five or six hours. Funding for the research was provided by the federal government and province of Alberta.

Photo courtesy of UNBC

UNBC has conducted research on how high mountain pine beetles can fly, using a net attached to the wing of a small plane.

Parkade costs reduced
High : 13 Low : 8 page 2

INDEX
Annie's Mailbox . . . . . . . . . 17 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Business . . . . . . . . . . . .22-24 City, B.C. . . . . . . . . . 3,5,6, 13 Classifi ed . . . . . . . . . . .18-21 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . .17 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-12 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14,15

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by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff An underground parking lot will be built for $1 million less than originally forecast as part of constructing a new community gaming centre in downtown Prince George, city council was told during a public hearing Monday night. The parkade was first estimated to cost $4 million for 166 stalls, but thanks to a redesign and structural changes, the bill now stands at $3 million for about 150 stalls, administrative services director Rob Whitwham told council. John Major, who owns both Treasure Cove Casino and Good Time Bingo, won city council's permission Monday to build the 26,000-squarefoot complex, as well as six townhouses, over most of a city block on Seventh Avenue near Quebec Street where the now-vacant Diamond Bingo now sits. Cost of the project is pegged at $12 million to $15 million, and in addition to the gaming centre, Major will build the parkade, but the city will cover the cost of that part of the project.

If the cost of the parkade goes over the budgeted amount, Major told council he'll have to cover the excess cost while any savings will go to the city. As well, he said a surveillance system will be installed in the parkade at his own cost. And another 57 street-level stalls will be built at Major's expense for gaming centre patrons. Right now, there are 35 street-level stalls on the site, and the underground parkade was portrayed Monday night as a way to increase the amount of parking available in downtown Prince George. However, Days Inn manager Bodo Anger was not entirely convinced, saying patrons will still prefer to park at street level and predicted the problems he has finding parking for his customers whenever there's a hockey game at the Coliseum will worsen. General taxpayers will not foot any of the cost of building the parkade, officials at city hall have emphasized. Instead, the city's bill will be paid out of money in the off-street parking reserve and the downtown development reserve.

Downtown property owners contribute to the off-street parking reserve in lieu of a requirement to include parking on their own locations. The downtown development reserve is built up through the proceeds from the sale of city-owned land along the Highway 16 corridor. Major must meet some other obligations as part of his deal with the city. Major must purchase the land from the city for $1.2 million within 45 days of city council adopting the relevant bylaw, which should happen during the Sept. 25 regular meeting. As well, construction of the townhouses and the gaming centre must proceed concurrently and all the work must be completed within two years. Major said the project will be completed within a year of council giving final approval. If Major does not meet those requirements, the city can repurchase the land for $1 and he would have to surrender his lease at the city-owned land at Fourth Avenue and Victoria Street for Good Time Bingo. mnielsen@princegeorgecitizen.com

Hospital investigated
VICTORIA (CP) -- British Columbia's health minister is launching a queue-jumping investigation after patients said they were able to get faster treatment on public equipment at St. Paul's hospital in Vancouver by paying a private clinic. Allowing private patients to receive faster treatment on public hospital equipment breaches the Canada Healt h Act and B.C. Health Ministry policy and could result in fines, George Abbott said. St. Paul's hospital said it does not allow private patients to get treatment ahead of public patients. But the facility has accepted patients from private clinics in its off hours. The hospital has stopped that practice pending the results of Abbott's investigation. "No MSP (medical ser vices plan) covered patients are ever bumped or re-scheduled in favour of off-hour, third-party insurers," St. Paul's spokesman Shaf Hussain said. -- See column on page 4

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