Beloved tough guy Tie Domi retires /12

Length of police probes questioned /5
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2006

PM to make Afghan case to UN /7

Cable machines offer full workout /25

$1.00 (HOME DELIVERED: 59 CENTS A DAY)

Tories hurrying softwood deal
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff Now that the softwood lumber deal easily passed its first federal government vote Monday, the Conservative government will move the necessary legislation quickly through Parliament, said Cariboo-Prince George MP Dick Harris. "This is a priority item because we want to get this thing put to bed and get the money back to industry," said Harris, chair of the Conservative's forestry caucus. "We'll get this all behind us, and on a new path of certainty in our industry for the next nine years." The House of Commons voted 172-116 in favour of a ways and means motion -- the first step in the formal approval process. Prime Minister Stephen Harper had staked his minority government's survival on passage of the agreement with the United States. If all three opposition parties had voted against the deal, Harper's government would have fallen. However, while the NDP and most Liberals voted No, the Bloc Quebecois supported the government as expected. Passage of the motion likely means smooth sailing from here on. Under the agreement, Canadian forest companies will have more than $4 billion US in tariffs returned. Another $1 billion would remain in the U.S., half of which would stay in the hands of the American lumber coalition, that launched the trade complaint that resulted in the tariffs. The deal would replace the tariffs -- which had been as high as 27 per cent, but now sit at 11 per cent -- with either of two export tax schemes that decrease as the price of lumber climbs. The first option sets export taxes between five and 15 per cent, while the second option, which includes quota limits, sets the tax rates at between 2.5 and five per cent. The measures are intended to prevent Canada from increasing its one-third share of the U.S. softwood lumber market. The deal will span at least seven years with provisions that could extend it to nine. As part of agreement, forest companies could see tariffs returned to them before the end of the year. Canada is going to forward the equivalent money owed in tariffs to the Canadian lumber producers, and then collect the tariffs from the U.S. The deal has received wide industry support -- although sometimes reluctant -- among companies with operations in the Northern Interior. The deal is being supported by all the major lumber producers in the region: Canfor, West Fraser, Tolko, the Sinclar Group, Pope & Talbot, Abitibi, Carrier Lumber, Dunkley Lumber, Brink Forest Products and East Fraser Fiber. -- See LIBERALS on page 3

Oil leak ruins ice at CN Centre
by MARK NIELSEN and JIM SWANSON Citizen staff A problem with a new Zamboni has forced the city to re-install the ice at CN Centre. A playable surface will be back in place by Friday morning, in time for the Prince George Cougars' regular season opener that night. As of Tuesday the ice had been completely removed, and the floor degreased. Crews began putting water back on the floor Tuesday evening. "I think the city was hoping to limp through this weekend and have it at the same level as the (Sept. 13 exhibition game), but the ice was poor and that wasn't a standard we were happy with," said Cougars business manager Brandi Brodsky, whose team faces the Seattle Thunderbirds Friday night. "It's about safety, and it's about putting on a good hockey game. Someone had to make a call and the longer we took to decide to take it out the less time we had to work with it. New ice, chippy ice, is better than what was in
Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

The ice at CN Centre was removed Monday due to oil contamination. City staff are racing to have a new, clean sheet of ice in place for the Friday regular season home opener of the Prince George Cougars.
here." The Cougars weren't happy with the quality of the ice for their lone exhibition game, held a week ago, and declared it unsafe to skate on late last week. The team asked for the ice to be removed then, but the city didn't make that call until Monday. "Last week, at our (Cougars') exhibition game, the ice was OK, but not great and we knew that in order to get to good ice we were going to have to remove it at some point and start again," said city arenas manager Diane Rogers. "The question was when would we do that and the Cougars came to us and asked that we do it before the home opener, so last night (Monday) we made the decision to rem ove t h e i c e a n d ( Tu e s d ay ) we cleaned the floor and we're starting to make ice again. At the absolute latest, the ice will be ready Friday morning." The trouble was traced to oil leaking from the rust inhibitor applied to the bottom of the Zamboni and getting lodged in the cracks of the ice. The oil had penetrated to the concrete floor. Steps taken to stop the problem have included steam cleaning the entire machine and putting new rags onto the back of the Zamboni. Other communities have been experiencing the same problem with that particular model of resurfacer, Rogers said. Rogers could not say how much the cost to the city will be for re-installing the ice. The Cougars are now practicing in Kin 1 and there have been minor disruptions of the schedule for other users, according to Rogers. "It wasn't a major inconvenience for the other user and they understand," she said. "They'd rather have good ice for the start of the season." The ice Friday won't have any of that logos that had been painstakingly painted by volunteers a month ago. Only the bluelines, red lines and faceoff circles will be in place. Brodsky said advertisers have taken the situation in stride. "Every single one of them has been so understanding," said Brodsky, adding the logos are to be re-painted next week. "They'll be compensated. The city will certainly do that.... The city is paying the full cost to order the paint in, to hire the people to get the ice put back in. The way it hurts us is that it's not going to look as nice this weekend," she said.

CNC students to mark college attack
High : 11 Low : 6 page 2

INDEX
Annie's Mailbox . . . . . . . . . 27 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Business . . . . . . . . . . . .22-24 City, B.C. . . . . . . . . . . 3,5,6,13 Classifi ed . . . . . . . . . . . 18-21 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . 17 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,26

by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff The College of New Caledonia Students' Association will hold a special ceremony today at 9:40 a.m. in the Atrium to honour students and staff at Dawson College, where gunman Kimveer Gill killed Anastasia De Sousa and wounded 20 others before turning the gun on himself. Following brief statements, a minute of silence will be held across the CNC campus at 9:45 a.m., and members of the college and community are invited to sign a large condolence card to be sent to Dawson College. "While we are saddened by the tragic events, we must not let that stop us from continuing to do our part to help ensure that all of our public colleges and universities are places where all Canadians can learn

and debate openly and safely," said Valentine Crawford, chair of CNCSA. Students and staff at Dawson returned to their classes Tuesday, six days after gunman Gill opened fire, killing the 18-year-old De Sousa and wounding 19 others before killing himself. UNBC vice-president of academics, Dr. Howard Brunt, said: "Because of where it happened, it has particular meaning for all of us in the university community. "The senseless tragedy and violence that occurred at Dawson College is beyond comprehension. "Each of us must take personal responsibility for preventing violence," Brunt told the UNBC community. UNBC lowered its flags to half mast last week to demonstrate sympathy for those directly and indirectly

touched by the tragedy. During the next few weeks, UNBC will hold special events to help make sense of, and to learn from, what has happened, Brunt said. Expressions of condolences and sympathy were collected from students to be sent to Dawson College, and UNBC is providing counselling and support on issues of personal safety and dealing with violent events. Brunt said there are no plans to change security at UNBC. "We feel that our security and quick response by the RCMP when called is adequate," he said. "All we can do is make sure we have good plans in place. Some events cannot be prevented because they are well beyond anyone's imagination, and our society today just can't live surrounded by armed guards," Brunt said.

Board seeking two per cent tuition increase
by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff The College of New Caledonia board of directors has approved a notice of motion to increase student tuition fees to match the inflation rate for the 2007-08 school year. The rate increase, which is decided by the Ministry of Advanced Education, is expected to be two per cent as it was for the 2006-07 term, Penny Fahlman,CNC director of finance, said at a recent board meeting. Valentine Crawford, chair of the CNC Students Association, who sits on the board, asked the board to reject any increase in tuition, pointing out that student debt is going up and student enrolment is dropping. "Increased tuition does nothing to benefit the college and does nothing for students," Crawford said. The notice of motion passed with a big majority, and the tuition fee amendments will be voted on during the November board meeting. The proposed increase will amount to about $44, which would bring tuition fees to $2,242 for a full university transfer course load for two semesters. Following the lifting of a six-year tuition freeze by the B.C. government from 1995 to 2001, tuition at CNC increased 35 per cent in 2002, 40 per cent in 2003, 2.77 per cent in 2004 and two per cent in 2005.
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