Clay Aiken returns with new CD /25
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2006

Cougars More ready for care beds debut /8,9 sought /13

Horses bring disabled out of their shell /34

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Fewer young offenders seen
by PAUL STRICKLAND Citizen staff There are about 25-per-cent fewer young offenders serving sentences in Prince George today than there were in 2003, when the Youth Criminal Justice Act was implemented, officials say. Across B.C. as a whole, the number of youths in sentenced custody was in decline as early as 1997, said Mark Gosse, the province's assistant director of youth justice services. However, the legislation mandating measures to reduce the number of youths serving time in jail did have a marked impact on the rate of decline, officials say. "It's a general trend," said Gosse. "There are fewer kids today, but there is also a decline in charges and in the number of kids ending up in custody." During the 2000-01 fiscal year, there were 57.5 youths from 12 to 17 in custody in Prince George, said Matt Gordon, spokesman with the B.C. Ministry for Children and Family Development. The fractional number is a result of averaging statistics about the number of youthful inmates in sentenced custody that are recorded daily, he said. The average numbers of young offenders in sentenced custody in Prince George each day were as follows: 2001-02 (47.1); 2002-03 (40.2); 2003-04 (25.7); 2004-05 (28.8); and 2005-06 (26.8). As of July this year, the average was 29.3. Throughout B.C. there were 152 youths in sentenced custody in 2002-03. That number declined to 90 during 2003-04 and to 87 in 200405, according to Statistics Canada. Trends were similar in all provinces and in the Northwest Territories. The exceptions to the national trend were The Yukon and Nunavut where, after an initial drop, there was a trend back up. However, in those jurisdictions the numbers were so low as to be statistically unreliable. pstrickland@princegeorgecitizen.com

Minister eager to sign treaty
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff B.C. is on the verge of signing off its first modern treaty with the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation near Prince George, a testament to the province's new relationships with First Nations, B.C.'s new Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Minister Mike de Jong said Thursday. The province is just weeks away from initialing the first treaty to emerge from the B.C. Treaty Commission process, launched in the early 1990s, said de Jong, who took over the portfolio five weeks ago. "It's striking to see and compare where we are at today, in terms of where we were at five or six years ago, maybe even three or four years ago," said de Jong, who was in Prince George to deliver an address to a B.C. Council of Forest Industries' community dinner. The province has had a history of rocky relations with First Nations, erupting at times with blockades and even violence. First Nations, including in B.C.'s Northern Interior, have cited a frustration with the province over the pace of treaty negotiations, and what bands viewed as a lack of proper consultation and accommodation on resources development in their traditional territories. First Nations said the province was ignoring key court decisions that supported their position. In a series of historical meetings in 2003, First Nations groups, including the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and the First Nations Summit, banded together to push for more recognition of land and title rights. -- See ABORIGINAL on page 3

Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

SCHOOL OF FISH -- Lheidli T'enneh elders Veronica Seymour and Mary Teichrob show a traditional way of preparing and preserving salmon to Shady Valley elementary students Thursday morning at the Shelley reserve.

SPCA rescues 48 cats from home
by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff Dozens of abused cats and kittens were seized recently by the SPCA from a residence just outside of Prince George. North Cariboo SPCA branch manager, Mel Jones, said the 48 felines, ranging from new born kittens to adult cats, were surviving in filthy conditions, and a number were in poor physical condition when rescued. "When the SPCA heard about the cats' plight from a complaint, special Provincial Constable Debbie Goodine was called in to rescue these desperate animals," said Jones. Since an investigation is underway, Jones is not at liberty to release a lot of details. Now the cats, which have been at the SPCA for about three weeks, need good homes, so the SPCA is holding an Adoptathon Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the shelter, 4011 Lansdowne Road. "Some of the cats are struggling with health and social issues due to the horrendous conditions they were living in, and need tender loving care," said Jones, who added medical treatment for eye infections, ear mites and weight loss have been administered. "We encourage everyone looking for a pet to come and see us." Adopting owners will receive a special adoption package at the event.
Submitted photo

The North Cariboo SPCA seized 48 cats from this home near Prince George.

High : 10 Low : 9 page 2

Pipeline open houses set Fall into
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff The latest pipeline proposed in northern B.C. -- a $1.2-billion natural gas line from Kitimat to Summit Lake, north of Prince George -- has scheduled a number of open houses to provide information on the project. The pipeline is just one of several proposed pipelines through northern B.C. that now total nearly $9 billion. The project is a joint venture between Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. and Kitimat LNG Inc., which is owned by Galveston LNG Inc. Information released by the companies when the project was announced in July, says the natural gas pipeline is meant to serve a liquefied natural gas plant in Kitimat that recently received the green light from B.C. and Canadian regulators. Liquefied natural gas would be transported on tankers from overseas to Kitimat, where it would be turned back into gas. The liquefied natural gas plant would be the first of its kind located on the west coast of Canada. The proposed 470-kilometre pipeline is proposed to follow the existing rightof-way of Pacific Northern Gas from Endako to Summit Lake. A new route is planned from Endako to Kitimat. The companies said the open houses are designed as informal drop-in events and will include display panels, maps and other project information. The project team will be on hand to discuss the project and answer questions. All the open houses will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The open houses start next week:  Monday -- Burns Lake, Chamber of Commerce.  Tuesday -- Fraser Lake, Fraser Lake Arena.  Wednesday -- Vanderhoof, Grand Trunk Inn.  Thursday -- Prince George, Ramada.  Friday -- Summit Lake, Community Centre. The Kitimat-to-Summit Lake natural gas pipeline is just one of four proposed pipeline projects. Enbridge has proposed building a $4 billion dual pipeline from the Edmonton area to Kitimat. One pipeline would carry oil to the coast for shipment to Asia and the U.S. west coast, and another line would carry oil thinner back to the Alberta oil sands. Pembina has proposed a $1 billion line, which would also carry condensate from Kitimat to the Alberta oil sands. Kinder Morgan has proposed building a $2.5-billion oil pipeline along a similar route. ghoekstra@princegeorgecitizen.com

INDEX
Ann Landers . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Business . . . . . . . . . . . .22-24 City, B.C. . . . . . . . . . . .3,5,13 Classified . . . . . . . . . . .16-21 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Coming Events . . . . . . . . . .38 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Entertainment . . . . . . . 25-28 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-12 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14,15

autumn
Citizen staff Fall officially starts tonight at 9:03 in Prince George. That's the official autumnal equinox, the time of year when n i g h t a n d d ay a r e o f e qu a l length, says Maurice Sluka, vicepresident of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada-Prince George Centre. On Friday, the society will hold an open house at its observatory on Tedford Road starting 30 minutes after sunset, as it will continue to do every Friday this fall. Autumn continues until the official start of winter, which is Dec. 21 at 4:22 p.m.

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