TERRACE
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VOL. 25 NO. 9
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Regional jobs czar to be based here THE PROVINCIAL government is basing a senior official in Terrace to better help prepare the local labour force to deal with an expanding regional economy. It’s part of a $540,000 package containing a locals-first focus as major economic projects either get underway or are about to start. The core of the package is organizing training programs to provide the kind of skilled workers needed by companies as their projects develop. It’s something that’s not been done before in B.C. and, in part, takes in lessons learned from northeastern BC where a burgeoning oil and gas industry created a demand for skilled workers, says provincial jobs minister Pat Bell. His ministry is providing the money to BC Hydro who will do the actual hiring of the official. Speaking while in Terrace last week, Bell said he wants to avoid
having to bring in outside workers while people within the region remain unemployed. “Our first responsibility is to ensure local people are employed and by that I generally mean from here and then from B.C.,” said Bell. “Once you’ve done that, we would then look at pan-Canadian,” said Bell. He said the task of the person to be hired is to examine the skills needed as companies set up shop in the region and then develop a labour force to meet those demands. That would involve building partnerships with training facilities as well as the companies themselves, Bell continued. “Do we have sufficient resources at the [Northwest Community] college to meet the needs,” Bell said in outlining one key consideration. The official, who will be hired under a contract that expires in
Oct. 2013, will have a rank equivalent to that of a senior position in the provincial civil service. It means, said Bell, the person will have the authority and flexibility to move quickly when required. “That person needs to have a level of influence to make a quick decision,” he added. Bell said it will be his job to supply the political muscle to help the official out when required in dealing with large companies, adding that the task of training a northwest workforce needs to be done cooperatively by all concerned. “I have access to those levels,” said Bell of chief executives of large companies. Bell did acknowledge there aren’t enough people in the region to fill the demand for labour should projects be built as planned.
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Enbridge claims refuted
STAFF PHOTO
■ Dear Stephen SOCIAL WORKERS Greg McQuarrie, Brenda Miklavic, Rob Hart and Maria Koerner sign letters to Prime Minister Stephen Harper asking him to restore the budgets of national aboriginal organizations. For that story, see Page A12.
TWO LOCAL First Nations say they haven’t signed any deals with Enbridge to take on an ownership stake in its planned Northern Gateway Pipelines project. And Kitsumkalum chief councillor Don Roberts has called insulting an Enbridge claim that 60 per cent of the First Nations along the 1,170km pipeline route have signed on. Roberts said Enbridge is trying to use First Nations’ constitutionally-enshrined rights and title as a way of bolstering its project. “[Enbridge] has got to show where it’s coming from,” said Roberts, of what First Nations account for the 60 per cent statistic. “If Enbridge is wrong on those figures ... it’s perjury. “I’m really finding it hard to believe,” he continued. “[Enbridge is} playing around with people.” “Almost 60 per cent of eligible
Aboriginal communities along the proposed right of way, representing 60 per cent of the First Nations’ population (and 80 per cent of the combined First Nations’ and Metis’ population) have agreed to be part owners of the proposed Northern Gateway pipelines,” Enbridge said in a June 5 press release. The equity stake amounts to 10 per cent of the proposed $5.5 billion project to transport Alberta crude to a marine export terminal at Kitimat. “Half of the equity units taken up went to groups in British Columbia, and the other half to groups in Alberta,” said the statement in attributing the information to Enbridge official Paul Stanway. While Kitselas First Nation chief councillor Judy Gerow says it has also not signed an equity deal with Enbridge it has not said
it either supports or rejects the project. The Kitselas are conducting a technical review of the section of the pipeline which would affect its traditional territory. “We don’t have any type of agreement with Enbridge,” said chief councillor Judy Gerow last week. “In fact, we’re still undergoing our independent study.” The independent study, she said, is so that the Kitselas can review environmental and technical information on its own instead of relying on what it is told by Enbridge. “Well, we just want to make sure, you know, that we know what’s going on and that it’s coming from our people,” said Gerow. “They’ll put their report together and it will be presented to council for a decision.”
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Talk’s not cheap
Calling old locals
Provincial props
Early teaching of speech and hearing holds the key to child learning \COMMUNITY A17
B.C. is looking to former residents to come back to the area for work \NEWS A14
A Terrace youth is chosen to play basketball at a B.C. level \SPORTS A26