106th Year - Week 19
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
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SMAHA-MUIR SET Smithers hockey product competes at U18 BC Cup.
SPORTS/B1
Stikine electoral district candidates, Jonathan Dieleman, left, Roger Benham, Jessie O’Leary, Doug Donaldson, Sharon Hartwell and Rod Taylor, listen to a question during the all-candidates debate last week.
Ryan Jensen photo
SAFE HAVEN Northwest Animal Shelter hosts home tour fundraiser.
COMMUNITY/A11
TELEGRAPH TRAILS Jane Stevenson shares tales from the museum archives.
OUR TOWN/A17
INSIDE
LETTERS A7 COMMUNITY A9 OUR TOWN A17 SPORTS B1 THREE RIVERS C1 CLASSIFIEDS C7
Pipelines split, jobs unite Stikine Percy N. Hébert Smithers/Interior News
Six local candidates vying to represent the electoral district of Stikine in the upcoming British Columbia election took the stage at Della Herman Theatre last Wednesday night to face questions from local media and residents. The candidates heard several questions about the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and the natural gas pipelines proposed for the region. The loudest applause was reserved for candidates expressing reservations over the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and proposed natural gas pipelines, including NDP candidate Doug Donaldson, Roger Benham of the Green Party,
Rod Taylor of the Christian Heritage Party and Jessie O’Leary, an independent candidate. B.C. Conservative candidate Jonathan Dieleman didn’t commit to the pipeline, preferring to wait for the joint review panel’s decision, but said it was inevitable tar sand oil would make its way to B.C.’s west coast. “The pipeline is a good idea because it’s the safest way to move the oil,” he said. Benham agreed, but he took a different tact. “I’m afraid, probably, we’re going to have to stand in front of bulldozers to stop the damn thing,” Benham said. The audience did take exception to Liberal candidate Sharon Hartwell’s repeated resistance to taking a position for or against the Northern Gateway pipeline. Hartwell said she found it disturbing the fo-
cus was almost entirely on one proposed project, Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline. “We have other opportunities in the north. We talk about forestry, we talk about mining, we talk about fishing, we talk about tourism,” Hartwell said. “Are we ready to make a decision on the pipeline? No, we’re not. We don’t have all the information.” The exchange of the night came during a discussion on revenue sharing when Hartwell suggested Donaldson had not stood up in the legislature to represent the interests of Stikine. “Yes, I’ve advocated for the Stikine,” Donaldson replied, listing off a series of issues, including revenue sharing, for which he advocated in the legislature. See VOTE on p. A3
Council commits to constructing second arena By Ryan Jensen Smithers/Interior News
Smithers Town Council committed to building the second sheet of ice last week. In a special public meeting held April 29, Smithers councillors voted to bolster the new arena project’s budget by about
$1 million to $4.7 million and council committed to meeting with two of the rejected bidders in the RFP process, Venture Pacific Construction Management and C & M Development Inc. to see if scaled-back, phased projects are possible. “Figure out the size of the building we need, with a sheet of ice in it, get it going so you can skate on it and
from there, people can see what they want,” Councillor Norm Adomeit said. “Build it a bit at a time.” The town currently has $3,663,786 in confirmed funding for the project. At the regular council meeting April 23, all four bids submitted for the construction of the second sheet of ice were rejected by councillors for varying
reasons. Council set up the April 29 meeting aiming to find a way to move the project forward and not miss out on this year’s building season. A motion was made by Councillor Bandstra to commit to spending up to $4.7 million on the new arena, funding the difference by using $400,000
o M th r e o r f ’ s D rs e a w y o l F
from the town’s land sales reserve, $250,000 from a grant not-yet secured from the Northern Development Initiative Trust and $400,000 in community fundraising and to work with the chosen contractor to see how they can find even more cost efficiencies. The motion passed unanimously. See ARENA on p. A4
see page A-24