S TANDARD TERRACE
1.30
$
$1.24 PLUS 6¢ GST
VOL. 26 NO. 53
www.terracestandard.com
Agency abandons housing project A LOCAL social services agency has abandoned plans to build lower cost housing on city-owned land. The Ksan House Society had wanted to build 20 two and three bedroom units on city-owned vacant property on Haugland on the Southside, near its Hall St. emergency shelter, but couldn’t come to a suitable financial arrangement, says society executive director Carol Sabo. The society had wanted to lease the land at a low rate. Its concept would have seen 12 housing units rented out at standard provinciallysubsidized rates for low income earners and eight rented out at rates designated as affordable for annual family incomes up to a maximum of $64,000. But Sabo said the city would only offer in-kind assistance for a project for only low income earners, not for others earning higher levels. “Stressed was the fact that in-kind would only be available if the project was strictly for low-income, they were not able to provide anything toward affordable housing,” said Sabo. Sabo retooled her proposal, seeking to meet this requirement, but it didn’t work. “A guarantee of the housing being available to only those making less than $25,000 per year resulted in the same response,” said Sabo of her unsuccessful negotiation. “The property would not be available to us for a nominal lease. It was only available on purchase.” Sabo then estimated buying the property would add $10,000 to the projected per-unit cost of $90,000, too rich for the Ksan House Society’s bare bones budget. As it is, the budget for placing modularstyle housing units on concrete slab called for extensive volunteer and other contribu-
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
tions in. “Given the city is not willing to provide the property, we feel it would be a waste of time to apply to BC Housing at this time,” said Sabo of asking the provincial government’s housing arm for assistance. “As can be imagined we are very disappointed but we will hope that given enough new construction in Terrace, some of the lower end housing will become vacant and that those units will be in, at the least, reasonable shape,” she said. Mayor Dave Pernarowski said the city is in negotiations with a number of developers who want land for mixed income housing similar to the Ksan concept. “I just recently gave out [Sabo’s] name and that project concept to a large corporation that was looking for opportunities to sponsor and contribute to the community,” said Pernarowski. “We have lots of good opportunity now to see affordable housing being developed through this building season and certainly that piece of property remains a good location.” The city has formally put another of its parcels on the market that it considers ideal for housing. The approximately 2.4 acres on the corner of Kenney and Park was estimated to be worth $408,000, an appraiser’s report commissioned by the city stated in February. The city now says a minimum offer of $450,000 is required. It is also keeping to its policy of selling certain lands for housing only if there is an affordability component included. “The city reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to accept or reject any or all offers on any grounds it considers appropriate and the highest offer will not necessarily be accepted,” reads a city notice published last week.
Feds dispute claim By ANNA KILLEN
A FEDERAL decision to fight a ruling stating the Kitselas First Nation is owed compensation for a land transaction dating back to 1891 is baffling, says a lawyer hired by the Kitselas. “I don’t know what their motivation is,” said Stan
Ashcroft following two days in federal appeal court last week in which the federal government opposed a favourable ruling by the Specific Claims Tribunal. The tribunal, set up in 2008 to hear cases involving First Nations claims on specific pieces of land, found that a 10.5 acre parcel
Alternative birth Demand for midwives has increased but we don’t have one, yet \COMMUNITY A18
of land on the Skeena River, containing a former village site and now known as Lot 113 and privately owned, was wrongly excluded from the original Kitselas reserve allotment in 1891. A Hudson Bay Company warehouse was built on the site.
Cont’d Page A5
MARGARET SPEIRS PHOTO
■ Fair fun KAYLEE MCCORMICK, 4, has some fun at one of the stations at the Kindergarten Health Fair held in the auditorium at the Northern Health Authority’s public health unit building on April 11.
SEE THIS WEEK’S B SECTION FOR SPORTS & NEWS
Bantams battle Three Terrace teens are in Salmon Arm trying for a spot on Team BC U16 \SPORTS B1