S TANDARD TERRACE
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VOL. 27 NO. 45
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Gov’t widens Thornhill debate By MARGARET SPEIRS
THORNHILL’S MOVE toward incorporation may be put on hold with an offer from the provincial government for a grant to study the best option for the community. And the best option might include joining the City of Terrace. The debate surrounding Thornhill’s future has now
widened thanks to a letter from provincial community, sport and cultural development minister Coralee Oakes replying to an October 2014 letter from the Kitimat-Stikine regional district asking that the wheels be put in motion to incorporate the rural community. “Certainly, at 4,000 residents, Thornhill is of sufficient size and character that municipalization could be
appropriate,” said Oakes in her reply letter, dated Jan. 29, 2015. She added that it seems like “the community is ready for change because it has outgrown the rural model” but did point out the rural community faced challenges, one of which is a limited tax base. “Given these challenges, and the community’s proximity to the City of Terrace,
I am not yet convinced that it makes sense to create another municipal government in the area, and that strong consideration must also be given to inclusion of Thornhill in a reconfigured municipality for the broader Terrace area,” Oakes’ letter continued. Her letter did acknowledge that the provincial government was involved in discussions with “communities
to ensure that the northwest can take advantage of all the opportunities that an LNG industry has to offer.” To help with that, she offered up a conditional planning grant of up to $60,000 to help the regional district with a “study services, governance and planning in the Greater Terrace area.” When the study concludes, she wants regional district and city representa-
tives to review the study and see if the two can agree on “a joint restructure study process.” “At that time, I will consider whether, from a provincial perspective, the creation of a separate municipality for Thornhill would be a tenable outcome and could be considered as an option in a restructure process.”
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Just stop it, says district
ROD LINK PHOTO
■■ Honoured A PLAQUE honouring the efforts of Mamie and Fred Kerby in founding the Heritage Park Museum was officially unveiled at a tea, accompanied by speeches, at the museum Feb. 20. It’s located just inside the Kalum Lake Hotel building and standing with it are the Kerby’s children – Eric, Eva and Norma. See Page A13 for more.
KITIMAT-STIKINE REGIONAL district directors are seeking legal advice to stop what they say is a continual flow of harassment by a group questioning its long-standing plan to dramatically change the way garbage is handled in the area. The decision came after RCMP officers briefly appeared at the regional district’s Feb. 20 meeting at which were members of Residents Advocating for a Sustainable Inclusive Environment (RafaSIE) who queried the decision by the board to borrow $17 million for a new superdump at Forceman Ridge just off of Hwy37 South toward Kitimat. The officers soon left but their appearance was prompted by individuals who had been attending a series of talks by the regional district on its garbage and recycling plans. At the last of the talks held, Jan. 29, Sean Bujtas, a City of Terrace councillor, ended up asking a person to step outside of the meeting so they could talk and the presenter could continue. Regional district staff members and consultants should be protected from harassment and bullying, said James Cordeiro, another City of Terrace councillor who also sits on the regional district board. He said the regional district has responded to numerous letters from people and from delegations over the last months and has answered the same questions over and over again. “There is no effort to hear the answer and weigh those answers in a rational manner,” Cordeiro said, adding that some people had made up their minds, leaving no chance to change their minds. His Feb. 20 motion reads, in part, to seek legal advice “to determine if these relentlessly disruptive and repetitive delegations, their conduct towards the board, staff and consultants, and the perpetual queries with respect to questions more than adequately answered by the board and administration constitutes harassment and an unacceptable administrative burden ….”
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Maybe later
Blue bag express
Trophy time
Former Terracite out of the running to be one of first residents on Mars \COMMUNITY A10
Take a ride with the man who picks up Terrace’s recycling \NEWS A5
Caledonia Jr. Boys turn it around to take zone championships \SPORTS A28