S TANDARD TERRACE
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VOL. 27 NO. 27
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Jury calls for better monitoring By MARGARET SPEIRS PRISONERS AT the Terrace RCMP detachment, especially if they are known to have substanceabuse problems, should be more closely monitored, a coroner’s jury has concluded following a three-day inquest last week into the death of a 25-year-old woman. Alyssa Josephine Talina George fell into distress in the detachment cells approximately 14 hours after
her Sept. 3, 2013 arrest for outstanding warrants. She was then taken to Mills Memorial Hospital and later flown to Vancouver General Hospital for more treatment but died September 10, 2013. Evidence presented at the Oct. 19-21 inquest centered around George’s time in custody at the detachment. Through replaying of video surveillance at the time of her arrest, George appeared to be able to walk
without problem or assistance and to communicate with the booking guard. Once put in her cell she flipped through a magazine and laid down for a sleep. But footage shown of the 45 minutes before paramedics removed her showed her in what appeared to be distress, laying on the bench in the cell, then sitting up and rocking back and forth, then sliding off the bench onto the floor where she sat, rocked some and laid down on her side, then her
back and later facedown. Dr. Robert Saunders, emergency physician and coroners service medical consultant, said George died of many factors. Saunders testified that she had been quite ill for months prior to her death as she was not eating much but had been drinking. People with a severe alcohol dependence that goes on for a long time have this happen, he said. A person’s liver filters toxins including alcohol out of the body and
can be damaged by alcohol, which also affects glucose metabolism, he said. A person’s brain needs energy in the form of glucose so if you don’t have any in your body, you starve, Saunders said. George’s glucose levels were down low enough to cause unconsciousness, plus she was dehydrated and in respiratory distress when brought to the hospital, he said.
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River crossing route changed By JOSH MASSEY
MARGARET SPEIRS PHOTO
■■ Ready to roam HANNAH PREST gets herself done up as a zombie bride for the Zombie Walk Oct. 24. Before the walk began, artists helped people get their zombie look on at Skeena Diversity Centre. The annual walk gathers food items and financial donations for the food bank before the staggering and lurching hoard begins its time on the streets, starting from the top of arena hill.
BC HYDRO has made adjustments to the routing of its planned new 287kV power line that will extend from the Skeena Substation in Terrace to Kitimat in order to avoid an area of old growth trees bordering the Lakelse River. The change was in response to concerns raised by a local land management committee. The Kalum Land and Resource Management Plan committee was informed by BC Hydro of the progress of the project planning and asked for its opinion at an Oct. 21 meeting. The committee is made up of representatives of industries and fishing and recreation groups. The main route for the line, to replace one that’s past its viable service date, was already established, however, after the environmental work done this summer, BC Hydro made a slight revision where the line will cross the Lakelse River. “The initial provisional line routing/design required clearing within these sensitive areas,” the group was told during the presentation by project manager Robert Smith. The sensitive area of old growth forest and the fishing-rich area of the protected Lakelse River was a sticking point with the resource management committee group
and BC Hydro came through with a shift in routing to avoid the old growth trees which “utilizes two taller structures (60m lattice steel) and the natural topography to span over the river.” “That’s the beating heart of salmon conservation. There was a lot of concern of breaching of that zone,” said Rob Hart, who chairs the Kalum committee. He said the committee was happy with the crossing shift. The total span over the river is just under 500 metres and the additional costs to the project are less than one per cent. The old line, which currently follows Hwy37 South, will be decommissioned and the right-ofway left to grow back. Hart said that further questions to be answered include the possible future use of the abandoned right-of-way by liquefied natural gas companies for natural gas pipelines. He said that a report on the trees that are removed and the areas traversed in the new line should be made available for future planning. The project cost for the new 287 kilovolt line which will feature steel poles is $115 million and this past summer was spent doing the environmental work with engineering and construction work anticipated for 2016 or 2017.
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A place to belong
Scaling back
Running together
There’s a compelling reason to get up early four days a week \COMMUNITY A10
Northern Savings Credit Union has laid off head office employees. \NEWS A4
Sport strengthes family bonds as three generations race. \SPORTS A25