Eyanide Plant Arrives At Taurus Parts for the new cyanide plant are starting to arrive at Taurus Resources Gold Mine. Mine Manager Ed Craft said the plant is being installed and should be operational ' within about two weeks. Craft said, “The plan is to treat the 350 tons of con- centrate we have on hand. That should take about one month.” Plans for re-opening the mine are indefinite at this time but it won’t be re-opened until the stored concen- trate is treated. Four people will be rehired to work in the cyanide plant. mae Craft said it is more economical to treat the concen- trate at a cyanide plant on site than to ship the concen- trate out. Thirty people were working at the mine until it was closed late last year. Heinrich Meets with S.D. 87 Representatives by Sherry Sethen A meeting of education representatives of the eight School Districts who make up the Northern Interior Branch was held on January 18 to 20. Fifty-five delegates from Quesnel, Prince George, Nechako, Burns Lake, South Peace, North Peace, Fort Nelson and Stikine gath- ered at Esther’s Inn, Prince George, to meet with invited M.L.A.’s from all the Districts. Jack Heinrich (Prince George North), Bruce Strachan (Prince George South), and Tony Brummett (North Peace), were able to attend the Saturday afternoon meeting with the trustees, super- intendents and secretary-treasurers who discussed several educational concerns of the Northern Interior School Boards for 2% hours. Among the concerns discussed were local autonomy, fiscal framework, problems associated with small rural schools, Let’s Talk About Schools, bargaining, arbitration, Compensation Stabilization, loss of younger teachers from the system, severity of cutbacks, what happens after re- straint, Vancouver Metro area resolution and consultation- al-communication. The meeting was very successful and all representa- tives welcomed the opportunity provided by the M.L.A.’s. At the Annual General Meeting held Sunday morning, the following motion was passed: “The Northern Interior Branch request that the Provincial Government place a higher priority on public education than is indicated by the proposed 1985—86 funding for School Districts, recognizing that: ]. Major cutbacks have already been implemented by most School Districts since 1982. 2. Inflation and existing contractual obligations affect all School Districts and must be recognized in the fiscal framework. 3. Constantly decreasing budgets do not give due recog- nition to the critical importance of education as an investment in the future.” The weekend session ended with the new executive elected — President Sherry Sethen, Stikine, Vice-president Katie Moffat, Quesnel, Education Chairperson Zarna Dil- ley, Burns Lake, and Branch Salary Chairman Sergio Pet- tucci, Nechako. Ed Olson’s term as Branch representative to the provincial executive of B.C.S.T.A. runs for one more year. Jack Heinrich has been travelling to all School Boards in the Province but as yet has been unable to get into the Stikine. An audience was requested with him on Saturday morning, January 19, and Owen Corcoran and | met with him to discuss the Dease Lake School Gym, funding for a full-time superintendent and secretary-treasurer, as well as the District average teacher salary funding. Continued on.Page 2. Hard times hit Erickson Low gold prices have forced many gold operations to shut down in the past year and rumors have been rampant in the Cassiar area regarding the future of Erickson Gold. Kristian Ross, President and Chief Executive Officer of Erickson Gold, says that it has been a very difficult year because of low metal prices and below grade ore. However, they have no intention of closing the mine at this time: The employees at Erickson have all taken a 15% cut in wages but he stated this is only a percentage of the cost-cutting measures being taken to keep the mine a vi- able operation. Approximately 20 employees have been laid off at this mine. Erickson has now accumulated approximately 100 square miles of property in the Cassiar area and Ross says they hope to accelerate their exploration program this year. Their Mt. Skukum property was shut down on Vec- ember 15 for Christmas, after completing a 2100 foot cross cut into the first ore zone. They are now in the process of getting together financing for production costs and Ross anticipates that they will be resuming work soon. Approx- imately 20 employees have been laid off at the Skukum property. the Voice of Cassiar Country February 1985 10 cents Is Cassiar having a hard winter? * It's been worse but...snowfall so far this winter is- 254.8 cm (8.4 ft.) and still falling. Last winter’s total was 291 cm. (9.5 ft.) The low temperature was -40°C on Dec- ember 28, 1984 and the average daily temperature this winter so far has been -I6°C. The record snowfall for Cassiar was 589.53 cm (93° ft.) during 1958-59. The coldest day was -50°C on Feb. 14, 1954 and the warmest day was 30°C on Aus. 4, 1953. Air Transport Committee Releases Report The Air Transport Committee of the Canadian Transport Commission’ recently released their summary report on the Adequacy of Air Services in Northern and Remote Areas. The committee’s findings were based on public hearings held in 19 northern communities last June and July. The committee held a hearing in Watson Lake on July 27th. The report suggested several recommendations to improve air services in the north: 1. The airlines should increase native language services and hire more native people. The report recommended increased training programs for native people to allow them to learn the skills and gain the necessary qualific- ations to allow them to take part in providing air services in northern Canada. 2. The government should provide financial assistance to allow northern airlines to buy or lease better, more economical airplanes. . 3. The government should reduce taxes, fees and charges relating to aircraft operation in northern Canada. The report said the elimination of these charges could reduce travel costs in remote areas by as much as 20%. 4. The government should simplify regulations for small carriers. 5. The airlines should make greater effort to provide reservation and schedule information in local languages and CBC Northern Service should re-examine its policies with regard to advertising rates and schedules. The report noted that often northern residents are unaware of various promotional and discount fares that airlines are currently offering. 6. The government should improve airports and navigation aids in northern Canada. 7. The report said that those living in northern and remote areas of Canada should be able to benefit from greater competition in air services, but that the government should monitor the services carefully with public participation. The report recommended public hearings be held every two years. The essential principle underlying the committee’s recommendations is that air services in remote regions of the country are a vital necessity and they must not be considered in the same light as in southern Canada where other types of transportation systems are available. Al Kapty, General Manager of Trans North Air, wholeheartedly agreed with the committee conclusion. “You don’t have a lot of alternatives in the North,” he said, “if you want to go anywhere you just about have to fly.” Kapty said there haven’t been any evident changes in Trans North’s operations since the release of the report except in the filing of various promotional fares. Under their new guidelines the Canadian Transport Committee has allowed a wide variety of promotional fares that previously weren’t allowed. Kapty said this permits the Pe » . airlines to compete more effectively. For example, Trans North can now offer seat sales of 50% of the regular fares of their routes between Whitehorse and Watson Lake, Faro, Dawson City, Inuvik, Yellowknife and Norman Wells. : Kapty said there has been no response so far from the government on the recommendation that they reduce airport charges. He said the government fees and charges are “substantial”. The Trans North general manager said that one possible result of the national and northern air transport hearings is the application of Pacific Western Airlines to fly nonstop from Whitehorse to Inuvik. The report recommends competition between air carriers and suggests that competition will improve service to consumers. At the present time PWA has a licence to fly to Inuvik from Whitehorse but they are restricted from operating a nonstop flight. - Kapty said if PWA receives the licence it would “kill that route for Trans North...No one would fly on our own smaller aircraft for higher fares,”’ he said. The Whitehorse-Inuvik route represents 40% of Trans North’s revenue and loss of that revenue would have a serious effect on the airline. Consequently, Kapty said, the entire Trans North route system would have to be drastically rescheduled. “If we lose that route other services we provide such as Old Crow-Inuvik, Mayo-Inuvik, and Dawson City- Inuvik may also be lost. This would result in a detrimental effect on the Yukon.” Kapty said. The airline has filed an intervention against PWA’s application. They expect a government decision on the application within about 90 days. In Watson Lake, Canadian Pacific Airlines Manager - Vic Cheropita said he has seen no changes as yet as a result of the Air Transport Committee report. He said: CP Air had already been offering cheaper rates on a lim- ited basis prior to the hearings. Snack Bar Closes The Snack Bar closed its doors to the public and the lease that was signed between the Cassiar Community Club and Terry Farrell is in default at the present time. The Club has sent a. double registered letter to Mr. Farrell expressing the concern that the Snack Bar is not open for business, and he has thirty days in which to straighten out his affairs. If this situation is not cleared up within the prescrib- ed time, the Snack Bar will revert back to the Community ~Club and Public Tenders will be called for new operators. The date is February 27, 1985, when this situation has to be straightened out. tae, . . . + ~ e * , oo” tng Pee White ae * ‘ ‘ VD ye AAV IRS SEAT eRe PRIS and at , ‘ wd ’ re