S TANDARD TERRACE
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VOL. 25 NO. 32
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Library wants more money from city Terrace’s Public Library is asking for more money this year to maintain status quo operations. Its request to the city is $25,000 higher than last year, and is coming to council for discussion at a Dec. 4 budget meeting. The $482,000 city grant request is higher this year due to expected wage and benefits increases arising from upcoming contract negotiations for unionized workers, said the library’s treasurer David Try at a council meeting Nov. 13. “I cannot trim much without cutting into labour,” said Try, adding that while the library has received 3.9 per cent more money over the course of five years, inflation during that time has been 13 per cent. “I’m going to ask you, please don’t give us less.”
Library workers are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) with contracts set to expire Dec. 31. For the last two-year contract, unionized library workers received a two per cent pay increase yearly, with last year’s wages plus inflationary costs being about $15,000 more. Try said another pay increase is being budgeted for 2013 although contract negotiations have yet to start. He says this year’s estimated increase falls in line with the city’s unionized employee wage increases for its CUPE contract at two per cent yearly over the last two years. “In many communities, the public library is simply the department of the city,” said Try, adding that the library board now is made up of volunteers and that without it, city
staff could be doing the job instead. “I would think that the contract that the city sets with their own employees would certainly guide the library board forward in terms of how we would do our negotiations.” For library negotiations to start, the last two-year CUPE contract will need to be “signed off” before a new one can be set, said Try. “I’d be happy to start bargaining right now with them,” he added. The library spends about 75 per cent of its total budget on wages, said Terrace’s head librarian Margo Schiller. The starting wage for a position at the library depends on the job.
Cont’d Page A16
Shames deal not finished
Anna Killen PHOTO
■■ In the classroom A new math program is gaining popularity in Terrace by using Socratic methods, promoting teacher and student engagement, and promising to help children enjoy math class from an early age. For a closer look inside one of the classrooms using the program, see Page 5.
A DEAL to sell the Shames Mountain ski facility remains in limbo pending a decision on how to treat debt owed the provincial government. And until there’s a resolution, the Shames Mountain Ski Corporation, which owns the facility, will more than likely renew a lease agreement with My Mountain Co-op, which wants to buy the operation. The two negotiated a sales deal last year but it has yet to be finalized because of debt owed the province. One portion of the debt amounts to nearly $420,000, which was borrowed by the ski corporation from the province years ago. A second portion amounts to $150,000 and represents unpaid chairlift royalties owned to the province. This amount was originally incurred by the ski corporation but was taken on by the co-op as part of the sales agreement. As one part of a purchase agreement signed Nov. 16 2011, the two outstanding debts owed to the provincial government
were to be satisfied before My Mountain Co-op could purchase the facility from the Shames Mountain Ski Corp. Those conditions were first hoped to be met by Dec. 15, 2011 for the deal’s closing date, but waiting on the province meant drafting a new lease deal so it could be run in the meantime and then extending that deal in April prior to this extension. While the process has moved along at glacial speed, co-op directors have not lost hope. “We’re very confident it will happen,” said co-op director Jamie Hahn about the mountain’s purchase. “We’re just waiting on the government administration side to complete its process.” Shames Ski Corp. president Gerry Martin said debt resolution has been slower moving than initially expected and that both local parties are waiting for the province to respond with a firm answer. “We’re trying to run it down now to find out why its taking so long,” said Martin.
Cont’d Page A11
What goes up
Urgency needed
Champions
Terrace Public Library increases accessibility with new elevator \COMMUNITY A19
Shale extraction heats up competition for new natural gas markets \NEWS A9
Big wins for Terrace volleyball teams at the Northwest Zones \SPORTS A28