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Wednesday, April 23, 1986 Serving Terrace Bay, Schreiber and Rossport K-C mill losing money, changes now imminent By Conrad Felber Changes, perhaps drastic ones, are in store for the Kimberly-Clark pulp mill in Terrace Bay: due to high manufacturing costs, low revenue, and a decline in the need for the type of fiber produced at the mill, which employs between 1,800 and 1,900 people and is the town's main employer. According to a speech given on April 17 by Dar- win E. Smith, Chairman of the Board and Chief Ex- ecutive Officer of the com- pany, the problems faced by the mill. presents a serious challenge which, "'if not properly faced and resolved, -will- cause=..-~ heartache for all concern- ed, a situation which we sincerely hope can be avoided." In his remarks to the corporation's shareholders at its annual meeting held in Georgia, Smith added that "we plan to evaluate all reasonable alternate solutions to the problems" as soon as possible. When contacted by the News this week, the mill's Director of Industrial Rela- tions, Al Chisholm, refus- ed to say what those "alter- nate solutions" might be. "That would be specula- tion on my part,' he explained. He also would not say when these solutions might be found and used at the mill. 'There will be an ex- -haustive study ... that's top priority,". Chisholm did point out. The study, to be conducted by Smith and his assistants, has "no time frame"' on it, he added. "*They are working on it now, and they will make the final decisions, whatever those may be,"' he said. So far, Kimberly- Clark's investment in Canada in general and specifically at its Terrace Bay and Longlac opera- tions is "'totally out of pro- portion to the income from that investment," Smith added in his speech. "In the past, we have tended to tolerate this disparity because of the im- portant need for fiber pro- duced (in) Canada for operations in the United States," he said, adding that this situation is chang- ing very rapidly 'and the' company now sees "a decided decrease' in its continued on page 2 Verrace Baw senreiber Vol. 41, No. 16 35° The first Cross-Cultural Conference, which was hosted by the Terrace Bay/Lake Superior Multicultural Association on the April 12 weekend, was a great success and may even become an an- nual event, according to one of its organizers. Moffatt Makuto, of the Cross-Cultural Conference Committee in Thunder Bay, explained this week that the gathering attracted 52 delegates, representing various Multicultural _ Associations, Indian and ethnic centres, Anglophone and Francophone organiza- tions, and other service groups based throughout Northwestern Ontario. "*This was the first con- ference of its kind in this area," Makuto pointed out. "Judging from the en- thusiasm we had and the number of participants, this could become an ongoing thing." He admitted that since the event was such a new experience to most delegates, many of them were somewhat apprehen- sive at first, especially when it came to discussing Conference a success and passing the many resolutions which were presented during the weekend. "*Later on the people did begin to loosen up," he added. Among the resolutions which were eventually adopted was a controver- sial one that called for On- tario to be a bilingual pro- vince, which was forward- ed on to the provincial government. "'Women's issues were talked about as well," he noted. Skipping for dollars Crystal Luxmore and Louise Bonnema, both nine years of age, were just two of the many young participants in this year's second annual Jump Rope For Heart held at the Terrace Bay Public School on April 17. Students from Grades 3 to 8 took part in the event, which was held to raise funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. School principal Don Davey noted that the program was also good exercise for the children. Employees of Terrace Bay Township in Local _ 3087 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees have decided to negotiate with the town for a first collective agreement. In a letter to Terrace Bay clerk-treasurer Larry Simons dated April 8, union representative Alex Muselius said his union wishes to meet with the township to discuss the contract agreement once the negotiating committee has been selected. The let- ter was read at the April 14 meeting of Township Council. "We will present you with written proposals shortly," Muselius added in the letter sent from the union's Lakehead Area Of- fice in Thunder Bay. "Ht seems (the employees in) the Public Works. Department have decided to go union," Reeve Ollie Chapman said at the meeting. She noted that this would create the same situation as current- ly exists in Schreiber, with its own Public Works Department. Councillor Peter Romanuk mentioned that he had heard the main sub- ject of the request for a col- lective agreement is job security. Simons explained that May 13 and 14 have been The skirts were spinning and the feet were flying dur- ing the Budapest Dance Ensemble's routine at the Cross-Cultural Conference Talent Show, held at the Terrace Bay High School on April 12. The group, from PWD employees join CUPE, suggested as a possible time for an initial meeting with the union's commit- tee. Council passed a mo- tion to have its lawyers negotiate the contract on behalf of the municipality. At the same Council meeting, Chris Joubert was officially sworn in as Councillor. He had been appointed last month to fill the Thunder Bay area, was just one of several who took part in the event. The weekend conference was the first of its kind in the area. (Photograph by Conrad Felber) the vacancy created by Councillor Jim Files, who recently moved to Southern Ontario. Joubert was informed that he would on the township's Recreation Committee as well as the Fire, Hydro, and Finance Committees. Councillor George Ramsay had originally been on the Fire ask to negotiate for contract Committee. He is now Council's representative on the Airport, Library, Social Services, and Cemetery Committees. Other Committee responsibilities were kept the same. Councillor Romanuk has Public Works, Police, EMP, and the Health Unit, while continued on page 2 Prom night not all right A vocal group of Grade 12 students from Lake Superior High School in both Terrace Bay and Schreiber told the News this week that they are upset and frustrated with the way they were ignored when it came to a decision on when to hold the school's annual Prom Night. The students explained that a meeting of all Grade 12 and 13 graduates was held recently to discuss the event, but the Grade 13s dominated the session and imposed their decision on the Grade 12 graduates. '*Many of us think that a great injustice has been done to us,' the group said in a news release. "The result of this meeting end- ed in a one-sided decision. Is this compromise? Is this democracy?"' The group of three students, who wished to re- main anonymous, added that the conflict "will ruin one of the most important days in our lives -- our high school graduation."' They pointed out that the Grade 13s at the meeting felt the Prom should be held on May 16, which many of the Grade 12 students felt was unap- propriate, as setting the event so soon would create problems, especially for female students who must obtain dresses for the dance. '*After having been rais- ed in a democratic society such as Canada's, we have been taught that each voice, no matter how small, will be heard and considered,"' the release said. "It_ was not until we had reached our final year in Lake Superior High School that we have shockingly discovered that this fact is now always true."' The students added that this graduation will be the last one for many of them, and that "this event should be a meaningful milestone that will never be forgotten unfortunately, the memory of this event may not be a pleasant one."' They explained that at the meeting to decide on a Prom date, their "smaller voices were overpowered, intimidated, and mocked by the higher voices" of the Grade 13s. "*We are also graduating this year," one of the students pointed out. *"But we are not getting any chance for input, or if we _ do, it is not considered."'