News e other press st Compiled by Kelly Parry P Contributor tober is Women’s History Month (WHM) in Canada. pcognized since 1992 by the Government of Canada, is special month provides an opportunity to learn more out women’s historic accomplishments and their con- butions to Canadian society. hanks to our Canadian Foremothers: 862—Universities in the Maritime provinces were the t to admit women as students: Mount Allison in New unswick in 1862, Acadia University in Nova Scotia in B80, and Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia in 1881. )18—the right to vote was achieved )21—Agnes Macphail, a teacher, became the first bman elected to the House of Commons. )29—women became “persons” under the law. )46—The Ontario Teachers’ Federation approved the inciple of equal pay for men and women teachers. )55—married women could work for the federal gov- ment )69—birth control information could be disseminated nna King e Ubyssey COUVER (CUP)—A silent war is being fought er the Lillooet Forest District, a 1.1 million hectare derness area three hour drive from Vancouver. onservationists, mining interests, First Nations, back- untry tourist operators and logging companies are ing for the right to influence the outcome of the ovince’s soon-to-be-announced Lillooet Land and sources Management Plan (LRMP). The Lillooet LRMP includes parts of the Stein Valley, le Southern Chilcotin Mountains, the Fraser River from inton to Boston Bar, and the Thompson River from bences Bridge to Lytton. [t will be the first land-use decision by BC’s Liberal gov- Inment, and many claim it will send an important mes- ge to the international community. Industry hopes that jessage will be “we're open for business.” “It's a very, very important decision from a mining per- ective,” said Brian Battison, director of public affairs r the Mining Association of BC. Interested parties are waiting to see if the government ill reverse the previous NDP governments decision to cate a 72,000 hectare park in the north end of the llooet Forest District. Dubbed the South Chilcotin ountains Park, this is the portion of the Lillooet Forest istrict most often frequented by hikers and backcoun- y tourists. If opened up to mining interests, it would be the first omen’s Herstory Month 1973—the first women’s shelters opened in Canada. 1974—-women were accepted into the RCMP. 1982—Bertha Wilson was appointed to the Supreme Court. 1982—Canada’s constitution was amended to include the Canadian ERA—equality rights for women. 1985—the Indian Act was amended so that all Native women had full status 1991-1992 academic year, 54percent of university stu- dents were women, up from 4Opercent in 1972-1973. 1989—Heather Erxleben became Canada’s first woman combat soldier when she graduated from Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, in Alberta. 1992—October was declared Women’s History Month. 1992—consent was legally defined, putting the onus on the defendant in cases of sexual assault. time in the province's history a park has been decommis- sioned. The fate of the rest of the Lillooet Forest District is also up for grabs. The former governments decision to create the park was made in April 2001, just days before the announce- ment of the provincial election. When the Liberals were elected, Minister of Sustainable Resource Management Stanley Hagen promised to review the NDP decision. Originally set to be announced in March, Hagen’s deci- sion was delayed until July and then again until October. Now, representatives from the ministry say they can’t pre- dict when the plan will be done. Others hint it will be finished soon. “I know when the decision’s going to be made but I don’t wish to comment on it,” said Sylvia Waterer, owner of a guide outfitting company and regional representative of the Wilderness Tourism Association. Bill Wareham, former Executive Director of the Sierra Club, said, “[Minister] Hagen is in a tough spot because he promised he would find a plan somewhere down the middle, but the mining industry is coming on strong say- ing they want to see it all open for business,” he said, “they want to undesignate the South Chilcotin Mountains Park...and take out most of the substantive conservation elements of the plan.” Battison said the BC mining industry's position is that preliminary mineral exploration should be done before any area in BC is designated a park. “The key question is to find out where [mineral] deposits are. That’s when there should be the debate,” said Battison. “Once it’s discovered and we know how big it is, how many jobs it might lead to, what kind of extraction meth- ods might be employed, and whether it can be done in an environmentally responsible manner, in a socially accept- able manner, and at a profit, then that’s when you should have the debate,” he said. October 30, 2002 south Chilcotin Wilderness Up for Grabs irst land-use decision by the Liberal government looms According to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Battison said, two-thirds of the South Chilcotin Mountains Park has been designated as having high or very high mineral potential. Wareham, on the other hand, said every geological report he’s seen shows no mining potential for the area. “All exploration reports have abandoned the area as having no economical opportunities. For the mining industry to say there’s a $15 billion mine there is just blowing smoke in everyone’s face,” Wareham said. A report from the Environmental Mining Council of BC echoes Wareham’s claims. “It is unlikely that a signif icant mine would be established in the [South Chilcotin Mountains Park] area,” states a briefing note. Backcountry tourism operators say their industry brings in more money than a potential mine would. Waterer highlighted a recent economic study of the area indicating that tourists in the South Chilcotin area spent $10.5 million in 2000, excluding spending by recre- ational and independent visitors using local provincial campgrounds. Waterer says that opening up the entire province to mining exploration, a path she thinks is being contem- plated by the province, would mean the wilderness tourist industry would have no security. “Why would you invest if you never know if you'll be next to a mine?” she wondered. Graham Curry, Communications Director of the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, would not say much about the process or support claims that the Lillooet LRMP will set the scene for future Liberal decisions. “There's been a pretty public campaign being waged in the press by the mining industry and environmental groups,” he said. “They're trying to make a big deal out of it. The government put three land use plans under review in November 2001, this is just one.” page 5 ©