March 14, 2007 the Valley Voice
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March 14, 2007 The Valley Voice Volume 16, Number 5 March 14, 2007 Delivered to every home between Edgewood, Kaslo & South Slocan. Published bi-weekly. “Your independently-owned regional community newspaper serving the Arrow Lakes, Slocan & North Kootenay Lake Valleys.” Musical politics and political music heard at the Silverton Gallery March 10 by Jan McMurray that are on boil water advisory – two of put onto the highways, he said much of met with the Premier after the Enterprise [to get electoral reform].” About 50 people came out to an these are in the Slocan Valley (Denver the cost was shifted to the taxpayer. “I Creek private logging, and “the Premier Another local resident raised the event that dared to mix politics with Siding and South Slocan), and on want you to know that even if a barge was not ready to jump on it.” issue of sustainable agriculture. “The music at the Silverton Gallery on extending the regional transit system were provided for free today, they won’t How much control do we have traditional village had common land that March 10. This was another of MP into the northern valley. use it because it can’t compete with the locally over the lake? The need for sustained the village, but this died during Alex Atamanenko’s forums, but it Silverton Councillor Carol Bell highway and free ferry.” Atamanenko controls over seadoos in particular was the industrial revolution when land was different from all the others in reported that the Memorial Hall gave a perspective on the future. mentioned. Munro reported that the became privatized. Agriculture today two respects. First, it had a theme – renovations were progressing nicely and “Probably in our lifetime we will not answer to this question will be sought uses one hundred times more the environment. Second, it was that Silverton was in the beginning have as much oil, so transportation is at a meeting on March 23 with the OCP greenhouse gases than traditional followed by a jam featuring two stages of its OCP review. going to have to be looked at. The public Advisory Planning Committee, Lake agriculture.” Atamanenko spoke about ‘closet politician musicians’ and the MP Alex Atamanenko said the sector will have to invest in more Slocan foreshore planning committee the Cuba experience. “They had no ‘former rock star’ Randy Speers and Clean Air Act would probably be in railroads. We need to get big trucks off and several provincial and federal choice but to go organic because they his friends. committee for about six more weeks, the road and invest in more agencies. He said other areas of the had no more energy, so now they are During the first part of the evening, so the NDP was using this time to try to infrastructure.” He urged people to push province have involved lakes in their almost self-sufficient in food,” he said, moderated by Bill Roberts, local put some teeth into it. the government to do this. Munro said planning. Wright added that the New suggesting that a similar day may come politicans each made introductory Questions from the public were a meeting had been set up with Ministry Denver OCP could address working for us. Evans encouraged everyone to remarks and then took questions from about logging, mountain caribou, chip of Transportation officials on March 19 with Area H, Silverton and Slocan on a support their governments to hold the the floor. trucks, the lake, electoral reform, and he would raise this issue. Another management plan for Slocan Lake. Agricultural Land Reserve in place, “so MLA Corky Evans opened by sustainable agriculture and microhydro resident asked that Munro take the Would the NDP support a the land is still here when we need it.” saying the political climate was ideal projects. request for shoulders on Highway 6 to referendum for electoral reform? He also encouraged New Denver and for the land use planning underway in One member of the public picked the meeting as well, to encourage Atamanenko reported that a private Silverton “to come together and take the valley. He said with planning, we up on Wright’s remarks about drinking cycling and walking. member’s bill for proportional the mountain behind them for a could “design the kind of community water source protection. “Source On private land logging, Evans representation will be introduced in the collective way to create community that could stop Victoria and Ottawa protection means no logging in our informed that MLAs from this area house, and the NDP will apply pressure well being.” from dismantling it.” watersheds. Will you provide protection advocate for controls, but they are if there is enough support for it. Evans The last question was about RDCK Chair and New Denver from logging in our watershed?” she opposed by MLAs everywhere else. He reminded us that the last provincial microhydro projects on our small Mayor Gary Wright spoke about two asked. Evans answered, “no,” and stated said this was because of the lay of the referendum gained 57% support, just creeks. Evans confirmed that we will big RDCK issues: waste management the NDP position was that source land – it is steep here and flat elsewhere. 3% away from going through, and that be seeing more of these. “Public and drinking water. He said mixed protection should be under local control. “We need a regulatory regime, but how there will be another referendum. ownership is no longer ‘cool,’ and they plastics recycling was being negotiated He said “source protection means no do we spread that interest to other areas However, he feels it will not get enough are asking for private development of now, but to keep in mind that recycling logging in watersheds” was a blanket of BC?” He said most western support this time either. He figures 5- hydroelectric activity,” he said. “We was “still just a way to manage waste. statement that he was not prepared to democracies have a punitive or reward 10% voted last time because they were need to throw out a few governments Reducing waste is harder.” On water, support. She replied that his party system for private land logging, so BC very angry with the government. This before they stop selling our assets.” he had just attended a meeting and saw “should study the science that shows is the odd man out on this one, with its time, he thinks there is more balance, Atamanenko gave the example of a video showing 12 incidents where indisputedly that logging damages “cowboy attitude” about “doing and the 5-10% will not vote. “Rather Christina Lake, where a microhydro drinking water caused an outbreak of water and watersheds.” whatever I want on my own land.” than put all our eggs in one basket, I project is going in despite disease. To avoid these outbreaks, A question about banning logging Munro said that he, Evans and Wright think we should think up another way overwhelming local opposition. Wright said that water treatment and in old growth forests led to a discussion other protocols are being promoted. He about mountain caribou, which depend noted that 11 of the outbreaks were on old growth for their survival. Evans caused by source contamination, so he said the caribou issue was difficult, asked why source protection was not because “at least two local mills will being promoted. The answer was that shut down if we stop logging spruce.” nobody makes money on source However, he was optimistic that protection. “Perhaps we should look at “society will decide to save the caribou.” zoning for source protection,” he Munro said the RDCK board was asked suggested. to provide a letter of support for “a Area H Director Don Munro said particular approach to saving caribou” we were in a position to benefit from [protection of habitat]. Because there the current political trend that puts the was a difference of opinion among the environment on top of the public agenda directors, the board as a whole did not and has seen both the Premier and Prime grant the request. However, he said it is Minister become “born again up to individual directors to represent environmentalists.” He suggested that their constituents’ feelings on the issue. we think about how we can support the Wright said the RDCK has heard from environment in the OCP. He also made many, many people on this, and most several suggestions about the gas tax are concerned about the “economic fall- money, earmarked for upgrading water out” of habitat protection. “The good systems, decreasing greenhouse gases news is we listen to you and the bad and transportation. Area H has been news is we listen to you, so make sure allocated $5,000, and it is a five-year we hear what you want us to hear,” he funding commitment. He proposed that said. Entertainment following the community forum in Silverton on March 10 featured ‘closet politician musicians’ Alex we set up an advisory committee to Chip trucks were discussed at Atamanenko and Gary Wright. Wright opened the show with a song he wrote entitled Cocooning, and Atamanenko followed consider how we should spend the length. Evans set up the historical with A Couple More Years by Willie Nelson and Abalene by George Hamilton IV. After that, Lilliana Wright stole the show money. He then suggested that we spend context. When the wood chips were with her gorgeous singing voice and songs with strong political messages, backed up by ‘former rock star’ Randy Speers it on the RDCK-owned water systems taken off the railroads and barges, and and his friends Tom Padfield and Jeremy Down.