We’re asking the wrong questions about Ajax

Armchair Mayor column, The Kamloops Daily News, Sept. 26, 2012.

Federal environment minister Peter Kent came, he saw and he went yesterday.

He met with local groups, toured the Ajax minesite and some of the surrounding area, and boarded his airplane.

In due course, he announced that he found and heard nothing during his day in Kamloops to change his mind about ordering a federal panel review, and so it will all be left to the federal-provincial process favoured by B.C. Environment Minister Terry Lake.

MP Cathy McLeod, who didn’t want a panel review, then did, is now fine without one. While in her “give us a panel review” mode awhile back, she stated two reasons one is needed: “clear federal jurisdiction coupled with significant public concern for a panel process.”

“Public concern” is undeniable. Anybody who claims not to have an opinion has been on an extended trip to the moon or is afraid to express it.

The debate over Ajax centres on jobs versus the environment, with a dash of Aberdeen lifestyle thrown in. If the ultimate decision on Ajax is to be made on that basis, jobs will win easily.

During last year’s civic election campaign, I asked candidates to define what they meant by lines like “getting all the facts” and “we must wait for the environmental review.”

Some of them did — almost none was elected. I would ask the same question now of those at either end of the debate: where do you draw the line?

Because I’m about as sure as eggs is eggs that all those fancy environmental reports will confirm what we already know — that we’ll lose a lake, a big patch of grassland and some wildlife. And they’ll say health worries can be alleviated.

And that those who support the mine will conclude that, alrighty then, there are, by official count, three million lakes in Canada and we’ll do fine with 2,999,999.

And that we can afford to lose a few endangered badgers, toads and sapsuckers that rely on the Ajax site for their existence.

After all, we are going to get jobs and taxes and royalties.

The other side of the argument will say we simply can’t sell out even a bit of our cherished environment for the sake of a few more paycheques.

And nothing will change. All the graphs, charts, photos, drawings, plans, wind studies, dust studies, noise studies, hydro studies and pamphlets in the world will change nothing about “public concern.”

One side will win; one will lose.

But is it possible, in our focus on studies and processes, that we’re asking the wrong question?

Because, does it not, all come down to the fact that this mine is going to be within two kilometres from town as the crow flies, not 10 or 20 kilometres out in the forest?

I think it does. I think it’s about whether a mine on our back step is the vision we have for Kamloops. Whether that fits with who we are, what we do, what we want our city to look like for the rest of our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren.

Some will say yes, some no. But let’s get over all this angst about noise and dust and rare turtles and $30-an-hour jobs and talk about how we see our city.

That’s what Peter Kent should be thinking about, too.

mrothenburger@kamloopsnews.ca