Observations on the two Ajax mine models

As the week comes to a close I’m struck by two things about the many people who have come into our lobby since Monday to view the two scale models of the Ajax mine proposal.

One is that the so-called “citizen’s model” (the one I refer to as the “Mader model” for ease) has been receiving more attention that the model produced for KGHM-Ajax.

I think there are two reasons for that. One is that the Mader model, as previously mentioned, uses aerial photography images that make it realistic. It’s easy to imagine the mine and the city in their true size, and people seem to like being able to pick out their own houses on the model.

The second reason is that the Mader model has a transparent polypropylene cap that protects it but allows for a clear view.

The KGHM version was made without such protection, and is draped with a clear plastic sheet that, unfortunately, has a sheen to it and makes viewing a little more difficult. Their model is still valuable, however, and having the two of them side by side is helping people get an overall impression of the scale of the project.

The second thing I’ve noticed is that most of the people coming for a look are in their 50s and up. The first thing coming to mind is that seniors are more concerned with the possible impacts of the project.

However, I think it’s more likely due to the simple fact of our business hours here at the Daily News, which coincide with when most people are at work. Retired folks have more opportunity to stop in, while those still in the workforce are occupied elsewhere.

So, hopefully, there will be opportunities in other venues, perhaps at shopping malls and public facilities, to have the two models displayed together on weekends and/or evenings.