Ajax ‘party’ wasn’t about public engagement, it was about consolidating base of support
It was a time for balloons and corn dogs at pro-Ajax gathering.
SUNDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — KGHM International says Saturday afternoon’s event at the Interior Savings Centre was just a way of saying thanks to supporters of the Ajax mine project.
It wasn’t a rally, exactly, but it wasn’t exactly not one, either. It certainly had elements of those old pep rallies in the gymnasium. Add some music and a lot of food, and everybody seemed to have a good time.
Company officials aren’t saying how much the shindig cost but it surely wasn’t cheap — the rental of the Interior Savings Centre plus the food, the extra staff, the band.
They’re more than happy with it. Some 1,500 RSVPs were returned; 2,000 people showed up. Which makes it somewhat amazing that a lid was kept tightly on the event virtually until the last minute.
The “party,” as KGHM calls it, showed clearly that support for the mine runs deep, which isn’t news — the community has been divided from the beginning. Opponents would love to get 2,000 people out for an event, though.
There was a strange moment when Yves Lacasse, the external affairs manager for KGHM International Ajax, took to the microphone and lauded the “courage” of the three people who appear in a new promotional video for the mine.
Why anyone would think supporting the mine requires an act of bravery is hard to figure — certainly none of the 2,000 people there seemed worried.
It did, however, take a lot of confidence on the corporation’s part to rent an arena and then fill it. The first rule of holding an event that requires a crowd is to rent a small room to make sure it looks packed.
Had Saturday’s turnout been light, it would have been embarrassing.
So the corporation must be feeling pretty sure of its level of support. Lacasse promised there will be more such pro-Ajax events. When we asked a company official when the next public-engagement session will be held, however, there was no answer.
Opponents will probably complain about the mining giant being so careful to exclude them yesterday. But it’s not about engagement; it’s about consolidating the base.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Why is it Mel always choose to be a Champion of negativity. How many positive initiatives has he tried to stop?I attended the event it was great to be there and talk to KGHM staff and hear how they are taking resident concerns into consideration and revamping their plans.
The only awkward thing was watching Mel lurk around like a creepy voyeur. Who attends a positive event like this and then writes negative spin stories.
No wonder the Daily news went south with an attitude such as his being prevalent for so long.
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Hi, Jim, I’m glad to have you involved in the discussion. I saw you at the event on Saturday as I was lurking around. You are most welcome to continue posting on this site but would ask you to focus on debating the merits of the issue rather than insulting those who have views that happen to be different from your own. With that in mind, I have disqualified one of your other posts.
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WHO CARES if they have a rally or not. Good GOD…they are entitled to drum up support just like anyone else. People need to STOP always looking at the negative. Embrace the change and the good it will bring to the community!!
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I think that the fact that they’re spending millions and arranging lavish pro-ajax rallies like this one speaks to the fact that KGHM has a real fight on their hands. As far as public engagement goes, they have never been interested in any real, open dialogue. Their workshops last fall allowed people to ask questions, but only on a narrow range of “safe” topics which KGHM decided on. If, for example, one asked them what sort of precedents they were using to draw comparisons with Kamloops, the question could not be answered. The “let’s keep talking” stuff is just an empty slogan. What’s badly needed is something of substance. If these guys are submitting their application next year, it is very likely that they have completed a number of the 40 or so studies. But of course they’re not going to say anything. Their way of communicating is to throw lavish, invitation-only parties for their patrons.
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Opponents will never be able to afford a mail out campaign followed by phone calls to identify supporters, rental of a huge indoor space, entertainment and caterers. Their numbers at rallys may never be high, unless events like this make people begin to take the proposal more seriously.
These tactics make my heart heavy. KGHM is trying to make Kamloops into a place that I don’t recognize and where I don’t feel comfortable. They are already trying to impose their own vision of Kamloops and Kamloopsians values and beliefs. You can hear echoes of their strategy in the following quotes: “mining is in our DNA,” “Kamloops is a dusty industrial town,” and “hockey’s our game.”
I understand that the role of the communications team is to get the community to accept the project and to frame the conversation. They see it as talking points, key messages and good marketing.
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C’mon Karriann, you mean to tell me that the 5000+ opponents on the ajax page, the physicians who are against it and the moms for clean air can’t pool resources , make a phone list and start calling? They can’t donate any time at all? There are thousands of opponents who could volunteer their time to do this. You don’t need an industry party. Even just have another rally. Ajax might have money but there is power in numbers. Get people out on the streets and start something grassroots.
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