By Mike Archer. Editor’s Note:: Some comments got lost in the ether on this column so, having retrieved them, we are bringing it back to the front for any more discussion our readers may want to have.
17/10/13 – 11:12
We used to run photos of the enormous gravel pit gap that has been created on the north side of Sumas mountain. Now the south side is starting to show the results of decisions by the BC Liberal government – Randy Hawes – the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) – John Les, Patricia Ross, Sharon Gaetz – and the City of Abbotsford – George Ferguson, Patrica Ross and Council – to basically give Sumas mountain to the gravel companies.
The permanent scars are not visible from the City of Abbotsford proper nor from Abbotsford City Hall or the FVRD offices over in Chilliwack. But you can certainly see them if you drive through the Sumas Prairie or along Highway 1 to Chilliwack.
The enormous chunk that has been taken out of the north side of the mountain is best seen from Mission, especially if you drive from Mission to Agassiz.
John Les, Patricia Ross and Sharon Gaetz all consider themselves environmentalists and both Ross and Gaetz rely heavily on the public’s perception, promulgated by the old newspaper media, that they care for the environment. Take a drive sometime and look what they’ve done to what was once a pristine piece of wilderness. Look what they’ve done to the homes of the people who opposed amalgamation with Abbotsford because the City desperately needed the revenue from the destruction of Sumas Mountain.
Imagine what would have happened if those in charge didn’t consider themselves environmentalists.
Gravel Scars on Sumas Mountain viewed from the Sumas Prairie. Oct 14, 2013
Mainland Sand and Gravel’s mine on Sumas Mountain in Abbotsford. Photo By Donald MacKenzie from Exposureroom.com
Sumas Mountain proposed mine’s potential expansion is vast. This mine could expand to 1,500-2,000 acres as the lands tenured are potentially exploitable by the applicant with a 100+ year permit. This graphic AFTER photograph attempts to illustrate such a reality.
anon Says:
Mike, I’m concerned about the environment, so I’m torn on this issue. I also don’t want tar sands expansions, pipelines, fracking, and so on. I want us to invest in green energy. Wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, hydro etc…. But what is your alternative to gravel? It is the foundation of everything. Every new road, driveway, house and store foundation, the paving stones on a driveway, etc. I don’t know of an alternative to gravel, do you? Perhaps conservation, like with water, but it still needs to come from somewhere. Perhaps we don’t need every estate built on agricultural land to be covered with gravel for them all to have their own indoor and outdoor riding arenas, paddocks, etc. Perhaps we should not keep expanding roads, and invest in transit instead, but with people pushing to build more of everything with their growth based economy, it needs to be built on some kind of foundation. And in the fraser valley that comes from sumas mountain.
Editor Says:
Hi anon,
You are absolutely correct. But the entire province of BC is gravel. The gravel industry could get the gravel anywhere. For the profit margins they want they would like to be as close to road that is built and maintained by the provincial or municipal governments and not have to incur fuel and transportation costs that are too high.
I don’t begrudge them their profit margin but when it is taken out of the public purse I think the public should have more say in it. And when politicians take a salary earned by claiming to care for the environment and then give away some of the most pristine and in some cases threatened land in the Lower Mainland to gravel companies over fierce and angry objections from adjacent landowners I think those politicians should have to explain themselves.
Now that the Olympics are over and the building boom has slowed I see an even larger amount of gravel being mined and most of it is being shipped to LA.
You and I agree on the fundamentals. I just don’t think the public is aware of the math or the backroom deals that are being made to use their money to make higher progits easy for the industry during a slow down in economic growth.
Thanks for your input.