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By Kathy Michaels
Joe Rich residents are coming to terms with news the gravel pit they’ve been lobbying against for a decade will lurch into operation in a matter of months.
Their acceptance of the Ministry of Mines March 2 decision to grant licensing to the operators of the Pyman Road pit shouldn’t be confused for contentment, however.
“I guess the most appropriate comment to make is, the citizens of Joe Rich are unhappy, and feel it’s unfortunate that the province is going ahead with this,” said Jon Rescorla, a Joe Rich Ratepayers’ Association spokesperson.
“We believe it’s totally the wrong location for a pit and there was several issues not addressed, such as endangered species, vegetation and there are aboriginal issues.”
Rescorla went on to explain that Ministry of Transportation infrastructure investments — which include widening Highway 33, adding an extra intersection by Pyman Road and creating a passing lane on Walker Hill — are of some consolation when it comes to safety, though not enough.
Joe Rich resident Brenda Crowley is also worried about how the gravel pit will impact area saftey. As president of the Black Mountain Elementary parent advisory committee, she’s been one of many who have actively lobbied to make the road safer for students, at times targeting the gravel pit business as one of the potentially fatal problems.
Their concerns about gravel trucks and children sharing a windy road aren’t completely quelled, though their efforts will now shift to lobbying for more law enforcement along the contentious strip of road.
“Of course we’re concerned, but it’s not the only issue on that highway,” she said, noting they will continue to get that stretch of road labelled a school zone.
“We’ll be putting pressure on local law enforcement to step it up, too. People are coming down Walker Hill doing 90 kilometers and hour and then it changes to 60 km — not a lot of people heed that speed limit, and it’s amazing there haven’t been any accidents.”
While residents remain dissatisfied, Tom Weisbeck of CRC Developments, the operators of the pit, said he’s pleased and relieved to get the chance to move forward.
“This permit marks permission to start doing a lot of work,” he said. “Roads have to built, the site has to be prepped and arrangements need to be made for equipment and personnel.”
He added that he realizes that community concerns linger, but they intend to make the operation as minimal a disruption as possible.
“That’s what we promised the entire time, but the proof will be in how we do it,” he said.
While there’s little to be done about the Pyman Road pit, Rescorla said he hopes the way the governent deals with mining will be re-examined so decisions like this one, won’t be made in the future.
“The minerals and mining acts of B.C. are archaic,” he said. “They don’t address current situations, and while the new gravel pit study committee is coming up with suggestions for changes, that won’t change the case of the Pyman pit.”
kathy@kelowna.com
Tags: Black Mountain Elementary parent advisory committee, CRC Developments, gravel pit, joe rich
