Clear the air
Photographs of quarry-related air pollution along Robert Service Way obviously strike a sensitive nerve with councillor Doug Graham.
The problem is, he completely missed the point I was trying to make at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
The city’s quarry (IQ) zone allows for gravel extraction and heavy industrial concrete batch plants as primary uses, and heavy industrial asphalt plants as conditional uses.
The photo I showed illustrated the combined air pollution effects of the current IQ operations along Robert Service Way. At no time did I suggest that the pollution was attributable only to Territorial Contracting’s current operation there.
If council approves the rezoning application for IQ in the McLean Lake area, this will mean the establishment of a permanent heavy industrial concrete batch plant at the Sleeping Giant Hill, the first such plant in the area.
Given the city’s plans, it is very likely that other IQ operators will want to follow. There is a good chance that the McLean Lake area will become the main centre for permanent heavy industrial IQ processing plants and operations in the city.
While Territorial Contracting may be promising a cleaner operation than they are currently running, the more IQ operators and plants you have, the more difficult it becomes to control, monitor and enforce pollution compliance.
If certain politicians have problems looking at photographs of the air pollution caused by current IQ operations along Robert Service Way, they better make damn sure this same type of air pollution doesn’t happen in the future at McLean Lake. Because if it does, the polluted air will blow straight towards the existing and future residential neighbourhoods of Lobird, Beyond Copper Ridge and Copper Ridge.
Bob Kuiper
Whitehorse
Grateful Legion
As the chairperson of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Remembrance Committee, I would like to convey my most sincere appreciation to those who were active in making Remembrance Day 2006 such a success.
To the citizens who participated, in one form or another, to the businesses who purchased and displayed wreaths, to the wreath layers at the Remembrance Day ceremony, to the members of the legion who donated their time to make this happen, to Whitehorse for allowing us to use the Canada Games Centre, to the staff of the CGC who were so helpful, to the army and air cadets who assisted us and participated in an overnight vigil at Veteran’s Square, to all who attended the Remembrance Day ceremony and to those who respectfully wore the poppy, thank you!
A good part of the 2005 receipts from the Poppy Campaign went to the Whitehorse General Hospital in support of medical programs for the benefit of all Yukoners. Again this year, I would think that whatever is left from our immediate support to our needy veterans will be donated to various worthwhile projects at WGH.
I would like to remind everyone that the legion’s Support Our Troops project is ongoing and will be in operation as long as we have troops serving in Afghanistan.
If you wish to participate in the yellow ribbon campaign please visit the legion.
Lest we forget.
Comrade Red Grossinger, chair, Remembrance Committee. Royal Canadian Legion, Br 254, Whitehorse
Grateful school
The students and staff at the Porter Creek Secondary School would like to thank the media and the community for their involvement with our Remembrance Day ceremony on November 9.
Very special thanks to: Air North for its support in flying our special guest, Pte. Darrell Barker, return from Edmonton to Whitehorse; The Midnight Sun Pipe Band, Mr. Knutson and the honour guard for their participation.
Students and staff, Porter Creek Secondary School, Whitehorse
