What makes a good neighbour?

Open letter to Clynt Nauman, president and CEO Alexco Resource Corp. Vancouver, published December 8:

I would like to respond to your letter concerning Keno City and Alexco’s neighbourhood.

I do not know what constitutes “neighbourliness” where you are from, but my experience with good neighbours is that these relationships are founded on two values:

Respect and humility.

Two values that I find missing in Alexco’s approach to Keno City.

Good neighbours do not place maximum profit above the welfare of their neighbours.

Good neighbours do not alter the neighbourhood to suit their interests at the expense of their neighbours.

Good neighbours do not say: “we will do what we want, and the neighbourhood will be better off.”

Good neighbours do not make decisions behind closed doors that affect others.

Good neighbours do not use their cozy relationship with governments in order to exploit their neighbours’ perceived weakness.

Good neighbours do not write letters to the editor saying actions were taken for the welfare of their neighbours when these very same actions were described by your representative as cost-cutting measures, (i.e., bigger profits).

Oops, there’s that pesky word (profit) again, which seems to describe the foundation of all your actions.

While the citizens of Keno City are not naive enough to believe a company does not operate without some profit, when maximum profit becomes the sole motivator it makes for a bad neighbourhood.

These are, in my opinion, the actions of a bully and not those of a good neighbour.

So, Nauman, you are the new kid on the block.

The neighbourhood was functional before Ð and now it’s dysfunctional. The neighbours are pissed off and your letter to the editor is not going to change that.

Bob Wagner

Keno City