Tag Archives: Gov of BC

Environment, Industry

Friends of Cortes Island: Re the proposed Cortes Island Quarry Expansion

To: Ministry of Mining and Critical Infrastructure

Re: Cortes Island Quarry, Mine File 1610613

Friends of Cortes Island wishes to formally object to the proposed expansion of Cortes Island Quarry by the applicant 2385425 Alberta Ltd (operating locally under the business name of Island United).

We are deeply concerned that the proposal will cause significant harm to nearby sensitive ecosystems, namely riparian and wetland habitat and fish-bearing creeks. It will also result in the direct loss of a sizeable area of associated forest habitat.

In addition, we are very concerned that the application has been submitted without a comprehensive environmental impact assessment or any meaningful mitigation measures. As such, we respectfully ask the Ministry to reject the proposal in its current form. Please see our comments and recommendations below.

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Energy, Health

Climate activist calls on New Westminster council to support assessment of gas industry

By Theresa McManus, Freshet News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A climate activist is urging New Westminster city council to follow the lead of other cities and call for an independent assessment of B.C.’s gas industry.

Aggie Black, a member of the New Westminster Climate Action Hub and the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment, said she is deeply concerned about the climate crisis and its impact on people’s health and the health-care system. 

“I am here to join my voice with hundreds of other health professionals who are calling for an accumulative independent health impact assessment of B.C.’s gas industry,” she told council at its May 11 meeting. “There is a large and growing body of peer-reviewed research that links fracking and LNG production to health harms for humans.”

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Politics

MLAs pitch strong relationships, better infrastructure and ‘awfully blurred’ borders to secure Alberta’s economic future

By George Lee, The Macleod Gazette, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Alberta should leverage trade, diversify industry and improve corridors to entrench the landlocked province as a pivotal economic player, the legislature heard this week.

Shane Getson, the UCP’s parliamentary secretary for economic corridor development, envisioned a near-future Alberta with strengthened ties — physical and otherwise — in all directions.

A self-described expansionist, the member for Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland painted a picture of Alberta with “awfully blurred” borders with the territories to its north.

Justin Wright, meanwhile, talked up an existing economic history with the American Midwest, saying Alberta has taken a “proactive approach to strengthening our trade relationship with the U.S.”

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Industry

Area B Director’s Report: Cortes Quarry expansion?

By Regional Director Mark Vonesch

As many of you are aware, 2385425 Alberta Ltd. (Island United) has applied to increase the size of the tenure of their quarry on Cortes Island from 1.25ha to 5.16ha.

Applications have been submitted to the Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals to increase the footprint, approve washing as a permitted activity, introduce a concrete plant, and increase the annual extraction rate to a maximum of 39,999 tonnes per year (up from approximately 5,000 tonnes per year).

These applications impact public land and our community and there is now opportunity for us, the public, to provide input into the decision.

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Community, Industry

Concerns Regarding Proposed Cortes Island Quarry Expansion and Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts on Cortes Island

Public letter from Cortes Island resident Chris Dragseth to Premier David Eby

Dear Premier Eby,

I am writing as a full-time resident of Cortes Island for nearly seventeen years. During this time, I have actively participated in community planning processes, including the development of the Official Community Plan under the Strathcona Regional District. Throughout these discussions, the community has consistently emphasized the importance of preserving Cortes Island’s rural character, ecological integrity, and long-term sustainability while seeking balanced economic opportunities appropriate for a small island community.

In recent years, however, Cortes Island has undergone significant change that is placing increasing strain on both the environment and the year-round residents who call this island home. A growing number of wealthy seasonal property owners have purchased and redeveloped properties into large estate-style residences. While property ownership itself is not the issue, the scale and nature of this development have generated disproportionate impacts on local infrastructure, the environment, and community well-being.

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