Neighbour faced off against neighbour as more than 275 people came to the Ashlu River rezoning public hearing in Squamish Wednesday night (Nov. 17).
But after four hours of impassioned public input, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District still won't come to a decision on whether or not to allow a controversial independent power project (IPP) on the Ashlu until next month.
More than 100 people in the standing-room-only crowd signed up to voice their feelings on the proposed Ashlu hydroelectric project.
Sixty-four people spoke against the project while 44 declared their support for the run-of-the-river electric generating project proposed by Ledcor. Some spoke two and three times.
Susan Gimse, the top elected official at the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), chaired the meeting. At the start of the meeting, she asked those in attendance to respect each other and to stick to a speaking time limit of two minutes. Before spoken submissions began Gimse asked the SLRD staff to outline the information received by the SLRD since the first Ashlu public hearing in May.
That took about 15 minutes as many pieces of information were gathered by the SLRD and some were long letters that were read into the record.
One letter was from Bill Valentine of Land and Water B.C. (LWBC) in response to a request by Upper Squamish residents to have the project go through the provincial government's environmental assessment process. Valentine indicated in the letter that the request was denied.
Much later in the meeting Upper Squamish Valley resident Tom Rankin said that another letter requesting an environmental assessment office review of the project was sent to Valentine's boss, Sustainable Resource Management Minister George Abbott.
"Ledcor has not answered all the residents' questions," Rankin alleged.
Kelly Boychuk of Ledcor denied Rankin's allegation.
"Ledcor has provided written answers to all the questions it has received and Ledcor will continue to answer questions even after this public hearing is finished," he said.
The people speaking against the project fell into three distinct categories; recreational users who want the river preserved, residents against industrialization of the area and those opposed to the recent corporate changes at B.C. Hydro.
Those who spoke for the project were members of the Squamish Nation, workers in the energy production industry and those who feel the project is a better alternative to using fossil fuels to meet the province's demand for electricity.
At least three Upper Squamish residents spoke in favour of the project.
Maya Charnell opened her remarks by indicating that she felt uncomfortable speaking up because she doesn't share her neighbour's feelings.
"I do want it in my backyard," Charnell said. "I think there is benefit. I am satisfied with Ledcor's due diligence."
"We hope to exist as a nation," said Squamish Nation member Randall Lewis after promoting the benefits of the project as a means of employing young natives. "We're not going to do it floating down a river in a kayak.
"Now we have an opportunity for our youth. It feels good in my heart that I'm doing that," Lewis said.
Many people travelled from long distances to take part in the public hearing. One woman travelled from Bralorne while a handful came from Seattle.
A few of the kayakers said they paddled the river the morning of the public hearing. Shane Robinson of the American Whitewater Association claimed that the Box Canyon, one of the most difficult sections of the river for kayakers, would no longer be usable if the project goes ahead.
"I consider the Ashlu one of the top rivers in the world," Robinson said, a sentiment echoed by several kayakers.
The SLRD board members on hand besides Gimse were Raj Kahlon, John Turner, Pemberton Mayor Elinor Warner, Mickey Macri of the regional district areas north of Whistler to north of Pemberton and Lillooet Mayor Greg Kamenka.
When the meeting ended at just after 11 p.m. Gimse said at the SLRD board expected to discuss the rezoning application at the Dec. 17 board meeting in Pemberton.
The board meets on Monday (Nov. 22) but this issue is not expected to be on the agenda as it will take time for the SLRD staff to assemble a report on the public hearing.
