I know a secret. Only 35 minutes from Kamloops (aka The Big Smoke) lies a charming village on a pristine lake.
I am fortunate to say that, as of last October, it has become my home and my town.
Over the course of the last eleven months my partner and I have shared this secret with assorted friends and family, and virtually every one of them is making plans to make this their home too. We’ve met many other newcomers who believe, as we do – this truly is paradise!
Two nights ago, I attended a town hall meeting here, where the pros and cons of a pellet plant were being discussed.
I regret that, as a newcomer, I believed that I should be there to listen only and so, failed to speak up for my wonderful Village of Chase.
Many good observations were made – the population has been a stable 2,500 for the last 10 years, properties are selling well and, with the exception of train traffic, our air and noise quality are good.
It bothers me tremendously that the proximity of this proposal to our water and our citizens, would place industry and its attendant pollutants, noise, odours and carcinogens just meters from Chase Creek and residential neighbourhoods.
An observation was made during this meeting and was reported in your newspaper, that the smell of this enterprise is “the smell of money.”
I would suggest that, if that smell is at all similar to the smell of a pulp mill, that we should not be interested at all in selling paradise for a little bag of silver.
Joey Nash