News Leader News for November 12, 2006
LALI HOSTS COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON COAL
Close to 200 people filled the gymnasium at Riverside Centre for the second week in a row last Thursday evening. This time it was for a meeting hosted by Yale-Lillooet MLA Harry Lali to discuss the proposed coal-fired energy plant planned for the Princeton area. Lali explained the purpose of the meeting came from questions coming from within the riding.
"Folks have been talking to me and asking me what the official position of the Opposition is on coal-fired generating plants."
Lali said he wanted to give residents a chance to hear the position and provide a forum for questions.
Guest speaker John Horgan, Opposition Critic for Energy and Mines, discussed the provincial energy plan. He outlined the time line where the provincial government introduced its energy plan in 2002.
"It prohibited BC Hydro from generating it's own power and put a call to the private sector."
Horgan said he would like to see the province self-sufficient as a result of the greenest power possible.
"We should start with conservation first, downstream benefits next and then on to large hydro electric projects."
He also made it clear what it is about coal-fired projects that bothers him.
"It's not independent power as the problem as far as I'm concerned. It's about the source of the electricity."
Horgan even suggested run-of-river and wind generation as two viable alternatives for producing power in BC far more than the total 52 gigawatts of total energy demand in the province last year.
"We should be looking at sustainable made-in-BC solutions instead of what I view as an evasive species."
Shane Simpson, the Opposition Critic for the Environment, was the other guest speaker scheduled for the evening and discussed the current situation the province faces with energy challenges and health issues.
He said emissions and greenhouse gases play a role in the new energy policy in a time of climate change. Energy production is responsible for much of the emissions and GHG and with energy demands increasing with production of new technology that uses power to operate.
"Is there a demand for energy?" He asked.
"Yes. Is there an energy crisis? No."
Simpson says 28 to 29 percent of the power to be purchased by BC Hydro will be produced by the coal-fired power plants in Princeton and Tumbler Ridge.
He said that between hydroelectric power and natural gas 1,000 homes can be powered in BC. It would produce 325 tons of CO2 emissions. In Alberta, to power 1,000 homes with coal power would generate 8,800 tons of CO2 emissions.
An Environment Canada study between 1990 and 2004 on the increase of GHG emissions put British Columbia in second place after New Brunswick.
"In BC we're going in the wrong direction."
The floor was opened for questions and comments and many were directed at Compliance Energy Corporation President and CEO John Tapics.
Tapics, who was in the audience, responded to many of the questions and was given the opportunity to explain their position on many of the issues discussed earlier in the meeting.
"What we are bringing to the Similkameen is the best possible technology for the plant we are using."
Tapics went on to explain the coal gasification process is best suited for large scale plants, far greater in size than the one proposed for the old Similco Mine site.
He also responded to questions about assays and coal content by stating the company is still gathering
'factual information' and will be presenting a series of public information meeting to share the details with area residents.
Although Tapics was accused of answering the questions with 'non-answers' he did say the Compliance project was actually going to lower emissions from waste wood being burned in large slash piles by using a targeted 50/50 split of waste wood and coal in the power plant to produce energy.
Mayor Randy McLean says the issue of jobs versus the negative perception of a small town with a coal plant is a no-brainer.
"If we are saying 20 or 30 jobs are going to offset the connotation of what a coal-fired power plant is going to do to our community and the difficulty it will bring in attracting new business and tourists here, I don't believe it."
RODEO CLUB MARKS END OF ERA
Princeton Rodeo Club hosted their Annual General Meeting November 3rd at Town Hall where long-time President Stan Thompson stepped down."I'm not running for President again," Thompson told 20 people packing into Council Chambers at Town Hall for the meeting.
He went on to thank the numerous volunteers and sponsors for their years of support.
"Without our sponsors we couldn't maintain this event. I can't thank our sponsors enough."
The Princeton Rodeo Club, which over the years has hosted British Columbia Rodeo Association events, Senior Pro Rodeos and Canadian Professional Rodeo Association events, has reached the end of it's five year plan.
"I had hoped after five years (of CPRA rodeos) we would be self-sufficient," Thompson said.
The Club started its CPRA life with $20,000 in the bank and had originally planned to keep hosting rodeos and if it ran out of money, the club would stop.
Each year during the past five years the club ends up with between $18,000 and $20,000 in the bank. Last year, the club was able to collect $29,000 in sponsorships alone.
"Which is pretty phenomenal I think," Thompson pointed out. Last year's rodeo included the first ever Similco Bull-A-Rama on the Friday night before Saturday and Sunday CPRA performances. The Bull-A-Rama event earned the club a profit of $1,355.00 and a major sponsor is still in place.
"Our attendance on Sunday was down so for a small community I think three days of rodeo may be too much."
The club briefly discussed possibly moving the Bull-A-Rama event to Saturday night instead of hosting a dance.
Thompson was commended by the membership for his years of service to the club and the sport of rodeo in Princeton.
"I'm not quitting by a long shot," was his comment.
A new executive was elected placing Mike Theal in the President's chair with Lyn Melnechenko Secretary and Linda Van Dyke Treasurer.
Directors for the next year include John Draper, Dave Budd and Jack Thomas. Stan Thompson is automatically a Director as Past President. The new executive is faced with three major tasks that need to be decided before the end of the year. They include securing a stock contractor, announcer and clown for the 2007 rodeo, which will take place May 12th and 13th.
TOWN SQUARE IS TIMELY
The provincial government is right on track with Town Council's idea of improving a town square for Princeton.The province has approved more than $40 million for municipalities to develop town squares in celebration of B.C.'s 150th anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia.
The B.C. Spirit Square Program will provide half the capital costs of such projects up to a maximum of $500,000.
Each town square is to be a place "where all citizens can come together and share their community pride and spirit." The concept should include representation of local history, including First Nations input.
Kevin Krueger, recently appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development, will work with communities in supporting their needs.
COUNCIL SUPPORTS RANCHERS
Responding to a letter from B.C. Cattlemen's Association, Town Council passed a motion November 6 in support of ranching industry expansion.The Association points out that the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic will have a serious, lasting impact on rural communities in the Interior. The beef producers see an opportunity to return to former days of larger grazing areas and an expanded beef production industry. They are working with the province to expand grasslands to more historic levels, secure road access for range tenures, and retain some portion of harvested pine forests for long term grass production.
