permaculture

[Marimike6@cs.com]

Dear Lynn--

I heard about your plight on the permaculture list. If this property is the "two acres plus building near Okanagan Lake and Niagara Falls" that's being advertised for $580,000 on www.iciworld.net/broker_database, you've got a problem. They advertise it as being zoned M3 Extractive Industrial, meaning on that site the usage would be a matter of right.

If that's not it, I notice in poking around the web that B.C. is hurting to attract any sort of industry right now, and also note that your area seems to be a bit of a hub for asphalt plants. So if you're going to try to convince the rich and influential in your area to not offer jobs to the unemployed asphalt workers who are hoping the plant will open, I think you'll agree you've got an uphill battle on your hands.

I don't know the relevant Canadian law, but here in the Southern Provinces it would help if you had some endangered minnow or bushwort on the property.

The big picture looks like there is a push by all the local chamber-of-commerce types to boost employment in B.C. by building new roads and having the Canadian government pay for them, so the new asphalt plants that are coming in are the tip of a large iceberg called "progress and jobs". At least that's the way things look from my search engine's point of view.

If this were happening South of the Border, there'd be nothing much to be done about it. I don't know the realities of B.C. politics, but it's time to call some young, idealistic lawyer who'll dig into it on a pro bono basis and confront the dragon for you. Just some concerned citizen waving a piece of paper about environmental damage is not going to cut the mustard with the kind of people you'll be up against. The guy holding the hearing will just thank you very much for your input and then give the floor over to a persuasive sounding chap in a $400 suit.

Good luck. I mean that sincerely-- it's not going to be easy. Get a popular movement going, if you have more neighbors with apple orchards than you have who are looking for work. Start a petition, call the local papers and become front page news. That kind of thing really helps. Raging controversies are much more effective than one upset individual.

Are you prepared to take a couple of broken windows if the yahoos get worked up about you? That would put you on the evening news down in Vancouver, and be quite helpful (although traumatic).

That's the best I can offer.

Mike Elvin
Fuquay-Varina, NC

--- Begin Message ---

• From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
• To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
• Subject: [permaculture] [Fwd: [Fwd: Information]]
• Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 15:17:51 -0800

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Fwd: Information]
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:25:25 -0800
From: Heide Hermary <heidehermary@PACIFICCOAST.NET>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

I received this request for information but don't know the answers. If
anyone on this list can help, would you please respond to her directly
at: ldlivingstone@telus.net
Thanks, Heide

Hi!

I live in beautiful Okanagan Falls south of Penticton. We live amongst
vineyards, orchards, and ranching. We have organic backyard gardens.

Peters Bros. Construction wants to put an asphalt plant in the middle of
paradise. We are determined to stop them. Could you recommend
pollution studies or articles that discuss the effects of petroleum
based pollution on agriculture. The land is still in the Agricultural
Land Reserve and we are determined to keep it there. Big Business is
trying to take over paradise because someone told them we didn't care.
BIG MISTAKE!!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Lynne Livingstone
ldlivingstone@telus.net

--
L.F.London
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/pcwiki/index.php/london


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