Proposed Ajax mine on UBCM menu
Kamloops councillors are set to air concerns about the proposed Ajax mine at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention on Thursday, Sept. 27, in the second of two meetings scheduled on the issue.
On Wednesday, Sept. 26, Mayor Peter Milobar and councillors attending the Victoria convention were meeting with Minister for Energy and Mines Rich Coleman.
On Thursday, they will be discussing the mine’s location and possible impacts on the city with Environment Minister and Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake.
“They’re really quick 15-minute conversations, so I was told, depending on how it all goes, we might not all even get a chance to speak,” Coun. Donovan Cavers told KTW in advance of the meetings.
“But, I definitely want to raise the point of how many concerns people have in Kamloops — we get letters almost on a daily basis — and just to make sure they understand the level of concerns.”
While Minister for Community, Sport and Cultural Development Bill Bennett warned UBCM delegates prior to the convention that the province is short on cash to finance new projects in its communities, Milobar said he wasn’t expecting that to change the tone of other ministerial meetings Kamloops has set up over the week.
“I’m not overly surprised. Times are tight for all forms of government, I think, and for us,” he said.
However, for some of Kamloops’ long-term goals — continued expansion of the Royal Inland Hospital, for one — keeping the discussion going until there are funds available is key.
“I totally understand and get that there may not be money right now,” Milobar said.
“But, really, we’re looking at two-, three-, five-year projects and it’s really a case of being in a position for when there’s money available.”
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