Summerland and area residents say they’re fighting a controversial gravel mine – Penticton News

Tuesday evening was standing room only at the Summerland Legion, where more than 100 concerned residents learned more about the fight against the provincially approved gravel mine in Garnet Valley.

The emergency meeting was organized by a group called the Garnet Valley Agri-Tourism Association made up of winery, tourism and farm owners, including Thomas Tumbach, owner of the LocalMotive organic farm which is the direct neighbor below the mine proposed.

Tumbach said at the hearing that the department did not follow its own procedures when seeking the now-approved permit. He and his neighbors say they have not been contacted about the proposal and Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes confirmed the district was not informed of the project by the B.C. government.

Steve Lornie of Garnet Valley Ranch Winery, who chaired the meeting, said they were exploring all avenues to fight the mine, and were told a costly court injunction might be their only option.

Garnet Valley Ranch Winery recently opened and is in sight of the project.

More than 300 letters of concern were submitted to the Ministry of Mines during the application process.

The District of Summerland, the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, the Penticton Indian Band and other organizations have strongly opposed the mine and communicated this to the provincial government and the Ministry of Mines.

Despite opposition, the 27600 Garnet Valley Rd. project was approved by the province.

“We grow organic crops in the ground on our five-acre farm. We chose to move there 10 years ago because it’s so beautiful. We never would have moved there if we had a gravel pit,” said Tumbach, of their LocolMotive farm.

“When you grow things like salads and herbs, they can’t get covered in dust. This will have a big impact on us.

“We are devastated. It’s not a democracy, it’s a dictatorship. We will fight this situation and we must remain united,” he said to applause from the crowd.

Solvero Winery just opened this summer in Garnet Valley and will also be affected. Owner Bob Sartor spoke of the devastation of a valley he and his family fell in love with more than 10 years ago.

“When someone walks into the tasting room, I ask: Have you ever been to Garnet Valley before and what do you think? They say words like “hidden gem, serene and calm”. Now juxtapose that with an open pit mine. It’s actually foreign to this ecosystem. I have always believed in individual rights, but the right of a company three provinces away should not trump the collective rights of a community,” Sartor said.

The association has filed access to information requests for the permitting and approval process in hopes of understanding the process behind the provincial ministry’s decisions.

Mayor Doug Holmes also spoke at the meeting. He told the crowd that the district and council were exploring all possibilities to reverse the mine. He said they had no say in the provincial decision and were not consulted.

“We met with the minister and she said her hands were tied. We met with its senior executives two weeks ago. Ultimately, there is a flaw in the process. They are supposed to follow six guidelines and they only followed one,” Holmes said.

“We asked them how can you not follow your own guidelines? We told them that when the permit request does not comply with our zoning, it should be automatic to consult the municipality. For local government, zoning is essential. This is how we organize our community.

Holmes also questioned why they didn’t hold public consultations.

“They said they only did this on controversial projects. It’s just one thing after another. The problem is that the department is only interested in the property itself and not the offsetting impact all around it,” Holmes said.

“When their rules take precedence over our statutes, there is a serious flaw.”

The District is concerned about environmental impacts, traffic, geotechnical stability, landslides and impacts to the District’s existing infrastructure. Garnet Valley Road was recently repaved, and with the influx of gravel trucks using it every day, residents fear it could be destroyed again.

A resident suggested to the mayor that Summerland impose a weight limit on the road.

Penticton Indian Band member and habitat management biologist James Pepper said he plans to fight this problem with everything he has.

“They will be required to do an environmental site assessment and an archaeological assessment under the Heritage Conservation Act which overrides the Mining Act. We know that this is a very important cultural area. The Penticton Indian Band is working on DRIPA (Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) and Title of Rights. PIB is ready, barrels in hand.

“PIB is with you and will not stop until the situation is resolved,” Pepper said.

A Garnet Valley GoFundMe account will go live by Oct. 2, where funds will be raised for the legal fight.