To: All members of the Lac Ste Anne Community Group

From: Richard Wheatley

Re: Proposed Turnbull Gravel Pit

This is a short note to bring you up to date on developments since Patti left. She certainly was able to keep the kettle boiling by telephone calls, attending meetings, sending emails, faxes, a newspaper published notice and meeting one on one with concerned residents.

She asked me to look after our liaison with our Groups lawyers and the County administration while she was gone. I have been doing this as well as reviewing the relevant provincial legislation and County bylaws. I have come across a very important 41 page publication called the “Lac Ste Anne Guide to Sand and Gravel Pit Operations” dated June 2008. It is on the County Website if you what to print out a copy. I had trouble doing this because two of the 41 pages are not compatible with my printer. This document was not referred to by Marlea at the open house. It says on page 3 under heading 4. “COMMUNICATION” where the following requirements are stated:

“Have all residents directly affected by the proposed gravel pit development and operations those Adjacent and within 2 kilometers of the pit property been personally interviewed and notified in writing of the intent to develop this site?”

My Niece and nephew are the owners of the quarter section immediately north of the property that the development will take place on. They had no knowledge of the proposal until I accidentally found out about it after the first open house and in a conversation with Mike Northcott at a meeting of the Sturgeon River watershed Society.

This is one example of the slipshod and amateurish way this Gravel Company is handling this matter. They have not followed the guide to the letter.

We will have to present a strong case to the County for them to refuse to grant a development permit to the Gravel Company.

The County Land Use Bylaws and the municipal guide states the following on page 19:

(5) Visual impacts, noise, sound, dust and other factors that are usually associated with the normal operation of an extraction or reclamation operation should not be regarded as sufficient reason to warrant consideration of a refusal of a permitted use application.

This is just one example of how the County is “gung ho” for gravel pits (as long as it is not in a councilors back yard).

We may have to resort to an appeal to the County’s Subdivision and Development Appeal Board; or even to the Alberta Court of Appeal. The lawyers acting for us and the ones acting for the Bridlewood Subdivision owners think the County’s bylaws and procedures do not meet the standards required by administrative laws governing quasi judicial tribunals.

Please continue your support and show up at the hearing on October 1st.

Donations to LSAC Group legal defense fund are most welcome.

Richard Wheatley
On behalf of the LSAC Group.