We must hold our County Accountable!

  For under the Municipal Government Act: they are granted the authority to approve, or not approve, all land use developments in their municipal district.

We have been led to believe that the gravel pit approval that comes from Alberta Environment (compliance to environmental regulations), supersedes a municipal land use decision.

 

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It would only seem appropriate that our elected representatives and our County administration would be supporting the wishes of its residents.  It only seems wise that they would support us in preserving all of our reasons for choosing to live in this County.  It is in times like these, when Industry invades, for personal gain, that we must rely on our Municipal Government to provide protection to our landowners' water and property values; protection for environmentally sensitive rivers and lakes, and the preservation of our peaceful country lifestyle.

It is our Municipal Government’s moral responsibility to insist from industry, that proper unbiased scientific information and testing is compiled and conducted and results are provided to the public; to insist on arms length environmental impact assessments that consider the cumulative effects to our water, air and land from the strip mining and associated activities.

We must expect that all the impacts to our Health and Safety are thoroughly investigated, addressed and mitigated.

We must expect them to welcome and facilitate public input into their decision making.

They must honor their responsibility to us rate payers; by consulting with independent and unbiased experts in these complex environmental, social and political matters. They must have these professionals review, analyze and question all pit procedure and impact information provided by the Industry and by the Alberta Government, before committing all of us to such a high impact activityin our community.

We have been clearly told by our County that they consider this gravel application to be “Discretionary Use” of land, and “It follows the same procedures as any other discretionary use application, such as a neighbor’s application to build a garage”.

We attended a meeting and respectfully requested that the County meet with our steering committee and explain this discretionary use application process and to explain how and when input from the community would be considered. They were not willing and advised us to "send us a list of questions and we will decide which would warrant a response."

So rather than recognizing the long term financial stability of supporting, protecting and respecting their stable revenues from current taxpayers; rather than encouraging new residential developments, welcoming more families to live here, contribute tax dollars and personality and skills to Lac Ste Anne County; rather than being open and transparent in their municipal affairs; being cooperative with concerned citizens, raising confidence in the community,  it appears our County favors minimal financial gain at the expense of its families, workers and volunteers who have been contributing to this County for several years.

How much confidence do you have in your elected representatives or municipal
administrators? Do issues such as these encourage you re-elect them,
continue living here, or inviting your friends or family to move to this
county? Please let your Lac Ste Anne County Administrator and your
Councilor know your feelings.

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If this development is approved by our County...

This will demonstrate that our Municipal decision makers are more concerned with other interests than with providing health, peace, quality of country lifestyle and financial security to the residents they are hired and/or elected to serve.

This will demonstrate that the voices and choices of the citizens are ignored

This will demonstrate their inability to incorporate “planning” with “developing”; and set a serious precedent endangering all homeowners.  The next gravel pit could be adjacent to YOUR home or YOUR newly approved recreational or residential development.

This will indicate that our municipal government does not seek to obtain thorough unbiased scientifically based information about ground water prior to making high impact environmental decisions.

This will indicate that our County is failing to address, respond or plan appropriately to Climate Change and the food and water shortages Alberta is forecasted to experience within the next 25 years. 

This will set a serious precedent endangering the entire Sturgeon River watershed from Lac Ste Anne to Big Lake, which forms an integral part of a major water system in Alberta.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO OUR COMMUNITY!
PLEASE VOICE YOUR CONCERNS.

Thank you!

Our doubts are traitors
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt
                                       Shakespeare