Councillor calls for Ajax-related road trip

Mar 15, 2016 | 10:55 AM

KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops council delegation will be heading out on a road trip, if one councillor has his way.

Denis Walsh will issue notice of motion at today’s meeting, proposing a city group head east to study a pair of communities who have open pit mines encroaching on city limits.

Walsh says it would be beneficial to in light of the proposed KGHM-Ajax project, which would straddle the city’s southern boundary.

The two communities Walsh identifies are Timmins, Ontario and Malartic, Quebec.

Malartic resident Diane Gagnon is presenting a letter to Kamloops council today, and she calls it a cautionary tale.

She says even residents who live a fair distance from the mine have been affected by it.

“In the neighbourhoods furthest from the mine, up to 2.5km, the proportion of people affected, or highly affected is still significant with 15 per cent to 26 per cent about noise, up to 41 percent ground tremors, and up to 48 per cent about the dust,” said Gagnon.

Council would potentially vote on the motion at its meeting on April 5.