Our voices will be heard

Aug 19, 2009

Letter to the Editor
Norm & Loni Funnell, Edgewater
The Valley Echo & Columbia Valley Pioneer
August 19 & 14, 2009

On Friday, August 7 we were witness to a disgusting display of backroom political sleaziness. This occurred at the RDEK monthly board meeting in Cranbrook.

The subject of discussion was a motion put forward by director Wilks of Sparwood to have the RDEK request the provincial government declare the Jumbo resort project a resort municipality. By so doing, the board would voluntarily give up any local decision making powers in the matter.

After lengthy discussion, including detailed and passionate arguments by three of the Columbia Valley directors as to why the motion should be defeated, the vote was taken with it being carried by an eight to seven margin.

The main focus of these arguments against the motion was the potential loss of local decision making, with opposition to the Jumbo development being of secondary importance.

As a result of this vote, the citizens of the Columbia Valley, the area most affected by the proposed development, have lost their right to have input. In addition the RDEK has abrogated their responsibility to make land use decisions.

Of even greater importance is the precedent which this motion sets. People have fought long and hard to have decisions made locally. This has now potentially been lost.

This fiasco raises a number of very troubling questions:

Why was the motion put forward by the director who represents the area farthest from the development? Why not by a Columbia Valley director?

Why was there no chance given for public input? The public was not even allowed inside the RDEK building, with a security guard at the door preventing anyone other than preauthorized delegations to enter.

Why was the motion put on the board's agenda with such short notice? What was the hurry to pass it?

Why, when four out of five of the directors in the Columbia Valley were opposed to the motion, did a majority of the other directors disregard this? What do they know that the rest of us don't?

Why, when there has not even been a request for resort municipality status from Jumbo Glacier Resort, was the RDEK even willing to entertain such a motion?

Whose interests does the board of the RDEK (specifically those directors who supported the motion) represent - the citizens of the regional district, the provincial government or the proponent?

What has changed since 2006 when Director Wilks tried to have an almost identical motion pass? In that case it was defeated 13 to two.

Is it a coincidence that all but one of the directors supporting the motion are in Bill Bennett's riding, and that he is the Minister of Community and Rural Development?

It is difficult not to come to the conclusion that some underhanded political deal making had gone on before the meeting.

We would suggest that those citizens of the RDEK who are represented by the following directors (those who supported the motion) need to thoroughly question their directors as to their position about local decision making.

The directors supporting the loss of local decision making were: David Wilks (Sparwood), Mike Sosnowski (Area A), Rob Gay (Area C), Scott Manjak (Cranbrook), Liz Schatschneider (Cranbrook), Jim Ogilvie (Kimberley), Dean McKerracher (Elkford), Dee Conklin (Radium).

Thank you to the following directors who value and support local decision making and who voted against the motion: Heath Slee (Area B), Norman Walter (Area E), Wendy Booth (Area F), Gerry Wilkie (Area G), Ute Juras (Canal Flats), Cindy Corrigan (Fernie), Gerry Taft (Invermere).

Friday was a very sad day for local democracy in the East Kootenay.

Oberto Oberti, the JGR proponent, was the last delegate to speak on August 7 before the directors made their decision.

He asked for justice to prevail. We believe justice will prevail. Our voices will be heard.