By Andru McCracken

On Wednesday, June 27 one hundred and eight people showed up to a public hearing for an official community plan amendment and re-zoning application which would allow a water bottling plant just north of Valemount.

While the business of the meeting was to defeat the application because of a lack of hydro geological information, the meeting was an opportunity for the proponent and the public to give voice to their feelings.

Despite withdrawing the application, Regional District Representative Ken Starchuck, who chaired the meeting, said that the applicant could try to rezone the property in the future.

“If the applicant comes back at a later date, they are still entitled to (another public hearing process),” said Starchuck.

Proponents Irvin Leroux and Jill Moore, had a chance to address the crowd.

Leroux said that they were impressed with the turnout and that it demonstrated real concern on behalf of the community.

“I share the same concerns,” said Leroux. “That is why this application is cancelled until I can drill another well and do a pump test.”

He suggested that they would only be using 50 gallons of water per minute.

Leroux suggested that some people in the community were using scare tactics and overstating the potential impact on surrounding water supplies.

“Please don’t allow people to scare you. If I thought for one minute that it would jeopardize the valley, I wouldn’t do it,” he said.

Leroux said that people waste far more water daily than he would, because every drop would be used in bottling.

“When you shower how long do you stand under the shower? Where does that water go? When you wash your car, where does that water go? You water your lawn, where does that water go,” he asked. [At that point someone yelled that the water went back into the local aquifer.]

He asked if the village was so concerned about water how the village justified new populations and subdivisions.

“I will not do anything that will jeopardize this valley, but we do need to bring clean sustainable industry to the valley,” he said. “This plant will provide anywhere from 20 and 40 full time jobs.”

After 30 minutes, the crowd appeared restless. Then Leroux’s partner Moore began to speak.

She said it would be a dream come true to come back to the valley.

“This will be a win-win for the valley. Private profit can do a lot of public good,” she said.

Moore said stakeholders in the project include the Fraser Basin Council, investors, area residents, community groups, the Village of Valemount, the Regional District, water scientists, the Columbia Basin Trust, local business owners and the board of Shining Mountain Springs.

At this point, they opened the floor to the public.

Student Jimmy Lerch suggested that being at the headwaters of the Fraser, Canoe and Thompson, some of the mightiest rivers in the province could attract more water bottling factories.

“My family has a 30 foot well, my neighbours have a hundred foot well. We’re not poor, but we’re not wealthy. So to purchase a 200 foot well, we’d have to dig deep. I’m sure wealthy water bottling plant owners can afford to dig a well that’s deeper,” said Lerch.

Michael Austin asked the proponent to clarify their plans to help out in third world countries.

“If I can’t determine where you are coming from, how do I know how truthful your proposal is in other respects,” asked Austin.

He also questioned the proponent’s business case for exporting bottled water for $25 per litre. Austin said that there is no shortage of bottled water in other parts of the world, just a shortage of people who have the money to buy it.

Shona Thorne said that Leroux and Moore’s previous venture, Irvin’s RV Park was the least eco friendly she has seen. “Maybe that was a product of its time, but it doesn’t set a good precedent,” she said.

“Secondly, I am from Africa, I have physically had to dig water with my hands out of the ground on safari. People have wars over there over water. You should not be selling it.”

“Thirdly, it is the only hold that Canada will have over America in the future.”

Agnes Blanchette began her comments by referring to statements made by the mayors of Prince George, McBride, and Valemount. “We are all a bunch of rednecks, Neanderthals, and mis-informed, but we’re not stupid,” she said.

“It’s been said that future wars will not be fought over oil rights, but water rights,” she said.

“We are constantly being warned that glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. Where will our town turn to for water if the aquifer has been depleted for export.”

She said that this is a great opportunity for elected officials to get water protection rights for BC and Canada.

“Water is far more valuable than any other resource put at our disposal, be it gold or diamonds. Water is life, without it we have nothing,” she said. “Maybe we are being over alarmist, but again, maybe we are not.”

Former resident Peter Gates-Grogan said he had to leave the area because of a lack of industry and he now lives in Fort McMurray.

“Right now we are shutting down a $5 million project because we have no water,” he said.

He thanked Leroux for trying to bring industry to the valley; his question was about the ownership of rights to water.

He said that people don’t own the mineral resources under their properties, be it gold, oil or rare minerals.

“Now water is valuable, so who gets it?” he asked.

Ken Sommerfeld, a resident of Kamloops, local lawyer and landowner said that the core issue is ownership of water.

“People are appalled to discover that we don’t own our water. A man like Mr. Leroux looks at it and says well, ‘I own it, I am going to sell it.’ Usually you can’t just take something from the ground without regulation, but this seems to have been missed,” he said.

Penny Courtorielle asked how long it would be before the bottling plant be sold to Americans or Europeans.

“It would be different if it was someone in our community that stays in our community, but who knows who could buy your company,” she said. “What sort of investors are in your company, where are they from? Who are they?”

John Grogan asked if the opinions, petitions and letters sent in so far would be considered in a future rezoning application. Starchuck said that they would.

Cheryl Meersman asked Leroux how much he wanted for the property.

“We know it’s money that you want, it’s not the water. It is the money, how much do you want for it?” she asked.

Part way through the meeting, Leroux had a chance to respond to questions raised in early presentations.

Leroux said that their plan to help third world countries was to use their profits and not their bottled water to help people find fresh water.

“When we say we are not going to give them any water or help them get any water, that’s very selfish, ladies and gentlemen,” said Leroux. “We need to help other people. I feel for those people.”

He then addressed the issue of selling the plant.

“I don’t need a lot of dollars. I’m not doing this because I want to be some kind of filthy rich individual. The valley needs some type of industry. This is a good one,” he said. “You need to know this, if I wanted to sell to Coca Cola, Nestle, why would I even start?”

He said listing the water plant for sale on the web was a tactic to attract investment.

“When you want to attract investors,… you put on the web (Internet) exactly what you want them to hear, so they contact you,” he said.

He said he has had offers to buy his property but has refused.

He said his family and his investors would own it and that the money would stay in the valley.

“I don’t need to put up a water plant, I can tell you that. I just want to put some other industry in the valley so I can contribute,” he said.

Starchuck said that all the information gathered up until now would be brought forward again when the rezoning application was made again.

Donnie Maclean asked what was happening with the moratorium requested on these types of projects by two hundred area residents.

Starchuck said that he was putting forth a resolution at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities. At this news, the crowd applauded.

“I hope I will get support from the rest of the board on that,” he said.