Ajax - More than Possible Mr. Rothenburger - Thank You

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Article Responded To By – Mel Rothenburger 

One can understand that being deprived of appies might actuate disgruntlement, I would be happy to buy Mr. Rothenburger a beer and appies for the opportunity to speak reason to the appy excluded. Mr. Rothenburger said “I’m keenly interested in what the City finds out in its consultation process and in what the application for the mine reveals, but none of it will make me feel differently.” – well one loves an open mind. Evidently Mr. Rothenburger has had opportunity to pole several other British Columbia communities, I must confess, I have not; what I am sure of is that I could care a less what other communities think – we can manage our own backyard - take that provincial and federal governments.

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I love when the likes of Mr. Rothenburger out of hand just dismiss 400 primary jobs and related spin off – none of the Kamloops youth displaced by the “Kamloops can’t do spirit” are likely to share his view. They have no interest in being suddenly rich; they are interested in the opportunity to enjoy what Mr. Rothernburger has enjoyed here in Kamloops, employment.

“I know I don’t have a lot of company among local media on this. “ Mr. Rothenburger has plenty and they are as adhered to the politically correct as Mr. Rothenburger, here he is passing himself off as the “rebel”, when in fact it is the comfy and established that is trying to close the door behind them.  Mr. Rothenburger says, “But to the ass kissers and fence sitters out there in media land, I offer this challenge — snap out of it. Stand up for your community.” No one has ever accused me of “kissing asses”, I just want to make Kamloops is as prosperous as possible; I would ask the people to “snap out” of NIMBism, and scaredycatism.

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“To some people, maybe many, my viewpoint is narrow-minded and stupid. “Wait for the science.”” Why Sir, you already said nothing is going to change your mind, besides, science can say anything, it can facilitate or obstruct – it seems clear the kind of science Mr. Confirmation Bias is looking for – the point is we can figure out what to do. The key is to establish a long term operating agreement with the mine, so the City can assert our interests.

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I love to reminisce all the generations before me in Canada too, but one asks why it is relevant in this instance; I am most concerned about the generation that is here now, a generation that is under-served by the NIMBism, the generation that wastes away their lives with under employment.

There has been an open pit mine outside Kamloops since I arrived in Kamloops in 1984, the first 10 or 20 years I hardly knew it was here. Ajax will change things here, growth, young people employed here rather than somewhere else and the opportunity to build a premium residential development.

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Rather than screaming NO, perhaps we could attempt to take the opportunity to think about how to do it, do it in a way that is constructive and considers that health and wellbeing of the citizens of Kamloops. So rather than say NO, say faster – narrow the mineral extraction time, if they can do it in 25 years, they can do it in 15. Rather than say look at the big hole that's going to be there, say imagine a new lake, a sculpted community. Rather than setting your hair on fire over dust, realize that it can be managed. Rather than screaming that death and destruction will ensue, as some of our less scrupulous “professionals” have done, realize there are thousands of old miners who have worked right in mines and related mills their whole life. Rather than scream that they have refused to say no to smelter, realize that if we cultivate an extended term operating agreement with the mine we can manage these things. I could go on, you get the picture, we need a little can do spirit, rather than ad nauseam rhetoric from the naysayers. Leadership should quell the hysteria, potential negative impacts are manageable, it will be fine – we just need to take charge and manage the opportunity.


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Earlier Thinking

http://nthomson2.blogspot.ca/2013/06/kamloops-ajax-mine.html

Response to Mr. Walsh’s OpEd in Kamloops This Week

http://nthomson2.blogspot.ca/2015/06/ajax-mine-kamloops-have-courage-prosper.html  

AJAX - CITY OF KAMLOOPS - PROCESS SUGGESTION

September 29, 2015

Mayor & Council

City of Kamloops

RE:  AJAX - September 28^th forum at Coast Hotel – Conference Center – PROCESS SUGGESTION

Thank you all for your time last night. One appreciates that these sorts of obligations are onerous, so it is useful to reflect on process to perhaps optimize future encounters. May I compliment you, Mr. Milobar on your firm hand in keeping people on track at the start?

One understands that this is a very contentious issue and so a forum like the one held last night needs to seek to manage interpersonal relations to prevent exacerbating ill will. In reflecting on any given attempt at public consultation or interactions, one needs to ask have we reduced polarization, increased it or are we in the same place as we started. My sense, given what I observed last night, is that we are in the same place as we were when the meeting started – granted there may have been some valuable data collected.  

It is a useful exercise to facilitate discourse between “opposing” parties, this is readily accomplished by breakout sessions with small groups composed of various interests. At present there is irrationality in much of the rhetoric; it needs to be countered with meaningful dialog. As someone who believes we can manage the mine’s externalities that are potentially negative and derive a good deal of benefit from the project – I want to find a way forward and I know that quiet, meaningful dialog can take us there. If I were opposed to the mine, I would rather maintain the polarization, promote fear and continue with damaging and irrational rhetoric.

It seems, Mr. Milobar that you’ve take a neutral stance on the issue – if that is the case, a forum that facilitates people of “opposing” interests to interface will result in moderated views, and a more harmonious community – there are plenty of studies to support this assertion.

Thank you all again for your leadership on the issue, I hope you find this suggestion useful.

Kind Regards

Neil Thomson

250-819-6950

More thinking on the issue:

”Imagine if you will that in 25 years, from the beginning of mining to full extraction of all valued minerals; at the close of mining activates, the city had planned from the outset a residential development to replace the mine site. With this in mind, a model residential development site could be part and parcel of the mining process. So rather than a rectangular pile of rock as a tailings pile, the site could be sculpted perfectly to suite residential lots. Lots, with the perfect southern exposure, a sculpted lake, a geothermal complex for community heating and perhaps a nine hole executive golf course. The point here is, that what some perceive as destruction can be managed to provision a superior outcome.” 

Earlier Thinking

http://nthomson2.blogspot.ca/2013/06/kamloops-ajax-mine.html

Response to Mr. Walsh’s OpEd in Kamloops This Week

http://nthomson2.blogspot.ca/2015/06/ajax-mine-kamloops-have-courage-prosper.html

Ajax Mine - Kamloops Have Courage & Prosper

Written In Response to Dennis Walsh's OPED in Kamloops this Week.  

The Ajax project has promise and can be managed in a positive way if we take a proactive and positive approach – that’s my assertion. The “no side” has another view, the view that holds stagnation and the willingness to let good opportunities fall by the wayside as being okay, we've have seen this many times in the past.

Mr. Walsh suggests that the 43 individuals that stated publically they support  Ajax “took it upon themselves to speak on behalf of the community”, if this is true, then it’s true the 60 odd medical personnel who published jointly against Ajax “took upon themselves to speak on behalf of the community”. I welcome people speaking on behalf of their position, as I have done.

The question as to whether the Kamloops economy is good or not has little relevance to the debate save, that despite Kamloops’ generally good and balanced economic circumstance, we as a community are grossly under performing in generating accessible good paying jobs. Many of our young people have gone elsewhere for employment, Alberta mainly, and that opportunity is waning. It is incumbent on us to provide opportunities in our region for good paying employment. In large measure the NIMBYism is coming from people who are well established, there are many young families who would benefit greatly from the employment the mine would provide. I know Mr. Walsh is sensitive to this reality; however, many in his camp are just being a little selfish.
    

The arguments directed to economic gloom and doom due to Kamloops being perceived as an industrial town; resulting in all the decline and fall of tourism, and somehow the University ending up less viable, are all red herrings. Visual quality issues and other externalities are readily be mitigated, providing of course, that our City leadership are as aggressive in forging a long term operating agreement with Ajax, as some are being at chasing away opportunity. I share Mr. Walsh’s concerns regarding having a healthy city. The issue of dust is wildly over stated, Kamloops has a mass of base data regarding air quality as the Ministry of Environment has been tracking air quality here more or less over the life of the pulp mill. In negotiations with interested parties the City of Kamloops can stipulate operational expectations, the key is to be in the process early, and have our interests strongly represented. As environmental concerns are valid, they are manageable – the inflammatory rhetoric deployed by some self-professed “professionals” on the “no side” has been as negligent as it has been inflated.  

Mr. Walsh’s assertion with respect to the mine arresting the utilization of South West Sector of the City is pure speculation; there is no reason to believe this would be the case. The North Shore has been expanding already, we’ve built the Halston Bridge. The assertions related to infrastructure costs and magnitude are both overstated and mischaracterized, if it were the case we needed some new infrastructure, it would occur against the back drop of an expanding tax base – as opposed to a stagnant or declining tax base – the infrastructure would be considered “spin off” and an economic stimulating event, generally considered a good thing. Further, if we develop the proper Long Term Operating agreement with Ajax and the Province, we can garner a greater portion of the $950 million directly to the city – that is where our focus should be. There is no valid economic argument against the mine, tax revenues are only a small part of the overall economic benefit.  

I commend the 43 business owners for having the courage to speak out in support of the mine. Mr. Walsh reports there are 1000 other businesses unrepresented, there may be a silent majority of those muted by concern of negative impacts on their business by the “no side’s” distain for the project and fear their business would be negatively impacted. It is valid to point out here, that it is only a small portion of the city’s population lobbying against the mine. It is as valid for Ajax to lobby on behalf of their project to the city, the no side is certainly pulling out the stops. Of course they are meeting with people to support their project, they are invested in it. To characterize this as being “a concern” is just a ploy, rather than offering valid leadership, we need less politics and more objective assessment.

The stakes are high, high for the people who want to be as fortunate as Mr. Walsh and other’s on the “no side”, people who want to have prosperous lives. Mr. Walsh states ”It’s too big. It’s too close. It’s simply too risky.”, there are valid concerns certainly that need to be managed and they can be. Tell the Kamloops diaspora about Canada consisting of our young people who have gone elsewhere for opportunity, “It’s too big, It’s Too close, It’s simply too risky”, they want to come home to a viable community. I think Mr. Walsh and others need to exercise a little fortitude in action and think a little more positively about how to extract all the benefit we can from the mine itself and in engineering an asset at the close of operations. We need a little “can do spirit”, a little adventurism and the confidence that we can manage things, we need leadership – all I am hearing from the “no side” is defeatist chit chat and scare tactics. Like everyone else, I want to make Kamloops a good place, and attractive place and a prosperous place – I am confident we can do that if we are proactive and positive.  

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