Ring Creek residents and Quest University will undoubtedly breathe a sigh of relief now that a controversial wood waste recycling site is no longer a potential neighbour.
Triack Resources president Dave McRae has been desperately seeking an appropriate site for his plant, but difficulty with the District of Squamish and perturbed neighbours has hindered his progress.
Now Crown land deemed worthy by the Ministry of Forests but denounced by its Garibaldi Highlands neighbours has been rejected as inappropriate for the roadways by the Ministry of Transportation.
Concerned residents such as Ring Creek resident Kim Scobie made their disapproval known when the site proposal was first announced in the spring.
And this past week, Quest University's president David Helfand sent a strongly worded letter listing those and more reasons they wanted to see Triack Resources refused access to its neighbouring property - this despite the fact Triack processed more than 60 per cent of Quest's development materials.
"Approval of this request would have very serious negative implications for the financial and operational health of the university and its neighbours," wrote Quest president David Helfand in a letter to District of Squamish council, which was received Tuesday (Sept. 7).
Using Garibaldi Park Road turned out to be the dealbreaker in this equation - according to McRae and Integrated Land Management Bureau (ILMB) land technical officer Jennifer Carmona.
"The Ministry of Transportation said the Garibaldi Park Road was not appropriate for more industrial use," said Carmona.
McRae said if you add up the numbers, his business would only add three truck loads per day to a road that already sees more than 10 because of logging.
McRae, who said he's "had a hell of a time" trying to find a permanent location, was upset to get more criticism from Quest University, even if it came too late.
"It's all the same," he said. "'We like what you're doing, but not in my backyard.'"
McRae said he feels at this point as though no one is supporting him.
The reason he applied for a site outside the municipality is because "this council has been no help at all."
"You'd think they'd want to support a local business that creates jobs and recycles material they would otherwise just bury in a landfill," said McRae. "This council needs to stop all this lip service about creating jobs and actually keep the ones they have."
McRae's discontent with District of Squamish council began almost two years ago when Triack began leasing a property in the Cheekye Fan in 2006, agreeing to clean up the mess a logging contractor left behind in exchange for leasing rights until 2012.
Several nearby Brackendale residents were happy to know Triack would no longer be keeping them up at night with the "high levels of jet engine-like noise from their worksite."
In 2008, the district discontinued the lease citing McRae's failure to live up to his end of the agreement. The municipality is still insisting McRae finish cleaning up the site, and has threatened legal action.
In an interview with The Chief, Mayor Greg Gardner said McRae's assertion that the district has not been supportive of his business "is completely inaccurate."
He said they were supportive of McRae's most recent application, and when the province asked for comment, they said they approved as long Triack completed a number of obligations: using Garibaldi Park Road, consulting with the local fire department, doing an environmental assessment of a nearby water source, maintaining all the recreational trails in the area and complying with the noise bylaw.
"We would be happy to continue working with Triack to accommodate their needs," said Gardner. "Despite them having unfilled their financial and other obligations to the District of Squamish."
In the meantime McRae found a temporary location on the former Interfor site in anticipation of the Waterfront Landing project and recently installed a $6,000 muffler to ease the noise pollution.
He then loads the wood waste into a barge on Mamquam Blind Channel for transport to businesses that use the material to power their industrial facilities.
"Tourism and bike trails are all good but you also need to look after the grass roots workers who make up this community," said McRae.
He said at this point he's not keen to try for another site because it costs about $3,000 every time to hire a land surveyor and make an application.
"If council is going to keep being a barrier to my business, I just may have to take it elsewhere."
