Sheridan Hill in Pitt Meadows is a special place for many.
For the Katzie First Nation, it’s an integral part of their creation story. For nearby residents, it’s a place to raise their families and operate their businesses. It’s also a part of the area’s natural beauty.
“It’s an iconic landmark within the city and it’s something that is treasured by all of our residents,” said Pitt Meadows Mayor John Becker.
That’s why residents, the city and the Katzie are working together to oppose the creation of a seven-hectare quarry on the south end of Sheridan Hill.
The property owner has applied to the Ministry of Energy and Mines to excavate 240,000 tonnes of rock per year from the top of the hill, reducing the height of the peak by a total of 30 metres over five years.
Drilling, blasting, crushing, screening and washing of aggregate would take place at the site year-round, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
People who live in the area have felt and seen the effects of the recently expanded Pitt River Quarries on the north side of Sheridan Hill for decades and don’t want the same thing to happen on the south side.
“It’s a very serious situation,” said Sandra Beeskau, who has lived beside the hill for 26 years. “It’s not just people not wanting a quarry in their yard. The impacts are going to be felt for years.”
Beeskau, Darcey Heath and Rachel Robichaud say there has been no consultation with Pitt Meadows residents, and they have taken it upon themselves to gather as much information about the project as they can so they can share it with the public.
Increased dump-truck traffic, blasting and drilling near homes, pollution from acid run-off and silica dust, and destruction of an important animal habitat are some of the many concerns they have.
“It really is a public disaster waiting to happen,” said Heath, who has lived next to the hill for three years.
They’re encouraging people to take advantage of a 30-day window, ending April 18, to provide feedback to the province — which has final say on whether the quarry will be allowed — in emails, letters and a petition.
More than 2,500 people have signed the online petition and hundreds of others have signed paper copies.
“I believe the Pitt Meadows people will rally behind this,” said Beeskau.
City council has formally filed its opposition, citing the same concerns as the residents and recommending consultation with stakeholders and an environmental assessment. Becker said the quarry, which would be visible from all over the city, would be “an open wound on the face of the community.”
“I am absolutely not impartial on this issue, and it is a political issue and it’s something city council should in fact take a position on,” Becker said.
Katzie Chief Susan Miller said members of her community have formed a partnership with the city and residents to oppose the project. For the Katzie, Sheridan Hill is where the creator placed one of the first chiefs, Swaneset, who then created waterways and shaped the land.
“If that hill is ever just gone ... it gives nothing for our children or great-grandchildren to attach to,” Miller said. “For them to continue to desecrate it at that level, our nation is saying we can’t tolerate that.”
Members of council, the Katzie and hundreds of residents were expected to meet at the Pitt Meadows Family Recreation Centre on Wednesday evening to rally and discuss next steps.
Representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Mines are scheduled to appear at a council meeting April 7 to answer questions and a public meeting is tentatively set for June.
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows MLA Doug Bing said in a statement that he shares residents’ concerns about Sheridan Hill and has passed them on to Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett.
Attempts to reach property owner Brian Craig or Meadows Quarry site operator/mine manager Bob McLean for comment were unsuccessful.
Anyone wishing to provide an opinion on the project should write to the chief inspector of mines, c/o Mines and Mineral Resources Division Southwest Region, P.O. Box 9395, Stn. Prov. Govt., Victoria, B.C., V8W 9M9, or email [email protected]. An online petition is also available.
