Dear editor,
It is good that Mr. McRae, (unlike the disdainful Mr. Duncan), is at least paying attention, but he is not listening. Not to us, anyway.
McRae said, "Upon being elected, I committed to standing up for Comox Valley residents and bringing their concerns to Victoria. I remain dedicated to doing what's best for the people and organizations that call the Valley home.”
Given the obvious absence of support for the Raven and Bear mines among "the people and organizations that call the Valley home," given that Compliance Energy, Itochu and LG — the owners of the Raven and Bear projects — do NOT call the Comox Valley home, and given that the BC Shellfish Growers' Association and the K'ómoks First Nation have expressed their concerns and even opposition to the mining project(s), why does Mr. McRae have to wait to bring our concerns to Victoria?
Is he saying that he knows what is best for those of us who call this Valley home? Has he chosen to ignore the millions of tax dollars which have gone into cleaning up the environment poisoned by mines?
We did not have our concerns addressed in the draft AIR, not even close. So in our view, the process is flawed.
That view is shared by John Doyle, B.C.'s Auditor General and West Coast Environmental Law, as well as by thousands of Valley residents.
So, I ask Don McRae again, will you stand up for the people and environment of the Comox Valley? What will you do if the BC Environmental Assessment Office approves the mine?
Lynne Wheeler,
Fanny Bay