City council is encouraging everyone to attend the Mount Polley Mine open house taking place Wednesday, April 22 at the Gibraltar Room from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The meeting is part of the company’s ongoing communications with the community and is a component of the public comment period related to permit applications for the proposed restart of the mine, the company noted in its invite.
“I would encourage not only all of us on council but everyone to be there in support of the information that will be received on the re-opening of the mine,” Mayor Walt Cob said.
“I think it’s paramount that as many people as can be there.”
Mount Polley will be giving a presentation and asking for feedback, Cobb added.
Coun. Scott Nelson said the community and region need to encourage the provincial government to re-open the mine, adding he was curious why the Cariboo Regional District has not taken a position urging the restart.
Mayor Walt Cobb said at the last CRD meeting, the board as a whole felt it wanted to remain neutral and couldn’t support whether the mine opened or didn’t open.
“I guess it’s just a difference of opinion, it’s unfortunate in my mind,” Cobb said.
He noted in February he wrote a letter to the Minister of Energy and Mines asking to move the restart forward, not necessarily break any rules or anything else, but move as quickly as possible.
“At the last CRD meeting, because of my letter, the CRD invited both the Minister of Environment and Minister of Mines to come and give us an update of where they were with the process,” Cobb said, adding the meeting was held in camera.
Nelson said he’s completely disappointed in the CRD leadership not pushing for a restart.
“That mine is a very very important generator of jobs, direct and indirect, and at the end of the day we all want to ensure we have a safe environment and I think the independent report that’s come down is very clear on what took place.”
Nelson said he encouraged the CRD to help get the mine opened. “As a resource-based community you expect leaders to be finding ways and solutions.”
Mount Polley said representatives from all levels of government have been invited to attend the meeting.“It’s up to the mine to do the public process,” Cobb said.