Robert Barron Citizen
An information session on an open-pit quarry approved for the Pastula farm on Richards Trail will be held on Feb. 18, in the District of North Cowichan’s council chambers.
The 5 p.m. meeting will be hosted by Jim Dunkley, a regional director for the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Dunkley will outline the operating terms of the quarry prior to its operating permit being issued.
“At a previous meeting with North Cowichan, my predecessor, Ed Taje, made a commitment, should a decision to grant a permit be made, to meet again to go over permit conditions before the permit is issued,” Dunkley said.
“This meeting is being held to meet that commitment.”
The issue of the quarry, first proposed in 2014, has been controversial in the region.
Richards Trail is key in the area’s agri-tourism industry and is popular with cyclists, with hundreds using the rural road on a regular basis.
The Catalyst mill waterline also goes under the road, and there are signs warning against moving heavy equipment on the route.
The District of North Cowichan has sent a letter to the ministry outlining its concerns and opposition to the quarry, and are on record as stating that Richards Trail is not capable of supporting industrial traffic.
Cowichan Tribes and local MLA Doug Routley have also stated their opposition to the quarry.