Representatives from the ministry in charge of mining did not attend a town hall meeting in Hope Feb. 21, where more than 300 people showed up to voice concerns about a proposed gravel pit expansion.

Heated exchanges took place during the Friday afternoon meeting to discuss Hope Ready Mix Ltd.'s proposal to increase their mining, quarry, and gravel extraction operation to 50 hectares. Organized by Fraser-Nicola MLA Tony Luck, who moderated the meeting, residents were invited to share their thoughts and ask questions of Jake Klassen, the owner of Hope Ready Mix.

Hope Mayor Victor Smith, Electoral B Director Peter Adamo, and Derek Holmes, from Holmes Mining Consultant, were also present during the meeting. Holmes did the consultation for Klassen and wrote up most of the proposal, and documentation for the application, to be submitted to the ministry. 

Despite being invited and having the final approval on the application, no representatives from the Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals were present during the meeting. 

The majority of speakers spoke against the proposal and mining operation. Some said that approving the proposal went against the Hope community plan to focus on an economy made through tourism and environmental stewardship. Some spoke about road safety concerns, while others are worried about further damage to roads that were not built to support heavy duty trucks and machinery.

Other concerns raised include increased noise, dust, and water pollution in the area, along with environmental concerns and lowered property values. 

With regards to tourism, residents also brought up how having the trucks use Othello Road might cause issues for visitors wishing to spend time in the Othello Tunnels. 

Some residents also expressed that they've had little to no communication with Klassen when trying to bring up issues with the trucks and his mining operation. Klassen disagreed with one of the residents on this and said he did try to reach out to her. 

Though there were a few people in favour of the application present during the meeting, only person spoke in favour of the proposal, saying the expansion would lead to more jobs and a stronger economy for Hope. This individual also said that they did not think a economy built on tourism would be feasible for Hope. 

The meeting was held thanks to efforts by Karina Thomas, a resident of Othello Road. Thomas reached out to Luck after becoming concerned that the new plan would divert truck traffic from Kettle Valley Road to run through town. 

This new traffic plan, according to Thomas, would affect about eight of the residents living there and see the trucks driving further along Kawkawa Lake Road, going past the park and lakeside residents. That could move the existing problem "from Kettle Valley Road to Othello Road and further exacerbate the issue as the trucks would now drive the entire length of Kawkawa Lake Road," she told The Standard previously. 

According to Thomas, residents still have until March 3 to email or mail their comments, concerns, and questions to the Ministry of Mines. 

A petition, Stop the Hope Cemetery Pit Expansion, was also posted online Feb. 2. 

As of Feb. 21, the petition has 764 signatures. They were hoping for 700. During the meeting, Klassen addressed the petition and said the creators needed to verify the information presented in it. He declined to comment when asked by residents to clarify which information in the petition was false. 

The petition can still be signed by searching for 鈥淪top the Hope Cemetery Pit Expansion鈥� on openPetition.org. 

The Standard has reached out to the Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals for comment. 

More to come.

Are you a Hope local with thoughts on this? Email a letter to the editor to kemone.moodley@hopestandard.com.