Summerland Council is asking Hon. Jose Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation, to overturn a decision by the Inspector of Mines to approve a gravel pit operation in a highly sensitive habitat area at the end of Garnet Valley within the District’s municipal boundaries.
Mayor Doug Holmes has written to Minister Osborne directly asking for the decision to be overturned, and Council has also requested a face-to-face meeting with the Minister at the Union of BC Municipalities Convention Sept. 16 – 20 in Vancouver.
In a referral letter to the Ministry, dated January 24, 2024, the District of Summerland strongly recommended refusal of the application to open the gravel pit, citing numerous environmental, zoning, safety, infrastructure, economic and cultural concerns. The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) also submitted a referral recommending refusal.
These referrals were validated by a growing chorus of concerned community groups and residents who wrote to Council and the Province asking that the proposal be denied. However, despite the community concerns and a surplus of gravel in the vicinity, the decision was made by provincial regulators to approve the pit.
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“Garnet Valley is known for its sensitive ecosystems, agriculture, agri-tourism and recreational values. Those of us who live in Summerland know this is the wrong place for a gravel pit. Given that the decision was made rashly with such disregard for the community’s wishes, we are appealing to the Minister to overturn it.”
- Doug Holmes, Mayor of Summerland