Due to technical difficulties, the
Feb. 21 issue
will be put on the web Feb. 28.

Opponents of reservoir voice concerns

By John Barlow
Editor

The Environmental Appeals Board heard arguments in regards to whether or not they should proceed to a formal hearing on the proposed Turner Valley raw water reservoir.
Last Thursday the EAB held a meeting in Okotoks to listen to presentations from the Town of Turner Valley, Alberta Environment and two landowners who had concerns including Roxanne Walsh and Linda Abrams.
Walsh said her argument is essentially that the Town of Turner Valley did not do its due diligence in selecting the site for the raw water reservoir.
“I just want to ensure that the site is safe and assurances the site is not a threat to the environment,” said Walsh.
Walsh said she also wants the water tests done by the town expanded to include hydrocarbons and other chemicals such as benzene.
For Abrams, she said that although the project is in Turner Valley, Black Diamond residents should have a voice in the process.
“The towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley share a priceless asset,” said Abrams of the Sheep River.
However, Hugh Hamm, counsel for the town, said the claims that the site may be unsafe are simply unfounded.
“For the water to be contaminated would take a chain of spectacular events,” said Hamm. “This project has moved ahead under the supervision of qualified
engineers.”
Hamm added that the appellants have not given any proof that the project needs to be addressed at an EAB hearing.
“These two ladies have not raised any evidence of any harm to anyone or any evidence this project will harm them,” said Hamm.
A decision from the appeals board is expected within the next 30 to 45 days. Until then the project remains on hold.

Okotoks -
‘Campers’ may take legal action

MD to proceed with evicting residents of Wilderness Campground

By Darlene Casten
Staff Reporter

Permanent residents
of the Wilderness Campground near Okotoks are mobilizing to fight an eviction notice from the MD of Foothills.
Foothills MD council voted to shut down the campground and turn out its year-round campers at a meeting several weeks ago. Safety and compliance issues have remained unresolved at the site for more than 10 years despite a number of past court orders that could have resulted in a similar shut down.
Concerns include sewage containment, exposed electrical outlets and constructing permanent structures such as decks and sunrooms.
The campground’s owner Al Blomme has been unavailable for comment since the municipality rendered its decision.
Campground residents acknowledge that the campground is not in compliance, but say they cannot move in the middle of winter.
“There isn’t anything at this time of year — all the mobile lots are full,” said longtime campground resident Gayle James. “We can’t move out. It is too cold. Everyone’s deck and sheds are frozen to the ground.”
Gayle and her husband Terry have consulted with a lawyer to find out how they can delay the eviction.
“She is going to try to buy us some time,” James said. “But until there is something in writing we can’t do anything.”
The couple is hoping their neighbours will join them in a class action suit against the MD of Foothills.
“We can’t afford to do it ourselves,” James said. “We need to do it as a group.”
So far James said only two RVs have been pulled out of the campground. In both cases the residents were not going to occupy their units in the coming months and wanted to avoid their units from being removed from their sites in their absence.
“Ninety-five to 99 per cent of us are still here,” James said.
According to the MD there are between 30 and 50 full-time residents residing in the campground.
MD development officer, Heather McInnis, is overseeing the campground shutdown and said she has heard from at least two lawyers since council rendered its decision.
“I have received calls from a couple of lawyers looking for a copy of the court order,” McInnis said. “I have also talked to some residents looking for a time extension.”
A judge granted the municipality a court order to shut down the campground several weeks ago, but official eviction notices cannot be handed out until the order is released.
As a result of the inaction on previous orders, McInnis said the judge was looking for assurances that the MD intends on following through with the order before releasing the decision. Now that council has agreed to give campers 60 days to vacate the campground once the eviction notices are posted, McInnis expects the order to come into effect within a couple of weeks.
Despite several attempts to work with Blomme in the past to bring the campground into compliance, McInnis said she expects no flexibility this time.
“Council is adamant that they are sticking to the 60 days,” she said.