It has been recently learned that the council and the administrator of the RM of Keys have been meeting behind closed doors for the past three years with an applicant who wishes to locate a significant community of people and an intensive livestock operation at E ½ 33-33-03 W2. This land is located directly over a fresh water aquifer. This has occurred without consultation of the Village of Stenen or other third-party users of this fresh water source.
The proposed intensive livestock use site is located very close to the village of Stenen and the recreational area at Crystal Lake. The odour and flies that will occur due to manure and composting of dead birds will impact the air and quality of life for these communities.
Crystal Lake is a hamlet within the RM of Keys which has been promoted and protected by past RM councils for at least 70 years.
The three-year work cycle spent by council on this intensive use application finally came to light with council passing first reading of a proposed bylaw to permit collective living anywhere within the municipality. A public meeting, required by legislation, immediately followed on April 12, which, although attended by a large number of concerned electors, did not hinder the council from rushing to pass the second reading of the proposed bylaw at a council meeting convened within four hours of the close of the public meeting.
At the public meeting, little or no response was provided to questions asked by those in attendance. Apparently the intensive livestock use applicant was not invited by council, as no representative was in attendance to respond to questions or concerns.
At the public meeting several council members appeared to have already made up their minds, contrary to their elected obligation to listen and to fairly represent the interests of all electors in the municipality.
Council members have a duty to be fair, open-minded, and to act in the best interests of all inhabitants of the municipality. They are not to get immersed in a project which serves only one applicant to the detriment of others within the community.
Other questions that need to be asked include:
- Why is an intensive livestock use being located over a fresh water aquifer when best practise planning principles say this should not occur?
- Why is E ½ 33-33-03 W2 being considered as a location for intensive livestock use when it is in such close proximity to the Village of Stenen and the recreational area at Crystal Lake?
- Why is council, after three years of behind closed door meetings, now moving so quickly to push and have this application approved?
- Why are legitimate issues and questions raised by concerned electors being ignored by Council?
The inhabitants of the RM of Keys are entitled to answers. We urge everyone to contact your councillor to have them perform their elected duty.
Submitted on behalf of the Committee for Concerned Electors in the RM of Keys #303.
