by Terry Hollo Jobs. One or 100. The amount doesn’t matter. “Jobs” is the defensive, cliché word for controversial projects used to end any pro or con argument.
Growing up, our parents and society encourage education, including university degrees, trade certificates or an entrepreneurial outlook. Get a career, make some money, but more importantly, work at something you enjoy. I don’t recall a lot of encouragement to work in any high health risk career, such as coal mining.
Much has been written on the negative health hazards of breathing coal dust. How about the extra health concerns for new TQL (Texada Quarry Ltd.) hires for loading/unloading coal and working directly with coal dust?
In July I was told by TQL that there would be no new employees hired. At the August TQL meeting, 15 to 20 jobs were advertised as the economic benefit. Is that 15 really efficient workers or 20 slow pokes? If we are going to throw out numbers, from a company that seems to know all about coal storage, what is the real number and why does it change from month to month? I believe there will not be 15 to 20 new hires.
Our neighbour south of the border has said no to shipping coal out of any West Coast seaport. From global dirty fossil fuel burning (coal), local dust and pollution, the reasons for turning this down are overwhelming. Yet TQL wants us to say yes. Why?
Here’s why. The amount of extra energy used to ship coal from Wyoming, through the Lower Mainland, by barge to Texada Island, reloading onto ships to Asia to be burned for electricity is not efficient nor responsible. But, TQL benefits because the barges that bring the coal up from the Lower Mainland will now create free back-hauling of the quarry limestone, a huge financial shipping cost benefit to TQL. Add on the cost paid to TQL for storage and handling and the sole beneficiary to TQL shareholders is seen. The huge global conglomerate, Lafarge Canada Ltd., owns TQL. As well, coal from Wyoming can be sold, a product that their own country will have nothing to do with.
I have nothing against the responsible quarrying of building and other products that TQL mines, but there is no mining involved here. Local employees have been a major backbone of Texada economy and history. I do have issues with blatant global misuses of energy and the expectancy of Lafarge to exploit the local environment and workers and residents’ health for the sole benefit of Lafarge shareholders. This would be a huge negative impact for the local community.
Sorry TQL, 15 to 20, 100-plus or even one job is not worth this negative impact. Take those jobs and shove’l it. Now is the time to end all coal storage on Texada Island.
A resident of Van Anda on Texada Island, Terry Hollo is a boomer who enjoys kayaking and camping along coastal waters with dreams of her grandchildren having the opportunities to do the same in the best place on earth.
