KILLAM, Alta. – Fred Wilson picked up a pink highlighter pen and colored in a quarter section of his land on a large county map at the front of the community hall.
“We’ve got to have all the pink we can on here,” the Killam farmer said during the third day of a development appeal board hearing of Taiwan Sugar’s proposed 7,200-sow barn development south of Hardisty.
The pink squares signify county landowners who have signed a petition opposing the development.
One of Wilson’s quarter sections wasn’t colored in and he wanted to make it clear he is opposed to the development.
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“I’m opposed to foreign ownership and corporate farms. We need to do everything we can to stop it,” said Wilson, one of 250 people who filled the Hardisty Community Hall last week and the Killam Community Hall the next day to listen to the county’s development appeal board hearing.
So many people wanted their say that the hearings were extended to a fourth day, Oct. 25, to hear the final list of people and for the lawyers to summarize their positions.
The County of Flagstaff lawyer showed that the county development officer followed the rules and that the conditions he applied to the development permit would ensure the project exceeds the county’s local
development bylaws and Alberta’s livestock Code of Practice.
The five-member development appeal board had a lawyer to ensure it follows guidelines when it makes its decision.
Taiwan Sugar and its Canadian representative, DGH Engineering, had a lawyer to show the project met and exceeded all conditions and to ensure locals that the company’s project would be safe.
Members of the County of Flagstaff Farm Promotional Society, who are opposed to the development, had a lawyer who produced witnesses to show the development is not safe and to make it clear to board members that the community does not want the development.
Viewpoints heard
Then there was a long list of neighbors, pork industry officials and national farm organizations offering their opinions on the project.
Democracy is not the most efficient way of making a decision, said appeal board chair Paul Schorak.
“We will listen to all concerned. We want to make sure we’re receptive and open to all those concerned,” said Schorak, a former reeve of the county.
Ed Schultz, general manager of Alberta Pork, said he asked to speak at the hearings to ensure the pork industry has a voice. Schultz, who listened to appeal hearings for Taiwan Sugar’s hog barn plans in the County of Forty Mile, said he was so disgusted with the process that he decided someone had to represent the industry. The Forty Mile project at Foremost was eventually rejected.
“Nobody speaks for the industry. We have to do this,” said Schultz, who told the group the industry needs large developments like the one proposed by Taiwan Sugar if Alberta producers and packers are going to compete in world markets.
“More pigs and more product is needed for us to do a better marketing job.”
Lori Goodrich, president of the group opposed to the barn, said it’s clear by looking at the county map colored in pink that the development is not wanted.
“People are against the project as they were in Foremost,” she said.
Local people are worried the smell from the 14 barns and the manure lagoons at the five sites will drive land prices down and make living on nearby farms unbearable. They also fear the underground water aquifer and local water wells will be contaminated from the yearly injection of manure into fields or from leaks in the lagoons.
“The size of the operation scared people and there are too many unanswered questions,” said Lana Love, of Hardisty, who is opposed to the project.
Local farmer Charlotte Golka said she came to the meetings to show her support for the $41 million project.
“I think we need the industry. It’s great for the farmers in the area.”
County councilor Floyd Hihn of Forestburg said there’s something wrong with the process when a project can be approved with so much local opposition.
“How can we have a decision made by paid help and look at that map and say if there’s that much opposition out there something went wrong.”
