Put Out The Fire Gramma, The Wood Stove Police Are Coming

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 03:45 AM

You people who burn wood in the city can take heart in knowing that the PG air quality management plan presented to Council is calling on the Regional District to drop the hammer on you folks in the outlying areas.

They are asking the Regional District enact a bylaw which would see wood burning appliances meet the BC solid fuel burning regulations.

In both the City and the Regional District non certified wood stoves would be outlawed by Dec 31 -2010.

In the city under the clean air by law they are seeking a by law that would label wood burning as a nuisance and would be enforced. All outdoor burning is also on the target, including recreational burning.

Now whatever happened to the Mayor's call that we are "not going after the back yard wiener roasts that people might enjoy". So much for that.

Let’s just examine this for face value.

We are seeking more money for the homeless, new housing, better facilities, while on the other side of the coin we will pinch those home owners that may find it necessary to burn wood to heat their homes or for cooking so they can come up with the money for the ever increasing tax load.

Now let’s face it, people that earn $200,000 a year don’t burn wood to heat their homes, or to cook their meals. If this recommendation is adopted it will show just how out of touch the Council is with the community.

There is more; the odour reduction results for Canfor and Husky refinery are quote,”on going”. They are requesting odour emissions from Husky and Canfor but those reductions will be on going over,” at least “the next three to five years.

You can hammer the little old lady who heats her home with wood, but take on the big guys, not a chance. Well I shouldn’t say that, CN for example will be encouraged to begin using bio-diesel in their locomotives.

Can’t you just see it now, to quote Mayoral candidate Don Zurowski, "if I’m elected Mayor I will sit down across from them, look them in the eye and challenge them", in this case it would be to use bio diesel. That will scare the hell out of Hunter Harrison. Just the simple thought that he may be up against our city mayor I’m sure will force him to change his ways, just like Canfor and Husky are saying they will move to lower the stink at least over the next three to five years.

It is again a case of kicking the small home owner, those people that depend on wood to heat their home. Those people who might want a wiener roast in the back yard, and those people that moved from the city proper to escape this stupidity.

The only difference between today and last year is that we are on the eve of an election and when it comes time to vote you might do well to remember who came up and supported these ideas.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

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Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 03:45 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Posted by: robichal on October 21 2008 6:47 AM

I for one, agree with not having backyard fires. I live in a neighbourhood where people burn a lot and there are some summer nights where we had to go in the house the smoke was so bad. Cracking down on the old lady who heats and cooks her food w/ fire is a bit extreme, but perhaps it's necessary - I don't know. All I know is that I would be happy if they inforced the backyard burning, it is inconsiderate when you live in a residential area.

Posted by: RRrabbitt on October 21 2008 8:04 AM

Hmmmm.... weiner roast bans... woodstove bans.... BBQ bans...

Jeezzeee... I can't think of anything dumber that your council has considered.... NO, WAIT... there was something stupiddddderrrr....

Spending a truckload of money on a system to pour tepid water on ten miles of solid ice in the hope of "melting" the ice jam !!!

YEAH.... that was a stunningly brilliant moment for the City "brain trust"... !!!

Arrgghhhhh...

V.

Posted by: Shellshadow on October 21 2008 8:31 AM

Maybe if more families sat around a fire pit there would not be so much HATE around. When the mills and refineries start doing their part, come back with your need to RULE the people. Maybe then....just maybe we may want to help out. We live in the NORTH for a reason and one of those reasons is that We can have a fire pit on our half acre!!! What next....lol Come into our houses and tell us when we can poooo???? Geeesus

Posted by: jonnypg on October 21 2008 8:31 AM

So easy to go after the little polluters,but totally ignore the big polluters of this city...what a farce.

Posted by: MrPG on October 21 2008 9:22 AM

I also agree with a ban on backyard fires in the bowl. As robichal noted, I've observed areas where people were burning in the backyard and the smoke was thick.

We've got enough problems with air quality, there's no need to voluntarily contribute to it with a backyard fire.

Posted by: Dozer on October 21 2008 9:54 AM

I think the people who want the backyard fires banned should move thier butts to Vancouver or so far out in the bush there are no people and no industry to put smoke in the air. Backyard fires in PG are a way of life and joy and relaxation for a lot of us.I find it much better and much cheaper for the taxpayer than the high mucky muck opera and art galleries.

Posted by: MrPG on October 21 2008 10:30 AM

Great post Dozer. You are pretty typical of the 'me first' inconsiderate attitude that many people have in this town.

No, polluting backyard fires aren't a God-given right as you suggest. Might I suggest that you move somewhere where your smoky leaf pile isn't going to bother the neighborhood?

Posted by: gamblor on October 21 2008 10:53 AM

look out! The latte-lifting enviro freaks have desended on PG! Soon PG will be one big hippy commune, like Vancouver. Everything will be outlawed. They raise money for their crazy carbon cutting scams by taxing and fining the average person to death.

Posted by: Starbright on October 21 2008 11:43 AM

I agree to ban backyard fires, I too live in an area where both neighbours have fires, not only for sitting around but trash burn... not a good smell. Times when it is dry and hot, I also worry about an ash, spark landing on my roof or in my backyard. Fires could spread very easily, and no, they do not listen to campfire bans or to burning alerts! If you have large acreage or live " OUT of The Bowl, sure enjoy your backyard fire, but not within city limits or in the bowl area.

Posted by: NMG on October 21 2008 11:54 AM

"Backyard fires in PG are a way of life"

You are kidding right? I've spent over 30 years of my life in PG and not once have we had a backyard fire, nor have I ever been to a friends or neighbours house where we sat around a backyard fire roasting hot dogs. That's what campgrounds are for . . . LOL. You make it sound like every yard in PG has a backyard fire pit. It's a nice sentiment to think of the cozy family gathering occuring up in the "wilderness" around the backyard fire, but the simple truth is that we are an urban center and the vast majority of people living here don't partake in those activities. Case closed.

Now that being said, before we start focusing on such immaterial things as backyard burning, I think the city should be targeting the main sources of pollution. Their strategy for dealing with the problem is completely warped.

Posted by: Dozer on October 21 2008 12:00 PM

Mr PG I do not burn garbage or leaves. I haul the garbage to the land fill and take my leaves and garden waste to the composte pile at the land fill and also make sure it does not fall off my trailer.I also burn seasoned wood so it does not smoke like green wood so some of us are responsible. As for you starbright the last time I looked I still pay a large tax bill every year so I think ourselves and the other people who enjoy backyard fires still have rights....

Posted by: Loki on October 21 2008 12:21 PM

You didn't actually believe the politicians that said "not going after the back yard wiener roasts that people might enjoy".
individual private citizens contribute about 30% of the pollutants, that would imply the 70% is from other sources, like industry.
Why are they allowed to do this when the city and other levels of government insist on making the 30 percentile bear the burden of reduction.
I say if a business wants to operate in PG|BC|Canada, the onus should be on them to reduce emissions.

Posted by: Lamb on October 21 2008 12:41 PM

Now Dozer your comment

"than the high mucky muck opera and art galleries."

Is totally irrelvant and insulting. We don't have operas but we have one fine Art Gallery which we worked very hard to get with a lot of volunteer labour.

Posted by: Oldun on October 21 2008 12:50 PM

Note to bylaw enforcement officers; You are more than welcome to come to my weiner roast. Just be sure you bring a search warrant to enter my property, a fire truck to put out my fire pit and come armed with an automatic weapon or tazer to enforce your assinine bylaws. Nuff said.

Posted by: heidi1555 on October 21 2008 12:54 PM

Oh man where to start? I also agree to ban the backyard fires only because I see first hand how sick it makes my husband with his allergies/asthma and also see how close the houses are built to one another these days. It's just selfish to burn....... period. Selfish being keyword for the big dogs in industry.

Posted by: robichal on October 21 2008 4:33 PM

I'm in shock at how backyard burning is such a conservtial topic. It's common sense, you live in subdivision, you don't burn - end of story! I'm not talking a small fire in a fire pit, I'm talking about the lazy people burning their dead pine trees, leaves etc instead of taking them to the landfill. Really, do you think it appropriate to have a fire of any kind in a residential neighbourhood? I can't believe this bs. Oh and Oldun, they don't search your property or residence if the bylaw officer comes over if you have been reported as burning - they give you a warning and the next time you get a fine - Done deal. You're not dealing drugs! Everyone knows the main polluters are industry, can't shut that down, maybe improve upon it. However, they can and hopefully will enforce backyard burning that will be a, what was quoted earlier? 30% improvement, better than nothing.

Posted by: Rogue on October 21 2008 5:10 PM

Firepits, installed wood stoves with proper chimneys, are fine. Try living with an outdoor furnace spewing smoke 24 hours a day, and everyone residing close by, who have forced air furnaces suffer all winter, from smoke being sucked into their homes.
These furnaces are not CSA approved, but city allows them. To quote a city employee when an enquiry was made regarding them "They sell them in the city".
Illegal drugs are sold in the city also, does that make it okay????

Posted by: Harbinger on October 21 2008 5:22 PM

Outdoor clotheslines still OK? Could be construed as visual pollution ya know.

Posted by: Harbinger on October 21 2008 5:24 PM

Vote out all the incumbents. New people couldn't be any worse. In four more years we can vote them out if they screw up and we can keep voting in new people til we get it right.

Posted by: whitewater on October 21 2008 7:10 PM

They charge more now to dump garbage and now they don�t want me to burn it?

The city wants to build a cogeneration plant downtown to burn wood waste to heat buildings instead of exploring geothermal and solar options?

Can someone get those schizophrenics some medication?

Posted by: MrPG on October 21 2008 11:18 PM

"They charge more now to dump garbage and now they don�t want me to burn it?"

Yes. Why is that so hard to understand?

Posted by: detoe43 on October 22 2008 2:35 AM

Stand on the west or east end of the bridge across from the pulp mills on any given evening. Notice the amount of smoke that comes out when the steam from the stacks dissapates. Now notice that most of this smoke drifts down the river valley towards town.
Take a drive out Pulp Mill Road and enjoy the reek that is the Husky Refinery.
Ahh the lovely stench of hydrocarbons
wafting gently over our city.
Now head west out to the BCR site & take a deep breath outside of Stella Jones' plant. Get the full dual sensation of Marsulex & Stella Jones rancid odours invading your nostrils as their twin plumes of stink settles into the bowl area.
Really is a bit of wood stove burning affecting our air quality that much? Yes it would be polite to refrain from back yard burning if it is causing asthma & other breathing problems with neighbours
but for the most part we all know where the majority of our air pollutants are coming from.

Posted by: heidi1555 on October 22 2008 8:03 AM

Well you wouldn't want to air your clothes on the line anyway Harb, you'd stink.

Posted by: LONGWORTH on October 23 2008 9:25 PM

For the last two years, the Ministry of Environment has brought a Burn it Smart Workshop to the City of Prince George.

It is meant to educate people about heating with wood, and how to burn smarter.

The City of Prince George was a major sponsor of this event this year.

Despite all of their rhetoric about their intent to improve Air Quality, not a single member of the current council bothered to take in either workshop. Guess they would only attend if these event were held out of town -- say in China!!