Once again it is all about the general tax payers and HOW THEY MUST CHANGE. How come there is no discussion about industry? Now a person cant even sit on their property and have a winner roast with there children. I can see the problem in the bowl and yes there needs to be regulations there. But to say no fires within city limits is rediculous to say the least.

All Smoke and Mirrors , go fix those Potholes in your Streets, you may get killed by one of them before the Bad Air gets you. I think the Roads have never been that bad that I can remember and this Admin talks about taken the old Wood Stove away from you. When there is to much Heat just change the Subject !

I agree with the potholes. Doubt there is anyon who drivers in this city who disagrees.

As far as the bylaw goes, yu are right on as weel Shellshadow. The bylaw should be dealing with other matter and can. But the City decides not to.

I hope thsoe who will be there will let themn know that the 6 areas up for discussion will not change the air quality one bit in this town. What should be under discussion is waht is not in the bylaw and what could be put into the bylaw to make it more effective.

Without serious changes in industry location and practice, the changes proposed here will have minimal impact. I am fine with giving up my backyard fire, wood stove and wienie roast, but I will expect industry to make changes as well.

However, I don't think there are any easy changes that can make a significant difference, due to the geography of the bowl and the effect of inversions.

Here's what I think would clean up our air.

1) Move Husky Oil refinery out of the city limits. ( I'd even support "government bailout' stimulus money - to make it happen. Then build a bigger better, more productive refinery - but outside the city limits in an area that won't trap the pollutants in the bowl. Think of all the jobs created to make this happen...)

2) Close at least one of the 2 closer Pulp Mills, and re-open one in Mackenzie. Lord knows Mackenzie needs it, and they are better situated to disperse the pollutants with little effect on the townsite. Also modernize the remaining mills to be as clean and efficient as possible.

3) Electric/hybrid engines for all rail traffic within the city limits, with long term goal of moving the rail yard up to the airport (or another location, just not downtown.)

4) Ring road around the city, to keep industrial traffic in the bowl to a minimum. With rail, road & air traffic moved out of the bowl, eventually all the other industry
would move & develop in a more appropriate place where the pollutants can disperse without being trapped in the bowl.

Sure, these are pretty ambitious goals, but it is what will make a real difference and they will employ lots of people to make it happen. It will make the city a better place for our kids, and future generations.. Industry & Residence cannot both continue to be concentrated in the bowl area. One or the other has to give.

Thank you Moses. :} Did you say you were running for city council in the future? *Grin

Without serious changes in industry location and practice, the changes proposed here will have minimal impact. I am fine with giving up my backyard fire, wood stove and wienie roast, but I will expect industry to make changes as well.

However, I don't think there are any easy changes that can make a significant difference, due to the geography of the bowl and the effect of inversions.

Here's what I think would clean up our air.

1) Move Husky Oil refinery out of the city limits. ( I'd even support "government bailout' stimulus money - to make it happen. Then build a bigger better, more productive refinery - but outside the city limits in an area that won't trap the pollutants in the bowl. Think of all the jobs created to make this happen...)

2) Close at least one of the 2 closer Pulp Mills, and re-open one in Mackenzie. Lord knows Mackenzie needs it, and they are better situated to disperse the pollutants with little effect on the townsite. Also modernize the remaining mills to be as clean and efficient as possible.

3) Electric/hybrid engines for all rail traffic within the city limits, with long term goal of moving the rail yard up to the airport (or another location, just not downtown.)

4) Ring road around the city, to keep industrial traffic in the bowl to a minimum. With rail, road & air traffic moved out of the bowl, eventually all the other industry
would move & develop in a more appropriate place where the pollutants can disperse without being trapped in the bowl.

Sure, these are pretty ambitious goals, but it is what will make a real difference and they will employ lots of people to make it happen. It will make the city a better place for our kids, and future generations.. Industry & Residence cannot both continue to be concentrated in the bowl area. One or the other has to give.

oops sorry for the double post...

Shellshadow,

Sitting in a chair at city hall using big words so people won't understand what you're talking about doesn't appeal to me :-) But I'm glad our council members are willing to do it. Lets hope they and other levels of government, as well as grassroots organizations like PACHA will not give up on this important challenge. We will succeed.

Backyard burning should be turned into composting the matter at the landfill, they already have the facilities. There is no reason to burn in town, not to mention the fire hazard.

Weiner roast fires are small and insignificant.

Industry is the number one polluter downtown. That is not wood smoke I smell, it stinks like chemicals.

The trains burn "bunker fuel" or "heavy fuel oil" which is extremely dirty. Can that be cleaned up at all ?

The 3 pulp mills are the cause of the fine particulate matter or "white dust". Can anything be done to clean that up ?

You let me know what you come up with, I'll be in the backyard roasting weiners.

wow,maybe we should all move 50 miles out of town.

"wow,maybe we should all move 50 miles out of town."

That is what we are already doing. Not because of air quality though. It happens in most cities that do not have policies in place to avoid sprawl. We have the opposite policies in place.

It is actually cheaper to move industry out of town. You have to remember that the industrial plants are really just a large shell of a building with major machinery inside. That machinery gets renewed on a steady basis so that there is little of the original left after 30 to 40 years of operation. That is not true for roads, all undergorund and above ground services, apartments, houses, stores, etc. etc.