WEDNESDAY
S I N C E
OCTOBER 16, 2013
1 8 9 5
Vol. 118, Issue 163
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West Kootenay fishing report Page 12
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PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Teck responds to request to improve visual appeal along highway BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
With all the construction kerfuffle happening on Victoria Street in downtown Trail another beautification project is quietly taking shape on top of the hill. Passersby on Highway 22 may notice a mountain of mulch piled at the northwest corner entrance to Tadanac. This is the first stage of a greening project Teck Trail Operations has committed to after receiving a letter written by avid gardener and Community in Bloom (CiB) volunteer Ingrid Enns, asking the company to consider planting trees to improve visual appeal along the roadway. “Since moving to Trail I have come to know Teck as an amazing corporation with how much they do for the community and how much they are on the forefront of environmental sustainability,” said Enns. “But when I drive by the smelter it looks like it might have 50 years ago and doesn’t give the impression of how far the company has come.” Enns and fellow CiB member Norm Gabana composed the letter with support from CiB and the Tadanac Residents Association, that included a proposal for a planting program. “I received a phone call right away and within a year, after prioritizing our suggestions, David DeRosa (superintendent ecosystems projects) met us with a design layout.” Enns’ plan for beautification was simple and involved planting groupings of evergreens along the west-side highway corridor that would render the barren section of highway aesthetically pleasing and provide natural dust control. Teck Trail Operations is undertaking a planting program, confirmed Catherine Adair, Teck’s community relations leader. “The focus is on three areas, onsite, perimeter and community.” The main objectives of the program are to cover bare soil to reduce dust and potential erosion, enhance local biodiversity and provide visual improvements, explained Adair. “There is an overarching goal of creating projects that are self-sustaining and require minimal maintenance.” A series of shrubs and trees will be planted to See LANDSCAPING Page 3
SHERI REGNIER PHOTO
Jim and Jean Seminiuk have raised a family and many animals on their two acre property adjacent to ATCO Wood Products. The couple is worried their idyllic lifestyle will end if the company expands operations to their property line.
Valley property owner worried over possible industrial expansion BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
A rural landowner is left feeling an industrial strength pinch after a neighbouring wood products company is making a pitch to move in next door. Since the early 1970’s Jim Seminiuk and wife Jean have raised two children and many animals on two acres of tranquil pasture, located just outside Fruitvale in Area A, adjacent to ATCO Wood Products on Hepburn Drive. “Our property is one of the best kept secrets in Fruitvale,” said Seminiuk. “After living here for 41 years with all the privacy in the world, we love our home and don’t want to move.” He is the last resident living on the road, which can only be accessed by driving through the ATCO operations. For years Seminiuk leased an ATCO lot adjacent to his property for one dollar a year “to make it legal” and main-
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tained an animal sanctuary for llamas, horses and natural wildlife in the area. After a neighbour who resided on the lot west of his property line passed away, the parcel of land was sold to ATCO. For a time, Seminiuk was appeased after he met with management at the veneer plant who assured him that the adjacent properties would only be used to store logs. “Things were going along just fine for a long time because we have barriers to noise and dust in place such as our barn and large chicken coop,” explained Seminiuk. “We were happy and enjoying our retirement.” That changed in July after Seminiuk received an unexpected phone call from a realty agency. “They said that ATCO is in a position to buy you out and we’d like to send somebody down to appraise your place.” He refused the offer.
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“It’s like a wildlife preserve here,” said Seminiuk. “We are not interested in selling and too old to uproot and move anywhere else. The situation escalated later in the month after a large yellow sign appeared near the top of his street posting ATCO’s intent to rezone the properties to industrial. “We hit panic mode,” said Seminiuk. Scott Weatherford, ATCO’s chief executive officer said in an email response to the Trail Times, “The purpose of our current rezoning application is to match the zoning classification of the ATCO owned subject properties that are currently zoned rural serviced, with the zoning classification of adjacent ATCO owned, industrial properties. “This will help ATCO remain an economically viable business in the future, by allowing the use of the subject See RDKB, Page 3
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