Council will vote on whether it should adopt the eight points laid out by the David Suzuki Foundation’s Blue Dot Project.
A delegation at last Tuesday’s council urged council to adopt the Rights to a Healthy Environment points. They said it was the project’s goal to enshrine them in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The local group supporting the project had collected 155 pledges as of last week. The delegation also encouraged council to support the proposal at the Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting next week.
Wording of the declaration came after consultation with Chief John Ridsdale (Namoks) from the Office of the Wet’suwet’en, a level of aboriginal participation the delegation described as unique.
“We can’t live without clean air, water and soil. What about our children and grandchildren? What’s more important than that?” implored delegate Cindy Savage, pointing out to council that Vanderhoof is already on board.
Smithers Mayor Taylor Bachrach said he would be supporting the declaration.
“I don’t believe a statement of values like the resolution we’ve been presented with precludes tough decisions that involve trade-offs,” said Bachrach when asked about how it would affect decisions like the approval of the NewPro pellet plant that members of the Blue Dot Project opposed.
“In many ways I think it’s a no-brainer,” said Bachrach.