Residents of the small, unincorporated community of Giscome are divided over a proposed limestone quarry and lime plant near their homes.
Graymont's proposed lime plant would be located about one kilometre from Giscome, near the shore of Eaglet Lake - about 27 kilometres east-northeast of Prince George.
"We're not against industry, we're against where they put it," Giscome resident Melinda Halliday said. "It's right by the school. I don't see why they don't think it's going to effect the school children."
Halliday said she and her husband, whose family has lived in Giscome for about 50 years, think the company should build the lime processing plant at the quarry site, which is three kilometres further away from community.
"It might be good, it might not. But the location is an important factor," she said. "They don't live here. It's going to drop property values, not increase them."
Halliday said her husband has lung problems, and if the plant produces dust and air pollution it could force them to have to sell their business and move.
She said the proposed economic benefits don't justify the risk, in her mind.
"Twelve full time jobs? That's nothing," she said. "They're not even going to have an office here. It's going to be an ATCO trailer."
Giscome resident Alandra Hull said she's also concerned about the possible air quality problems, but supports Graymont bringing jobs to the community.
"I think it's great for everybody getting jobs," Hull said. "[But] I'm sure it's going to be dusty. My family runs loaders, I know it gets everywhere. Just having it so close to the school, it's not a nice feeling."
Longtime Giscome resident Joe Rositano said he has mixed feelings about the project.
"It might be good for the community," Rositano said. "[But] whenever there is some kind of industries, there is going to be some kind of fallout. They say you won't even know it's there. But it's that environmental and esthetic impact."
Tiani said if the project were located even a quarter mile further up Bateman Forest Service Road, it would be in a natural hollow out of site from Eaglet Lake.
"There is a family that moved up from the coast... every day that[the lime plant] is what their going to look at," he said.
The number of jobs created at the plant will be small, he said, and many will require specialized skills that many locals in Giscome don't have.
Ron Tiani no longer lives in Giscome, but still operates a farm there. He said he thinks the project could bring new residents and new investment back to the community.
"Nobody loves Giscome more than I do," he said. "I think it could put Giscome back on the map. But I don't live here, so I've got to respect the views of the people who live here."
Rositano said he's seen jobs and people leave the community, and the project has the potential to bring back some of both.
"If you bring a big company in, maybe they'll put some money into the community," he said. "I'm sure Graymont would be a good neighbour."
For Eaglet Lake resident Jean Bellavance, the project could mean a steady job close to home.
"I'd rather see the quarry go in there, provided they don't hurt the lake," Bellavance said. "There is pros and cons to all these kinds of things, but we could use the economy."
He said when he first moved out to Eaglet Lake in 2001, it was rare to see people camping on the side of the lake because "there was too much logging traffic."
"If we don't keep things working out here - I mean logging is pretty much dead out here," he said.
Prince George resident Linda Marshall was camping with her family at Eaglet Lake on Saturday -something she has done many times over the years. Marshall said she was unaware of the proposed lime plant located just across the lake from her chosen camp ground.
"That probably wouldn't be very good," she said. "I come out here to breath. I like it, it's nice and quiet."
During a month-long initial public consultation process ahead of setting information requirements for the project, the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office received five written submissions regarding the project.
Two of the submissions were strongly opposed to the project, two were in favour and one raised concerns about the potential greenhouse gas emissions. The names of the submitters were withheld in the public report.
In addition, on May 12 the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George held a public consultation meeting on a proposed rezoning of the site designated for the lime plant.
During the meeting, Eaglet Lake residents Paul and Tracy Hodgson raised concerns about their loss of view - being located less than a kilometre from the proposed lime plant across the lake.
Nature and hunting guide Scott Pichette said his guiding territory will be directly effected by the construction of the plant.
While Ray Brown and Darcy Tiani raised concerns about the land being taken out of the Agricultural Land Reserve, with Tiani suggesting the plant be moved to the quarry site.
At its May 29 meeting, the regional district board postponed a decision on the rezoning of the Graymont plant site, pending the EAO issuing environmental approval.
"This is devastating to us," Tracy Hodgson said, according to a regional district report on the meeting. "Why do I have to look at a kiln for the rest of my life?"
Note: When this story was first posted online, the names and comments of Ron Tiani and Joe Rositano were incorrectly attributed to the other.
