Residents took to the streets Wednesday afternoon in a peaceful protest march up Mason Road to Pan Pacific Aggregates' gate.
The crowd of a couple hundred people of all ages sang "This Land is Your Land" and chanted "PPA go away," while waving their signs against the mine.
Resident Jan Williams led the march and introduced speakers once they reached Heritage Road, just before the gate. Music boomed over the set-up speaker system, getting the crowd dancing.
"Are we awake?" Williams shouted in the microphone, and the crowd yelled yes.
The first speaker, Kuna Sekaren, a financial planner, talked about the mine's impact on real estate.
Next, resident Sue Leather urged the crowd to keep asking questions and writing letters.
The Sechelt Indian Band's land claims co-ordinator, councillor Robert Joe, spoke about the government's and Pan Pacific's lack of consultation with the band, as well as their rights and title issues. "They're hoodwinking us. They're buffaloing us. They're undermining us," Joe said. "All this land that's here, we're going to fight for it."
Daniel Bouman, executive director of the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association, said the mine affects everyone, no matter where they live. He called for the need for a sustainable resource management plan.
"I believe without any doubt or hesitation the public is powerful," Bouman said.
The crowd continued to the gate, where they stuck their signs. Some went around the gate and stuck signs next to a Pan Pacific sign on the other side. One woman tied a surgical mask to the gate, calling for clean air.
The Clean Air Society's Rosemary Holmes-Smith participated in the protest in her wheelchair. She had her oxygen with her, as she suffers from asthma. She said air pollution is the biggest cause of asthma.
"We are very, very strongly representing the health issues," she said. "What they're crushing is toxic."
The march started just after 2 and wrapped up at 3:30 p.m. No one from Pan Pacific was around during the demonstration.
Afterwards, people planned to head to Pan Pacific's open house in Halfmoon Bay with their signs. Pan Pacific's open houses in Gibsons, Roberts Creek and Pender Harbour this week and last showed low attendance, with numbers below 20 people over the four hours and even fewer written comments.
Pan Pacific spokesperson Gayle Bukowsky released a community update July 22 announcing that blasting and crushing, the source of the noise complaints, would end Aug. 5 when the exploration program ends. The next stage in the mine plan is the conceptual engineering and design phase. She hopes to have the plan ready in November, when the company will consult the community about the plan.
Pan Pacific also announced its community forum will be Aug. 10 at the Sechelt Seniors' Centre, from 7 to 9 p.m., with an open house from 6 to 7. Panelists will be three Pan Pacific speakers, Cal Mark, Richard Pope and either Don Nicholson or Alan Whitehead. Graeme McLaren will also be on the panel representing the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. Then the floor will be opened for questions.
Also this week, the District of Sechelt passed a motion supporting the Sunshine Coast Regional District's actions taken against Pan Pacific with regards to zoning and land use. The motion at the July 26 public works committee meeting also stated "that the District shares the concerns of local area residents regarding noise and dust generation from the mining activities having significant impacts on their quality of life." As well, the council supports the need for a public meeting.
