Comments on: Protest expected at Glacier-Howser open house

By: Ken Cox

Ken Cox — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:39:52 +0000

David, are you implying that the East Kootenays are becoming more like a third world country simply because of rolling power outages? You should step outside and have a look around and tell us what you see. Does it even remotely resemble a third world country? So, you were out of power for a few hours, big deal. Seems more like an inconvenience than a slipping standard of living. Gee, maybe it’s even a blessing in disguise as folks had to find something else to do besides watching their big screen tvs or hacking away at their computers. Maybe a bit of forced conservation isn’t such a bad idea. Also I know several people who have very high standards of living and aren’t even connected to the power grid. Go figure!

By: Lynn

Lynn — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:36:29 +0000

There is a lot of passion in this situation with both sides of the situation adamant about their arguments. I just had this link sent to me and I think it will perhaps give a better picture. Our ideas of just what happened in meetings where we were not present has resulted in hot tempers flaring and we need to see for ourselves who was doing what. This video gives a pretty good illustration. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiMlYm3dRd8

By: david

david — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:05:57 +0000

I have to believe that what Larry is talking to Ken Cox when discussing the potential for something like Glacier Howse is the rolling power outage from a few days ago. Also, last nights resultant loss of power due to repairs for the system. This is caused by, among other things, over load of the system by not having 1. enough power to supply our needs and 2. not enough power lines to deliver the electricity to the people of our valley – Cranbrook to Golden.
Our valley was out of power for what? – 8 or 9 hours and then another hour plus last night.
That is a reduction in living standards immediate and local, caused by overtaxed overused power structures here in the province.
Solutions? conservation which we know people are not willing to do, more power generation, more power lines, shutting off street lights, scheduled power shutdowns every evening or alternative evenings.
These are things that South American countries are resorting to as we discuss this, to try and supply their low standard of living.
A lower standard of living without new power generation? It is happening right now.

By: Ken Cox

Ken Cox — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:45:15 +0000

Larry, I guess your noticing the use of extreme exaggeration being on the rise has worn off on you. Stating that stopping the Glacier-Howser project will result in a much lower standard of living is kinda over the top, don’t you think?

By: david

david — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:59:28 +0000

The problem with having any power line through any forested area Larry is that it allows access to four wheel drive vehicles, 4X4’s with it’s incumbant hunters and mud boggers into previously unlogged areas.
Part of the barrier to this particular valley system is that there is a major creek crossing which is currently unbridged if that is a word. As a consequence, the lazy hunter cannot access this particular area and do their subsequent shoot em up on the animals.
Also, without roads, there is no specified animal corridor manufactured that might or might not change animal movement from one drainage to another.

As to underground vs tower to tower, the concept apparently is to use the helicoters to drop the towers and string the lines without touching the vegetation and the resultant roads. Thereby leaving large a and long swaths between towers without any road system at all. With underground you are looking at 100% road access. Then you go back to the above.
It would be a truely innovative manner for restricting access to the boggers, 4X4’s and ATV hunters.

By: Larry Steward

Larry Steward — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:42:02 +0000

Ask Axor to come up with a cost estimate to underground some or all of the power lines. In my limited research on this subject it is possible to carry large voltages in wires with Pex (cross linked sheathing)encasement of the power lines. . Has a cost estimate been run by an independent estimating group to determine the cost comparison between undergrounding the power lines to a conventional tower supported system. Perhaps the visual impact could be reduced substantially. The article I read said that the undergrounding cost substantially more but I am not sure why this is. There are some advantages to undergrounding such as eliminating the electromotive field, hazard to helicopters and airplanes. There would some manholes which would be placed periodically along the lines so that any damaged power cables could be pulled and replaced. There would also need to be a gravel road to access the manholes and maintain the lines. The road would need to be built to the standards required for an all wheel drive truck that could carry large reels of power cable. A tower supported system would also need the same type of road as the underground system to maintain it. I believe the right of way required for the underground system would be much more narrow than the one wide ones we normally see for the one which has the galavanized steel towers. On the balance even if it is more expensive I believe the impact on the environment of the Purcells would be less. While my solution may or may not be practical I am making an attempt to work with the people proposing to do something and lessen the impact. I suggest that you people do the same instead of being Not in my backyard types. If you want a much lower standard of living go ahead and stop the project.

By: Mi Kai Lee

Mi Kai Lee — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:24:27 +0000

Paper, paper, paper! Rules, regulations, technicalities. Developers are as bad as bankers and lawyers. But what really matters is what’s in people’s hearts and what it’s like for everyone to live on this planet. We need to get our priorities straight. The ‘benefits’ to a minority are NOT more important than what’s valued and wanted by the majority — even if they think they are more intelligent than the masses and know what’s really best (ignoring the innate intelligence of all living creatures, including their fellow humans).

Ya, ya, I can hear you saying that more electricity benefits everyone — but it does not benefit them in the big picture because it impacts quality of life. Huge quantities of electricity to waste as you please are not an essential of life. Better perhaps to let the electricity supply run low, then maybe people will just do the obvious … use less. Because we can always use less, there is no big crisis in not producing more.

To those who are against this project I would say one thing. If you don’t want this thing in your back yard, then don’t push it into anyone else’s back yard. If you don’t allow the electricity to be produced here then you have a responsibility to make sure that your own personal consumption is not part of the problem. If your actions don’t match your rhetoric — i.e. if you don’t tame your own consumption — then you will be hard to take seriously. Like logging protesters who still expect to buy paper and lumber… the contradiction of words and actions is not credible.

To look at it another way, if Glacier-Howser would be developed only for people elsewhere to use, then you have a good complaint. But if you, the complainers, are also the consumers of electricity who are causing such a project to be needed, then my ears will become deaf to your words — even though I am personally against this project.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:18:34 +0000

If you’re prepared to listen we can work very cooperatively, but we won’t be going away. Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment

By: Mi Kai Lee

Mi Kai Lee — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:50:11 +0000

There was CBC coverage of the Kaslo meeting. I got this in an email from someone who attended -

“Well! That was some meeting in Kaslo, 1,117 people as Axor counted. The
energy in the air was electric… At meadow Ceek it was around 130, more sedate but very good questions.”