BEAVER BANK: The premier said the province “continues to be open to different solutions” when it comes to keeping the treated effluent from going into Lake Thomas from the Carr Farm Development.
Premier Tim Houston spoke to The Laker News on upwards of six questions in our 10-minute interview inside Brown Hall on Tuesday afternoon July 9.
The interview came before he and MLA Brian Wong met and talked with members of the Beaver Bank Awareness Association and the Woodbine Community Nonprofit society. It was one of several tops during a tour throughout Waverley, Fall River, and Beaver Bank.
Houston and Wong were door knocking in Windsor Junction; stopped by Cheema to wish Olympian Sloan MacKenzie well; and also visited Station 45 Fall River volunteer firefighters shortly after supper.
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At Brown Hall, Houston was asked about an update on the progress of the Carr Farm development, which for some is very contentious, and about concerns raised by residents regarding the treated effluent going into Lake Thomas.
The Laker News had reported on previous stories where both MLA Wong and MP Darrell Samson indicated if there was a better way to keep the treated effluent out of Lake Thomas, they would look at that further.
In a Sept. 28, 2023, article The Laker News did, Wong indicated if the developer had wanted the effluent to go through the municipal system and if this was preferred by the community, then he was willing to explore that option and work with his municipal and provincial counterparts.
In another story, MP Samson had said he would prefer a better way to keep the treated effluent out of the lake.
SEPT. 28, 2023: MLA WONG: https://thelaker.ca/information-from-the-carr-farm-qa-pamphlet-from-mla-wong-nsecc/
JULY 26, 2023: MP SAMSON: https://thelaker.ca/samson-supports-carr-farm-project-favours-better-way-to-keep-treated-effluent-out-of-lake-thomas/
The Laker News asked Houston if either of those are something that the province would support or look into, and if so what would need to be done to see this take to its next step.
“Yes we continue to be open to different solutions and options and work with the community and talk to the community,” said Houston.
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Houston said that was one of the reasons he was in the are was to speak with the residents about.
Residents on Thomas Lane, among those who will be most impacted, and those on a concerned community group confirmed they were not spoken with during the visit. They also sent a letter to MLA Wong expressing disappointment that he was in the area but did not meet with them.
The premier said that developments, like the Carr Farm, are private developments.
“Once applications come forward, they’ll be properly scrutinized from environmental impact, scientific impact,” he said. “There’s a number of steps that any proposal would have to go through.
“When we get proposals from proponents like the developers, we’ll look at those.
“We’re open to … We want what’s best for the community and what’s best for the environment. So we’re always open minded on these things.”
