This morning I was at City Hall to make a presentation to the Mayor and Council concerning the proposed location for the Olywest Hog Plant. There was a large crowd of Winnipeggers who are opposed to locating this plant in the St. Boniface Industrial Park. This site is very close to high tech businesses like Vita Health which may relocate if the Hog Plant proceeds at this location.
I am opposed to this location for the Hog Plant, and see a better option is for the Olywest Plant to locate at an Agri-Industrial Park ourside of Winnipeg - in a similar fashion to the Hog Plants in Neepawa and Brandon which are located outside the urban areas.
For the record, my full presentation is below:
"I speak today in opposition to the current location for the Olywest Hog Processing plant.
I am not opposed to the plant itself. I believe it should be located outside of the City of Winnipeg not inside. I believe a good location outside the city in an Agri-Industrial Park can be a win-win for all, while the location in the St. Boniface Industrial Park may be a lose-lose for all.
In my role as MLA for River Heights and Leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party, I have listened to hundreds of Winnipeggers who oppose this project. I have received over a thousand names in the form of petitions opposing locating the plant within Winnipeg. I believe that Manitobans have a right to live in areas that are clear of pollution, clear of smell and clear of environmental hazards and then to not have those conditions arbitrarily changed by government after people have already bought homes, started families, and have roots firmly planted in the community.
People living in Winnipeg should have the opportunity to enjoy bike paths, parks, and neighborhood barbeques. These are some of the best selling-features of our city and province: our quality of life. Whether a person lives in River Heights, Fort Garry, Transcona, Southdale or Windsor Park we all should enjoy a clean and green Winnipeg.
Let me stress that my decision to oppose the location of the Olywest plant is not a knee-jerk response; it is one that was made with careful consideration and consultation of both sides of the issue. There is not sufficient basis to believe there will not be an odor problem. This area of Winnipeg already suffers to some degree from odor problems from the existing rendering plant and the mushroom factory.
Indeed, the current odor problems should be cleaned up rather than putting new odour problems in our city. The bottom line is people living in the City of Winnipeg should be able to go outside in their backyard, enjoy a BBQ, play with their children and enjoy our great city!
I do not believe that hog processing plants should be located directly within urban areas of Manitoba. I have visited both the City of Brandon and the Town of Neepawa and both have hog plants that are located outside the major urban area. Residents in Winnipeg should be treated no less well than residents of Brandon or Neepawa.
And while the hog plant in Neepawa itself is largely not a problem there is a definite problem with sewage treatment. There have been problems right from the beginning in 1988 and the problems have not been addressed to this day. Residents tell me that it is the improper treatment of the sewage that creates air quality problems. This is a classic example of the Doer NDP record: they are not to be trusted with projects of this nature. I’ve watched Gary Doer sit passively in the Legislature for 6 years and they have proven themselves unfit as effective stewards of Manitoba’s environment.
I would like to emphasize that a key point remains that the local residents – those most greatly impacted – were not properly consulted. The businesses in the area were not properly consulted, and Manitobans in general were not properly consulted before this deal was brokered by the provincial NDP behind closed doors.
Winnipeg should not become synonymous with living by a hog plant. The public outcry against the location for this site is undeniable. I urge council to remember the citizens they represent, the citizens that are here today. Let’s keep our city so that no matter where you live you can go outside into your yard or to a nearby park with your family, your children, your friends, your neighbours, and enjoy what living in Winnipeg and Manitoba is all about.
