Here it is the beginning of winter and I find myself stewing over noxious invasive plants, poor quality road marker paint and bio solids being spread on fields in the Big Bar Area.
Let’s start with the invasive plants. Every load of sand that Interior Roads spreads on the highway comes from a MOTI (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure) pit. If there are weeds or invasive plants in those pits that have gone to seed (extremely likely) then those seeds are included in the sand that makes our roads safer to drive on each winter. The seeds end up on the roadsides, germinate and there we have more weeds each year.
Instead of trying to treat the weeds on the roadsides every year with varied success, why aren’t we treating the weeds in the Ministry’s pits? I encourage you to request that answer from your MOTI Minister Todd Stone, Kamloops - South Thompson Constituency Office, 446 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC, V2C 2A7, or email:Todd.Stone.MLA@leg.bc.ca . You could also try the Minister of Environment, the Honourable Mary Polak, PO Box 9047 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria BC V8W 9E2 or email env.minister@gov.bc.ca .
Next, I’m sure that we’ve all noticed that the marker paint on our roads is inadequate in both the reflective quality and longevity.
When MOTI Minister Todd Stone was asked why on earth we are using a product that is not only inferior but is endangering the lives of the travelling public, he passed the responsibility of the choice of road marker paint to the Federal Ministry of the Environment. So please, write or email MP Cathy McLeod and let her know that you are not satisfied with guessing where the centerline or edge of the road might be when travelling on rainy nights in unfamiliar areas. Write to MP Cathy McLeod, Room 406 Justice Building House of Commons, Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0A6 or email cathy.mcleod@parl.gc.ca .
On to Bio Solids being spread on fields in the Big Bar area, I have brought the subject to the attention of TNRD Environmental Services staff and the TNRD board of directors will be presented with a delegation to explain the process at our next workshop. There is great dissatisfaction coming from a group in the Nicola area as well, so I look forward to a very interesting workshop.
All is not gloom and doom though: it is the season for celebration and sharing and soon it will be the season of diet and exercise! I wish you all success in all your endeavours.
Sally Watson
TNRD Director, Area E