Northern Daily News
Friday, January 11, 2002
Letter to the Editor
 
Kirkland Lakers don't appreciate being called stupid
 
To the editor:
 
It was with much dismay that I attended a meeting in Kirkland Lake, Saturday, Jan. 5, sponsored by the Temiskaming Federation of Agriculture (TFA) which was billed as an "Information Seminar" on the soil treatment facility proposed by Ben nett Environmental Inc.
 
While I appreciated the TFA's concerns and communications efforts, I felt compelled to leave after derogatory remarks aimed at the people of Kirkland Lake were made by the TFA-sponsored speaker, Prof. Paul Connett.
 
Prof. Connett labelled the people of this community as "dumb" for welcoming this project into the community.
 
Let me assure Prof. Connett and his followers that the people of Kirk land Lake are not dumb for wanting  to clean up the environment and they are not dumb for insisting that any facility locating here meet or exceed provincial standards, regulations and laws.
 
And they are certainly not dumb for facing up to the pollution issues which must be addressed and corrected.
 
The TA has apparently taken upon itself the responsibility for acting as the guardian of the environment in the entire district of Temiskaming.
 
That is most commendable.
 
With that in mind I am certain the people of Kirkland Lake would gladly join hands with them to deal with the many environmental issues facing the farming communities to the south.
 
My interpretation of the Saturday meeting is that it was a carefully crafted attempt to deflect attention from the agriculture industry which is coming under increasing scrutiny for the negative impact its manure, chemicals and drainage practices are having on the environment.
 
It must be remembered that the e-coli bacteria that infected Walkerton's water supply came from neither an incinerator nor a garbage dump.
 
In conclusion I can only say that it takes a great deal of arrogance to make a sweeping indictment on the intellectual level of any group of people.
 
I would much rather my children having the opportunity to develop intelligent environmental solutions in Northern Ontario, than having contaminated soils sit around the province untreated.
 
I think that is smart, not dumb.
 
Sincerely
 
Thomas Obradovich
Kirkland Lake