Residents in the Rural Municipality of Moose Jaw have started a petition urging Moose Jaw’s city council and the RM of Moose Jaw council to reject the proposed landfill location near Highway 2.
This petition matters because rural residents are “deeply concerned” about the proposed dump north of Canada’s Most Notorious City, while many area families are distressed since the location threatens not only their “peaceful way of life” but also the environment, said Krysta Wickenhauser, who started the petition on Change.org on Dec. 10, 2023.
As of Jan. 8, the petition had acquired 445 signatures out of the needed 500.
The proposed location will increase traffic and make Highway 2 even busier, while, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, dumps create “dirty, smelly environments that can have detrimental effects on health,” said Wickenhauser.
Furthermore, the World Health Organization says smoke from waste burning can cause respiratory problems, especially among children, while farms should be places where residents can raise healthy families without having to worry about air quality or unpleasant odours, she continued.
“We urge city officials to consider these impacts on our community before making a decision that could change the face of (the RM of) Moose Jaw No. 161 forever,” Wickenhauser wrote.
She encouraged people to sign the petition to urge city officials to reject the proposed site for the sake of rural families’ health and well-being and to preserve “the serene environment we have come to love right outside Moose Jaw’s doors.”
Seven people who signed the petition also left comments on the page.
David Jones said his farm — used for more than four generations by farmers who have been good land stewards and conscientious of the community — is less than one kilometre from the site. He noted that consulting firm Scott Land & Lease sent him an unsolicited offer for 128 hectares (320 acres) but would not disclose how the land would be used.
“We thus presumed it would not be developed into something desirable, so we refused to sell. We were not told about this purchase or plans to develop these parcels into a landfill until (December),” Jones said.
“This dump will have a deleterious effect on our land, those who live on our farm, and our farming community.”
Jason Everitt said people shouldn’t take this project lightly since it requires extensive consultations with affected communities and neighbourhoods. However, he noted that no consultations have yet happened.
“This facility, once built, will be there for generations and potentially create an unfortunate legacy to those living in the area,” he said. “Hit ‘pause’ on this project until such time that extensive community consultation has occurred and the concerns of affected residents are adequately addressed.”
Jim Soper was blunt in his comments about the proposed landfill.
“This is truly the dumbest thing I’ve heard. Some of the best land around Moose Jaw, and you want to build a dump there without at least consulting anyone that could be affected?” he said. “Time for a new crew (on) the RM (council), one who supports the RM residents who pay the taxes.”
Meanwhile, Louanne Richards said the proposed dump is too close to the city and could affect future growth. Furthermore, she doubted that northern city neighbourhoods — such as Sunningdale and VLA — wanted the new location nearby since it could cause problems with physical or odorous pollution.
This article is the first in a series of articles about this topic.
(Editor's note: This story has been updated to better reflect the petitioner's request.)
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