Two years after raising concern about gravel trucks disturbing the peace and safety on Kettle Valley Road, Hope Ready Mix Ltd. wants to divert most of their truck traffic to Othello Road.
The company, which is owned by Jake Construction Ltd. (JC), filed a proposed “mine permit area for sand and gravel extraction” application to the Ministry of Mines, on Dec. 30, 2024. According to the plan, if approved the size of Hope Ready Mix’s mining, quarry, and gravel extraction/ operation will increase to 50 hectares.
Hope Ready Mix also intends to access the expanded area through Othello Road and divert most of their truck traffic through there. The trucks would go up towards the highway, similar to BlueTriton Brands’ trucks, to avoid traffic coming through town. And Hope Ready Mix would have access to this road, they said in their report, by November 2026.
While this is exciting news for Kettle Valley Road residents, council said they have some concerns regarding the future operations of the gravel pit and the permit. Specifically, they want to ensure that Hope Ready Mix’s mining operations will happen “in a responsible way that affects the least amount of people” in both Kettle Valley Road and the Hope community.
“The most intrusive part of that operation was clearly after the atmospheric river and then the pipeline construction, where there were many, many, more loads that came out of there on their temporary permit,” said Coun. Scott Medlock during Monday night’s (Jan. 13) council meeting.
“They say in their report that they work Monday to Friday, and Saturdays as needed. So, roughly 12 to 13 trucks at any of those five-day week operation.
“While I don’t live there, I would assume it would be tolerable. But they (Hope Ready Mix) had a lot more than that come out over the course of time, during the peak of 2022, which caused a lot of damage to the district’s infrastructure, road, and whatever is under there. So, my concern is the residents and making sure that they are looked after.”
On Aug. 30, 2022, The Hope Standard reported that, at the peak of any work day, as many as 60 gravel trucks drove down Kettle Valley Road in Hope per hour. This led to concerns about the trucks’ excessive use of engine brakes, speeding, and how insecure loads were leaving debris on the roadways.
Residents of Kettle Valley Road were also concerned by the dust left behind by the trucks, permeating the air and entering homes; a few of the residents in the Kettle Valley Road neighbourhood have health problems that makes breathing in the dust a major concern. For these residents, this meant being trapped in their homes, sometimes for weeks at a time, just to avoid the worst of the dust.
During the meeting, Medlock, who is in support of Hope Ready Mix being in and working in Hope, said he wants to see the company: include proper First Nation consultation (which they have included in their report so far); that the truck loads are monitored until the key haul road access (Othello Road access) is in place; ensure that access to Kettle Valley Road becomes “gated” or that it is only used by residents, service vehicles, and emergency vehicles; that the new access road is put in place well before November 2026; and that the province, who is the permit issuer, should be responsible to hold the permit holder (Hope Ready Mix) to account.
Medlock said he is especially concerned about the trucks being monitored as the extra traffic also brings other “safety concerns with speed, overloading, materials falling off, and damage to the district’s infrastructure.”
After laying out what he would like to see, Medlock asked if council would be willing to submit a council comment to Hope Ready Mix and to the Ministry of Mines before Jan. 29; the public has until Jan. 29, or 30 days from Dec. 30, 2024, to submit in their comments, thoughts, concerns, and questions to Hope Ready Mix about their application.
The rest of council unanimously agreed with Medlock to submit a council comment.
“We have taxpayers that we see in the community every single day, that maybe Hope Ready Mix don’t see, and these people are concerned about (the mining operation),” said Coun. Dusty Smith.
“They live here. They invest in their savings and in their properties, too. So, we got to figure a way that’s best for each person. I don’t think we can make everyone happy. But I think there’s a way to address some of the major concerns and then do some give and take over there.”
Coun. Heather Stewin also said its important to provide a comment as she feels the province “didn’t respond very quickly to the concerns of the residents.”
Council will come up with a draft letter that they will endorse during the next council meeting (Jan. 27).
In addition to council’s concerns, residents who live on Othello Road also expressed their own concerns about the trucks using their road to access the gravel pit. And at being at the mercy of JC owner Jake Klassen and “what he does on his private land.”
“We have no city road frontage whatsoever,” said one resident of Othello Road.
She, along with four other property owners, have found themselves responsible for maintaining the road that is their main access to their homes despite not owning it.
“We have a blanket easement. But it’s not our road,” she said. “What that has meant, it has been up to the five individuals who live there, excluding Jake, to try to manage that road which is not ours to manage.
“At the same time it’s quite dangerous. We’ve already had nearly two accidents at the the intersection of that, what we call the third driveway and Othello road itself, because when Trans Mountain came, they did not put it back in the same grade that it was before.”
According to the Othello Road residents, the road was put back at a steeper grade, which goes right to Othello Road, and has no flat surface to help vehicles slow down. This has been confirmed by Mayor Victor Smith, who visited the area recently.
Because of this, residents are worried that allowing Hope Ready Mix access through Othello Road will cause an increase in accidents, safety concerns, and further damage to the road which is also in need of repairs.
The public has until Jan. 29 to email in their comments to Hope Ready Mix at customercare@hopereadymix.ca. The public can also email the Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation at southwestminesdivision@gov.bc.ca.
A document detailing the nature of the permit, and what it would allow Hope Ready Mix to do, is also available at the Hope Library for anyone interested.
The next council meeting is on Jan. 27, at 7 p.m., at District Hall.
