Editor:
My name is Tom Spiller. I’ve lived in Dodge Cove for most of 43 years. I’ve worked extensively right here saw milling, boat building and working out here in various commercial fisheries. I’ve raised a family and built a fine house and home here.
Living in such a place as Dodge Cove can be considerably less expensive than living in a town or city; much lower taxes, larger properties enabling functional vegetable gardens, ability to catch fish 10 minutes from my door and virtually free heat with driftwood that usually floats right onto my beach.
I’m now 63 years old and think that I should be able to retire in the fashion I’ve envisioned for many years. There’s not a retirement plan in the world that’s worth squat if one doesn’t have one’s health. The lifestyle we live by necessity in Dodge Cove is conductive to good health. Not everyone is capable or would want to live this way. I need to live this way.
Obviously, financial stability needs to be part of my retirement plan. Other than CPP and OAS I have no pension on the way. However, I have no mortgage or debts. I have a very small amount of savings plus the afore mentioned benefits of living in Dodge Cove relatively inexpensively.
It’s been proven and we know anyway that excessive, continual noise is detrimental to one’s health ... duuh. We already have a huge noisy container facility across the harbour from us. When the terminal was in the planning stage we were assured the noise levels in operation would be kept to an acceptable minimum … lies. At this phase of the terminal development there is a very seldom break in noise when there is no ship in. When the next phase is completed there will be no breaks.
An LNG facility will produce continuous noise from construction phase to the end of my life. Since summer of 2014 there have been many hours of helicopter operation to do with planning and site assessment of the proposed site immediately to the south of us. The noise is a severe impediment to normal conversation on the footpath which transits Dodge Cove. As the site has no road connection to Prince Rupert, helicopter traffic will be very frequent from construction and all through operation until the end of my days. We are directly downwind and under the plume of poison the facility will belch into our watershed and
gardens.
If I were allowed to live here without being subjected to this terrible nightmare I would reach an age where I might not want or be able to live the lifestyle here. When I decide to leave I would hope to realize enough of a return on my investment to assist living out the duration in modest
comfort.
How much will it be worth when it’s sitting in the middle of a noise and light polluted toxic cesspool?
Tom Spiller, Dodge Cove