Frustration over a provincial decision on a gravel pit has led Summerland council to draft a resolution to address the decision-making process.

At the Summerland council meeting on Jan. 21, council approved a resolution which will be presented to the Southern Interior Local Government Association.

The resolution calls on the Union of B.C. Municipalities to request the province to require statutory decision makers 鈥渢o work with local governments to resolve conflicts, prior to approving aggregate activities under a Mines Act permit, whenever a proposed activity does not conform to existing local government zoning.鈥�

In 2024, the provincial Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation approved an application for a gravel operation in the Garnet Valley area of Summerland.

This approval was granted despite opposition from Summerland council, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, the Summerland Chamber of Commerce, Indigenous bands in the region and residents and business owners near the site.

While the site, at 27410 Garnet Valley Rd., is within Summerland鈥檚 municipal boundaries, the approval was made by the ministry, not by the municipality.

Summerland mayor Doug Holmes said the ministry did not follow its own guidelines in making the decision to approve the gravel pit.

鈥淭here were flaws in the process,鈥� he said in late September, after the decision had been made. 鈥淲e want the province to address these flaws.鈥�

Members of council and municipal staff remain disappointed with the way the ministry acted at the time.

鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 even talk to us,鈥� Holmes said. 鈥淣ot even giving us a phone call is not working with us. Anything鈥檚 better than what they did.鈥�

While Holmes and Summerland council have criticized the approval process, Nini Long, executive director of the regional operations branch with the ministry, said the process was followed.

鈥淎ll relevant factors that are within the scope of the Mines Act, were reviewed and considered,鈥� she said in a letter to Holmes, dated Oct. 25. 

The resolution will be brought to the Southern Interior Local Government Association鈥檚 convention, which will be held in Merritt from April 29 to May 2.

Resolutions from this convention will be brought forward to the Union of B.C. Municipalities, which will hold its convention in late September.