City residents mixed with government officials and industry consultants Monday, during the first busy day of an open house period on the proposed Ajax mine.

At least 60 people streamed through displays and spoke with consultants during the first hour of what is scheduled to be two days of activity.

The peak period for traffic at Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre was expected to be after 5 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.

In addition to more than a dozen consultants on hand were three security guards to keep the peace and two computer terminals to record comments. The terminals are available for those interested to make comments online to the provincial and federal environmental assessment offices.

“They’ve got it well together,” Aberdeen resident Dave Davies, one of the first people to go through the open house Monday staged by proponent KGHM-Ajax along with the federal and provincial governments.

Davies, who has lived in Aberdeen for 30 years, said he sees the mine “both ways.

“We need it and we don’t need it. There’s pros and cons.”

But another Aberdeen resident, Terry Kress, said he didn’t need to speak with consultants to make up his mind about the proposed low grade copper-gold deposit slated to be less than two kilometres from his home.

“I really can’t support it,” said Kress, a retired TNRD civil servant who worked in the mining industry before he joined municipal government.

That experience includes at the Samotosum Mine near Barriere, which has a long-term mineral leachate problem.

“I have concerns about noise, dust and groundwater,” said Kress. “I visualize Jacko Lake disappearing in a few years.”

Another South Shore resident, Len Piggin, said the lake — slated to be directly beside the enlarged Ajax pit — is an Interior treasure. The semi-retired City of Kamloops risk manager now works part time at Wholesale Sports, where he dispenses advices to tourists looking for the best local fishing hole.

“Where do I send them? Jacko, Six Mile and Edith.”

Despite his concerns about the lake as well as transport of ore on the Coquihalla Highway, Piggin said as a father of two he also worries about jobs for young people.

“If they can make a better living through mining, I’m for it.”

While they are on opposite sides, both Piggin and Kress spent time Monday speaking with consultants to get answers to technical questions.

Government officials are encouraging residents to submit comments on the draft application information requirements (AIR) — a kind of table of contents for environmental studies that will be conducted by consultants working for KGHM Ajax. Those comments can be made through the Provincial Information Centre website.

In addition to the two days of open house meetings, government officials have asked KGHM Ajax to hold a series of open mike meetings.

Residents at the meeting Monday typically spoke about concerns with dust, noise and blasting, but another Kamloops resident is seeking answers on what the mine will look like to City residents and visitors.

“I really want to know what they’re planning with visual impacts,” said Garnet Mierau, a professional forester by training who now does business and life coaching.

“They’ll generate a lot of waste. What will they do with it?”

In his forestry practice Mierau said he often worked in what’s known as visual resource management — making clearcuts and other harvesting blend with the landscape.

He wonders how Ajax will achieve that so close to Kamloops, particularly on the proposed tailings pile, estimated to rise several hundred metres.

“Will they make it a big lump or shape it to look like the local landscape? They have an opportunity to do a lot.”

Other City residents said all the consultants in the world can’t ease concerns a working mine is not suitable for the doorstep to the Tournament Capital.

“I don’t understand why it has to be so close,” said Linnea Davies. “There’s so many unknowns.”

cfortems@kamloopsnews.ca