Have you smelled that smell?
Depending on which way the wind is blowing and how spicy your dinner was, some of us have yet to even whiff the foul scent drifting west over Highway 99 from Harvest Power’s composting facility, while the lives of a few others are being impacted to the point hospitalization.
While researching and writing about the odours earlier this week (and I don’t mean to downplay the smell complaints) I was reminded of a classic Billy Connolly (Scots comedian) anecdote, which suggested a certain Scottish town — Kirkcaldy, in Fife — should change its name to “What’s That Freakin’ Smell?” (Or words to that effect)
Apparently, and I take this with a fistful of salt, those words were frequently spluttered the second folks disembarked the train at Kirkcaldy which was, in the ‘80s, known globally for the production of linoleum, resulting in an eye-watering chemical odour hanging over the historic town.
Fingers crossed, a similar fate doesn’t await travellers from YVR alighting at Canada Line’s Bridgeport station; although, given the cosmopolitan clientele funnelling from the airport, their renaming exploits would be a darn sight softer on the ear than Connolly’s.
Suffice to say, some people are more sensitive to sights, sounds and, of course, smells than others.
The News received several calls and emails over the last week or so from those seemingly most affected by the Harvest Power pong.
Yet myself, having worked in Richmond for seven years, and two Richmondite newsroom colleagues have only twice between us detected even a hint of nastiness in the three years since high volumes of organic and green waste started to flood into the east Richmond facility.
Metro Vancouver has said it’s on the case — again — and will “negotiate” with Harvest to mitigate the odours to a point where as few people as possible are impacted.
Really?
Harvest hinted that, for now, this is as good as current technology and science will allow.
Yes, Harvest, based out of the good old U.S. of A., is not just doing this for the sake of the planet; they are a business, after all, and turn a very healthy profit.
But there’s a price to pay for throwing it into reverse and changing the destination and ultimate journey for our leftovers.
I just hope the cost of the good things going on at No. 7 and Blundell roads is not so great that people’s lives will slam into a smelly brick wall and that the odours can be reduced to an absolute minimum.
Alan Campbell is a staff reporter at the Richmond News. Reach him at [email protected].
