Staff from the provincial Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation will meet with Summerland council and staff in Summerland on Wednesday, Sept. 26 to discuss a proposed gravel pit operation.

The gravel pit location, at 27410 Garnet Valley Rd., was presented in an application notice in December, 2023. Since that time, numerous voices in the community and in the South Okanagan Similkameen have spoken out against this location.

The voices include Summerland鈥檚 mayor and council, the Penticton Indian Band, the Lower Similkameen Indian Band, the Summerland Chamber of Commerce, the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce, the BC Wildlife Federation and residents and businesses near the location.

Summerland mayor Doug Holmes said the meeting will allow council and staff to present their concerns to ministry staff.

However, a tour of the proposed site is not in the plans. The proposed gravel pit is on private property.

Holmes said the municipality is disappointed with the provincial decision to approve the gravel pit. Mayor and council have asked for an independent review of the decision.

鈥淲e believe there were flaws in the process,鈥� he said of the approval of the gravel pit.

Following the meeting, it will be up to the ministry to determine whether the decision is overturned.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all in the ministry鈥檚 hands,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll we can do it make our case.鈥�

This meeting is not the first time Summerland council and staff have raised the issue. At the recent Union of B.C. Municipalities conference, Summerland delegates had a meeting with Josie Osborne, who was the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation ahead of the election starting, to discuss the decision.

The timing of the meeting in Summerland comes days after the writ was dropped for the upcoming provincial election. The election is scheduled for Oct. 19.