Re: Abattoir heat pits councillor versus staff (News, June 22)
Murray Hull processed chickens and turkeys on his property for many years – humanely, safely and locally – until the provincial government changed its meat processing legislation a few years ago and shut him down. Daly’s comment that “until we know this guy (show some respect Coun. Daly, “Mr. Hull” or “this farmer” please) has a proper facility” seems to underestimate the amount of red tape and the number of government departments that have already been involved and have to be satisfied before the doors open.
If waste and wastewater management are a concern, I suggest we think laterally about the problem and recommend that Mr. Hull farm a large number of single-celled, anaerobic animals to help clean the water and waste on site and provide methane for heating the facility and water as a useful by-product.
As a small local poultry farmer, I very much look forward to being able to drive my 100 birds five kilometres to Hull’s new, properly licenced, humane abattoir, rather than drive over the Malahat at 5 a.m. 80 kilometres to near Duncan. We usually sell our chickens in less than 24 hours, so there definitely is demand on the Peninsula for locally grown, environmentally sound chicken and turkey. Let’s do what we can to make this abattoir happen, rather than criticizing those who are moving the project forward.
Joan Pashley
North Saanich