Opponents of a gravel pit on Westside Road are smiling.
The Westbank First Nation and the band's partner Canadian Aggregates turned down the conditions required by the B.C. government to build the quarry near Fintry. A government official said in a statement Tuesday the band and private company rejected the terms.
"The client did not accept the conditions of our offer," said Peter Lishman, regional director of resource authorizations for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. He did not elaborate.
The consortium proposed building the gravel pit on Crown land just south of La Casa resort near Fintry. People living in the area have lobbied against the project for more than three years.
Residents argued the narrow, winding road is unsuitable for large gravel trucks, and approving the project would be dangerous to motorists.
Some objected to locating the gravel pit by Fintry Protected Area, a sensitive ecosystem. Many feared more than 40 dump trucks would drive the road each day, kicking up dust, making noise and navigating sharp corners.
People in Carrs Landing and other residents in Lake Country were worried dust and diesel fumes would drift across Okanagan Lake.
"We're very relieved," said Diane Baldwin of the North Westside Ratepayers Association. "Because it's a narrow road, there's hardly room for two normal vehicles to pass, let alone a
motor home and a dump truck."