Dear Editor,
At this time many people are eager to get their yards on the way to beautiful.
We were going to do ours when a huge dark grey cloud of smoke (also witnessed by our next door neighbour) came rolling through our backyard ending any thoughts of working outside.
I not only asked the person to please stop but also offered to take her organic yard waste to where it could be disposed of properly.
Our town has provided many helpful options for getting rid of outdoor waste other than burning.
There are many people who are immuno-compromised and suffer with asthma, lung problems, cancer and other respiratory conditions.
In our house we have two people who have very serious asthmatic problems - a mother who is undergoing cancer treatments and who is very allergic to smoke.
The town bylaws concerning outdoor fires state: “The fire must use clean and dry burning materials that do not contain any preservatives.
Any embers, sparks or smoke must not endanger any person or property, or bother anyone on the nearby properties.”
A bylaw officer was notified. By the time he arrived the fire was redirected toward other houses but was still burning. We drove to the mountains to get away from the smoke and returned at 6 p.m. to find that the fire which was started before noon was still burning with the smell of smoke still in the air.
Please residents of Okotoks be kind and considerate at this very trying time when we are all so concerned about being healthy and safe. Please BAG DON’T BURN.
P.S. Sheelagh Mathews column entitled It’s a New World in the April 29th edition of the Western Wheel contains some excellent points finishing with - “Again, it’s up to us.”
Linda Woodruff
Okotoks
