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Legal questions delay Buffalo Lake review By ANDREA MAYNARD of The Advocate Legal questions are helping delay the federal review of the Buffalo Lake water stabilization plan. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has already spent six months judging whether the $ 13- million plan to raise the level of the lake needs a full en­vironmental assessment. It is unusual for the process to take so long and no one knows how much longer it could last, said Jeff Stein, director of the resource impact section of Fish­eries and Oceans. " We're looking at it from a legal perspective now. There are some problems with it," he said. What jurisdiction the federal government has over provincial projects is one legal issue, Mr. Stein acknowledged. The Alberta government took the federal government to the Supreme Court of Canada to challenge the federal environ­mental review process in the Oldman River Dam case. The case was heard on Feb. 19 and 20. No decision has been released. Alberta Environment spokes­man Lee Funke says the project is continuing despite the federal screening. About 20 km of channels have been dug in Parlby Creek to carry water from the Red Deer River to the lake. Mr. Funke said the province is supplying the federal govern­ment with requested informa­tion. The final phase of the project still requires provincial licences under the Water Resources Act. The stabilization plan will raise the level of Buffalo Lake in Premier Don Getty's riding by about half a metre.

Legal questions delay Buffalo Lake review By ANDREA MAYNARD of The Advocate Legal questions are helping delay the federal review of the Buffalo Lake water stabilization plan. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has already spent six months judging whether the $ 13- million plan to raise the level of the lake needs a full en­vironmental assessment. It is unusual for the process to take so long and no one knows how much longer it could last, said Jeff Stein, director of the resource impact section of Fish­eries and Oceans. " We're looking at it from a legal perspective now. There are some problems with it," he said. What jurisdiction the federal government has over provincial projects is one legal issue, Mr. Stein acknowledged. The Alberta government took the federal government to the Supreme Court of Canada to challenge the federal environ­mental review process in the Oldman River Dam case. The case was heard on Feb. 19 and 20. No decision has been released. Alberta Environment spokes­man Lee Funke says the project is continuing despite the federal screening. About 20 km of channels have been dug in Parlby Creek to carry water from the Red Deer River to the lake. Mr. Funke said the province is supplying the federal govern­ment with requested informa­tion. The final phase of the project still requires provincial licences under the Water Resources Act. The stabilization plan will raise the level of Buffalo Lake in Premier Don Getty's riding by about half a metre.

Buffalo Lake stabilization raises fish kill concern By ANDREA MAYNARD of The Advocate Work on Buffalo Lake stablization may be killing fish, says a retired botanist who lives on the water's edge. An 11- km channel is now being finished to raise the level of Buffalo Lake with water from the Red Deer River. But clouds of silt are filling the west side of the lake as the project nears com­pletion, says Charles Bird, who lives along Buffalo Lake. " It certainly bothers me," said Mr. Bird, a retired professor from the University of Calgary. " A lot of dirt is being carried into the lake and dumped there, and the govern­ment has never looked to see if it's good or bad," he said, adding that local fisher­men have told him there is a problem. Since excavating Parlby Creek to create better water channels began in 1988, more mud and silt has been moving down the the creek with spring runoff. " It gets really muddy in the spring. Muddy water isn't good water for fish to come up and spawn in." Mr. Bird has drafted several recommen­dations for the provincial government, which he will present to the public Thurs­day at Kerry Wood Nature Centre. One of his suggestions is to line the sides of Parlby Creek with fine gravel after it is excavated. That would reduce erosion, he said. " I'm not suggesting they stop the proj­ect — I'm saying let's have a look at these things." But Douglas Neis, Alberta Environ­ment construction inspector, said he hasn't noticed any erosion into the lake in recent years. There was erosion during Phase 1 of the project, which began in 1985, but it has since stabilized and vegetation in the creek has regrown. The initial channel work was close to Buffalo Lake, while the current project, Phase 4, is about IS km away, he said. " The channel is well upstream from the lake," said Mr. Neis. " There has been some erosion on the lower end of the channel but the remainder of the channel has been very stable." According to a government review board, the project will result in a " slight loss" of fish habitat. But a backflood device on Spotted Lake will increase spawning of northern pike, the review board said this summer. Low water levels have caused severe winter­kill among fish species in the lake. Work crews are now excavating the longest portion of Parlby Creek, from Hwy 50 to Alix. Initial work on an 11- km section should be complete in December, said project manager Ken Looten. Once the channels are finished, work will start on construction of a backflood structure to irrigate farmland and pro­vide flood control. In total, more than 20 km of channelling is included in the project. Mr. Bird's presentation will begin at 7: 30 p. m. on Thursday. Buffalo UKe stabilization project will bring Red Deer River water to the lake via Parlby Creek. Turning the creek into a channel will also provide water for irrigation. Buffalo Lake project Alix Graphic by GREG NEMAN T

Buffalo Lake stabilization raises fish kill concern By ANDREA MAYNARD of The Advocate Work on Buffalo Lake stablization may be killing fish, says a retired botanist who lives on the water's edge. An 11- km channel is now being finished to raise the level of Buffalo Lake with water from the Red Deer River. But clouds of silt are filling the west side of the lake as the project nears com­pletion, says Charles Bird, who lives along Buffalo Lake. " It certainly bothers me," said Mr. Bird, a retired professor from the University of Calgary. " A lot of dirt is being carried into the lake and dumped there, and the govern­ment has never looked to see if it's good or bad," he said, adding that local fisher­men have told him there is a problem. Since excavating Parlby Creek to create better water channels began in 1988, more mud and silt has been moving down the the creek with spring runoff. " It gets really muddy in the spring. Muddy water isn't good water for fish to come up and spawn in." Mr. Bird has drafted several recommen­dations for the provincial government, which he will present to the public Thurs­day at Kerry Wood Nature Centre. One of his suggestions is to line the sides of Parlby Creek with fine gravel after it is excavated. That would reduce erosion, he said. " I'm not suggesting they stop the proj­ect — I'm saying let's have a look at these things." But Douglas Neis, Alberta Environ­ment construction inspector, said he hasn't noticed any erosion into the lake in recent years. There was erosion during Phase 1 of the project, which began in 1985, but it has since stabilized and vegetation in the creek has regrown. The initial channel work was close to Buffalo Lake, while the current project, Phase 4, is about IS km away, he said. " The channel is well upstream from the lake," said Mr. Neis. " There has been some erosion on the lower end of the channel but the remainder of the channel has been very stable." According to a government review board, the project will result in a " slight loss" of fish habitat. But a backflood device on Spotted Lake will increase spawning of northern pike, the review board said this summer. Low water levels have caused severe winter­kill among fish species in the lake. Work crews are now excavating the longest portion of Parlby Creek, from Hwy 50 to Alix. Initial work on an 11- km section should be complete in December, said project manager Ken Looten. Once the channels are finished, work will start on construction of a backflood structure to irrigate farmland and pro­vide flood control. In total, more than 20 km of channelling is included in the project. Mr. Bird's presentation will begin at 7: 30 p. m. on Thursday. Buffalo UKe stabilization project will bring Red Deer River water to the lake via Parlby Creek. Turning the creek into a channel will also provide water for irrigation. Buffalo Lake project Alix Graphic by GREG NEMAN T

This paper reviews the scientific literature on water buffalo welfare in all stages of the live animal supply chain from the farm gate to slaughter (loading/unloading, markets, transportation, handling, lairage, stunning and slaughter) with the objective of identifying risk factors and potential mitigation strategies. Although in some countries legislation exists to protect the welfare of farm animals during transport and killing, the handling practices used to load and unload buffaloes and move them in livestock markets and abattoirs are often harsh. This is frequently due to inadequate equipment designed principally for cattle, and the fact that water buffaloes are considered more temperamental than cattle. Additionally, more reactive animals have increased stress responses to handling, which can lead to more negative human interventions with increased numbers of skin lesions and bruises to the carcasses. During transport, buffaloes may suffer periods of thermal stress due to overstocking, inadequate ventilation and because in many tropical climates trips are made during the hottest time of the day. The anatomical and physiological characteristics of water buffalo make them particularly susceptible to thermal stress in the absence of water for wallowing. Although water buffaloes belong to the same Bovidae family as domestic cattle, certain anatomical features of the head make effective stunning very problematic. Buffaloes have extensive sinuses and frontal bones, meaning that the penetrating captive bolt devices recommended for cattle may prove ineffective in reliably inducing unconsciousness. There is a need for further development of procedures, stunning positions and appropriate devices to improve the efficiency of buffalo stunning. Finally, in many parts of the world where buffalo are routinely slaughtered in basic conditions without prior stunning. Slaughter without stunning can result in pain and stress associated with delays in the time to loss of consciousness, pain from the cutting of the neck and potential distress associated with aspiration of blood into the respiratory tract. Specific legislation, guidelines and handler/stockman/operator training programmes should be developed to improve the welfare of buffaloes during all ante mortem stages of loading, unloading, handling, stunning and slaughter.

• Influenza cases have increased, but deaths have only increased by four over the previous day.• The total of the first eight days of the month is 469. These are divided into: 266 from influenza, 126 from lobar pneumonia, and 77 from broncho-pneumonia.• Teachers have been asked to assist in the campaign. They are to canvass houses in their districts and report on the frequency of illness.• The old Central High School building will become a temporary hospital with 1,000 beds. This is after consultation between Drs. Gram, -Meyer, and -Goodale and Superintendent Hartwell and Chairman Emerson. This action responds to hospital overcrowding concerns. The article reiterates the value of masks.• Reports show 1,717 new cases of influenza and 83 deaths by 11 p.m. the previous day. The deaths were: 57 from influenza, 17 from lobar pneumonia, and nine from broncho-pneumonia.• On Tuesday night 1,501 cases and 79 deaths had been reported.• On Monday night 1,861 cases and 61 deaths had been reported.• Dr. Gram has issued orders to barber shops, hotels, and restaurants to mask employees under penalty of closure. He has approved of a cheesecloth screen developed by Dr. Hourigan to place on a desk as a buffer between people conversing. Dr. Gram recommends a salt and water gargle or nasal spray.• The senior medical class at the University of Buffalo has been assigned to hospital work.• The Surgeon General has not granted physicians inducted into the army an extension to remain in Buffalo.• The article compares these figures with deaths from various causes in 1917.• Miscellaneous— Organizations have mobilized to care for homeless children orphaned by the epidemic. Motor corps girls who had been distributing anti-influenza educational materials had to suspend that work to transport patients. Teachers are requested to volunteer as nurses if possible. Two theater businessmen volunteered their employees and three trucks to work where necessary. Manufacturing plants have submitted information that workers who have worn masks have not developed influenza while employees without masks have-. Kiwanis members will continue to watch saloons to prevent them breaking the closing order. The article explains that telephoning is safer when wearing a mask or using a tissue paper cover. The article briefly discusses the situation in Detroit. Regular grave-digging staff have threatened to resign if penitentiary prisoners are used to fill a grave-digging labor shortage. 18,000 deaths have occurred so far in military camps. "18,000 Soldiers Dead," details salient information about this issue. A report on 30 cities detailed 6,123 deaths. New York authorities estimate not more than 100,000 cases. ; Newspaper article ; 1, 6

Buffalo Lake plan faces new review By ADRIENNE TANNER of The Advocate The controversial Buffalo Lake stabilization plan faces yet another environmental review — this time by the federal gov­ernment. Glen Hopky, a habitat biolo­gist at the federal Fresh Water Institute in Winnipeg, said the Fisheries and Oceans Depart­ment is screening the project, which proposes drawing water from the Red Deer River to sta­bilize Buffalo Lake. By law, the department must review all projects which could potentially affect fish habitat. Projects deemed to have signifi­cant environmental impact are then put before a full federal environmental review panel. " There are fish in the Red Deer River and in Buffalo Lake," Mr. Hopky said. The federal Transportation Department will also be in­volved in the screening. Mr. Hopky said a wide range of information, including a provincially- commissioned envi­ronmental impact study, will be used to assess the province's plans. Just as was the case with the Oldman dam, the federal envi­ronmental review on the Buf­falo Lake project is being con­ducted separately from all provincial reviews. And, once again, the federal review is judging a project which already has the province's blessing. A provincially- appointed three- member environmental review panel approved the Buf­falo Lake proposal Tuesday. And Alberta Environment Minister Ralph Klein said chances are good the $ 13- million project will go ahead. The province will likely allo­cate $ 1 million for engineering studies this year and complete the project next year, he said. New Democrat environment critic John Mclnnis said the two levels of government should have held a joint environmental review. " It doesn't make sense to have two reviews." Taxpayers will ultimately foot the bill to duplicate what's al­ready been done, he said. Rocky Mountain House envi­ronmentalist Dr. Martha Kos­tuch, who led the fight against the Oldman dam and opposes the Buffalo Lake project, said this time the province should wait for the outcome of the fed­eral review before starting work. " My hope is they ( the prov­ince) have learned a lesson and will not persist in breaking the law."

Buffalo Lake plan faces new review By ADRIENNE TANNER of The Advocate The controversial Buffalo Lake stabilization plan faces yet another environmental review — this time by the federal gov­ernment. Glen Hopky, a habitat biolo­gist at the federal Fresh Water Institute in Winnipeg, said the Fisheries and Oceans Depart­ment is screening the project, which proposes drawing water from the Red Deer River to sta­bilize Buffalo Lake. By law, the department must review all projects which could potentially affect fish habitat. Projects deemed to have signifi­cant environmental impact are then put before a full federal environmental review panel. " There are fish in the Red Deer River and in Buffalo Lake," Mr. Hopky said. The federal Transportation Department will also be in­volved in the screening. Mr. Hopky said a wide range of information, including a provincially- commissioned envi­ronmental impact study, will be used to assess the province's plans. Just as was the case with the Oldman dam, the federal envi­ronmental review on the Buf­falo Lake project is being con­ducted separately from all provincial reviews. And, once again, the federal review is judging a project which already has the province's blessing. A provincially- appointed three- member environmental review panel approved the Buf­falo Lake proposal Tuesday. And Alberta Environment Minister Ralph Klein said chances are good the $ 13- million project will go ahead. The province will likely allo­cate $ 1 million for engineering studies this year and complete the project next year, he said. New Democrat environment critic John Mclnnis said the two levels of government should have held a joint environmental review. " It doesn't make sense to have two reviews." Taxpayers will ultimately foot the bill to duplicate what's al­ready been done, he said. Rocky Mountain House envi­ronmentalist Dr. Martha Kos­tuch, who led the fight against the Oldman dam and opposes the Buffalo Lake project, said this time the province should wait for the outcome of the fed­eral review before starting work. " My hope is they ( the prov­ince) have learned a lesson and will not persist in breaking the law."

The Edmonton Journal, Tuesday, May 21,1991 A7 Tribunal begins hearings on Buffalo Lake scheme Premier owns 7- acre parcel near shore of lake RICHARD HELM Journal Staff Writer Edmonton A plan to raise and stabilize the water level of Buffalo Lake, near Premier Don Getty's home, faces its final public hearings, beginning today. Twenty- two groups and individu­als have registered to speak before a government- appointed tribunal which will hold the two- day hear­ing at Alix, 60 km northeast of Red Deer and just a short drive from the lake. Don Thorne, the former mayor of Lacombe who was selected by Environment Minister Ralph Klein to chair the board, said he expects another dozen submissions will be read into the record. The $ 13- million water- stabili­zation scheme has had an on- again, off- again history because of con­flicting environmental assessments. The project would involve pump­ing water from the Red Deer River through a pipeline and canal to Alix Lake, and then via an upgraded local creek into Buffalo Lake. Its purpose is to improve the rec­reational capacity of the lake, whose water level has fluctuated for years, and provide an assured water supply to the villages of Alix and Mirror. Although he is a businessman from nearby Lacombe, Thorne says he is " sqeaky clean" and has no in­terest in whether the lake project proceeds or not. " I'm straight down the middle, I'm taking the view that would be expected of a chairman of such a hearing," Thorne said. " The financial impact on La­combe would be so minimal; it wouldn't be noticed at all. It doesn't put me into any sense of conflict whatsoever." A private consultant's study re­leased in February estimated the economic benefits of the lake plan at about $ 2 million less than the project's costs. The study by Environmental Management Associates was an update of an earlier report which gave the plan environmental approval. The cost- benefit analysis in the study indicated most of the benefits, such as increased prop­erty value because of a closer waterfront, would go to the present and future cottage owners near the lake. Getty, who built a hilltop home a few kilometres from the lake after winning the Stettler byelection last year, has since purchased a seven-acre subdivided parcel of land near the south shore of the lake. The Environmental Management Associates' plan reversed an earlier environmental study by finding that water diversion is not likely to stimulate algae growth in the lake, as had been feared. When Klein appointed the three-member review board in March, he said the hearings would try to ad­here to the guidelines used by the province's new Natural Resources Conservation Board. Thorne said he plans to keep the hearings " extremely informal" and expects the board will start compil­ing its report within two days of their conclusion. He hopes to re­port to Klein by mid- June. The scheduled presenters in­clude councillors and officials from surrounding communities, includ­ing Stettler, Rockland Bay, Rochon Sands, Alix and Mirror. Martha Kostuch, an environmentalist, says she doubts she'll be dwelling on the environ­mental drawbacks of the proposal. She said she has questions about the whole review process and the way in which the project was resur­rected. " My general feeling is that it's a foolish project," Kostuch said.

The Edmonton Journal, Tuesday, May 21,1991 A7 Tribunal begins hearings on Buffalo Lake scheme Premier owns 7- acre parcel near shore of lake RICHARD HELM Journal Staff Writer Edmonton A plan to raise and stabilize the water level of Buffalo Lake, near Premier Don Getty's home, faces its final public hearings, beginning today. Twenty- two groups and individu­als have registered to speak before a government- appointed tribunal which will hold the two- day hear­ing at Alix, 60 km northeast of Red Deer and just a short drive from the lake. Don Thorne, the former mayor of Lacombe who was selected by Environment Minister Ralph Klein to chair the board, said he expects another dozen submissions will be read into the record. The $ 13- million water- stabili­zation scheme has had an on- again, off- again history because of con­flicting environmental assessments. The project would involve pump­ing water from the Red Deer River through a pipeline and canal to Alix Lake, and then via an upgraded local creek into Buffalo Lake. Its purpose is to improve the rec­reational capacity of the lake, whose water level has fluctuated for years, and provide an assured water supply to the villages of Alix and Mirror. Although he is a businessman from nearby Lacombe, Thorne says he is " sqeaky clean" and has no in­terest in whether the lake project proceeds or not. " I'm straight down the middle, I'm taking the view that would be expected of a chairman of such a hearing," Thorne said. " The financial impact on La­combe would be so minimal; it wouldn't be noticed at all. It doesn't put me into any sense of conflict whatsoever." A private consultant's study re­leased in February estimated the economic benefits of the lake plan at about $ 2 million less than the project's costs. The study by Environmental Management Associates was an update of an earlier report which gave the plan environmental approval. The cost- benefit analysis in the study indicated most of the benefits, such as increased prop­erty value because of a closer waterfront, would go to the present and future cottage owners near the lake. Getty, who built a hilltop home a few kilometres from the lake after winning the Stettler byelection last year, has since purchased a seven-acre subdivided parcel of land near the south shore of the lake. The Environmental Management Associates' plan reversed an earlier environmental study by finding that water diversion is not likely to stimulate algae growth in the lake, as had been feared. When Klein appointed the three-member review board in March, he said the hearings would try to ad­here to the guidelines used by the province's new Natural Resources Conservation Board. Thorne said he plans to keep the hearings " extremely informal" and expects the board will start compil­ing its report within two days of their conclusion. He hopes to re­port to Klein by mid- June. The scheduled presenters in­clude councillors and officials from surrounding communities, includ­ing Stettler, Rockland Bay, Rochon Sands, Alix and Mirror. Martha Kostuch, an environmentalist, says she doubts she'll be dwelling on the environ­mental drawbacks of the proposal. She said she has questions about the whole review process and the way in which the project was resur­rected. " My general feeling is that it's a foolish project," Kostuch said.

Getty's arrival unconnected to Buffalo Lake fix The Journal's Dec. 31 editorial, Walking on the water, regarding Buffalo Lake was very misleading. You insinuated that Premier Don Getty changed all planning once he purchased land near it. There is considerable back­ground information that The Journal is evidently not familiar with. The urgent water and drainage problems of the Parlby Creek ba­sin have been grouped under the name of the Buffalo Lake Stabili­zation Project. The name is a mis­nomer; stabilization of Buffalo Lake is a spin- off when addres­sing the serious water supply situ­ations of Alix and Mirror, plus the long- standing flooding problems of hundreds of acres of prime hay land over the entire length of Parlby Creek. I have, for a number of years, been working very closely with officials from Alix, Mirror and " County of Lacombe to address these problems. The channellization part of this project began a few years ago, prior to Getty becoming premier. The next phase is under way • between Mirror and Alix. The fi- .• nal two phases between Alix and Tees, and Tees to Chain Lakes ( the creek headwaters) will be un­dertaken when funding is avail­able. - Stabilization of Buffalo Lake is a side benefit from the govern- : ment addressing two very serious problems that affected a large area of central Alberta for a num­ber of years. Ron Moore ML A, Lacombe I was appalled at an editorial -( Walking on the water) so degrad­ing and so empty of facts. • I have been a resident of the Buffalo Lake area for 59 years. My grandparents settled here in the early 1900s. Previous to that there were two large Indian set­tlements on this lake, complete with a Hudson Bay factor. Buffalo Lake was never a slough. At its normal level it is about 20 miles long and six or seven wide. It has almost 80 miles of shoreline and is the largest lake in central Alberta. In 1980, studies were positive to stabilization of the lake level. Now Premier Don Getty be­came our MLA and chose a spot in the proximity of Buffalo Lake and close to the highway so that he could commute to Edmonton. Now entered the opposition government parties and also the group ( Kill everything the govern­ment does) with the help of the media and a lot of false infor­mation. Our community has had a whole lot of unnecessary delays and pressures, as well as extra costs inflicted on it. Your editorial, and the accusa­tion of the NDP MLA against Getty, are totally out of order. He was not involved when this pro­ject began or when the govern­ment approved it; he is merely acting as our MLA, and so far is doing an excellent job. I have a large fng along the 80 miles of shoreline of Buffalositive article on this project. Angus Braseth Bashaw Chairman, Friends of Buffalo Lake

Getty's arrival unconnected to Buffalo Lake fix The Journal's Dec. 31 editorial, Walking on the water, regarding Buffalo Lake was very misleading. You insinuated that Premier Don Getty changed all planning once he purchased land near it. There is considerable back­ground information that The Journal is evidently not familiar with. The urgent water and drainage problems of the Parlby Creek ba­sin have been grouped under the name of the Buffalo Lake Stabili­zation Project. The name is a mis­nomer; stabilization of Buffalo Lake is a spin- off when addres­sing the serious water supply situ­ations of Alix and Mirror, plus the long- standing flooding problems of hundreds of acres of prime hay land over the entire length of Parlby Creek. I have, for a number of years, been working very closely with officials from Alix, Mirror and " County of Lacombe to address these problems. The channellization part of this project began a few years ago, prior to Getty becoming premier. The next phase is under way • between Mirror and Alix. The fi- .• nal two phases between Alix and Tees, and Tees to Chain Lakes ( the creek headwaters) will be un­dertaken when funding is avail­able. - Stabilization of Buffalo Lake is a side benefit from the govern- : ment addressing two very serious problems that affected a large area of central Alberta for a num­ber of years. Ron Moore ML A, Lacombe I was appalled at an editorial -( Walking on the water) so degrad­ing and so empty of facts. • I have been a resident of the Buffalo Lake area for 59 years. My grandparents settled here in the early 1900s. Previous to that there were two large Indian set­tlements on this lake, complete with a Hudson Bay factor. Buffalo Lake was never a slough. At its normal level it is about 20 miles long and six or seven wide. It has almost 80 miles of shoreline and is the largest lake in central Alberta. In 1980, studies were positive to stabilization of the lake level. Now Premier Don Getty be­came our MLA and chose a spot in the proximity of Buffalo Lake and close to the highway so that he could commute to Edmonton. Now entered the opposition government parties and also the group ( Kill everything the govern­ment does) with the help of the media and a lot of false infor­mation. Our community has had a whole lot of unnecessary delays and pressures, as well as extra costs inflicted on it. Your editorial, and the accusa­tion of the NDP MLA against Getty, are totally out of order. He was not involved when this pro­ject began or when the govern­ment approved it; he is merely acting as our MLA, and so far is doing an excellent job. I have a large fng along the 80 miles of shoreline of Buffalositive article on this project. Angus Braseth Bashaw Chairman, Friends of Buffalo Lake

Buffalo Lake a political blunder I skipped the legislature Monday and drove to Lac La Biche instead to take a first- hand look at a couple of things ( which I hope to write about soon). But question period was on CKUA so I listened in for a while. Hearing it on the radio caused a surge of relief— happiness about being free and out in the world. Most people around the legislature feel that way. The hallways are thick with the pleasant sensation of MLAs and observers rediscovering their humanity. A warped and vicious frame of mind sets in after about two or three weeks of any session. People start to act like over­crowded laboratory rats — lots of biting and clawing; strange obsessions such as Treasurer Dick Johnston's insistence on calling the NDP " Marxist- Leninists." Suspicion creeps in everywhere. Even the public gets into a bad mood. The mail recently brought a clipped newspaper advertisement for a travel out­fit called Elzinga Adventure. The corre­spondent theorized that Economic Devel­opment Minister Peter Elzinga had started a business with heritage fund mon­ey. As it turns out, his nephew owns it, but that's a far cry from the reader's first thought. Then there's the reader who asks why people like me, when they write about Jim Dinning's and Rick Oman's private fund-raising, don't mention the " extra $ 100,000" a year going to Liberal Leader Laurence Mark L i s a c The Province Decore. This is an erroneous reference to the Liberal party's approval of a $ 60,000 annual salary for Decore before he was elected to the legislature. He never did collect, although the party did pay for a few hundred dollars' worth of refinishing for his office furniture. Why do voters harbor these nasty suspi­cions? Maybe it's because they see things like the Buffalo Lake business, which culmi­nated Tuesday in an announcement timed for midway through last question period of the session, possibly of this year. The Buffalo Lake project will solve some genuine water concerns in small communities like Alix. But everything else about it is repellent — the personal involvement of the premier, the fact one of the major tourist businesses on the lake involves a family he counts as friends and political supporters, the way years of envi­ronmental study suddently went out the window^ because of what environmental officials called " renewed interest" in the project, the booster- like atmosphere sur­rounding the review board hearings ( chairman Don Thorne applauded one pro- development presentation and, after one of the few critical presentations, asked if there was any audience rebuttal), the way an economist recanted on a finding of a negative cost- benefit ratio. It's a sad fate for a lake region which. I'm told, was considered as recently as the early 1970s for a possible national park. ( The province was not enthusiastic.) There was even the typical rural- urban rhetoric now used as a red herring any­time someone outside a city wants some­thing. " I guess it's possible sometimes to be in large urban centres and not realize that for people in east- central Alberta, Buffalo Lake is their only lake for bathing, boat­ing and so on," Thorne told reporters Tuesday. Clever pluck at the heart strings. But the environmental impact study in March said the greatest potential for tourism growth at Buffalo Lake lay in cottaging and: " Most of the increase in demand appears tied to economic growth in Cal­gary with city residents accounting for many of the new cottages developed."

Buffalo Lake a political blunder I skipped the legislature Monday and drove to Lac La Biche instead to take a first- hand look at a couple of things ( which I hope to write about soon). But question period was on CKUA so I listened in for a while. Hearing it on the radio caused a surge of relief— happiness about being free and out in the world. Most people around the legislature feel that way. The hallways are thick with the pleasant sensation of MLAs and observers rediscovering their humanity. A warped and vicious frame of mind sets in after about two or three weeks of any session. People start to act like over­crowded laboratory rats — lots of biting and clawing; strange obsessions such as Treasurer Dick Johnston's insistence on calling the NDP " Marxist- Leninists." Suspicion creeps in everywhere. Even the public gets into a bad mood. The mail recently brought a clipped newspaper advertisement for a travel out­fit called Elzinga Adventure. The corre­spondent theorized that Economic Devel­opment Minister Peter Elzinga had started a business with heritage fund mon­ey. As it turns out, his nephew owns it, but that's a far cry from the reader's first thought. Then there's the reader who asks why people like me, when they write about Jim Dinning's and Rick Oman's private fund-raising, don't mention the " extra $ 100,000" a year going to Liberal Leader Laurence Mark L i s a c The Province Decore. This is an erroneous reference to the Liberal party's approval of a $ 60,000 annual salary for Decore before he was elected to the legislature. He never did collect, although the party did pay for a few hundred dollars' worth of refinishing for his office furniture. Why do voters harbor these nasty suspi­cions? Maybe it's because they see things like the Buffalo Lake business, which culmi­nated Tuesday in an announcement timed for midway through last question period of the session, possibly of this year. The Buffalo Lake project will solve some genuine water concerns in small communities like Alix. But everything else about it is repellent — the personal involvement of the premier, the fact one of the major tourist businesses on the lake involves a family he counts as friends and political supporters, the way years of envi­ronmental study suddently went out the window^ because of what environmental officials called " renewed interest" in the project, the booster- like atmosphere sur­rounding the review board hearings ( chairman Don Thorne applauded one pro- development presentation and, after one of the few critical presentations, asked if there was any audience rebuttal), the way an economist recanted on a finding of a negative cost- benefit ratio. It's a sad fate for a lake region which. I'm told, was considered as recently as the early 1970s for a possible national park. ( The province was not enthusiastic.) There was even the typical rural- urban rhetoric now used as a red herring any­time someone outside a city wants some­thing. " I guess it's possible sometimes to be in large urban centres and not realize that for people in east- central Alberta, Buffalo Lake is their only lake for bathing, boat­ing and so on," Thorne told reporters Tuesday. Clever pluck at the heart strings. But the environmental impact study in March said the greatest potential for tourism growth at Buffalo Lake lay in cottaging and: " Most of the increase in demand appears tied to economic growth in Cal­gary with city residents accounting for many of the new cottages developed."

THE SECOND FRONT CALGARY HERALD Wed., June 26,1991 A3 Something's fishy about Buffalo Lake diversion • Klein will have to wear the horns if environment suffers EDMONTON Buffalo Lake will rise, and we will never smell fishier timing i f they stock the thing with ripe sardines. The news conference to announce approval of the water diversion near Premier Don Getty's land was held at the most dubious time possible. It happened at 3 p. m. Tuesday, sev­eral blocks from the legislature, in the middle of Question Period on the final day of the session, with the premier OPINION Don Braid 3 Herald columnist L working extremely hard in Paris, France. Today there will be no forum for op­position leaders to ask questions, and the premier is hardly likely to be dis­tracted from his heavy schedule of ex­ceptionally important meetings. Did we mention that he is in Paris, France? Don Thorne, the former Lacombe mayor who chaired the review panel, said during the Buffalo Lake hearings that the report would be ready no later than June 17. It arrived June 25, just as the session petered out. Whatever the reasons for the delay, doubt wasn't among them. The three-member panel decided unequivocally that the project should go ahead. They listed 43 previous studies of the idea, but were undeterred by the doubts ex­pressed in any of them. Thorne allowed that " there will be a positive impact on economic develop­ment, lakewise." There will also be an undeniable benefit for Getty's fortunes in Stettler, electionwise. The project is extremely popular in the area. The hearings were amazing for their enthusiasm and lack of opposi­tion. At one point, after environment de­partment officials gave an upbeat ap­praisal, Thorne urged the crowd to re­ward them with a round of applause, and the locals obliged. The panel certainly reflected the feelings of local residents, and for that reason the approval is probably justi­fied. It would hardly be fair i f province-wide suspicions about politics killed a project most people i n the area want. It should be clear, too, that this wa­ter diversion is far from an ecological disaster. There have been mixed opinions about this for years, but Ralph Klein's people now say it's resonable. If any­thing goes wrong, Klein will have to an­swer for the mistake. It's probably true, too, that i f the project happened in any other riding it would probably get very little public at­tention. But there's now a fixed public im­pression that this project is going ahead because Getty wanted it. And he will benefit as much as other area land­holders from any increase in property values, as Thorne conceded Tuesday. In law, there's nothing whatever wrong with this. Politically, it's as foolish as Tuesday's fishy timing.