‘Extremely disappointed’: Black bear rescue planning to fight quarry vote

Manitoba Black Bear Rescue is considering legal action to prevent a quarry from being developed nearby.

A local organization that rescues abandoned and orphaned black bears is considering legal action to prevent a quarry from being developed near its facility.

Judy Stearns, owner of Black Bear Rescue Manitoba, said she’s “extremely disappointed” in the RM of Rockwood council after members voted 4-2 in favour of an application to operate the quarry. The application was put forward by Amrize, a North American building solutions company.

Stearns explained that her rescue was intentionally set up in a quiet location so as not to cause any extra stress on the vulnerable animals. She said this quarry could have a negative impact on the cubs.

“To have a quarry next door and chronic stress on the cubs from the noise and the vibrations and vehicles and dust and everything that goes on with the quarry operation is just not conducive to running a rescue here,” she said in an interview on Thursday.

Stearns added it would be a major undertaking to move the rescue from its current location in Stonewall, noting that it already has all its infrastructure and enclosures in place.

“It would be millions of dollars, and it would take a lot of time,” she said.

Moving forward, Stearns said the rescue is evaluating its options, including legal action.

She said they will review the council meeting minutes and come up with a plan for how to fight this decision.

“We will definitely be fighting this because we can’t afford to lose the province’s only bear rescue.”

In a statement, Amrize said the approved proposal follows the planning process established by the South Interlake Planning District and the RM of Rockwood. It added that the proposal meets all municipal and provincial requirements, including environmental and setback regulations.

“The proposed quarry is located more than 900 metres from the facility—more than double the required 400-metre setback from a residence—and the haul route was intentionally designed to avoid the site,” a spokesperson for the company said.

“Based on these factors, we do not expect our operations to impact the rescue.”

Wes Taplin, reeve for the municipality, declined to comment, citing legal implications.

• With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre and Simon Stones