Whistler residents living in the former Olympic Village are in shock after losing a two-year court battle to close down an asphalt plant in their community.
The plant, owned by Whistler Aggregates, had been operating for 22 years in the same location, when Whistler decided to locate the Olympic Athletes' Village next to it in the expectation it could get the plant to move.
But in a ruling this week, the B.C. Supreme Court upheld the plant's right to stay.
The plant is making life almost unbearable for those living in the development, now called Cheakamus Crossing, said resident Tim Koshul.
"You know, it is absolutely disgusting. You have to talk to each other with your shirt over your nose and mouth,” said Koshul.
“I mean, in Whistler! It's really hard to believe.”
Koshul said there were more than 300 nuisance complaints about the plant in the last two seasons.
"On a daily basis, it's the noise and the trucks and the traffic and the dust. When the plant's running, the combination of the odour and smell — people have to close their windows. I mean, it's that bad," Koshul said.
Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden said the site also used to contain a sewage treatment plant and garbage dump.
"The other noxious uses were either moved or remediated, except for the gravel plant and the asphalt plant," said Morden.
The mayor said the previous council made a mistake in thinking it could force the plant to move, but the new council will now have to consider its legal options.
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