PGAQ #39 by Vic Steblin, Nov 7, 2008

2570 Laurier Crescent, Prince George, BC, 250-564-1123

Prince George should not welcome wood-burners. Some people move here from large restrictive urban centres and want to try the romance of wood. They want to feel the embrace of a sauna-like room-soaking heat with that slight aroma that only wood can deliver.

In the newspapers are requests by newcomers and the offers by suppliers for firewood by the truckload. Much of the older generation praises wood and won’t change their ways until death clears the air. In my opinion, nobody should burn wood.

The large urban centres have banned wood because of overwhelming objection to smoke and the resultant damage to health. The many negative aspects override the few positives of individual enjoyment.

It is time for Prince George to ban burning wood. Instead of 1 in 10 houses that burn wood, there should be none. Also no backyard burning! For the romance of a wiener roast get out into the bush by a lake since any smoke just wafts away bothering hardly anyone. In the city limits we have a severe air quality problem which demands no burning at all.