Port Moody was once a mix of industry and residences. Now we're mostly houses and small businesses. We still have the CP Rail main line running along our waterfront, and we still have Pacific Coast Terminals, or "the sulphur pits" as most people call them.
Saturday PCT had an open house as part of Golden Spike Days. Andy and I went down for the tour. We walked around the site and saw sulphur (which is a bi-product of oil and gas refining) being loaded out of train cars onto a ship. We found out that most of the sulphur goes to China for fertilizer and manufacturing. PCT also loads liquid ethylene glycol, which is also shipped out for manufacturing.
They put on quite a party. It seemed that most of the 30 or so permanent employees were there to hand out cookies and coffee, conduct tours, drive people who needed it around in golf carts and explain how things work. There was musical entertainment, balloons, facepainting and a prize draw. We went out on a short harbour cruise and got up close to the sulphur pit, which seems not so monstrous now.
Our impression from the tour is that PCT is a good neighbour. A park or fancy houses would be prettier, but they're important to our local economy, and they're environmentally responsible and generous in supporting community arts and other good causes. I'm glad we went to meet them.
question: have you ever been to the sulphur pit?
mompoet - neighbour
4 comments:
Hi from another neighbor who hasn't been in a sulpher pit, ever!
Sounds like an interesting and educational sort of day you had.
Sulphur pit... hmmm never been near to one before. Does it emanates a strong sulphur smell?
If you ever get a chance to go, Carol, it's very interesting. And Imran, it does not smell at all!
mp
Hi there Sue,
Thanks for the card. We all appreciate your kind words about PCT.
Hopefully you will come to our next Open House which will be in 2010!
Lorri
Pacific Coast Terminals
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