About 30 people crammed into the R.M. of Rhineland office yesterday to voice their opposition to a proposed hog barn.

Howard Friesen, representing Hot Spot Pork, wants to build a 1600 sow operation in the Silberfeld district northeast of Gretna.


He needs a variance to allow the barn to be constructed within 1200 metres of the nearest neighbor.


Local residents there don't want the barn.


Odour seemed to be the biggest issue with many people expressing concern about quality of life and devalued property.


Friesen says they will take action to limit odour by covering the lagoon with straw, planting trees, and the barn will have state of the art ventilation systems.


Benno Loewen lives in the area of the proposed barn and dose not buy it based on an existing hog operation in the area that has poor odour control.


Loewen says another barn on the proposed site would put a lot of people in the middle of two hog operations.


Reeve John Falk says council will take some time to deliberate on the information before making a decision.