Abbotsford crooner and former Canadian Idol contestant Shane Wiebe is raising his voice against a proposed waste incinerator plans in the Lower Mainland.

He and his wife Angela, who sing together as The Wiebes, just finished recording Landfill in the Sky, sung to the tune of Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum, at a Fraser Valley recording studio last week with accompaniment from other Fraser Valley musicians.

"We are happy to do what we can to bring attention to this issue. Burning garbage is so clearly the wrong way to go, and hopefully this light-hearted approach makes people smile and at the same time think more seriously about protecting our air quality," said Wiebe, who finished in the Top 5 on the second season of Canadian Idol.

As Metro Vancouver consults the public on its plan to burn more of the region's garbage, those opposing the plan welcome their creative new ally.

"Fighting waste incineration is a real David vs. Goliath experience. These garbage incineration companies are spending big money and Metro Vancouver is pulling out all the stops to pitch incineration to the public, so we need to get creative like we did when we stopped the Sumas 2 power plant. It's great to have Shane on board," said Patricia Ross, chairwoman of the Fraser Valley Regional District and an Abbotsford city councillor.

Ross worked with Ben West from the Wilderness Committee and Fraser Valley environmentalist John Vissers to develop the concept and lyrics and approached Wiebe to record the song.

Ross, West and Vissers are working with the Zero Waste BC network to oppose incineration in the Lower Mainland and to encourage waste reduction solutions including increased composting and recycling. Ross hopes the song will inspire local residents to speak up.

"We want people to hear The Wiebes' song and then go check out the ZeroWasteBC.org website and use it to get more informed, then write to decision makers," said Ross.

To hear Landfill in the Sky, see www.thewiebesmusic.com or zerowastebc.org.

CToth@abbotsfordtimes.com