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The Highland Companies, owned by a US based Hedge fund operation with offices in Boston, has advised they will file for an aggregate licence imminently upon their completion of technical studies. The application will be for a quarry with extraction approximately 200 feet below the water table. The Highland Companies has indicated that their initial application will be for an extraction license covering some 2,400 acres, which would make this one of, if not the, largest below the water table mining operation in Canada.




The Highland Companies has amassed landholdings in Melancthon and Mulmur Townships, in the County of Dufferin, of over 7,000 acres of prime agricultural land. When amassing their land holdings, they had previously stated that they wanted to be the biggest potato farming operation in Ontario. However, evidence of significant core sampling, well testing, tree cutting, archaeological and other studies that have been conducted on the lands have all been consistent with pre-testing for aggregate/limestone extraction. The Highland Companies is presently clearing the land on a daily basis, burning and removing homes and barns that have been in place for generations. Over 12 homes and associated buildings, some of which were heritage structures, have been burned and demolished over the past number of months, and plans seem imminent to destroy an additional 9 homes and related farm structures.. The landscape is truly altering already.




At the October 15 meeting of Council Mayor Fawcett confirmed that any loss in the tax base due to the demolition of these homes on properties owned by The Highland Companies would be borne by all the remaining taxpayers. Melancthon Council has the authority to instantly stop the demolition by passing a bylaw under Section 33 of the Planning Act and also to designate these homes under the Heritage Act but have chosen not to, despite pleas from ratepayers.




Not only are ratepayers going to be paying for this, but the repercussions of this mine could seriously and adversely affect the water, the landscape, the community, surrounding agriculture land use, and with the potential to cause disastrous environmental scenarios for decades. The effect on deer, wild turkeys, migratory birds and other native wildlife will be irreversible.  This open pit mine will take some of the best agriculture land in Ontario out of production and is in a location that is recognized as one of the primary sources for water recharge feeding the Nottawasaga and Grand Rivers . The repercussion of tampering with this water could affect over a million people that are downstream from and served by these watercourses.


 



NDACT and the citizens of Dufferin County and Central Ontario are asking for your help.


Please peruse this website for Government contact listings, petitions and further information by clicking on the logo

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News Flash! SPECIALITY CROP DESIGNATION FOR MELANCTHON‚S OFFICIAL PLAN The Township of Melancthon is currently undergoing their five year review of the Official Plan. NDACT has made a series of delegations to Council, setting out why the Honeywood silt loam, unique to this area, should be moved into a specialty crop designation in the Official Plan. We need your help to show Council that the public wants this in OUR Official Plan. Please cut and past the following and then forward to dholmes@melancthontownship.ca or mail to Mayor & Council, R.R.#6, Shelburne, ON, L0N 1S9  Please send an email or letter immediately. There is a time issue involved and we need you to show the Council the importance of this designation prior to the Official Plan being completed. Thank you NDACT TO: MAYOR AND COUNCIL -for the next meeting of Melancthon Council: We, concerned citizens, are requesting that Council include a Specialty Crop Designation in the Melancthon Township Official Plan. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has also requested that the area containing Honeywood Loam Soils be classified under the Specialty Crop Designation. “This area is afforded the highest priority to protect these lands for ongoing horticultural crop production.  The Provincial Policy Statement defines a Specialty Crop Area as an area; designated using evaluation procedures established by the province, as amended from time to time, where specialty crops such as tender fruits (peaches, cherries, plums), grapes, other fruit crops, vegetable crops, greenhouse crops, and crops from agriculturally developed organic soil lands are predominantly grown, usually resulting from: a) soils that have suitability to produce specialty crops, or lands that are subject to special climatic conditions, or a combination of both; and/or b) a combination of farmers skilled in the production of specialty crops, and of capital investment in related facilities and services to produce, store, or process specialty crops. The Honeywood soils certainly qualify and should be designated as such.” OFA Signed, To become a NDACT member, download the form by clicking below: MEMBERSHIP FORM.pdf Please make your cheque payable to NDACT and mail to P.O. Box 15, Honeywood, Ontario L0N 1H0 mailto:dholmes@melancthontownship.cahttp://ndact.com/NDACT/MEMBERSHIP%20FORM.pdfshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1