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  • Jim Cuddy Concert - Aug. 5, 2018

    In support of our partner  C.O.R.E.

    The 12th Annual Fundraising Concert at Lyric Pond

    cuddy-2018-240x300

    Full details.

  • Greenbelt Harvest Picnic - Aug. 27, 28, 2016

      Join in the festival. We'll be there!

    greenbelt-harvest

    harvest picnic

    Location: Christie Lake, Dundas Ontario

    Purpose: raise awareness of the importance of the Greenbelt harvest, local farmers, art, the outdoors and the eat-local movement

    Full details and tickets.

    An outdoor concert featuring Jim Cuddy Band, Jann Arden, Gordon Lightfoot, Cowboy Junkies and many more.

    There is also a line-up of artists, farmers, food vendors, organizations and seminars

  • Are you on the voters list?

    Check here: https://www3.elections.on.ca/internetapp/aiotl.aspx

    Do you have other questions such as:
    Where do I vote?
    Find my candidates
    Find my electoral district
    Find my returning office
    Advance poll locations
    ID needed to vote

    Get answers at: 

    http://www.wemakevotingeasy.ca/

     

     

     

  • Dufferin-Caledon All Candidates Meeting - May 27 & 29

    May 27, 2014 - Westside Secondary School, 300 Alder St., Orangeville

    May 29, 2014 - Glenbrook Elementary School, 300 Fiddle Park Lane, Shelburne

    Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM

    This is your opportunity to meet the the candidates and discuss the issues that mean the most to you. Ask them to protect farmland and source water regions.

  • Jim Cuddy Concert at Lyric Pond - July 12, 2014

    Conserve Our Rural Environment (CORE)

    Presents:

    Concert at Lyric Pond

    In support of challenging inappropriate land use in Mulmur and Melancthon

    When: Saturday, July 12, 2014

    cuddy-2014-web

    Click on image for full details and enlarged image.

    Join Jim Cuddy and Friends

    • Special Guest Star Juno award winner, Justin Rutledge

    Performances by:

    • Jim Cuddy
    • Basil Donavan
    • Joel Anderson
    • Anne Lindsay
    • Colin Cripps
    • The Romney Getty Band

    Fabulous Buffet Saturday, July 12 begins at 6 PM
    Tickets
    Ages 5 – 10    $25.00
    Ages 11-20    $75.00
    Ages 21 and over   $200.00
    Kids 4 and under free

    Reserve by email: norm@informationpackaging.ca

    Make cheques payable to CORE and mail to:
    Norm MacEachern
    One Banigan Drive
    Toronto, ON M4H 1G3

    Hosts:
    Melody & Bill Duron
    Honeywood

    A map will be included with your tickets.

     

  • ARA review, legislation awaited anxiously

    On my way to visit Carl Cosack at his Peace Valley Ranch last Monday, I took a few moments to grab a photo of a crumbling barn on the farm where my sister Elsie and her husband, Eric, had toiled and lived from their marriage until their retirement.

    I had fond memories of the place and of times I had spent visiting and, from time to time, lending a hand with various tasks.

    Eric was both industrious and innovative. He seized onto potatoes at some point when the potato chip industry was fully emerging, especially with the Hostess plant at Cambridge or somewhere, but moved on to beef, then sold an entire herd and moved on to dairy.

    He and my sister prospered – the two large silos and remains of a milk house at the old farm are evidence of that – but Eric spent too much time under the sun cultivating the fields, got skin cancer that spread, and he succumbed a few years after retirement.

    The new owners of the farm took a different approach to agriculture. I know nothing about their history, but the residence, an imposing two-storey century brick house, was occupied by tenants when it burned to the ground a few years ago.

    This column is not meant to be about my relatives or about their farm, except to the extent to state that everything they accomplished was dependent upon the fertility of the land, no matter how one might view their ability to care for it.

    My reason for being up in the area was to discuss, among other things, the progress of NDACT’s Food and Water First campaign.

    The visit was timely, as the campaign has to do with the preservation of fertile, Class 1 and better, farmland plus the source of water that not only keeps the fields fertile but is essential to the health of a growing population. You need both the land and the water to grow food.

    The campaign, which, according to Carl, has involved the placing of thousands of signs, coincides more or less with the imminent release of the all-party committee report on the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) review. Carl says he believes the report will be fair. But he admits that the next hurdle will be getting the required changes passed into law. NDACT has been meeting with MPPs and with ministers and ministry officials, and getting good responses, Carl says, yet one must be a realist and keep in mind that professional lobbyists for the multi-billiondollar aggregate industry must also be active.

    NDACT was founded to combat the threat of a huge open-pit limestone quarry that would have excavated a couple of thousand acres and gone deeper than anyone would have expected.

    NDACT was not lulled to sleep by the withdrawal of the application for the quarry. The association has continued to work and watch, and Food and Water First is another step in its awareness efforts.

    Engineer Garry Hunter, you will recall, identified numerous underground streams in the area that would have been mined. Photographer Donna Wells snapped the above-ground streams and rivers fed by those underground.

    NDACT’s various campaigns, supported by events such as Foodstock, for which a host of chefs deserve credit, have been responsible for the protection of those essential streams along with the area’s special crops acreages.

    Now, unless the critical ARA changes along with a revision of the Provincial Policy Statement with respect to farmland, happen, the quarry application might well be renewed and possibly approved.

    Proponent Highland Companies has so far made no moves that would indicate its intention to revive the application but, instead, has advanced its farming operations and remained as a positive community presence.

    Let us hope that the ARA changes get past the legislature so that the land and the water in the area under discussion remain as they are.

     

    By Wes Keller

    Published in the "Orangeville Banner", May 30, 2013

  • Message From the Chair - Call to Action May 27, 2013

    Call to Action - ARA Report is Being Written Today

     

    There are only a few times in a lifetime that we, as people part of a greater society, can truly drive positive, non-partisan positive change for all of us, and those generations following.

     

    That time is now, today, with the ARA Review Report being written. Thousands of people have worked towards this goal, the need for this is dramatically highlighted by the Highland Companies Mega Quarry application in Melancthon Township. All political parties at Queens Park, plus the Green Party have strongly supported the call to finish the job that was started with the provincial wide hearings last year.

     

    Write today to the MPP's listed below, and copy your own MPP, ask them to write meaningful changes into their report, respecting the "Food and Water First" sentiment expressed by so many of the deputations presented to them during the public hearings.

     

    At no other time have we had the chance to impress on those we elect to truly listen to the people of this province. Make your voice heard today, and ask your friends and family to do the same. PLEASE!!!

     

    Carl Cosack

    NDACT Chair

    We encourage you to contact the MPPs on the Committee! Below is a sample letter and the e-mail addresses for the members. As always, please add your own thoughts/expertise to your letters. And start hitting the SEND button!

    Bas Balkissoon, Chairman    bbalkissoon.mpp@liberal.ola.org

    Donna Cansfield                 dcansfield.mpp@liberal.ola.org

    Rick Bartolucci                    rbartolucci.mpp@liberal.ola.org

    Sarah Campbell                  scampbell-qp@ndp.on.ca

    Mike Colle                           mcolle.mpp@liberal.ola.org

    Rosario Marchese               rmarchese-qp@ndp.on.ca

    Laurie Scott                         laurie.scott@pc.ola.org

    Todd Smith                          todd.smith@pc.ola.org

    Jeff Yurek                            jeff.yurek@pc.ola.org 

     To the members of the Standing Committee on General Government: 

       I understand you will begin writing the Committee's report on the review of the Aggregate Resources Act beginning this Monday, May 27th. This important process was launched in the fall of 2011, followed by public hearings one year ago. The review of the ARA was ordered in the midst of the controversy over the proposed Highland mega quarry. As you'll recall, the proposed mega quarry would have destroyed 2,300-acres of the rarest agricultural land in Ontario and impacted the water resources for up to one million people downstream in perpetuity. It was because of the mega quarry that the review of the outdated ARA was ordered by the Ontario government.

      As you write your report, I would like to remind you of the key suggestions made by the agricultural stakeholders and farmers who appeared before you last year. They all stressed that under the ARA, Ontario's prime farmland is at risk. This strategic and perpetual resource is vital to our $33-billion agri-food sector, our economy and our food security, yet it is unprotected. As well, the Highland application revealed that Ontario's source water regions are also vulnerable under the current ARA. Highland intended to pump 600-million-litres of water from the mega quarry every day, forever. As one of the farmers stated at the public hearings: It's time to put food and water first. 

      Therefore, I urge you to include protection for prime farmland and source water regions in your report on the ARA review. Tens of thousands of Ontarians are engaged in this issue. They look forward to seeing their views on the preservation of prime farmland and water resources reflected in the Committee's findings. 

    Sincerely,

     

  • Call to Action - ARA Report Writing Begins May 27, 2013

    Call To Action! 

     The Standing Committee on General Government starts writing its report on the review of the Aggregate Resources Act today, May 27th! The MPPs will be incorporating the suggestions presented at last spring's public hearings into the ARA. These include the calls made by agricultural stakeholders to protect prime farmland and source water regions. 

     

    We encourage you to contact the MPPs on the Committee! Below is a sample letter and the e-mail addresses for the members. As always, please add your own thoughts/expertise to your letters. And start hitting the SEND button!

    Bas Balkissoon, Chairman   bbalkissoon.mpp@liberal.ola.org

    Donna Cansfield                dcansfield.mpp@liberal.ola.org

    Rick Bartolucci                   rbartolucci.mpp@liberal.ola.org

    Sarah Campbell                 scampbell-qp@ndp.on.ca

    Mike Colle                          mcolle.mpp@liberal.ola.org

    Rosario Marchese              rmarchese-qp@ndp.on.ca

    Laurie Scott                        laurie.scott@pc.ola.org

    Todd Smith                         todd.smith@pc.ola.org

    Jeff Yurek                           jeff.yurek@pc.ola.org 

     

     To the members of the Standing Committee on General Government: 

     

       I understand you will begin writing the Committee's report on the review of the Aggregate Resources Act beginning this Monday, May 27th. This important process was launched in the fall of 2011, followed by public hearings one year ago. The review of the ARA was ordered in the midst of the controversy over the proposed Highland mega quarry. As you'll recall, the proposed mega quarry would have destroyed 2,300-acres of the rarest agricultural land in Ontario and impacted the water resources for up to one million people downstream in perpetuity. It was because of the mega quarry that the review of the outdated ARA was ordered by the Ontario government.

     

      As you write your report, I would like to remind you of the key suggestions made by the agricultural stakeholders and farmers who appeared before you last year. They all stressed that under the ARA, Ontario's prime farmland is at risk. This strategic and perpetual resource is vital to our $33-billion agri-food sector, our economy and our food security, yet it is unprotected. As well, the Highland application revealed that Ontario's source water regions are also vulnerable under the current ARA. Highland intended to pump 600-million-litres of water from the mega quarry every day, forever. As one of the farmers stated at the public hearings: It's time to put food and water first. 

     

      Therefore, I urge you to include protection for prime farmland and source water regions in your report on the ARA review. Tens of thousands of Ontarians are engaged in this issue. They look forward to seeing their views on the preservation of prime farmland and water resources reflected in the Committee's findings. 

     Sincerely,

     

    Another version that was "tweaked" by one of our supporters.

    Feel free to use either version.

    To the members of the Standing Committee on General Government: 

       I understand you will begin writing the Committee's report on the review of the Aggregate Resources Act beginning this Monday, May 27th. This important process was launched in the fall of 2011, followed by public hearings one year ago. The review of the ARA was ordered in the midst of the controversy over the proposed Highland mega quarry. As you'll recall, the proposed mega quarry would have destroyed 2,300-acres of the best agricultural land in Ontario for ever and impacted the water resources for up to one million people downstream in perpetuity. It was because of the mega quarry that the review of the existing but outdated ARA was ordered by the Ontario government.

     

      Please remember the key suggestions made by the agricultural stakeholders, farmers and other landowners and residents along with a host of others who appeared before you last year. Without exception they stressed that under the existing ARA, Ontario's prime farmland is, and will remain at risk. This strategic and perpetual resource is vital to our $33-billion agri-food sector, our economy and our food security, yet it is unprotected. 

     

    In addition, the Highland application revealed that Ontario's source water regions are also vulnerable under the current ARA. Highland declared it intended to pump 600-million-litres of water from the mega quarry every day, forever. As a clear reminder one of the farmers stated at the public hearings: It's time to put food and water first, it is the highest and best use of this precious land.

     

      Therefore, I urge you to include protection for prime farmland and source water regions in your report on the ARA review. Tens of thousands of Ontarians are engaged in this issue. They look forward to seeing their views on the preservation of prime farmland and water resources reflected in the Committee's findings. 

     

    Sincerely,

     

     
  • Council of Canadians Regional Meeting in Mulmur - May 25, 2013

    Council of Canadians are holding their regional meeting at Unicamp, Mulmur on May 25, 2103

    Attendees:

    • Activists from the 17 Regional Chapters of Council of Canadians
    • Their Executive Director and staff
    • Carl Cosack, NDACT Chair

    Agenda:

    • There will be a session on communities fighting back against unwanted industrial development.
    • Carl Cosack will speak about the Melancthon Mega Quarry Proposal and our battle.
  • Food Security: An Interactive Panel Discussion

     Date: Thursday, May 16, 2013

    Time: Doors open at 6:30 pm

    Event: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

    Location: Danforth Mennonite Church
    2174 Danforth Ave (1.5 blocks from Woodbine Station), Toronto

    Join Matthew Kellway MPP Beaches-East York and special guests:

    • Wayne Roberts -food policy analyst and writer
    • Donna Tranquada - writer and broadcaster - active in Artists Against the MegaQuarry and with Food & Water First
    • Carl Cosack - chair of NDACT and Food & Water First
    • Malcolm Allen- MP Welland, NDP Agriculture Critic
    • Patrick Tohill - WSPA Canada

    for an interactive panel discussion. 

    Click here for more details.

    https://www.facebook.com/matthewkellway

    http://matthewkellway.ndp.ca/events