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Group working to change aggregate act

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Published on Tuesday, 30 April 2013 18:16
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Photo by Maija Hoggett
AWARE Simcoe member John DeCrombrugghe with the new lawn signs.

ALLISTON - A group of concerned citizens that managed to put a halt to the proposed mega quarry in Melancthon hasn’t stopped working after last year’s victory.

North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce’s (NDACT) Shirley Boxem, told New Tecumseth council last night the group is now focusing on phase two of the mega quarry campaign — ensuring that prime agricultural land and source water is protected. It’s a goal that will require lobbying the government to change the Aggregate Resources Act.

Boxem’s presentation was to ask council members to consider endorsing the Food and Water First campaign.

“We learned throughout the mega quarry campaign how valuable agriculture is to the economy, less than five per cent of Ontario is agriculture land and yet it is the prime economic driver of Ontario,” Boxem said.

While council didn’t take an official stand on the issue this week, New Tecumseth Mayor Mike MacEachern expressed his personal support of the endeavour.

By not having the land protected, he noted there are unintended consequences.

“One of the biggest things that people don’t understand just beyond the fact that development is eating it (prime agriculture land) up, is they’re driving the price up so that people that want to engage in agriculture too are having difficulty amassing the land that they need in order to make their farm operation viable so they’re moving further and further north,” said MacEachern.

To raise awareness for the new leg of the campaign, NDACT has new Food and Water First signs available to replace the Stop the Mega Quarry lawn signs.

“For myself that was the thing that got me to become interested and join NDACT. It was impressive for me to see from Sudbury to Kingston to Niagara thousands of stop the mega quarry signs and I hope to see the same with food and water first signs,” Boxem said. “Clearly these are issues that concern Ontarians.”

AWARE Simcoe is also hosting a public awareness meeting this weekend in Alliston.

The meeting is Saturday (May 4) at the Circle Theatre, 19 Victoria St. E., from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

The meeting will feature Boxem, as well as NDACT chair Carl Cosak, Ontario Farmland Preservation’s Bernard Pope, and AM 740 Radio’s Dale Goldhawk. The MC is Donna Tranquada, a writer and former CBC host.

Local residents wanting to trade in their mega quarry signs for a Food and Water First sign can call AWARE Simcoe member John DeCrombrugghe at 705-435-5167. For new people wanting to support the campaign, the signs are $5.

By Maija Hogget

Published in Simcoe County, Apr. 30, 2013