Hey...
I spotted a trend.
Lets see if the candidates and incumbents can too.
Flamborough-proposed mega quarry (means mining below the water table, so it is NOT a gravel pit)
Action: as soon as trees started being felled a local councillor championed the cause AGAINST the proposal, even before there was a proposal in front of Council.
She rallied the health unit, the upper tier council, the neighbouring municipalities, the residents and was their visible leader in the battle. She went to Queen's Park, she held rallies, she mustered financial support from Council and worked WITH her ratepayers group. She had Council pass bylaws and implement a $100,000.00 aggregate application fee.
End result? The province stopped the proposed quarry. Never even got to the OMB stage. http://www.stopthequarry.ca/
Oakville-proposed gasification plant in the midst of a residential neighbourhood bordering Oakville/Mississauga
Action: Both municipalities joined forces with their ratepayers organization. They rallied the health unit, the upper tier, the neighbouring municipalities, the residents and provided visible leadership in the battle. They went to Queen's Park, attended rallies, did studies, set aside money for the cause and worked WITH their ratepayers group in opposition. Why they even called Erin Brokovitch in to save the day.
End result? The province stopped the plant from going forward. Never even got to the OMB stage. http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Ontario+cancels+billion+TransCanada+power+plant/3640097/story.html?cid=megadrop_story
Melancthon - proposed 2,400 acre 200 foot deep open pit limestone mine on prime agricultural land.
Action: nothing, zip, nil. Well that isn't entirely true. The ratepayers group and individual citizens have made proposal after proposal after proposal to Council over the past two years but Council has taken no action on any of those recommendations (recap: demolition control bylaw, $100,000.00 aggregate application fee, specialty crop designation, etc. etc. etc.) There has been a cautious response from sitting Councillors wherein they have stated ad nausem that they can take NO action whatsoever or do ANYTHING whatsoever until an application is in front of them. (My own comment: at which time we all know it will be too late to do anything.)
End result? Armageddon.
Brilliant analysis and comparison. So, so true, and....so sad.... for Melancthon. Maybe things can be turned around? (after October 25th)?
ReplyDeleteCorrection, please Minebuster. The Oakville plant was a gas-fired power plant not a gasification plant (garbage "burning"). The Oakville plant was intended for backing up the growing number of industrial wind turbines in the province, and because they have closed the coal burning power plants. They will probably have to find another community now to "host" this plant, unless they were to do the most obvious of all solutions: convert the coal plant.
ReplyDeleteClarification coming. Watch for it.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course they already found the "host". The Province announced in the summer that King Township HAD to take a plant there. In the Greenbelt on the edge of the Holland Marsh.
ReplyDeleteI imagine a lot of Queen's Park old boys reside in Oakville....better we use our agriculture land then their back yard. Better yet, admit that wind turbines don't work so that you can stop building gas fired power plants!
ReplyDelete