TRUST US

From Trust Us to Prove it was Us is a small step.

The Collingwood ethanol plant was open less than a few months and, soon after the plant began operation neighbors began complaining of noise and foul odors.

The company denied it was the source of either.

The plant was temporarily shut down one day after an explosion and fire and then shut down again for odour and finally they were fined by the MOE.

This was AFTER the town, who courted them in the first place, espousing proven green technology and that mantra, jobs, jobs, jobs spent thousands and thousands and thousands of taxpayer dollars to deal with the situation, including hiring a PR specialist. All to PROVE the plant was the source of the problem.

Click here for articles:
http://www.hazmatmag.com/news/the-big-stink-over-collingwood-ethanol/1000224257/
http://www.midlandfreepress.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1678247&archive=true
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1621497&archive=true

Remember Orica, the dynamite factory in Grand Valley who assured everyone at the OMB and township that all was well, and just trust them?

Well within a few months of winning at the OMB to expand their operations and make them permanent, they had a truck loaded with dynamite crash and now, in an emergency drill, found out the siren/alarm to warn people to run like hell isn’t really very loud. OMG.

And the Orica official said "poor weather conditions during the drill meant the sirens were not successful in warning all residents near the mock fire. "

Poor weather conditions?
In Dufferin? Get outta town.

And the Fire Chief won’t even commit to saying that people are safe: “It’s a hazardous place, I wouldn’t want to go out and say everything is fine and we could evacuate in a timely manner,” Macintosh said.

Click here for articles:
http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/800289--orica-driver-charged-following-grand-valley-collision
http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/1250050--alarm-fails-to-warn-explosives-facility-neighbours

Then there is this little gem in Guelph. Guelph’s new eastside organics composting plant is the cause of odours, says the provincial Ministry of the Environment.

The facility has been open less than three months and City officials offered assurances last year that the new facility would be odour-free.  There’s been the odd odour complaint, which has not been substantiated said the Contract and Risk Manager of the facility.

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/630578--city-told-to-address-organics-plant-smells

And then of course Highlands various spoke individuals/people whatever you call them, are saying trust us and reassuring us they would do NOTHING to impact/compromise/ etc. etc. the water, they aren't allowed to do anything to compromise the water, blah, blah, blah...

Except at a meeting in Melancthon a couple of years ago, one of those rare times when the planning consultant was actually in attendance, someone asked if they did a test on their well now, showing quantity and quality of water they would be able to show Highlands was the one who impacted the water if they ever started digging and blasting should wells be affected. 

No said Jordan with a reassuring grandfatherly chuckle.  He stated that people would have to go to court to prove that Highlands was the cause and it would be very costly.

FFS.

And a bit of unsolicited advice for our Council to the north, who are touting a remarkable odour free system for treating shit, composite and contaminated soil-if someone offers you some magic beans as your cure to economic development, you or rather your ratepayers are going to get screwed. 

Reread this blog, again and again and again.

TWITISMS

For those of you who don't follow Twitter (cause who has the freaking time to follow Facebook, twitter, email, and of course this informative and wonderful blog?? :), here are some of my favourite Tweets.

First you need the cast of characters:

Teamheadwaters (good guys)
Nomegaquarry (good guys)
Teamhighland (NOT the good guys)
Minebuster (really really good & modest & humble wizguy |:)

And here are the Tweets:
TeamHeadwaters; The problem is Highland hasn't been straight from the start. Its stories keep changing as opposition to the #megaquarry grows. Nov 19

TeamHeadwaters; Highland says:The plan is to return the water to the ground. But in 2006, it said its "plan" was to grow taters. Nov 19

nomegaquarry STOP THE QUARRY; we agree. Impossible to know what's truth and what's spin. Hope to start getting straight answers about the #megaquarry Nov 19

TeamHighland: Fact: Quarries are among the cleanest industrial users of water. Oct 14
vs.
TeamHighland: "Quarries are water handlers not water users." Moreen Miller  Oct 27

Well, which is it-user or handler???

TeamHighland; 171 million tonnes of aggregate are consumed in Ontario annually Oct 27
vs.
Highland Companies: April 2011 slideshow presented at Hornings Mills, Ontario: 186 million tonnes consumed each year in Ontario.

Well, which is it 171 or 186?  And BTW, who in the hell consumes aggregrete?  I consume food and water, aggregate?  Not sure..

TeamHighland; The EA announcement caused us to crap our pants,  but we invite consultation and scrutiny and intend to move ahead: Ontario needs aggregate because Baupost/Klarman want MORE money Sept 16  OPPS, recall, recall what we meant to tweet is:   TeamHighland; The EA announcement caused us to pause; but we invite consultation and scrutiny and intend to move ahead: Ontario needs aggregate Sept 16 

TEN BIGGEST AMERICAN CITIES WHO ARE RUNNING OUT OF WATER

Granted, when you read the article it talks about these cities as having been low on water before and the changes are likely they will face shortages in the future, so the headline is misleading (Minebuster has never claimed to be unbiased or misleading when making a point!!):
Click here for article: http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/111186/the-ten-biggest-american-cities-that-are-running-out-of-water

Which begs me to ask the question.  If it isn't unafforable to run an oil pipeline from Canada to Texas, it would seem to be a drop in the bucket (bad pun I know) to run a pipeline from Canada for water.

I wonder if there is any rich rich corporation who has about 600 million litres of water a day which they need to manage? 
I wonder if they would manage to make it disappear on a pipeline out of the country?

Nah, our government is on guard for us to protect our natural resources, right?

MORE FOODSTOCK PICS

A good food blog and more great pics of Foodstock.
http://seasonalontariofood.blogspot.com/2011/10/foodstock_17.html

FIRST SESSION OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT

THEY COME OUT SWINGING!!

AGGREGATE EXTRACTION
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Dufferin–Caledon.
Ms. Sylvia Jones: Thank you, Speaker, and congratulations on your election.
My petition is to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
“Whereas we, the undersigned, are residents of Dufferin county and other adjacent counties and municipalities in Ontario;

Click here for further details: http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/house-proceedings/house_detail.do?locale=en&Date=2011-11-23&detailPage=%2Fhouse-proceedings%2Ftranscripts%2Ffiles_html%2F23-NOV-2011_L003.htm&Parl=40&Sess=1

AND
AGGREGATE EXTRACTION
Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Speaker, my sincere congratulations on your election as well.
I have a question for the Minister of the Environment. A company named Highland Companies has acquired about 3,000 hectares of land in the Melancthon and Mulmur townships in Dufferin county, and it’s for the purpose of building a very large limestone quarry. The project would be one of the largest in North America.Click here for further details: http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/house-proceedings/house_detail.do?locale=en&Date=2011-11-23&detailPage=%2Fhouse-proceedings%2Ftranscripts%2Ffiles_html%2F23-NOV-2011_L003.htm&Parl=40&Sess=1#P392_112817

SHELBURNE ON THE CUSP OF BIG BOX DEVELOPMENT

"Shelburne council has given a green light to a transportation study that could serve as a catalyst for a large-scale retail development.

Council agreed last week to partner with Dufferin County and Cole Engineering to complete an East Area Traffic Study.
The study is needed to gain the Ministry of Transportation’s (MTO) approval of an entrance and exit for a proposed retail complex that would span 36 acres at the northeast corner of County Road 24 and Highway 89. "
Full article here:

http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/1248046--council-readies-for-new-retail-in-shelburne

Something about this intersection however is nagging at me...oh yeah, that is where up to 7,000 gravel trucks per day, as proposed by Highlands OWN traffic study will pass.

Wonder if Blackwood Partners Inc., the proponents know about Highlands proposed quarry?

Might have a bit of an impact on their plan.  Big trucks, big box, big trouble.

DOGGED DAVID TILSON

So yes, it did take alot of "convincing" or rather browbeating for MP David Tilson during the spring 2011 Federal election to make him realize the importance of the Melancthon Mega Quarry.

But here is a politican who has listened to his constituents and has responded, in a big way.

Not only has he been presenting the petition with hundreds of names in the Federal Parliament calling for the Environment Minster Peter Kent to call for a panel review, but here is the latest from his website:

David Tilson, Member of Parliament for Dufferin-Caledon, on Thursday formally asked the Government to explain why it hasn't pursued his request for a federal Environmental Assessment to be undertaken on the proposed Melancthon mega-quarry.

Click here for link:
http://www.davidtilson.ca/media/press-release/tilson-asks-government-to--produce-details-on-quarry
 
I would suspect that most politicans only hear from people when they are NOT happy.  If you would like to thank him, however, here is his email: david.tilson.c1@parl.gc.ca

REPORT CARD

Melancthon Council has sent out an open letter to ratepayers.

And good for them.

Lack of communication was a HUGE issue and this is a step in the right direction.

While the letter (which I see more as a type of report card) lists accomplishments in the past year, it is completely silent on the Official Plan and a Strategic Plan-two of the most important guiding and management documents in any municipality.

And I would bet that in a couple of months, when Jordan gets around to taking a peek at the Source Water Protection Plan and sees what is going to be needed to bring Melancthon in compliance regarding OP implications we will hear, I can't get it into conformity because of the province.

More transparency is needed around the OP-how many years has Jordan been working on it, how much money have taxpayers paid, why do we not have an updated official plan and why in the hell does Jordan still have a job as a consultant at the muncipality?

And the other thing that was not mentioned in Councils report card-not a word on their industrial park proposal.

FROM TWITTER

ROBERT BATEMAN

ANOTHER CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCE BEING SOLD TO THE AMERICANS?

'

HA, THE JOKE IS ON THE AMERCIANS!!

THE MAPLE LEAFS?

HONESTLY?

BAWHAHAHAHAHAHAH

STOLEN LIBERALLY AND OPENLY FROM FACEBOOK

artist: Gail Prussky

And all that the Lorax left here in this mess

was a small pile of rocks,

with the one word ...

"UNLESS." ...

UNLESS someone like you

cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better.

It's not." ~ The Lorax

OWEN SOUND NEEDS THEIR HARBOUR DREDGED

Hm, wonder what benevolent company might want to do that free of charge for them?

Excerpt:Local farmers currently use the harbour to deliver grain and the port also handles shipments of road salt for the cities and paving stone for local construction.

Full article: http://www.radioowensound.com/news_item.php?NewsID=40699

FOODSTOCK KEEPS FEEDING OUR SOULS

The Hills of the Headwaters Tourism Association held their annual tourism awards last night and Foodstock won big!!

The Chef's Congress won Best Culinary Tourism Experience and Carl Cosack, NDACT Chair and Michael Stadtlander of the Chef's Congress won for the Tourism Ambassador of the Year.

Minebuster was wrong (again, I know!! jeez, there goes my Nobel prize in journalism)

Carl and Michael didn't win Tourism Ambassador of the Year (they were robbed I say, robbed!!) but Foodstock did win two awards.  Best Culinary Tourism Experience, noted above, AND Best Agri-Tourism Experience.

http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/1246588--foodstock-nabs-two-tourism-awards

A WONDERFUL GIFT

A retired Mulmur resident, Donna Wells, PhD has produced a book called Landscapes and the Proposed Mega-Quarry. 

It is comprised of 50 scenic photos of the area and proceeds are being donated to NDACT.

Please support this woman in her support of NDACT and think about purchasing the book for someone you know for a Christmas gift.

Booklore in Orangeville is stocking the books, as well you can order online at lulu.com

Excerpt: Donna has serious questions about it, and has arranged for proceeds from her book to be donated to the North Dufferin Agricultural Community Taskforce (NDACT). As well, she said she would be delivering 10 of the first copies to NDACT vice-chairman Carl Cosack as a donation.
 
Full story here:
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-11-17/Local_News/Retired_nursing_PhD_releases_book_on_quarry.html

A WAY AROUND THOSE PESKY RULES

How?  Just change them.

Mining amendments to exempt 'lower-risk' activities

The B.C. government introduced amendments to the Mines Act Monday that would exempt “lower-risk” mining activities from the permitting process.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Mining+amendments+exempt+lower+risk+activities/5709971/story.html#ixzz1dkILjimS

Problem solved.

PULLING THE BLOG DOWN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS

It appears as though I have some urls that are referring my site somewhere and I need to pull this down until I figure out how to stop it so people don't get spammed by this blog. 

See you in a couple of days.

PS Hope all the computers a Baupost have been spammed already!!

TEST DRIVE

There has been a bit of a flap of late over the Shelburne Fire Department's wish to purchase a new truck.  Specifically a quintuple combination pumper,” which is a fire vehicle serving five functions; including pumper, water tanker, fire hose, aerial device and ground ladders.

Costly, yes, no argument there.

But since the rural areas contribute to the fire costs in a shared servicing agreement, they have some valid questions too.

How will the big shiny new truck benefit them?  Rural area's typically have no big industries or box stores.  Will it be able to manoeuvre in rural settings?  Will there be enough water in the rural areas to be able to pump at the rate it requires?

Melancthon Deputy Mayor White had a good point which was reported in the Citizen: "He had previously said the manufacturer should bring a quint up and provide a demonstration. “Does anybody buy a car without driving it? Buy a house without touring it? I don’t think I’m being unreasonable.”  (Full article here: http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-11-03/Local_News/Councillors_eye_county_buying_quint_truck.html )

Which got me to thinking.

Wouldn't it be great if Highlands could give us a test run on their little proposal?  You know that 200 foot below the water table 2,100 acre open pit limestone mine?

Foodstock gave everyone a test run of the traffic chaos caused by 7,000 cars.

What about the rest of it?

Well there is a little spot in California, who has a mine, operated by Lehigh Southwest Cement.  

The mine/quarry is called Permanente (can you guess why?) and existing operations cover 618 acres and plunge 700 feet deep. There is a plan to expand to 917 acres. Quarry officials note 238 acres have been added as buffer lands that won’t be used for mining. That leaves 61 additional acres that could be mined. Quarry lands total approximately 3,200 acres.  http://www.greenfoothills.org/news/2009a/3-25-09_LosAltosTownCrier.html

So take a peek at what that looks like, then times it by five to have sort of a test run of Highlands little proposal.

NOVEMBER 11

In honour of those who served, please be at a local cenotaph tomorrow at 11 am and observe.

Thanks.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS POEM

The World’s Most Famous WAR MEMORIAL POEM


By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead: Short days ago,

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie

In Flanders fields!
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw

The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

On May 2, 1915, John McCrae’s close friend and former student Alexis Helmer was killed by a German shell. That evening, in the absence of a Chaplain, John McCrae recited from  memory a few passages from the Church of England’s “Order of the Burial of the Dead”. For security reasons Helmer’s burial in Essex Farm Cemetery was performed in complete darkness.

The next day, May 3, 1915, Sergeant-Major Cyril Allinson was delivering mail. McCrae was sitting at the back of an ambulance parked near the dressing station beside the YserCanal, just a few hundred yards north of Ypres, Belgium.

As John McCrae was writing his In Flanders Fields poem, Allinson silently watched and later recalled, “His face was very tired but calm as he wrote. He looked around from time to time, his eyes straying to Helmer's grave."

Within moments, John McCrae had completed the “In Flanders Fields” poem and when he was done, without a word, McCrae took his mail and handed the poem to Allinson.

Allinson was deeply moved:
“The (Flanders Fields) poem was an exact description of the scene in front of us both. He used the word blow in that line because the poppies actually were being blown that morning by a gentle east wind. It never occurred to me at that time that it would ever be published. It seemed to me just an exact description of the scene."

HOLY FREAKOLIE

This blogger will be the first to admit that I have been somewhat critical in my observations of the current and past Council, mostly in their lack of handling the mega quarry issue, openess and transparency, closed meetings, oh I could go on and on.

BUT this, this takes the cake.

At the November 3, 2011 meeting of Melancthon Council, they considered Geriatric Jorden's Planning Report titled: Initial Planning Considerations: Possible Township Industrial Park, Part Lot 13, Concession 4 NETSR, Melancthon.

Can't blame Ol Ger for producing the report, as Council would have needed to come up with this asinine idea.

But the first thing I note in this professional planning report, is NO map.  Not a single map of the area showing the location, existing land uses, etc. etc.

Small, I know, but I had to start with something positive.

They are proposing an industrial park on approximately 98.5 acres of land owned by the Municipality next to the dump.

I won't bore you with the astute observations provided in the report such as:
a portion of the property is located on and near provincially significant wetlands;
not consistent with the Provincial Policy statement that directs development to urban settlement areas;
must ensure the necessary infrastructure is provided;
subject lands are not consistent with growth management policies;
located on prime agricultural areas which shall be protected for long-term agricultural use;
no municipal services either water or sewage;

No, I won't dwell on any of that.

I will mention the studies that will be required after provincial consultation:
need/market study;
study demonstrating why a site in a prime agricultural area is needed;
a study demonstrating that there are no sites avaialble on lower priority lands;
noise and emissions study to determine potential impacts on sensitive uses;
documentation justifying and describing the proposed method of providing  water supply, sewage disposal and utilities to the proposed development;
stuides of soils, hydrology and hydrogeology;
evaulation of environmental impacts;
transportation study;
Stage 1 archeological study;

If SOME of these studies seem familiar they are. 

They are all the same ones Council told us they couldn't afford to do regarding the mega quarry, so they would just take a look at the information provided by Highlands. 

And the biggest problem with this industrial site idea?  This is NOT economic development in the new world.  This is the 1970's way of doing economic development, called chasing the smokestack.

Not only is Melancthon competing with neighbouring towns and municipalities for "industry", they are competing globally.

With no infrastructure in place, (meaning water, sewer, hydro etc.), hundreds of miles from a major transportation network and something called the US/Canada Border, the ONLY "industry" that would come near the place is a compost, crap plant or soil remediation facility.   

Those companies will have guys drive a mountain in Nepal with three wheels and no brakes to haul that crap to an "industrial" site.


In fact, one of the positives Jorden reports on is the fact the site is located next to the dump.  Hmmm....

The report starts on page 93 at this link:  ttp://melancthontownship.ca/11council/agenda.nov3.pdf

If you rezone it, they will come.  Just ask Southgate.

If they want to get it approved in accordance with the Provincial Policy Statement, locate it near a settlement area - you know Corbetton, Hornings Mills, adjacent to Dundalk or close to Shelburne...just a thought.

HOME OF THE FREE

Apparently not so much free speech.
REMOVED: Seth Klarman’s 2010 Shareholder Letter

October 31, 2011
By Jacob Wolinsky
You can all thank the person who posted w/o my permission Klarman’s S/Ls under my name on a big site, which alerted Baupost’s CCO to my site. I will no longer be able to publish anything from Baupost Group in the future.
Read more: http://www.valuewalk.com/2011/10/seth-klarmans-2010-shareholder-letter/#ixzz1dG4y0bbN

DON'T READ THIS BLOG ANYMORE

Forget about spending time reading this blog.

Here is a blog that you should read...often.
http://deathanddustmystory.blogspot.com/


Jeanine Cressey

OFFAL SMELL

If the Mayor of Shelburne wonders where that offal smell is coming from, he needs to look no further than out his front window and watch the trucks filled with raw human waste and offal passing by his house as they head to the 26 acre "fertilizer" facility in the works for Southgate, aka Dundalk.

Don't forget, however, these trucks will be jockeying for position with the 7,000 trucks PER day with Highlands hole in the ground and yet even more trucks will be trucking contaminated soil to another 20 acres adjacent to the fertilizer facility in Southgate, aka Dundalk.

But they will ALL be competing with road space with the trucks who will be hauling to the DEEP plant, which of course the Mayor of Shelburne has and is championing.
So here he is on another horns of a shituation.

He can't really object to Southgate hauling crap (bad pun, I know) through his Town and past his house, because that is  what will happen to others if the DEEP plant goes through.  Garbage and stink past their place.  Which of course the Mayor has been championing-did I mention that?

Hmmmmmm.....

This will require some DEEP thought.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Good catch by someone on the Stop the Quarry facebook site:
" Both John Scherer and Joseph Izhakoff (Minebuster note:we met them on the CBC show where a 20 second pause seemed like 20 years and we met the Barney Rubble Double on Paiken the other night) are principals of Nationsrent Companies. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, this company provides rental equipment for construction and industrial customers in the U.S. They cater to general contractors, sub contractors, highway contractors, manufacturing plants and distribution centers. Very interesting.....Nationsrent is currently controlled by none other than our good friend Seth Klarman of The Baupost Group and Phoenix Rental Partners. Baupost bought Nationsrent out of bankruptcy in 2001 for $80 million. In 2006 Nationsrent was acquired by Sunbelt Rentals for a cool $1.05 billion. Sunbelt is currently one of the largest equipment rental companies in the U.S."

Did you catch that?  Baupost bought it in 2001 for $80 million and sold FIVE years laters for $1 billion.  Tidy profit for forty investors in the Baupost Group.  Wonder how you turn a company around in five years to make that kind of profit or is it just shuffling paper and bamboozling buyers?

And Izhakoff's name first surfaced around here in 2009 : Joseph Izhakoff is president of the investor group trading under Highland Rail Group. In email responses to this newspaper, he says the rail line could serve as a spur to economic development - and would be complementary to farming operations. (In a technical sense, the farm purchaser and the rail bidder are separate corporate entities.

He goes on to say that his company, "Like our agreement with the Town of Orangeville, we are not against accommodating special interest groups, such as the snowmobilers and trails, however you can appreciate that we are not in those businesses and our priority will be continuing to provide, and expanding, rail service along the line"


Full article at this link:
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2009-03-26/regional_news/009.html

I DON'T SEE A DIFFERENCE, DO YOU SEE A DIFFERENCE?

FAVOURITE FOODSTOCK FACE

This picture has and says it all.

Passion

Wisdom

Integrity

Patience

Intelligence

Perseverance

OCTOBER 31 IS THE DAY

That is the day the world hits 7 billion people.
It is expected to double in 50 years-14 billion people.

That should signify to everyone the importance of protecting water and food.

If push came to shove, we CAN, believe it or not live without cells phones, t.v. internet (NO, NO, NO) and we can live in houses and drive on roads made from something other than limestone. 

It wouldn't be the comfort and conveniences we have become accustomed to, but we could do it. 

BUT here is the hard truth, we can NOT live without water and food.

While you are thinking about that, think about where you are in the chain of 7 billion people.

Check out this cool website and you can find out what your number is-kinda like Where's Waldo:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15391515

THE AGENDA

Did anyone notice last night on the Agenda last night that when the Highlands rep, Johh Scherer, smiled he looked like this:

He should be less worried about the hair - terrible toupee by the way- and more worried about his facial expressions, since it looks like he will be doing alot of media trying to explain this asinine idea.

FINAL NAIL IN THE REPORTING COFFIN?

Minebuster has long warned readers of this blog that the Shelburne Free Press/Orangeville Citizen, particularly Wes the Crypt Keeper Keller, are biased in their reporting regarding the Mega Quarry.

From the beginning (January 2009) Wes was writing that the grass roots group opposing the mega quarry were wasting people's time and money, they should just "settle" for a 100 acres, they were fear mongering, etc. etc. 

All the while the paper for which he "wrote" was taking Highlands, at times, weekly $900 buck ads. 

In fact some of the "articles" that appeared in the paper were nothing more than press releases of Highlands that had been rewritten.

Then this blog advised people that Wes wasn't even showing up for meetings, just writing (NOT reporting) from agendas and minutes.  He would attribute statements to people and make the statement such as "Mr. XXX was not reached for comment". 

What that means is they were not contacted at all.

Well not only has Wes been cribbing from agendas and minutes, apparently also from other reporter's articles.

In today's Free Press/Orangeville Citizen is this:

APOLOGY TO THE BANNER
Last week’s issue contained an article on page A9 which clearly should not have been published. Headlined, “Foodstock was overwhelming for one farmer,” the excellent article was from the previous Tuesday’s edition of the Orangeville Banner.

The article had been downloaded from the Banner’s website by freelancer Wes Keller, who had planned to produce a similar piece based on his own interviews, but was unfortunately submitted in the document with Mr. Keller’s story on Foodstock. Since the second article lacked any byline or other indication of its external source, it appeared to the Editor to be a “sidebar” and accordingly was run in addition to Mr. Keller’s Foodstock article.
In the circumstances, the article was obviously published without the prior knowledge or approval of The Banner and without crediting the writer of The Banner article, Bill Tremblay. We acknowledge that publication of The Banner's article was contrary to basic principles of responsible journalism. We sincerely apologize to The Banner and to Bill Tremblay for this error. http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-10-27/Local_News/An_apology_to_The_Banner.html

And here is the Banner's item on this little slip up.

ORANGEVILLE CITIZEN APOLOGIES FOR COPYING BANNER

Owners of the Orangeville Citizen were forced to publicly apologize today (Oct. 27), after they published an article taken from The Banner.
The article in question — Quarry protest never tasted so delicious — appeared on the front page of this newspaper’s Oct. 18 print edition and was posted on www.orangeville.com a day earlier under a similar headline.
A nearly identical version, containing no independently conducted interviews or research, was published in The Citizen last Thursday (Oct. 20).
Use of the article was not authorized and demonstrates a clear infringement of copyright laws.
“We are very upset and embarrassed that such a mistake like this has occurred,” Alan Claridge, publisher of the Orangeville Citizen, wrote in an email to The Banner’s publisher Ken Nugent.
Claridge went on to claim the “mistake” was the result of how information is collected for news articles appearing in that newspaper. http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/1232764--orangeville-citizen-apologies-for-copying-banner

And the funniest thing? Highlands uses Wes’s wisdom on their website to support their quarry…..

http://www.melancthonquarry.ca/index.php/site/latest/entrenched_in_the_silly_season

SLAM...SHUT

OFFICIAL PLAN UPDATE FOR 2011

You may or may not know that our Planning Contractor-Geriatric Jorden-was the contract planner for Melancthon in 1978 when an Official Plan was adopted.

We are still working under that 1978 plan.

Ger has been working on an updated plan now for say, 5-6 years?  I have lost track, not sure.

In January of 2010 he assured Council the final draft was on its way within a few weeks.

Still waiting.

I can report that in 2010 taxpayers paid $94,000 for planning services.

Not sure what we are getting for that, because of course his bills are never presented to the public and his reports are given in closed session, which the Meeting Investigator said was not permitted under the closed meeting provisions of the Municipal Act, 2001 but I DO know we haven't got an updated Official Plan yet.

Thursday October 27 at 8:00 p.m. the show “The Agenda” on TVO with host Steve Paikin is devoted to “local food and the mega quarry”

Maybe we will even catch a glimpse of that elusive Broadhead???

PUTTING OUT FIRES AT THE MULMUR MELANCTHON FIRE BOARD

Remember Amberley Gavel, the meeting investigator for the Township of Melancthon who ruled that Melancthon did in fact hold a closed meeting in contravention of the Municipal Act, 2001 (see blog posting dated September 7, 2011)

And remember the outraged reaction of Council when they heard they were in the wrong?

No?

Let me remind you:

Comments by Council members at the September 8, 2011 meeting at which Council received Amberly Gavel's report (minebusters brilliant and insightful comments in green):

“It was felt that Fred Dean, Amberley Gavel owes the municipality an apology as this report is very insulting – the premise of the report is wrong and information contained in the report is not factual."

(Here is a link on Fred Dean’s credentials, the individual council is demanding an apology from:  http://www.notl.org/files/%7BAFA27048-D660-4B62-8506-3B8B67276080%7DMunicipal%20Government%20101%20Workshop%20-%20Fred%20Dean%20Profile.pdf

"....Council has the right to defend itself and we have every right to consult with our legal counsel on such a report...."  (WRONG-the Municipal Act provides no appeals court so to speak)

"Council to reconsider whether or not they are going to stay with LAS. "  (here we go, lets fire them, they ruled against us)

"Council to also reconsider whether or not Mr. Jorden, Township Planner, will remain in the Township Office twice per month.  Council want to know who Mr. Jorden is meeting with and if this cannot be done in Closed Session, there is no point in having him here.  This was initiated by ratepayers to have a Planner in the office for easier accessibility to Planning matters." (lets punish the taxpayers)

For full details of Council's comments on Amberley's report on Melancthon, click on this link and go to page 3:
http://melancthontownship.ca/11council/minutes.sept8.pdf

BUT now, Amberley Gavel has made their report public on an investigation they did on a complaint about an alleged closed meeting of the Mulmur Melancthon Fire Board.

AND they found no fault-there was no contravention of the Municipal Act, 2001 as it related to the Board's closed meeting.

So where is the outrage from Melancthon Council?

Well no where, because IF you agree with Council all is good.

If you don’t, well suffer their wrath.

And here is a link to the closed meeting report re: the fire meetings starting on page 26  http://melancthontownship.ca/11council/agenda.oct6.pdf

CRAPPY SITUATION

There is a crappy situation to the north of us in Southgate Township, specifically Dundalk.

Southgate Council has been less than transparent about their decision to install an industry that burns human waste, offal (animal waste) in a facility located adjacent to a school and homes.

Like really, really close.

There is already a facility that does something with "compost" and here is an excerpt from the minutes from the Southgate June 1, 2011 Committee of the Whole about their traffic options:

Highway #10 by-pass roadway from Ida Street options:

 Option #1 – The best option at this point as it is the most efficient route and least EP land impacts;
 Option #2 – Not enough room between lagoon ponds and Foley drain;
 Option #3 – This option has a few problems being the cost of a box culvert to cross he Foley drain, EP lands would be effected and loss of some saleable industrial lands for this roadway route;
 Option #4 – This option has EP lands and is not being considered; and
 Option #5 – This option would us the existing road allowance townline right of way, however more EP land than option #1 and would require legal investigation and agreements with Melancthon Township.

And at the October 12 meeting about Lystek, the business that wants to bring that offal smell with their product, the Mayor of Southgate stated that meetings had been held with Melancthon about a bylaw/diversion road through Melancthon for the smelly trucks.  Anyone else hear anything about that?

HALF ASS EFFORT, BUT...

Still on hiatus from Foodstock, holy cow.  I was going to post poignant and moving blogs with pictures and stuff, but Stop the Quarry and Foodstock facebook sites and UTube have said it all.

So in keeping with the spirit of the season (get it, Hallowe'en season, spirit, ghosts???) enjoy this site:

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/

FULLSOME (get it? full??) FOODSTOCK COVERAGE

The article is great, but at the bottom are links to all the articles and videos, check it out.

http://orangevillemarketwatch.typepad.com/thewatersgroupjournal/2011/10/foodstock-2011.html

FAVOURITE FOODSTOCK FOTO

YOUTUBE THIS, HIGHLANDS

Collection of Youtube videos of Foodstock-set up, take down, the event itself.....

CTV coverage of set upCTV coverage of the event
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlan-isg_Js&feature=related

Getting the chefs into the bush
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBW9NX6vP44&feature=related

CTV coverage of the event
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=1gIW9gyF1co

Great pictorial
http://www.demotix.com/news/881995/foodstock-fundraiser-stop-melancthon-mega-quarry
(Our own Ginny and original NDACT member in her signature Chicken Hat)

Foodstock Busker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adGpp8MFjF4&feature=related

Foodstock in Five minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58DBxbWlJCE&feature=share

CTV coverage of clean up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqSlelbJkV4&feature=related

If you look closely in the background of all of these videos you will (NOT) notice the Mayor of Melancthon. 

THE biggest event in the history of Melancthon-yes even bigger than bringing the Stanley Cup home and done to raise funds to fight THE biggest issue in Ontario right now and where is our Mayor.....(insert sound of cricket chirping here)

Not Foodstock, but still this is Minebuster's absolute favourite on anything on the quarry, though they are all great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8ZkwK22hqI&feature=related

YOUR TURN HIGHLANDS/BAUPOST

I challenge you to put on an event, with ONLY volunteer capacity and none of Baupost's money, all from scratch and donations and attract 28,000 people in support of your cause. 

What was that cause again? 

Oh yeah, a 2,400 acre 200 foot below the water table open pit limestone mine on the headwaters of more than 1 million Ontarian's drinking water.

I am sure Mavis would be first to step up and call all her friends to help. (insert cricket chirping here).

Hope your planted spies yesterday noticed all the MP's and  MPP's milling around.

ADD THIS UP

28,000 people at Foodstock.  (I have heard estimates as high as 47,000 but that is not true).

So if 2,000 came on buses that leaves 26,000.

Lets say there were 4 people in a car,

That means there were 6,500 cars on that roadway yesterday,

Hm....I believe Highlands proposal, at peak market times, calls for up to 7,000 trucks on the road a day,

So MTO, County and OPP might want to rethink any comments they submitted on the Aggregate Proposal Act.

I am no genius and it doesn't take a genius to see that 6,500 cars crippled the flow of traffic, added stress to the infrastructure and would have significantly impacted any emergency response call required yesterday.

As it was, the only emergency was people were enjoying the day too much!! 

And who knew kid LOVE mud, OMG. 

The organizers worried themselves sick about the mud the day before.

Who knew it was going to be a featured entertainer of the day!!

FOODSTOCK HITS 28,000

YES, 28,000 people attended foodstock today.

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

Globe and Mail article today, October 15, 2011, has the following quote:   Joseph Izhakoff, another principal, (sic of Highlands) told The Globe and Mail the company did not mislead landowners.   “We did exactly what we told people we were going to do,” he said, referring to the potato operation. “When we came to Melancthon … we knew there was aggregate, but just knowing there’s aggregate doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to develop a quarry,” he said.   (Click here for full article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/globe-to/foodstock-back-to-the-farm-but-with-knives-in-hand/article2201954/

AND there was this quote by a Highland representatives in 2007:  “Trevor Downey of Downey Farms and John Lowndes both say the intent in Melancthon is merely to have a world-class potato operation.” (Orangeville Citizen, June 27, 2007) Click for full article: http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2007/0607/local_news/011.html

And yet an individual at the public meeting held in January 2009 at which the grassroots movement, now known as NDACT, was formed advised the crowd, despite Highlands spokesperson's denials, that the MOE, MMAH and the MNR had all been approached by Highlands regarding a quarry application and in fact one Ministry had designated staff just for the application as it was to be of a size never before seen in Ontario.

Anyone left who believes anything out of their mouths?