[All] PERL update

Thu Jul 21 21:57:05 EDT 2011

Hi folks
PERL is a group of concerned citizens fighting to stop Mount Nemo at the OMB. This hearing could result in rulings that could influence projects such as Capital Paving in West Montrose or the Highland Quarry so it's a case worth watching.
Kudos go out to Waterloo Region based hydrologist Ray Blackport  who was hired by PERL to help defend the natural features and water resources of this area.
Details of their latest update is below for your reference.
Lulu 
--- On Thu, 7/21/11, PERL <perl at perlofburlington.org> wrote:

From: PERL <perl at perlofburlington.org>
Subject: A sunny summer PERL update
To: "Elizabeth Cox" <ecox2 at cogeco.ca>
Date: Thursday, July 21, 2011, 8:43 PM

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A 
warm summer greeting from PERL

As you enjoy our sunny summer weather, we wanted to give 
you an update on the important work taking place to protect the Escarpment. Here 
are the answers to many of the questions we receive.

What’s happening at 
the hearings?
Joint Board Hearing 
(Ontario Municipal Board and Environmental Tribunal) on the Nelson Aggregate 
application for a new quarry on Mt Nemo

After over a year in pre-hearings, the actual hearings 
started in November 2010 and continued until mid June when they broke for the 
summer.  Hearings will start again on August 22 and are expected to 
continue at least until December, but more likely until early 2012.  

Nelson Aggregate’s lawyers and experts recently 
completed their presentation.  Those opposing the application, i.e. 
the City of Burlington, Halton Region, Niagara Escarpment Commission, 
Conservation Halton and PERL, have started to present the opposing case.  
We will 
continue to present the reasons why another quarry on Mt Nemo would negatively 
affect this fragile ecosystem and our quality of life.

Obviously it is far too early to 
provide any kind of forecast as to the outcome of the hearings.  However 
PERL has been encouraged by testimony such as that provided by Ray Blackport, 
PERL’s hydrogeology expert, who used Nelson’s own data to rebut its position and 
suggest that important wetlands adjacent to the proposed quarry would dry up if 
the quarry went ahead. 

We are very appreciative of the small core of loyal PERL 
supporters who have attended the hearings (generally Monday-Thursday, 10 am-4 
pm, at the Quality Inn on Bronte Road in Oakville) – thanks so much!  
Please consider coming for even an hour when 
the hearings start up again. More attendees would let the Hearing 
Officers know that the community cares about the land use on Mount Nemo – they 
identified community support as important to the final decision.  We 
need your involvement – however limited!

Is land 
re-designation possible?
Incredibly, while the current designation of the area 
puts extraordinary limits on development by companies and individuals, aggregate 
mining can be exempted.  For this reason, we at PERL are also working hard 
to have the designation for the area changed so that no quarrying would be 
allowed – initially for the proposed quarry lands, but eventually for the whole 
Mt Nemo plateau.  

How’s the fundraising 
going?
We have managed to stay in the game thanks to 
successful musical events and your generous donations. In order to keep 
advocating for the Mount Nemo plateau community and environment, we need 
the immediate and broader communities to stand up for the protection of this 
precious area by continuing to support PERL.  We hope to have more than one 
exciting event within the next few months, but in the meantime donations and purchases of the beautiful Mt Nemo print 
tell us that you care (flyer attached).  

How is the Nemo 7G 
initiative coming along?

Under the PERL umbrella, Nemo 7G is group of community individuals whose 
mission is to gather broad-scale          

community input in order to form a seven-generation vision for the Mt Nemo 
plateau.  The process has been very     

positively received, and supported by the City of Burlington and 
through a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Two public community sessions were held.  At the 
first session in January, people recalled the history of the area and 
identified what makes it such a special place.  The second session in 
February offered participants the opportunity to express their future vision of 
the area.  While many people wanted to keep it the way it is, there were 
also lots of ideas of how the area could evolve ecologically, socially and 
economically.  

In June, Nemo 7G organized Mt Nemo Day, an opportunity 
for the community to learn more about the area, through “open door” type visits 
to Lowville Park, Mt Nemo Conservation area, a local farm, a riding stable, a 
sculpture studio and to the Nelson quarry.  Attendees provided new input 
into the Mount Nemo vision. 

Community members 
tell their stories on video.

      PERL has begun to post a 
series of video stories from members of our community on its Facebook 
page (see link below -        and click on 
Mt Nemo Stories) - check the site regularly for 
more videos to come.  We thank all those who participated 
            in this 
project!   

Where can I get 
updates on what’s happening?

PERL now has a very active Facebook page with over 1000 
friends. Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Protecting-Escarpment-Rural-Land-PERL/74005934586 
and add your comments.

If you ever have any questions or would like to help out 
in any of our upcoming events, please contact us at perl at perlofburlington.org.

More updates to 
come.  Stay tuned! 

Your PERL 
Executive
perl at perlofburlington.org

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