[All] Brantford/Brant water issues, gas/oil prospects and pit risks.

[Louisette Lanteigne]

Hi folks

Today  I went to Brantford to discuss a St. Mary's quarry expansion project that is slated to be built in proximity to Whiteman's Creek and an area that has a sloped aquifer and a diversity of rare species.  I was asked to attend the meeting by area resident, Karen Thomson.  

At the meeting I met with James Windle, the editor of the Tekawennake, one of Canada's oldest newspapers. I also met with archaeologist Ilse Kraemer and her husband Sanko Kraemer who is into Geology. Ilse and Sanko's knowledge about the natural features of Brant and Brantford is outstanding.

I found out about a fen located in Brantford that has approximately 30 artisan wells which spouts water high into the air. During dry periods the feature looks like a tall grass covered termite mound.  It is located in an area where the sediment is Alkaline unlike the normal acidic soil types seen in Ontario. This entire system moves. In the time Ilse has observed this feature, the holes have shifted approximately 100 meters from where the holes were first observed.   It is the only area like this in Ontario that she knows of. The only other system like this was observed in Vermont. 

In this area, there are deposits of dolomite that releases magnesium and it does end up in water supplies. You can see manganese deposits along creek systems when rocks display a pitch black tone.  Manganese in water is linked to various mood disorders in humans including post partum psychosis, schizophrenia and other illnesses. 

In Paris they are getting desperate for new water sources and the municipality is looking to exploit "blue holes" for water. Features like this are seen in the forest areas around here and they actually are connected to deep water aquifer systems. There are blue hole ponds that appear isolated yet they contain blind trout in these cool water habitats. I told them it's most likely integrated into a larger Karst system network. Ilsa stated how her and her husband observed team from Guelph scuba diving in the ponds to assess the biota. 

In the Brant/Brantford area there were numerous old gypsum minds that pose a risk. The mines were only lined with wood which has since broken down. Gypsum tends to expand upwards and they release calcium sulfur and hydrogen sulphide can lead to black water issues. There was an explosion around Jarvis due to this issue. 

There was a Domtar Mine on Mile Hill which lead to a massive explosion. The only way to put out the fire was to close the mine shaft. Since immediate family are still alive, the government refuses to reopen the mines for fear of assuming liability damages. No bodies, no claims. The explosion was because they hit veins of natural gas deposits. 

There is phenol content in the bedrock in these areas. It is found by way of black patina in bore hole studies. There was a blow out in Platsville that killed every trout in Whiteman's Creek during that time. The explosion found the underlying oil in this area. 

This area is being scoped heavily for fracking potential which is why many believe the multinationals are buying up the lands around here. Test wells seem to be popping up all over the place.  They're going after the oil and natural gas and local politicians are hedging their bets on the Lake Erie pipeline as their future water supply so they can exploit that. 

In terms of Aboriginal relations, Brant County gets along well with the folks at Six Nations because farmers and Aboriginals share knowledge of the lands they live on and they prioritize the protection of water and farmlands.  It's Brantford that poses a bigger challenge. There is pressure to amalgamate cities currently. 

There is a St. Mary's quarry pit that is planned to be expanded. It has yet to complete the municipal approval process but there is an openhouse coming up on March 27th at the Burford Arena/Community Centre on 14 Potter Drive from 6 to 7pm to showcase the data. 

Expert Bess Parker identified this site as having a "sloped aquifer" and it is of interest to Guelph University. Rare species in the area include Spotted Turtles, Blandings, there may be Jeffersons and Queen Snakes too. The motive for the quarry expansion is to access a rare sediment type known as "Foundry Sand" which is used for castings. It is more expensive than your normal sand types.  

The city only sent notices for residents who live within 125 meters of the quarry pit.  Area residents are on well systems.  Whiteman's creek is in close proximity and there are wetland features that would be impacted. . 

The pit would use a recycled water system which means they'll be concentrating all the nitrate phosphate and farming pesticides into one handy pond area for infiltration into their aquifer. I'm concerned about draw-down impacts and potential contamination for residential wells and suggested to residents that they secure a map of the projected draw-down impacts. In my view notices should have be given for everyone within the drawdown area. 

In order to service the site they want to add a Clover leaf shaped road feature which has the potential to serve other pits in the area as well including another one owned by Lefarge. This would certainly increase municipal costs to build and maintain such a roadway. I advised they put a lean to get the company to pick up the construction and maintenance costs and told them this company should plan a proper salt mitigation strategy to protect area wells. 


Ilse Kraemer confirmed the fact there are NUMEROUS Aboriginal relics being found on site to the point this area appears to have been a settlement of some sort. Her greatest concern is the fact that many people in these tribes suffered cholera and the bacillus located in burial grounds isn't killed off with burial, it simply goes dormant. There is a very real health risk if they dig up these bodies. 

The Community stopped Brantford Southern Access Road in part because it crossed directly over a burial ground with cholera victims and Mohawk rep James Windle stated that the Pauline Johnston school on Six Nations is currently built ON TOP of a burial ground like this. 

He stated that when it comes to planning issues, there are two different branches that people should consult with if they want to engage the tribes on Six Nations. 

One group is the Haudenosaunee Development Institute: http://www.haudenosauneeconfederacy.com/HDI/devprocess.html
This group works closely with the elected Six Nation's reps.

The next group is the traditional tribe rep, Bill Monteur who can be reached by phone at 519-445-0003. 

In Six Nation's elected officials carry the political tools to engage the local government but if you want to speak with the true leader of the people rather than the politicians, the key is contact the traditional tribe rep. 

In standard government bureaucracy, it is like a pyramid. The people lead to the political reps who lead to a single head official. In the traditional tribe uses an inverted pyramid model where the concerns of the people go to the Clan Mothers, (all women) who then to to the Chief who's job it is to represent the views of the decisions made by the clan mothers and the people. He has no individual authority but is the advocate for the concerns of all the other voices.  

If approached, the elected council for Six Nations would most likely say, how will we be compensated whereas the traditional tribe rep would not support the project at all if this poses a risk to farmlands or water. If there is a burial site here, neither one is likely to support this project. 

So if folks are interested to learn more about this project attend the public open house on March 27th at the Burford Arena/Community Centre on 14 Potter Drive from 6 to 7pm or visit the St. Mary's info page regarding this project at http://cbmcommunityinfo.com/

If anyone wants contact info for the folks mentioned feel free to reach me. 

Lulu 
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