[All] Urgent call to action from NDACT re: Aggregate Act

[Louisette Lanteigne]

Hi folks

This just came in from the folks in Melancthon. 


Lulu 

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IMMEDIATE AND URGENT CALL TO ACTION!

The Standing Committee on General Government starts writing its report on the review of the Aggregate Resources
Act Monday, May 27th! The MPPs will be incorporating the suggestions presented at last spring's public hearings
into the ARA. These include the calls made by agricultural stakeholders to protect prime farmland and source water
regions.
We encourage you to contact the MPPs on the Committee! Below is a sample letter and the e-mail addresses for the
members. As always, please add your own thoughts/expertise to your letters. And start hitting the SEND button!

Bas Balkissoon, Chairman bbalkissoon.mpp at liberal.ola. org
Donna Cansfield
dcansfield.mpp at liberal.ola. org
Rick Bartolucci
rbartolucci.mpp at liberal.ola. org
Sarah Campbell
scampbell-qp at ndp.on.ca
Mike Colle
mcolle.mpp at liberal.ola.org
Rosario Marchese
rmarchese-qp at ndp.on.ca
Laurie Scott
laurie.scott at pc.ola.org
Todd Smith
todd.smith at pc.ola.org
Jeff Yurek
jeff.yurek at pc.ola.org

To the members of the Standing Committee on General Government:

I understand you will begin writing the Committee's report on the review of the Aggregate Resources
Act beginning this Monday, May 27th. This important process was launched in the fall of 2011,
followed by public hearings one year ago. The review of the ARA was ordered in the midst of the
controversy over the proposed Highland mega quarry. As you'll recall, the proposed mega quarry
would have destroyed 2,300-acres of the rarest agricultural land in Ontario and impacted the water
resources for up to one million people downstream in perpetuity. It was because of the mega quarry
that the review of the outdated ARA was ordered by the Ontario government.
As you write your report, I would like to remind you of the key suggestions made by the agricultural
stakeholders and farmers who appeared before you last year. They all stressed that under the ARA,
Ontario's prime farmland is at risk. This strategic and perpetual resource is vital to our $33-billion agri-
food sector, our economy and our food security, yet it is unprotected. As well, the Highland application
revealed that Ontario's source water regions are also vulnerable under the current ARA. Highland
EXCERPTS FROM THE APRIL 29, 2013 HANSARD:
intended to pump 600-million-litres of water from the mega quarry every day, forever. As one of the
farmers stated at the public hearings: It's time to put food and water first.
Therefore, I urge you to include protection for prime farmland and source water regions in your
report on the ARA review. Tens of thousands of Ontarians are engaged in this issue. They look forward
to seeing their views on the preservation of prime farmland and water resources reflected in the
Committee's findings.

Sincerely,
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