[All] The Tractors Are Coming! Huge Fight For Farmland Rally, Wed Aug 28th 6:00pm at Regional HQ

Fri Aug 30 13:34:05 EDT 2024

Hi folks
I am preparing to submit a report to Wilmot Council on the fact the Places to Grow Act predated the following risks :
WalkertonThe Elmira Chemtura Spill which permanently closed the wells in ElmiraNDMA in CambridgeRoad Salt well closures Modern source water protection policies Climate change Risks of high nitrate causing toxicity in corn and silage (if water shortages happen that can kill cows and people) Atrazine Risks (if we have less water to dilute it)  Sewage bypasses causing fish to change sex in the Grand River (Water treatment requires balanced biota to treat the water. Fast rain can overwhelm the system. To prevent system collapse partially treated and untreated sewage ends up in the Grand River causing high estrogen levels that can change the sex of fish and other vertebrates. It’s an endocrine disruptor. It links to breast and prostate cancers and exposure to high estrogen in utero which can cause feminization of males and male traits in females along with reproductive issues such as PCOD. 
I will send a copy to the Region as well. 
We spent 21 million addressing  contamination by Vinyl Chloride at Greenbrook Wells and million more to offset the salt issues there. 
The Region of Waterloo have no plausible deniability on the risks I mentioned above. I told them of it and they have spent a fortune preventing these issues. 
The township of Wilmot is acting as a fiefdom when they should behave as a democracy. They didn’t even have a city clerk at the last meeting. They didn’t open the floor to unregistered delegates which is an anti competitive abuse of dominance by the board in violation of Canada’s federal laws under the Competitions Act. It is denying the public as shareholders, a voice.  The board didn’t open a motion after I invoked Robert’s rules to allow me as a delegate. The mayor took it upon herself, with no clerk providing guidance,  and she said no. There was no vote on it. She as a voting member she cannot behave like this. It’s not democratic. She acted like a monarch not an elected official. In addition, Wilmot only gave 2 days notice of the agenda and they gave themselves  the right to alter it 4 hours before the meeting. They can cancel delegates within those 4 hours if they so choose. A speaker who was a delegate informed them they can and should reasonably give notice of agenda items 25 days prior to meetings but have chosen not to thinking that less public participation is cutting the red tape and saving them money. A man who was a registered delegate instructed me to stand at the doorway. He got the council schooled on the proper protocols. A police officer arrived and asked me if I wanted to talk in the back. I told him no. He asked again and I asked him to keep the peace please. This officer was prepared to arrest me as I simply stood there. He was going to arrest me based on 3rd party hearsay because I called out Robert’s Rules during the meeting and spoke out with absolute and qualified privilege to prevent public harm. The police went away. The motion was then passed to allow up to 3 unregistered delegates to speak on issues. We got that motion passed on Monday Night. 
Democracy is ours to protect. Use it or loose it. 
Lulu 

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, 12:46 AM, Kevin Thomason <kevinthomason at mac.com> wrote:

Good Day,
We had a fantastic rally at Wilmot Township Hall on Monday night with a record attendance of hundreds of people showing they are unwilling, great speakers, and amazing live music.
However, the farmers are really angry and frustrated they aren’t being heard by the Regional Councillors or Provincial Officials including MPP Mike Harris Jr. so they have decided to arrive with their tractors to the Fight For Farmland Rally on Wednesday, August 28th at 6:00pm in advance of the Regional Council Meeting.  
We are expecting dozens of tractors in downtown Kitchener tomorrow evening and have been working with the police on escort into the city along the Conestoga Expressway from New Hamburg to Ottawa Street and then along Weber Street to Regional HQ at 150 Fredrick Street in downtown Kitchener.
It should be quite the sight and we will try for the best possible impact in the most respectful ways.  However, a protest like this hasn’t been seen in years, if ever in Waterloo Region.  The farmers will be starting out from the proposed mega-site (2958 Bleams Road, New Hamburg) around 3:30pm and arriving in downtown Kitchener at Regional HQ for 5:30pm.  Starting at 6pm in the plaza in front of the Regional HQ will be a rally where we are expecting hundreds of people, speeches from provincial Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife, the President of the National Farmers Union, representatives from other agricultural organizations, local farmers, and others along with fun live music from local musician PunkeyDoodles Steve Todd who will perform his hit song "770 Acres".

Shortly after 7pm we will then be heading into the Regional Council Meeting to fill the Council Chambers as several farmers and farm organizations are finally on the agenda to delegate and speak to Regional Council with concerns about this absurd mega-industrial site and the need for a better plan.

We hope that you will join us with your Fight For Farmland signs and creative banners to show that WE ARE NOT WILLING!  Please also bring a box of Corn Flakes cereal for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.  There are numerous public transit options to reach the rally or parking available on nearby streets and parking lots.

Our communities are determined to show we are unwilling.  Speak up for the future that you want to see!

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Kevin ThomasonVice-Chair, Grand River Environmental Network

Phone: (519) 888-0519
Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648
Mastodon: @kthomason at mstdn.ca
E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com

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