<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><div>Hi folks</div><div><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">This just came in from the folks in Melancthon. <br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">Lulu <br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">_______________________________<br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">IMMEDIATE AND URGENT CALL TO ACTION!</div><div><br>The Standing Committee on General Government starts writing its report on the review of the Aggregate Resources<br>Act Monday, May 27th! The MPPs will be incorporating the suggestions presented at last spring's public hearings<br>into the ARA. These include the calls made by agricultural stakeholders to protect prime farmland and source water<br>regions.<br>We encourage you to contact the MPPs on the Committee! Below is a sample letter and the e-mail addresses for the<br>members. As always, please add your own thoughts/expertise to your letters. And start hitting the SEND button!</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color:
transparent; font-style: normal;"><br>Bas Balkissoon, Chairman bbalkissoon.mpp@liberal.ola. org<br>Donna Cansfield<br>dcansfield.mpp@liberal.ola. org<br>Rick Bartolucci<br>rbartolucci.mpp@liberal.ola. org<br>Sarah Campbell<br>scampbell-qp@ndp.on.ca<br>Mike Colle<br>mcolle.mpp@liberal.ola.org<br>Rosario Marchese<br>rmarchese-qp@ndp.on.ca<br>Laurie Scott<br>laurie.scott@pc.ola.org<br>Todd Smith<br>todd.smith@pc.ola.org<br>Jeff Yurek<br>jeff.yurek@pc.ola.org</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br>To the members of the Standing Committee on General Government:</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br>I understand you will begin writing the Committee's report on the review of the Aggregate Resources<br>Act beginning this Monday,
May 27th. This important process was launched in the fall of 2011,<br>followed by public hearings one year ago. The review of the ARA was ordered in the midst of the<br>controversy over the proposed Highland mega quarry. As you'll recall, the proposed mega quarry<br>would have destroyed 2,300-acres of the rarest agricultural land in Ontario and impacted the water<br>resources for up to one million people downstream in perpetuity. It was because of the mega quarry<br>that the review of the outdated ARA was ordered by the Ontario government.<br>As you write your report, I would like to remind you of the key suggestions made by the agricultural<br>stakeholders and farmers who appeared before you last year. They all stressed that under the ARA,<br>Ontario's prime farmland is at risk. This strategic and perpetual resource is vital to our $33-billion agri-<br>food sector, our economy and our food security, yet it is unprotected. As well, the Highland
application<br>revealed that Ontario's source water regions are also vulnerable under the current ARA. Highland<br>EXCERPTS FROM THE APRIL 29, 2013 HANSARD:<br>intended to pump 600-million-litres of water from the mega quarry every day, forever. As one of the<br>farmers stated at the public hearings: It's time to put food and water first.<br>Therefore, I urge you to include protection for prime farmland and source water regions in your<br>report on the ARA review. Tens of thousands of Ontarians are engaged in this issue. They look forward<br>to seeing their views on the preservation of prime farmland and water resources reflected in the<br>Committee's findings.</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br>Sincerely,<br></div></div></body></html>