• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Margaret Atwood backs Midhurst ratepayers, issues challenge

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In AWARE News Network
Feb 3rd, 2014
3 Comments
4009 Views

From the Midhurst Ratepayers’ Association

Canadian icon and long time supporter of the environment, Margaret Atwood has become interested in our cause. So much so, in fact she has used her influence on twitter to encourage our petition’s growth. But she didn’t stop there – she offered a challenge to us to engage even more people. If we get our petition to 5000 people, she has pledged she will visit Midhurst and do a fundraiser in a nearby high school. This is what our cause so greatly needs – exposure. We know our cause is true and just; we just need more people to know about it. That is where you come in. Please continue to share our petition and inform your network about our struggle.

Margaret Atwood’s Tweet:

“If the ‪@SaveMidhurstNow petition hits 5,000 I’ll come to ‪#Midhurst +do a fundraiser in the nearest highschool ‪http://tinyurl.com/MSPpetition 

After all, Midhurst is the ONLY community in Ontario that is specifically named in planning legislation that virtually allows our plan to circumvent provincial planning policies. As a result, our rural community will be grown into a small urban centre at an unprecedented rate (856% population increase). We are not confined to growth management policies like any other community in Ontario. Why?

Also, due to that provincial special rule, 1900 acres of the best farmland in Canada is slated for houses. That doesn’t even include the hundreds of acres of family farms surrounding the subdivisions that will feel the pressure of being neighbours with townhouses and apartments. Accommodating these new neighbours infringes on their operations and puts their livelihoods and farming legacy at risk.

Furthermore, Midhurst is landlocked. It is not built on a large body of water that can easily assimilate effluent from the sewage treatment plant. The solution? Build a new $100M sewage treatment plant and have the effluent run into a small creek which is a major tributary of an internationally significant wetland – the Minesing Wetlands. Due to its ability to provide a wide range of habitats and house a plethora of rare, sensitive and even endangered species, Minesing ranks internationally with the Florida Everglades. How will the oldest and one of the largest Great Blue Heronries react to these changes? What impact will this have on surrounding communities that depend on the Minesing to purify their water and control flooding/erosion? How will all of the rare and sensitive habitats respond? The best question, though, is are 10,000 new homes SO vital that we’re willing to take the risk to find out? We don’t think so.

Please continue to share the petition with your network. Together, we can make things right. Together, we can send a message.

We’d love to hear from you if you want to connect or share your thoughts. Email: savemidhurstvillage@gmail.com or through our Facebook page “Save Midhurst Village”.

3 Responses to “Margaret Atwood backs Midhurst ratepayers, issues challenge”

  1. Ann says:

    This is great news!
    Thank you Margaret!

  2. Donna Deneault says:

    This is wonderful news. Thank you Margaret Atwood ! We will sign petition. Best Wishes !

    Donna and Verne Deneault

  3. Donna Deneault says:

    This is wonderful news. Thank you, Margaret ! We will sign petition. Best Wishes to you and
    Midhurst !

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