• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

‘Friends’ target Agnew

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In About Us
Sep 19th, 2018
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The following is from an Oro-Medonte website set up by a group – styled Friends of Oro-Medonte – opposing Sandy Agnew’s candidacy for mayor:

“Agnew’s candidacy raises a couple of huge red flags right off the bat. Agnew was a leader of Aware Simcoe (a group that purports to support environmental causes) when the group was ordered to pay $5000 to the County of Simcoe, and $27,000 to a landowner. The county’s portion was supposed to be used by the South Simcoe Streams Network to plant trees to support a healthy environment, but no payment was ever made. Aware was told to pay this amount after a court action they initiated was tossed out. This motion was brought by Aware to stop a landowner from using his own land for agricultural purposes. It also seems odd that he has the money to pay for a mayoral campaign, but not to meet Aware’s obligations to the township.

“Agnew claims to be in favor of tourism, job growth, and recreational opportunities, however he has actively tried to shut down events that bring tourists, job growth, and recreational activities from minor soccer & farmer’s markets to festivals and concerts. As noted, he helped Aware take a landowner to court to stop land being used for farming despite the fact he claims to support farming.

“Agnew seems to claim to support tourism, growth, new jobs and such as long as they meet a strict set of criteria, however this criteria appears to be so high that there is no practical way it can be met.

“By all accounts, Agnew is a nice man, but that does not make him a good candidate for mayor. He has been an environmental activist in the region for many years, and staying in this role, and out of the mayor’s office, is the only good option for this township.”

AWARE Simcoe’s view:

On the Friends of Oro-Medonte’s website, electors are urged not to cast their vote for – among others – mayoral candidate Sandy Agnew. In his case, the website cites as a major reason for disfavour AWARE Simcoe’s role in opposing a developer’s clear-cutting of 35 acres of forest near Beeton in New Tecumseth.  There are several inaccurate statements to support the thesis that AWARE Simcoe was at fault in this sorry episode – sorry because it shows how lawyers have infested our political and regulatory process and citizens are unable to truly participate without taking legal action.

Read more

  • Court action not ‘tossed out’
  • Marshall goes after AWARE
  • This was not about farming
  • Non-payment of court award
  • The battle goes on
  • Who are these people?

 

 

 

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