Saturday July 28: StoMp the Mega Quarry

1000s to run/walk/bike through stunning countryside
News release from NDACT – April 8 2012
The grassroots movement to halt a proposed mega quarry north of Toronto is holding a top-calibre sporting event to raise money this summer.
All profits will go towards the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) to help pay for scientific studies, legal fees and other expenses.
Veteran race organizer Maria Burton, a logistics supervisor at the Vancouver Olympics and world-class adventure racer, is spearheading the first annual STOMP the MEGA QUARRY event.
“The land around the proposed mega quarry is some of the most beautiful in Ontario, what with high rolling hills, water everywhere and rich farmland,” says Rosemont, ON-based Burton. “Getting people to come experience that firsthand is a powerful way of creating a much deeper connection with an issue that many identify with, but have not yet connected on a personal level.”
The Saturday, July 28th run/bike/walk event, open to all ages and abilities, is expected to draw a great number of supporters and sporting enthusiasts. “We’re aiming for 2,500 participants,” says Burton, “but given the success of FOODSTOCK last October 16th, we may exceed that number. Either way we’re ready and it’s bound to be a great event.”
STOMP the MEGA QUARRY registration includes a donation to NDACT, with entries costing between $25 for children and $110 for the full marathon. Pledge forms are available at www.ndact.com and those who register and raise $200 or more in sponsorships can participate for free. STOMP the MEGA QUARRY will form part of the 47th annual Honeywood summer celebration. Race entry includes a T-shirt and post-race barbecue meal prior to the classic Honeywood Beef BBQ taking place later in the evening.
Routes for the 5 km, 10 km, half marathon and marathon races are mapped out and take full advantage of the area’s rolling landscape and scenic vistas. “I can hardly imagine a lovelier venue for a race,” enthuses Burton.
On March 11, 2011, the Highland Companies—backed by Boston hedge fund Baupost Group – applied for a license to excavate the largest quarry in the country. It would span 2,316 acres north of Orangeville, destroying Class 1 farmland. The quarry would plunge 200 feet below the water table in a recharge area for the headwaters of five rivers. Highland estimates that 600,000,000 litres of water would need to be pumped from the mega quarry each day in perpetuity.
In just over a year, the Stop the Mega Quarry movement has blossomed from a core group of farmers and residents from Melancthon Township north of Shelburne to the Ontario Legislature, as a growing number of Ontarians raise concerns about the impact the proposed mega quarry would have on water, farmland and the environment. “We’ve united country and city on this critical issue,” says rancher Carl Cosack, Chairman of NDACT. “This is a big issue, now backed by a big movement.” Despite the announcement of a formal Environmental Assessment by Ontario’s Minister of the Environment on September 1st, 2011, however, many feel that the proposed quarry is still very much a threat.
For more information, please visit www.ndact.com.