Saturday July 28: StoMp THE MEGA QUARRY walk/bike/run event to overlook proposed quarry

NDACT news release June 14 2912

Honeywood, ON – This summer’s big event to raise funds and awareness about a proposed mega quarry north of Orangeville will include a scenic panorama of the proposed quarry lands.

One hilltop vista on the July 28th walk/bike/run route looks down over the entire proposed 2,316-acre limestone mega quarry area—now a postcard-perfect scene of rich Ontario farmland. What with high rolling hills, water everywhere and rich farmland, it’s one of the most beautiful vistas in Ontario.

“We’re putting up a picture frame so that when you stand in the spot indicated, you’ll see the rolling fields where these international financiers want to dig this massive pit,” says veteran race organizer Maria Burton. “This event is designed to give people a real appreciation for the land that most have only read about.”

A course map and a short video of the course, as well as registration information, can be found at NDACT.

The Saturday, July 28th run/bike/walk event, open to all ages and abilities, is expected to draw 2,500 participants and a great number of supporters. Given the success of FOODSTOCK last October 16th, however, race organizers anticipate exceeding that number.

StoMp race entry includes: a unique participant medal, a BBQ lunch, an event T-shirt, a donation to NDACT and all fees. Those who register by June 25th will receive an early bird discount of $5 per entry. The discount code is ‘stomp’. There is also a family package deal. To register, visit www.NDACT.com.

Routes for the 5 km, 10 km, half marathon and marathon walk/bike/run events take full advantage of the area’s rolling landscape and scenic vistas. “I can hardly imagine a lovelier venue for a race,” enthuses Burton.

All profits will go towards the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) to help pay for scientific studies, legal fees and other expenses associated with stopping the proposed quarry.

Pledge forms are also available, 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.

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.

The Stop the Mega Quarry movement, initiated by a group of farmers and residents from Melancthon Township north of Shelburne, has spread across south & central Ontario as Ontarians raise concerns about potential impacts on water, farmland and the environment.

 “The farmers in Melancthon Township have been telling people for years that there is no way that Highland can pursue this proposal,” says local rancher Carl Cosack, Chairman of NDACT. “The voices of Ontarians raised in unison is proof that the mega quarry idea is preposterous,” he adds.