StoMp with the Stars

News release from NDACT July 23’d 2012

Honeywood, ON – The stars are coming out for this summer’s big event to raise funds and awareness about the proposed Highland mega quarry north of Shelburne, Ontario. Organizers of the Saturday, July 28th run/bike/walk event have added a BBQ, a beer tent and a full roster of eight musical acts, attracting local personalities and celebrities alike.

Stars likely to participate in the event include actress Mag Ruffman of Road to Avonlea fame, Dale Goldhawk of Goldhawk Live, and interior designer, television host and magazine editor Kimberley Seldon. All look forward to chatting with participants along the way.

“I’m excited to see everyone out next Saturday,” says Mag Ruffman. “I recently walked the perimeter of the proposed mega quarry to help me understand how big it was, and it took three hours! This is such an important issue. I expect the 5K StoMp walk to take about an hour, and views of the countryside are exquisite. I’d like to invite everyone to come out and have fun!”

Alliston area farmer Homer Vander Zaag is similarly enthusiastic. “As a potato farmer I have a strong sense of the importance of this area for food production,” he says. “I know there’s no better soil in Ontario than the Honeywood silt loam on top of the proposed quarry area, and we can’t allow it to be destroyed. StoMp is an important event, so my wife Janette and I and our three kids will be coming out on Saturday. We’re looking forward to the food and music as well as the walk.”

The Saturday, July 28th run/bike/walk event is open to all ages and abilities, and includes distances from 5km to a full marathon. Those coming just for the music are encouraged to make a $20 donation, but registering for the StoMp walk/bike/run event at www.NDACT.com will entitle you to:

·         A unique participant medal

·         BBQ lunch

·         Event T-shirt

·         Donation to NDACT

·         Great musical entertainment

To view the course map or to register, visit www.NDACT.com. Keep in mind that this is an all ages event, and that there is also a family package deal.

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

The quarry proposal was submitted on March 11, 2011 by the Highland Companies—backed by Boston hedge fund Baupost Group. Their plan would result in the largest quarry in Canada, spanning 2,316 acres north of Shelburne, 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 managed 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.