The people win again! Mega-quarry is dead

Scroll down for first-day news coverage and reaction 

AWARE Simcoe November 21 2012 

First, Dump Site 41. Now the Mega-Quarry.

Congratulations to NDACT and related groups for a fight well-fought, that enlisted the support of First Nations people in the watersheds of the five rivers that flow from the heights of Melancthon as well as the support of the people of the Greater Toronto area who rely on these waters for life. 

The mega-quarry would have had a disastrous impact on the Nottawasaga River, which has a watershed covering half of Simcoe County. AWARE Simcoe organized two meetings against the mega-quarry, one in Big Bay Point and one in Alliston. They were among our best attended. 

Thanks to all those who stepped up, for the food, the music, the art, the inspiration.

Foodstock will remain forever enshrined in the history of protest in Ontario as a unique and wonderful event that brought city and country together to protect our precious Mother Earth.

The fight is not over. Aggregate companies are pressuring provincial and local governments to adopt policies that elevate the status of quarries as superior to other uses. This is impacting the review of the Aggregate Resources Act, the review of Ontario’s Provincial Policy Statement and the final version of Simcoe County’s Official Plan. The need for citizen vigilance and participation continues. 

 

By Brad Pritchard Barrie Advance Nov 21, 2012 

ALLISTON – New Tecumseth Mayor Mike MacEachern is pleased after hearing this morning’s news that the controversial Melancthon mega quarry proposal has been cancelled.

MacEachern said The Highland Companies did the right thing by listening to the concerns of residents.

“I know there were many of our residents that were concerned about the mega quarry and the project and its impact on our community, their friends and family,” he said.

In the company’s press release sent out today (Nov. 21), John Scherer, principal of The Highland Companies, said the project did not receive “sufficient support from the community and government to justify proceeding with the approval process.”

MacEachern said he’s pleased the government listened to the concerns of the people.

While the 2,300-acre limestone quarry would have been located about 40 kilometres northwest of Alliston, he said there is no doubt it would have had a major impact locally. According to the proposal, the quarry would have extended about 200 feet below the water table where major river systems intersect in the Nottawasaga watershed.

The mayor said the increase in truck traffic coming and going to the site would have also put more stress on local roads and highways.

“There was the truck traffic, but again you know we have to rally behind the concerns too of our neighbouring municipalities and the environmental concerns that come from a project that size both on water and the whole area,” he said.

Alliston resident and AWARE Simcoe member John DeCrombrugghe said he was overjoyed when he heard the news this morning while listening to Goldhawk Fights Back on his radio. The show’s host, Dale Goldhawk, has been an outspoken opponent to the quarry since the plan surfaced in March 2011.

“I was definitely against it, I’m ecstatic,” DeCrombrugghe said.

He said this is a monumental victory for all of the residents and community groups that banded together in opposition to the quarry.

However, despite what the company has said, he remains skeptical this will be the last we hear of the quarry proposal

“You never know what else they have up their sleeve…they could come back on a smaller scale, you never know,” he said.

DeCrombrugghe participated in Soup Stock, a culinary-themed rally against the quarry held in October. He thinks the event played a big role in putting an end to the proposal by highlighting its potential impacts.

“We just had the Soup Stock in Toronto with 40,000 people out there,” he said. “We had two booths…and we never stopped talking all day long about the quarry. We talked to hundreds and hundreds of people about it….people were just amazed about the quarry plans.”

Outside his Alliston home, DeCrombrugghe has three signs on his front lawn in opposition to the quarry.

“I still have about 75 of those left for sale…I guess they have become collector’s items now,” he quipped. 

 

By Jessica McDiarmid Toronto Star November 21 2012

MELANCTHON, ONT.—By early Wednesday afternoon, Dale Rutledge’s cellphone battery was nearly dead.

“It hasn’t stopped this all day,” he said with a laugh as it rang, again. “Everybody’s having a good day here.”

That morning, the people in Melancthon Township heard that the plan for a so-called mega quarry, which many have been fighting for years, was dropped.

The Highland Companies abandoned its application to dig a massive limestone quarry in this fertile farming area just north of Orangeville, citing a lack of government and community support. The company, Ontario’s largest potato producer, had the backing on the project of a Boston-based hedge fund worth over $20 billion.

And Rutledge, a central figure in the fight against it, fielded congratulatory calls all day long.

“Common sense finally came into this equation,” he said.

At 2,300 hectares, the quarry would have been the second-largest in North America, obliterating hundreds of acres of some of Ontario’s richest farmland. Underneath that soil is Amabel dolostone, a much-needed type of limestone used in building infrastructure.

The proposal prompted a protest that started among a few local farmers and swelled to envelop southern Ontario, with anti-quarry signs sprinkling lawns from Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay. Celebrities and chefs threw their weight behind the movement, and events in Toronto and Melancthon drew tens of thousands of people.

“Everything we did, I think we put a hole in them each time,” said Rutledge, whose farm has been in his family since 1883. His children work on it with him now, supplying the province with potatoes, corn, wheat and canola.

“The land is special,” he said. “It’s my life I’m fighting for.”

A short jaunt up the straight gravel roads that cut through rolling, fresh-plowed fields, Lyle Parsons sold his farm to Highland, thinking it was simply going to be part of the largest potato farm in Ontario. It was later that he learned of the plans for the quarry.

“Perhaps I was a little naïve,” said Parsons. “Knowing what I know now, I never would have sold.”

Community members were “appalled” at what they felt was deceit on the part of the company. Highland, meanwhile, maintained its land purchases were fair and there were discussions about “different land uses.”

While Parsons said he is relieved the quarry project has been dropped, the old farm where he was born and raised is gone.

“For somebody like myself who had my history and heritage ripped down, I shed a few tears at the loss,” he said. “If I had my way, it would be nice to see (the land) go back to the community, the way it was, but I know it never will.”

Local farmer John Herndon said the reaction to the announcement was simply relief.

“It’s a testimony to what can be done if people get together and exercise their democratic rights and obligations,” Herndon said.

By Wednesday evening, locals who had fought the quarry gathered in the nearby Terra Nova Public House to celebrate what many have called a triumph of David over Goliath, of a group of farmers over a company backed by an American hedge fund.

At the head of the table, a local farmer held up a glass to something that was a long time coming: Victory.

With files from Jayme Poisson 

 

By Emily Innes, Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin November 21, 2012

MELANCTHON – The proposed “mega-quarry” is no more.

The Highland Companies announced Wednesday it has withdrawn its application to develop a quarry in Melancthon Township.

The company was planning to develop a 2,300-acre limestone quarry north of Shelburne which would require 600 million litres of water to be pumped from the site daily.

“While we believe that the quarry would have brought significant economic benefit to Melancthon Township and served Ontario’s well-documented need for aggregate, we acknowledge that the application does not have sufficient support from the community and government to justify proceeding with the approval process,” said John Scherer, one of principals of The Highland Companies in a press release.

The Highland news release said the company would discontinue its efforts to restore the rail corridor through Dufferin County. Aggregate was to be shipped by rail to the GTA.

John Lowndes has also resigned as president of the company.

The announcement comes after Soupstock, a protest held in Toronto at the end of October by the Canadian Chefs Congress in partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation, which served soup to 40,000 people who demonstrated concern for the quarry.

“I feel really excellent about it,” Michael Stadlander from the Canadian Chefs Congress, a local chef who spearheaded the protest, told the QMI Agency. “I think the whole experience should teach us something. We really have to think about where our food comes from.

“We cannot just let anybody who wants to take over farm land do what they want to do .. It is very important that we have this land secured.”

Stadlander congratulated the Highland Companies for their decision to continue farming.

He said the Ontario government also played an instrumental role when it announced in September, 2011, it would conduct an environmental assessment of the quarry. This was the first time a quarry or aggregate project was planned to be reviewed under the environmental assessment legislation.

He said when his colleagues in the Canadian Chefs Congress shared the news with him, he had to take a walk to process the information.

“’Wow, I can’t believe it, we actually won’,” he recalled thinking.

In 2011, Stadlander, with the Canadian Chef Congress, hosted their first large-scale mega-quarry protest, Foodstock, which drew 28,000 supporters to a farm in Melancthon.

Stadlander said Highland made the right choice because opponents to the quarry were not planning on backing down and he already had another protest in the works.

“We would not stop, no way,” he said.

He said this experience will be positive for the local food movement.

“Right now, Ontario sets a great precedent and there are a lot of people that are going to look at this closely, and for people that want to apply for big mega-projects like this they are going to think about it twice,” said Stadlander.

“Over the last few years we have seen the rise of local food movements, and I think it is really sinking in now that it is important.”

Eva Meriorg, the Georgian Bay Food Alliance chair, said this is proof that grassroots movements can have an impact.

“If they have seen the light then that is great because a lot of people have been trying to shine the light on environmental issues that are very important to our health and our food,” she said.

She said this will not only benefit local food initiatives because the farm land won’t be impacted, but also, it will allow efforts to be focused elsewhere.

“It can take our energies away from fighting that to doing more positive things about actually growing food and working on our food co-op and looking at hunger issues in town,” she said.

Dr. Fasal Moola, director of science at the David Suzuki Foundation, said though this is an enormous milestone there is still uncertainty about the future of the land.

“We want to make sure that the prime farm land in Melancthon is protected in perpetuity,” Moola told QMI Agency. “What we want to see is that local communities will have a say to ensure that that happens and we want to make sure that the government overhauls the current laws and policies in the province to ensure a future aggregate project of this scale and of this potential detrimental impact does not happen in another community.”

Moola said as the law currently stand, another quarry project could happen anywhere else in the province.

 “The current laws and regulation prioritize aggregate development over prime farm land and nature protection, and that needs to change,” he said.

Ontario’s Green Party leader Mike Schreiner, speaking with QMI from Toronto, was ecstatic with the news.

“This is definitely a victory for all farmers and citizens who spoke out for clean water and local food,” said Schreiner, who recently announced he was stepping down as the party’s representative in Simcoe-Grey in order to run in Guelph. “Stopping the quarry was one of (the party’s) top priorities, before the election, during the election, and after the election… it’s a happy day for us.

“This day wouldn’t have been possible without all the people who spoke out.”

The Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association did not show the same enthusiasm, stating that the aggregate industry employs 7,000 Ontarians and the province uses 170 million tonnes of stone, sand, and gravel per year.

“We were disappointed to hear that Highland has withdrawn its application,” stated CEO Moreen Miller in news release. “At a time when the province is investing money and resources into boosting the economy and building a better Ontario, this will come as a setback for Ontario families. The project would have created hundreds of jobs and helped meet the overwhelming need for infrastructure improvements in Ontario.”

Environmental lawyer Dianne Saxe blogged on Sept. 11, 2011 on her site, “Environmental Law and Litigation” that full individual environmental assessments “take a lot of time and money, and are usually considered a major obstacle to the approval of a project,” and are “almost never granted.”

Wednesday when told the quarry application was dead, Saxe called the news “wonderful.”

“I think it’s good news for the protection of the water in that area,” Saxe said. She also said there were vulnerable aquifers in the area of the proposed quarry. “We, especially in Ontario, have tended to be too casual in protecting water because we are used to having lots of it.”

But climate change will put more stress on water quality and quantity and so the need to protect it is heightened, she said. But doing so will have implications for sourcing aggregate, she added.

“It will put more stress on finding sustainable sources of aggregate,” like reusing existing material, instead of digging for more, she said. And the provincial government needs to focus on that more, she said. “There will definitely be stress, I think, on aggregate supply. But there are environmentally responsible ways of dealing with that and hopefully we’ll now see movement in that direction.”

Highland says it will continue to focus on its farms and to grow potatoes; the company’s land acquisition turned it into one of Ontario’s largest potato producers..

Lindsay Broadhead, a spokesperson for Highland, said within the past year it has added a 13-million-lbs. potato storage facility, new weigh scales, and new wash ponds to its potato farming operation.

Highland employs 50 people, including fourth-generation farmers, she added.

“Significant investment has been made in the farming,” she said. “The farming business is strong.”

– With files from Scott Dunn, QMI Agency 

 

By Chris Halliday Orangeville Banner November 21 2012 

Melancthon isn’t destined to become a mining town, at least not anytime soon.

The Highland Companies dropped a bombshell, sending quarry opponents into a frenzy on Wednesday (Nov. 21), when the company declared it has withdrawn its application for a licence to mine 2,316 acres of land for limestone in Melancthon.

“They thought they could just blow into Melancthon,” exclaimed Carl Cosack, chair of the North Dufferin Agricultural Community Taskforce (NDACT). “You can’t force something on a community of this nature without having repercussions.”

In February of 2011, The Highland Companies filed the largest aggregate extraction application to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in the province’s history.  Local residents soon brought forward a bounty of environmental concerns and quickly rallied together in fierce opposition to Highland’s plans. 

Concerned the province’s Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) wouldn’t be sufficient to protect farmland and water resources from such a large application, residents, community groups, along with environmental agencies and advocates from across Ontario began demanding an environmental assessment (EA) be ordered.

At first, it didn’t appear that EA was forthcoming. 

One particular remark from then-Natural Resources Minister Linda Jeffrey served to stoke the fire. She reportedly told Melancthon council the township could gain a golf course after Highland was done with the land.

The provincial government later, in September of 2011, ordered Highland’s proposal to be subject to an environmental assessment (EA). Ever since then, all seemed to be quiet on the Highland front, until Wednesday. 

“It has just become increasingly clear that there just isn’t sufficient support to move forward with the approval process,” said John Scherer, principal of The Highland Companies. “We made a business decision, The Highland Companies did, that the right thing to do is to pull the application.”

That lack of support, Scherer explained, relates back to both the community and the provincial government. Asked whether Highland, which was still in the “preliminary stages” of the EA process, discovered its plans weren’t environmental viability, Scherer said that has never been the case.

As this point, Highland plans to continue with its potato farming operations. Scherer, however, wouldn’t confirm or deny whether the company would re-visit the aggregate application again in the future.

“We have not made any other decisions on anything else at this time,” Scherer said, adding Highland will also cease any plans to re-develop Dufferin County’s abandoned rail corridor. “Those are the only decisions we have made. The only things we’re contemplating today.”

The recent events have certainly left Melancthon Mayor Bill Hill lost for words. Ever since Highland filed its aggregate application several years ago, it has been a challenging battle for Melancthon council to climb.

“I’m just trying to digest it all myself,” Hill said, minutes after speaking with Scherer. “Even though I’m not American, I wished him a good Thanksgiving. I know I’ll enjoy my weekend a bit better.”

At this point, Hill isn’t going to worry too much about whether Highland, or another company, will submit another application in the future — “I’m going to take them at their word for now,” he said. 

Starting with a small town of about 2,835 residents, opposition to the quarry grew rapidly into a province-wide movement involving many of the major players across Ontario. 

Environmental advocates, musicians, chefs, actors, politicians, some of whom may not have even heard of Melancthon before, certainly know about it now.

“As dumb as it is going to sound, it is like the little engine that could,” Hill said. “This is a clear demonstration that people can be heard and can make a change. I’m honestly not sure what better example of that you’d want.”

While many of those quarry opponents jumped on board as the issue became more prevalent in social media and made news headlines, Melancthon farmer Dale Rutledge has been there since the beginning. 

When Highland offered to purchased his property for a little more than its market value several years ago, the proposal didn’t pass Rutledge’s smell test. At the time, Highland hadn’t publicly announced its intent to mine in Melancthon, and Rutledge has been wary of the company’s plans ever since.

“We thought from day one there were so many things that weren’t right about it that this day would happen. That’s what kept us going,” he said. “Common sense seems to have prevailed.”

The major drivers factoring into Highland’s recent decision boiled down to what Scherer explained as a lack of support from the community and the province. Having to undergo an EA didn’t help either.

“It certainly made the process a lot more difficult,” Scherer said. “Obviously, we would have preferred a regulatory environment that didn’t change midway through the process.”

From Cosack’s perspective, however, Highland’s biggest mistake in this whole process was “arrogance.” Perhaps the company underestimated the resolve of those fighting its proposal, he said.

“Ontarians really pulled together,” Cosack said. “I’d challenge you to come up with any other issue that has brought as many people together as this has in recent memory. There hasn’t been one that I can relate to.”

Considering Ontario’s need for close-to-market aggregate, Scherer stood by the merit of Highland’s proposal. Given the public relations war that ensued, however, he felt Highland could have done a better job in engaging the public in a more direct manner from the onset.

“We could have done that better,” Scherer admitted. “What we do know for sure is there is a need for good aggregate and our land is well suited and we just had to make a business decision.”

On the financial front, Scherer declined to disclose how much money Highland has spent trying to move its aggregate operation forward. He also declined to disclose why and when former principal John Lowndes resigned from the company.

Meanwhile, NDACT isn’t prepared to rest on its laurels. The group will continue to figure prominently into discussions with the province as it works to review the ARA and its provincial policy statement (PPS).

“Making sure that food and water remain first in politicians’ thinking, I don’t think that’s going to go away,” Cosack said. “Once the ARA protects prime agricultural food lands and source water regions from these types of development, we’re all going to go and return to our normal lives.”

During the last few years, NDACT has raised thousands of dollars in its fight against the proposed quarry, some of which include proceeds from several highly publicized events like Foodstock and Soupstock. NDACT hasn’t discussed what it intends to do with that money at this point.

For the moment, Cosack, like many quarry opponents across Ontario, is soaking in the good news. That doesn’t mean the fight is over yet.

“I do dare say I’m little cautious,” Cosack said. “As much as this is over, I think we really need to remember that two years from now, they can sell this to … anybody else, and start it all over again.” 

 

Heather Loney, Global News November 21, 2012 

TORONTO – A proposed mega-quarry planned for north of Toronto is no more.On Wednesday, Highland Companies announced is is withdrawing its application to develop a quarry in Melancthon Township.

“While we believe that the quarry would have brought significant economic benefit to Melancthon Township and served Ontario’s well-documented need for aggregate, we acknowledge that the application does not have sufficient support from the community and government to justify proceeding with the approval process,” said John Scherer of The Highland Companies in a press release. 

Highland Companies also announced John Lowndes has resigned as company president.

The proposal, first made public in 2009, has drawn much protest from local residents and environmental organizations warning the quarry would devastate the local ecosystem. 

Last month, over 40,000 people attended Soupstock at Toronto’s Woodbine Park to protest the quarry proposal. 

“This is really evidence that people power works,” said Dr. Faisal Moola, director general at the David Suzuki Foundation for Ontario and Northern Canada.

Moola credits the dedication and tenacity of local organizations and residents for the proposal withdrawal.

He added that moving forward the focus must now be on working with the Ontario government to protect the land from future development and overhaul aggregate legislation in the province, so no communities have to face a battle like the one in Melancthon Township. 

Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon, echoed Moola’s sentiment. “There is a lesson to be learned here,” she said. “Local residents, community groups and municipal councils can make a difference.”

MEGA-QUARRY 

In 2006, Lowndes purchased almost 3,250 hectares of land for Highland Companies, telling local farmers of his plan to start a large co-operative potato farm. Local residents eventually grew suspicious of Highland’s plan for the land. 

In 2009, Highland Companies, which is backed by $25-billion Boston hedge fund Baupost Group, held a public meeting where it laid out the company’s proposal for digging a mega-quarry.

The proposed quarry site falls within the region known as Hills of Headwaters. It is currently home to some of Canada’s richest soil. The countryside attracts hundreds of tourists and cottagers every year. 

The quarry would stretch over 930 hectares in Melancthon Township. The quarry would be deeper than Niagara Falls, plunging down more than 60 metres. Because the quarry would fall below the water table, 600 million litres of water would be pumped out of the quarry every day, and thousands of 40-tonne trucks would travel on local roads every day, 24 hours a day. 

“This quarry plan is unprecedented in our county,” said Moola.

“These watersheds are literally ensuring the health of our communities,” said Moola, adding while there’s no one right way to value our ecosystems, “ …there is a wrong way, and that’s to not value it at all.”

In September 2011, after numerous protests and petitions, Ontario’s Minister of the Environment John Wilkinson ordered Highland Companies to undertake a comprehensive environmental assessment of the quarry proposal. 

Thousands of letters of objection had been sent to Linda Jeffrey, the province’s Minister of Natural Resources, questioning the science of Highland’s initial application. 

The province was awaiting notification from Highland Companies whether they will participate in the environmental assessment or abandon the project. 

SOUPSTOCK 

In 2011, 28,000 people attended Foodstock on a potato farm across the road from the proposed quarry site.

This year, critics of the mega-quarry brought their fight to Toronto, boosting attendance to over 40,000 people.

“It’s so important that we secure where our food comes from,” said Chef Stadtländer from the Canadian Chefs’ Congress.

Speaking at an event earlier this month, Stadtländer highlighted the impact this region has on what ends up on Ontarians’ dinner table.

“This land produces 20 pounds of potatoes for every citizen in Toronto,” he said. “And it’s only 100 km away.”

“People drive by this farmland in their BMWs and think it’s just land,” said Stadtländer. “We need to connect people to their food.”

“Soupstock gave [Highland Companies] another 40,000 reasons to back away from the mega-quarry project,” said Stadtländer on Wednesday. “We are thrilled that the proposal has been withdrawn.”

By Mark Calzavara Council of Canadians November 21st, 2012

The Highland Companies has announced today that it is withdrawing its application for a Megaquarry in Melancthon Township and issued a statement that said “we acknowledge that the application does not have sufficient support from the community and government to justify proceeding with the approval process,”.

This is a great victory for the people of Melancthon and also for communities across Ontario that are fighting against other industrial megastructures that risk their lands, waters and quality of life.  Their tremendous energy and determination is what forced the company to back down.   The Council of Canadians has been working with the North Dufferin Agricultural Community Task Force (NDACT) for the last four years to help raise awareness of the issue and to pressure the provincial and federal authorities to protect communities from these sorts of projects.  Council members have been very active during this campaign with thousands of you contacting your elected officials.  Thank you!!!

But there are still billions of dollars worth of aggregate under the remarkably fallow fields of Melancthon County. Until our communities are granted the legal right to refuse proposals that destroy their quality of life and even threaten their existence such as the Megaquarry or Dumpsite 41 in Elmvale, we must remain ever vigilant. Protection is temporary, destruction is permanent.

 

 By Faisal Moola David Suzuki Foundation November 21 2012

Today is a truly amazing day. The Mega-Quarry is dead thanks to People Power.

Working together, Canadians have protected old growth forests in BC, banned toxic chemicals that threaten the health of our children, and enacted laws to save our precious wildlife. And today, we can add the death of the Highland Companies’ proposed Mega-Quarry to the growing list of victories for our planet that have achieved through community action.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead

After several years of growing opposition, the company behind the controversial proposal to blast one billion tonnes of limestone from beneath the vibrant countryside of Melancthon Township has quietly withdrawn its application.

That the quarry proposal has been stopped is most astounding because it was a truly David-versus-Goliath battle. A handful of local farmers and concerned citizens, with the support of organizations like the David Suzuki Foundation and the Canadian Chefs Congress, were pitted against a $25 billion American hedge fund.

And last month the company got 40,000 more reasons to stop the quarry when the Canadian Chefs Congress and David Suzuki Foundation brought hundreds of chefs and farmers, along with top musicians and artists to Toronto for the splendid Soupstock celebration in protest of the Mega-Quarry.

Sure, momentum seemed to be growing, but my jaw absolutely dropped when Highland Companies announced today that it has withdrawn its quarry proposal, acknowledging overwhelming public opposition to its plan to blast a 2,300 acre limestone Mega-Quarry beneath some of the best farmland in North America.

We are absolutely thrilled that the company has respected the will of the community and the tens of thousands of farmers, chefs, artists and foodies that want to see our farmland, food and water protected.

And while we will celebrate this extraordinary victory, the Ontario government must also seize this as a clarion call to overhaul its antiquated provincial policies for aggregate mining that allowed this outrageous proposal to be considered in the first place.

We must ensure that no other community in Ontario faces the same threats to their water, food and precious wildlife from unsustainable pits and quarries.

But for now, let’s just savour the thrill of victory. Together we stopped the Mega-Quarry!

 

BY Mark Weisblott Canada.com November 21 2012

Plans to build a large limestone quarry northwest of Toronto were called off Wednesday, in a move that had community opponents claiming victory over corporate interests.

While efforts to stop projects of this size frequently collapse in a heap of frustration, project owner Highland Companies gradually came to listen to the protests, which peaked last month when 40,000 people were fed by 200 chefs at Soupstock in the Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto. 

At that event, bowls were dished out to raise awareness about the foods that are farmed in the region of the proposed 2,300-acre open pit mine, from which 600 million litres of water would also be pumped every day as part of mine operations.

Canadians will continue to shout out against many controversial issues, although the quashing of the mega-quarry will likely emerge as an example to follow.

So, what lessons can be learned for other movements that wish to achieve a similarly successful outcome?

Make the opposition clear: Mega-quarry opponents made it known that Highland was quietly paying a premium to buy property and potato farm operations in the economically depressed area in the process of assembling its lands. Recognition grew over time that these efforts would not have been so stealth if the motivation was not slightly questionable.

Give people a taste:  Foodstock, mounted by the anti-mega-quarry movement in October 2011, helped to make clear what was at risk if farmland was sacrificed when more than 28,000 people turned out to eat the efforts of 70 chefs. The following October, even more turned out for the Soupstock sequel, the momentum for which spurred Highland to acknowledge it.

Mobilize via social media: The online presence for Stop the Quarry was designed to spread a clear message about why the issue was worth caring about. This resulted in wider coverage of the issue from a variety of angles, from calls for increased government regulations to protect the environment to fears that parts of Canada were being sold out to U.S. hedge funds.

Get people to talk: “Stop the Mega Quarry” lawn signs were distributed in exchange for a minimum $10 donation which brought the issue into view throughout the Greater Toronto Area. What may have been sloughed off as another niche protest was popularized through this basic slogan as it inspired people to dig deeper to find out what the commotion was about.

Revel in the victory: The media release prepared by Hill+Knowlton Strategies on behalf of Highland was devoid of any emotion — even though the reference to the resignation of the president behind the plan, John Lowndes, obviously smacked of some humiliation. Yet the initial acknowledgment by the official protest remained civil in its moment of unexpected jubilation. 

 

Orangeville Banner November 21 2012 

The Highland Company announced today (Nov. 21) it has withdrawn its application to the province for a licence to mine 2,316 acres of land in Melancthon for limestone.

Here are some of the responses from local officials:

“The reality is there was a lot of community resistance to this project from the beginning. … I congratulate the local residents who showed great tenacity in organizing themselves to present a coherent argument against this application. … There were some serious concerns raised by many different groups with this application. … There is a lesson to be learned here: local residents, community groups and municipal councils, can make a difference. Concerned residents, artists, musicians, chefs put together hugely successful events like Food Stock, and Soup Stock to raise awareness to their concerns.”

“This victory goes to the tireless efforts of the countless residents in Dufferin County that worked to make sure this mega-quarry never happened. … I wanted in particular to congratulate the members of the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) and their chairman, Carl Cosack and his predecessor Dale Rutledge. Working with NDACT on this critical issue is a stellar example of community activism.”

“I couldn’t be more pleased to hear today that the Highland corporation has withdrawn their ARA application for Melancthon. Working on behalf of my riding on the megaquarry issue was an enormous effort to be a part of and I’m proud of the accomplishments of all involved, and there many people who have worked hard and who should be celebrated. Local advocacy is alive and well in our communities and I hope people believe they do have the power to make change happen; however slow that change might be in coming.”

“Cancelling the mega-quarry is the right decision for Melancthon and for Ontario’s environment. … I want to congratulate the many local residents and supporters who gave of their passion, money and time to oppose this misguided project.”

“Highland’s retreat clearly shows the power of citizens speaking out for their community. … Projects like the proposed mega-quarry, that would have deep and lasting consequences to our communities, land and water, need greater scrutiny. … Today is a time to celebrate and thank all the citizens who spoke out against this quarry. … The people of Ontario want to protect clean water and preserve prime farmland. We need political leadership that champions these values.” 

“We are thrilled that the company has respected the will of the community and the tens of thousands of farmers, chefs, artists and concerned citizens that want to see our farmland and food protected. … While we will celebrate this extraordinary victory, the Ontario government must also seize this opportunity to overhaul its antiquated provincial policies for aggregate mining that allowed this outrageous proposal to be considered in the first place. We must ensure that no other community in Ontario faces the same threats to their water, food and wildlife.”

“We are ecstatic that the company has bowed to pressure and has committed to farming the land rather than blasting a huge open pit beneath our precious countryside. Soupstock gave the company another 40,000 reasons to back away from the Mega-Quarry project and we are thrilled that the proposal has been withdrawn.”

“We were disappointed to hear that Highland has withdrawn its application. At a time when the province is investing money and resources into boosting the economy and building a better Ontario, this will come as a setback for Ontario families. The project would have created hundreds of jobs and helped meet the overwhelming need for infrastructure improvements in Ontario. We remain confident that producers in Ontario will continue to find reliable sources of aggregate materials that are economically essential for Ontario communities.” 

 

New Democratic Party of Ontario November 21 2012 

TORONTO – NDP Environment Critic Jonah Schein welcomed news today that the Highland Companies is withdrawing its application to build a mega-quarry in Melancthon Township and applauded the dedication of local residents who stood up against this proposal to protect the well-being of their community.

“Cancelling the mega-quarry is the right decision for Melancthon and for Ontario’s environment,” said Schein. “I want to congratulate the many local residents and supporters who gave of their passion, money and time to oppose this misguided project.”

Ontario’s NDP repeatedly raised concern about the threat the mega-quarry posed to provincially important watersheds and local farmland.

Schein said the McGuinty government now needs to get MPPs back to Queen’s Park to complete the review of the Aggregate Resources Act to ensure that future aggregate extraction in Ontario takes place without jeopardizing farmland, watersheds and the sustainability of communities.

“An all-party committee was working at Queen’s Park towards a better approach to aggregate extraction that respects community input and protects farmland and the environment, while supporting the economic benefits of the sector,” said Schein. “We need this committee to get back to work now to prevent more misguided projects like the Melancthon mega-quarry from putting communities at risk, and ensure that we have the tools to use aggregates responsibly.”

By Becky Smith Green Party of Ontario November 21 2012 

Community groups and concerned citizens scored a victory for Ontario today.

After mounting public opposition, the Highland Companies announced that they are withdrawing their proposal to build a mega-quarry in Melanchton Township.

 “Highland’s retreat clearly shows the power of citizens speaking out for their community,” said Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario. “Projects like the proposed mega-quarry, that would have deep and lasting consequences to our communities, land and water, need greater scrutiny.”

 The proposed mega quarry would have destroyed a 2,400 acres of prime farmland and blasted 20 storeys below the water table.  The quarry would have used approximately 6 million litres of water every day (roughly 100,000 times more than an average “major residential development”), which equates to approximately 25% of all water consumed/used in the entire province each day.

 The Green Party is pushing for legislation that provides better protection for water and farmland. The party has called for closing loopholes in the Aggregate Resources Act by requiring a full Environmental Assessment for any mega-quarry application.

 “Today is a time to celebrate and thank all the citizens who spoke out against this quarry,” says Schreiner. “The people of Ontario want to protect clean water and preserve prime farmland. We need political leadership that champions these values.” 

 

MELANCTHON TOWNSHIP, November 21, 2012 — The Highland Companies (Highland) announced today 

that it is withdrawing its application to develop a quarry in Melancthon Township.  Highland also intends 

to discontinue its efforts to restore the rail corridor through Dufferin County.  In addition, Highland 

announced that John Lowndes has resigned from his role as President and has no further involvement 

with the company.

“While we believe that the quarry would have brought significant economic benefit to Melancthon 

Township and served Ontario’s well-documented need for aggregate, we acknowledge that the 

application does not have sufficient support from the community and government to justify proceeding 

with the approval process,” said John Scherer of The Highland Companies.  

Highland will continue to focus on its farms and on supplying its customers with high quality potatoes 

and other crops.  The company is proud of the improvements it has made through modernizing 

equipment and storage facilities as well as enhancing food and worker safety.   

 

Firm abandons plan for mega quarry north of Toronto Globe and Mail 

Company abandons controversial Southern Ontario ‘mega quarry’ Toronto Sun  

Company abandons mega-quarry plans CTV News 

Community Wins Fight Against Huge Quarry Torontoist