Online Petition Against Midhurst Plan Launches

MRA news release June 17 2013
Midhurst, Ontario – June 12, 2013 –  The momentum against the Midhurst Secondary Plan (MSP) is growing. The recent online petition started by the Midhurst Ratepayers’ Association (MRA), exposes Springwater Township’s plans to sacrifice 756 hectares (only 150 hectares shy of the mega-quarry) of Class 1 and 2 farmland for housing development and balloon the population of Midhurst from 3,500 residents to 30,000 – the same population as Orillia today.  Furthermore, the discharge site for the wastewater effluent is just upstream from the internationally significant Minesing Wetlands and the ecological impacts on such a fragile water system could be disastrous.

“We started this petition in response to public outcry. People realize that this development makes no sense and that it must be stopped,” says Margaret Prophet, Communications Director for the MRA. “We wanted to give them another way to make their voices heard.”
And that is exactly what residents and concerned citizens across Canada have been doing.  The initial goal was to have 1000 signers and the petition quickly surpassed its halfway mark within the first week of its launch.  The cause against the MSP has also been garnering support from other groups such as AWARE Simcoe, Simcoe County Federation of Agriculture and Council of Canadians -Simcoe Chapter.
“Most recently, we had the honour of Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, sign our petition and share it with his followers on Twitter.  That was a real boost for us; it shows that this issue goes beyond the concern of residents and should be one that politicians weigh in on too.  After all, they represent the people and the people are clearly concerned,” added Prophet.
The MRA encourages all concerned citizens to sign and share their online petition. There is also a link to the petition on the group’s Facebook page “Save Midhurst Village”.
“The cause to save Midhurst, preserve the farms that feed all of us and protect our fresh water sources is growing,” summed David Strachan, Interim President of the MRA.  “As a result, we welcome anyone who wants to lend their efforts to this key Springwater issue.  No effort is too small or unnecessary – the key is deciding to do something.” A volunteer meeting will be held at the Midhurst Community Hall on Doran Rd on June 27th at 7 pm.  If you are unable to attend, you can contact the MRA via Communications Director, Margaret Prophet at 705-730-1774 or email at m_prophet@hotmail.com.
The Midhurst Ratepayers’ Association (MRA) is a collective of over 400 volunteers and concerned residents from both Midhurst and Springwater Township. Established to protect the integrity of Midhurst and surrounding communities, it represents the best interest of residents and responsible growth. The MRA has a positive vision of growth and development for the area and hopes to encourage Springwater Township to develop a more fiscally responsible and ecologically sound plan for growth that simultaneously protects precious farmland and preserves local water sources.  You can find out more about the MRA and the Midhurst Secondary Plan on their website or through their Facebook page “Save Midhurst Village”.