Plurality of Lake Simcoe voters oppose construction of Holland Marsh Highway
The Holland Marsh Highway will destroy wetlands, forests, and farmlands.
By Jack Gibbons, Chair, Lake Simcoe Watch
A plurality of Lake Simcoe area voters is opposed to the construction of the Holland Marsh Highway, with 48% opposed, 23% undecided and 29% in support – according to a telephone survey conducted by Oraclepoll Research for Lake Simcoe Watch.
Currently, the Ford Government is driving ahead with plans for the highway based on a 24-year-old environmental assessment (EA) and with no firm budget estimates for construction. The highway will cut across the Holland Marsh, the Holland River and numerous streams. The EA that was done for the highway in 1997 warned that it would result in contamination of surface and groundwater, loss of significant wetlands and habitats, increased air pollution and loss of farmland.
The telephone survey was conducted in three of Lake Simcoe’s provincial ridings (Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte; Barrie-Innisfil; and York-Simcoe) between November 6th and 11th. The survey reveals strong support for cleaning-up Lake Simcoe:
- 61% of Lake Simcoe voters want the Government of Ontario to fund and implement a plan to reduce Lake Simcoe’s phosphorous pollution to 44 tonnes per year by 2030;
- 68% of Lake Simcoe voters want the Government of Ontario to work with the Government of Canada to ensure that the Holland Marsh pollution reduction project proceeds; and
- 72% of Lake Simcoe voters, including 52% of PC voters, want the Development Charges Act amended to permit municipalities and the Province of Ontario to levy development charges to recover 100% of their costs of servicing new developments and cleaning-up Lake Simcoe.
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