August 2013 Newsletter

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Published on Sunday, 11 August 2013 19:25

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UPDATE FROM THE CHAIR

We are meeting with Bonnefield Financial, the new owners of the land that formerly belonged to Highlands, this month to propose an idea on how they can help drive the rebuilding of Melancthon’s tax base and in the rebuilding of our community. Stay tuned.

I am also hopeful that they will sign on with Food and Water First and become a lead in helping us convince the government to pay close attention to the preservation of Farmland and Source Water Regions for the benefit of us, future generations and the financial community represented by Bonnefield. This farmland is much more than “dirt” to grow things in, thus it needs the full attention of our Agricultural Minister.

For those of us who are farming/ranching, this will be a summer we will not soon forget. I finished cutting the ‘first cut’ of hay today, almost 3 weeks behind schedule; and almost got the swather stuck in rain soaked fields. Never before in my life, that is for sure.

However, it is with excitement that I look forward to a great day on August 18^th, please join us and I will bring you up to date on what we know by then.

Please take the pledge at www.foodandwaterfirst.com , signs with the message have been spotted in Ottawa, Algonquin Park, North Bay, Sudbury, Toronto, London, St. Catherine’s, Mulmur and Melancthon, Collingwood, Scarborough, Pickering, Yellowknife, Shelburne, Alliston, North Simcoe, Dundalk, Springwater township, Southgate, Barrie, Owen Sound, Keady, and so on. Get your sign today, or on the 18^th. Let us drive meaningful change to the Aggregate Resources Act and the Provincial Policy Statement. Now is the time, stay involved.

A special thanks has to go out to the committee who so diligently worked on the float to promote awareness. John DeCrombrugge towed it in the Alliston Potato Festival parade and the Shelburne Fiddleville Parade.  I hope you cheered when it went by. Thank you to John, his wife Annette and those who worked so hard in making this happen.

Carl Cosack

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NDACT July 2013 Newsletter

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Published on Wednesday, 24 July 2013 13:11

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UPDATE FROM THE CHAIR

You all have heard the news by now. I immediately think back to that fateful January of 2009, when the community got together in Honeywood and asked a bunch of their neighbours to get some factual answers about the Highland Companies intentions. 

What started in 2006 with Highland’s purchase of the Wilson and Downey Farms, and their subsequent actions that alerted the Blacks, Rutledges and Armstrong families that there was more going on than their representatives Michael Daniher and John Lowndes would let on, all the way to today. Highlands, whose actions brought so much despair, worry, fright and sleepless nights for many of you, no longer own the lands , and their way of doing business is no longer a concern to the citizens of Dufferin, nor Ontario.

We all have learned much, in the end, the truth prevailed. Thanks to all of you to stand up, and be counted. You truly “Stood on guard”!!

There is not a politician, or aggregate/agricultural person who has not taken note of the feisty people of North Dufferin, taken note of all the people in Ontario and afar, who said “NO” to the insane proposal put forth by Baupost and supported by Highland Companies, taken note of all the people who asked for the Environmental Assessment and the review of the outdated Aggregate Resources Act (ARA).

Bonnefield Financials purchase has fundamentally changed little. As the new owner of these bountiful lands, their mission statement makes it clear that they are here to support farming. I had a very friendly conversation with Tom Eisenhauer and look forward to being able to introduce him and Wally Johnson, Bonnefield’s agricultural business pro, to this wonderful community in the very near future. These are people with integrity and we welcome them for sure.

However, this is not the time to quit pushing for fundamental changes to the ARA, the legislation is being written as we speak and will be introduced to Queen’s Park in this upcoming fall session.

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June 2013 Newsletter

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Published on Sunday, 23 June 2013 17:08

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May 2013 Newsletter

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Published on Monday, 27 May 2013 23:39

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April 2013 Newsletter

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Published on Thursday, 25 April 2013 17:58

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Message from The Chair

It is April 21st and the greening grass fires us all up, another beautiful season is on its way and cows, horses as well as humans are enjoying the sunshine.

Together we continue to create positive news. Personally I am grateful for our new Board members, Tom Long, Brian Bell and Shirley Boxem who have chosen to join NDACT and the hard working group of hundreds of volunteers that are spreading the word about ‘FOOD and WATER FIRST’, getting business partners signed up and are asking politicians, and everyone else, to join us in our quest to preserve Prime Farmland and Source Water regions not just for us, but for generations to come.

You can download the PowerPoint from the NDACT website (and on page 5 of this newsletter), please talk to your business contacts to join us, elevate agriculture’s importance, explain how we are all connected, and how so much of Ontario’s prosperity depends on the very acres/hectares of farmland that make it all happen.

IT is not often that ‘public policy’ and ‘public opinion’ intersect; this will be one of those times. With your continued diligence and support we all will be part of something that we do not often get a chance to do: Create fundamental, meaningful and long lasting change that will truly benefit society. In essence, you are part of the true meaning of “Public Service”.

NDACT could not be leading the ‘FOOD and WATER FIRST’ movement so effectively if it was not for the dozens of people who are working so diligently on the new website www.foodandwaterfirst.com and the many other things that it takes to get our message out there. Thank you so much to you all, through your smarts, words and hard work, for making this possible and for giving us all the chance to, once again, beat the odds.

By insisting on modernizing the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) via the ARA review and having the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) reflect much more effectively the required protection of both Prime Farmland and Source Water Regions you are helping to deliver that change.

Many things are going on right now, please check www.NDACT.com often to stay informed and appraised of the “Calls to Action” that, when you respond, engage and then pass them on to your contacts, so effectively support our “Asks” of government and policy makers.  The current Call to Action is on page 3 of this newsletter.

Our goal is simple, our “ASK” is doable, let us make this reality.

With sincere appreciation for all that you do,

Carl Cosack

Pages 1 and 2

• Message from the Chair
• Food & Water First website
• Upcoming events

Click here to view PDF of pages 1 & 2 (2 MB)

Pages 3 and 4

• Call to Action - ARA Review, Next Round
• AWARE meeting
• Social media links
• Merchandise volunteers required
• our new mailing address: NDACT, P.O. Box 875, Shelburne, ON L9V 3M1

Click here to view PDF of pages 3 & 4 (1.6 MB)

Pages 5 and 6

• Food and Water First Community Partners
• Photo Gallery

Click here to view PDF of pages 5 & 6 (1.9 MB)