Tracking the Quarry Saga Slide Show

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Published on Thursday, 22 November 2012 16:04

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Posted on "The Star" website, Nov. 21, 2012

· Slide # 1

The Story of a grassroots movement.

If you wish to see the slide show with pictures, please go to:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1291208--in-melancthon-anti-quarry-farmers-celebrate-a-victory-over-corporate-goliath

Recommended for high speed subscribers.

· Slide # 2
September 2006 — December 2006
Farmers approached about land

Farmers in the Melancthon area are approached with offers for their land. The tens of millions of dollars it would take to buy the acreages initially came through numbered companies.

· Slide # 3
2007 — December 31, 2008
Suspicion mounts

Tree lots and homes start to come down on Highland's property, including Mabel and Hector Ferguson's old place. In spring 2008, locals spot archeologists combing a field. Suspicion mounts.

· Slide # 4
May 2008 — May 30, 2008
Highland Companies emerges

3191574 Nova Scotia Company Ltd. becomes Highland Companies. The company is incorporated in Nova Scotia, which gives tax benefits to American investors.

· Slide # 5
September 2008 — September 30, 2008
John Lowndes Introduction

John Lowndes writes a letter to formally introduce the Highland Companies to Melancthon's town council. It outlines the company's farming operations as well as its intention to explore additional land uses.

· Slide # 6
July 2009 — July 31, 2009
Public meeting

Highland holds a voluntary public meeting to inform people about quarry plans.

· Slide # 7
September 2009 — November 2009
More is revealed . . .

It comes to light that Highland is backed by an American hedge fund called the Baupost Group, worth over $20 billion. The private firm isn't required to publicize its investments. Known as a "value investor," the fund invests in sectors it believes will rise in value.

· Slide # 8
March 2011 — March 31, 2011
Highland submits proposal for quarry licence

Highland finally submits its proposal for a quarry licence to the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources. It's 3,100 pages and includes dense technical reports from 20 independent consultants.

· Slide # 9
April 2011 — May 2011
'Stop the Quarry'

The "Stop the Quarry" movement heats up as opponents take part in a five-day walk from a protest at Queen's Park, 120 kilometres north to Melancthon. It's organized by environmentalist Danny Beaton, a key player in the successful fight against Tiny Township's Dump 41.

· Slide # 10
July 2011 — July 31, 2011
Environment Ministry responds

Provincial Ministry of Environment raises concerns about the proposal, saying "The (company) reports failed to demonstrate a three-dimensional understanding of the geology, hydrogeology and hydrology of the site.

· Slide # 11
September 2011 — October 2011
Environmental assessment ordered

After receiving more than 5,000 letters of objection, the environment ministry orders an environmental assessment — a first for an Ontario quarry. "Stop the mega-quarry signs" pop up all over downtown Toronto.

· Slide # 12
October 2011 — October 31, 2011
Foodstock

More than 20,000 people show up to Foodstock, an event organized by high-profile chef Michael Stadtlander, among the quarry opponents.

· Slide # 13
December 2011 — December 31, 2011
Highland responds

Highland maintains its proposal is only a starting point for discussion. The company says it is addressing all concerns and is committed to going through a rigorous licensing process to ensure plans are scientifically sound.

· Slide # 14
October 2012 — October 31, 2012
Second 'culinary protest' Soupstock

Soupstock, a second culinary protest, draws thousands to Woodbine Park, where more than 200 chefs serve up homemade soups.

· Slide # 15
November 21, 2012
Highland withdraws

Highland announces it is withdrawing its quarry application.

Jones Applauds Residents’ Role in Melancthon Quarry Application Withdrawal

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Published on Thursday, 22 November 2012 01:15

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For Immediate Release
November 21, 2012

(Queen’s Park) –Today Sylvia Jones MPP, Dufferin-Caledon congratulates residents and
community groups who worked together to oppose the Melancthon quarry application.

“The reality is there was a lot of community resistance to this project from the
beginning,” Jones said. “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,” said Jones. “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.”

“Their cause really became a movement across Ontario and today we can praise their
determination and hard work.”

The Highland Companies announced today that it has withdrawn its application for a
license to mine 2,316 acres of land in Melancthon.

Posted on MPP Sylvia Jones wesite, Nov. 21/12

http://www.sylviajonesmpp.ca/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=9Fl_W1lpPf0%3d&tabid=56

Mega Quarry Cancelled - Website releases

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Published on Wednesday, 21 November 2012 20:56

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November 21, 2012

Due to the many media reports about this great turn in events, we have chosen to post a few lines from each article and their links. Many of the articles are similar, as they are reporting on the same media release from Highland media representative, Lindsay Broadhead.

Mark Wales, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, says they’re happy the company withdrew its application. “This really speaks to the preservation of prime agricultural land. It was the wrong project in the wrong place.”

Read more at: http://www.betterfarming.com/online-news/company-quashes-megaquarry-proposal-11353

Posted on the "Better Farming" website, by Susan Mann, Nov. 21/12

Now it's over. The company issued a press release today...

Posted on "Tree Hugger" website, by Alexa Clark, Nov. 21/12

Read more at: http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/giant-ontario-mega-quarry-cancelled.html

After more than 18 months of community and activist opposition, a company that bought up farmland in Melancthon Township announced Wednesday that it has shelved plans for a mega-quarry.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/21/us-quarry-withdrawal-idUSBRE8AK16K20121121

Posted on "Reuters" website, by Russ Blinch, Nov. 21/12

Plans to build a massive quarry north of Toronto have been cancelled after the company behind the controversial project withdrew its application Wednesday, acknowledging it does not have the support of the community and the government.

Read more at: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/107666--controversial-quarry-project-scrapped-company-withdraws-application

Posted on the "Canadian Business" website, by The Canadian Press, Nov. 21/12

The Highland Companies has been working for years to try to dig a giant quarry in prime agricultural land, in the face of stiff community resistance. Today, the company announced it has withdrawn its application.

Posted on "Torontoist" website, by Hamutal Dotan, Nov. 21/12

Read more at: http://torontoist.com/2012/11/community-wins-fight-against-huge-quarry/

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

Posted on "The Bulletin" website, by Becky Smit, Nov.21/12

Read more at: http://www.thebulletin.ca/cbulletin/content.jsp?ctid=1000136&cnid=1003209

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.

Read more at: http://o.canada.com/2012/11/21/how-do-you-win-a-protest-successful-mega-quarry-opponents-learned-the-answer/

Posted on "O Canada" website, by Marc Weisblott, Nov. 21/12

This is fantastic news and news that should be embraced and celebrated by both environmentalists and activists everywhere.  It proves that through the power of a strong and unified voice, there is enough influence to change decisions that ultimately will be harmful to both our environement and citizens alike.

Read more on: http://envirodad.com/highland-withdraws-melancthon-mega-quarry-plans/

Posted on "Enviro Dad" blog, by eric nocvak, Nov.21/12

Baupost Group’s Highland Companies Resign in Battle Over Mega-Quarry Deal

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Published on Wednesday, 21 November 2012 20:21

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Here is some good news for environmental activists and for some farmers in the Melancthon Township, 120 km north of Toronto. The Highland Companies has withdrawn their application for building  a 2,316 acre limestone mega-quarry in the area. The application was filed back in March 2011. Good news for farmers, but bad for the $26 billion hedge fund, Baupost Group. Seth Klarman has a controlling stake in Highland Companies. The project, had it materialized, would have given Baupost control over the second largest limestone mine in North America, with deposits worth billion of dollars.

Posted on the "ValueWalk" website, by Tabinda Husain, Nov. 21/12

Read more at: http://www.valuewalk.com/2012/11/baupost-groups-highland-companies-resign-in-battle-over-mega-quarry-deal/

Highland Companies Withdraws Quarry Application

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Published on Wednesday, 21 November 2012 17:25

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Highland Companies Withdraws its Application for a Quarry in Melancthon Township

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.

For information, please contact:

Media:
Lindsay Broadhead
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
416-413-4693

http://www.highlandcompanies.ca/