Year in Review: ‘Little engine that could’ railroads Melancthon quarry

Details

Published on Thursday, 03 January 2013 13:20

Hits: 1145

Stop the Mega Quarry” signs are now being traded for ones with “Food and Water First” slogans.
With The Highland Companies’ quarry plans in Melancthon now cremated — opponents remain skeptical about what else the potato producer may have planned — the North Dufferin Agricultural Community Taskforce (NDACT) isn’t calling it quits.

Members of NDACT intend to figure prominently in discussions with the provincial government, as it works to review the Aggregate Resources Act (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,” Carl Cosack, chair of NDACT, said recently.
“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.”
The biggest local news story of last year came in November, when The Highland Companies declared it had withdrawn its application for a licence to mine 2,316 acres of land in Melancthon.
“It has just become increasingly clear that there just isn’t sufficient support to move forward,” John Scherer, principal of The Highland Companies told The Banner on Nov. 21. “We made a business decision, The Highland Companies did, that the right thing to do is to pull the application.”
Highland plans to continue with its potato farming operations.
“We have not made any other decisions on anything else at this time,” Scherer said, adding Highland will also cease 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.”
News of the withdrawal sent shockwaves across the province, as opposition to Highland’s quarry plans had spread like a virus across Ontario.
“Common sense seems to have prevailed,” Dale Rutledge, the inaugural chair of NDACT, said at the time.
“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.”
What started as a few farmers opposing Highland’s plan to develop a 2,316-acre quarry and dig more than 200 feet below the water table in Melancthon several years ago evolved into a provincial movement where Stop the Mega Quarry signs had become familiar sights on the front lawns of numerous homes in Toronto.
“As dumb as it is going to sound, it is like the little engine that could,” remarked Melancthon Mayor Bill Hill, shortly after learning of Highland's decision to withdraw it application.
“This is a clear demonstration that people can be heard and can make a change.”
While NDACT supporters and quarry opponents of all kinds — environmentalists, musicians, chefs, actors, politicians, just to name a few — celebrated, the ricocheted effect of Highland’s decision to pull its quarry proposal trickled south into Orangeville.
Amid the company’s decision to withdraw its aggregate licence application, it ended The Highland Railway Group’s plans to purchase Orangeville’s active rail line.
Gone was Highland’s potential $7 million purchase of the town-owned rail line running between Orangeville and Mississauga.
Also wiped off Orangeville’s fiscal leger was about half a million dollars of property taxes Highland paid annually for the town during the last several years.
“This is just another two per cent out of nowhere of (tax) impact,” said Orangeville Mayor Rob Adams, following the news.
“We have been officially notified. ... It was pretty short and sweet.”
While Orangeville officials may wallow in the financial repercussions, the rest of Dufferin had reason to rejoice. NDACT plans to host its general meeting and celebration in Honeywood on Feb. 16, where people can trade in their “Stop the Mega Quarry” for “Food and Water First” ones.
Perhaps the company underestimated the resolve of those fighting its proposal, Cosack said. The Facebook group Stop The Quarry has more than 6,000 likes. On Twitter @stopthemegaquarry has 3,000 followers and @teamheadwaters has about 880 followers.
“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.” That doesn’t mean the job is over. With the provincial legislature prorogued — government officials had begun reviewing the ARA and PPS before Premier Dalton McGuinty’s resignation halted those processes in October — NDACT plans to stick it out until the end. “The first (mandate) was to stop the mega quarry. Consider that, for the time being, checked off and done,” Cosack said. “Part two was to change the legislation that outsiders interpreted as being (supportive) of this crazy application.”