Food and Water First gains Melancthon's backing

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Published on Monday, 25 March 2013 20:37

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New campaign aims to protect farmland province wide

A new campaign to protect Ontario farmland and source water is establishing its roots in north Dufferin County.

The North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) is leading the charge for the Food and Water First Campaign, an effort to change policies that allow rezoning that compromises of food and water sources.

NDACT was created with the mandate to stop The Highland Companies quarry plans in Melancthon as well as influence change in the province's Aggregate Resource Act (ARA). With the quarry application withdrawn, the group is now focusing on ensuring legislation exists to protect Ontario’s edible assets.

“If we quit now, it would be a really hollow victory for all the people who engaged in this,” said NDACT chair Carl Cosack. “We haven’t really changed anything. We changed it locally, but it’s still wide open to resurface.”

The campaign is asking municipalities to become Food and Water First communities to outline their commitment to preserving agricultural land.

Melancthon was the first township to oblige the request, with council voting unanimously to carry the designation.  

“We‘re going to say that is the priority for our township. We want land preserved and water preserved,” said Melancthon Mayor Bill Hill.  “We view it as a simple notion by us. … We want to push it through provincial levels too, as best we can.”

With Melancthon on board, the campaign will visit Mono council at the end of the month as well as Mulmur in April.

“We’ll keep hitting rural townships with the message of food and water first,” Cosack said.

Cosack added the campaign request would also be delivered to municipalities outside of Dufferin County, as well as organizations and businesses.

“We’re trying to build momentum to which we can do a spring planting of Food and Water First signs,” he said. “Food and Water First will help us take (the message) beyond Melancthon.”

Businesses and organizations who join the campaign are asked to add their own website addresses to the signs.

“It shows folks who drive up and down how widespread agricultural economic reach is in the province’s economy,” Cosack said.

Becoming a Food and Water First community would help municipalities battle zoning challenges at the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), according to Cosack.

“There is importance, not just in the symbolism of it,” Cosack said.  “We have a really legitimate case to go to the OMB that Melanchthon has stated it is an agriculture community and should be respected accordingly.”

However, Melancthon’s mayor disagrees the designation would help in an OMB battle.

“I don’t think it would hurt, obviously,” Hill said.  

Current provincial policies, like the ARA and Green Energy Act trump municipal decisions on land use.

“We understand that is limited to what a township has influence over,” Cosack said.

 

By Bill Tremblay

Published in the "Orangeville Banner", Mar. 25, 2013