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Green Party leader to support new NDACT campaign

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Published on Thursday, 09 May 2013 01:58
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Left to right: Paula Conning, Dufferin-Caledon candidate; Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario; and Carl Cosack, NDACT Chair
Photo submitted by: Paula Conning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario and nominated candidate in the riding of Guelph, will become the first provincial political leader to sign the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) Food & Water First pledge.

Mr. Schreiner will join local Dufferin-Caledon candidate Paula Conning to sign the pledge at 10:30 this morning (Thursday) at 287101 10 Sideroad in Mono.

“Basically, we’re going to sign the Food & Water First pledge that will protect our farm land and our water. I’m challenging the other political leaders to do the same,” said Mr. Schreiner.

Food & Water First is an effort to protect farmland in Ontario started by NDACT, the citizen’s group that led successful efforts to kill the mega-quarry in Melanchton township.

Mr. Schreiner is now working to save City of Guelph’s drinking water from irreversible damage with a Green Party sign campaign to raise awareness about a proposed Dolime Quarry.

“I’m dealing with a quarry in Guelph right now that the Ministry of Environment just gave a water-taking permit to that will potentially allow them to dig deeper and threaten 25 per cent of the City of Guelph’s drinking water,” said Mr. Schreiner. “It’s just another example of the fact that provincial legislation and the old parties haven’t taken sufficient action to protect our food and water.”

Mr. Schreiner hopes to inspire other political parties to follow suit with the Green Party’s initiatives and understand the detrimental effects these mega-quarries bestow upon the surrounding environment.

“For me, talk is cheap. We have a lot of people express concern about the megaquarry, but if we don’t change provincial legislation to protect food and water, then we’re going to be right back to having citizens having to spend the time and the money and to fight individual projects one at a time,” he said adding that projects like the mega-quarry are going to continue to arise all over the province if it is not controlled.

“The bottom line is that only 5 per cent of Canada’s land is suitable for growing food. Half of 1 per cent is farm land. If we don’t protect farmland, if we don’t make it a top priority, then we’re not going to be able to feed ourselves. A country that can’t feed itself is less secure than a country that can’t defend itself,” said Mr. Schreiner.

Mr. Schreiner concluded by stating, “I’m going to stand with the community, the farmers and the citizens that are demanding that we put food and water first.”

By Jordan Nunziato

Published in the Orangeville Citizen, May 9, 2013