CCOB learns from mega quarry fight

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Published on Monday, 02 December 2013 22:42

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More than one hundred area residents during Saturday's Concerned Citizens of Brant meeting at the Paris Fairgrounds were asked if a Foodstock is in their future.

Carl Cosack of the North Dufferin Agriculture and Community Task Force charged those opposed to a gravel pit being planned north of Paris to take matters into their own hands.

"The community of Brant has to realize that the time to protect your water is not someday and it is not a battle to be fought by someone," Cosack said. "The time is now and it is going to be done by you."

Cosack's NDACT fought a highly publicized battle against plans for a 930-hectare quarry in Melancthon Township north of Orangeville last year.

The CCOB is trying to halt Dufferin Aggregates' plan for a 230-hectare pit along Watts Pond Road, east of Pinehurst Road. The group invited Cosack, as well as other guest speakers, to share their wisdom on Saturday.

Cosack told the story about how a small group of concerned citizens managed to stop an enormous hedge-fund conglomerate from building the "mega quarry" on farmland.

To do so, NDACT held an event called Foodstock, organized by professional chefs, that drew benefit performances by musicians. Foodstock put the NDACT fight on the map in 2011, when 28,000 people made their way to the Melancthon fields 100 kilometres north of Toronto to raise money and awareness of the fight against the quarry.

That was followed in 2012 by Soupstock, a similar event held in downtown Toronto, which Cosack cites as the turning of the tide in the mega quarry fight.

"That sent the message that following the government and environmental regulations isn't enough," Cosack said. "These aggregate companies need a social license. They need to seek that approval from you."

Toronto-Danforth NDP MP Craig Scott was a part of the mega quarry fight and was also present at Saturday's CCOB meeting as a guest speaker.

"Without citizen organizing and solidarity, you will always have an uphill struggle in these fights," Scott said. "When we had (Soupstock), thousands and thousands of people showed up to stop the pit and the company got the message."

Ron Norris, co-chair of the CCOB, pressed those in attendance to continue to help in any way they can as their fight against the pit continues. But he said those already committed to the cause need to do more to grow the CCOB's numbers. "It is not the great actions of a few people that will win this," Norris said. "It is the little efforts of a lot of people that will win this battle."

The speakers seemed to get the message across, as those in attendance erupted in applause several times and gave Cosack a standing ovation following his speech.

Norris urged everyone to support the CCOB by visiting their website at www.ccob.ca, buying a fundraising calendar or volunteering a few hours of their time. Dufferin Aggregates also has a website, www.dufferinparispit.com, dedicated to the proposed Paris pit where the company outlines its case for the pit and puts forth answers to many of the concerns raised by the CCOB.

Dufferin, which has all necessary licenses to move forward with the pit, is planning on having the site operational in late 2014 or early 2015.

By Sean Allen
Published in the Brant News, Dec. 2, 2013

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