Stop The Mega Quarry

Ontario’s Hills of The Headwaters are being threatened by a proposed mega quarry that will destroy Class 1 farmland, jeopardize fresh water and potentially devastate the environment.
The Highland Companies, backed by the multi-billion-dollar Boston hedge fund, The Baupost Group, has purchased over 7,000 acres of the richest farmland in Ontario, located in Melancthon Township, just north of Shelburne.
Initially, Highland claimed that its interest was potato farming, which has been the backbone of the local economy for well over 100 years. Recently Highland filed an application with the Ministry of Natural Resources to excavate the largest quarry ever proposed in Canada. Highland plans to use explosives to blast a pit 200 feet below the water table, spanning over 2,300 acres, to extract millions of tons of limestone for the lucrative aggregate market. The proposed quarry threatens four major watersheds and is located at the headwaters of 5 rivers, including the Grand and Nottawasaga Rivers. One million Canadians depend on the water from these sources. The quarry would also abut the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Please see the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce’s website for more details: http://www.ndact.com/.
Recently, Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment announced plans to bring forward a regulation that would require Highland Companies to undertake a comprehensive environmental assessment before allowing the project to proceed. This in no way ensures that the region’s farmland, water and local environment will be protected from the devastating effects of a mega quarry.
In order to voice our opposition to a quarry of any size being allowed on prime farmland, we are planning a peaceful demonstration at the Minister of Natural Resources Linda Jeffrey's campaign office in Brampton on Saturday October 1st at 3.p.m.
We are inviting and seeking the participation of all concerned citizens and local activist groups in stopping this environmental disaster before it gets started. Several community groups have indicated their support and we are now seeking further support and participation from additional groups.
For this demonstration to be a success we will need help from many different sectors of society and to that end we are asking environmental groups, unions, First Nations, social justice groups, church groups, and all concerned citizens to participate.