Food and Farming - The Summit

On Wednesday March 30th I spent all day at the Food and Farming Summit meeting at the Delta Meadowvale Conference Centre. Pictured above is a view of the proceedings. The goal of the Summit was to develop an action plan to support profitable farming and food businesses in the Golden Horseshoe.

As I represent the people living in urban Georgetown it might seem peculiar that I would choose to spend my time talking about farming and food production in the Golden Horseshoe.

I chose to go because I represent people who need the food that these farmers produce and people who also want to keep their town small.

Georgetown is located  in the Greater Toronto Area and is separated from highway 401 by productive farmland that would appear to be earmarked for development by the provincial government. The question is not "will it be developed?" but " when will it be developed?"

I believe that my constituents want to see the conversion of this rich farmland  delayed as long as possible. I also believe that the only responsible strategy to achieve this goal is to find ways to make farming and food production profitable in the GTA.

Margaret Walton of Planscape Inc. has written a comprehensive report on the relative merits of farming and agri-business in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. It is clear from the statistics provided in this report that the agri-food business is a significant economic driver. The estimated agricultural and food processing impact in the region is $12 billion! Employment in this sector is more than double automotive.

Although we have some of the finest farmland in the world with the bonus of having a benign climate and adequate rainfall we do not have policies to protect this valuable asset or to protect the businesses and help them thrive. It is a $12 billion business but it is constantly facing threats from increasingly restrictive policies and urbanization.

In time I believe that the value of this great gift will become increasing apparent as water shortages in the south western USA makes fresh fruits and vegetables in shorter supply. Population growth in India and China coupled with the rise of the middle class in these two countries is going to put further stress on the food supply chain. China has shown a great ability to plan ahead for its own food and energy security. It is securing these resources in other parts of the world to supply its own people. What are we doing to provide the same security for Canadians? 

My interest is in keeping the farming businesses profitable and to leverage the productive farmland into value added food processing businesses. Bucolic fields of corn and strawberries may not look like they are of great economic value but the reality is much different. The potential for increased production, increased food security and increased economic activity through food processing should be recognized. Policies to leverage our natural assets should be developed for the benefit of all Ontarians.

Acton Quarry Part 2

This is a story of 2 quarries. The top picture is of  the Dufferin Quarry on the 22nd Side Road south of Acton Ontario. The second picture is of a rehabilitated quarry on Vancouver Island. You may recognize it as Butchard Gardens, one of the top tourist attractions in British Columbia. It was one woman's vision and hard work that made this transformation possible.

This is a follow up to my blog from last week. The Town needs to decide if it would like to own the worked out Acton quarry or we would like to give it a pass. To me it is question of vision.

The current rehabilitation plan has a lake on the north side of 22nd side road and a dry bowl on the south side. Dufferin has submitted a plan for expanding the quarry as the existing licensed area will be worked out in 6 or 7 years. If granted, the new expansion areas will ultimately lead to further rehabilitation options.

There are 2 scenarios at play. In scenario 1, Dufferin does not proceed with the expansion and the existing worked out quarry is available to the Town. In this case the Town would take over the lands presumably on the basis that Dufferin has provided funding to cover the cost of the continuous pumping required to keep the dry bowl from flooding, or there has been an agreement with the province that would allow the dry bowl to flood, thus creating 2 additional lakes. The Town would then be on its own to create whatever recreational or environmental situation that it wanted.

In Scenario 2, Dufferin proceeds with its expansion. Dufferin would then be in a position to work in partnership with the Town to develop both the existing and the expanded sites into a much more substantial environmental and recreational preserve.

The land  in scenario 2 encompasses over 1400 acres and is 1.5 times the size of Kelso. This would entail a long term plan whereby the ultimate rehabilitation would happen in the extension areas only after they have been mined out. This could be 40 years into the future. The decision we are making today will potentially have a tremendous impact for future generations.

It is my opinion that this is truly a great opportunity for the Town of Halton Hills. We are a municipalitiy that is three quarters Green Belt. We need to be thinking about what we are going to do with it to turn it to our advantage. This quarry opportunity is one that would allow us to provide an environmental preserve that could easily have trails for different types of trail users including hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. It could have a BMX course in the old quarry. The lake could host a rowing club. The cliffs could provide a rock climbing venue. It could be hub for Bruce Trail users and the many cycling clubs that ride through Halton Hills. And yes, it could even be home to a spectacular garden.

In addition it would provide very important water security for our Town. The lakes would in fact be reservoirs that would be available for use should we suffer through a period of drought.

The job of our Town staff is to examine the issue thoroughly and provide council with the pros and cons of such an undertaking. There are always risks. However, I have only to think back to the last time our Town had the opportunity to acquire a piece of property for a dollar. It was the abandoned rail line from Georgetown to Palgrave. The Council of the day thought that it would be a headache. There would be liability issues that they were not prepared to accept. So now the wonderful rail trail goes from Palgrave to Terra Cotta where it abruptly stops.

I haven't seen the staff report yet so I have not seen the list of reasons why we shouldn't acquire the quarry but clearly I am leaning towards acquisiton.

What do you think? What uses would you like to see in the quarry and what uses would you really not like to see?

Darlington Nuclear Plant Hearing - Keeping Japan in Mind

I came across the group 'Lake Ontario Waterkeeper' whilst searching the internet on an entirely different topic. The letter below was posted yesterday by the Krystyn Tully, vice president of Waterkeeper and gives a very personal perspective on the Darlington Plant hearing that has NOT been delayed by the situation that is ongoing in Japan inspite of a request to do so.
Krystyn also quotes from her friend who lives near the nuclear plant in Japan and gives us an idea of just how frightening and devastating the situation really is.
Is this relevent to Halton Hills? Certainly it is since we are dependent of nuclear energy for a portion of our energy, we live relatively close to the nuclear plant and the plant is beside much of the productive farmland in Ontario, including the Holland Marsh. Darlington may seem far away when we are trying to drive there in rush hour. But it isn't far at all as the crow flys or the wind blows.
It is interesting to me that the decision was made to press on with the hearing at a time when I believe we should all take some time to assess the pros, the cons, and the risks involved.

Below is Kyrstyn's perspective which I found on the Waterkeeper.ca website

We never wanted to talk about nuclear meltdowns

Krystyn Tully, Waterkeeper.ca Weekly March 23rd, 2011

Lake Ontario Waterkeeper’s purpose is to protect and celebrate Lake Ontario. We work for you, for the water, for fish and birds, communities and culture. In the past we have stood firm against Lafarge; held an American company accountable for pollution in Canada; and fought for navigation rights. This week as we begin the Darlington New Nuclear Power Plant hearing, we feel as though the ground has been pulled from beneath us. We struggle to bring you news from the hearing when the information is coming at us so quickly, when there is a nuclear tragedy unfolding in Japan, and when the hearing process itself is deeply, deeply flawed. We have opted to bring you a more personal take on the issue this week, written by our Vice President Krystyn Tully. This is a departure from our traditional newsletter format. We hope you understand.
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I am a child of the Durham Region nuclear family. I was born and raised and schooled in Oshawa, smack-dab in the middle of the Pickering and Darlington nuclear power plants. My friends’ parents worked in the nuclear industry when I was younger. My friends work there today.

I never wanted to talk about a “worst-case scenario” at a nuclear power plant.

I have dedicated my adult life to protecting and celebrating Lake Ontario, the defining, looming natural presence in the Oshawa community. I have dedicated much of the last two years of my career to researching the potential impacts of the new Darlington nuclear power plant on my lake. I studied about the impacts of cooling water on fish and fish habitat, the air emissions, the wastewater emissions, and the destruction of bird habitat that will be part of the normal operations of the new Darlington nuclear power plant.

I never wanted to talk about accidents, incidents, or anything “abnormal” that might happen at a nuclear power plant.

My friend Ava is also a child of Durham Region. She’s a teacher and a farmer, and I have known her since high school. Ava lives in Japan.

Two weeks ago, an earthquake hit Japan. Then a tsunami hit. These natural disasters set in motion the largest nuclear crisis in our memory, as fires, pressure, leaks, and other problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant released contamination into the air and water for days on end. Ava is safe, but her community has been ripped apart by the trio of disasters.

Two days ago, I embarked on a three-week hearing to assess the environmental effects of the new Darlington nuclear power plant. Even as I sit in the hearing room at Hope Fellowship Church in Courtice, Ontario, Ava sends me regular updates from the other side of the world.

In Japan, whole communities have been evacuated, drinking water systems shut down, and food sources banned because of contamination from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Ava reports:

“Today, I just found out that I cannot eat local leafy greens in my neighborhood. My friend’s farm has been shut down indefinitely. We are no longer talking about food shortages for the newly homeless and victims of the tsunami, but also everyone else who happens to live in surrounding prefectures from the nuclear power plant. We are talking about millions of people whose lives have changed overnight!”

The widespread contamination is having a profound impact on her own community, which is about 170 kilometres from the nuclear power plant:

“Our little school has just learned that another teacher is leaving for good, and I am contemplating it too. That will leave only one core teacher left for next year. How can we teach when everyone is scared to death of eating local food, or getting enough gas to drive there, or getting stuck on a train when there are still rolling blackouts? Even if the “minor” contamination will pass, people are not so forgiving and the entire northern part of the country will be dealing with this devastation for years.”

I am overwhelmed by a heartbreaking montage of conflicting information. Ava’s updates describe the dark side of nuclear power in gut-wrenching, all-too-real detail. Yet even as I read her messages, sitting in Courtice in my suit, Ontario Power Generation spokespeople are standing one after the other to promise that accidents will never happen here: Their plan is bullet-proof. Nothing will go wrong, because this is Canada.

I want them to be right. I want to believe that we have nothing to fear, that my friends and their parents are safe each day that they go off to work near the nuclear reactors.

I do not want to talk about accidents. I always thought the day-to-day environmental impacts of the Darlington New Nuclear Power Plant were bad enough. The new nuclear plant will kill as many as 46,000 fish and 28-million eggs and larvae per year. There’s no detailed plan for preventing air pollution, wastewater pollution, or the destruction of up to 40 hectares of fish habitat. I know how important the lake is to south Durham Region, and I felt honoured to be able to bring scientific evidence to a formal hearing that would help the Ontario and Canadian governments better protect our waterfront.

I never wanted to talk about meltdowns. Until I watched one.

On the first day of the hearing, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper (and others) asked the panel to reschedule the hearing until we had more information from Japan and more information from OPG about its reactors, cooling water system, and emissions.

I wholeheartedly believe that our official motion to reschedule the Darlington New Nuclear Power Plant hearing would give Canadians time to learn from the horrific events unfolding in Japan. I believe that, if millions of people’s lives were going to be permanently affected by the accident at Fukushima Daiichi, the very, very least we can do on our side of the world is learn something from the tragedy.

On the first day of the hearing, the panel declared that there is “no need” for postponement.

I know that Ontario isn’t particularly earthquake-prone, in comparison to Japan. And I know “Lake Ontario Tsunami” sounds more like a local punk band than a legitimate natural disaster. I also know that earthquakes and tsunamis are not the only events that can cause accidents or malfunctions. The Japanese crisis is a reminder that nuclear power plants have a very powerful dark side. Even on its best day, a nuclear power plant has an impact on air and water and the natural environment. If we are going to build more nuclear here, we must build it carefully, thoughtfully.
Ava agrees:

“We are learning by the hour of so many people, communities, industries and the entire country being affected by the nuclear disaster. I am so frustrated to know that Ontario is even considering moving ahead with more reactors! It’s like a giant slap in Japan’s face. I wish I could be there to speak up. I am so angry and frustrated and bewildered at people’s ignorance when it’s not in their own backyards.”

In light of what I hear from Japan, what I know about the impacts of the new Darlington Nuclear Power Plant, and what I have learned about due process and decision-making over the course of the last decade, I sit in the Courtice hearings, heartbroken.

This hearing is not good decision-making. There are no meaningful rules of evidence, no cross examination, and there are constant reminders to “hurry up” or “be mindful of the time.” There is no logical progression from one element of the complicated regulatory decisions to the next. There’s very little true science, with all the important studies planned to be done “later.” As the vice president of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, I have been part of other environmental assessments, other licencing hearings, private prosecutions, provincial court appeals, and the Walkerton Inquiry. As a student of public administration, I have a tremendous amount of respect for due process and transparent decision-making. This is not it.

Ontario Power Generation and nuclear industry spokespeople have said often that they pride themselves on their abilities to learn continuously and to evolve over time. With respect, there are some mistakes that we cannot afford to make, even once.

I feel almost embarrassed now, to talk about what I came to Courtice to talk about: fish kills, destruction of fish habitat, and localized air pollution. When I hear about the rare tragedy that Ava and her friends and colleagues are experiencing in Japan, my first instinct is to stop. To watch. To help if possible. To learn.

Acton Quarry - When the Blasting Stops - What's Next?

On Monday March 21st Halton Hills Town Council was given a bus tour of the existing Acton Quarry prior to a public workshop discussion with representatives of Dufferin Aggregates about the future of the Quarry after mining is completed. The Quarry is located between the 3rd and 4th lines, straddles the 22nd Sideroad and is west of Limehouse in Halton Hills. 

Dufferin Aggregates has made an application  to expand the existing operation but the pros and cons of that application were not the topic of discussion at the workshop on Monday night.

The reason that the after use of the Quarry was being discussed is because the Town holds the right of first refusal to buy the existing quarry property after it is mined out for the sum of  1 dollar. Therefore the Town needs to determine if it wants to exercise that right. Now is the time to make that determination because Dufferin is in the process of rehabilitating phases 1 and 2 of the existing quarry. They are using as their guide the requirements from the Province which may not be exactly what the Town would want if the Town is to become the eventual owner of the property.

The picture above is of the existing phase 1. As you can see in the distance there is an attractive stone cliff left from the blasting and below that there is a pond. The picture is deceptive as the pond is fairly large and could be called a small lake that is currently 25 feet deep at the far end. Eventually the mounds of gravel in the forground will be removed and the depth will increase by 10 feet. Phase 1 is on the north side of 22 Sideroad. Phase 2 is on the south side and the rehabitation plan for Phase 2 is for a dry bowl which will require continuous pumping in order to keep it dry.

In my next post I will explain why this decision is complicated and what some of the opportunities are.

If you have any inititial questions or comments please send them to me and I will provide comments back.



Memorial Arena Site for Sale? Opportunity knocks

  http://www.insidehalton.com/community/haltonhills/article/964875

Above is the link to the story in the Independent/Free Press regarding the potential sale of the Memorial Arena Site in order to pay for the new arena approved for Acton.

I raised this issue in Council because I felt that Council had not actually decided to sell the site as had been stated by the Mayor at our Special Council Meeting on February 28th. My goal had been to get this clarified for the public. I was astonished to learn that in the opinion of many members of Council a decision had been made to sell the property. Staff however, were of a different opinion. Staff read the recommendation and it clearly stated that there was no decision. At the meeting where this was discussed, staff were directed to explore options for selling 3 properties in Georgetown and to report back.

I was not at the meeting where this was discussed by Council but I had made my point of view known to Council on previous occasions when the subject came up.

My point of view is based on the understanding that the neighbourhood around the arena is underserviced for parkland right now. This area has been rezoned to encourage intensification. That means that the parkland needs will increase not decrease. Furthermore when one looks at the options available to meet these needs it is obvious that this area was built out long ago and so there are few opportunities. Yet we own this land now.

It would seem prudent to me to have a plan to meet the parkland needs of this neighbourhood prior to selling the parkland that we already own.

Although the options were never discussed I would present one option that could allow the town to achieve both goals.

The one opportunity that does exist is for the Town to acquire the Silver Creek Valleylands starting at Fred's Towing and going up stream to Ontario Street. It would be possible to create a linear park that would connect to Cedarvale Park and on through the existing trail system to Norval. If the new parkland that I am proposing had a paved multi use path then people would have access to a roller blade park, a cycling park, a dog walking park and an off road route to a community park at Cedarvale.

Linear parks of this nature are popular with all ages and offer great opportunities for people to relax and get some exercise at the same time. They allow people to escape the traffic and noise of the urbanized areas and to appreciate nature close to their homes. In addition it provides an alternate transportation route free from the hassles and safety issues associated with traveling along side cars and trucks. The benefit to the adjacent neighbourhood would also be felt elsewhere as people would be able to extend their walks from further downstream. The more robust the trail system, the more attractive it is to people.

I would be interested in your views on the potential sale of the Memorial Arena site.

Financial Challenges Facing Halton Hills

It has been a week and a half since the Town of Halton Hills Council decided by a vote of 10 to 1 to proceed with its aggressive arena building program. As the sole councillor to vote against this spending program I have received a great deal of public support. People are concerned about the level of debt, the increase in taxes and the focus on arena users as the major beneficiary of municipal support.



I find it fascinating that Coucil received a report from our Chief Administrative Officer in late January that outlined the tenuous financial position of the Town. To give you an idea of the financial challenges that may impact our situation I am going to list for you those things that were flagged by the CAO.

• Council intends to purchase parkland in Georgetown South to accommodate the tennis court and soccer field that are being displaced by the arena twinning at MoldMasters. This land will cost us $5.25 million. Our Parkland Reserve account only has $300,000 left in it because we just spent $1.3 million to by the MSB parkland in Acton.


• As the result of a tax appeal for all golf courses we can expect a .25% tax increase


• The hospital is asking for $4.5 million


• The Georgetown Library and Cultural centre is budgetted for $13 million but has not been tendered yet.


• All of our budgets are dependent on the release of more water to allow for development and the collection of development charges. Our experience in terms of timing has been that no projections given by the Region have been realized.


• If the development charges do not arrive in the Town's treasurer then projects in the budegt will be delayed and costs will increase beyond what is currently budgeted.


• Appeals to the Regional Official Plan are being defended by the Town and those costs could range from $500,000 to $ 1 million. These costs have not been budgetted for and result in yet another tax levy that will range from 1.75% to 3.33%. This would be a special one time levy but in that particular budget year it will be on top of other levies already in place.


• The fight against the GTA West Corridor will be costly if we choose to fight it. (The worst possible scenario has just been announced as the provinces preferred plan )


• Town reserve funds are too low and we need to start building them up after the building spree that we have been on. (2 new fire halls, 2 new libraries)


• The current Pavement management program is not meeting the objective of replacing our roads every 25 years. We need to devote more financial resources to this program.


• The source of funding for the Activan Program will be exhausted by 2012 and will necessitate a levy increase of perhaps .75% in 2012 to support the existing service.

With this laundry list of pressures on future budgets it struck me that even approving 1 arena in the same year we are on the verge of tendering the library cultural/centre was ambitious enough. However, I decided to stretch far enough to add another arena because of the need to replace Memorial. In light of all the financial unknowns maybe even I went too far.

Council Rejects Prudent Approach to Arena Program

At the Special Council Meeting held last night at Christ the King School, Council debated the merits of building new arenas, a youth centre in Acton and a Seniors Centre in Acton. This debate was being held because at the Budget Committe meeting in January, I put forward a motion to defer all of the capital items that were tied to the arena construction proposal.

I am well aware that there is a need for new ice to meet the needs of the residents but when I saw how this was playing out in the Capital Forecast I thought that Georgetown overall recreation needs were not being adequately addressed in favour of Acton projects. I did not express it exactly like that as I did not wish to make this an Acton Georgetown issue. However, by asking for more balance, that is really what I was driving at.

My request to staff was to give us more options that would better balance the needs of the whole community.

Subsequent to the deferral we received the request from the Hospital to kick in $5 million to cover 100% of the provincial costs of expanding Georgetown Hospital. We also learned that we will be losing some assessment due to a deal that was struck with MPAC. We learned that our financial plan for funding road maintenance is falling behind. And we learned that our reserves are unacceptably low.

At the same time we have been growing very slowly due to a lack of water. This means that we are not getting development charges, nor are we getting the building permit revenue or the new assessment. Fortunately we just had water approved that is the equivalent of water for 1000 new homes. The Region believes that we will get another 1000 units in a couple of years but I have been around long enough to know that you cannot count on this until the day they approve it. In short, our financial situation is somewhat weak.

I am very happy that I instigated the deferral because it got a lot of people interested and involved in the discussion. Of the emails that were received from the public by the Town, they ran 40 to 10 against going into debt to fund the arena projects.

The report produced by staff offered 4 options:

• Option A -Stay the course, build a twin pad at MoldMasters, Twin Acton, Build the Acton Seniors Centre and Acton Youth Centre
• Option B -Build the twin at MoldMasters and delay the Acton program for 1 or 2 years
• Option C - Build the twin at MoldMasters and substitute the Gellert for the Acton program
• option D - Build the twn at MoldMasters and delay any further program plans until after the actual construction bids are received and other financial considerations have been considered

I stated quite clearly at the meeting that I would support option D as I believed that it was the most financially prudent course of action. It gave the arena people 2 new arenas to start with. It took nothing off the table but it allowed us to see what was happening with respect to the hospital. It allowed us to know exactly what the construction was going to cost and we would have the results of the Youth Study that we have just commissioned.

It was clear that the majority of my fellow councillors were predisposed to support Option A but that there would be a split vote. To gain more support the Mayor offerred an amendment that recognized Georgetown recreational needs. The offer was to include the design of the Gellert Phase 2 in the Forecast.

My reaction was that this was not the right course of action at all. I was in favour of Option D specifically because it was the more fiscally responsible route. Certainly adding $880,000 for the design of the Gellert without taking anything out of the forecast was not responsible in my opinion. Furthermore it looked like a waste of money because Council refused to actually put the construction costs into the forecast. I cannot understand what use a design is if there is to be no building. The earliest the Gellert can proceed is 2023, after the Acton complex has been paid off. I never thought that when we built the Gellert Phase 1 that it would take over 20 years before we would see Phase 2.

I am also very perplexed at why the sa,e councillors, who regularly state at budget committee they are concerned about the taxpayers, would then turn around and spend over $30 million without thinking this might be a bit of a problem for the taxpayers.

However, the program is set. We will get 3 new arenas as well as a Seniors' Centre in Acton. The Acton Youth Centre is deferred to the next budget cycle. We will also get a piece of paper with a design on it for the Gellert Phase 2. I do not believe this is a fair or prudent course of action.

As it turns out, this opinion is my own and is not shared by my fellow councillors. The vote was for Option A with a vote of 10 to 1. This is a democracy and the majority has spoken. I am happy to have represented the minority.