Local Resident speaks out about highway 4.3

Below are exerpts from a letter send from local Halton Hills resident Peter Belshaw Ph. D. Chemistry/Biochemistry. The letter was sent to the GTA West Consultant Project Manager Neil Ahmed project_team@gta-west.com with a copy to the Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne kwynne.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org.

Building this highway extension through rural farmland and residential areas will have an enormous impact on the environment, far greater than what is claimed in the phase 1 environmental assessment. The proposed route of the highway will divide south Halton Hills creating a new southern boundary for the town, in the years to come, it is likely that every inch of land between the 401 and the proposed 4-3 extension will be developed commercial/industrial as a result of this new highway. In addition a band of commercial/industrial development would also occur to the immediate north of the 4-3 extension. The net result would be that all the farmland in rural Halton Hills would eventually be developed/paved. The environmental assessment in the draft report only appears to consider the direct impacts of the 4 lanes initially proposed, not the future development of the highway, nor the commercial/industrial development that is likely to follow. The increased vehicular traffic and future commercial/industrial development will also result in a significant lowering of air quality and an increase in noise pollution in the region. The proposed 4-3 extension would also result in the loss of some of the best farmland in Canada. Given that only 8% of Canada’s land is tillable (source: former MP Julian Reed of Halton Hills, citizens meeting open comment June 23rd, 2011 Glen Cairn Golf Course), we should not be paving/developing our best farmland. Given global warming and peak oil, we will need these resources when a few million climate refugees arrive on our doorstep in the foreseeable future (just look at the water wars already happening in the US southwest).

In my judgment (as a Ph.D. scientist Chemistry/Biochemistry), the environmental assessment in the draft report is a complete joke worthy of derision and jest were it not so frightening/impacting towards the south Halton Hills region.

Dr. Belshaw makes many other points in his letter regarding alternatives to the new highway which he has given me permission to share as I will continue to do in a future blog.
In the meantime, be sure to pick up a postcard and send it to Minister Wynne if you are also concerned that this proposed highway spells the end of your vision for Halton Hills. Postcards are available at the many locations around town, including the Civic Centre. Check out the town's website for locations http://www.haltonhills.ca/

Did Anyone Ask the Farmers?

This is a typical piece of southern Halton Hills where the province proposes to construct a new 400 series highway. This is exactly where option 4.3 will  go if it is approved.
At yesterday's Planning at Public Works Meeting at Halton Region where we discussed option 4.3, there was also a presentation by the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee. I took the opportunity to ask their representative, Janet Horner, if the GTA West team had consulted with the GTA AAC. To my absolute astonishment, she said no. And then she emphasized the word NO!
Think about it. The GTA West corridor from Vaughn to Tremaine Road in Milton runs almost exclusively through farmland, most of it the very best farmland in Canada. The GTA West consulting team was charged with the responsibility of consulting with all affected parties. And they didn't ask the farmers! Of course the 300 residents who came out to the meeting on June 23rd at Glencairn Golf Course all felt that they had not been consulted either and they live in the path of the highway.
But really, not consulting with the farming community is so unacceptable it is beyond belief. It was only a couple of months ago that I attended a GTA AAC Farming Summit that was very well run and very well attended. It was sponsored by the Government and yet they same Government didn't consult with them.
If you read the EA report you will find a glib statement that in the design of the highway, impacts to agriculture will be mitigated. How do traffic engineers have any idea of what to mitigate if they didn't even talk to the farmers who will be affected?

Regional Councillors support Halton Hills Position on GTA West Highway 4.3

Halton Regional Staff Report responding to the GTA West Corridor recommendations was supportive of option 4.2 that brings the proposed 400 series highway north /south beside Heritage Road and then swings into Halton Hills to join the 407 - 401 Interchange. However, the report was ambivalent concerning the proposed additional leg of this highway known as alternative 4.3 that would run east/west somewhere between Georgetown and Steeles Avenue.
In my mind, this was not a time for ambivalence. In consultation with Mayor Bonnette and Regional Councillor Clark Somerville we wrote an amendment to the report that in my opinion was more in keeping with the Region's Official Plan and the newly endorsed Strategic Plan.
The Strategic Plan was crafted with the input of many Halton Residents particularly the Citizen's Refernce Panel. Input from a wide variety of sources confirmed more or less the the vision that was already articulated in the Official Plan.
To quote from the Amendment " the Strategic Plan says "the Region's vision is to preserve for the current and future generations a landscape that is rich, diverse, balanced, productive and sustainable and a society that is economically strong, equitable and caring. The Region must plan for communities where urban sprawl is minimized, where infrastructure is maximized, where natural heritage is protected and natural spaces and farmland are preserved. the overall goal is to enhance the quality of life for all people of Halton today and into the future".

"This vision will be very difficult if not impossible to maintain if alternative 4.3 is approved since the proposed route essentially bisects the agricultural area of halton Hills, thus fragmenting farms and making the industry much more difficult to sustain."

"There is a serious concern that alternative 4.3 will encourage urban sprawl. Measures to protect against urban sprawl were not articulated in the Draft Transportation Development strategy report."

"Alternative 4.3 which bisects the agricultural area south of Georgetown would pose an extremely serious blow to agricultural sustainability in Halton, would threaten the open-space character and landscape heritage of Halton and is therefore contrary to the goals in the official plan and Halton's vision for a sutainable future. For those reasons Halton cannot support alternative route 4.3."

All of the above was incorporated into the recommendation and was endorsed unanimously by the members of the Planning and Public Works Committee. The next hurdle is to have the recommendation endorsed at Regional Council next Wednesday morning.

Gaining unequivical support for the Halton Hills position from Regional Council is absolutely critical to our strategy to stop this highway and get it taken off the map. It is a great relief to have achieved unanimous support at the committee level as it means that we have support from all Halton local municipalities. It gives me confidence that we will also get a ringing endorsement at Council.

It is but one step in our fight against this highway, but it is an important one. I am very grateful to my Regional colleagues for their support today.

Canadian Road Cycling Championships a huge success in Downtown Georgetown

Women's Elite at the starting line

Crowds line Main Street in Downtown Georgetown

Men's elite racers cresting the Park Street Hill

The Canadian Road Cycling Championships and Festival were a big hit with the cheering crowds that gathered all along the 1.1 km Criterium course in Downtown Georgetown in Halton Hills, Ontario today. The crowds were treated to many thilling moments as the cyclists flew around the tight corners whilst jockying for position.

Downtown Georgetown was transformed into a first class cycling venue that was a delight to the eye. Colourful banners, tents  and flags along with the brilliant floral displays added to the ambiance. The riders themselves were no less colourful in their club livery.

I was very proud of the warm reception that Halton Hills gave to these athletes and their families from across Canada. There was a friendly and welcoming spirit in the air. The Halton Hills staff did a wonderful job in making this such a successful event. A great deal of planning went into making things run smoothly. We are blessed to have so many enthusiastic and accommodating people working for the Town. And I can't say enough about the over 75 volunteers who committed their Sunday to making this a great event.

Canadian Road Cycling Championships coming to Georgetown on Sunday June 26 2011

The Canadian Road Cycling Champions are running over an 11 day period in a variety of venues around Halton and Peel. Pictured above is a triumphant Clara Hughes who made a stunning comeback into the sport of cycling by winning the Women's Elite Race with a time of 30.25 yesterday in Bellfountain.

The Criterium Races will be held in downtown Georgetown on Sunday June 26th starting at 12:00pm. Perhaps fans will  have an opportunity to see Clara in action right here in town. Local cyclist and new resident of Georgetown, Heather Logan-Sprenger is confirmed as a participant in Sunday's Race. Heather moved to Georgetown about 18 months ago and races internationally for Team Colivita. She is a former member of the Canadian National Women's Hockey Team. It will be exciting to see such an outstanding athlete perform in her new home town.

The Criterium Races are for both Men and Women and are both National and Ontario Provincial Championship races.

Although the Cycling Championships are organized by the Midweek Cycling Club of Toronto, they have been working with a local organizing committee that has recruited 70 volunteers to man the barricades. Also, the committee has organized a Cycling Festival that will be fun for the whole family. There is a Youth Cycling Skills Challenge, a BMX demonstration by Joyride 150 of Markham and helmet fitting and safety information from the North Halton Injury Prevention Group. Participant prizes have been donated by Canadian Tire.

As part of the Race Schedule there will be a special kids race for ages 3 to 12 at 3:30 pm.

All participants in races and festival activities must have parental permission.

The Festival activities will begin at 11am in the Back Street Parking Lot and run until 3pm.

Streets surrounding the downtown area will be closed to traffic and so riding a bike to this event is highly recommended. Two bike parking areas will be operated by local service clubs.

More information can be found on the town's website www.haltonhills.ca/cyclingchampionship.

Town Unanimously Approves Funding for Hospital Expansion

Last night Town of Halton Hills Council finally gave an answer to Halton Health Care regarding their request for $ 4.546 million to support the renovation and expansion of Georgetown Hospital. Subsequent to this request, that was made on January 10th 2011, Mayor Bonnette made many attempts to coax the Province to fund this necessary project. However, we have not had a response as yet. Therefore, since we are at the deadline for placing a special hospital levy on the tax bill, we needed a decision from council. Last night we decided to go half way in last attempt to get the Province to the table. Below is text of my comments last night.

Hospital Funding




First I would like to thank Mayor Bonnette for his leadership for his report recommending partial funding of the Hospital’s request. It calls for a grant of $2.682 Million. (representing a 1.1% tax increase as a special levy)



Councillor Hurst, as a member of the Hospital Board has made a compelling case for the need for the Georgetown Hospital Expansion to house the CT scanner and to make improvements to the ER and diagnostic imaging department.



The hospital and medical care in general are extremely important services that are vital to the livability and general prosperity of our town. When these services have been found to be either threatened or insufficient in the past then our town council has rallied support and resources to address the situation. Although heath care is not one of the services that is the purview of the local municipality, we are the hub of local activism and the place where people expect leadership when there is an important local issue needing local action.



When we had a shortage of local doctors, we started a physician recruitment committee. When Acton had a problem with a lack of medical facilities we helped with the construction of the new Acton Medical building. We as a town subsidize the Acton Nurse practitioner. And of course when obstetrics was slated for closure there was a magnificent response from our community and local municipal leadership to win that battle. All of this has been done in the interest of ensuring that our residents get the medical attention that they need within their own communities.



We now face a situation that is common throughout the province of Ontario. We all know that the greatest challenge the provincial government is facing is the escalating cost of providing health services, and it is just going to get worse as we face the ageing baby boomers and the demands we are going to place on the system.



Although we all pay hefty income taxes and in turn expect that the health care system will be provided to meet our needs it is obvious that the province is struggling and when every community is demanding its fair share, we need to have a strong voice making those expectations known at the provincial level. I commend our MPP Ted Arnott for his efforts in putting forth our needs to the Health Minister, and I have read what Ted had to say in Hansard. I also commend our mayor for his efforts via meetings and letters. These initiatives are essential if we want to receive our fair share of the health care dollars.



When the hospital representatives came before us and asked for help, it was also at the time when we were considering our budget and in particular the arena debate was about to begin. The public provided a considerable amount of input via email and letters. Although this was never framed as an ‘either or’ debate, many people did weigh the relative importance of arenas verses hospitals. People generally either did not understand that municipalities look after arenas and provinces look after hospitals or they simply did not care. The vast majority said that the hospital was their number one priority and they wanted us to make it our priority.



Although Hospitals are primarily the province’s responsibility they have always been to some extent a local responsibility. The question is really about the ratio. We would like it to be 90% province and 10% local municipality but we can see that that is not going to fly unless we are willing to wait for some indefinite amount of time - maybe 8 years. Our community does not want to wait 8 years. And so we must act. We need to step up, as so many other municipalities are doing all around us.



We have waited as long as we can to get an answer from the province before we need to make a decision on funding. I am therefore seconding the motion to support the expansion of the Georgetown Hospital. At least our tax payers will know that their tax dollars are going to be spent in their own community for their direct benefit.

Hopefully the province see fit to share the responsibility and make a modest investment of $1.864 million to bring the Georgetown Hospital up to modern standards.

Food and Farming Part 2

I have been observing some very interesting things starting to happen at the grass roots level with respect to food production. These things are very welcome in my mind because I have also been watching the approaching "train wreck" of the on-going world-wide population explosion, climate change, degradation of the oceans, food price spikes, desertification etc. This list includes two trend lines that can't help but cross each other with serious consequences. One is the loss of food production and the other is the exponential growth in human population.

Over the past 50 years or so we have seen food production turned into big business with a focus on profit by shareholders and commodities speculators. There has been a steady loss of small farms in favour of  larger  farms that have shifted towards specialization and exportation over diversification and local markets. This is in the name of efficiency but at the same time apparently "sales-only" income for farmers is hitting rock bottom which raises the question of sustainability.

It was of interest to me this morning to read a Canadian report focused on Canadian food policy that calls for a restructuring of Canadian food production from start to finish. You can access this report at http://peoplesfoodpolicy.ca/files/pfpp-resetting-2011-lowres_1.pdf . It amazed me to learn that it was developed over 3 years and was the result of input by over 3500 Canadians. These people sat around kitchen tables and talked about what was important to them. This fact alone ties into my previous blog concerning apathy. It is obvious that people are not apathetic about issues that are important in their lives.

I was struck by the similarity of the Food Issue to that of Health Care in Canada. It seems obvious that change in food production and the way we treat those who produce it will only happen through changes in public policy. It will not be undertaken by corporations that control s huge proportion of the food  production system. It was the same  when medicare was adopted as a public policy. Medicare was never advocated by the medical profession but rather by a visionary politician, Tommy Douglas, who saw the need to re-organize the system to make it better for all of us.

To quote the People's Food Policy Report, Canada needs  "a policy which places the well being of the majority and the health of the planet at the centre of all decisions". 

Coincidentally, I will attending a Think Tank on Wednesday organized by Laurent Thibault who is chairing the Town's Economic Pillar of the Halton Hills Sustainability Advisory Committee.  Central to the discussion will be a position paper prepared by Laurent that emphasizes the importance of our local agricultural industry and the opportunities we have to capitalize on this resource.

I am looking forward to this week's discussion as we tackle locally issues that are clearly being discussed in many other communities across the country.

I also look forward your reaction to the issue of food production particularly in the local context.