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Winter 2019 Newsletter Now
ONLINE
Click here to download
PDF version
May 5 2019
Hello OPAL Volunteers,
1.
Walker has announced a delay in the
production of their materials to submit
to the Ministry of the Environment about
their dump proposal. That gives us more
time to persuade the Minister, Rod
Phillips that he should be turning down
their dump idea. Walker won’t be ready
in June but Phillips could turn them
down any time!
2.
Walter Pfefferle has done a wonderful
reboot of our OPAL webpage and Facebook
presence. Visit
www.opalalliance.ca
to see for yourself.
3.
Last week, Bonnie Dennison invited us
all to wave signs against the dump in
Norwich. Twenty-two people showed up.
Norwich residents sounded horns in
support and stopped to hear about why
they too need to oppose the dump. This
week, on May 10th, we take the “Stop the
Dump” message to the place where Walker
wants their trucks to roll into
Carmeuse’s quarry and dump 17.4 million
tonnes of trash into our water table.
Meet the valiant crew who weekly spread
the word on Embro Road, just north of
Beachville Road at the “Gates of
Carmeuse” at 3:00 pm for a half hour.
Help protect our water. Let’s see if our
numbers can exceed last week’s.
4.
In Woodstock on Saturday May 11th, from
8:00 to 2:00 it’s ReuseapaloozAHAw on
the Woodstock Agricultural Fairgrounds,
on Nellis Street, one block north of
Dundas. As you arrive, you will see that
the Farmers’ Market is going full tilt
with fresh produce and great food. Our
space is the Cattle Barn, brimming with
treasures, and all free for the taking.
Drop by to drop off or to pick up goods
you need. (Please, though, no hazardous
wastes like paint, oil, CFL bulbs, etc.
). Looking to volunteer? You have a teen
who needs to earn hours? Let us know in
advance or when you arrive.
Reuseapaloozaha is a great demonstration
to Toronto on how to reduce trash.
www.reuseapaloozaha.ca
for more information.
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OPINION
Toronto
Mayor John Tory thinks it's OK
Ken
Westcar March 20 2019
Relative to other
municipalities Torontonians pay some of the lowest
property taxes in Ontario. A $450,000 home in Oxford
County can pay similar property taxes to a $1.5m home in
Toronto. Mayor John Tory has committed to keep Toronto
property taxes low and increase them only according the
rate of inflation. But crumbling Toronto infrastructure
presents a huge challenge to the city budget so it's
much easier to skimp on services such as garbage
disposal to help pay for it. This means not tackling
Toronto's garbage problem with a local solution but
trucking it out to other municipalities including
Beachville in Oxford County because it's "cheaper" to
dump it there.
"Cheaper" for whom? There's
this obscure thing called "externalities" that
politicians and businesses like to ignore, especially
when it suits their purpose. The externalities of
shipping up to 17.4m tonnes of Toronto garbage to
Beachville are increased air and water pollution,
greater demand on emergency services and Highway 401
traffic congestion. These costs are borne by all Ontario
taxpayers and the environment instead of those who
create the garbage in the first place. If you live in
Oxford County, you would be more affected than anyone
else. If you believe this to be morally and ethically
reprehensible think of that 17.4m tonnes sitting on a
vulnerable aquifer in Oxford County. There are many
reasons to believe this poorly conceived, but highly
profitable for Walker Environmental Group, dump poses an
extreme environmental risk over the longer term.
But neither Toronto, nor
Walker Environmental Group really care about this. They
only care about the money they can save or make by
externalising costs to someone else. In this case the
residents of Oxford County and those living on the
Thames River watershed. So, next time you hear about the
great job Mayor John Tory and Premier Doug Ford are
doing keeping Toronto property taxes low remember that
it's at your expense. Tell Toronto and provincial
politicians that asking you to pay for Toronto's garbage
disposal is unfair, immoral and unethical. Join
OPAL in saying "no". |
Have a
question, concern, want to voluteer, drop us a line.
Click the mailbox below to send us an email.
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OPAL Alliance
acts to protect our community and to ensure that Oxford County remains a
great place to live and grow. As concerned citizens, we are engaged in
the fight to stop locally unwarranted land uses. Our mission is to stop
the dump Walker Industries would impose. |
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