Posts Tagged ‘Aggregate Resources Act’

Mega Quarry win shows it’s time for major agricultural policy reform in Ontario

November 27th, 2012 by Laura Bowman

Last week Highland Companies announced plans to withdraw its application to build a quarry in Melancthon Ontario.  The “Mega Quarry” has been a rallying cry for local food and agriculture reform, as well as aggregates reform in Ontario.

Now is not a time for farmers, environmentalists and foodies to rest on their laurels.  Ontario’s agricultural policy needs big-time reform.  For far too long Ontario has badly neglected the agricultural sector on all fronts, financial, marketing, trade policy, land use protection, water policies, and from a food security perspective.  The Mega Quarry dispute highlighted many of these problems.

Continue reading “Mega Quarry win shows it’s time for major agricultural policy reform in Ontario”

Aggregate hearings should include rural residents who are most affected

May 10th, 2012 by Laura Bowman

Our client, North Dufferin  Agricultural  and Community Taskforce, Inc. (NDACT) was surprised on Friday May 4 to learn that the Standing Committee on General Government would be commencing the review of the Aggregate Resources Act the following Monday May 7, and that aggregate resource reps were already informed and scheduled to appear.

To make matters worse, no hearings were scheduled in rural communities.  These communities are most affected by the policies in the ARA, which unfairly favour aggregate extraction over other policy objectives.  Our client wrote to the Standing Committee on General Government asking for more time for a more thorough review and for rural hearings.  This request was entirely reasonable and was granted yesterday when the Committee moved to request travelling hearings.

Read Carl Cosack, chair of NDACT’s letter here.

Ontario’s wetlands framework needs revision

February 3rd, 2012 by Laura Bowman

Ontario Nature, Earthroots, Ecojustice and Ducks Unlimited released a report this week on Ontario Wetlands: Protecting Greenbelt Wetlands: How Effective is Policy.

Many of the report’s suggestions relate to better interdepartmental and intergovernmental decision-making integration.  Others propose more measurable and defensible standards in the approvals process.

Continue reading “Ontario’s wetlands framework needs revision”