Grassroots Democracy Alive and Well in Simcoe County
SIMCOE COUNTY—The world’s most pristine water, which lies in the Alliston Aquifer under part of Simcoe County, is safe from proposed Dump Site 41, for at least the next year. Simcoe County Councilors voted 22-10 in favour of a one year moratorium this week to have all development of the site stopped while the County rethinks their waste management strategy. The Green Party of Canada congratulates Simcoe’s community members, the people of Beausoleil Island First Nation, and all of the dedicated activists, from Midland to Toronto right through to the United States, who have worked tirelessly fighting this dump site plan since its inception over twenty years ago.
“With so much of Canada’s environment being destroyed it is so inspiring to have a victory like this,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of Canada’s Greens. “The Simcoe community has been camped out for months, protecting the water that provides life for an entire ecosystem—water that will sustain their grandchildren for years to come. This is no small triumph.”
The Alliston Aquifer has what has been tested to be some of the world’s cleanest water. The proposed dump site, which has recently seen initial phases of construction, would have inevitably been desecrated. Just this past week, tap water in neighbouring homes was beginning to run murky.
“The moratorium is a step in the right direction and we thank the Councilors of Simcoe County for listening to the voices of our community and for rethinking what are really the problems of our generation,” said Valerie Powell, the Greens Candidate in Simcoe North. “Now we have to come up with a sustainable solution to our Community’s waste problems, a solution that could also be inspiring.”
A proposal has been put forward for a motion to the September meeting of county council to permanently close down Dump Site 41.
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Contact:
Michael Bernard
Communications Officer
Green Party of Canada
613-562-4916 ext. 244
(c) 613-614-4916
michael.bernard@greenparty.ca
