‘Avoidance’

Dear Editor:

In an election year, “transparency” gets used a lot. But transparency delayed – or ignored – is no transparency at all.

Freedom of information requests submitted on March 20, and again on April 20, remain unanswered. Two requests to appear as a delegation before council were also denied due to “process.” There are so many reasons to object to the Hillsburgh pit fill project and so many questions as to “how did we get here?”

The truth is that no one wants this in their “backyard” or their community and that’s why there was minimal notification provided about the public meeting in July 2024, and therefore minimal opposition. Until now.

As people learn more (5.36 million cubic metres of imported fill, 150 return trucks per day for up to 20 years), opposition is growing. People are talking, meeting, asking hard questions and waiting for answers.

The site alteration agreement authorizing the commercial fill operation was approved by council in January. Because of this, the only people who can bring it back to council for reconsideration are the members who approved it: on record for approving are Jamie Cheyne, John Brennan and Michael Dehn. I urge you to contact them and ask them to reconsider their position on this matter.

This is not a complicated task. Timely information and a willingness to meet are the minimum standard of accountable government.

If it takes this much effort to be heard, that’s not transparency, it’s avoidance. 

And voters won’t miss it.

Angela Lauryssen,
Hillsburgh