What part of no don’t you understand? is a question I’m quite sure was originally coined by my Little Lady, way back in my hormonal, aggressive, post-teenage years when we were still courting.
Both of us being farm-raised and from the old school, she raised in a Baptist household, premarital advancement beyond the knee was not an option. But it is a caption, closely conforming to that which should be forming on the lips of every environmentally concerned man, woman and child from the mingling headwaters of our tumbling Grand River to the mouth of our mighty Saint Laurence. The gestation of one mistake could well drag on long into future generations. It is plain and simple the wrong location for such an operation.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with what they are doing. The services they provide, multi-continent-wide, keeping pace with expanding human populations, is absolutely necessary, but to rob a quip from the realty profession, in which I once had the pleasure of making my living for 15 years, it is location, location, location.
Beside the Luther Marsh, an exceptional environmentally sensitive area, dead centre of the north-south, spring and fall avian migration route, headwaters of our Heritage Grand River, is the wrong, wrong, wrong location for the storage and handling of such large quantities of high explosives.
Our environment, worldwide, has too long been abused, and we here in Canada have certainly not been void of guilt. The mania grasp of the almighty dollar has taken abusive exploitation of our natural resources with little thought of our environment for far too many generations. Let’s not kid ourselves, it is our grandchildren and their children’s children that are being grossly forsaken here. Risking the chance of a simple mistake is a risk option to which we have not been graced, nor have we earned that right to take.
There is an age-old cliché that it takes fire to fight fire, and in this particular case, where monetary undercurrents flow freely, due to the worship of the almighty dollar, it could well be a battle costing mega big bucks that could well be avoided if only the powers that be, up through the echelons of our government, would look a little beyond the heavy tax burden forced on the public to cover their awaiting, out-of-proportion pensions.
At the time of this writing, Orica is on the path of war that leads to the Ontario Municipal Board. This leads me to ask several questions. Has the almighty dollar become our God? Why has this gone as far as it has? Where are our politicians? The expansion proposal was turned down by large numbers of the local population.
The East Luther Grand Valley council, persuaded by the packed auditorium of its constituents, in a true act of democracy, denied Orica’s applications for permanent status, as well as a two-year extension on temporary approval with a unanimous vote. Which leaves me asking the question, is our democracy not now being challenged by a foreign company?
Is might, right? Will it now be necessary to rile the warriors from our First Nation’s Reserve at Brantford? Their water comes directly from the river so jeopardized.
In the meantime, turned down by the OMB as an emergency appeal, Orica has gone to the Superior Court with the hopes of getting permission to still operate until such time as the OMB finds time for a hearing. Why have we not heard from the head honchos of the cities and towns downstream? Why have we not heard more from the Ministry of Natural Resources? Can the Grand River Conservation Authority not scream a little louder? I’ve heard no rebuttal from Friends of the Grand, The Clear Water Agency, The Fisheries branch, Ducks Unlimited and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.
The Federal Ministry of the Environment has never replied to the questions as to how there are 22 other identical sites in Canada that have been rubber-stamped. The actual application form is filled out by the company in question and is not reviewed for accuracy of information supplied.
Have there been comments from concerned sources that have bypassed my vision? Could it be that they are all leaning back in their posh, padded chairs with their feet resting comfortably on their plate glass-covered desktops, while their secretaries are busy rubber-stamping permissions without thought, forethought or giving a damn? These are all questions that have crossed my mind on many, many occasions. Where are they?
It could well be that the citizens of East Luther Grand Valley are going to need some financial support in order to bargain fairly in this David and Goliath scenario. If the need to appeal the decision of the Ontario Municipal Board should so arise, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be back asking you to delve deeply into the depths of your pockets to give your East Luther Grand Valley neighbours support in doing what is right for your grandchildren’s children. Need more be said at this moment?
Take care, ‘cause we care.
barrie@barriehopkins.ca
519-843-4544