Say No to the MZO

Dear MPP Allsopp,

Thank you for your attention to a massively risky issue that negatively impacts the County — but gives you a chance to represent the interests of your constituents.

The MZO request for Picton Terminals would further enable its metastasizing expansion into residential areas, farms, and small businesses. 

The Doornekamps offer few to no new jobs; serious risk to the air from continuous blasting and quarrying; and continued threats to the water of 7000 municipal water drinkers who rely on Picton Bay as their sole source of drinking water.

Remember, any drinking water sourced from the new regional water plant propposed for Wellington is YEARS away. 

The list of harms, including negative impacts on people deciding where to live or to spend tourist dollars, is lengthy: “Walkerton” status is one serious accident away.

How much money has the County generated from the continuous wear and tear on our roads? Someone has earned tens of millions from the quarrying and sale of aggregate — but that money has not benefitted the County in any way. 

Today, I watched as three new double-container tractor trailers labeled “Doornekamp” sailed down Picton Main Street, empty, but making a point. It reminded me of the sudden huge increase in blasting right after County Council agreed to a settlement with the Terminals that would turn Picton Bay into an international port for container shipping. 

But only with an MZO.

Bill 5 will benefit from some attention to environmental sanity as new parameters are developed in September.  

The MZO,  however, is very clearly NOT what most people in the County want, NOT something we’re benefitting from, and NOT without major risk on many fronts from its allowing the operations of a completely unsupervised rock quarry and shipping port.

You have the power to do something positive for your constituents. I genuinely hope you continue to express their views and yours to Minister Flack.

Deborah Schuller, MD, Picton

Bill 5 Must be Revised 

Dear MPP Allsopp,

I am writing to reiterate my huge concerns regarding Bill 5.  I understand that the preamble has been revised to include consultation with Indigenous peoples. This is however, not really a change in the implementation as our government is bound to consult regardless.  

The inclusion of Special Indigenous Economic Zones does little to allay my fears for our world as we work against the horrible effects of the climate crisis.

My ‘ask’ is for Bill 5 be repealed in full.  Go back to the drawing board with FULL consultation, transparency and real partnerships.  Respect the scientists who are alarmed about the repeal of the Endangered Species Act.  The replacement act is a very sorry excuse for protection and indeed will result in the extinction of MANY species.  

This is nothing short of a power grab by this premier.  I hope that you, our representative at Queen’s Park, Tyler Allsopp,  will genuinely represent our constituents who are appalled by this bill and join whatever forces within the government are calling for it to be scrapped.  As you may already know, the Municipality of Prince Edward has sent a letter requesting revisions.

You may have noticed that about 25 constituents were demonstrating against Bill 5 outside of your office today.  This was a quickly organized protest. I think it’s safe to say that MANY people are VERY upset about this Bill.  

Penny Morris, Picton

Art Season — All Year Round

l write to heartily second Karen Valihora’s editorial on Art Season (June 11). This is truly an exceptional place. 

The only other in Canada I can think to rival it is Stratford, which benefits of course from a long-established Shakespeare theatre festival of national, and even international, repute. 

Stratford can also boast of the regular presence of The New York Times, which funds a series of public lectures, interviews and conversations there throughout the year, as well as the CBC, which comes to town for weeks at a time in high summer to tape its Ideas series before a live, interested, and engaged audience. 

There is clearly ample room for such initiatives here. 

As your editorial points out, we have live, interested and engaged audiences, enough to support a film festival, Jazz and Chamber and Classical music series, professional and community theatre troupes, myriad art galleries and studios, live music performed throughout the year at venues large and small, the list goes on.

May I suggest the Gazette partner with some agency, perhaps try the newly re-funded CBC or the Globe and Mail, to launch a series of conversations and interviews here. Stratford, here we come.

Glenn Flynn, Glenora