Mega-Quarry Proposal Withdrawn

3191574 Nova Scotia Company Limited, doing business as The Highland Companies and backed by a US hedge fund, has purchased 8,000 acres of prime farmland in Melancthon Township, Ontario under the guise of being potato farmers. Last year they showed their true motives by proposing a 2,300 acre limestone quarry (3km x 5km called a "mega quarry") with target extraction 250' below the water table. The company is looking to make billions of dollars (estimates are $18 million/acre) at the expense of Canadians.

In addition to becoming the death knell of a productive farming industry, allowing this quarry to proceed would jeopardize the headwaters of 5 major rivers. Water from the area runs south to Lake Erie, west to Lake Huron and north/east to Georgian Bay. The water is the source drinking water for one million Ontarians. Quarry operations would require management of 600 million litres of water per day and it is estimated that 1 tonne of undetonated explosives would contaminate the water on a daily basis.

Industry Canada is the federal ministry responsible for ensuring that foreign business investment in Canada is of net benefit to Canadians. The economic benefit of this proposed quarry does not outweigh the cost to Canadians in fresh food and clean water.

Also NAFTA can be interpreted to give this US company ownership of the water that they manage. Canada's water should not be part of the deal.

Tell the Minister that this mega-quarry is not of net benefit to Canadians and that The Highland Companies proposal should be stopped. Stop the Mega-Quarry!

Further information can be found at:
www.ndact.com
www.facebook.com/friends.of.ndact
www.nomegaquarry.com
www.facebook.com/no.mega.quarry