Melancthon is my home. I…

Melancthon is my home. I was born here. Both my parents were born here and my grandparents and great grandparents. My 3rd great grandparents where the first settlers who arrived in Melancthon with Louis Horning in 1834. William Silk worked with Louis Horning to build and establish mills in what became the village of Horning Mills. Those mills were powered by the water system that originates from the lands now being considered for blasting.

The MHBC – ARA Summary states: The County of Dufferin and Township of Melanchthon Official Plans identify the Subject Lands is predominately located within a highly vulnerable aquifer (see Figures 12 and 16) and a significant groundwater recharge area (see Figures 12 and 17). There are no watercourses located within the Subject Lands. The closest municipal drinking water source is located approximately 5km south in the Town of Shelburne. The water resources report concludes that the recharge function of the Site will be maintained and the aquifer will be protected.
The Site is located in the Nottawasaga Valley Source Protection Area (SPA). The Nottawasaga Valley
SPA falls within the South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe (SGBLS) Source Protection Region (SPR) comprised of Black-Severn, Lake Simcoe, Nottawasaga Valley and Severn Sound watersheds under the jurisdiction of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority and Severn Sound Environmental Association (Approved South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan, 2023). The Nottawasaga Valley SPA encompasses 3,600 km² of plan area.

I think the predominate wording here is “Protecttion” and “Vulnerable”. When a significant aquifer is designated as vulnerable and it is water that provides life to all surrounding areas, it should be protected at all cost. This should be of the highest priority above all else. Especially when the material being extracted beneath it is not essential, and not needed, as there is already a 38 year supply and hundreds of other operations already supplying more.

Also, when the report states “The closest municipal drinking water source is 5 km south in Shelburne, it is not being entirely truthful. The water course from this area does not flow directly south, it flows down from the highest point above sea level in Ontario (which is mostly north / east) towards the subdivision of Rutledge Heights and the village of Hornings Mills. While they may not be on a municipal water supply they do ultimately rely on this aquifer and water course for their water.

Further, this aquifer is the headwaters of three major waterways, supplying clean, pure, pristine water to tens of thousands of people through Dufferin County, and Simcoe County. It should never be tampered with. There is too much risk of something going wrong and no way of correcting it after the fact.

For these reasons alone, please, do not approve this application.