A letter sent to York1: I am…

A letter sent to York1:

I am reaching out as a concerned parent and resident of Dresden, Ontario regarding your proposed project to resume landfill operations and expand waste processing at 29831 Irish School Road. I fully respect the important role companies like yours play in managing Ontario’s waste responsibly. I also understand the growing need for new waste solutions across the province.

However, I kindly ask you to consider the serious concerns families like mine have about the location of this particular project. The proposed landfill would be less than one kilometre from our town and only about 700 metres from two of our local schools — including where my six-year-old daughter attends.

As a parent, my first priority will always be the health and safety of my child. The idea of having a large-scale facility processing materials such as asbestos and contaminated soils so close to where she learns and plays fills me with fear. No parent should have to worry daily about whether the air their child breathes or the water they drink could be unsafe.

I truly believe there are better and safer locations for this kind of project — locations that would not place the health of young families and entire communities at risk. We are not against development or waste management improvements. We are simply asking for a project of this size and nature to be placed somewhere that does not immediately threaten the health of vulnerable populations.

Please, I ask you from the bottom of my heart, take a moment to imagine your own children or grandchildren living next to a site like this. Our community deserves the same consideration and protection.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to the voices of the people who will be most impacted. We are counting on your sense of responsibility and compassion as you move forward.