Do Not Revoke the…

Do Not Revoke the Environmental Assessment for 29831 Irish School Road – Listen to the People of Dresden

As a long-time resident of Dresden, I am both confused and deeply disheartened by the proposal to revoke the requirement for a comprehensive environmental assessment (EA) at 29831 Irish School Road.

Last year, then-Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, MPP Andrea Khanjin, made clear, public commitments that she had heard the concerns of the Dresden community. She acknowledged that although the site was established over 40 years ago—before Ontario required environmental assessments for landfills—the government would require a full EA under the Environmental Assessment Act.

In March 2024, she explicitly stated this commitment. Then again on June 28, 2024, Minister Khanjin affirmed her responsibility to address health and safety concerns, stating that the community would indeed receive a full environmental assessment. Regulation 284/24 was created as a result.

But now, in April 2025, under a new Minister, it appears those commitments may be cast aside.

Why is this happening?
How can a promise so publicly made—one that gave our community hope—be so easily abandoned?

This isn’t just about Dresden. It raises bigger questions:

How many other old, dormant landfills in Ontario are being quietly revived near small communities without proper environmental scrutiny?
Are we sacrificing the health of residents, ecosystems, and future generations in a rushed attempt to manage the waste crisis?
Yes, we understand Ontario faces a landfill capacity crisis. But placing a major waste facility right beside a town of nearly 3,000 people—with no proper environmental oversight—is not a solution. It’s a shortcut that will create long-term problems, including:

Greater pressure on a health care system already in crisis.
Higher environmental and cancer risks in a region already dealing with industrial pollution from both Chemical Valley and Detroit.
Degradation of local ecosystems, including Molly’s Creek, the Sydenham River, the Snye, and the Great Lakes.
Potential disruption to the way of life and treaty rights of the Bkejwanong First Nation, whose people live in deep connection with the land and water.
Premier Ford: On March 11, 2024, at a press conference near Windsor, you said:

“We listen to the people. If the people don’t want it, they won’t have it.”
Well, we—the people of Dresden—don’t want it.

We urge you and your government to honour your words and commitments. Do not revoke the requirement for a full Environmental Assessment. Uphold Regulation 284/24. Protect our town, our water, our health, and our future.

We are not against solutions—we are against being sacrificed.

Government means “we the people.”
We voted you in. Now please listen to your people.

Respectfully,
A concerned and committed resident of Dresden