The Tyandaga Environmental…

The Tyandaga Environmental Coalition Inc. (“TEC”) was founded in 2013 in response to local citizens’ concerns about the environmental and health impacts of a quarry near a residential neighbourhood.

TEC embarked upon a review of the applicable municipal by-laws and provincial statutes that protect citizen’s health and the endangered species who share our ecosystem. What we learned is that some progress has been made with the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Greenbelt Act, and the protection of Natural Heritage Features in our Official Plans but that much remains to be done to ensure that while businesses thrive, our communities and our environment are protected.

TEC (www.tecburlington.com) joins with the City of Burlington, the Region of Halton, Burlington Green and many other organizations and citizens to urge the province not to take a step backwards by allowing businesses such as the aggregate industry and developers to by-pass these important protections and the procedures currently set out in the Planning Act in the guise of being “open for business”. Burlington and other municipalities remain “open for business” but its citizens have made it clear that they value the importance of the Greenbelt and are committed to protecting its natural heritage features. In addition, there is no shortage of employment land available that would make such an abdication of our collective responsibility necessary. TEC urges the Minister to reconsider this Bill and recommit to protecting the environment, our clean water, our watersheds, our wetlands, our woodlands, our farmland, our endangered species and the health of all Ontario residents.