There are a few key things…

There are a few key things that any community wants to be assured of any time there’s a proposed use of land and natural resources in its midst: is it a good and wise use of that resource? Will it destroy precious agricultural land in this rural, farming community? Is it necessary in this location? Are there other alternatives that would be better? If approved, will its construction and operation be carried out respectfully in a way that is protective of the environment, the land, air, water and organisms that live around it? Is the work and operation of a facility going to be harmful to the use and enjoyment of the people of the community from the moment construction starts and years into the long-term? How will it use and affect the road systems? Who will pay for the damage to roads that hundreds of waste trucks create? Will those trucks run through the middle of town or will they be required to use the least disruptive and invasive route? What will expanding this site to accept more than 1,620,000 cubic metres of construction and other waste from across the province -- 7 days a week, 24 hours a day – about 1 km from the town centre do to the character of the town, to the health, safety, and well-being of its residents? Will there be odour from organic waste or other sources? How will dust be controlled? Will there be 24-hours of high noise levels? Is this going to negatively affect property values?

If the province’s existing regulatory and approval requirements for new or expanding landfills is thoroughly protective and complete enough to answer all of these questions, then I am reasonably satisfied with the province’s proposal to exempt the site from an environmental assessment. If, however, these questions cannot be fully addressed within the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act, if the province is going to eliminate any requirement for consideration of public concern, then I strongly oppose that section of Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 that proposes the revocation of Ontario Regulation 284/24 to remove a comprehensive environmental assessment previously ordered for the proposed landfill expansion.

The fundamental question of our time is how to appropriately balance a need for economic expansion, with other needs of society. How do you ensure you’re not sacrificing people and the environment for profit? Rather than building a massive dump at the northern gateway to the town, wouldn’t the character of this community be better served by trying to build on its agriculture and agri-food focus; along with its tourism economy rather than trampling everything else in a race to take Ontario’s construction waste? I think that planning should be done with care and consideration for the resources and needs of the community, its character and its people. You should not give everything away only because someone asked for it. By all means when facing one of the greatest economic challenges of our time, be bold, be creative, but for the love the province and its people be smart.