By Pepper Parr
October 8, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Elections bring out every interest group in the city. Some are minor, a little self serving while others are significant and impact the whole city.
Barbara Sheldon look at 32 feet of landfill less than 50 feet from her kitchen window. All dumped without any permits because an airport is federally regulated.
The Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition’s is one of the major concerns. Their mission statement is “to protect the Greenbelt Plan’s ‘protected countryside’ in North Burlington from ecologically and socially damaging development”. Since its founding in April 2013, it has worked to secure Municipal and Provincial control over the five year, unregulated fill operation at the Burlington Airpark.
In November 2013, and June 2014, Ontario’s Superior and Appellate courts both awarded in favour of the City of Burlington’s right to enforce its Site Alteration Bylaw on Airpark lands. In September 2014, the City of Burlington passed its new, more fulsome, Site Alteration Bylaw that will provide greater controls at the Airpark and will prevent another large scale fill operation from harming our Rural North. However, the story doesn’t end here.
Speaking to those who are running for office the RBGC said in a prepared statement: “Many of you have identified the Burlington Airpark as a major campaign issue, and your term of office will define how and when our City moves forward with environmental soil testing, remediation and restoration on the Airpark and adjacent properties, and in turn, how to bring justice to the neighbours of the Airpark.”
Landfill comes to the edge of a neighbouring farm causing significant water damage.
Candidates and media have been invited to take part in a Candidate’s Open House & Tour of the three neighbouring properties that have been most damaged by the Airpark’s fill operation on Saturday, October 11th 2014
Refreshments and briefing notes will be provided at the event. You are encouraged to drop in anytime between 10am and 1pm. It should take about 90 minutes for the complete tour.
Start at 5199 Appleby Line, and then travel north to the neighbouring farm and rural residences that have been surrounded by untested fill. The residents will be in attendance to share their personal stories and their concerns for the futures of their properties and water supply. Please wear footwear suitable for wet conditions.
RSVP’s are appreciated but not mandatory. Email Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition ruralburlingtongreenbelt@gmail.com
