- Petition Brainchild Matteo Zmaria (left) and schoolmate Maddison Nichol Volunteered at Foodstock October 16, 2011 - Christy Burton
Scattered along a beautiful forest floor littered with a rainbow swath of coloured leaves, teams of chefs and volunteers prepared a myriad of culinary creations over makeshift firepits. World-renowned chef and Foodstock initiator Michael Stadtländer served up soup while other members of his Canadian Chefs' Congress used locally grown produce to showcase other culinary uses for produce grown on the prime agricultural land in the Shelburne area.
False Pretences
Foodstock is an event designed to garner financial and outside support for opponents to the proposed excavation of what would be the largest undertaking of its kind in Canada. Highland Companies, backed by a multi-billion dollar Boston hedge fund, bought over 7,000 acres of the richest farmland in Ontario under the guise of farming potatoes. The Melancthon area produces half the potatoes consumed by the GTA.
According to opposition group NDACT (North Dufferin Agricultural & Community Taskforce), the Highlands Companies told Karren Wallace of the Orangeville Banner in 2009 that a quarry “isn't necessarily in the cards.” In March of 2011, though, the company filed an application to turn over 2300 acres into Canada's largest quarry. A hole would be blasted to create a pit deeper than Niagara Falls and require perpetual pumping of 600 million litres of underground water per day and involve 4 major watersheds. That is the equivalent of using a quarter of the water consumed by Ontarians according to NDACT.
Youth Petition Gets Unheard-of EA
Orangeville high school student Matteo Zamaria volunteered at Foodstock along with his friend Maddison Nichol. The pair admit to being passionately opposed to the idea of a massive limestone quarry in their region. Zamaria says they gathered 500 signatures on a petition that was sent to MPP Sylvia Jones requesting an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the proposed site. Never before has there been an EA on a quarry in Ontario according to NDACT.
Foodstock was a well organized event with a number of recognizable entertainers including Ron Sexsmith, members of the Barenaked Ladies, Jim Cuddy and MC Jeremy Taggart of Our Lady Peace. Before the tens of thousands strong crowd, David Suzuki Foundation representative Faisal Moola called the proposed development a “bloody stupid quarry.”
All About Food and Water
Farmers who spoke at Foodstock said they were concerned that even if the reduction of farmland, the onslaught of trucks (7200 per day) and endangerment of the sensitive Niagara UNESCO biosphere turned out not to be a problem, the project would endanger four major watersheds, and that could affect the remaining farms in a vast region.
Lineups for the culinary delights were long, but the grins were wide as chefs from as far as Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan served up delicacies like wild turkey, smoked fish and lobster bisque. Anthony Rose of Toronto's Drake Hotel served up 'Sexy Meatloaf with Salsa Verde.' The sauce included tarragon, chives, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil.
NDAC says anyone interested in helping the cause can donate, volunteer, and buy and display Stop the Mega Quarry merchandise all at NDAC's website, www.ndact.com. They also suggest contacting local MPP's and MP's. The fight is on facebook at www.facebook.com/no.mega.quarry.
