Holland Marsh Gas Plant Campaign
I can't believe that it has been one year since the the McGuinty government paved the way for the Holland Marsh natural gas-fired peaker plant with their unprecedented action to exempt the plant from the Planning Act.
It took just an hour or two one afternoon before a hot summer weekend last year for someone from the Cabinet office casually walking the corridors of power at Queen’s Park to secure the minimum required Cabinet Minister signatures for the lethal Order-in-Council that shut down the Ontario Municipal Board hearings - hearings that would have likely found that the government's actions violated their own Greenbelt Act.
Possibly the most deplorable part of the King Township peaker plant saga is the way the Provincial Government ignored local concerns and solutions, despite having more appropriate locations are available for the plant.
I am honoured to have worked along-side the concerned citizens and local farmers of King Township in the fight against this unwanted, unneeded peaker plant. I’m inspired by citizens who work tirelessly for the benefit of their community and for sensible policies that follow the rules. I want to thank the thousands of people from across the province who signed our petition and wrote letters to the government on this issue.
All of this happened with only token criticism from the opposition parties at Queen’s Park.
As we approach the fall election, it has never been more clear that it's time for Green MPPs at Queen’s Park to be a strong voice for citizen participation, local decision making and government that works for people. It’s time to respect citizen input. It’s time to value our water, our farmland and our farmers.
Premier McGuinty has stated, in reference to other energy projects, that it is never too late to do the right thing. He’s right, and it's not too late in this case either. Please take a moment to send a message to Dalton McGuinty at dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org. Together, we can let him know that it’s time to stop the Holland Marsh Peaker Plant; a plant that serves no public policy benefit and puts provincially-designated protected countryside, the Oakridges watershed, the provincially-designated significant Ansnorveldt Wetlands Complex and the muck soil of the Holland Marsh at risk.
I promise that this fall, Greens will continue to fight for community voices so that unwanted, unneeded peaker plants aren't foisted on other communities. I commit also to continue to stand up for communities across the province, in cases like the proposed mega-quarry, which also puts our countryside, farmland and our water at risk.
I appreciate your support.
Thank you,
Mike Schreiner
Leader, Green Party of Ontario
Follow Us
