Protecting Escarpment Rural Land (PERL)

The Niagara Escarpment and the conflict over the proposed quarry in Mount Nemo

What have you learned so far?

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It started with a community meeting…

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Quiz

A B C D

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Question 1

How many years has there been quarrying on the Niagara Escarpment?

a)40

b)55

c)100

d)200

Question 2

Approx. how many litres of water does the existing quarry pump out of the underground water table each year?

a)100,000

b)2 million

c)1.5 billion

d)2.2 billion

Question 3

Who spoke about how people and nature are connected at the 2009 I Love the Escarpment Too concert in Mount Nemo?

a)David Suzuki

b)Bill Nye the Science Guy

c)Bare Naked Ladies

d)Artist Robert Bateman

Question 4

What creek/river is fed from streams that start on the Mount Nemo plateau?

a)Credit River

b)Grindstone Creek

c)Sixteen Mile Creek

d)Bronte Creek

Question 5

What do wetlands do that help humans?

a)Generate more water

b)Filter and clean the water

c)Provide fish

d)Provide food

The Niagara Escarpment Forested ridge of rock 400 million years old Stretches 725 km, highest elevation 510 m above sea level Filters water, cleans air, supports life and recreation Vibrant ecosystems home to many species: 300 birds, 53

mammals, 36 reptiles and amphibians, 90 fish and hundreds of plants including 37 types of wild orchids

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Why do people like the Escarpment?

Residents like it for its recreation, beauty, water and health benefits

Aggregate (rock, stone and gravel) companies like it because the rock is close to the surface

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A 5-year journey

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OAKVILLE

What’s proposed in Mount Nemo?

Site of new quarry – 215 acres,

another 1 sq km

Site of existing quarry – 1280

acres, over 5 sq km

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Joint Agency Review Team (JART)

Final Report includes16 pages of concerns Impacts on water quality & quantity Concerns about protection of species at risk Extraction of significant woodlands &

provincially significant wetlands No consultations with First Nations groups Impacts on streams and tributaries Inadequate buffers from wetlands Delay in rehabilitation of existing quarry

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How did JART impact government decisions?

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Halton Conservation

Halton Conservation

Vote

City of Burlington

City of Burlington

Vote

Region of HaltonRegion of HaltonVote

Niagara Escarpment Commission

Niagara Escarpment Commission

Vote

Nelson has pushed the decision to the OMB

The result?

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Pair up

What do you think could help solve this conflict?

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Can we try conserving like we do with other natural resources like gas and oil?

Are there ways a quarry could have less impact on the environment?

Could we use less/need less rock, stone and gravel?

Protecting Escarpment Rural Land (PERL)