Today, 27 members of the Ontario Landowners Association attended the opening meeting of the newly formed Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Committee. The MRSPC was formed as a requirement of Bill 43, The Clean Water Act, which is managed by the Ministry of the Environment.
The OLA presented a position paper regarding Bill 43 and the MRSPC to the chair of the committee, Ms. Janet Stavinga. (The full text of this position paper follows this release).
The position paper states that the OLA will not support Bill 43 in its current form as this Bill violates the most basic of rights respecting land ownership. The act allows unrestricted trespass of private property without landowner approval or notification.
Further, the OLA will not support the SPC itself until such time as Merle Bowes and Terry Hale have been instated as agricultural representatives as they originally were elected to do so.
The OLA also called for the resignation of Ms. Stavinga on two specific points.
First: for her conflict of interest during the selection committee process.
Second: for her questionable management decisions regarding the installation of a high-pressure sewage pipeline through the same area occupied by the Richmond aquifer where 1,100 families depend on wells for their drinking water. Further, the City of Ottawa pleaded guilty and was fined $65,000 for code violations under the Ministry of the Environment regulations. Why? Due to her management decisions and others on City of Ottawa Council, a pumping station in Richmond controlling the high-pressure pipeline leaked.
Contact:
Jack MacLaren
President
Ontario Landowners Association
613 832 3201 cell: 613 223 5534
The Ontario Landowners Association Position Paper on The Clean Water Act, Bill 43 and the Mississippi–Rideau Source Protection Committee
January 10, 2008
Farmers of Ontario have historically been, for more than two hundred years, good stewards of land and water. If there is any one group that understands the value and acknowledges the inherent need for sustainable clean water, it is the Ontario Landowners Association.
The following is quoted from the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region web site media release dated August 3, 2007.
Looking for Source Protection Committee Members — August 3, 2007
Now that the Clean Water Act and its first few regulations are law it's time to start forming local Source Protection Committees! Under the Clean Water Act there are many steps in the source protection planning process. The first and most important is forming an effective committee that can oversee the process and guide the development of three key products: terms of reference, a technical assessment report and ultimately source protection plans. Locally that committee will be called the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Committee (SPC) and we’re looking for members!
Regulations stipulate that the 15 members be split equally among three categories of interests, “municipal”, “sectoral” and “other” interests.
The public is invited to submit comments on this proposed SPC composition.
People are also welcome to apply to be a SPC member.
“Regulations stipulate” ….. “The public is invited to submit comments” ….. “People are also welcome to apply to be a SPC member”.
These statements made in the media release authorized by the Ministry were addressed by the Ontario Landowners Association and other agricultural stakeholders. Since we are a democratic country and as there were many people wanting to participate on the committee, it was agreed that elections would be held to determine who the representatives would be.
The democratically elected representatives were Merle Bowes and Terry Hale. These two individuals represent thousands of citizens in the farming community. Why are they not sitting on the SPC committee? Why have their rights and freedoms and the rights and freedoms of the thousands of Ontario citizens that they were elected to represent continue to be abused?
Truth, justice and democracy have been disregarded during the selection of SPC members.
Ms. Stavinga, Chair of the SPC, was acutely aware of the existing bad faith relationship between herself, Terry Hale and the Stittsville Wetlands Group. Knowing that this bad faith relationship existed between herself and Terry Hale, she still refused to disqualify herself from the selection committee.
The following is quoted from the Ministry of the Environment web site and the Clean Water Act.
The proposed act sets out five steps for communities to follow when developing their own plans to protect their drinking water sources:
Pinpoint vulnerable water sources – Conservation authorities and municipalities would map out drinking water sources that need special protection. These include areas immediately around wellheads and water intakes, recharge areas and aquifers.
Ms. Stavinga’s has brought her own past performance into question. As an Ottawa City Councillor she actively supported the installation of a high-pressure sewage line through the vulnerable shallow aquifer of Richmond where 1100 families depend on private shallow wells for their drinking water. Despite an outcry from thousands of citizens she continued to support the pipe line project.
In the calendar year of 2007 The Ministry of the Environment was successful in 55 convictions before the courts for violations. Of these 55 convictions none were farmers. However, 6 were municipalities including the City of Ottawa which was fined $65,000 after pleading guilty to discharging contaminants into the natural environment that caused adverse odours. Specific reference was made to the Ottawa City owned and operated high pressure sewage pumping station in the village of Richmond.
Ms. Stavinga has proven that she ignores the requests of the citizens of her community and the democratic process. She violates the rights of people to feel secure that their water source will not be contaminated. She ignores the very Clean Water Act that she has been put in place to manage.
In summation, the Ontario Landowners Association is taking the following position;
1. We shall not support Bill 43 the Clean Water Act until such time that the following changes are made;
1. Private property rights shall not be violated.
2. Fair compensation shall be given for loss of property value or the impairment of farm income.
3. Costs that may be required for any testing or evaluation of private property will be at the expense of the government, agency or representative making such request.
2. We shall not support nor recognize any authority given to The Source Protection Committee until such time as the following changes are made;
1. That Merle Bowes and Terry Hale are immediately appointed as SPC members.
2. That the person or persons responsible for violating the rights and freedoms inherently acknowledged in a democracy are removed from their position.
3. The resignation of Ms. Stavinga as Chair of the SPC.
Failure to implement these instructions as we have given them to the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Committee and the Ministry of The Environment, will result in the following consequences in-acted by the Ontario Landowners Association;
1. Access to landowners property and lands will be posted with Back Off signs
2. Any person or persons representing the Ministry of the Environment in any way or any other government ministry or agency that violates the OLA code of property rights, the Charter of Rights or abuses the good will of the people will be charged and brought before the courts.
“Whenever men have acknowledged any other power, but that of the creator and the people, they have submitted themselves to one form or another of tyranny.”
Ben Franklin.
We, the people, will not allow the abuse of our rights and freedoms that have been established over centuries by anyone who has either been appointed or elected to positions of power and authority.
Govern yourselves accordingly.
