The City of Peterborough has a resident Canada goose population a few hundred metres upstream from their water intake pipes. The City applied to the ODWSP for funding to plant some shrubs and other plants to deter the geese from accessing the parkland.
The city was denied funding last spring but it wasn’t until September and after much effort by Wayne Stiver the manager of the water treatment system that they were told why their application had been rejected. He was told in a phone call by an unnamed MOE official that it was because the geese are a “native, natural population” but he could not get that in writing from the MOE. Finally a response was provided. (See attachment)
To further add to things the Peterborough PUC did an assay of the e coli that was coming into their water intakes in 2006 as at that time agricultural activities several miles upstream was being targeted as the cause. To everyone’s surprise 68% of the e coli in the raw water was coming from the goose population. This leaves only 32% from all agricultural, septic, runoff and boat discharge combined.
They are having a difficult time taking this response back to the livestock producers in the area, to cover their eyes and pretend that discharge of avian feces is not a threat whereas hog and livestock producers having to spend thousands of extra dollars on their facilities which have served them well for years and never created a problem must now live in fear behind buffer strips all the while applying their nutrients properly and under the scrutiny of NMP’s and the MOE. It now begs the question: If the source water protection act does not protect people’s drinking water, then what is it for? Wasn’t it e coli that killed people in Walkerton?
The Ontario Landowners Association shall defend and promote the principal of strong local governments, democracy, and natural justice and represent the interests of the rural community.
For Rural Ontario to survive, Property Rights and judicial reform must be enshrined into law at all three levels of Government, these being; Federal, Provincial, and Municipal.
Rural Ontario is under systematic attack by government bureaucracy and false environmentalism.
The Ontario Landowners have and will continue to expose and meet these threats with determination and resolve in the court of public opinion.
