CONESTOGO WINTERBOURNE RESIDENTS ASSOCN versus HUNDER GRAVEL PIT

Saturday's Woolwich Observer carrys this story "Valentine's fundraiser to help community group fund its gravel pit fight". A dinner and dance are scheduled for February 9 at the Conestogo Golf and Country Club. The CWRA was formed five years ago to block the proposed Hunder gravel pit. They have raised to date $172,000 and feel that an additional $42,000 is required to carry them through the legal processes of the Ontario Municipal Board. These costs will include lawyers for the group as well as expert witnesses to counter the arguments and positions of the experts hired by the proponent.

Herein lies the inherent contradictions within a so called democracy. This pit will lower the quality of life for the nearby residents and it will lower the value of their homes and properties. At the same time, just like the rest of us, they are paying taxes to municipal, provincial and federal governments for services including health, safety and protection from catastrophic losses. Why in the name of God do they have to bear the financial burden of defending their homes and quality of life AND pay taxes to three levels of government who are supposed to be doing the same thing? What is even worse is that the laws passed by these levels of government have long favoured the making of money by small groups at the expense of the taxpaying public. There is absolutely zero need for gravel to be extracted from along the Grand River, from beside the West Montrose Covered Bridge or beside residential neighbourhoods in Conestogo and Winterbourne. The gravel is merely cheaper to extract there as it's closer to the surface than farther away from the river. Cheaper that is when the social and personal costs are transferred away from the aggregate producer and put upon the backs of nearby residents.

The system has long been broken entirely in the favour of the few at the expense of the many. So much for democracy.