ADVANCING ON ALL FRONTS

It's been my experience that those with the gold make the rules ie. The Golden Rule. Hence it is no surprise that the "rules" are biased in favour of those who made them. Despite this, practitioners of this art form , namely politicians, are rarely satisfied with favourable rules alone. Oh no they prefer to tilt the playing surface even more in their favour. Pat McLean is a fine example of this gamesmanship. As a councillor she was a "control freak" quoting Susan Bryant. Pat was all about control. As Chair of the old CPAC all data flowed through her first. If something was submitted to CPAC that didn't support her position, well, maybe it would never see the light of day. None of this was I aware of back in the 1900s and 2000s. There are a hundred ways when you are in charge of the Agenda, the Minutes, setting meetings, distributing documents, passing on communications etc. that a less than scrupulously honest person can affect the outcome. All that is required is the will to behave so.

This Thursday evening at 6:30 pm. we have the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting. Among other items on the Agenda is the "Gap" data review and detailed discussion. I know that TAG member David Hofbauer has spoken to issues with composite soil sampling in the past and hopefully will again on Thursday. I also, based upon my written submission to TAG, hope to see discussion surrounding the other crucial issues either on or affecting the Stroh and Martin properties. These include Interceptor Trenches, the steel pipe discharging groundwater into the Stroh Drain, the Stroh Drain itself, the relocation of GP1 from the north-east side of the high ground or ridge on the Lanxess property to the south-west side and finally of course is the Gap area discussions already highlighted in the Agenda.

I still expect to speak directly with Ramin Ansari of Lanxess on many of these issues at the end of the TAG meeting because despite the best efforts of TAG members it is highly probable that all points, data and conclusions will not be fully mentioned, discussed or explored. Between these two approaches I am hopeful that after more than a four year wait, stakeholders, CPAC and the public will have their day to discuss all these crucial issues. Why has it taken four years you ask for this conversation and public consultation to take place? Simply go back to paragraph one and the discussion about who makes the rules. Sandy Shantz came riding in at the beck and call of the Ontario MOE and Chemtura in 2015 to save them from having to address these issues. Honest, public consultation has been shamefully undermined by Sandy and other Woolwich councillors, some by intent and some by ignorance.