HALLMAN GRAVEL PIT (WILMOT TOWNSHIP)

                     Following is an e -mail I received from the Reform Gravel Mining Coalition today.

                  Reform Gravel Mining Coalition <campaign@reformgravelmining.ca>Unsubscribe

                To:alan marshall

Tue, Feb 28 at 8:01 a.m.

alan -- Wilmot Township Council has recently decided to sign an agreement with Rick Esbaugh to allow a gravel mine to proceed in their community. This contradicts a unanimous vote by Wilmot council in April of 2022 to oppose Esbaugh's application. This discussion was held in a closed meeting of Council - not in a public forum.  A completely new Council was elected in October. Recently the Township lawyer  advised Council that as Council was unlikely to win at the Ontario Land Tribunal  (OLT) they should settle with the applicant and avoid the cost associated with being a party to an appeal to the OLT. We understand that the lawyer also advised Council that recent changes to Bill 23 allow the OLT to assign costs of an appeal to the losing party would create additional financial risk for the municipality. (See CTV news item here) There are two key issues here: The first issue is that the Wilmot Council should have held a public meeting with the community and openly discussed their options, including ways in which the appeal could have proceeded. The decision whether to afford the expense of the appeal, and to take that risk should have been made by the people who pay taxes to the municipality. Mayor and Council failed to fulfill their responsibility to reflect the will of their constituents. The second issue is the unnecessary rule change by the Ford government to enable the OLT to assign cost to a losing party. This will have a chilling effect on municipal councils, within a system that is already tilted heavily in favour of the gravel mining industry. Mike Harris Jr., MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga and Doug Ford must he held accountable for this action. (In a future email we will ask you to delegate to your municipal council in support of a resolution asking the OLT NOT to implement this rule). The urgent action Alert today however is to support the residents of Wilmot Township at the Wilmot Council meeting on Monday March 6. See below for more details. Sincerely, Mike Balkwill RGMC Campaign Manager ACTION ALERT!  We need all hands on deck to show the new Wilmot Council that their community wants to Stop the Hallman Pit! How you can take action: Delegate at the upcoming Council Meeting on March 6th Delegations must register by March 1st with the Legislative Services Department This is the most impactful way to have your voice heard by the Council  For more information on delegations visit this link here Attend, virtually or in person, the March 6th Council Meeting from 7 to 11 pm Call or email your Councillor to let them know your concerns with the Hallman Pit Contact information for the Councillors can be found here Together we can protect our vibrant communities, farmland, and water. Reform Gravel Mining Coalition http://www.reformgravelmining.ca/ Copyright © 2022 Reform Gravel Mining Coalition. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent to agmarshall@rogers.com. To stop receiving emails, click here. Created with NationBuilder, software for l

EMBARASSING & PATHETIC: CITIZENS' FAILURES TO RECOGNIZE NON-DEMOCRATIC ACTIONS

 You know it's bad when citizens who have put themselves up for election to even very minor positions are so woefully ignorant of even the most basic rights and duties they have. Not to mention the rights of the citizens whom they are supposed to be looking out for. By the way I am not currently referring to my local Council. Maybe yes in the past but certainly not the new Council elected last October despite citizens here re-electing the Mayor whose biggest attributes are her face and her Mennonite last name. Good God citizens wake up! This is precisely why mandatory voting laws will not help the situation as even more lazy and stupid citizens will turn up and frivolously vote for whatever name they recognize or how the candidates look. 

Today's post is in regards to a private institution who have taken upon themselves such things as Codes of Conduct and Discipline issues. No I'm not referring to our hopeless WRDSB (Waterloo Region & District School Board). I'm referring to a Board of nine people, several with little experience, who decided to find a member of their group in violation of their Code of Conduct. Now do keep in mind how some at the WRDSB  have characterized these Codes of Conduct as being weaponized i.e. used to harass dissident members etc.  

 Whether that is the case here or not is difficult to say. What can be said is that this Board, despite being politely asked in advance for a delay based upon serious health grounds, "investigated" and made a Decision within four days without so much as asking the member any questions or for any clarifications or even their side of the alleged incident. Obviously as well there was zero ability for the alleged accused to confront his accuser. The accused was given the kangaroo court treatment despite decades of complaint free membership in the group. 

This is from a Board of allegedly normal, educated citizens. Wow!  Clearly the majority of them are democratically bereft. i.e. they don't know squat and or they just don't care. So sad but hopefully not in the majority???  Oh and P.S. the Board took two months to advise the accused of their Decision much less of their "investigation". He thought that they had .delayed the process as per his request as no one said otherwise.

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION - ANOTHER COUNCIL SELLS OUT ITS' CITIZENS

 The front page story in today's Waterloo Region Record is that Wilmot Council quietly and privately, behind its' citizens backs, has reached a settlement allowing the go ahead of the Hallman gravel pit to be located on Witmer Rd. in Wilmot Township. Citizens for Safe Ground Water who raised money for expert studies were blind sided according to Rory Farnan a member of the group. A former Wilmot Councillor, Angie Hallman, suggested that "This is a short-sighted decision that will impact lives for generations to come." and "Among the local residents who spoke up were members of the farming community, and they have been betrayed." 

What is even more shocking than this new Council agreeing to rezone much needed agricultural land to extractive industrial is the fact that the last Wilmot Council in harmony with Woolwich and North Dumfries Councils as well as the City of Cambridge passed Motions supporting a provincial moratorium  on gravel pits. This stupidity has gone on for far too long. This is why eventually Democracy breaks down and people take matters into their own hands. After all when your duly elected municipal ( & other) governments stop making decisions in the public interest in favour of private interests then people say enough is enough.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE ...WRPS, PROVINCE OF ONTARIO

 A 20 year old young man was shot seven times by a police officer EIGHT YEARS ago. Beau Baker was in a mental health crisis and called 911 on April 2, 2015 asking for help. A Waterloo Region Police Service officer responded to Beau Baker's Brybeck Cres. apartment. Mr. Baker approached him while allegedly carrying a small knife. Again allegedly Mr. Baker was ordered to drop the knife before the officer shot at him seven times. 

I believe that the death of Mr. Baker was a tragedy although I do not know if it could have been avoided. My suspicion is that it could have been. I also believe that the passage of eight years before the mandated coroner's inquest takes place is disgusting and contemptible. Excuses abound as to the delays amounting to eight years. They are nothing but that...i.e. excuses.

Are the Waterloo Region Police Service responsible for the delay? Is it the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General? Is it the Ontario Chief Coroner's office? There have been way too many shootings, woundings and deaths of Waterloo Region citizens at the hands of our police over the years. Making both the family and the public wait eight years for further answers is in my opinion an intentional attempt to avoid transparency and accountability. Maybe yesterday's Waterloo Regional Council's acrimonious debates over increasing the police budget should have mentioned how many citizens our police have injured and killed. Are financial budget incentives needed to reduce these shootings? That is truly a scary thought.

LANXESS/MIN. of ENVIRONMENT (MECP) SHUTDOWN PLANS ARE IMMINENT

 Shutdown as in completion of their sham "cleanup" of Elmira, Ontario. Shutdown probably of alleged public consultation as well as of any "citizen" input whatsoever even including "tame" professionals unwilling to get their hands dirty in the trenches pushing back hard against Lanxess/MECP/GHD junk science and or outright falsehoods. 

It is possible that there could be one more final push by the opposition. Perhaps the polluter biased  Risk Assessment of the Canagagigue Creek is just one perverted step too far. Perhaps older Elmira residents with memories will step up. Certainly RAC and TAG will do no more than wring their hands and meekly ask Lanxess/MECP to throw them a bone. Anything whatsoever no matter how tiny and overall ineffectual just so that they can claim one tiny victory. That will satisfy most (not all) on TAG. It will do little or nothing for the health of the Creek or human residents living along it.

The groundwater "cleanup" has failed. The on-site "cleanup" of DNAPLS has failed. The promised "cleanup" of the downstream five miles of the Canagagigue Creek prior to its' discharge into the Grand River has failed. All hail corporate money, power and influence. All hail bought and paid for local politicians for many decades. 

If and when the call comes will you answer it?

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER WOOLWICH COUNCIL?

 Well I tend to think so anyways. Also despite my opinion not being unanimous regarding the improved Regional Council (see the comment for last Saturday's post) I tend to feel that turnnover in politicians is generally a good thing. If I thought that the majority improved their decisions in the public interest over time I'm sure that I would promote experience, reliability etc. But I don't.

So here goes: Our latest Woolwich Council consists of Kayla Grant, Evan Burgess, Nathan Cadeau, Eric Swindt, Bonnie Bryant and returning mayor Sandy Shantz. I've personally met half of this Council and been impressed. Oops let me qualify that: I've met three of the five most recent councillors and been very impressed. I have high hopes for the other two newcomers not so much for the long term politician. 

Our departing politicians from the last Woolwich Council included Murray Martin, Scott McMillan, Larry Shantz and Patrick Merlihan. Geez if only Sandy had stuck to her original decision not to run (sigh). We certainly have generally been blessed with good turnover over the last few elections. 

Time will tell as it always does. Mistakes will be made, alliances forged and broken on Council. The mayor will likely attempt some strong arm moves on the new councillors and the pushback will be interesting whether it is done in public or private.  Former councillor Merlihan will likely maintain his position via the Woolwich Observer of trimming new hires and ongoing bureaucratic bloat. Citizen pushback on increasing taxes, similar to Wellesley, may visit Woolwich Township. Afterall  it does get tiring paying more taxes for less services and eventually excuses don't cut it.

39A HOLDINGS IS GOING TO WOOLWICH COUNCIL (March 7/23)

 This is the proposal to put a load of tractor trailers on top of the former Bolender Landfill. Maybe it's even a dumber idea than having an auto wrecking yard on the property (eg. Paleshi's). My understanding was that wrecked cars brought in have their liquids immediately drained as in gas, oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, windshield washer fluid etc. These tractor trailers will be operating vehicles filled with all those liquids and more on top of a former landfill right beside the Canagagigue Creek. What could possibly go wrong?

Various reports (1991 Environmental Audit, 1992 CH2MHILL) indicate that Uniroyal Chemical dumped their industrial wastes on that site. Which wastes, what volumes and in which locations are moot. The Chair of the Elmira Sanitation Committee was Art Gorman, General Manager of Uniroyal Chemical at the time. He decided what was O.K. and what was allegedly not. Talk about the fox in charge of the henhouse. No conflicts of interest here in Woolwich, right Sandy?

Currently the Canagagigue Creek is the subject of a highly speculative, highly biased Risk Assessment allegedly trying to determine whether environmental and health risks to humans and wildlife are "acceptable" or not. Can we not have it both ways? Can we not falsely (based upon sediment/soil/fish tissue residue sampling) all exceeding criteria, claim that the risks are currently acceptable to all and therefore continue pummeling the Creek with more industrial risks from hundreds or more tractor trailers operating on the site? 

After all this is Elmira, Woolwich Township where risks are only measured by dead bodies; fish, human or whatever. 

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER REGIONAL COUNCIL???

 Egad but I'm hardly able to say this. Is it possible that democracy sometimes works? There were many incumbents who did not run (Thank God) in the last municipal election. That opened the doors for newcomers. Newcomers who haven't yet been tainted or disillusioned by the realities of either the Old Boys Network or the simple fact of perks being available to those who follow orders. Orders having little or nothing to do with democracy or the public interest.

Municipal Councils changed in Cambridge, Woolwich and Wellesley to name but a few. Some of those changes have also affected Waterloo Regional Council as (new) Mayors at the Municipal level are also Regional Council members. Lots of dead wood has been replaced although many of the stalwarts are still present regionally. Interesting how many of them all voted together as a group in support of the greatly expanded police budget. This included S. Shantz, K. Redman, M. Harris, B. Vrbanovic, J. Nowak, J. Erb . New regional councillor but former Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig voted with this group. 

Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record had an excellent story about these issues written by Luisa D"Amato. She highlighted many of the new regional councillors and their backgrounds. Most of them voted against the proposed increased police budget. This is at a time when most of the rest of the world have learned and understood the failures of policing in North America and perhaps further afield as well. These councillors included Chantal Huinink, Colleen James, Dorothy McCabe, Kari Williams, Natasha Solenon . They were joined by Sue Foxton and the mover of the Motion (not to accept the budget), Rob Deutschmann .

Whether it was the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement or the never ending assaults and murders of coloured Americans by the Police or just plain discrimination against female police officers and misogyny by our local Waterloo Regional Police; the public have listened and learned. Apparently our old fashioned and or biased politicians have not. It's business as usual and full steam ahead with the status quo. To hell with the growing chorus of legitimate complaints.  

OUR AUTHORITIES CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES - LIE FIRST, BACKTRACK LATER (TRAIN DERAILMENT)

 A freight train derailed near East Palestine, Ohio that spilled toxic chemicals into a creek almost two weeks ago. That much seems agreed upon. What were the specific toxic chemicals spilled seems to be one of the obvious and pressing questions.  Hints regarding health issues abound. The waterway (creek) is "...still reeking of chemicals nearly two weeks after the derailment...".  Testing apparently "...shows the air is safe to breathe around East Palestine...". Hmm that seems odd when the creek is still reeking of chemicals that much after the fact. Also there are "...lingering odours from the large plumes of smoke..." So clearly the toxic chemicals caught fire and burned. Also very bad. Thousands of fish were killed and dying pets and wildlife have been found. Finally residents are complaining of headaches, irritated eyes and their cars and lawns are covered with soot. 

So as par for the course their authorities are claiming that everyone is safe. Well maybe not the fish or the dying and dead pets and wildlife. And maybe not the human beings exposed to these admitted toxic chemicals. Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the story titled "Villagers enraged by toxic train spill want answers". Specifically they want truthful answers which will be much harder to come by. 

ELMIRA ENVIRONMENTAL FAILURES THAT SHOULD CAUSE PUBLIC OUTRAGE

 We were promised that the Elmira Aquifers would be restored to drinking water standards after Thirty Years of "cleanup". The wells were shut down in November1989. The on-site Pump & Treat started in 1992. The off-site Pump & Treat started in 1998. The thirty year deadline conveniently became 2028, five years from now. After 25 years of lying by the polluter and successors as well as by the Ontario Ministry of Environment we now know that the 2028 cleanup will not happen. CPAC members first so advised Woolwich Council and the public in May/June 2012. Chemtura and the M.O.E. absolutely denied it for six months before admitting that a major upgrade in Pump & Treat was required to make it happen. The "major" upgrade has never happened and since about 2015-16 all parties have started to admit that the 2028 "cleanup" won't happen.

Five miles of provincial and federal sediment and soil criteria downstream from Uniroyal/Lanxess are exceeded for DDT and dioxins/furans. Mercury and PCBs concentrations are also toxic. Fish tissues exceed the formal Tissue Residue Guidelines. Both human health and lifeforms in the Canagagigue Creek have been impacted by Uniroyal Chemical's decades of using the Creek as a toxic waste sewer. Despite this a Risk Assessment (HHERA) conducted by long time consultants to Uniroyal (CRA/GHD) concludes that there are no unacceptable risks to human health in the Creek and other than right beside the chemical plant chemical risks to other life forms is also deemed acceptable.

The Martin swimming pond south-east of Uniroyal Chemical has been the recipient of toxic chemicals including DDT and dioxins/furans via a diversion from the Stroh Drain into the swimming pond used by Mennonite children for decades. This is an abomination and this gross negligence could even be defined as either genocide or religious discrimination. Perhaps a case might even be made that the entire location of Uniroyal Chemical was "acceptable" based upon disrespect or contempt of the 22 downstream Mennonite families located along the Creek. 

There is so much more. When will this environmental criminal activity be treated as it should be? The answer is easy. Only after the current crop of political leaders are removed from office including municipal, regional and provincial.

THE THIRTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELMIRA ADVOCATE COMES UP IN MAY

 It's been fun, educational, helpful and cathartic. The fun part is exposing mostly professional liars. Hopefully the educational part has been giving facts and information to those who due to careers, families, part time jobs and other commitments simply do not have a tiny fraction of the time that I have dedicated towards  learning everything possible about the Elmira Water Crisis. This includes the good (minimal), the bad (tons) and the ugly (too many but not all politicians). The helpful has been using Google to do research on-line and learning exactly how much information and data I have amassed here in the Elmira Advocate that otherwise has been barely scratched by others. The cathartic might simply be the ability to vent and condemn the cruel and contemptible behaviour of allegedly respectable people hiding in plain sight who with help from fellow travellors have gamed our judicial and political systems for decades for their personal advantage.

Some day I have little doubt that these postings will be used as a reference tool to hold corporate shills and spokespersons accountable. Now of course that is the optimistic self speaking right now.  Yesterday's Blog posting was the pessimist/realist in me coming out. Our environment is doomed and likely mankind along with it. I wonder for example if the Queen of Mississauga development, Hazel McCallion, will be remembered quite so fondly down the road as the end approaches?

I have not yet thrown in the towel. I had originally planned to retire from environmental activism after my 65th birthday in 2014. Well you can thank two dishonest Woolwich politicians for that not happening. Their manufactured "crisis" in support of both Chemtura and the Ontario Ministry of Environment  spurred me on to continue the fight against professional liars and their fellow travellors. It is not yet over.

DEMOCRACY IS LOSING IF NOT ALREADY GONE

 Democracy and justice only for the wealthy is not democracy. As more and more people become effectively disenfranchised judicially and democratically then eventually even most of the wealthy will lose. Those who steal power and authority rarely voluntarily share it even with their own. Democracy can only succeed when a majority of the population understand it and demand it. Perhaps one negative associated with bringing political refugees into the country is their lowered expectations of what democracy is. If they feel not being attacked in the streets equals democracy then for them a strong police presence will suffice as a surrogate for real democracy. Again phony elections to an impotent legislative body will not worry them provided riots and violence in the streets is kept to a minimum.

Ontario Premier Ford is a huge problem. Then there is his Strong Mayors Act. Can you believe that absolute bullsh.t? Follow this with civil litigation being mostly no more than a playground for the rich and entitled and justice and fair play are gone. Even well paid female  police officers are at the mercy of male dominated, patriarchal organizations that are accountable to no one. In fact the police are supported by the majority of our regional councillors and especially by our historically pathetic Police Services Board including Doug Craig and Sandy Shantz locally. Equally well paid nurses are also routinely thrown under the bus by our Health Care system. Medical associations maintain a monopoly on new doctors being admitted to medical schools in order to keep certified doctors numbers low and maintain their monopoly, bargaining position. Don't even get me started on our forever fighting for political correctness and the flavour of the month Woke issues in our public education system. 

None of this is in the public interest. None of it has been for decades and decades. I believe that the public are being groomed for a world order of top down, centralist command that will take whatever name it wants. Oligarchy, democracy, monarchy, communism, supreme leader the fact is that all countries around the world are already dominated by small groups of wealthy and powerful individuals and families. This power will continue to concentrate in fewer and fewer hands. Then even the dullest among us will realize that we, the human race, have been fully subjugated by our own. We are mere widgets being exploited for our capacity to earn money and wealth for the few. The good news is that church and school child sexual abuse will no longer be issues. Abuse of females in police forces, the military, sports and elsewhere will no longer be recognized. It most certainly will not be spoken about. What is now tacitly understood will become codified in law. Crimes and laws are for the powerless not the powerful. The alleged Rule of Law will only apply to those beneath a certain station, a certain class, a certain world status. Surely mere laws can not be allowed to hinder the good work of those who are running what's left of our world. 

 

SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM TARNISHES EVERYTHING IT SAYS AND DOES

 Oh what a non-surprise. Our Justice system fails Canadians every day of the week. This report focuses on our criminal Justice System but I'm here to tell you that our Justice System is broken from top to bottom including the so called civil justice system. Biased judges are neither reprimanded, disciplined nor removed. The dishonourable Robert Reilly is but one example of that in Kitchener, Ontario. The bias can be by class, race, wealth, gender, personality, appearance, lack of respect for perverted authority or whatever biases the judge has. Keep in mind the sources of judges. They are former lawyers who have been politically elevated to a judgeship often based upon their political volunteerism, efforts and support of the right political party. Is it any wonder that we get some real sh.ts as judges?

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following front page story titled "Advocates renew plea for Canadian Black justice plan". These "advocates" by the way include the United Nations, Justice Minister David Lametti, M.P.P. Matthew Green and our own inimitable Prime Minister J. Trudeau. All of them admit to systemic judicial failures regarding the treatment of visible minorities primarily Blacks. 

Guess what folks? Any system, justice or otherwise, that discriminates against one group of human beings is a corrupt system. Do you actually believe that liars, cheats and thieves only practice their skills against Black people? Do you think that they only treat citizens unfairly based upon skin colour? Yes it is easier to measure discrimination when it is done based upon an obvious difference in appearance (i.e. skin colour). The rest of their biases are just as rotten and insidious whatever their perverted criteria are. 

SEWAGE SPILLS - THE BANE OF ENGINEERED, "PROFESSIONAL" SEWAGE TREATMENT

 

Ahh the best mathematical and "modeled" engineering solutions often go awry. I'm sure that every Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) otherwise known as a Wastewater Treatment Plant has been designed to work and be able to handle the flows of sewage from their respective locations/towns/cities etc. Normal sewage flows that is. Then you have complicating factors such as I & I here in Elmira known as Inflow & Infiltration. This includes idiot developers hooking up roof eavetroughs to discharge subsurface into the Sanitary sewers.  The idea is to get large volumes of rainwater away from foundations and basements. Of course the rainwater ends up overflowing the local STP and causing premature discharge of partially (at best) sewage into the receiving body of water, in this case the Canagagigue Creek. Then world class polluters like Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess quietly, out of the public view, pressure Woolwich Township into shutting the hell up about their ongoing discharges into the Creek.

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries a story titled "City fined for sewage spills". In this case the City is the City of Guelph. The fine is $106,250 plus 25% victim surcharge. Apparently a couple of pumping systems failed releasing over four million litres of human sewage into the Eramosa River. Wow! The sad part is that these leaks/spills are not uncommon. Almost every town and city has them occasionally whether due to negligence, mechanical failure, extreme weather events flooding and overflowing their STPs or other causes. Most likely many of these "spills" are not caught and certainly not "fixed". For some the "fix" of the overloaded STP may be the "spill" itself.  After all it's taxpayers' money paying the occasional fine, not managements' nor local politicians.    

SMOKING GUNS ARE EVERYWHERE - PROFESSIONAL LIARS HOWEVER ARE MORE PLENTIFUL

Politics trumps facts everyday of the week. Our idiot Prime Minister once stupidly stated that you don't need an AR15 rifle to shoot deer. His inference was that an AR15 is a much too powerful assault rifle for shooting deer. In fact it is neither an assault rifle despite his fervent wishes (yes it looks like one) and secondly in Ontario at least, AR15s and other rifles that shoot the same calibre of bullets (.223 / 5.56 mm) are illegal to use on deer because their calibre (diameter) is too small! In other words AR15s are underpowered for use on deer even though as militarys' have discovered around the world they are hell on wheels for stopping, dropping, injuring and requiring extra manpower to remove and treat wounded soldiers. The military's old rifle calibres were 30-06, .308, 7.62 mm., 310, .313 etc.  Those calibres were more effective at quick kills on soldiers albeit fewer resources were then needed to attempt to save those who died quickly.

Certain politicians are going to be given an opportunity to do the right thing. Please stop laughing now! They will be presented with smoking environmental guns. They will likely understand and believe what they are shown. Will they however stand up and confront Lanxess and the Ontario Ministry of Environment? Unlikely because certain facts of life will be pointed out to them. Municipal, regional, provincial and federal governments are all in bed with the Elmira status quo. Those unworthy shits have long ago decided that in their opinions the status quo of relatively inexpensive pretend cleanup is in the public interest (and theirs) versus actually doing much more than allowing time and dilution to slowly over decades and centuries clean up the Elmira Aquifers and the Canagagigue Creek. 

WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE VERSUS THE POOR, BLACKS, MINORITIES, GAYS AND WOMEN

 Well probably they are only against women who overstep their bounds and become police officers. Or maybe they're only against strong women in policing who stand up for their rights especially "rights" that are enshrined in law. What I find peculiar is their overwhelming confidence as to the ignorance and apathy of Waterloo Region citizens. Sure many of us do not read newspapers nor watch television news or listen to news on the radio. But many of us do. Does the Waterloo Region Police Service (WRPS) brass really think that we continue to swallow their bullsh.t forever? Do they and their lawyers as per today's article by Terry Pender in the Waterloo Region Record think that many/any of us give their words more than zero credibility?

The article is titled "Superior refused to hear officer's sexual harassment complaints, River testifies". If former police officer Angie Rivers was only the first or second female officer with serious behavioural complaints against a number of mostly "superior" male officers then perhaps skepticism would be understandable. But she isn't not by a long shot. Kelly Donovan plus a separate group of female officers have all launched legal action against the WRPS. They have out of necessity launched civil suits and Human Rights Commission complaints. Apparently the WRPS don't care enough about their tarnished image to settle with these former and current officers. They are blithely continuing to spend taxpayers money defending indefensible behaviour. They continue to hide behind intentionally devious, dishonest and lengthy hearings and processes trying to shake off and discourage complaints about their disgusting and sometimes illegal behaviour. Of course our courts, arbitration hearings and Human Rights Commission hearings have no honour in this entire scam either. 

We are advised that the sexual harassment started in 2013 and was followed by attacks upon the officer's job performance in 2015 allegedly as a reprisal for spurning his advances. Eight years later and the stick handling and manipulation continues. We are advised in this newspaper article that further days of arbitration hearings are scheduled for one in May (2023), three for June (2023) and two this fall (2023). "The hearing is expected to continue until 2024." This from behaviour in 2015 and earlier!

Dear God are you kidding me? Is it any wonder the WRPS and other institutions are able to delay complaints until either the complainant dies or moves or quits. The WRPS personally don't spend a dime of their own money nor do they even have to attend all the various hearings. They have their WRPS appointed lawyers to attend and speak for them. Such utter bullsh.t.  Shame on the WRPS and shame on every person and institution aiding and abetting them especially including our Waterloo Regional politicians. Further shame on our Police Services Board for anything they have done to further enable these pigs and their behaviour.

CLIMATE CHANGE ANYONE?

 My recollection of this winter is that we had early snow that stayed for a while in November followed by mostly no snow in December until a couple of days before Christmas when storms shut down air travel and more. This was followed by little or no snow through the first three weeks of January (bizarre) followed again by a couple of storms at the end of January followed by two very, very cold days last week now followed by several days of highs between 3 and 6 degrees Centigrade. Yes that's highs as in above freezing still in the first week (barely) of February. 

Traditionally based upon both memory (I'm old) and upon commercial snow ploughers advising me, the two snowiest months of the year are December and January by a large margin. Secondly the traditionally two coldest weeks in the year are the last week of January and the first week of February. What the heck is going on this winter?

I've been reading and hearing about average temperatures rising 1, 2 or 3 degrees C. over the next couple of decades. Geez we've got that in spades already I would think. I expected my children and possible grandchildren to face the consequences of global warming and kind of nonchalantly thought that I'd be long gone before things got seriously bad. Well today's high is supposed to be 6 C. and that means lots of snow melt and if rain accompanies it probably flooding. 

It's not just melting in the Arctic or other isolated areas. Climate change is real and it's here now. We the human race and particularly our "leaders" have not yet begun to make the hard changes necessary. "They" will have to some degree insulated themselves as much as possible ($$$) leaving the rest of us to suffer for their apathy and procrastination. Sometimes the wealthy think that money buys absolute protection from environmental crises and disasters. That is hardly so. They too drink tap water, breathe the air, eat chemically contaminated foods and endure extremes of heat and cold, drought and flood just like the rest of us. Their children and grandchildren also get cancers and other diseases whether environmentally related or not. We are all in for it.

WHEN WILL OUR COUNCIL (& Committee) MEETINGS BE IN PERSON AGAIN?

It is time. Especially based upon normal attendance at Woolwich Council meetings. I'm thinking of between two and eight people as "normal" live attendance with of course some rare spectacular turnouts for special delegations and discussions. Delegations by citizens in person are also much better. It's just too easy with virtual meetings for councillors to be less engaged, less curious and less likely to ask questions of the delegate.

Same thing of course with RAC and TAG meetings among others. They desperately need to be live to whip up some public interest. Apathy has reigned for far too long and indeed if TAG want any movement from Lanxess's entrenched "do nothing" position regarding the Canagagigue Creek cleanup they need local supporters present. Also if TAG want any push or pressure to get increased cleanup of the Elmira Aquifers prior to the 2028 deadline, now is the time. 

Otherwise this whole thing is slowly sliding downhill and will end with a whimper rather than a bang. This is exactly what Lanxess and the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MECP) want. This is why DELAY has been their best asset in avoiding proper cleanup of the mess they (Uniroyal/MECP) made through their obfuscation, gross negligence and contempt of the public interest. 

"CONTROLLED (MEDIA) OPPOSITION"

 Tell me it isn't so. Especially when we are talking our only really local newspaper. Four days ago (Tues. Jan. 31/23) an anonymous reader posted that our local newspaper is "controlled opposition". I am especially disappointed in that I see so much public interest being enhanced by the Woolwich Observer. That said the rumour way back in 1995 was that the new newspaper was funded by pro business, pro Uniroyal Chemical interests in direct opposition to Bob Verdun's position and opinions expressed in the Elmira Independent. True or not I embraced the new paper and just like the Elmira Independent read it from cover to cover. In those days (late 90s) I recall many articles in the Observer regarding Uniroyal Chemical and the so called Elmira "cleanup".  Coverage has faded since although every now and then they do publish a good article reminding Elmira and Woolwich residents that a lot of cleanup remains.

What was most heartbreaking for me was the Observer's blatant failure to, as far as I recall, attend and publish TAG meetings in particular between September 2015 and December 2016. That was the heyday of Uniroyal/Chemtura/CRA/M.O.E. public criticism and disparagement from Dr. Richard Jackson. The words of a world renowned environmental remediation expert eviscerating almost everything that Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura both did and failed to do here in Elmira should have been blazed across the front page of the Observer for weeks on end. IT WAS NOT. I'm sorry but that I can never forgive despite still reading the Observer from cover to cover to this day.

WOOLWICH ARROGANCE & STUPIDITY HAS NO LIMITS?

How about the following sendoff for Dr. Richard Jackson after his retirement announcement effective January 2017.  This retirement announcement occurred at the end of the September 15, 2016 RAC meeting according to the Minutes. It followed the retirement announcement to TAG just over a week earlier.   

RAC MINUTES of Thursday September 15, 2016 page 10:

"At the end of the meeting, it was announced that Dr. Jackson is retiring after 42 years of practice on December 31st and, as such, he will resign from TAG at the end of this year. He will continue to provide technical advice in future only upon request by the Mayor of the Township and Councillor Bauman through RAC."

Really? The two most biased (pro Chemtura/Lanxess) councillors somehow control Dr. Jackson after his retirement? Do they think that he voluntarily will be mute if asked a technical question by anyone else? Or have they got him contractually obligated somehow? Did he sign a NDA (non Disclosure Agreement) with those a-holes that would legally prevent him from offering any opinion or position on a public water crisis? 

One thing I've always given Woolwich credit for and that's their world class hypocrisy. What is the very first thing those a-holes did after Peter Gray of MTE on behalf of CPAC produced an embarrassing report to Chemtura/Lanxess about the Stroh Drain and property? Why of course they then hired him for some "consulting" work. In other words they didn't want him talking just too much to either the media or the public regarding the Stroh Drain or Chemtura so they tied him up via putting him in a possible conflict of interest position (i.e. Township interests versus public interests?). Of course they used public, tax payer funds to do that. This fellow citizens and suckers is how our so called public servants abuse their authority for self -serving reasons. They work for themselves and their friends not for the public interest despite us paying their damn wages.

TOO MUCH HOMEWORK & ON-LINE RESEARCH

 Well somebody's got to do it and I seem to have been nominated a very long time ago. It's a matter of keeping a written history for the benefit of future generations who may want to know why the contaminated Elmira Aquifers and Creek (Canagagigue) were never cleaned up despite all the talk, all the puffery and all the self-congratulations from polluters with the full assistance of the Ontario Ministry of Environment.

Certainly Dr. Richard Jackson shone a spotlight on M.O.E. corruption. He also shone a spotlight on what he called "public policy" issues. He quickly learned that it was not technical issues with the cleanup so much as politics allowing the polluter to get away with doing so little, so badly. 

I've compiled a list of some of my favourite quotes of Dr. Jackson basically hammering the Ministry of Environment. Most of them were stated at public, in person TAG and RAC meetings held in Woolwich Council Chambers. Minutes were taken both by myself as well as by Lisa Schaefer, Support Specialist. She worked for the mostly corrupt Woolwich Township on behalf of RAC and TAG. All my Blog postings are here and can be accessed via the Archive Section on the right side. I have of course shared my list with CPAC members and more.

AMAZING HOW TAG & RAC CAN TURN OFF & ON AT WILL THE OUTRAGE & DISGUST TOWARDS THE ONT. MIN. OF ENVIRONMENT

 Even I am shocked. How can this be? I've seen, heard and smelled the decades of lies, distortions, bullsh.t and professional deceit of the M.O.E., MOECC, MOECP by whatever name they want to be known by. I've been rereading Minutes of TAG & RAC meetings between September 2015 and December 2016 when Dr. Richard Jackson was Chair of TAG. I guess what really shocked me is after Dr. Jackson gave his resignation date how aggressive some TAG members became almost as if they wanted to be identified as pro environment and anti polluter and all their friends. Then even RAC got on the bandwagon albeit it was mostly the TAG members in attendance who got aggressive. This particularly included the two conflict of interest queens, Pat and Susan. 

The two dates in which some members got aggressive at both TAG and RAC meetings were the October 13, 2016  public TAG meeting and the December 8, 2016 RAC meeting.  My writeups here in the Advocate occurred the following day and days namely Friday October 14, 2016 and Friday December 9, 2016. And to think that I used to call Mark Bauman Mr. Flip Flop. Susan, Pat and Mark along with Dr. Jackson and Sebastian gave the Ministry of Environment what for at the December RAC meeting. At the October TAG meeting it was primarily Dr. Jackson along with David Hofbauer, Sebastian, Susan Bryant and others. I particularly enjoyed the references to "Fortress" M.O.E..

After Dr. Jackson's departure the liars and hypocrites went back to unreserved support for Chemtura and the M.O.E. Of course none of their words were publicly reported in the Woolwich Observer, K-W Record or the closed Elmira Independent. Only a few keeners looking up TAG and RAC Minutes on the Woolwich Township website would have seen it.