Whether you prefer snowshoeing or hiking, there will be an opportunity for you to explore and potentially help to save some of our area’s natural landscapes on either side of the spring thaw this year.
On Sunday, March 11, from 10 am to 2 pm, a Family Snowshoe Fundraiser will be held at Highlands Nordic in Duntroon in support of Grey Matters’ opposition to a proposed MAQ Aggregates quarry development. Participation is free, with snowshoes being available for rent for $9. There will be a free hot lunch for both children and all those who donate over $100, hot chocolate stops along the trails, live local bands, and prizes for those with the biggest pledges. All those who donate will receive a tax receipt. Registration and pledge forms are available at www.stopthequarrysnowshoe.ca.
The proposed MAQ quarry would be located in the Municipality of Grey Highlands, directly west of the proposed Walker Duntroon quarry expansion and northwest of the existing Walker quarry. A third Walker site, which the company promises would go undeveloped if its current settlement with the Township of Clearview is approved at the OMB, lies immediately south of the MAQ site. Taken together, the four sites form what opponents are warning would be something of a “quarry complex.”
The MAQ quarry itself would be 60 feet below the water table on 247 acres of land at the headwaters of the Beaver, Pretty, and Batteaux rivers, and would operate from 6 am to 8 pm six days a week, extracting approximately one million tons annually for at least 46 years.
“We believe that the proposed quarry could permanently damage the local ecosystem,” say the event organizers on www.stopthequarrysnowshoe.ca. “It could have a serious impact on the water supply for the local community who, being rural, rely solely on wells.”
Registration is also open for the Peak to Peak Escarpment Challenge on Saturday, May 12, a hike-a-thon to support the Clearview Community Coalition and their partner, Environmental Defense, in their legal struggle to prevent the Walker quarry expansion, which is proposed for land that falls under the Niagara Escarpment Plan. There is no fee for registration, but those wishing to participate are challenged to raise a minimum of $200 (or $50 for those under 12). Registrants will be given a personal page online for accepting donations that can be shared with friends and family. Environmental Defense will issue a charitable donation tax receipt to all donors.
The event starts with a free continental breakfast at 6:30 am. Buses will then be available to take participants to the trailhead from 7:30 to 11:30 am. The hike will take place along the Bruce Trail, and participants can choose to travel the full distance, from the Osler Bluffs through the Pretty River Valley to the Duntroon Highlands, or take a shorter trail more “to their style.” Following the hike there will be a celebratory barbeque, live music from Aaron Garner and an Escarpment Art silent auction at the host venue, a century farm located across from Highlands Nordic that overlooks Georgian Bay. Parking will be available at that location.
Participants are asked to bring sturdy hiking footwear, hiking poles (recommended, but not necessary), a reusable water bottle, and a folding chair for the post-hike celebrations.
“The Niagara Escarpment is recognized as one of the world’s unique natural wonders. It’s designation as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve should not be taken lightly,” says the Peak to Peak website, www.peaktopeakhike.com. “Biosphere reserves are select ecosystems that effectively balance development with conservation of biodiversity. In Ontario, over-development and quarrying is tipping that balance.”