The highly controversial proposed mega quarry for Melancthon Township along the County Road 124 corridor is apparently dead. Siting the lack of community and government support, Highland Companies have withdrawn their application for the project according to Global Toronto.
Lack of community support is a gross understatement given the huge public outcry this project generated. One only needs to look at the proliferation of "Stop the Mega Quarry" signs around our area not to mention the thousands that turned out in protest for "Foodstock" in 2011 and more recently for "Soupstock" in Toronto where 40,000 people gathered.
I like to think of myself somewhat of a visionary. Perhaps it stems from the disciplined corporate culture that I came from prior to entering real estate but I always tend to look at the present as well as the future when mapping out a business or other strategy. It's a matter of looking at where we are today, where we want to go or what opportunities do we want to capitalize on tomorrow and how do we get there.
In my opinion, this vision is lacking in many of our local communities. Fundamentally we need to recognize why people are drawn to this area and we need to build on that. Quarries, development intensification, increased commercial development and other initiatives are all elements that may prove to be detrimental to the attractiveness of the southern Georgian Bay region. As one of my real estate clients expressed, this area does not have an monopoly on being a nice place to live.
Growth is inevitable but we need to manage growth in such a way as to preserve the very reason why people come here to start with. Stopping the mega-quarry is a good place to start and shows that people can make a difference. The fight against the project garnered support from both community groups as well as from organizations such as the David Suzuki Foundation. Hats off to all of those that fought the good fight, I commend you on a victory well earned and one that will benefit us all.
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