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Dear Mr. Walker,

I hope this message finds you all well. I’m writing today to express my deep concerns about Walker Aggregates’ efforts in partnership with Clearview Township to shut down County Road 91 and develop Sideroad 26/27. The proposal is unnecessarily destructive, expensive, and unsafe. I ask that you work with the community and Township to find an alternative plan forward which respects the concerns of residents and mitigates damage to the environment and transportation network. 

County Road 91 is an essential thoroughfare for residents across the region and the thousands who visit our community throughout the year. It’s not entirely clear as to why Walker Aggregates needs to close the highway as the tunnel between both Duntroon Quarry pits has been operational for more than half a decade. As a member of our community, we ask that you recognize the importance of working with, rather than against, your neighbours.

The proposed road network amendments will damage the area’s natural landscapes and biosphere despite your quarry having created infrastructure to continue operations in the area. As residents, we still do not understand why Walker Aggregates has continued to pursue the road closure. The process is unnecessary and destructive without any benefits to our community.

Your organization’s deal with the Township has broader impacts on our community – on our families, businesses, and livelihoods. You must decide if Walker Aggregates will continue to be a member of our community or place its pecuniary interests over its relationship with residents. We ask that you reconsider your position and undertake a critical review of potential alternatives to this harmful and unwanted plan.

Sincerely,

Dear Clearview Council,

I hope this message finds you all well. I’m writing today to express my deep concerns about Clearview Township’s plans to shut down County Road 91 and develop Sideroad 26/27. The proposal is unnecessarily destructive, expensive, and unsafe. Frankly, shutting down a well-maintained and heavily used roadway is a mistake.

County Road 91 is an essential thoroughfare for residents across the region and the thousands who visit our community throughout the year. Closing the highway would place unnecessary strain on our surrounding roadways and increase traffic congestion. It’s unclear why Clearview is set on closing the road. The Township allowed the quarry to build a tunnel to permit operations to continue alongside normal road use. There is no need to shut down County Road 91. 

Additionally, the costs associated with this project are significant and detrimental to Clearview’s financial position. Media reports show the road projects associated with the closure of CR91 are more than a million dollars over budget. We have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and a shovel has yet to see the ground. We’re a small municipality; we can’t afford that level of reckless spending. We need to make prudent investments in our community instead of spending millions to needlessly destroy an important and useful roadway.

Residents of Clearview value the environment – this project would unnecessarily harm it. Clear cutting at least 2.37 hectares of forest and wetlands to “upgrade” a seasonal sideroad is reckless. It will permanently destroy natural habitats for rare flora and fauna and create a second scar across the Escarpment. 

Finally, your proposal will make our roadways unsafe and put Clearview residents and our neighbouring municipalities at risk of harm. Our traffic volumes are increasing by the year – and rerouting cars to various sideroads will only increase the risk of collisions. The Township hasn’t completed the studies that it needs to ensure that this plan is safe. Additionally, Grey County’s studies have proven that your plan will increase emergency response times – even a minute in an emergency can mean the difference between life and death, and we are talking five or six. 

It’s time for Clearview Council to stand up for the rights and best interests of its residents – not a private company. We need to move forward together and save 91. 

Thank you,

Dear Minister Mulroney, 

I hope this message finds you well. I’m writing today to inform you of the concerns of myself and many Simcoe County residents with respect to County Road 91 in Clearview Township. 

As part of an agreement with a local quarry, the Township has been actively working to shut down County Road 91 – one of Simcoe County’s busiest east-west thoroughfares. We are concerned that the sale of a portion of the road to the quarry will have a significant impact on the region’s transportation network and safety of all road users. 

Simcoe County has experienced exponential increases in traffic over the past decade, largely driven by tourism and our growing cultural sector. In addition to its use by residents, including farmers, County Road 91 is a critical east-west passage for tourists from the GTA. The Township’s proposed alternative route is both steep and narrow and will not be able to safely handle the region’s current traffic volume. 

Clearview Township has been informed multiple times that their plan is simply not safe. Passenger vehicles and heavy equipment alike will be forced to make additional left turns, increasing the risk of collisions. Furthermore, the rerouting of traffic will increase EMS response times for residents in Grey Highlands by five to six minutes. This can mean the difference between life and death in some cases. The Township should not have the right to make decisions which directly place people’s lives at risk.  

Additionally, while a group of neighbouring municipalities have sought to develop a regional transportation plan to support ongoing growth, Clearview’s proposal renders the proposed network ineffective. Despite requests from neighbouring municipalities, Clearview has stood by its decision, which would result in a disjointed road network. 

County Road 91 is a recently enhanced thoroughfare, and one of few viable east-west corridors in the region. The short-sighted decisions of Clearview Township should not be allowed to adversely impact the entire region or put the lives of road users, or the Township’s residents at large, at risk. We hope that the Ministry can review the proposal and take the necessary steps to ensure County Road 91 remains open as it is vitally important for our regional transportation network. 

With best regards, 

Dear Minister Piccini, 

I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to you today to express my concerns with Clearview Township’s proposed expansion of Sideroad 26/27; a seasonal road adjacent to the Nottawasaga Lookout Provincial Park. 

As you know, Clearview Township classified the upgrading of Sideroad 26/27 as a Schedule A+ project, affording it the least extensive environmental assessment possible. It is the understanding of many community organizations and neighbouring municipalities, however, that the project was misclassified and should be revisited. 

Schedule A+ projects encompass minor works which do not change the purpose, frequency of use, or capacity of various infrastructure. In contrast, Clearview’s proposal would see traffic on Sideroad 26/27 increase from infrequent, seasonal use by residents to year-round use by the thousands of vehicles which currently use County Road 91. 

The environmental assessment classification fails to recognize the rare wetlands adjacent to the road which have been designated as Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest based on the presence of cold-water seeps and rare species-at-risk. The widening and paving of the road will eliminate these rare features and threaten the area’s watershed. 

Additionally, the Niagara Escarpment Commission has identified the risk of irreversible damage to the ecology of the Nottawasaga Lookout Provincial Park. The park’s narrow buffers place the park’s natural features at risk of harm from construction, erosion, and the introduction of runoff from year-round vehicular traffic. Furthermore, the Pretty River watershed will be heavily impacted by salination from winter road salt use. 

We recognize that the Ministry’s opinion on Sideroad 26/27’s environmental assessment was based on its understanding of Clearview’s proposal as put forward by the proponent. However, it is clear that the project was misclassified, increasing the risk of harm to the area’s ecosystem. It is our hope that the Ministry will request that a detailed Schedule C environmental assessment take place to identify the risks of harm to the surrounding area as well as the provincial park.

Thank you for your consideration. 

Best regards,