Newsletter # 6

ABC would like all members to be aware that sometime in late June , we have been informed there will be advance presentations to all municipalities, showing the final recommended CORRIDOR!! We will be letting everyone know about these presentations as soon as we receive the dates.

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We must respond to PIC 2c by May 22, 2009 as requested. Please ensure that YOU have made your comments re the last PIC. Any concerns should documented at length and sent in by the May deadline.

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Residents need to know that the final CORRIDOR will likely be presented at other PIC's in June. ABC has complained about the PIC process and we are expecting to plan a public meeting shortly after any JUNE PIC.

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We have a concern involving the Environmental Inventory carried out on many properties in September 2008. One resident who had not received their requested copy last fall, recently called in to have it faxed to them. There was resistance from the company to sending that document out. Consequently, the resident suggested that they could charge the firm with trespassing, since the firms employees had agreed to the conditions set out by the owner last fall. Our member then received a copy of their Environmental Inventory.

We are very concerned about this apparent resistance to supplying landowners with copies of their own Environmental Inventory. Many landowners did request a copy and that was the condition set out for access to the land. ABC would like to know if you requested and have received a copy. If you have had any issues with the release of your Inventory to you, also please let us know.

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ABC has decided to add a "Community Events" feature to our website. If there are special events about the highway issue you wish to pass on to the membership, please email the details to hwy7and8@gmail.com. A contact person and a brief description need to be provided for the website. Since all members are notified when new material goes on the website, all interested parties can get in touch with the contact person.

It is important for us to know you have received/read this Newsletter. Please reply to us.

Thanks!

Please pass this information on to any residents or neighbours who may not be receiving these email notices.

Agriculture Business Community of Perth East, Perth South, Wilmot West

Newsletter # 4

The Positive Benefits of Actions Taken by ABC Chapters (So Far)

Local producers must continue to assess the near and long term effects of an expansion of highway 7/8 on their operations. However, we must not overlook what has already been gained through the actions of ABC Chapters since July. The benefits outlined below are significant and were achieved in short order. Reflection on these achievements may better equip us for the next steps.

1. Expansion of the existing highway 7/8 corridor has been resurrected as an option and it is now under serious reconsideration, whereas last summer it was virtually invisible

2. The option of a highway expansion model using 'partially restricted access', on the existing 7/8 corridor, is now being given serious consideration, whereas before the emphasis was exclusively on 'controlled access'

3. Large numbers of ABC member farms as well as other farms and properties are no longer part of the potentially 'affected corridor zones'. Large swaths of farmland (and woodlands) previously targeted south of the existing 7/8 are off the table.

4. The newly proposed corridors, offered by the consultants, substantially reduce the number of farm operations south of the existing 7/8 that would be 'bisected' by a four lane controlled access corridor.

5. The sweeping ring road options originally proposed around New Hamburg and Stratford have been reduced and refined and will be subject to further debate at the municipal level.

6. Tremendous flexibility on the part of the study managers has been gained concerning grade separations, fly-overs and road closures. These are referred to as 'access management alternatives' and they have been highlighted in the new plans and are listed on the same page as the new map of corridor alternatives.

7. The MTO continues to remain open to our input and has agreed to our further requests for technical information. Our sense is that they (MTO and TSH) are looking for a more collaborative model for highway expansion and that this EA design might provide them that opportunity.

To Do

While these gains are significant there is still much to do. We all know that any highway expansion or highway improvements will affect some landowners, both directly and through secondary effects such as changes in drainage and service road access.


-- Agriculture Business Community of Perth East, Perth South, Wilmot West

Newsletter # 3

Hwy 7 & 8 Newsletter Update Sept. 18, 2008 Volume # 3

At our last volunteer meeting many issues were discussed. We wrote up a list of our discussion results from both the community volunteers and the Consultants of the Study, who were guests at that meeting. Below are 7 items that the Consultants and volunteers agreed were the outcome of the discussion.
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Discussions Results

1. The consultants and the Ministry have NOT taken cost into consideration in the generation of the corridors.
2. Cost will not be part of the considerations in the selection of the preferred corridor.
3. The consulting team has the approval of MTO to consider highway designs OTHER THAN four lane controlled access when they are selecting the preferred corridor and selected routes within that corridor. Different levels of access will be considered by the consulting team.
4. Brenda Jamieson will send a revised planning schedule for us to send along to members.
5. Charles Organ will forward the planning protocol for highway plans for us to send on to our members. This will include the timing of presentations to municipal councils prior to PICs .
6. Land ownership did not influence the location of the different corridor options. An additional corridor alternative has been identified for a southern by-pass of Stratford. The alternative is situated closer to the City limits in the vicinity of the existing hydro corridor. The public lands owned by the City of Stratford may be considered in a future corridor..
7. The consultants had considered a workshop on September 17 but that is under re-consideration.

Point 7: Post meeting note: The Corridor Alternatives Workshop will be rescheduled to late October
"Please note that the revised planning schedule and planning protocol documentation are being prepared and will be provided to you later this week for distribution to your members."- B. Jamieson

Other Community Meetings

On Thursday, Sept. 11th,Gail and Larry Stacey (east side of Hwy 7) hosted the Consultants' team . The intent was for any and all members of Perth South , who might be impacted by any of the proposed Corridors, to bring their property information in, meet with members of the Consultants team, ask their questions and/or make an on farm appointment for their portion of the Agricultural Survey.By all accounts it was a busy day and many residents took the opportunity to attend. On Sept. 24th, Jamie Gibb hosted a similar event for the west side of Hwy 7.

Municipal Responses

The municipality of Perth South was already on record with their concerns, as stakeholders in this portion of the study. Their response will be taken to County Council by the Warden, on behalf of the citizens. The municipality of Perth East held a meeting with representatves of the Agricultural Business Community of Perth East and has also responded for the record with their concerns and reservations.

Other Items

Please forward or print this newsletter for members who do not have e-mail.



-- contact:

hwy7and8@gmail.com

Perth South: Marg Van Ness 519-393-6479
Gail Stacey 519-271-0218
Jamie Gibb 519-393-6219

Perth East: Paula Neice 519-662-4847
Linda Dietrich 519-655-2613
Sharon Weitzel 519-273-0918

Wilmot West: Wayne Wagler 519-662-3658
Gary Wagler 519-662-3384

-- Agriculture Business Community of Perth East, Perth South, Wilmot West

Newsletter # 2

Hwy 7 & 8 Newsletter September 7, 2008 Volume #2

CURRENT OPERATING STRUCTURE

Hello again to everyone.

The community has been very busy trying to keep everyone informed, having on farm Ag visits, individual property appointments and trying to fine tune how a large group of volunteers from 3 townships, can work effectively. The 20 Volunteers, who signed up to assist have met twice. Our second meeting was to work on some administration issues requiring some fine tuning and to strategize. We met at Claynook Farms in Wilmot Township.

The Community Group has agreed to this structure:

· 2 to 3 agreed representatives from each township are consulted prior to any major decision or strategy being launched
· the full group of volunteers will meet from time to time to engage in further strategy work or when necessary
· other work and contributions will be electronic as we compile data necessary for a full Brief the combined Business Communities will be submitting
· volunteers are signing up for research to include in our brief

The Volunteer Committee also met with Mr. Charles Organ, Ms. Brenda Jamieson and Janette Smilderle. The opportunity arose for us to meet with them and we took advantage of it. We hoped for much clearer understanding of the next public phase and to discuss some issues that have come forward from the community.

As a result a new schedule /timeline for this phase with an explanation of the general protocol for any public announcement of a preferred corridor, will be coming from TSH (The Consultants).


OFFICIAL COMMUNITY RESPONSE

We are also assembling data for our formal submission on behalf of Perth East, Perth South and Wilmot West for the Sept. 30th deadline. Areas we will cover include:

· Economic figures and stats from dairy, pork, cash crop and poultry for our townships
· Provincial regulations and legislation impacting farmers
· Misleading assumptions used in original Study documents

Other strategies are being discussed and we will disseminate those as soon as possible.

CONNECTING COMMUNITIES

Volunteers are continuing to contact neighbors in all 3 townships to ensure as many as possible are informed and able to contribute data from their properties and their concerns, to the Consultants by the Sept. 30th deadline.
-- contact:

hwy7and8@gmail.com

Perth South:
Marg Van Ness 519-393-6479
Gail Stacey 519-271-0218
Jamie Gibb 519-393-6219

Perth East:
Paula Neice 519-4847
Linda Dietrich 519-655-2613
Sharon Weitzel 519-273-0918

Wilmot West:
Wayne Wagler 519-662-3658
Gary Wagler 519-662-3384

Agriculture Business Community of Perth East, Perth South, Wilmot West

Hwy 7 & 8 Update Newsletter # 1

Hwy 7 & 8 Update August 11th, 2008 Newsletter #1

It has been just 2 weeks since we had our first meeting about the Hwy 7 & 8 issue. The results are nothing short of amazing in the time we have been working on this.
Thank you all for attending and your help.

We estimate that 155 people were in attendance at Larry & Linda Dietrich's on July 22 and the phones have been ringing off the hook from producers and residents who could not attend.

Our meeting attendees signed and we mailed 80 letters the very next day.

We had people from Wilmot and Perth South present.

Wilmot Township copied the Perth East letter and distributed it. They told us they have had a tremendous response and mailed out 100 letters.

A volunteer is trying to ensure North Easthope residents are aware of the project's scope and collect contact information.

Another volunteer is doing the same thing for Perth South.

Other people who attended have been asking for copies of the letter to help inform their neighbors.

As the August 15th date was such a short time frame, we decided to see what we could do to have that date moved. It was the date the Consultants were using as a yardstick for the next phases (eliminating corridors or plans?!?!). In order to correspond with the MTO and Highway Study team we needed a name to call our group. We decided that "Agricultural Business Community of Perth East" (ABCOPE) best described the majority and we have included everyone in this group.

We are very pleased to report we have been successful in moving the date to Sept. 30th, 2008.

This was only possible because of your interest and the numbers present. Together, we can have an impact.

We now have adequate time to educate ourselves, notify people and work on getting the information (land use issues, detailed agricultural business information, nutrient management issues, etc.), that will be critical for a successful outcome.

We will be convening a meeting of all volunteers to discuss strategy and bring everyone up to date on the most recent information and activities. We also need to decide who and how we can divide up any work to be done. Let us know if you would like to volunteer some time.

As soon as possible, we WILL be in touch with you all with another UPDATE. Please take the time to speak with your neighbors to ensure everyone is up to date on what is happening and ask them to call or email their contact information to add to our master list.

Contact: Linda Dietrich tel: 519-655-2613

email: hwy7and8@gmail.com
Sharon Weitzel tel: 519-273- 0918

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Agricultural Business Community of Perth East Committee
August 8, 2008

In Newsletter #1 we were able to report the response date for the Proposed Highway 7/8 Corridors has been moved from August 15 to September 30. The Committee wants to use this extra time to collect information to be able to influence the consultant's recommendations to the MTO on the next step of the plan which is the selection of the preferred corridor.

To do this we need to hear from you. We need to know any and all questions you have for the consulting team before they proceed.

At the gathering on July 22 at the Dietrich's farm, several questions were asked but there was no way to respond to them. e.g.

Is the consultant considering the workability of the farms, nutrient management requirements etc. as part of their selection criteria?. How will the government determine market value for properties that are identified for the final route? How will owners be compensated if the loss of part of their property results in the farm business becoming not viable?

Please mail, email or call us with your questions by August 18. We will prepare a master list of questions and get it to the consultant and MTO to respond to.

Thanks for your help.

Contact: hwy7and8@gmail.com

Tel:

519-273-0918
Or
519-662-4847
Or
519-655-2613

Mail:
Sharon Weitzel
R.R. # 2
TAVISTOCK,ON
N0B 2R0