New information is added to this site regularly.
January 18, 2012.
POST PRE-HEARING UPDATE
Dear Friends,
A big thank you to all those who came to Fort Erie Town Hall on Tuesday for the Pre-hearing procedures for the Ontario Municipal Board hearing regarding the proposed NASCAR-like speedway at the intersection of Sunset South and Bowen Roads.
WALL TO WALL SPECTATORS
The Council Chambers were overflowing! It was great to see so many citizens engaged in this issue.
Our volunteers have been working tirelessly and the support from all of you is very rewarding. Yes, there were also speedway supporters there. Most fans could be identified by the t-shirts that were either sold or given out as everyone walked into Town Hall. We were unaware that Town Hall provides tables to "hawk" merchandise for prospective developers at an Ontario Municipal Board hearing which is intended to be a neutral court. Now that this precedent has been set, we will be certain to book a table for CCGFE at the next Town Hall forum, in order to sell our shirts and offer literature
THE OUTCOME OF THE MEETING
The parties to the hearing were identified. There are three (3) appellants. Four of the previously registered appellants withdrew their appeals because the speedway consortium has agreed to purchase their properties if the OMB rules in their favour.
After much discussion, the final date selection for the hearing was postponed until a conference call between all the parties can take place on February 17th, 2012. CCGFE is still awaiting certain final reports from the speedway consortium which pave the way for CCGFE's further discussions with expert witnesses.
Five additional members of the public and/or groups have been identified as participants to the proceedings. These individuals and groups will provide statements to the board regarding their support or non support of the speedway development. We were greatly impressed that five participants were identified.
THE REAL WORK AND HOW YOU CAN HELP
CCGFE volunteers will now be burning the midnight oil getting their case into perfect order for the hearing. Raising funds is a priority. Expert witnesses for OMB can be very costly!
Please take out or renew your membership with CCGFE.
And please also consider a donation. There is still much to do.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Memberships: $10.00 individual/$15.00 family.
Donations are gratefully accepted in any amount.
Tax receipts are available for donations of $25.00 or more.
Mailing a cheque, send to: P.O. Box 111, Fort Erie ON L2A 5M6
Make cheque payable to: "Citizens Coalition of Greater Fort Erie, or CCGFE"
Email: ccgforterie@gmail.com
Phone: 905.994.7422
Website: www.ccgfe.org
Thank you!
Our Mission
It is the mission of CARS and partner agencies to campaign against the proposal to build the Canadian Motor Speedway on a 821 acre site located in the municipality of Fort Erie in the province of Ontario; in order to protect area residents from the adverse environmental and social ramifications of a development that is in direct violation of municipal land use planning objectives.
“There’s a price for becoming informed, something that the vast majority of the public don’t trouble themselves with – preferring instead to believe everything they read or hear from the local media or from their favourite politician.
That price is to risk being treated like a pariah in your hometown when you give in to the urge to set the record straight when confronted with ignorance.”Doug Casey
If they Build it Will they Come?
After plowing under fertile fields for the last time and possibly exposing tax payers to an estimated $53 million dollar infrastructure bill, (estimate from Niagara Regional Staff Report PWA 121-2009) what if race fans do not come?
NASCAR INVESTORS SCALING BACK INVESTMENT
NASCAR is a sport known for its blazing speed, but these days sponsors seem to be jumping ship nearly as fast......Read More
INDY DROPS TICKET PRICES FOR 2011 BRICKYARD 400 AS ATTENDANCE CONTINUES TO DECLINE
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which according to NASCAR estimates has seen its attendance decline by nearly half in the last three years, announced that it would lower ticket prices on select seats for the 2011 Brickyard 400........Read More
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY PRESIDENT ADDRESSES ATTENDANCE, RACING
Auto Club Speedway President Gillian Zucker brushed off attendance concerns and praised the quality of racing at her track during an open interview session at Sunday’s Pepsi 500........Read More
NASCAR ATTENDANCE, RATINGS, SPONSORSHIPS DOWN AS FANS CUT COSTS
NASCAR has seen attendance "at nearly every track slip this year as recession-weary fans continue to cut costs"...........Read More
Abandoned speedways in the U.S.
CLICK HERE to view an important presentation made to the Bert Miller Nature Club.
Town of Fort Erie 2010 Municipal Election Results |
On September 7, 2010 Bylaw presentation for speedway proposal was held at Fort Erie Town Hall.
To view presentations of CCGFE and others at that meeting, click on links below.
Dr. Bacher presentation
CCGFE presentation
D. Giliforte presentation
S. Speck presentation
On September 13th, 2010, Fort Erie Town Council passed the zoning and bylaws which will allow the construction of a motor speedway in conjunction with other ancillary uses.
By-Law to amend zoning by-law 129-90 1746391 (2010-106) Ontario Inc. (Canadian Motorsports Speedway) southwest corner of Bowen Road and Sunset Drive, Town of Fort Erie.
ATTENTION FELLOW RESIDENTS:
Advice from Times Editor, Kris Dube regarding the proposed speedway
"I guess it is time (for those opposing speedway) to start considering relocation. If we lose a few residents...then so be it."
To view editorial in full, go to
http://eedition.forterietimes.ca/doc/Fort-Erie-Times/forterietimes/2010090301/
page 6, Sept 4, 2010
Send your comments to Kris at
editorial@forterietimes.com
and/or the publisher
tgundas@niagaracommunitynewspapers.com
Received from Citizens Coalition for Greater Fort Erie
Fort Erie Speedway Likely to Bring Property Values Crashing Down
September 7th Council Meeting Will Discuss Rezoning to Allow Development
Property values in Fort Erie will likely plummet due to the effect of a speedway on the local environment, according to staff at the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation‟s Toronto Office.
.............Read More
For updated information, please visit www.ccgfe.org
URGENT ACTION BULLETIN
Call on Provincial Government to Stop Fort Erie Motorway!!
BAND TOGETHER AND STOP THE SPEEDWAY FROM DESTROYING
THE
QUIET ENJOYMENT OF OUR PROPERTIES
One of the most dangerous assault’s on the mosaic of farmlands and forests of Carolinian Canada is underway in Fort Erie to facilitate the approval of the proposed Canadian Motor Speedway, a NASCAR-like amusement racing track. This would involve the re-designation of 827 acres of land in the Fort Erie and Niagara Region Official Plans which are currently designated "Good General Agricultural Land", to a new designation of "Special Policy Area."
Unless the province appeals this re-designation of agricultural land to
the Ontario Municipal Board, it is likely to be approved.
As a community we must show solidarity and fight for our quality of life.
In opposing the motorway there are three points to stress.
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Fort Erie has one of the best preserved Carolinian habitats in Canada, comparable in extent to only the Walpole Island and Six Nations native communities. Half of the town is in natural habitat, predominately swamp forests. Taking out such a large swath of habitat, will harm many rare and diverse Carolinian species.
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The motorway proposal would result in the urbanization and subsequent degradation of a Provincially Significant Class One Fish habitat Miller Creek. The creek provides habitat for endangered Grass Pickerel and Wood Turtle. The creek’s mouth near the Niagara River is also an important muskie breeding habitat.
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The re-designation of 827 acres of Good General Agricultural Land is the biggest loss of farmland in Niagara since the introduction of regional planning. It represents some of the best land for farming in south east Niagara. A third of it has been carefully reforested by conservation minded farmers over the last half century. Several area farmers have spoken out against the proposal, because of expected problems of vandalism associated with similar motorways in the United States. It would violate Ontario’s Growth Management Plan, which should prohibit all urban boundary expansions in Niagara.
The persons who will ultimately make the decision to whether or not to appeal the Speedway to the OMB are the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Minister of Energy and Public Infrastructure.
They are: Jim Bradley and Brad Duguid.
Please email:
Jim Bradley - Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
jbradley.mpp@liberal.ola.org
<mailto:jbradley.mpp@liberal.ola.org>
Brad Duguid - Minister of Energy and Infrastructure
bduguid.mpp@liberal.ola.org
<mailto:bduguid.mpp@liberal.ola.org>
PROPOSED MOTORWAY PLANS TO RIP UP GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN
AND RARE CAROLINIAN HABITATS
The Town of Fort Erie has some of Ontario’s greatest concentration of threatened Carolinian forests. However, this concentration of rare forests is being proposed as a new location for a massive 60,000 capacity, “NASCAR-like” racing track (known as the Canadian Motorway Speedway) by the Niagara Regional Council. The speedway and associated light industrial and commercial development is proposed to take over an 800 acre site which is predominately designated as “Good General Agricultural” in the Niagara Regional and Fort Erie Official Plans...............................Read More
PROTECT YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE -
SPEAK OUT AGAINST A PROPOSED MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN FORT ERIE!
What You Should Know About Having a Motor Racing Complex in Your Town
IMPORTANT UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
For contact information, please refer to the Get Involved section on this website.
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