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.

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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>