Comments 2

Letters Pro and Con (...continued)

Letter sent to Chairman and Councillors – Mr.Peter Partington, Lord Mayor Burroughs, M. B. Baty, Mayor Augustyn, Mayor Badawey, Mayor Bentley, Mayor D'Angela, Mayor Goulbourne, Mayor Henderson, Mayor Hodgson, Mayor McMullan, Mayor Trombetta, Mr. B. Heit, Mr. B. Saracino, Mr. B. Timms, Mr. C. Garcia, Mr. D. Lepp, Mr. G. Marshall, Mr. M. Bylsma, Mr. N. Puttick, Mr. R. Gabriel, Mr. T. Rigby. Ms. B. Greenwood, Ms. C. Forster, Ms. D. Zimmerman, Ms. J. Casselman, Ms. R. Katzman, Ms.Shirley Cordiner, Mr. W. Smeaton, Mr. T. Rigby, Mayor Salci, Mayor Martin
Cc: Farquhar at McMaster, Mayor and Council, Kira Dolch, Joe Mrozek, Harry Schlange, Carolyn J. Kett, Rino Mostacci, Kevin Bain, Mr. Patrick Robson, Mr. Peter Colosimo, Ms. M. Radman, Kim Craitor, Rob Nicholson, Victor Doyle, Carlene Whittingham, R. Hutton, Whemsworth at The Spec.

Dear Mr. Chairman and Councillors:

A news article found on line quotes a spokesperson for McMaster as follows:
McMaster has an interest in high-performance auto research, but spokesperson Andrea Farquhar said it's still too early for the university to make a formal commitment.

"It's very preliminary," she said of the university's interest. "There's nothing that's been confirmed or determined or decided."http://www.thespec.com/article/688785

In many presentations that CARS has attended at Town and Regional Councils, the proponent has touted the virtues of McMaster's involvement with their R&D "Centre of Excellence and Innovation" and has made this association paramount to their economic argument; (Town of Fort Erie reports; minutes Council-in-committee meeting Sept. 8, 2009, statements made by Mr. Brady pages 7,8,9 and CDS-080-09, Dec 7, 2009 Appendix 5,section 4 a) The need for the proposed use and page 12 Provincial Comments, as well as Regional Staff report PWA 121-2009 Dec. 9, 2009 Employment Land needs, page 12). The following statement is from the Canadian Motor Speedway website:

McMaster’s highly accredited Faculty of Engineering will now co-develop and manage the Canadian Motor Speedway’s Research & Technology Park: An R&D Facility for advanced studies and testing to support the global motor sport industry as well as Canada’s vast Auto Sector.

The proponent has declared a partnership with McMaster so often that it is a common association when the speedway proposition is being described in news reports and by comments made by many politicians. From the newspaper Niagara This Week, Nov. 26, 2009;

Mason is not the only fan of the R&D facility. McMaster University is on board with the idea and has already pledged $30 million for the facility.
http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/article/218814--speedway-edges-toward-starting-line <http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/article/218814--speedway-edges-toward-starting-line>

This cloudy representation of McMaster's role at this point is especially disturbing given that the Town of Fort Erie has voted to amend the Official Plan and the Region is to make it's vote soon partially based on the economic value added by the McMaster connection as well as ancillary land use.

Additionally CARS has noticed that most of the "Government and Strategic Supports" originally listed on the Canadian Motor Speedway web site have now been removed after being made aware that they were listed on the site. All of the Provincial "supports" and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, original to the CMS web site, have been removed because there are still many outstanding issues and it is premature to state support. The office of the Honourable Rob Nicholson, MP has confirmed via email November 17th to CARS that he has asked to be removed, to date the Canadian Motor Speedway has not complied.

Important decisions are being made based on the representations made by the Canadian Motor Speedway, perhaps they should be confirmed prior to further actions taken by local and Regional governments.

Respectfully,

Sandy Vant
Chair CARS

Letter sent to CARS

That sounds HORRIBLE.. Sure hope you are able to stop this madness.
Good luck. I can't imagine anything worse for a community!

J. H.

Letter sent to Dr. David Wilkinson, Dean, Faculty of Engineering. McMaster University, c.c. CARS

Dear Dean Wilkinson:

In their proposal to develop a Canadian Motor Speedway (CMS) in Fort Erie, the proponents identify Mc Master University, Faculty of Engineering as a member of their “consortium”. Additionally, CMS repeatedly cites your memorandum of understanding “to create an industry first, research and development center of excellence for auto design, power-train, composite materials and green fuel research” as an example of the potential economic benefits (jobs and revenues) that would accrue to the Town if this facility were to come to fruition.

The Bert Miller Nature Club of Fort Erie strongly opposes this proposal on the basis that it flagrantly violates the environmental law and policy of Ontario. Furthermore, since this 821 acre site would be located within 8 km of 90% of the Fort Erie population, it is virtually certain that the impacts of incessant noise most days of the year, increased air pollution (including CO, lead, asbestos and particulates), severe traffic congestion, increased crime, etc; would be severely impact both the health and the natural and social character of the Town. We include for your consideration, both our letter of complaint to the Town and our policy statement, which contain many of our specific concerns. Additional information may also be found on our website: www.bertmillernatureclub.org

We request that Mc Master University conduct its own due diligence with respect to the issues that we raise – especially through direct consultations with the Ministries of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAH), Environment (MOE), Natural Resources (MNR) and Transportation (MOT) all of which have expressed objections or concerns (cf. MAH report 10 Sept. 2009 and NPCA report 11 Nov. 2009, attached).

The Bert Miller Nature Club has concluded that this project is based upon a retrogressive economic model that ignores environmental impacts and focuses solely on short-term economic benefit (cf. Speth, J.G. 2008. Bridge at the Edge of the World) and that such projects are no longer ethical in an era of global climate change and massive biodiversity loss.

We hope that upon a consideration of the facts and ethics, McMaster University will disassociate itself from this potentially disastrous project.

R. S., Ph.D.

Letter sent to CARS

I have been reading in the paper about this planned speedway in Fort Erie and I just thought I would take a quick second to write you. I live just off the 406 highway between Thorold and Welland so this speedway has no bearing on me. I just wanted to make a comment about the noise. I live on a farm and am guessing I am about 5 miles away from the Merritville Speedway and I can tell you every night they race, even with my windows closed and the television on the noise is non-stop until 11 o'clock at night. I can only imagine what the noise must be like if you lived next door to the raceway. If you open the windows and the wind is blowing towards you, it sounds like they are in your backyard and there is no point in going to bed untill after the races are over because there is no way you will ever sleep. I have actually taken to wearing earplugs when I go to bed cause the noise can be so loud. I wish you luck in your fight against this speedway cause anyone who lives near it will be in for some very noisy days.
K. G.

Letter sent to Peter Partington, Shirley Cordiner, Kevin Bain, c.c.CARS

Dear Sirs and Madam,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed Motor Speedway in Fort Erie.

As a concerned citizen, I cannot believe that in this day and age of reduce- reuse and recycle, going green and environmental responsibility, that this council is actually considering allowing transforming valuable agricultural land and green space into a Motor Speedway. The peace and tranquility of a semi-rural town will
be completely destroyed.

The air and noise pollution created in the motor speedway is of enough concern but added to this will be the additional vehicular traffic created by the attendees of these events. I find it incredibly ironic that just this past week we received a letter from the Niagara Region's Public Works department concerning "same Side of Road" waste collection in rural areas and cited as one of the main benefits for this change to our waste collection is :" Estimated annual carbon dioxide emission reduction of 275-300 tonnes" !I!
If this is what we can save by switching to same side road waste collection just imagine what the Motor Speedway will generate in pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

I would like Council and the Region to give some serious thought to the responsibilities they hold towards the health and well being of their electing citizens. Allowing a venue that promotes the wanton waste and burning of fossil fuel while creating mass amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants is
bordering on recklessness and irresponsibility.

Please keep in mind that progress is not defined by development and all
development is most certainly not progress.

Sincerely
L. R.

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