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If Your Showing Properties Tomorrow...Then Make Sure Your On Time!

If you are like me, you are still expecting to set your clock back sometime near the end of October. That is the way it used to be, but a few years ago now both Canada and the USA decided to see if there was any energy savings that would result if the daylight saving time period were extended.

As a result our clocks jump ahead earlier in the spring and go back a week or two later in the fall now.

This year we will have to wait until the first weekend of November which is (tomorrow) Nov. 6th this year to gain back the hour of sleep we lost in the spring. YES!!!!

An Obituary printed in the London Times.....

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense , who has been with us for many years.

No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.
 
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
 
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.  Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
 
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
 
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
 
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
 
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
 
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
 
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
 
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim
 
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
If you still remember him, pass this on.
If not, join the majority and do nothing.  

FOODSTOCK T-Minus 38 hrs

Ok so you might not know about the Mega Quarry but should you care?   Hmmmm, good question?  I get asked that a lot!   I also know that a few of the people that follow my 365 things to do in Orangeville don’t live near here, but this is an important issue and I want to draw attention to this.

Hello my name is David Waters and I’m one of the Organizers of FOODSTOCK.  This is an event that you will not want to MISS!  Here is a little summary of how we got here.

Melancthon township is a small rural area northwest of Toronto, between Orangeville and Collingwood that is primarily farmland. Specifically, it is one of the most prolific potato-growing regions in Ontario and supplies the Greater Toronto Area with a large percentage of its potatoes. A couple years ago, a large corporation known as Highland Companies began buying up farms in this area, telling sellers they would continue with potato farming. They amassed a plot of 8000 acres, then submitted a proposal to the Ontario government to operate a limestone quarry on this land. Initially proposed at over 2300 acres this is by far the largest quarry to operate in Canada and they have been granted perpetual rights to draw a 600 million litres (enough for over 2.7 million people) of water per day from the area. The region is near the headwaters of the Grand River watershed and 4 others, which serves over a million people in Southwestern Ontario, including Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, the Niagara region – as well as Guelph. The quarry will dig 230 feet below the water table so the potential for contamination of the whole watershed is HUGE!. This land is far from any major highway, yet they will be running 300 trucks an hour (7,200 a day in and out) carrying stone back and forth.

 

While they intend to grow crops again on the quarry floor, this concept is laughable at BEST, as quarrying generates soil contamination and it is highly unlikely that this would even be possible. Further, this company, while supposedly Canadian, receives primary backing from a New-England based hedge fund, and neither company has ever operated a limestone quarry, let alone a Mega-Quarry. That tells me they will likely be bringing in an outside operator after approval, so any concerns regarding safety records will not be addressed. Furthermore, there is a loophole in the law saying that quarries do not have to undergo an environmental assessment to be approved. This land is located just outside the Greenbelt, a protected area that grows much of Ontario’s produce. Fortunately Ontario’s government has recently reversed course and has finally ordered an Environmental Assessment for the project.

Quarry Query - CBC Metro Morning 99.1 FM

Matt Galloway spoke about a proposal to build a quarry in Melancthon Township with chef Michael Stadtlander, founder of Canadian Chefs Congress , and with John Sherer. He is a principal at the Highland Companies

http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?clipid=2153598168

With this impending threat to our local food security, local Ontario chefs have come together to show solidarity with the protests against this mega-quarry. Leading this is celebrated chef Michael Stadtlander, one of the country’s best chefs and one of the strongest advocates of local, farm-to-table cuisine. The Canadian Chef’s Congress, of which he is the chairman, has organized a fundraising dinner at an area farm that did not sell out to Highland and we have billing this as “FOODSTOCK”, with the implied reference to Woodstock quite intentional. More than 90 chefs, including Stadtlander, Jamie Kennedy, and other top chefs will be present and contributing dishes.

Unlike most celebrity chef charity events, that will usually cost more than $150 per person, Foodstock is a pay-what-you-can event. You can either register in advance at www.canadianchefscongress.com or pay at the gate – the suggested donation is a mere $10 PER person. Of course, since all funds go to support the cause, larger donations are obviously welcomed. This is a no-frills event – except for the FOOD and Awesome Music.  Attendees should bring their own plate, cutlery, napkin and water glass. As this  is on a farm and will go rain or shine, it is probably also a good idea to bring a chair and boots.

The event is on Sunday, October 16, 2011, from 11am – 5pm. The farm is just 10 minutes north of Shelburne, at county road 124 and Melancthon 20th sideroad. To get there from Toronto, take Hwy 401 to 410, then to Hwy 10 (Hurontario st.) and stay on it past Orangeville to Hwy 89 at Primrose. Go left and continue to county road 124, turn right (ESSO is on the corner) and follow 124 until 20th sideroad. I imagine there will be signs near the location. it is about 1 hour’s drive from Toronto, depending on where you are.  There are also bus trips being organized to the event from Toronto, Guelph, Hamilton, and Collingwood. These are being organized primarily on Facebook and by charted bus lines.  Below is a map of the site

Mega Quarry Rally at Queen’s Park - PROTECT OUR WATER

Well it's happing again but this time LOTS more people know about this crazy plan that has been proposed!  You can live days with out food but without water your DEAD!

Friday, September 30^th, 3:30 to 5:30 pm, Queen’s Park, Toronto

Toronto, ON – The grassroots movement opposed to a proposed mega quarry north of Toronto is holding a rally at Queen’s Park this Friday at 3:30 pm.

 In just six months, the Stop the Mega Quarry movement has blossomed from a core group of farmers and residents from Melancthon Township in Dufferin County to downtown Toronto, as a growing number of Ontarians raise concerns about the impact the proposed mega quarry would have on water, farmland and the environment.

 “Tens of thousands of Ontarians made history when the province’s Minister of the Environment announced an unprecedented Environmental Assessment for the proposed mega quarry,” says rancher Carl Cosack, vice-chairman of NDACT. “We’ve also united country and city on this critical issue. This is a big issue, now backed by a big movement.”

Friday’s rally will celebrate how far the Stop the Mega Quarry organization has come in the six months since the application for the proposed mega quarry was filed, but it will also draw people together for the long fight ahead. And, with one week before Ontario votes, it will remind all parties the campaign to stop the proposed mega quarry will continue.

 On March 11, 2011, the Highland Companies—backed by Boston hedge fund Baupost Group – applied for a license to excavate the largest quarry in the country. It would span 2,316 acres north of Orangeville, destroying Class 1 farmland. The quarry would plunge 200 feet below the water table in a recharge area for the headwaters of five rivers. 600-million-litres of water would need to be pumped from the mega quarry each day in perpetuity.

“If you care about the food you eat, the farmland that produces it, or what happens to our clean, pure water, come join us on Friday,” says Sandi Wong, an artist involved in the movement.

The speakers' list includes farmers, local food advocates, chefs, First Nations and the Council of Canadians. Broadcaster Dale Goldhawk will act as Master of Ceremonies. A partial list of speakers includes: Rancher Carl Cosack, Brent Preston of the New Farm, Bernard Pope of the Ontario Farmland Preservation Organization, Danny Beaton and Mark Calzavara of the Council of Canadians. Hobo Wally will also be performing.

This rally will occur simultaneously with one held by Ontario Farmland Preservation—details {here}.

 

The David Suzuki Foundation Sends In This Amazing Objection Letter To Highland Companies and EMR!

Thanks to the David Suzuki Foundation for sending in this 11 page amazing letter. Fans you can see what they had to say by clicking below. Quite compelling concerns are raised. Please 'Like' and 'Share'. for sending in this amazing 11 page letter. Fans you can see what they had to say by clicking below. Quite compelling concerns are raised.

Please 'Like' and 'Share'

Here is a link to the Letter is Scribd is not working for you. Download DSF-Highlands-Companies-Aggregate-Proposal-Letter-to-OMNR-Final.pdf (177.2K)

DSF Highlands Companies Aggregate Proposal - Letter to OMNR - Final

Booster Juice Comes To Orangeville's West End Neighbourhood

Orangeville Real Estate Video Blog #10 - August 23, 2010

David Waters video blogs about a new business just opened up on the west side of Orangeville called Booster Juice and how nice it is to have some healthy choices available in the west end. If you want to voice your opinion or if you don't care for David's comments please email your feedback to [email protected] and visit www.watersadvantage.com for all the David Waters Real Estate Video Blogs.