Media Français
Coalition Against the Dandford MegaDump’s letter to the editor of The Ottawa Citizen in reaction to the editorial by Fred Ryan
October 16, 2006

The Editor,
Citizen

It is heartening to read Fred Ryan’s article (“Democracy dies with dump deal” October 12) and his recognition that significant issues of democracy are at stake. He is right that the recent actions of the Pontiac Regional Council (MRC de Pontiac) and of the Danford Lake Mayor may well have removed the right of ratepayers in the Danford Lake area from having their say in a binding referendum though the environmental hearings (BAPE process) will seemingly go ahead and they would allow for some consultation with the public. In other words, even with a majority of ratepayers expressing at the BAPE hearings their opposition to this huge dump being created in a recreational part of the Outaouais, it might still end up being approved by the Quebec Government. If this were to happen, a very small community in a beautiful area of rivers and lakes would find themselves living with a landfill operation on a 500 acre site, designed to handle some 200,000 tons of waste hauled in from all parts of the Outaouais.

Those opposed to the megadump do indeed feel blindsided and the victims of high-handed, cynical actions by the local council and the Pontiac mayors. Their actions do not conform to their responsibilities as set out by the Supreme Court judgment of June 30, 2004 (2004 S.C.J. No. 45), which underlined the need for transparency and procedural fairness.

Michele Borchers
Vice-President,
Coalition Against Danford Megadump



<< Back
  Copyright © 2006 Coalition Against Danford Megadump, Inc. All Rights Reserved