Dear Mr. Cutmore, We own a…

Dear Mr. Cutmore, We own a cottage on the eastern shore of Lower Lake Dalrymple and we were shocked to hear recently of the proposed granite quarry at the top of Lake Dalrymple Road. I grew up in Muskoka and my family and I consider Ontario to be the most wonderful place in the world to live - because of its green space and network of parks and conservation areas. Despite those spaces, Ontario has a tremendous number of at-risk species and biodiversity is threatened. At Dalrymple we are surrounded by quarries already, and the area is home to one of the most unusual and fragile ecosystems on the globe, the alvar. The idea of cutting into this area once again with a quarry of this size, which I understand is proposed to go 60 meters BELOW the water table, and to be in operation of one hundred and thirty years, is appalling. I am strongly opposed to industrial activities that threaten Ontario's protected areas and I most definitely do not support the creation of a crushed granite quarry just outside of the boundary of Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Park, Ontario's second largest park south of Algonquin. Allowing a massive mining operation within five hundred metres of a unique and sensitive ecosystem will cause irreparable damage to the scenic beauty, uncontaminated lakes, and the abundance of wildlife that exist within and around its boundaries. This park is one of the most diverse and least disturbed natural areas found in Central Ontario, with its fifty-plus flora systems. Quarries and open pit mines are so horribly destructive. All vegetation, indeed all soil, is removed, and of particular concern here is network of water systems, rivers, creeks, Lake Dalrymple itself. I have been unable to get an answer on where the millions of litres of water that the quarry will demand for its day to day operations are going to be "downloaded" from. Lake Dalrymple is already very shallow. Are we going to be cottaging beside a mud patch once the quarry is underway? Our other concern is air quality. The prevailing wind in the area is from north to south. Are we going to be covered with quarry dust from now on? Granite contains silica, so presumably dust from crushed granite is a silica dust. Silica is designated as a hazardous material, adding another risk to this already unhealthy operation.The quarry firm suggests they will keep the dust down with constantly spraying water. Again, where is that water going to be taken from? The blasting is of course another major concern as it will seriously effect the wildlife and the quality of life for all of us who have loved that area for its peacefulness, and its beauty. All of this is about to be stripped away. It is truly shocking and the small country highway is going to become the trucking lane for this huge industrial undertaking. Again, let me reiterate: Giofam Investment Inc.'s proposal calls for mining 200,000 tonnes of granite annually and it will require a “Permit to Take Water of 8.1 million litres/day”. The impact that this tremendous water taking will have on both water quality and quantity will be devastating. Groundwater is our and our neighbours sole source of drinkable water around Dalrymple and Sebright. I suggest, I fear, that this proposed mining operation is a public health risk. Giofam currently plans to monitor wells within a one kilometre radius of the quarry. This means that as few as three properties may have their wells tested annually - this is certainly not adequate when the proposal calls for such an enormous takedown of water. If water quality and quantity are to be sufficiently monitored, the well monitoring needs to be carried out in at least a three kilometre radius and probably more. Giofam's expected water use will be equivalent to the average consumption of approximately 10,000 households! (That's based on Environment Canada’s published per capita residential consumption in Ontario of 260 litres per day, three persons per household). So they are taking water in order to spray to keep down the dust they are creating, and then the dusty water from the open pits will be fed into nearby watercourses, which will then flow into the Cranberry and Head River watersheds. So in addition to the risks of pulling millions of litres of water out of the ground, there is the risk posed by then discharging this amount of dust-laden water into the Cranberry River, which could double its flow rate! This kind of extensive environmental impact doesn't sound good to me! The new Clean Water Act ensures protection for our drinking water at its primary source and promises to prevent problems before they occur. Protection of our water resources is priority and law; therefore it must take precedence over a proposed quarry. As far as I have been able to ascertain, if a problem arises with the quarry operation, there is no ‘Plan B’ for our drinking water. The impact on the area is going to be huge. Blasting, dust, noise, vibrations, lights, truck traffic, fuelling and maintenance will have a profoundly negative effect on a special and beautiful agricultural environment. At a moment in history when we are supposed to be moving towards buying local farm produce, GioFam is about to be given permission to strip the land bare of all vegetation and to have a profoundly negative effect on surrounding farmlands. The MNR must stop issuing below-ground water permits to the aggregate industry, and Ontario must reduce its demand for new aggregate. We must not forget why we have provincial parks in the first place - they meet a number of objectives: protection, heritage appreciation, recreation, and tourism. If quarries are permitted right beside our parks, these values will certainly be compromised. An area so important as Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Park should not be classified as “protected” if a massive quarry is allowed on the outskirts of its boundaries, destroying contiguous wetlands and forest habitats. It is imperative that you deny this quarry licence. Approval of this proposal will critically affect public health and the quality of the natural environment. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this process. Sincerely yours, Our family (see name and contact information in above submission boxes)