Under Ontario’s Bill 5, Dresden is the canary in the coal mine.
Under Ontario's Bill 5, Dresden is the canary in the coal mine.
That's what Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles had to say at a rally held in Dresden calling on the province to repeal legislation that greenlights "special" economic zones – including the York1 landfill project north of the community.
And while the Ontario legislature takes a four-month hiatus, Stiles told the crowd of 160 she'll spend the break sharing Dresden's story across Ontario.
Organized by Dresden Citizens Against Reckless Environmental Disposal (C.A.R.E.D.), the rally marked the launch of the NDP's "Kill Bill 5" call to action.
She urged the crowd to continue the fight.
"(Premier) Doug (Ford) might have decided to take a vacation until Oct. 20, but I'm going to work real hard all summer and fall to get the word out and to build the opposition to Bill 5," Stiles told reporters. "A big part of that is sharing the story of what's happening in Dresden. Dresden is the canary in the coal mine…it's the first example of how this bill can be used in communities across this province."
"It's a warning to everyone," she added, noting that if Bill 5 isn't repealed, the Ford's government can create "no law" zones, where environmental assessments, labour laws and community needs are ignored. Rally-goers chimed in when Stiles led them in a Kill Bill 5 chant at the end of her talk.
The bill, which removes the environmental assessment from the York1 landfill project, is "nothing but an extreme power grab," she said.
"This landfill is all about making some of Doug Ford's donors happy," she explained. "This is all it has ever been about and I think he should publicly apologize to the people of Dresden. And he should repeal the bill."
Standing beside an empty folding chair with Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Steve Pinsonneault's name on it, Stiles explained she was in the legislature during the Bill 5 vote. But neither Ford or Pinsonneault were present, she added, a comment that drew boos from the crowd.
"I would say that was cowardly," she said.
Opposition to the York1 project continues to build, even though some say it's a done deal. The GTA-based company plans on utilizing the existing landfill at 29831 Irish School Rd. to accept non-hazardous construction waste. A regenerative recycling facility is also proposed, as is a soil washing system. The project is located just steps away from a creek that feeds the Sydenham River and is only one kilometre from the local high school.
Bill 5 – which specifically names the York1 project – gained Royal Assent June 5. On June 23, a small crew from York1 moved heavy equipment to the site, but according to York1 spokesperson Laryssa Waler, workers will only be carrying out clean-up and remediation. Waler said there are no immediate plans to bring waste to the site.
Indigenous leaders, including Walpole Island First Nation Chief Leela Thomas, who also spoke at the rally, have been sharply critical of Bill 5, saying the legislation tramples on the treaty rights of First Nations people and the land.
"We are here because once again, those rights are being ignored," Thomas told the crowd. "York1 has proposed activities that threaten our lands, waters and the overall well-being of our future, of our children and of generations to come."
Thomas said York1's actions violate treaties, which she described as "living agreements" and "solemn promises, made by your ancestors and ours.
"In those treaties we agreed to share the land," the chief said. "We did not agree to poisoning our waters, the pillaging of land and resources, the destruction of our eco-systems or the desecration of our sacred sites."
Thomas said that York 1 and the Ontario government have failed in their duty to consult First Nations regarding the landfill.
"We were not meaningfully consulted, not given a voice," the chief stressed. "One brief meeting over a year ago, with one third of our previous council is not consultation.”
Thomas also took issue with the fact the province has not contacted local landfills – including Ridge Landfill – to find out if those sites have the capacity to accept waste destined for Dresden.
The Ford government has stated the bill must go forward because of the threat from U.S. President Donald Trump, who could close the border. Currently, Ontario exports 40 per cent of its garbage to landfills in Michigan and New York State.
North Kent councillors Rhonda Jubenville and Jamie McGrail both took a turn at the podium to urge the community to continue to fight, while recommitting Chatham-Kent's official opposition to the project.
Other speakers included Kent Federation of Agriculture president Jim Brackett and Public Service Alliance of Canada representative Lyle Gall. Both men urged citizens to continue to fight the bill.
