Letters to the Editor
New Grainboys by-law elicits angry letters from Goodwood residents
On Tuesday morning, mere hours after the special council meeting at the Uxbridge Arena regarding the Grainboys Holdings Inc. application for re-zoning in Goodwood, the inbox at the Cosmos was filled with letters from those present at the meeting. We are not able to publish all the letters in this print edition of the paper; however, the rest of the letters can be found online at thecosmos.ca
Please note that, as always, some letters have been edited for length, and the opinions/observations expressed below are those of the letter writer(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Uxbridge Cosmos. The letters printed here were randomly chosen to fit the space.
I have been a resident of Goodwood for 16+ years now; I have nothing “good” to say about the Township of Uxbridge. Over the years we’ve had our fair share of conflict with this township, but yesterday evening takes the cake!
It’s really sad to see how the mighty dollar wins over the safety and well- being of the taxpaying residents of Goodwood. It was evident that the councillors had made their decision and avoided making eye contact with the audience, because they knew they had sold their souls to the devil! It was nothing but a orchestrated charade! So much for democracy! It was literally dictated to us!
Highlights of the meeting: the derogatory comments made by Pam Beach accusing the public of having being bullied and being caused undue stress in front of 200 people!
The Fire Chief, Phil Alexander, laughing when questions arose from the public which he couldn’t answer! I don’t find any of this amusing and definitely not respectful to the public, who pays his salary!
Liz Howson – why is this woman still working?! I heard someone shout “Who paid you, Liz?” She certainly did not seem to be working for us, the residents and taxpayers.
Gary Ruona, who represents Ward 2 but lives in Ward 1, one word – traitor!
Gord Highet and Bruce Garrod – they were sympathetic and understanding, then voted ‘yes’ anyway.
Final and closing thoughts – may God protect this beautiful hamlet known as Goodwood from the evil snares and wickedness of the Township of Uxbridge Council.
Laura Demma
Goodwood
Dave Barton put on quite a show last night at the council meeting, trying to pass off the Grainboys facility as a wholesome agriculture facility that would greatly help all the “hundreds” of farmers in the area.
It is NOT an agriculture facility, it is a large industrial facility and will bring with that all the problems that putting an industrial plant in a residential area would obviously present. There are going to be [multiple] silos which are six stories tall and will be in operation from six a.m. to midnight.
If this facility belonged on the Moraine, there would not be a need to re-zone. There are other close-by locations where this plant could build that are not in a residential area and so close to existing businesses that could be gravely affected by this industrial plant.
It is with such arrogance and no common sense Dave Barton and the council refuse to address properly the concerns of the residents and businesses in the area.
Janice & Dave Harvey
Goodwood
The whole special council meeting last night was totally predetermined and the exchange was one-sided.
The experts were not credible and not in control of the facts, the mayor asked for respect, yet none shown to the audience to participate/ask questions, as the result the residents of Goodwood had no opportunity to raise the questions.
I’m curious what kind of business hazard it would take for Council to ever say “NO”?
I’m really disappointed with the mayor and council. The only right I have now is to move away from Goodwood; my new house hunting starts from today. It’s unfortunate, as I love Goodwood and have lived here over 15 years.
Becky Quanxin Comer
Goodwood
I don’t know why Uxbridge Council decided that it was appropriate to allow farmers to have the last word before voting to approve the Grainboys proposal. Their comments had nothing to do with the reason such a large crowd turned out to witness the vote. I doubt that anyone there took issue with the farmers’ point of view, but those farmers weren’t addressing the concerns of the audience. The real problem is not WHY allow a grain processing operation, but WHERE it should be located. Of all the open spaces in this township that would be highly suitable for locating an agriculturally related industry, this Council is happy to rezone a parcel of land on the edge of a village. Could there be any place less suitable?
Eleanor Todd
Goodwood
It may be appropriate that Schitt’s Creek is filmed in Goodwood, as last night’s council meeting showed how to treat the residents’ concerns like Schitt and how council really operates.
Yes, it was apparent from the start which way the vote would go, as councillors would not even make eye contact with the residents and the stage was set with an agenda that was very one sided.
Council could have voted “NO” and turned down the proposed rezoning, forcing the owners to appeal at LPAT, therefore showing residents that they had at least listened to their concerns and had used “COMMON SENSE.”
Once again, a grain mill is a good thing and business is good, but the location is totally inappropriate, dangerous and a high risk. At least we can give credit to council for orchestrating a one directional meeting and for being united.
Farmers are the backbone of our communities and they are the hardest working families you will ever find, so no one should ever say any disparaging words about them. The farmer that presented was correct in stating that all the costs from carbon tax to trade deals have affected them negatively, as it has many businesses in Canada. The reality is that this is the wrong location to put in an industrial processing facility that is a “high hazard” risk for explosion. When we do not mitigate risk and something tragic happens, all the apologies in the world cannot correct poor decisions.
Mark Josephs
Goodwood
I Googled democracy: “Democracy -a system of government by the whole population…”
I think not.
It was quite disheartening to see the one-sided presentation last night. Why were the public even invited if they were to have no say? It doesn’t make sense. I do not feel the public were respected or represented.
Trish Irven
Goodwood
What a performance at Uxbridge Council meeting, held April 8, at the Uxbridge Arena!
As the meeting progressed, one had to wonder if the mayor and his troupe had orchestrated and staged this production under the ruse of what was supposed to have been a fair and objective Council meeting. Instead, it proved to be nothing more than a farce.
The meeting began with Mayor Dave Barton stating there would be many present that would be unhappy with Council’s decision regarding Zoning By-law amendment for Grainboys Holdings Inc., at 351 Regional Road 47, Goodwood. It was dreadfully clear at that point that Council’s decision had been made.
Despite the passionate pleas, numerous submissions and concerted efforts by residents to convey their objections and concerns to Council regarding the Applicant locating in Goodwood, the mayor and council voted in favor of the Applicant.
Well done! The residents of Goodwood applaud you for fooling us all into believing we had elected a Council that would represent and perform on our behalf.
Council knew it was trading the wishes, and indeed the well-being and safety, of Goodwood residents for industrial tax dollars.
In the end, sadly, there was just a mass exodus of many outraged spectators who had hoped for a more positive outcome.
Anastasia Takeda
Goodwood
Last night’s meeting for the Grainboys [re-zoning] application was disconcerting. This decision was already made by council and the meeting was just something they did to say they informed the community. The mayor knew that it was a heated topic and that people were going to speak out. Why did they allow the farmers to speak? The farmers had numerous times to present themselves in front of council to present the reasons for having such a facility in close proximity to their farms. If that’s what they wanted, why didn’t they petition Grainboys to buy land even closer to their farms instead of having it rezoned and placed in the middle of a residential area. According to the mayor, the farmers called last week and were granted the ability to speak in front of the community last night. We were not allowed to state our view to the council and farmers.
Now, my argument is not that farmers be allowed to produce their grains and have a mill close by. My argument is, why it is being allowed close to houses and major subdivisions? This is not acceptable.
As one woman told the mayor last night, her backyard backs onto this area. She spent extra money for a walkout so that she could enjoy her backyard and the nature around her. What is she going to look at when she sits there? She is going to hear noise, see huge silos and dust coming from the facility. The mayor answered her that he has seen areas where industrial parks are abutting the backyards of subdivisions and the people there don’t even realize that it’s there.
We pay $9-10,000 in property taxes in the area of Ridge Road subdivision. Is this what we are paying for? Council is so hellbent on pushing through this application with no benefit to the community living in this area, meaning employment for the community, safety from potential fire and explosion threat and health and well-being.
Also, with the potential of increased fire hazard, our house insurance will increase. By the time the Stouffville fire department comes to the scene, our houses would be burnt to the ground and we would possibly have human casualties from any explosion. It sounds dramatic but the potential is there! The fire marshall couldn’t even give us the reaction time should there be fire or explosion in the area.
The one good thing is that there are stipulations made by the planner that the Grainboys have to abide by in order for their plan to come to fruition. Those stipulations put things on hold for now. I asked the mayor if these reports would be made to the public so that we could review them before the “hold” is lifted. He assured me that they would be disclosed.
Having said that and with all that has transpired, do we really trust the people on this council? My answer is that it is unlikely that we could.
Another reason for the “Yes” answer last night is the council didn’t want it to go to LPAT because they would have to flip the bill for lawyers. Too much money and they would lose control of the project. I hope if that is the case that they will advocate for the residents that live nearby. Again, confidence in that is quite low.
I would like to also state that the council showed no respect towards the constituents of this township. We had Pam Beach stating that the community was bullying her and stressing her out. We were told that the meeting was being held to explain and present the final outcome and that councillors were only allowed to ask questions to those presenting but the community was squashed anytime they spoke out to defend their position about this application. Most of the council was attentive to the presentations but I noticed that Councillor Snooks only had eyes for his cell phone and didn’t look at all interested in what was being said. I made a small nonverbal comment agreeing with the comment on increases on house insurance premiums and he looked at me straight in the eye and shook his head and tried to silence me. Is this a democracy where one cannot even nonverbally agree with someone’s comment?
Just remember council, we voted you in. We pay your salary through our taxes and because of this we expect more respect and transparency then you gave us last night. After all, just as the farmers have an investment for their future, this is our investment for a good future too!
Antonietta Tripodi
Goodwood
To the residents of Goodwood: I stand with you.
It wasn’t fair that the special council meeting was staged to favour the application. It wasn’t fair that you didn’t have a chance to speak. It wasn’t right that other than two councillors, no one else had the courage to speak up and be counted. It wasn’t right that one of the councillors didn’t know what he was voting for and had to be coached (told). I (as a resident of Uxbridge) am sure glad that your councillor is not my councillor.
You did everything possible to show this council that we support our farmers and want them to prosper but not at that location.
You did everything possible to highlight the fact (with facts) that with this facility being classified as a high hazard occupancy location, it brings many fire risks. Our fire chief said nothing to give us the confidence that between Stouffville and Uxbridge, a catastrophic fire would be contained quickly and with no residual damage to the surrounding neighborhood.
I am not proud of what I saw and heard last night; we still have a long way to go with elected officials who claim to want to do the best thing for Uxbridge Township.
Jim Lazenka
Uxbridge
Yesterday’s meeting was so disappointing to the people of the Goodwood community. As a society we talk so much about democracy, environmental protection, human rights, and yet here we are: we voted for people to be our representatives in Uxbridge township but they did not care about our opinion regarding future development in the Goodwood area.
Putting emotions aside and focusing on the potential fire hazard – compare the existing location of Port Royal Mills with the proposed one for the Grainboys’ mills. Aurora has two fire stations close to the existing facility. One is 500 meters away, the other is four kilometers away, on Wellington St. There are also train track barriers in case of fire in this industrial park. No farm land with grass to spread the fire, no residential houses close by the facility.
In our case, [the new facility will be] 12 kilometers away from the closest fire station with part-time firefighters and volunteers. Our chief of the fire department, with a smile on his face, was at least very honest because he practically said to us that everything possible will be done in case of an explosion; just don’t expect much based on resources.
In other words – people of Goodwood! Better start praying now for the future!
Tamara Mologuina
Goodwood
Who is thy neighbour? The question is simple. But deep in the answer lays the essence of civility and civilization. It is the common thread of great communities, great societies and great governments. In Goodwood, one of our great neighbours is Conrad Richter, owner of Richter’s herbs. This business has become a North American icon for herbs and other agricultural products. It’s been here for 50 years, and has been providing employment, paying taxes and building our community and character ever since.
Did the Town consider the neighbour principle when it voted to approve Grainboys? Some will suggest NIMBYism, but the rational view is NIABYism; it doesn’t belong in Anyone’s backyard. Grainboys is a mill, and by all definitions, is industrial. It came from industrial lands, and it needed to relocate to industrial-zoned lands.
When you forsake your neighbour, you have forsaken yourself.
David O’Leary
Goodwood
What a disappointing meeting yesterday regarding the Grainboys and theirpending request to move an industrial company into the rurally zoned beautiful hamlet of Goodwood.
It seems that something has been pushed through at the municipal offices of the Township of Uxbridge. The mayor and councillors have not taken into consideration the beautiful hamlet they are willingly going to destroy by allowing the Grainboys company to set up an industrial-sized operation in a tiny hamlet. Not only will the additional truck traffic be hazardous to the residents of Goodwood (where numerous families live with small children) but will also be dangerous with most truck traffic not abiding by the stated speed limits.
The product they will also be bringing in will contaminate our water supply and our health! What about the rodents it will bring to the area? What about the trucks driving along Hwy. 47 until all hours of the night? GOODWOOD RESIDENTS DO NOT DESERVE THIS!
Where do the voices of the ratepayers come into all of this?
A survey was also sent around and almost all residents who moved here after the zoning was put in place have said they will move if this company moves into Goodwood!
If the taxpayers don’t have a voice and our own municipality does not listen to their residences where does that leave the residents of GOODWOOD?
STOP THE GRAIN BOYS MOTION TO MOVE INTO GOODWOOD!
Elaine Galley
Goodwood
We are so disappointed in our council and the insulting and arrogant performance they put on tonight [Monday] before they slapped us in the face again. First it was the blatant disregard for us by not informing the Goodwood community back in June of last year about this proposal, and now totally disregarding all the logical concerns about the placement of this grain mill.
The implications that we are against farmers in the area is ridiculous and proves that council has not been listening to our concerns. I spoke with the farmers who showed up tonight (most of whom were not from this area) and they were not fully informed of the situation. They were led to believe we were fighting against the grain mill in the Uxbridge area, which of course is not the case. The fight is to put it in the appropriate area away from residential communities. As they explained to me and as I understand, these farmers are currently using a “broker” firm in Stouffville to source out grain mills which they will continue to do so even when this mill is in the Uxbridge area. It is quite a stretch to say this mill will be such a benefit to the farmers in our area and a bit of a political smoke and mirror show.
The close proximity to the homes in Goodwood make all the concerns regarding well water interference, noise disturbances, increase of truck traffic, pollution, pesticides used in the grains and processing, rodent control, fire hazard, not to mention the high risk of explosive material as evidenced in reports provided to the council, poor proximity to fully staffed fire stations…
The planner clearly acknowledged these were all real concerns but they are “working with the company” to deal with them. Why? Why not relocate to an area that would lessen the concern of these issues? Why does this company have to be located in this spot on the Moraine where re-zoning is necessary? Why not put it in an area already zoned for it? Many of the reports from this company have been contradictory and confusing so why would we believe they will meet any of the so-called requirements. Once they are established and they are running their operation from 6 a.m. to midnight, is it really going to be shut down if they increase their traffic, if the noise gets increasingly louder? What if weeds do get in and destroy the neighbouring business, what if our wells are affected, what if there is an explosion as there has been at other grain processing facilities?
It is a blatant disregard for the residents of Goodwood who overwhelming oppose this location and for a long-standing business located right next door that does business all over the world and puts Uxbridge on the map, so to speak. This business is held to strict federal laws regarding weed contamination, which this new grain facility clearly is not held up to, and it is a real threat to infecting this long-standing Uxbridge business. Council’s answer is to appoint someone to monitor the situation. Don’t they know once it’s here, it’s probably too late? Why are they so interested in allowing this re-zoning for a business that is so questionable to their current tax payers when the answer is to relocate it in an appropriate area?
Janice Harvey
Goodwood
Standing on the outside looking in on the proceedings appear to be bush league at best. There are obvious oversight missteps by council and the process of the town. Anyone who lives in Goodwood would know we have a huge commercial traffic problem – does it really make sense to make this even more unbearable?
Brian Yee
Uxbridge