It’s Open Season on our Water

The following has been posted with the permission of the original author ...

Thinking about water now is a real good idea. And I want to share some of my thoughts on water. Before the water diversion project for the Fraserville Secondary Plan became public I never really gave much thought to water. But these days, I think about water a lot; especially, I wonder where exactly does this amazing substance come from. I mean how does it travel or circulate in the environment (the hydrologic cycle) and what’s going on below ground in the aquifer, our water source that supplies Millbrook and many other wells in the community, including my own? Yes, the aquifer, although it is out of sight, is an integral part of the environment too! It’s an amazing although very poorly understood entity.


So, not knowing much, I have been on a quest for the past six months or so to learn more about water and issues around this subject. To do this I’ve traveled to various places in the province and have I met with and discussed water related issues with engineers, geologists, farmers, one of our councilors and other people you meet every day in the municipality and in Peterborough County. In addition, I’ve also benefited from research findings and communications on water issues. These have come to me from many sources, including equally concerned people across Ontario and here in Cavan Monaghan.

I’m a professional geologist who has worked most of his life in the mining industry in Canada, the USA and in various countries in Latin America. People may not realize it but mining is one of the most heavily regulated industries in North America and accordingly I have been involved in environmental assessments (EA) on projects in Minnesota, USA and in northern Ontario. We conduct these sometimes for seemingly trivial reasons, but it’s the law and it’s a good thing.

For the uninitiated, an EA is a kind of study which addresses, among other things, concerns about how proposed operations might affect water on the surface, for example a lake level, or any potential threat of contamination of the environment. In my industry we are required to have regular public consultations with all stakeholders in a community before commencement and during our operations. People come to these public meetings and ask a lot of questions. If their concerns are not properly addressed a permit to operate from Ministry of the Environment (MOE) may not be granted.

The big picture for our industry is increasingly about sustainable development. Will your project be good for the community and can the positive benefits be sustained?

This all leads to my next point; one of my big concerns is that at the municipal level of government in our province decisions are being made relating to the environment that are not consistent with rules established in industry in general. The environment and water issues are equally important everywhere. The idea that the Fraserville water diversion plan qualifies as a grandfathered addendum to an already permitted project is ludicrous. This is an entirely new project from the original concept.

From my perspective there seems to be a double standard; the level of scrutiny in southern Ontario is different where there seems to be the ever present (overpowering) pressure to grow, which is driven by the Ontario Government. This does not make any sense to me, however, this is why we need to be especially watchful and be guardians of our water.

My family and I have lived in this community both in and near Millbrook for about thirty years now and feel very privileged to have settled here. This water diversion project we now face is a very serious matter, which affects us all. We all need to take an interest and get involved and not leave decisions relating to our water solely to our elected officials, who are relying on scientific studies that are of very limited scope.

We should be working with our council to arrive at a proper assessment and get the bigger picture. And our elected officials do have the authority to step back and have another look at the situation. Many individuals have submitted requests for a Level II EA to the MOE and we are now in the review period.

Another level of EA is certainly warranted. For example, there is no reliable baseline environmental data on our watershed area that could be used to gauge the effects of a change in the rate in water extraction over a protracted period. Actually, we don’t yet have a map of the watershed, which would identify all wells, springs, and tributary streams to Baxter Creek. We also don’t have good reliable records of rates of stream flow and levels, and of water temperatures, just to name a few parameters. In short, there is a lot more to learn about our water and any push to divert our water for new development at this time denies this basic fact.

Remember, it’s open season on our water. I’m convinced that a project such as is contemplated to supply water to the Fraserville area through the planned pipeline will ultimately affect both the quantity and the quality of our water. It’s only a matter of time before the effects will be felt.

If you haven’t already, are you willing to step up and be heard? Contact your elected representatives today.

Doug Hunter
RR 2 Millbrook, ON