Open letter to MPP Sylvia Jones

OUR READERS WRITE

As you must be aware, many Caledon residents of my acquaintance, as well as myself, have been dismayed by your failure to participate in, much less represent, the best interests of your constituents, many of whom are your friends and neighbours.

There is no doubt that Caledon is facing a tsunami of issues that threaten to disrupt and, in some cases, destroy residents' ability to live, work, travel and recreate in the healthy, safe environment that we aspire to.

Caledon is facing significant expansions of existing aggregate mines, an application for a blasting quarry, an unprecedented flooding of local and regional roads (especially Highway 10, Charleston Sideroad, Airport Road and Highway 50) by aggregate trucks (my analysis discovered an increase of some 1800 trucks per day on Charleston Sideroad if the Votorantim application is approved), a rise in commuter traffic of a minimum of 1000 cars per day as a result of new housing developments in Erin, sewage disposal into the West Credit River at the Wellington/Peel border, a new housing target that speeds up development and will lead to sprawl and, when combined with the anticipated downloading of regional roads to the municipality, is expected to result in Caledon's taxes rising to levels that while crippling to residents will,  according to a Deloitte report, result in the municipality becoming non-viable economically.

Meanwhile, our system of wetlands and water-course management systems put together by our conservation authorities, supported by many governments for decades and the result of a huge investment by taxpayers is being systematically dismembered. The result will be a dramatic reduction in water quality that will affect people and wildlife alike both from a health and economic perspective.

All this (and more) to say nothing of the impact of a major 400 series highway cutting across the Peel Plain that many experts agree will not solve the gridlock problem but will have a negative impact on the environment, will reduce the quality of life of local residents, will cause the permanent loss of prime agricultural land, enrich developers on a scale unheard of in our history and will cost taxpayers yet more.

And throughout all this turmoil, you have remained all but unreachable even by Caledon residents who considered you a friend. It is your duty as our Provincial Member of Parliament to act in the best interests of your constituents. To do so, you need to be present, approachable and ensure the government of this province cares for Caledon and Dufferin. Rather than doing that, by all appearances, you have thrown your community, your home, your environment and your constituents to the wolves, and man are they having a field day in the riding you have abandoned. Where, I ask, is Sylvia Jones?

I request that you hold a series of townhall meetings with constituents to discuss the dire situation we are in and to come up with steps we can take collectively to protect and preserve the place we love and call home.

Nicola Ross

Alton