Click poster to open a large .pdf file of the poster.

Gravel Pits: A Threat the Future of Food part of the Healthy Food System series hosted by the Roundtable at the Kitchener Public Library February 23, 2010

About forty people came to this event to hear from three different speakers involved in campaigns to oppose the establishment of gravel pits on prime agricultural land.

Kate Armstrong of the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce described the threat to over 7,500 acres of Ontario's best potato farmland which has been bought up by a company intending to mine it for aggregate.

Tony Dowling of Bridgekeepers described a similar campaign against a proposed pit in Woolwich Township, right beside the West Montrose covered bridge.

Kathy and Barry White of Gravel Watch Ontario spoke about Gravel Watch's role in keeping track of several struggles against gravel pits across the province, and of their own successful experience of opposing a proposed pit in Puslinch Township.

Video

The event opened with the viewing of this 3-minute video by the Toronto Environmental Alliance:

Tony Dowling of Bridgekeepers also showed this video:

Presentations
Here are two .pdf files containing the Power Point presentations delivered by two of the speakers:

Kate Armstrong of NDACT

Tony Dowling of Bridgekeepers

Online Discussion of this issue

We have a topic on the Roundtable's Discussion Forum with links to other sources of information on this issue, and comments by the public.  See and participate in the discussion here.

Mark Reusser, Roundtable member representing the Waterloo Federation of Agriculture, moderating the event