Planned Destruction of Prime Agricultural Land

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Hon. Leona Dombrowsky
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Dear Madam Minister,

This letter refers to a planned destruction of prime agricultural land.

Residents of Cavan-Monaghan Township (County of Peterborough) are heading for serious crisis. The Municipal Council has been pushing for a huge development in Fraserville, a small hamlet which is also a home to Kawartha Slots and Race Track. The plan is to build close to 700 residential units, another golf course (in addition to an existing one in the same location), restaurants, hotels, industry, strip malls, expand the Slots and add an Entertainment Centre etc. At the moment the area has neither services, nor infrastructure, there is no available water source and it is Class 1 – 3 agricultural land which will be destroyed and paved over in the process. At the time when the agricultural land is disappearing very quickly in Southern Ontario, this kind of development will add to overwhelming destruction which contradicts the trend of growing our food close to home. It will also irreparably affect the small, family operated farms. In addition, the near areas are the environmentally sensitive wetlands and a natural heritage corridor.

It is a typical urban sprawl which the Ontario Government is trying to stop through the Places to Growth Act.

I hope to get your attention and get your help in preserving this unique area located just 1 hour drive from Toronto.

Thank you for reading this letter

Sincerely,

Eva Hans-Bykhovsky