OPIRG-Brock

Born from the previous conservative government in 2003, the Mid-Peninsula Highway is designed to address growing traffic pressures in and around Niagara Region. Plans for the highway, now known as the Niagara to GTA (Greater Toronto Area) Corridor in government documents are for a 130-kilomentere, $1.5-billion superhighway that would run from Fort Erie, through Flamborough and north Burlington, to the GTA. The highway will cut through uncounted farms, houses, business’, wetlands (including the Medad wetland complex, a highly significant environmental feature that would be destroyed), streams and forests. It would also bring urban sprawl pressures to the Niagara Peninsula and the Niagara Escarpment at a scale never experienced before.

After a failed attempt to scope the initial Environmental Assessment (an approach to shorten the analysis of the full environmental impact of the NGTA) in 2003 residents of the Niagara Region put pressure on the government to hold a full, participatory Environmental Assessment (EA) for the planned highway. To check out the Environmental Assessment Study being carried out currently, including upcoming public meetings and the terms of reference on the EA click here

There are a number of groups of folks in the Niagara area that are committed to stop this highway from happening. For more information on the highway please check these groups out:

Coalition Opposed to Paving the Escarpment (COPE)

Coalition on the Niagara Escarpment (CONE)

For excellent information on the land in the Niagara Region and why it is so significant and needs our help to stop this highway, check out PALS (Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society). PALS is based in Niagara but has helped out mahy farmlands across Ontario and Canada to protect prime class 1-3 farmlands. Check them out

A group of students have formed working with the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) at Brock. We are interested in exposing this highway for the short-sighted disastrous project that it is. We want to educate students and the public to create more public resistance. Ultimately we must plan to stop this highway and everything it represents at all costs. We’ll need creative ideas for opposition to the highway if we want to stop this project.

Some ideas we have rigth now, but need volunteers to help carry them forward are:

- A film screening of "Escarpment Blues" and/or "Red Hill Valley"
- A bike/bus/car tour of the areas that will be impacted by this highway
- Following the tour, a photo exhibit displaying what areas will be hurt by this highway
- Petioning outside of the office of the government body doing the environmental assessment in St. Catharines - 30 Hanover Dr., Suite 100. Here, "All relevant study documents will be accessible" from Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. Go in and ask them some questions!
- Write an article to a paper, any paper! Raise your voice!

Stop the sprawl! Resist car culture and paving what little land is left!

To get involved with our group please contact OPIRG-Brock at opirgbru@brocku.ca, 905.688.5550 x4430.