The Connection | Thursday, December 1, 2016 |
14 neWS
Council sides with Snowball residents, against staff advice Tim Kelly tkelly@yrmg.com
It took a lot of time, a lot of talk and a lot of handwringing, but King Township council decided to deny a staff recommendation to approve a building expansion at a controversial Snowball aggregates company Monday night. After impassioned arguments from Snowball residents against the actions of Brock Aggregates, located on Wellington Road West, council appeared to side with them instead of Township planners who said with strict conditions the aggregates company could go ahead with a new, large storage building. The conditions would have included measures to prevent banging of tail gaites, restriction of operation hours and dust-control mitigation such as the installation of sprinklers, which have been promised in the past. But residents and coun-
cillors, like local Councillor Cleve Mortelliti, weren't convinced the measures would have enough of an impact on the business. "I've received so many concerns about this," said Mortelliti. "They (residents) don't think (the restrictions) are going to have an impact... I'm not convinced the dust will stop flying. When I see recommendations about limiting the sound of tailgates hitting trucks, well that's what those things do," he said. Sher St. Kitts, who lives near the aggregates plant, was blunt in her assessment of the impact of the company. "There is noise every day, there are trucks every day. This is bad," she said. And perhaps referencing the staff report but speaking before council voted on the report, St. Kitts said: "Snowball's in the cold when it comes to King Township. We don't matter.
You should rename it to Dustball and be done with it," she said. Mortelliti wondered if council should look at its future development decisions with a more critical idea for the hamlet. "What are we going to do next? Is Snowball going to be industrial or is it going to be residential," said Mortelliti. "Does it make sense to add more residential and to continue to expand more residential (in Snowball)," he said. "I don't think it does. I would try to see us work toward one way or the other. I don't see how it makes sense to add more industrial in this area." It's possible Brock Aggregates may appeal council's decision to the Ontario Municipal Board using King Township's staff report recommending approval as evidence it should have council's decision overturned on appeal by the OMB.
Shopping
Five ways to give gifts with meaning Kim ZarZour kzarzour@yrmg.com The Black Friday weekend kicked off the annual stampede for holiday gifts - but there may be a way to avoid the mall crowds and feel good about your gift-giving, too. This year, why not pick a theme for your holiday sharing and focus on meaningful gifts? Here are some ideas for gifts that give back: ● Look for sustainable gifts that are good for the environment. Choose products with fair trade certification. This represents products that support fair wages, fair working conditions and fair terms for trade. You can also look for the bluesign label to find textiles that are produced with minimal environmental impact. Stores like Mountain Equipment Co-op stock bluesign products that are manufactured responsibly, with lower water and air emissions and a reduced eco footprint. ● Shop local. Try following Danna Schaubel’s lead. The York Region mom posted her vow to buy as many holiday gifts as she can from Facebook friends who own small businesses, and she invited her friends to post links to her page and share on theirs, too.
Metroland file photo
Christmas doesn’t have to be a commercialized shopping frenzy.
● Support your community’s creative industries. Seek out gifts at local wineries, craft breweries, local art studios, or check out the Holiday Artisan Pop-Up Market at the Aurora Cultural Centre, on Saturday Dec. 10. ● Consider gifts that give twice. L’Arche Daybreak’s craft studio, for example, sells high-quality artisan gifts such as candles, ornaments and prewrapped hostess gifts that are handmade by adults with intellectual disabilities. Raising the Roof is a national charity to fight homelessness and sells tuques and mittens each year to raise money
for long-term solutions. Proceeds bought in a community stay in that community. If animals are your thing, you can symbolically adopt your favourite species with a gift of a stuffed animal from WWF-Canada. Check out your favourite charity to see if they have gift options. ● Give your time. Purchase tickets to attend a local theatre production together, or a season’s family pass to Scanlon Creek Conservation Area. Bake a cake or cookies, or make a handmade gift. Alternatively, give your time to those who are in need. For more volunteer opportunities, visit civicyork.ca
Get there this holiday season. Find holiday travel deals and inspiration – just for Canadians! Visit www.travelalerts.ca/holiday
Happy Holidays
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