Bradford Bypass Opposition continues…
In November 2021, the Innisfil Town Council, along with other municipalities in the Lake Simcoe watershed, voted NOT to support the Bradford Bypass. This was reflected in similar dissent from all of the environmental organizations in Ontario (including the Innisfil District Association), demanding a thorough, up-to-date environmental review.
Nonetheless, the Government of Ontario has ignored these concerns and the laws in place to protect the watershed and is plunging ahead with their bypass project. But despite the holiday slow-down, those of us pushing back at the Ford government continued to work against the project throughout December.
Most recently, the Ford government received a letter from Gary Machan, the project lead for the Community Health Climate Action Initiative – Ontario, president of the regional Canadian International Council and member of Just Recovery Simcoe. Adding to the wealth of documented evidence showing why the bypass will be detrimental and not a positive development as the government claims, Machan raises the issue of climate change. In part his letter reads:
“Based on the Ford government’s persistence in proceeding with the Bradford Bypass despite concerns from municipalities and local residents alike, it is becoming abundantly clear that they didn’t get the CODE RED ALERT issued this summer from the International Panel on Climate Change that our planet is in peril.
“Meaning we can no longer carry-on business as usual if we are to have any hope at all of surviving the weather extremes and whiplash already wreaking havoc in our country…
“…if we truly want to address climate change in a meaningful way, it means we need to get less auto dependent, not more. And in so doing, embrace the principles of Smart Growth, knowing that study after study demonstrates that not only does this lead to a higher quality of life and wellbeing for residents, it is a lot lighter on the pocket book as well.
“Might I be so bold as to suggest that the Bradford Bypass be a defining issue at the next provincial election? …Cutting commuting time for a few years until the highways clog up again, lining the pockets of some wealthy developers [and] spending money we don’t have, or embarking on an entirely new direction that is grounded in reality and proposes a model of governance that doesn’t pride itself in being an evidence-free zone.”
Environmental Defense recently placed an ad on Tor.Star calling on the Ontario government to change direction and listen to its constituency. You can learn more about the Bradford Bypass, as well as add your voice to the swell of concern at savedontpave.ca. Additional evidence can be found at the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition rescuelakesimcoe.org.