“I’ve got to apologize, this is the first I’ve heard about it.”
Those are the words from Premier Doug Ford when asked last week about his thoughts on what York1 wants to do with its property on Irish School Road.
The proposal is to run a recycling centre there 24/7, and have the ability to dump 1.6 million cubic metres of waste on site.
That has residents in and around Dresden up in arms.
It also has Chatham-Kent councillors irate, as they unanimously oppose the proposal.
So too do nearby politicos such as Dawn-Euphemia Mayor Al Broad and Lambton County Warden Kevin Marriott.
It has been reported Broad took the matter to Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey, and Chatham-Kent–Leamington MPP Trevor Jones has been asked about the issue repeatedly.
Yes, the riding in which the site is located, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, is without a sitting MPP after Monte McNaughton resigned last year, but that’s two area MPPs receiving an earful.
We find it very hard to believe these guys have not taken this matter up the pipe.
We also find it difficult to believe the government’s web watchers have not clipped stories on this to present to the premier.
Yet, there was Ford saying he knew nothing of what is planned.
Something smells here, about as unpleasant as rotting garbage.
One thing Dresden-area residents can do, however, is take additional comments Ford said and stuff them in their back pocket.
“If the people like something, we do it. If they don’t, we don’t do it.”
If, for whatever reason, York1 gets its approvals prior to the yet-to-be-announced by-election for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, anyone in that riding who is against York1’s plans should not vote Conservative.
Sorry, Steve Pinsonneault, even though you have publicly stated you are against the proposal, as the Conservative candidate, you would be the message.
Now, should the matter be delayed until after the election, that’s a tougher route for voters to follow. We might have to wait until 2026, the next full provincial election, to send a much louder message.
Of course, there is still the chance Ford and the Conservatives listen to the people, as the premier claims he does.
