THIS IS A COMMUNITY APPEAL - Why this quarry expansion affects all of us in Mount Uniacke

Why the Quarry Expansion affects all of us in Mount Uniacke ----- we often talk about community-----what it means, what holds us together, and how we look out for our neighbours and would want them looking out for us...that is what community is..... OR, at least it used to be. We didn't need our neighbours' problems to be ours in order to want to help them. For many of you reading this, you may wonder what all the fuss is about. You may see the steady stream of social media posts....asking you to sign a petition, write an email, take an Action Step------and think, "Why are people so worked up over a quarry?" After all, quarries are everywhere aren't they?---we need them!-- don't we? YES -- to all of these questions. We already have several others in and near Mount Uniacke , plus asphalt and A community Appeal: Why This Quarry Expansion Affects ALL of us in Mount Uniacke, we often talk about community---what it means, what holds us together, and how we look out for our neighbours and would want them looking out for us---that is what community is. Or, at least it used to be!!!!

We didn't need our neighbours' problems to be ours, to want to help them. For many of you reading this, you may wonder what all the fuss is about. You may see the steady stream of social-media posts --asking you to sign a petition, write an email, take an Action Step -- and think, WHY ARE PEOPLE SO WORKED UP OVER A QUARRY? After all, quarries are everywhere -- aren't they? We need them -- don't we? Yes -- to all of these questions. We already have several others in and around Mount Uniacke, plus asphalt and cement plants -- and you rarely hear a whisper about them. That, dear readers, is precisely the point -- because those other industrial operations are not situated where this one is. They are not causing the harm to people or to the environment that this quarry - in this specific location - is causing. Our Municipality receives no steady stream of complaints about those other sites. But this Mount Uniacke Quarry? This one is different. This one has a long and troubling history, a pattern of adverse community impacts environmental concerns, and government inaction that has brought us to where we are today. That, dear reader, is why you keep hearing about the quarry everywhere you turn. As someone in a socil-media post recently commented - "it's like Ground Hog Day - every time I visit this site". To those of you in our community who this bothers - please read on and take a walk in our shoes - then, perhaps you'll better understand what we're up against.

A COMMUNITY APPEAL - Why This Quarry Expansion Affects All of Us In Mount Uniacke. We often talk about community - it means, what holds us together, and how we look out for our neighbours and would wanat them looking out for us -- that is what community is all about. Or, at least, it used to be. We didn't need our neighbours' problems to be ours in order to want to help them. For many of you reading this, you may wonder what all the fuss is about. You may see the steady stream of social-media posts-----asking you to sign a petition, write an email, take an Action Step and think - A Community Appeal: Why this Quarry Expansion Affects ALL of us in Mount Uniacke. We often talk about community - what it means, what holds us together, and how we look out for our neighbours and would want them looking out for us - that is what community is - OR at least is used to be. We didn't need our neighbours' problems to be ours in order to want to help them. For many of you reading this, you may wonder what all the fuss is about. You may see the steady stream of social-media posts - asking you to sign a petition, write an email, take an Action Step - and think - Why are people so worked up over a quarry? After all, quarries are everywhere -- aren't they? -- we need them -- don't we? Yes -- to all of these questions. We already have several others in and near Mount Uniacke, plus asphalt and cement plants -- and you rarely hear a whisper about them. That, dear readers, is precisely the point. Because those other industrial operations are not situated where this one is. They are not causing the harm to people or to the environment that this quarry - in the specific location -- is causing. Our Municipality receives no steady stream of complaints about those other sites. But this Mount Uniacke Quarry? This one is different. This one has a long and troubling history pattern of adverse community impacts, environmental concerns, and government inaction that has brought us to where we are today. That, dear read, is why you keep hearing about this quarry everywhere you turn. As someone in a social-media post recently commented: "It's like Ground Hog Day -- every time I visit this site". To those of you in our community who this bothers - please read on and take a walk in our shoes - then perhaps you'll better understand it better. Understanding what your neighbours are living with first, to understand, we were all here long before our government allowed this quarry to encroach upon our neighbourhoods ten years ago. For many residents, life living near the quarry is not simply an inconvenience -- it shapes every part of our daily living. You may not live in one of the five residential areas closest to the site. You may never hear the blasts, feel the vibrations, or worry about cracks appearing in your home and walls, foundations, floors or windows. Your well water may never have been affected. You may not have had to wonder who would cover the cost - if it ever was - knowing there is no government remediation program to help. Life is hard enough in today's economic times - just trying to keep ahead of the regular stuff and thankfully you may not live along Uniacke Mines Road, where some residents have spent the last decade living with a level of dust and disruption most of us would find unimaginable. But for a moment, please imagine what daily lifei is like for your neighbours who do. Imagine living where you cannot open your windows on a beautiful spring or summer day -- to let in the fresh air breezes because you know it'll be laden with road / quarry dust. Where you cannot sit outside in your own yard, or hang your laundry on the line. Where you're forced to wash your home's exterior and windows far more often than anyone should ever have to. Imagine owning a heat pump or HVAC system that needs constant cleaning because the dust -- stirred up by an already parade of dump trucks on a gravel road -- clogs the very equipment meant to keep your home healthy. Now, imagine that this dust contains silica dust (because it does). Silica, a known carcinogen. It's classified as a group 1 carcinogen of the lung by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Imagine already having a respiratory condition and watching it worsen. Or imagine having no breathing issues at all until ten years of this exposure changed that. There are residents living on this road at this moment with such health issues and their health is worsening, most likely because of this. They are elderly and cannot just up and leave and why should they have to? -- When this has been their home for decades, long before a lawless corporation set their sites on that parcel of land for their own corporate aspiration and profit. Thank you for taking the time to read, reflect, and consider what life is like for those living closest to the quarry and along the Uniacke Mines Road. A strong community is one where nobody is left to face a challenge alone. How You Can Stay Informed and Support Your Community - this is not just a neighbourhood issue. This is a Community issue. If you are interested in supporting your neighbours, please consider writing to the Minister of Environment.

Contact information on Uniacke Newsletter web site.