Oak Ridges Moraine

The Oshawa Express - September 28, 2011

There is a STORM brewing in the name of saving the Oak Ridges Moraine. On the 10-year anniversary of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM), Earthroots and Ontario Nature have teamed up to raise awareness about the severe threats facing the moraine, known as Southern Ontario’s rain barrel.

“We're pleased to announce the launch of our ‘Moraine Can't Wait’ campaign, which will focus attention on a number of serious issues facing the moraine,” says Debbe Crandall, executive director of STORM. “We can't wait until the 2015 review of the Conservation Plan, during which time these problems will only get worse. We're asking Ontario residents to make the moraine a priority in this provincial election.” The Oak Ridges Moraine extends for 160 kilometres and is north of the Greater Toronto Area, extending through parts of Durham Region.

According to a release, this land formation possesses important prairie, forest and wetland habitats, many of which are a refuge for rare plants, birds and turtles.

The moraine is compared to a rain barrel because it supplies drinking water to more than 250,000 people, the release continues, adding the area is now vulnerable to many threats.
“Unmonitored water taking is one of the most troubling concerns we have about the moraine,” says Josh Garfinkel, senior campaigner with Earthroots. “Millions of litres of water are pumped out of the aquifers every day and millions more leak into the sewage system.” Other threats to the moraine, STORM states, include ongoing development as a result of proposals that were approved before the Conservation Act was passed, dumping fill into abandoned aggregate pits and infrastructure that continues to be built, even in core natural areas. These groups say they are raising awareness about the deficiencies in the Conservation Act and Plan for the moraine in the weeks leading up to the provincial election.

“We need answers now. The Oak Ridges Moraine is one of the most significant green landscapes left in southern Ontario,” adds Crandall. “We cannot sit by and watch it lose any more of its natural values.”