Marty_tries_again

Jeff Green | Jul 20, 2006

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Marty tries again

by JeffGreen

Marty Cadieux has been nothing if not persistent. Since purchasing land in Tay Valley a couple of years ago, Cadieux has been attempting to get a prospecting company, Graphite Mountain, to fill in some two-metre deep trenches that they dug on his land over many years as they exercised their rights as the holders of a mining claim. Cadieux called in officials from the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM) last week for a repeat visit. When MNDM visited in the spring of 2005, Graphite Mountain voluntarily agreed to fill in the trenches, but they missed a few when they came last year. Cadieux wanted MNDM officials to see what was left.

“These are a real safety hazard,” Marty said as showed the remaining trenches to Tevin Cranston and Pam Sangster from the MNDM.

Cadieux invited members of the Citizens Mining Action Group, a land holders’ rights group that sprung up as the result of the activities of Graphite Mountain , as well as Marilyn Crawford from the Bedford Mining Alert, members of council from Tay Valley Township , including chair of Mississippi Valley Conservation, Mark Burnham, and members of the media. An impromptu press conference took place in the edge of Cadieux’s bush on July 12. Maureen Towaij from Tay Valley Township Council expressed frustration that some of the efforts she has undertaken to affect the political process have not translated into MNDM practice, and Marilyn Crawford insisted that damage to properties and the environment from mining exploration are going to be cleaned up.

Cranston and Sangster were not in a position to answer most of the questions posed of them, since they had the task of analysing the trenches and reporting back to their superiors at the ministry, but the observers on the scene wanted to take the opportunity to send messages up the line to the ministry leadership.