Home Community P.A.R. AGM: The Fight Against the Aerodrome Goes Another Round

packed house horizontal_web — P.A.R. AGM, Lions Community Hall, Nov 26

P.A.R. AGM: The Fight Against the Aerodrome Goes Another Round

November 27, 2024

By Angie Sullivan

An Aerodrome update and a return to advocacy were hot topics at the Pefferlaw Association of Ratepayers (P.A.R) Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, November 26.

Steve Shallhorn, president of P.A.R., began the meeting by redefining the organization’s focus. They are returning to full-time advocacy. In previous years, the group has run popular events such as a family picnic in August, the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, and the Easter Scavenger Hunt.

Shallhorn said, “The Pefferlaw Lions Club is doing a wonderful job with public events and we have decided to stay in our lane with advocacy.”

P.A.R. was originally established in 1978 with the focus of bettering the community and advocating for residents. Shallhorn explained that if anyone in the region is interested in joining the board, there are still positions available, and the commitment is approximately nine meetings a year.

Treasurer Linda Harrison, President Steve Shallhorn & Advocacy Chair Karen Wolfe

Karen Wolfe, advocacy chair for P.A.R., updated participants on various issues including the 2025 budget and the subject of the proposed Baldwin East Aerodrome, slated to be built on Old Homestead Rd. One of the concerns is that the property could see 1.2 million cubic meters of fill dumped on environmentally protected lands.

Wolfe said, “We have spent over three years fighting this project and have a mountain of evidence to support the fact that it is not in the public interest.”

P.A.R. reported a recent win against one of the aerodrome property owners and shut down the proponent’s ability to operate a Waste Transfer Site.

Wolfe explained, “Mr. Wilf Goldlust received a Certificate of Approval/Compliance to operate a Waste Transfer Site in Toronto. These are known to be the feedstock of materials that are dumped on receiving sites. We appealed due to his past performance and multiple charges, convictions, and fines for dumping contaminated waste materials. As a result, the certificate was revoked.”

Treasurer Linda Harrison said, “We have over $14,000 in the bank to fight the Aerodrome.”

Anyone interested in learning more about the association can email pefferlawpar@gmail.com, or visit their Facebook page.