Gilead, MOE and CanWEA are desperate to kill/harm/harass PECFN’s Ostrander Point win

Please don’t kill/harm/harass me

Rick Conroy, editor of The Times, had lots to say this past week about the bizarre situation of Prince Edward Field Naturalists’ having to fight the combined forces of Gilead Power Corporation, the Ministry of the Environment and now the Canadian Wind Energy Association, in order to protect its win on the Ostrander Point project.  To describe PECFN as the underdog would be one of the great understatements of the year.

Gilead and its buddies MOE and CanWEA are making a desperate attempt to salvage the Ostrander Point project via an appeal to the Divisional Court which:

1. Argues that the ERT exceeded its jurisdiction in second-guessing MNR’s approval to kill/harm/harass Blanding’s turtle;
2. Attempts to introduce new evidence (normally not allowed in an appeal) — namely, to install a series of lockable gates to reduce road mortality;
3. Introduces Big Brother CanWEA as an intervenor to help run up PECFN’s legal bills even further.

Most contemptible of all, Gilead is asking the court to make PECFN pay its (Gilead’s) legal costs for the appeal.  Q: Have they no shame?  A: Of course they don’t.

You can read the full story here: http://wellingtontimes.ca/?p=10302 and Rick’s editorial at http://wellingtontimes.ca/?p=10321 .

County residents and nature lovers from near and far have generously supported PECFN, and so far $117,463 has been raised to cover legal costs for the ERT appeal.  The largest donation to date was from County government, which provided a grant of $20,000 following PECFN’s ERT win.  Way to go, Shire Hall!

But most amounts received — donations and purchases — are modest. Many donations at $100, quite a few at $200 or $250, some larger, some smaller.  PECFN’s latest fundraiser was the sale of custom-made winter floral arrangements at $15 to $50 each, which added about $2,000 to the legal fund.

This small group of intrepid fighters now needs tens of thousands dollars more to defend its win at the upcoming Divisional Court appeal, scheduled to be heard in Toronto on Jan 21-24, 2014.

We are nearing Christmas.  Will you consider adding PECFN to your gift list?  Are you able to donate a single amount of $52, equivalent to $1 per week for a year?  Or maybe even $104?  But any amount will be greatly appreciated.

You can send your Christmas gift to PECFN by clicking on the Donate to PECFN button on the right hand side of this page, or by mailing a cheque to Ostrander Point Appeal Fund, 59 King Street, Unit 2, Picton, ON  K0K 2T0.

Lets all do our bit to ensure that PECFN has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!