I have been blogging about sewage for years.  

It’s an important topic but, understandably, few of us want to talk about it.

Last year, with a Provincial election around the corner, the Ford Government paused York Region’s plans for a new wastewater treatment facility in East Gwillimbury. The Environment Minister, David Piccini, told the Legislative Assembly the Region’s plans were stale. He wanted a team of experts to look at the issue afresh and come up with recommendations. (Graphic: the project as described by York Region)

On 7 October 2021, he told MPPs:

“The proposal provided by York region in 2014 calls for a new waste-water treatment facility to be built in the town of East Gwillimbury. It would treat about 40 million litres of sewage per day. York region refers to this facility as a water reclamation centre and its process would involve four levels of treatment for waste-water, including microfiltration and reverse-osmosis waste-water treatment technology. This is leading-edge technology and its use in the Upper York Sewage Solutions project would be a first for Canada. The project also involves off-setting programs for phosphorus to reduce phosphorus through a variety of stormwater measures, such as retrofitting existing stormwater management ponds through the Lake Simcoe watershed.”

“If passed, this bill will lay the framework, and this government will establish an expert advisory panel to dig into the options and their associated bodies of water and advise on the best possible solutions. I look forward to the expertise they will bring in a variety of areas, including land use planning and waste water infrastructure.”

So, we wait to see what they come up with. 

The treated wastewater either goes up to Lake Simcoe or down to Lake Ontario. It could also be used for irrigation.

Gotta go

But its gotta go somewhere.

As it happens, at an event a few weeks ago I found myself at the same lunch table as my new MPP, Dawn Gallagher-Murphy.

I delicately ask her what her views are on the North York Sewage Solutions project.

She says she will follow the recommendations of the “expert panel”.

I tell her:

“No! No! No! You cannot sub-contract your judgement to a so-called panel of experts when you haven’t read their report or their recommendations.”

Surely, being an MPP means more than organising Corn Roasts and BBQs and cheering from the sidelines.

She should have a view on this critically important policy issue. Even if it is only provisional.

A blank stare is not really good enough.

Gordon Prentice 20 October 2022