Tens of thousands attend Toronto’s Soupstock, mega-quarry protest

TORONTO – Under sunny skies, tens of thousands of people attended Soupstock on Sunday at Toronto’s Woodbine Park.

The one-day culinary event celebrated locally grown food, prepared by over 200 of North America’s top chefs, and drew attention to a proposed mega-quarry north of the city.

Soupstock, the sequel to 2011’s Foodstock, featured 85 different soup stations and a line-up of musical acts and guest speakers, including Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy, guitarist Jesse Cook, and a roster of local indie talent.

Event organizers estimate that over 40,000 people attended Soupstock, making it the largest event ever to be held at Woodbine Park, and one of the largest culinary celebrations in the country. Participants were encouraged to bring their own bowls and utensils, leaving the park virtually waste-free by the end of the day.

Local farmers and food growers donated over 11,000 lbs. of food in support of Soupstock.

Participating chefs – including Jamie Kennedy, Brad Long, Susur Lee and Donna Dooher – came to Toronto from as far as Boston, the home of the hedge fund that is backing the proposed mega-quarry.

“Having the Boston Chefs Collaborative join Soupstock helps to connect the dots between the money backing the proposed mega-quarry and the landscape of great agricultural, cultural and ecological importance that the project would destroy,” said Faisal Moola director general for Ontario and Northern Canada at the David Suzuki Foundation.

MEGA-QUARRY

In 2006, John Lowndes purchased almost 3,250 hectares of land for Highland Companies, telling local farmers of his plan to start a large co-operative potato farm. Local residents eventually grew suspicious of Highland’s plan for the land.

In 2009, Highland Companies, which is backed by $25-billion Boston hedge fund Baupost Group, held a public meeting where it laid out the company’s proposal for digging a mega-quarry.

The proposed quarry site falls within the region known as Hills of Headwaters. It is currently home to some of Canada’s richest soil. The countryside attracts hundreds of tourists and cottagers every year.

The quarry would stretch over 930 hectares in Melancthon Township. The quarry would be deeper than Niagara Falls, plunging down more than 60 metres. Because the quarry would fall below the water table, 600 million litres of water would be pumped out of the quarry every day, and thousands of 40-tonne trucks would travel on local roads every day, 24 hours a day.

“This quarry plan is unprecedented in our county,” said Moola.

“These watersheds are literally ensuring the health of our communities,” said Moola, adding while there’s no one right way to value our ecosystems, ” …there is a wrong way, and that’s to not value it at all.”

Thousands of letters of objection had been sent to Linda Jeffrey, the province’s Minister of Natural Resources, questioning the science of Highland’s initial application.

Currently, the province is awaiting notification from Highland Companies whether they will participate in the environmental assessment or abandon the project.

SOUPSTOCK

In 2011, 28,000 people attended Foodstock on a potato farm across the road from the proposed quarry site.

This year, critics of the mega-quarry brought their fight to Toronto, boosting attendance to over 40,000 people.

Speaking at an event earlier this month, Stadtländer highlighted the impact this region has on what ends up on Ontarians’ dinner table.

“This land produces 20 pounds of potatoes for every citizen in Toronto,” he said. “And it’s only 100 km away.”

“People drive by this farmland in their BMWs and think it’s just land,” said Stadtländer. “We need to connect people to their food.”

This year, a Niagara region vineyard produced 500 cases of “Stop the Mega-Quarry” wine to be sold in local restaurants.

“Two dollars from every sale will go toward the cause,” said Paul Harber, chef proprietor and brand manager of Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery.

Follow Heather on Twitter @heatherloney