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www.independentfreepress.com Raiders find the mark in weekend wins 50 cents (+GST) ACTON FREE PRESS Christmas Gift Guide Page 22 Vol. 129 No. 38 8-page section Wednesday, December 6, 2006 52 Pages Circulation 21,220 Voted Ontario's best newspaper INSIDE New council sworn in at inaugural Page 3 Province gives okay for quarry expansion LISA TALLYN Staff Writer After more than a year of waiting for a verdict, the provincial cabinet has given Dufferin Aggregates' Milton quarry expansion the green light. On Friday, the Province dismissed an appeal filed by two environmental groups and three residents opposed to the application, meaning the 83-hectare extension that straddles the Milton/Halton Hills border (in the Town Line/15 Sideroad area) can proceed. Barbara Halsall, past president of Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources (POWER), one of the groups that appealed the June 2005 Joint Board approval of the quarry expansion, called the cabinet decision "very disappointing." "I think it's a huge mistake," said Halsall. "This really violates Escarpment protection." "The purpose of having the Niagara Escarpment Protection and Development Act is to have a continuous natural environment, and when you bisect that, it's no longer continuous. It just boggles my mind that they don't get it." Halsall also said with cabinet's dismissal of the appeal, the provincial Liberals "violated their whole greenbelt strategy." Dufferin Aggregates general manager Bill Galloway was pleased with cabinet's decision to uphold approval of the quarry extension. "All the agencies supported the project, and it fits well with government policy. We agree with the Board's conditions, especially since most of them had already been recommended by the municipalities, the Niagara Escarpment Commission and Conservation Halton," said Galloway in a news release issued Tuesday. See DUFFERIN, pg. 4 LIST WITH A PROVEN PERFORMER ·Same Great Community Website ·Brand New Technology Takin' care of business happenings Pages 20-21 Editorial 6 Rick Bonnette 10 Calendar 15, 18, 24 Business 20-21 Sports 22, 23 Classifieds 28-30 FRIDAY... Mayor Rick Bonnette will outline plans for the coming year at his annual Mayor's Christmas Luncheon set for Thursday at the North Halton Golf and Country Club. For breaking news go to: www.independentfreepress.com Horn of plenty Acton Citizens' Band member Ray Piercy's tuba was all decked out for Christmas during Downtown Acton's Extravaganza Saturday. The festive event included caroling with the band and free carriage rides throughout the downtown. Photo by Shawn McAlpine GEORGETOWN #1 2007 CHEVROLET AVEO SEDAN 1.6 Litre DOHC, 5 Speed Transmission, AM/FM/CD/MPS, P185 14", Front & Rear Floor Mats. $ 12995* yes $19700** yes 46 MPG excludes frt per month No Money Down per gallon STORE Stk #065260 *Frt., admin., taxes & license fee extra ** Lease based upon 48 mo., 80,000 free km, frt., 1st, admin., taxes, lic. fee due on signing 314 Guelph St. 1-866-364-2751 NEW CARS FROM $45/WK. www.sandrabrianceau.com 905877-5165 GEORGETOWN CHEVROLET 33 MOUNTAINVIEW, GEORGETOWN (JUST NORTH OF HWY. #7 ON MOUNTAINVIEW) 905-877-6944