Outdoor concert lends support for Niagara Escarpment

Burlington, ON — Mount Nemo was rocked last weekend by the Third Annual “I Love the Escarpment Too” benefit concert, supporting local environment group Protecting Escarpment Rural Land (PERL). The intimate outdoor concert featured musical guests Jeremy Fisher, Great Big Sea and Sarah Harmer, co-founder of PERL. Concert goers also heard from Canada’s most notable environmentalist, Dr. David Suzuki.

Hundreds of people joined Dr. Suzuki and the performers in signing the Mount Nemo Declaration, calling on all Halton’s elected officials to protect this revered place.

“It’s been a wonderful day from start to finish. With over 600 people in attendance, raising over $30,000 with the live and silent auctions ‘alone’, PERL received an unbelievable amount of support from the community today,” beamed Sarah Harmer. “I’d like to thank all of our
sponsors,  Matt Hayes, Jeremy Fisher, Great Big Sea, and of course, Dr. David Suzuki for helping PERL make this such a special day for our friends and families. Even the sun came out to help save Mount Nemo!”

Involved in a number of initiatives to save Mount Nemo and protect the Niagara Escarpment from open pit mining, funds raised from the concert will help PERL defeat the Nelson Aggregate license application, which is before the OMB Joint Board, and promote an ecologically sustainable vision for the area.

“Mount Nemo has endured over 100 years of open pit mining,” says Roger Goulet, Executive Director of PERL. “If we are to have anything left for future generations to enjoy, we need the City of Burlington, Halton Region and the provincial government to deny new quarry license
applications within the Niagara Escarpment; and support this community’s development of a 7-generation sustainable Vision for Mount Nemo.” The first sustainability test comes on October 1st with the Conservation Halton Board of Directors deciding on their position
before the Joint Board.

To further this vision, PERL developed and showcased the Mount Nemo Declaration at the benefit concert. The Declaration directly calls on the City of Burlington, Halton Region, the Niagara Escarpment Commission and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to embrace a community inspired 7-generation Vision based on ecologically sustainable principles. Signatories of the Declaration in attendance, including Dr. David Suzuki, were the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance, Environmental Defence, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, Burlington Green and CONE, culminating in an endorsement  celebration on stage in a show of solidarity. Concert goers also signed the Declaration during the event.