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Residents of North Frontenac Township say they won’t pay their property taxes until the township council takes a stand on uranium mining in the region.
At least three area homeowners have already withheld payment, said John Kittle, 61, of Snow Road. Now, some people are vowing not to pay their next bill come October.
“This will certainly deliver a strong message to council,” said Mr. Kittle. “We’re hoping this will force them to petition the province on this issue.”
Mr. Kittle lives 15 kilometres north of Sharbot Lake, not far from where an Oakville-based mining company, Frontenac Ventures, hopes to drill.
The entrance to the proposed 5,000-hectare site has been blocked by the Algonquin First Nation since late June, which have refused to leave despite an injunction demanding they do so. Their stand spurred a heated fight over land ownership, the environment and economic development.
Unless the township council “takes a stand” in the dispute, taxes will go unpaid, Mr. Kittle said.
“I’ve sent out e-mails to a bunch of other people in the area,” he said. “A lot of people are interested and I think some will follow suit.”
Last Wednesday, Bob Johnson, 62, of nearby Mississippi Station went to the township council office and announced he would not pay.
“I walked in and said I have paid all my taxes for many years and this is the first time I’m withholding,” he said. “I won’t pay until I know where the council stands on this.”
Mr. Johnson owns property in the area and is worried uranium mining threatens the environment and the economy.
Drilling might damage the rivers, lakes and trees that make this a popular retirement and tourist destination, he said.
Plus, people may not invest in the area until they know whether or not the mine will proceed, he said.
It remains to be seen whether the tax revolt will catch on, but for now Mr. Kittle and Mr. Johnson are determined to see it through. After all, said Mr. Johnson, “this is pretty much the biggest thing that has ever happened out here.”
Town clerk Brenda DeFosse refused to comment.
© The Ottawa Citizen 2007