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Special issue : Whispering Pines Threatened
About Whispering Pines
Whispering Pines is a private Campground located in Curran, Ontario, in the county
of Prescott-Russel. It is about half way between Montreal and Ottawa, although it is
a little closer to Ottawa. The area is a rich agricultural valley with most of the
local business being farming. The Ottawa River,South Nation River, and the Alfred
Bog (a wetland of international importance) are also nearby.
Although the owners are not themselves Pagan, for the past couple of years,
Whispering Pines has been home to both the
Kaleidoscope Gathering and
Awakening Isis Festival, as well as some Native healing groups and retreats.
This amazing site is a wonderful combination of forest and field. It has a great beach
as well as an in-ground pool, beautiful campsites that are level and rock free,
shower-facilities, and a central fire-pit and lodge area. The campground is closed
to the public during the festivals and retreats.
There is some interesting information
on the PFPC website about the negative press that local Christian groups
raised about the first Kaleidoscope Gathering held at Whispering Pines
Campground a few years ago, and how the owners of Whispering Pines stood firm in
their defense of the festival despite local opposition.
About the Threat
Whispering Pines and the whole area is currently under threat from the devastation
of industrial pig farming, namely one proposed at Pendleton, about 500 meters from
Whispering Pines itself. Pig farming is notorious as being one of the most polluting
forms of industrial farming. Not only do pig farm operations literally stink and
produce potentially toxic gases, they also impact significantly on local water quality.
Huge in-ground tanks are used to store the vast amounts of pig poop produced
by the farming operation. These storage tanks routinely leak into the groundwater,
contaminating local wells, rivers and other water sources with nitrates, phosphates,
harmful bacteria and antibiotics. Manure from pig-farming operations is also routinely sprayed
onto fields, which only amplifies the problem. The farm proposed at Pendleton, runs
dangerously close along the Nation River that supplies water to neighbouring townships.
It would be a real shame to lose that whole area to tis type of pollution, not to mention
the impact that this type of farming operation would have on the lives of those who live
in the area.
Anne and Alan, founders of the Awakening Isis Festival held at Whispering Pines, have
been actively supporting Whispering Pines and local residents in theri fight agianst
this pig farming operation. They have made a lot of information, including letters to
Members of Parliament and petitions, available on the
Awakening Isis NewsGroup. This information has been compiled by WynterGreene and
is available here.
Breaking news
Hog Farms Get Okay From Court: Ontario Court of Appeal rules in favour of hog farming operation
(Ottawa Sun, November 26, 2003)
Forward to Original Post about Pig Farming Threat from Anne and Alan
Download The State of the Environment Report for Prescott-Russel [coming soon]
Download Information and Petition from Local Residents [coming soon]
Forward to More emails and updates
Forward to Ritual to Save Whispering Pines and Area
Forward to Letters Sent by Local Residents
Forward to Anne and Alan's Letter to Dalton McGuinty
Next Issue: Winter Solstice / Yule 2003
Look for it in stores around December 10th, 2003
Deadline for submissions for Yule issue is November 20th, 2003
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