COPE launches poster campaign By Irene Gentle The Flamborough Post 05/28/03

Citizens Against Paving the Escarpment (COPE) have decided to bring their message home.

So the group that formed to fight the proposed mid-peninsula highway have launched a poster campaign. The posters, which have been mailed out to 95,000 homes in the Burlington area and 15,000 in Stoney Creek, urge voters to e-mail their MPP and Ernie Eves in a bid to stop the road from going ahead.

"There are still people who think this is going to help traffic congestion," said COPE Vice-President and Troy resident Dave Eckersley. "But if you're trying to drive from Hamilton to Toronto, where the real congestion is, this isn't going to help you."

The proposed road would stretch from the Niagara Region to the GTA, likely either connecting with Hwy. 401 near Milton, the 407 ETR in Burlington or Hwy. 403 in Hamilton.

Critics like COPE maintain that the road will not ease gridlock but will damage valuable escarpment land and that other options, such as public transit and rail, have not been adequately explored.

The posters are another way to bring the message home, said Eckersley. It features a picture of Ontario Premier Ernie Eves and the words "Paving the Escarpment doesn't protect it!" inside.

Those were chosen after a poll commissioned by COPE and conducted by Oracle showed that while a vast majority of people believed in protecting the escarpment, the same numbers did not feel the mid-peninsula would harm it.

Those interested in contacting COPE to join up, volunteer or donate can look up its Web site www.stophighway.com or call 905-616-4136.