Fight to Stop the Hanlon Creek Business Park comes to KW

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We Will Stop This. Ongoing Resistance to HCBP in Guelph, actions take place in Kitchener

AW@L delivers message to Xterra Construction

Xterra Construction is the company who has successfully bid on the latest construction for the Hanlon Creek Business Park. For $1.7 million of taxpayers money, they hope to tunnel pipes below the Hanlon expressway at Clair rd., to connect the HCBP to the city’s water, electrical, and telecommunications infrastructure.

Too often people defend construction companies as ‘innocent bystanders’ who are just doing their job. But if one’s job is to facilitate the destruction of the earth and our landbase, then one must at least become aware of, and accept responsibility for, the results of these actions.

On November 24, AW@L delivered the following letter to Xterra constructions head office in Kitchener, notifying them of the contentious history of the HCBP, and the associated environmental and social problems that have made it the most well-known environmental issue of the region.

“To whom it may concern,

You are receiving this letter because you are somehow implicated in the proposed development of the Hanlon Creek in Guelph. This also means that you have a say in the future of the project.

We are demanding that you discontinue your support of the project. It is in all of our best interest.

There has already been widespread opposition of this development and continued construction on this project will only seek to breed further opposition.

- AW@L”

For more information please see hcbpoccupation.wordpress.com, or email hcbpoccupation@gmail.com. Also read the article by AW@L's Adam Lewis, "Protect the Earth, Don't Settle for Less: Direct Action Stops Development at the Hanlon Creek Business Park"

Thursday November 26,
Rally against the Hanlon Creek Business Park
Xterra Construction office, 934 Guelph St., Kitchener

We’ll be holding a demonstration at Xterra’s office, to follow up on the delivery of our letters. This is a non-confrontational rally that is an opportunity to demonstrate our strength in numbers. Come hear from allies in Guelph and in Kitchener-Waterloo and other guest speakers, about connections between the HCBP and environmental issues there.

Friday November 27, 12 noon – 1pm
Rally, Guelph, City Hall, 1 Carden st.

Come down to city hall for a free lunch and noon hour concert and jamboree. Or call it a hullabaloo, hootenanny, or kerfuffle. Let’s have a great time and remind those at city hall that there are many people in this community who are concerned about this issue and it’s myriad connections to other issues, like protection of our drinking water and downstream communities, forest preservation, biodiversity, mismanagement of municipal finances, remediation of brownfields, colonialism and disproportionate impacts on Indigenous people, and more….

This will be another opportunity to learn about what’s going on locally and how to get involved in this ever-expanding community effort. Sidewalk chalk, street theatre, and ye olde town crier may all make an appearance.

And for the grand finale, Friday night there’s a dance party for the Hanlon Creek!

Friday November 27, 9pm – late
Guelph Googenheim, 29 Woolwich Street, below Gordon Taylor Music

Hanlon Creek Drum Ensemble
Drum and Dance fundraiser for the Hanlon Creek legal fees

$5, with fees going to support the legal defence during and after the occupation of the HCBP.

9:00 pm – Drumming welcome, ft. Prince Bamidele Bajowa of the Nigerian Yoruba people. Guests encouraged to bring drums!

10:30 pm – Liason into the hype DJ set ft. Josh Cold Killbert, Sebastian Butt, Tigre$$$$, and Wolk.