McGuinty then arranged for the councillors to be flown directly into the site by a special helicopter, allowing them to bypass the protesters who were waiting at the mine's gate. Local businessman Pierre Belanger was one of the protest organizers. It is humiliating for people of Northern Ontario to have to stand outside and beg Toronto not to use us as their garbage can. Back to the Airport After debating the possibility of bursting through the police cordon and confronting the council members directly, protesters decided to turn the lumbering three-kilometre cavalcade around and head out to the local airport in the hopes of meeting up with the Toronto crowd when they were leaving. By the time the councillors arrived at the Kirkland Lake Airport, the crowd of 200 had dwindled down to about 50 people.
Protesters describe the meeting as frank, open and cordial.
But the underlying anger was apparent. Dairy farmer John Vanthof told Layton point blank that area farmers were fed up with the process and would carry out a campaign of civil disobedience if Toronto decides to award the contract to McGuinty's Rail Cycle Consortium. Protest organizer Francine Patterson says that the councillors' visit has helped galvanize opposition to the dump. They've been going to meetings and campaigning for so long. But I think Toronto has once again stirred up a hornet's nest.