As many as 20 natives from a variety of First Nations formed a “core group” and walked intermittently for five days from Queen’s Park to Jim Black’s farm in Melancthon to protest the proposed quarry.

“There was quite a crowd when we left, including four horses,” said Carl Cosack, vice-chair of the North Dufferin Agricultural Taskforce (NDACT) and its spokesman. “Officials at Queen’s Park were very cooperative and let us have the horses there. The only restriction was that we couldn’t ride there. They said the only person allowed to ride is the Queen.”

He said the horses created a lot of attention, and the walk itself raised public awareness.

Along the almost 120 kilometre route, the only permanent contingent was apparently the core group of natives. But Mr. Cosack said the ranks grew when the walk reached Orangeville and then again between Primrose and Shelburne.

He did not have a number for the last leg of the walk, from Shelburne to Melancthon, but appeared gratified by the nature of crowd.

“I had messages on my phone from Collingwood, Kitchener and other places asking for directions. I called the people back to apologize for not being at my phone and they said that was okay as they had obtained directions.”

Mr. Cosack was not at the final gathering at the Black farm as he had a prior engagement. He said he understood there was a crowd but he hadn’t obtained a number.

Quarry opponents began the five-day walk Friday at Queen’s Park. A good crowd was outside the provincial legislative buildings to see them off, including Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner and Provincial NDP Environment Critic Peter Tabuns.

Melancthon potato farmer David Vander Zaag told the crowd that only about three per cent of the land in Ontario is agricultural, and about half of that is good for growing vegetables, and the proposed quarry is going to take some of that out of service.

“This is the last of the best of that land,” he declared. “It will be the whole area that gets destroyed if this proceeds.”

Mr. Vander Zaag said the quarry is slated to go about 1,000 feet from his home, and will result in a hole about 220 feet deep. “I don’t think anybody here thinks that’s reasonable,” he observed.

He added that this farmland should not be put at risk.

“Let’s not throw away something just because we’ve got a lot of it, or think we’ve got a lot of it,” he urged.

Mr. Tabuns also spoke out on preserving farmland.

“Farmer feed cities, but only if they’ve got land,” he remarked.

He also addressed those on hand for the start of the walk, commenting they represent a coalition that could make this an election issue in the fall.

Mr. Schreiner thought the same way, as he thanked the crowd for sticking up for communities and assured them the Greens are behind them.

“We’re going to keep speaking out on this issue,” he said, adding preserving farms and farmland is a top priority.

All three main candidates in Dufferin-Caledon in next week’s federal election took in part of the walk.

Liberal Bill Prout was at Queen’s Park for the start, although he didn’t accompany the marchers when they left.

He later said a Liberal federal government will reinstate the Court Challenges Program, to financially assist groups and individuals who believe their rights have been violated.

Green candidate Ard Van Leeuwen met the march Sunday as it made its way north on Highway 10, joining it at Forks of the Credit Road and accompanying them to Orangeville.

“It was good to spend that much time with some of the people in that group,” he said. “It was very worthwhile.”

Conservative incumbent David Tilson attended the demonstration Sunday at Orangeville Town Hall. “I was pleased to join with them in that demonstration,” he said.