A reader pointed out that this week's "The View From Here" cartoon in the Woolwich Observer (dated August 13th) deals rather chillingly with the as-yet unresolved fate of Victoria Glen Park woods. (In response to this week's thunder and wind storm that took down many branches and several mature trees, the cartoon shows Mayor Strauss -- saying "There, we're all safer now" -- and his crew clear-cutting the woods with the caption "After fallen trees cause damage, the township calls them a potential menace, furthering development in Victoria Glen."I remember, when we lived for a few years in the middle of the prairie in Alberta, being amazed at how my view of the natural world was sometimes light-years apart from people in the town: one of our neighbours cut down a lovely tree on her lot because it was "too messy - every fall all those leaves drop all over".
I think we're going to need to keep a close eye on this issue and not take for granted that the Powers that Be have the same sensibility we do when it comes to valuing the woods for all the reasons outlined at the public meeting. However -- they are our elected representatives and they need to know that many, many hundreds of people want that woods preserved. Period.
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Greetings,
ReplyDeleteI have driven through Elmira many times yet never knew this patch of old growth exists. Thank you for trying to protect it! I am so glad you are doing this.
I am one of the many people involved in the recent land occupation that stopped Guelph's ill-conceived Hanlon Creek Business Park. 60 of us walked onto the land and shut down construction, and lived there for 19 days. We made it front page news and the talk of the town, and a judge has ordered a temporary stop work order until the Minister of Natural Resources makes the call one way or another.
All in all it was a huge success and showed what we are capable of when we join together. This is becoming increasingly necessary nowadays as more people realize we need some serious change in how things are done.
We are having a big social event next Saturday, August 29. We would love to meet up with anyone and everyone interested and involved in land protection activity, so we can work together more in the future. Elmira is not too far away....
Please check out our website hcbpoccupation.wordpress.com, where you can find more general info and photos, and info about the event on Aug 29. Also please feel encouraged to contact us via email at hcbpoccupation@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Thanks again!