About the Blog:

Guelph Politico is locally sourced and dedicated to covering the political and cultural scene in the City of Guelph. Est. 2008.

Friday, May 7, 2010

The Next Episode

Following quickly on the press conference from a few weeks ago, it seems opponents of the Hanlon Creek Business PArk are moving swiftly to make it known that they're still here and they're still opposed to the project. Today was a day of action the vocal grassroots group of community volunteers against the construction of the HCBP, and they focused some of that anger on developer Carson Reid. Here's a press release that was sent out earlier today:

Over the last decade a variety of organizations and individual citizens have clearly outlined why development of the Hanlon Creek Wetland Complex (HCWC) simply cannot be allowed. Environmental impacts of developing in an area as significant as this cannot be ignored or green washed. Indigenous treaty rights cannot be disregarded and public outcry must be heard and respected.

Today, Friday May 7, 2010, is a day of action to defend the HCWC. For that reason people gathered to distribute flyers providing information on some of the nastier things Carson Reid has been involved in. As well, at 10:15AM, a group of individuals set out to the Carson Reid head office to halt work for the day and dropped a banner from its roof.

Why Carson Reid one might ask?

On November 2, 2009 a post on the Ward 2 Guelph blog outlined a plan where by Carson Reid’s would develop about an acre of the HCWC for the construction of a residential housing block.

Through their involvement with the Dolime Quarry, Carson Reid has shown that they are not interested in acting in a way that benefits all of Guelph, but instead put our water supply at risk for the sake of profit. The Ministry of the Environment has advised that in order to protect drinking water, aggregate extraction needs to be temporarily stopped, but operations continue at the quarry.

Then there was the illegal clear cutting, which occurred near the intersections of Victoria road and Maltby road. Carson Reid attempted to justify their actions with the flimsy explanation that they were harvesting a tree plantation for fence posts. The area is question act as a corridor between the Mill Creek and Hanlon Creek watersheds. For their actions they were fined under the Migratory Birds Act and charged under Guelph’s bylaws.

We intend to do everything in our power to prevent development on any remaining part of the HCWC. We will do everything in our power to uphold indigenous treaty rights. We will halt sprawl.

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