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"Since the city says its motivation
is to protect and preserve supposed
wetlands, it is reasonable to
examine the city's record."
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THE POLITICS OF
WETLAND PROTECTION |
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MIKE CARROCCETTO, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN
Tony Walker
comlains that landowners west of Stittsville will lose
financially when 650 acres of rural land are designated as
wetland. He critizes a double standard that has permitted
destruction of wetland elsewhere in the city for surburban
development. |
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Environmental practices are all wet |
The City of Ottawa and the province
are designating 650 acres west of Stittsville as wetland, against
the wishes of landowners, whose properties will be drastically
devalued without compensation, and effectively frozen for
development. The affected area involves more than 60 homes and
farms.
Since the city says its motivation
is to protect and preserve supposed wetlands, it is reasonable to
examine the city's record.
In the Goulbourn area, there has
been wholesale development of wetlands in and around the village of
Stittsville. Brown's Supermarket and the adjoining strip mall are
built on wetland, as is the housing development east of it. There is
ongoing development of the wetlands directly north of this area.
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The city and province are permitting the destruction of
wetlands within suburban areas for development, but then
they tell rural residents that "we" need to preserve
"our" environment.
...Given this
record, we have to conclude that wetlands are no safer
in the custody of the city than in the hands of private
landowners.
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Many recent developments around
Stittsville are also built on wetlands, and there are many other
examples throughout Ottawa.
There is a dual standard here. The
city and province are permitting the destruction of wetlands within
suburban areas for development, but then they tell rural residents
that "we" need to preserve "our" environment. Perhaps these people
should look in the mirror and in their own backyards before
preaching to others about the environment.
Of course, they have ample excuses:
"The land was never officially wetland," or "the OMB made us do it."
Nevertheless, wetland is being destroyed.
And many of the people involved are
encouraging such development by living in houses built on wetland.
We have never seen a campaign to boycott this environmentally
irresponsible housing.
It appears that the city and
province only protect wetlands it thinks no one wants to develop.
That's no protection at all. Given this record, we have to conclude
that wetlands are no safer in the custody of the city than in the
hands of private landowners.
As an affected homeowner, I suggest
that the city should stop harassing rural residents until it is
prepared to protect existing wetlands in suburban areas.
Tony Walker,
Stittsville
Goulbourn Landowners Group
© The Ottawa Citizen 2005
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