Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record had an excellent article by reporter Terry Pender titled "The rules change every day". The sub-title of the article is "Retired urban planner Kevin Eby watches his work get "wiped out" across Waterloo Region. Mr. Eby "...oversaw smart-growth plans for the Region of Waterloo that led to high density development along the light-rail corridor." My somewhat basic understanding of planning principles during that time frame was to reduce urban sprawl into the rural areas outside the settlement areas (K-W, Cambridge, Elmira, Breslau, Wellesley, Ayr etc.). This was to protect trees, forests, farmland, waterways and other natural areas while practicing "infill" within our towns and cities. Actual development whether new homes or even industrial/commercial projects as much as possible should be built inside the current town and city borders albeit in the appropriately zoned areas.
That was then and now we have a Progressive Conservative idiot and former drug dealer as our Premier whom I would suggest is less stupid, arrogant and dogmatic then President Donald Trump. There that is my ringing endorsement of Mr. Ford. He has tried to sell parts of our Greenbelt to his developer friends. He has gutted environmental protections by removing many new projects from environmental oversight. He ordered our Regional Council to sign Non Disclosure Agreements regarding an attempted surreptitious land assembly of 770 acres of prime farmland in Wilmot Township. He has extended settlement boundaries here in Waterloo Region "...that rewarded developers and speculators who long supported the Conservative government". These extended settlement boundaries conveniently included the contaminated Stroh and Martin farms located east and south of the former Uniroyal Chemical in Elmira which has been leaking and leaching parathion, lindane, NDMA, dioxin/furans, DDT, PAH etc. for about the last eighty years.
Fortunately mental geniuses calling themselves politicians, without any formal environmental training or degrees, who have absolutely zero informal training as well say otherwise. Asking polluters and their fellow travellors their opinions on the Elmira "clean up" gives them confidence in supporting both the pathetic non cleanup and the necessary political coverup required to support it. This is the bottom line. Politics trumps everything including proven facts, principles and the lessons of history. Good planning means nothing when Sandy Shantz says so along with Karen Redman and along with Doug Ford. Common sense, care and respect for our natural environment mean nothing when our self-serving politicians say so. Human health being decimated by cancer, climate change, air, water and soil pollution mean nothing when politicians do what they do best which is to lie about these issues.
Our politicians will be the most likely end of the human race here on earth.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment