BALD EAGLES & OMB TRUMP DEVELOPER

Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record carrys the following story titled "Part of Preston development on hold for disturbing eagle habitat". Brookpoint Estates Inc. are building homes on Limerick Rd. near bald eagle habitat along the Grand River. A settlement with the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) allowing them to do so included the condition that they stop construction on one side of the road from November 15/15 until March 31/16 so as not to disturb them while they are roosting for the winter.

The good news is that the City of Cambridge took them to court in order to enforce the OMB conditions after receiving complaints from citizens. The bad news is that once again it took private citizens to step up and demand that the OMB conditions be honoured by the developer. There apparently was no initial intervention from the city, the Ministry of the Environment or the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Also concerning was the fact that the developer attempted initially to skirt the OMB ordered winter construction ban by installing a noise barrier between the development and the eagles habitat. They then went to Council asking for permission to ignore the OMB conditions but Council turned them down. Construction continued until the City went to court for an injunction which was granted.