THE MEDIA ARE FAILING US ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL FRONT

Well first off the above title is primarily in regards to the out of town media. They were advised in advance as to the environmental significance of Tuesday's nights Woolwich Committee of the Whole meeting. They knew about the plans to expand the Settlement boundaries eastwards thus encompassing the contaminated Stroh and possibly Martin farms and the negative environmental consequences thereof. Keep in mind that while staffer Dan Kenally did briefly discuss the difference between Country Side line and Settlement Boundary it still isn't clear to me. What is clear is that the outside media (ie. K-W) did not show and Mr. Kenally's attempted explanation as to why rezoning to industrial/commercial from agricultural/residential won't lessen the remediation of contaminated soils, was weak at best.

Meanwhile our one remaining local news source the Woolwich Observer were present at this Council meeting as usual, thank goodness. The title of their story is "Woolwich looks at redrawing its redrawn settlement boundaries". Now Joe and Pat don't get too excited here. You know there's going to be a qualifier to that bold statement of appreciation towards you.

The article in today's Observer covered that item on Council's Agenda reasonably well. It mentioned a couple of interested parties in St. Jacobs who appeared to have pretty convincing arguments as to why their properties should be included within the Settlement Boundaries. They also indirectly mentioned Mr. Delmer Martin who was represented Tuesday evening by his planner Mr. Chauvin of MHBC. I was disappointed that Mr. Chauvin in addition to other reasons why his client's property should be included, did not mention the extensive flooding further north but still on the east side that occurred last June. In fact based upon the wide floodplain it would appear that any new bridge across the Canagagigue Creek in this area would have to contend with a 900 foot wide floodplain. That certainly would affect the costs for any east side Elmira By-Pass.

Now here's the criticism. Tuesday evening I was the only Delegation commenting on the ridiculousness of expanding the Settlement boundary on the east side along with the environmentally unfriendly rezoning. At the public meeting last June, Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach, both a CPAC and TAG member, also raised this issue. Regardless not only was absolutely zero mentioned about the apparent Woolwich plan to solve off-site east side pollution from Uniroyal Chemical via rezoning and burying it with a new highway (Elmira By-Pass) but the lively discussion afterwards between Councillors and planner Dan Kenally was also totally ignored. Councillors are concerned if one believes their words. Yet absolutely no mention of this in today's Observer. What the hell is going on?