Protecting our Environment
                                                           

Recently I was invited to coffee at a residents home with the added opportunity to stroll the neighbourhood and see what it means to own a property which backs onto environmentally protected lands. My first surprise was the physical size of the protected wildlife corridor. The only wildlife that could roam the land would be rodents and raccoons. The corridor is narrow - the sort of ‘spaghetti string’ attachments to forested areas that we were warned about by many environmentalists.

My second surprise was the location of a neighbour’s inground pool. The pool was built in part on lands owned by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). The pool owner, has invested $60,000. or more and will have to explain to the TRCA just how the pool ended up built on their lands. A decision will be rendered. Should the pool be removed? Filled in? Trees restored? A fine levied and the pool left in place? One neighbour suggested that the pool, if left, should be considered a public pool since it is on public lands. Not a likely solution but certainly entertaining.

A few years ago, acres of trees were cut from an environmentally sensitive area in Vaughan. The trees were not only cut down but the stumps were all removed overnight. Residents and the conservation authority objected and the Region took the property owners to court. The courts ruled that all the trees must be replaced in their original locations and the owners were to pay a hefty fine.

Now, a local golf course would like to remove 5 or 6 acres of trees from a Provincially significant forest in order to provide for an updated fairway. I am told that any member who speaks against the course reconstruction risks losing their membership. A gag order.

It seems to me that some private individuals and organizations have chosen to ignore rules, regulations, or laws. Your opinions are welcome.

Email: bhogg@richmondhill.ca or call:  905-770-3386.