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comments: More at the end. Sierra Club Settles For More
GTA Sprawl
Sierra Club of Canada, Peel Region Group, is ignoring gridlock, food security issues, as well as dire predictions about climate change and has settled their appeal to save 6,000 acres of prime farmland in North West Brampton. "This decision will wreak havoc with the daily lives of GTA residents," charges the group's past conservation chair. "With scientists and even economists now raising the alarm bells on our climate crisis how can we afford to ignore this exploitive expansion of the GTA? Regional councilors approved this amendment unanimously. For ignoring the daily news, they should all get their walking papers in the upcoming election, especially Susan Fennell and Hazel McCallion," charges Therese Gain Taylor, who was also the past co-chair of the Challenge to Sprawl Campaign for Sierra Club's Ontario Chapter. "If the settlement agreement is approved by the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), more of the GTA's precious farmland will be buried under houses. More victims suffering from respiratory problems will fill the GTA's overburdened hospitals. More carbon emissions, which Canadians are legally committed by Kyoto to curtail, will be added to our overburdened atmosphere." Gain Taylor was given party status for the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing starting November 14th in Brampton. Of five parties, she is the only one with outstanding issues. She hasn't given up on the dream of curbing urban sprawl and preserving precious farmland, including apple orchards and pumpkin patches enjoyed by so many city dwellers throughout the fall. "It is vital that we act now to protect our remaining precious farmland. It is vital now more than ever with the climate crisis that we feed ourselves from local sources. If our country's largest metropolis cannot feed itself from local sources, we will be a third world country," predicts Taylor. Taylor as well as several other founding members of the Peel Region Group was one of the original signatories to the OMB appeal. Six of seven of those executive committee members also quit the club. Taylor resigned in the spring because she questioned the leadership of the regional group, especially how the interim chair was handling the farmland appeal. On behalf of the group, Peter Orphanos, along with developers, the City of Brampton, Brampton Brick and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing settled the appeal with the Regional Municipality last Friday. Full details of the settlement agreement with Sierra Club have not been disclosed. While it seems surprising that Sierra Club would settle for more sprawl, "it is not surprising to me," says Taylor. "This chair doesn't understand the issues, especially the multi-edged, sprawl sword --- air pollution and its affect on our health, gridlock, food security and climate change." Taylor, like many American Sierra Club members, including Paul Watson, questioned Sierra Club's policy on massive immigration. Sierra Club of Canada won't properly address the politically sensitive immigration policy because of a huge donation granted to its American counterpart. "In terms of climate change, how much sense does it make to welcome massive numbers of people from more temperate climates to the GTA each year. Our climate is often very inhospitable. If we are going to wrestle our carbon emissions to the ground, we've got to become more efficient about keeping bodies comfortable, warm during winter, cool during the dog days of summer, before we welcome the world to our doorstep. Transportation is also a key carbon problem since Brampton doesn't have a decent public transit system." - 30 - Contact: Therese Gain Taylor, Citizens for Ethical Civic Engagement PLEEASSE SIGN OUR PETITION It will make a difference! Home page - Main Table of Contents - Back up a Page - Back to Top [COMMENTS BY DON B. - ] |
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