A Christmas Message From Your Conservative MP
"This column is dedicated to the proposition that Canada (and indeed the world) is in a crisis situation and that fundamental social change is required to remedy this situation." - The First Column, Lambda November 2, 1971 This blog is inspired by my column of the same name in the Laurentian University Newspaper, Lambda, from 1971-1973. The title refers to the concept of subverting the system from within. To read key excerpts from those columns read the first few posts in this blog.
The first thing I want to say is that any discussion of saving the South March Highlands has to start by acknowledging that, indeed, some of it has been saved and placed in public ownership and that we might not even be discussing saving the rest of it if that was not so.
On November 10, 2000 the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton announced the purchase of 556 acres of the South March Highlands for $1.6 million at the urging of Kanata Regional Councillor Alex Munter who has stated “his biggest achievement would be putting South March Highland into public ownership to keep it protected.“ The source for these statements was Kanata History Net, which is no longer online, however the text of the November 10, 2000 announcement can be found at http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=46087029890&topic=16257.
So the signs recognizing the South March Highlands Conservation Forest are no joke
Indeed a lot of people have put thousands of hours of volunteer work into building a sustainable trail system in the South March Highlands Conservation Forest and getting it recognized, which is what these signs represent. And more is to come in the spring with a comprehensive new map and signage system on the trails. For more background see
OMBA Forums - South March Highlands: Past, Present, and Future.
Posted by rww at 11:55 1 comments
Labels: City Council, Conservation Forest, ecosystems, environment, expropriation, KNL, land development, Metcalfe Realty, OMBA, Ottawa, Ottawa Mountain Bike Association, South March Highlands, Urbandale
Posted by rww at 21:04 0 comments
Labels: archaeology, City Council, developers, environment, federal government, Greenbelt, land development, National Capital Commission, NCC, Ontario, Ottawa, provincial government, South March Highlands
Posted by rww at 14:33 0 comments
Labels: Algonquin First Nation, Beaver Pond Park, environment, photo contest, South March Highlands, William Commanda
I have added the following maps of the South March Highlands (SMH) trails to my Richard's GPS Trail Maps website.
South March Highlands Trails
South March Highlands Conservation Forest Intermediate Mountain Biking Trails
South March Highlands Kanata Lakes Trails
South March Highlands Beaver Pond Paths and Trillium Woods Trail
Posted by rww at 21:54 2 comments
Labels: Conservation Forest, environment, GPS gpx files, Kanata Lakes Trails, mtbkanata.com, OMBA, Ottawa, SMH, South March Highlands, South March Highlands Management Plan, trail maps, trails
This afternoon I rode over from Bridlewood, via the Trans-Canada Trail, Huntmar Drive and Old Carp Road, to the South March Highlands K2 trailhead to put up posters for the September 10 Celebrating the Natural World @ Beaver Pond Park and then returned via Terry Fox Drive.
It's a nice highway with nice wide cycling lanes and it's enjoyable to ride, but as I was riding through I could not help but realize that the beauty of what used to be is now desecrated by the highway. I realized then that the perfect name for the Terry Fox Drive Extension is the Desecration Highway.
Posted by rww at 15:59 0 comments
Labels: bicycling, Desecration Highway, environment, South March Highlands, Terry Fox Drive Extension
Posted by rww at 09:51 0 comments
Labels: Algonquin First Nation, Beaver Pond Park, environment, South March Highlands, William Commanda
This summer a breach in the dam at Heron Pond in the South March Highland was discovered that appeared to be a natural occurrence. In such cases the beavers will usually repair the dam, but this did not happen and it appears they have abandoned the dam and the pond. This has caused the water levels in Heron Pond to drop dramatically so that what once appeared to be a lake now appears to be drying up.
This has caused concern amongst nature lovers and others who appreciate hiking and biking along the pond, but in reality it might provide an opportunity to observe and study a changing ecosystem if the beavers do not return to the pond and it gradually reverts to forest or pasture or a yet to be determined other natural state.
The following photos were taken before and after the beavers abandoned the pond. The first two in each series were taken from what mountain bikers call The Shield, a flat rocky area on the trail that goes through the Metcalfe Realty lands northeast of the pond. The last three photos in each set were taken from what mountain bikers call Pete's Wicked Trail in the city-owned South March Highlands Conservation Forest southwest of the pond.
Posted by rww at 15:18 1 comments
Labels: beaver dams and ponds, ecosystems, environment, Heron Pond, Kanata, Ottawa, photographs, South March Highlands, wetlands
The normal method of promoting house sales by telling buyers their houses will be close to the wilderness of the South March Highlands probably isn't going to work for Urbandale, because reminding potential buyers that they just clear cut the Beaver Pond Forest is probably not their best marketing strategy.
So I am going to try to put myself into Urbandale's mindspace. One thing they have got to be thinking right now is why does Bill Teron dare criticize them and why is he still a hero and they the villains. After all, it was Bill Teron who, as a developer, assembled the land for development and sold it to Campeau, who sold it to Genstar who sold it to them. And they have a good point.
BUT, they also have to realize that when they acquired the land they also inherited the responsibility for all the actions that got the land to the point it is in the development process, and that includes the bullying and blackmailing that led to the meaningless 40% agreement, which leaves very little land protected - narrow strips of "protected land" are not ecologically sustainable and a developed golf course is not environmentally protected land.
I think they are quickly going to learn that normal does not apply in this case. Normally potential house buyers see rows of pretty streets and and brand new houses and have little thought to what was there before. Urbandale knows that in this case all potential buyers are going to be completely aware of what was there before - the Beaver Pond Forest - part of the most significant environmental lands in Ottawa, the near wilderness South March Highlands. They are going to know it has been clear cut to build the houses they are looking at and that every new house purchased paves the way for more destruction of the South March Highlands.
It may be easy to dismiss the first factor - it's done now, we can't bring the trees back. But the second one is going to gnaw on potential buyers because they will feel the responsibility and guilt of helping to destroy the rest of the forest that KNL/Urbandale plans to develop. And while there may be some potential buyers that don't care, even some who take glee in being anti-environment, anti-earth - is that really who Urbandale wants to market their houses to. No doubt concerns over the destruction of the Beaver Pond Forest is going to affect sales of all Urbandale homes in the Ottawa area.
There is a way out - a way to turn Urbandale into the hero rather than the villain and one that would gain them my praise. Why would I praise the people who just clear cut the Beaver Pond Forest. Because I believe it is never too late to do the right thing, and because I believe in redemption.
The solution of course is obvious. Remove that last factor, the threat to the rest of Urbandale's South March Highlands lands that purchasing a house in the former Beaver Pond Forest represents.
Urbandale can protect the lands by donating them to the City and they can even gain a financial advantage by doing it in as way that maximizes their tax benefit.
Of course I would still expect them to respect the First Nations archeological and cultural heritage within the Beaver Pond Forest site and find appropriate Storm Water Management plans that do not pollute the rest of the South March Highlands.
Urbandale could use some good press right now and it certainly would boost their marketing ability all over Ottawa. And sometimes (even better late than never) being a hero just feels good.
Lyon Sachs and Mary Jarvis are you ready to feel praise rather than condemnation. Are you ready to become heroes.
Posted by rww at 20:18 0 comments
Labels: Beaver Pond Forest, Bill Teron, clear cutting, developers, environment, heroes, Kanata Lakes, KNL, land development, Lyon Sachs, marketing, Mary Jarvis, South March Highlands, subdivisions, Urbandale
This blog post contains graphic language because there is no way to pretty up dumping shit in the city's drinking water source.
If I were to walk into the Ottawa River and take a crap I would probably be arrested, and not just for indecent exposure but for polluting the river with human excrement.
However the City Of Ottawa routinely dumps shit in the Ottawa River due to a an inadequate and outdated sewage system. Yes, the City has been fined for some of these occurrences, but the fines are not paid by the decision makers who set the city's spending priorities but by citizens and taxpayers. Indeed the people who drink the water and swim in the Ottawa River, the victims of this environmental crime, are the ones who are punished for it, not the decision makers responsible for it.
Should there not be a law, or at least a policy, that the City spend money on improving the system responsible for this environmental crime before giving it to developers to build a shopping mall, condominiums and professional sports facilities. Should there not be a law that requires the City to spend federal and provincial infrastructure funding on reducing the amount of shit they dump in the Ottawa River before they spend it on building a road that destroys the most bio-diverse and environmentally important area in the city just to serve the desires of developers.
Indeed, should it not be legislated public policy that the City's decision makers must put the interests of taxpayers and citizens before the wishes of developers.
Posted by rww at 20:39 2 comments
Labels: crime, developers, E. coli, environment, Escherichia coli, human excrement, infrastructure, Lansdowne Park, law, Ottawa, Ottawa River, pollution, public policy, sewage, shit, SMH, Terry Fox Drive
I recently had the opportunity to hear Scary Bear Soundtrack perform both their acoustic and rock versions of "Beaver Pond Forest" live and I have to say that I prefer the rock version of it, and of all their music. Those women can really rock and their drummer is amazing.
beaver pond forest
written by gloria (2010)
when the movie stopped, we took a walk
into the woods behind the cinema
you touched my mouth, those words came out
you held me so tight you bruised my fibula
the trees in that spot where my cherry popped
were all removed like they were eczema
now those parking lots where Beaver Pond was bought
flush out my memories like an enema
meet me at the pond
meet me at the pond
as soon as school was out, we’d bike to Beaver Pond
hidden from our parents and our teachers
there we’d talk of life, and the bands we liked
blissfully untold of the future
sometimes the kids would smoke, sometimes the kids hooked up
we all grew up inside these woods
one day when we returned, it was all blocked off
with the ashphalt burying our childhood
coyotes and the deer
the beavers and the pond
bulldozers came
now my playmates are gone
i’ve watched these neighbourhoods
swell up like a blob from a horror film
eating everyone
all i want to know is where your children go
is it better in malls than in the sun
they’ll never learn to play
just to consume and wait
when you speak of love they won’t understand
they’ll only know beauty as Angelina Jolie
and not the way the milkweed feels when you press it in your hands.
time to riot
written by gloria (2010)
(toronto)
it’s time to riot: take to the streets
make known our cause as leaders meet
they send their cops; they build a wall
they cannot possibly arrest us all
turn off the radio,
they don’t sing about, they don’t sing about us
these saccharine dreams and vapid love songs distract us while we’re robbed
(london)
it’s time to riot: let’s start a mob
no education, no cash, no jobs
they rob the youth so the old can feed
we’ll show our outrage, we’ll show the queen
(vancouver)
it’s time to riot: the games are on
rich countries gather to show off their brawn
they cast us off with careless shrugs
we don’t be swept under the rug
(ottawa)
it’s time to riot before it’s gone
rally to save our stomping grounds
to save the future, to save the past
they’ll tear down beauty in exchange for cash
it’s time to start a riot
it’s time to fight
Posted by rww at 18:35 0 comments
Labels: "Beaver Pond Forest", "Time to Riot". video, Ainslie Lahey, Dannik Leduc, environment, Gloria Song, Maggie Woodley, music, Scary Bear Soundtrack, South March Highlands
The following is a fable, but like all fables it contains hidden (and not so hidden) truths.
Yes, for the first, and undoubtedly last time in the world, you can own a house on a World Heritage Site. Only in Ottawa, the world's "Developers Rule Capital" ©Development Ottawa Promotion Establishment (DOPE), could this be possible.
Killing Nature Limited (KNL) , in conjunction with UrbanDesolation Inc. and RichCrap Homes announces the construction of the first stage of houses in it's new Paradise Lost World Heritage Subdivision.
Located on the site of what used to be known as the Beaver Pond Woods this subdivision represents the new wave of natural destruction in urban development. Whether your home is on Blasted to Bits Drive, ClearCut Avenue, Extinction Way or Sacred Land Road you can be assured of the same quality Ticky Tacky that our homes are renowned for.
As an added feature each home comes with a Grand Forest Room that has, in place of a picture window, a forest mural. This feature is ideal for educating your children in the wilderness features that were once where your house stood. You can teach your children the names of all the plants, animals and endangered species that were sacrificed to build your home.
Each home comes with it's own Certificate of Destruction listing all the natural features and wildlife that were destroyed so you could have your own home where splendour and wonder once stood. You will also receive your own piece of the forest, a bag of wood chips from the trees that once stood here, to use in your garden.
For a limited time those visiting our sales offices on Walden Pond Dies Drive will be able to try some of our Forest Stew - there is nothing like stewed porcupine after it has been shaken out of it's tree and frozen to death - it's like Ice Wine, a real delicacy.
Most people do nothing about the wasted and undeveloped wilderness that covers much of our county. By buying a home in Paradise Lost you can help to reduce that waste and advance progress.
Remember by buying a home in Paradise Lost you pave the way for the destruction of even more forest and wildlife in what has come to be known as Our Community's Great Forest and World Heritage Site.
Posted by rww at 19:01 0 comments
Labels: Beaver Pond Forest, developers, environment, fables, Kanata Lakes, land development, Ottawa's Great Forest, Paradise Lost, satire, SMH, South March Highlands, World Heritage Sites
For purposes of simplicity, although both trail systems are within the South March Highlands, I will refer to these trails, across from the Goulbourn Forced Road (GFR) parking lot, as the KL trails and the ones in the Conservation Forest as the SMH trails.
On Wednesday (May 25, 2011) I started my latest mapping project of what mountain bikers refer to as the Kanata Lakes trails, to distinguish them from the trails within the South March Highlands Conservation Forest. I do this either with a sense of history or a sense of optimism because these trails are located in Phase 7 of the KNL/Urbandale Destruction and are planned to be destroyed along with the forest and geology they are part of, to be replaced with yet another ticky tacky suburban subdivision.
Need I say one more time that losing this land and these trails will be a real tragedy, and indeed the Terry Fox Drive extension (routed over the least environmentally friendly route after public consultations indicated environmental factors should be the first priority in route selection) has already had a devastating effect on the natural and trail connectedness in the South March Highlands. Nevertheless as we fight to save what is left we should enjoy it for as long as we can and hopefully this trail map, when completed, will contribute to that.
As with any mapping exercise I start I quickly discover the trail system is more complicated than I thought and includes more trails than on any existing map. So this is going to take a few rides to complete. At the moment I have tracks from this ride (blue) and another from last summer (red) on the very preliminary map below.
Posted by rww at 20:01 0 comments
Labels: environment, GFR, Kanata Lakes, Kizell Pond, KNL, mountain biking, OMBA, Ottawa Mountain Bike Association, South March Highlands, Terry Fox Drive, The Dark Side, trail maps, trails, Urbandale
This post is also being sent via email to National Capital Commission CEO Marie Lemay
( Marie.Lemay@ncc-ccn.ca )
Are You Voting For Canada
Posted by rww at 20:36 0 comments
Labels: 2011 federal election, co-operation, Declaration for Change, democracy, environment, government, health care, inequality, leadnow.ca, Medicare, politicians, poverty, rants, transparency, video, voting
An Open Letter to Ottawa City Council and Residents
RE: Residential Solid Waste Service Level Review Recommendations
This open letter is being posted on my blog, The Fifth Column ( http://the5thc.blogspot.com/ ) and being sent via email to the the following city councillors:
Jim.Watson@ottawa.ca
Allan.Hubley@ottawa.ca
Marianne.Wilkinson@ottawa.ca
David.Chernushenko@ottawa.ca
There is a time for politicians to follow and a time for politicians to lead. If one of our goals is to make Ottawa a Green City then Ottawa City Council will have to provide leadership to make it happen.
We will never become a Green City if City Council punishes those that are doing the right thing and rewards those that are part of the problem.
There have been issues raised regarding animals getting into Green Bins and maggots in Green Bins. I have never had these issues with our Green Bin, probably because the Green Bins are more secure than most garbage cans. However, I have had them with our garbage containers, but very few times over 30 years living in Ottawa. The fact is that the colour of the container has nothing to do with these problems.
These problems relate to organic waste so the best way to eliminate or reduce them is to increase how often the organic waste is picked up and that is what the recommended plan does.
So the solution is really simple. Residents just need to use the system the way it is designed. Recyclables go into the Blue and Black Bins, organics into the Green Bin and what little is left, mainly non-recyclable excessive packaging, goes into the garbage (which could be picked up monthly as far as I am concerned).
As far as using the Green Bin being more costly or complicated, it need not be. We do not need to listen to those that see this as an opportunity to sell us more products like specialized bags that contradict the very idea behind the Green Bin of eliminating and reducing unnecessary waste. Nor do we need to listen to the media that think they are being helpful by suggesting all sorts of complicated solutions to non-existing problems.
We do not use a bag for our kitchen container, indeed rather than the container that came with the Green Bin we use a kitchen garbage can without any liner and dump it into the Green Bin when full. This is more convenient as it is larger and needs dumping less often. We rinse it clean about once a week.
The Green Bin would probably not need lining either but we have cats and find the kitty litter does stick to the plastic so we line it with old newspapers. I put newspapers along the bottom and up the sides a bit and then all along the sides from the top to cover the inside completely. I did have to slightly compromise my "not buy anything new" policy by using a very small amount of masking tape to help hold the newspaper to the sides of the bin at the top. That was a ten minute job the first time and under five minutes each time since and it does not need to be done each week as often the lining remains in the bin after dumping.
You can also use outdoor composting bags by cutting them down a few inches but that again requires more unnecessary consumption and waste.
It is very clear that there really should not be any controversy here. All that is required is for people to use the waste reduction and collection system the way it is designed to be used.
Unless the City wants to abandon any hope of being a Green City, City Council must support those that are doing the right thing, not those that are part of the problem.
To read more about my views on the Green Bin Program please see The Fifth Column: Why Sabotage The Green Bin Program
Posted by rww at 11:38 1 comments
Labels: City Council, composting, consumption, environment, garbage, Green Bin Program, leadership, newspaper, organic waste, Ottawa, packaging, politicians, recycling, waste management
Posted by rww at 15:01 0 comments
Labels: 40% agreement, developers, environment, golf course, greenspace, Kanata, Kanata Lakes, KNL, land development, Ottawa, Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, South March Highlands, Urbandale
What is the Most Important Thing to Know About the South March Highlands
The key things to know about the South March Highlands are:
• it is a popular all year recreation destination for people from all over Ottawa and an international mountain biking destinationBut the most important thing that you need to know about the South March Highlands is that it is one ecosystem and harm to one part of it harms all of it and if you want to protect part of it you must protect all of it.
• while, within the City of Ottawa, it feels like wilderness when you are in it
• it is a candidate Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI)
• it is the most biodiverse area within Ottawa
• it is the home to a huge number of species of flora and fauna, including many endangered and threatened species
• it contains old growth forests and provincially significant wetlands
• it includes Canadian Shield geology and other significant geological features
• it is the site of numerous pre-contact (pre-European) archaeological sites and may be eligible for UN World Heritage Site status
• it has been declared sacred by Algonquin First Nations chiefs and elders
• the area considered the most environmentally significant, Trillium Woods, is under great ecological threat because KNL's development plans will cut it off from the rest of the city-owned Conservation Forest
• while the privately owned land north of the city-owned Conservation Forest is zoned Environmental Protection, that has been proven not to be enough to protect the land from the threat of development
Posted by rww at 11:33 1 comments
Labels: aboriginal peoples, ANSI, archaeology, biodiversity, Canadian Shield, endangered species, environment, forests, KNL, Ottawa, recreation, South March Highlands, Trillium Woods, wetlands, wilderness
'Sacred Dollars' (Documentary by Aurora Finkle)
Since the tender age of 9 yrs old, Aurora Finkle has had an incredible and impressive musical career. Having won the 2000 dollar grand prize at 08's National Aboriginal Day 'We Got Talent' competition in Ottawa, Aurora has performed at numerous events. She has performed in front of the Senate, Grand Hall in the Museum of Civilization, Pow-wows, Music festivals, Gala's, Conferences as well as having appeared on numerous Television, Radio shows and Newspapers. To top it off...last year she released her debut album entitled after her middle name 'Jade'. Coming from a musical family, Aurora is amazingly comfortable on stage and can quickly command the attention of the entire audience singing everything from Jazz, Folk, Blues, Celtic. Aurora also acknowledges her aboriginal ancestory through Traditional Native songs and is a member of a local women's handdrum group. Aurora is now 11 (12 now) yrs old and continues to perform regularly. (source)
Posted by rww at 21:02 0 comments
Labels: aboriginal peoples, activists, Amickwabe, archaeology, Aurora Finkle, Beaver Pond Forest, Daniel Bernard, environment, First Nations, Sacred Dollars, Sacred Fire, South March Highlands, Steve Hulaj