SWAN LAKE: Swansong or Premiere

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Trumpeter Swan" Images – Browse 15,942 ...The battle over 0 Shaw’s Creek Road/519 Charleston Sideroad in Caledon will soon be over. The property, known locally as “Swan Lake” was once the Warren Gravel Pit. It was fully rehabilitated by Lafarge Canada in 2022, and is now a lush ecosystem with a 18 hectare/45 acre freshwater lake as its centrepiece.

The controversy surrounds the sale of the property to Vaughan developer Nicholas Cortellucci. Although the Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVC) wanted to secure this land to add to their rehabilitation of the adjacent Pinchin Pit, the sale went to the developer in 2023.

Cortellucci wanted to use the land and the lake as a dumping ground for waste soil from GTHA construction projects, essentially infilling the entire freshwater lake. The dumping fees for each truckload of dirt would be worth millions of dollars. However, it would essentially turn Caledon’s Swan Lake into a disposal facility, no longer the nature sanctuary it is now.

Since the Town of Caledon’s Zoning and Fill By-laws forbid the infill of a property zoned industrial extractive, the developer approached a Town staff member to request a change to the fill by-law. That request was taken to the Mayor of Caledon. The mayor then raised it as a motion in Council. Council narrowly passed the motion, dependent on staff reports regarding impact on groundwater quality.

WHOA! Full Stop.

Three issues developed from this. First was the question, “Who would be stupid enough to even consider the destruction of a fully rehabilitated greenspace?”

Secondly, “Could the mayor have stopped the developer influenced request at her desk and not brought it forward to Council?”

Thirdly, “Prior to the Motion being introduced to Council, why were no hydrological studies or research done regarding the potential impact on neighbouring wells of filling a below water table quarry with waste soil?”

We are all downstream and downwind. Politicians are scrambling to save political face. Deals are being brokered to try to come up with an alternative solution. Credit Valley Conservation Authority has expressed renewed interest in acquiring the property. Media coverage has gone from local newspapers to CTV and CBC. Now everybody knows.

The outcome should have been simple. The fully rehabilitated greenspace becomes part of the CVC’s nature corridor. That simplicity gets complicated when power and money and politics muddy the waters. The mayor should have said “NO” immediately, but we would have needed a truly strong mayor to speak truth to power.

Now the fate of Swan Lake rests on an “expert” staff report that will make Council’s vote solely dependent on whether an infill  of the lake would negatively affect neighbouring well water. Depending on the report, this could be an easy out for Council members who voted in favour of the mayor’s motion. It should never have come down to considering the groundwater alone. This motion should never have seen the light of day.

Swansong or Premiere? The dice are loaded, the way I see it.

UK, France, Canada Full Joint Statement on Gaza

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“We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable. Yesterday’s announcement that Israel will allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza is wholly inadequate. We call on the Israeli Government to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. This must include engaging with the UN to ensure a return to delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles. We call on Hamas to release immediately the remaining hostages they have so cruelly held since 7 October 2023.

The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law. We condemn the abhorrent language used recently by members of the Israeli Government, threatening that, in their despair at the destruction of Gaza, civilians will start to relocate. Permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law.

Israel suffered a heinous attack on October 7. We have always supported Israel’s right to defend Israelis against terrorism. But this escalation is wholly disproportionate.

We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.

We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank. Israel must halt settlements which are illegal and undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the security of both Israelis and Palestinians.  We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions.

We strongly support the efforts led by the United States, Qatar and Egypt to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. It is a ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and a long-term political solution that offer the best hope of ending the agony of the hostages and their families, alleviating the suffering of civilians in Gaza, ending Hamas’ control of Gaza and achieving a pathway to a two-state solution, consistent with the goals of the 18 June conference in New York co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France. These negotiations need to succeed, and we must all work towards the implementation of a two-state solution, which is the only way to bring long-lasting peace and security that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve, and ensure long-term stability in the region.

We will continue to work with the Palestinian Authority, regional partners, Israel and the United States to finalise consensus on arrangements for Gaza’s future, building on the Arab plan. We affirm the important role of the High-level Two-State Solution Conference at the UN in June in building international consensus around this aim. And we are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this end.”

Welcome Back

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Dear Readers,

After taking a break for two years to focus on health and family, I have decided to come out of hibernation. From the annexation of Crimea to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, from the attacks of Hamas to the extermination of Palestine by Israel, from the humanitarian crises from Sudan to Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, Congo, Afghanistan, Yemen, Ethiopia, South Sudan,  and Chad, we are witnessing koyaanisqatsi – a Hopi term signifying life out of balance.

Now we have the chaos south of our previously comfortable borders seeping into our mythologically polite Canadian lives. Truskland, as I have renamed the political real estate to our south (Google has not agreed, yet) is now a perfect example of what happens when you let the idiotes (check the original Greek) take over mission control. This new gargantuan political pandemic may turn out to be more dangerous than our recent battle with a tiny virus.

Canada faces a critical decision in the coming weeks. We can either elect the person who would be the next Prime Minister of Canada, or we can elect the person who would be the Governor of the 51st State.

My first official return blog will be published on April 13, two weeks before the election. It is titled: Beware the Pierre, the Man Who Would be Governor. And I quote: “Trump’s invitation to become the 51st State is like a blow to the head from a metal pipe is an invitation to nap.”  Thank you, CBC Debaters.

Elbows up. Canada Strong. The way I see it.