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Articles / Comments******************************
The Local StoryBuild high speed rail, not airport: Transport Action Ontario Highway Seven farmland zoned for 'employment lands' Heritage expert argues to save homes Residents urge MP to fight for the lands (but demolitions continue) LOL presents 'The Case Against an Airport in Pickering' A hamlet on the verge of extinction Demolition crews prepare tenders Dispute over boundaries of Rouge Park Transport Canada Releases Findings of the 2010 Pickering Lands Needs Assessment Study More: Federal study recommends building a Pickering airport Old Airport Battle LOL remains nervously 'on guard' while waiting for next move from Feds Environmental hero David Suzuki talks about the new Rouge Park Farmers' markets open this month in Ajax and Pickering Whitevale residents fight to protect heritage community Ottawa refuses to assist with protecting heritage structures Conservative candidate opposed to airport Critics fear Conservatives will give Pickering airport wings Land Over Landings demands answers from Conservative candidates on
'secret agenda' for an airport in North Pickering. Document revealed. Pickering Airport remains top issue in Ajax-Pickering riding Oda leaves door open to an airport in North Pickering Arson destroys century home
Passionate debate on foodlands North Pickering heritage homes spared - for now Suburbs worst offenders No Seaton for years The region's rise and sprawl Pickering's Neglected Heritage Feds let slip policy of demolishing heritage during Pickering bicentennial year Pickering politicians work to save heritage homes on airport land Food sector is booming Tory MP Against National Park Plan for Rouge Teachers stunned by waste and size of 'airport lands' How will Buttonville airport closing affect Pickering, Oshawa National Park status for Rouge popular: Poll Oasis of nature deserves new status Pickering growth plan rejected New 'town' to replace Buttonville Airport Pickering community art project spreads message of eating local food Flames and bulldozers flatten Pickering homes Ottawa breaks laws, demolition moratorium in Pickering "The waste has gone on long enough." "Saving the last best farmland in Canada is not pie in the sky, it's bread on the table." Michael Robertson, People or Planes, Land Over Landings Pickering drops lawsuit against York over Big Pipe Pickering farmers move west to sell fresh produce It's food or floods say
Ajax, environmental
groups Rein in Durham Pickering residents take
Big Pipe fight to Queen's
Park Pickering airport analysis in hands of Transport Canada Plan to expand city on GTA farmland to go ahead Pickering voice needed on airport board: council Land Over Landings featured in major Chinese daily Markham's 'food belt' proposal on the line Dr. David Suzuki, David Suzuki Foundation - Stop Sprawl in Markham Council deletes Pickering airport question from election ballot Pickering Airport Plans Still Grounded October Referendum Making a Difference Durham Food Charter Developer denies ties to controversial Markham ad Markham's Bold Proposal is Suburbia's Salvation Food Association Grows out of Pickering Markham's Farmers Denounce Foodbelt Markham's Food Belt Taking a Stand Pickering Mayor Says Yes to Airport Empty House Revives Pickering Airport Fears Baird threatens to eject Opposition on Pickering Lands Transport Canada “Bulldozers by Stealth Pickering Council Hopes for Airport Referendum Case for and against an airport "Sprawl -- Smart Growth' Owners consider redeveloping Buttonville airport lands Response to the Pickering Airport Draft Plan Report Documents underline Transport Canada's mismanagement of Pickering Lands Tenant Turfed from Airport Site A fox minding the henhouse Revived Pickering airport plan: threat to Hamilton? A Train to Peterborough — the wrong priority for Durham Conservatives stack deck in favour of Pickering airport, giving review contract to GTAA Plane Stupid Time is now to reclaim Rouge Park ****************************** The Big PictureProfessor driving tractor to promote awareness Why Canada needs a national food strategy Bolivia enshrines rights for Mother Earth Backyard farming in the GTA The next market bubbles: Food and Farmland Pembina reacts as Canada again ranks near last on climate change performance index Rural Canada Matters: Highlights of the Liberal Plan for Canada's first national food policy Dreamers and Doers: Trying to save the family farm Nature Count$: Valuing Southern Ontario's Natural Heritage Arable Land Remaining Air Travel Suffers Worst Post-war Demand Drop Canada's Disappearing Farmland, an article from the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada, calls on government to become proactive in the face of all-consuming urban sprawl. A Tall Order for the Ontario Landscape Organic Empowerment 2010: Taking Action Locally If Nothing Else, Save Farming Urgent Threat to World Peace is ... Canada An Apple a Day Keeps the Bulldozers Away The City that Ended Hunger Why We Should Buy Local Food Pearson costlier way to fly, report shows Pearson disputes report finding airport inefficient Airline industry lost $5B in '08, IATA says Worrisome costs at Pearson airport ****************************** Your CommentsDan Raue Mayor Ryan’s recently published commentary (SNAP Pickering) on future planning for the Pickering Lands site should raise serious concern for residents of this community. As the proposed "prime location" for a new airport we have much at stake. There was a conciliatory mention of the need to balance environmental issues with the desire for a larger commercial tax base. The overriding implication, however, was that the Government sees commercial growth and increased tax revenues as the only true measure of progress. I’m sure many people these days feel we need a better yardstick. There is a quality of life that, for now, defines this city. It’s highly improbable that people who choose to live here dream of one day moving to the outskirts of Pearson International. There truly is a need, as the mayor suggests, to provide local, sustainable food production right here in the GTA. Given the current quality and quantity of the Pickering Lands site, that could be a central feature of north Pickering rather than an adjunct to an airport. We could be a model for local food production; one to be envied on a national level. We should proudly be developing regional specialties and unique artisan food products, perhaps even an agricultural research facility. Economic development and quality of life can co-exist. We can pray that the Mayor will take up the cause on our behalf and actively discourage the Federal Government from inflicting its vision of progress on us. ****************************** Carol King Letter to News Advertiser It is with disbelief that I read this article. The first issue was that the federal government still plans to build an airport in Pickering. Where are their heads? Did the Canadian government not learn from the fiasco of Mirabel? Today Mirabel terminal is a warehouse. Does Pickering truly need another warehouse -- away from railroads and highways? It does not make sense to build a terminal for the long-term purpose of storage. I am not saying that Pearson does not have full capacity -- at times -- but space is available there and should a rail line be connected to the airport it would reduce traffic congestion. Like Mirabel, the Pickering location is inconvenient for local residents and especially for travellers from other destinations who might have to transfer from Pearson to Pickering to catch connecting flights. Federal Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty made comments and our Mayor Dave Ryan praised them! The only thing "unique" about this business is it seems the people of Pickering and area have been sold a bill of goods thinking our council supported the cause to save our heritage, our land and to assure food for the future. The last thing we need is more concrete on good farm land. Our council seems happy that the federal government has made a "resolution". Perhaps we should resolve to limit elected offices to two terms. That way the people who care about people would have an opportunity to serve their community and leave behind a proper legacy. To the others out there nodding your heads, please make your thoughts known. Let our council and the federal government know we do not want nor do we need an airport in Pickering. ****************************** Dan Raue Letter to News Advertiser: The report suggests that the proposed airport represents an "economic and environmental opportunity" for the GTA. Unfortunately there is no mention of the devastating loss of 18,600 acres of prime agricultural land or the adverse consequences to the adjoining conservation lands that would ensue. Nor does it account for the negative impact to the quality of life for surrounding residents. I believe the voting public is looking for greater accountability these days. There are, however, some real opportunities for leadership at the government level on this matter. This site will eventually be a political legacy one way or another. It will either be a lasting example of squandering our resources for the economic benefit of a few or it could become the hub of a renewed focus on local food production and a worthy inheritance for future generations. If our current leaders could see that fossilizing our farmland in cement is no longer an acceptable solution, they could take steps now to prevent a future government from making that very mistake. That would be a legacy. ****************************** Three Letters to Toronto Star, July 14, 2011 Mary Delaney Forty years ago, following the stunning expropriation of 18,600 acres of prime farmland for an airport, Scott Young (Star reporter, Pickering resident and father of Neil Young) wrote these prophetic words:
It was! Forty years later we’re still fighting, and hoping the people of Toronto will join us as they joined People or Planes back in the early ’70s. It was a stupid idea then and it’s a colossally stupid idea now as the global food crisis worsens. One thing in the Needs Assessment (prepared by the GTAA — the people who build airports) is absolutely true. It would be impossible to amass this amount of land again. That is why it must be saved for farmland. E. Ellison Transport Canada should be connecting Pearson Airport to the rail and subway system of Toronto and the region around and not destroying pristine lands. Your article forgot to mention how beautiful and meaningful heritage was destroyed by Transport Canada at the Pickering lands. Residents are important and they should be heard. Shirley Farlinger There are two things wrong with this idea. First, one of the biggest causes of climate change is the CO2 emissions from air travel. So, if the public has any sense at all, air travel will decrease by 2027 just as the need for productive farmland will be increasing. Second, the airport will be in Pickering along with the nuclear reactors already there. One slip of the stick and we have another nuclear tragedy. Picking Pickering makes no sense. ****************************** Bernadette Zubrisky I read the issue on National Parks (April 2011) with much interest because I have been pushing for national park status for the now federally owned farmlands that were expropriated in the 1970s to build an airport in Pickering, Ont. The Proposed development was shelved due to intense public opposition. Most of the viable green space in the area has been eliminated by urban sprawl, leaving tiny fragments of nature surrounded by suburbs, big-box malls and roads. The federally expropriated land is the only island of intact habitat left. If it had not been expropriated it, too, would probably have succumbed to sprawl. We have a chance of a lifetime to create one of the first accessible national parks next to Canada's most populated area -- a way to balance the impacts of overdevelopment. According to your articles, one of the issues with creating national parks is that land often has to be expropriated, which is contentious. This land has already been expropriated -- at the expense of family history and livelihood and great sorrow. Those whose history is entangled in this mess will never forget that. And today, many of us in the next generation are still trying to preserve this land. ****************************** Ron Hinchliffe Let me begin by saying that I have lived in Claremont for 24 years, have developed land in Claremont and built my family home there. I would also love to state that I am vehemently opposed to an airport being built in my backyard. That being said, I can’t help but think that your newsletter that was distributed to my door last night, has done nothing but taken the movement BACK a few steps. I know several people who live in Claremont and surrounding area who are coming into retirement age and plan on funding their retirement through the sale of their largest investment, their home. In order to realize a “windfall” in the value of their property, they feel that they need an airport or at least a firm commitment to move forward with an airport in order to dramatically raise their property value. These same mislead people have always voted Liberal in the hope that they will finally come through with their long term plan of building the airport, a dream created by their government when they expropriated the land back in 1972. I know in the past your organization as well as VOCAL has tried to discredit the fact that property values do indeed increase in the close proximity to an airport, but statistical data disagrees. I believe your intentions were focused in the direction by sending out this letter filled with some “questionable” facts and commentary; however, I truly hope it doesn’t backfire and you help to get a government elected who will ruin my current peaceful way of life! ****************************** Pat Valentine Can a government (minority OR majority) proceed with impunity to carry out a plan based on a discredited (because blatantly biased) needs assessment? The GTAA will NOT have honestly considered the wisdom of expanding Hamilton's airport (if it considered it at all), because Hamilton's airport is not within its bailiwick. It will NOT have given proper weight to the importance of prime farmland, because it doesn't care about the land or farmers. It will NOT have taken the wishes of the residents of this area into account, because our wishes don't matter to the GTAA. Regardless of the wording of the terms of reference for the needs-assessment contract, and however the instructions were couched (I'm thinking of Chuck Strahl's pathetic reassurances in the face of legitimate charges of GTAA conflict of interest), the GTAA, as the developer of any airport on the Pickering Lands, CANNOT have produced an unbiased report. They and the Conservatives can protest until they are blue in the face but they can't get around this fundamental truth: a biased agency will inevitably produce a biased report, and a biased report has neither credibility nor validity. Can a government these days proceed with an airport without a legitimate (and made-public) environmental assessment by an independent, knowledgeable, and respected third party? Can a government proceed over the protests of the City of Pickering (and environs)? Can they do it without the involvement and $$$$$$$ of the provincial government? The 1972 decision to build an airport in Pickering was based on breathtaking incompetence, hubris, cover ups, lies, and laughably inflated projections of future air traffic needs -- all of this well documented. Was nothing learned from the fiasco that is Mirabel? Apparently not, because what are we seeing now? Hubris, cover ups, lies, and -- I'm quite sure these are in there: breathtaking incompetence and laughably inflated assumptions of future air traffic needs in this new world of rapid climate change. And then there's the utter contempt for the citizens of Canada whose pockets will be picked to fund this (to use Chris Alexander's own term for it) boondoggle. I personally don't want a single cent of my money going into an airport in Pickering unless and until it is PROVEN through a legitimate and independent needs assessment that the need is real and no other area is better, and unless and until the needs assessment is SUPPORTED by a legitimate and independent environmental assessment that has taken into account, among many other things, pollution and noise issues, bird migration routes, wildlife habitat, watershed issues, and the importance of preserving Canada's best farmland. If these independent assessments take another year or two, so be it. Federal governments of one stripe or another have had forty years to do such assessments so as to get all the facts on which to base, for the first time on this issue, a truly informed decision. Another year or two won't matter to the air industry but will make all the difference in the world to the people of Pickering, Hamilton, the GTA, and every taxpaying citizen of Canada. ****************************** Sharon Matchim I thoroughly enjoyed our pd session last Friday. It was one of the best pd sessions and field trips I've been too. It was very informative and touring some of the area and houses was eye opening. I loved Land Over Landings' members enthusiasm, passion, and dedication to the northern Pickering lands....and that soup and homemade bread was the best. It was great to meet Mark Holland as well. Would enjoy hearing any further developments, especially now that Buttonville is closing. ****************************** Joanna Samson, History Teacher I am a High school History Teacher at Donald A. Wilson Secondary School in Whitby. I attended an amazing PD session last spring at Anderson put on by Land over Landings and was inspired by the presentation. I can honestly say in my years of teaching it is one of the only PD sessions that stands out as one that I, a) learned so much from and b) walked away changed. I no longer drive through Brougham and see it as just another town, its history is so rich and its people are courageous. In addition I believe the work of Land over Landings is of pivotal importance to all Cdn.'s and our students. I was chatting to my colleagues today and mentioned how I would love to have your organization present to our Grade 10 Academic Cdn. History classes (4 classes of 30) and give your history and connect students to this real ongoing Cdn. protest. It also fits so well with our unit plans for a day of protest on a Cdn. issue. We would love to have you talk to the students and allow them to learn about your important work, its history, the people, where it is today etc. We would also love to have some of our students inspired not for the sake of the assignment we will hope to attach after (we hope you can come) your visit, but that they may be the next generation for Land over Landings. Looking forward to partnering with you and having you share this work with our students at Wilson. ****************************** Heidi Eisenhauer, Toronto Thank you for all your work. I drove by some of the signs months ago and wondered how to get involved.. As an avid birder I do not want the pollution or destruction an airport brings and DO NOT understand why we would need another when we already have 2 which pollute my airspace as I live in the flight path of both. There is a plethora of content/information on the website and it was great to go through it! Very well organized. I would like to get involved and have web skills (which you must have on your team currently) maybe I can help with linking you further into social media outlets. 40 years of action.. :) My sister lives out in Ajax I will ask her to bring me out to a meeting soon. ****************************** Lindsey McKenna, Courtice We are not usually fond of going out on New Year's Eve. Usually by then, after the Christmas week's preparations, festivities and indulgences we're ready to wind down and return to regular routine. However, I have to admit that attending the L.O.L. New Year's Dance this year was the highlight of our season! What a wonderful , warm and welcoming bunch of people, great D.J.!(I barely sat down) Everyone was up dancing all night, to tunes they had requested. The ongoing home-made soup and hor'doeurves were delicious and a spectacular feast was presented just before midnight (good job I danced so much!). What a great way to bring in the New Year. We will definitely make this an annual tradition from now on! Cheers!****************************** Beth Lebel, Grade 12 I think it’s really awful about what’s going on in Pickering, especially because of the fact that it’s affecting people in such a negative way. I feel that the people living in Pickering should have the right to decline the airport and that with such strong opinions towards not having the airport the government should start listening to them. It is really awesome that there are people who are inspired to stand up for what they believe. We need people to fight for our rights and it’s really good that they can come in and talk to the youth and help us be involved in learning about more than what is going on in our own lives and start being involved in caring more about other people in our communities. So I thought the presentation was very informational and helped me understand why these people are so dedicated to fighting the Pickering Airport. ****************************** O’Rayne Gayle, Grade 12 I got to understand how it is like to live in the area that the government wants to use for the airport. The history of the homes and the heritage are being demolished and now there are homes that are boarded up which are perfectly fine to live in—it makes no sense!!! The support and the people fighting for our land can’t quit now because they have come so far, all their efforts would go down the drain. ****************************** Kelly Hockley Hearing about the Bentley/Carruthers house brought back a lot of childhood memories. Brenda Davies, one of the women who made the “last stand” in that house, was my mother. I know the fight was only a few years but it seemed like most of my childhood. I knew what my mother was doing was important, but could not really appreciate it until I became an adult. I knew they only "shelved" the idea of an airport but always felt that the government just didn't want to admit they made a huge mistake. I thought they would just quietly sell off the land and the houses. I did not realize what was happening. Yesterday I took a drive to the North Pickering area. I was shocked. There are so many houses just gone, the yard overgrown and the fields wild. There are so many houses boarded up and in total disrepair. I cannot believe that our government, as a landlord, is allowed to let their properties fall into such disrepair. Is it not the law that a landlord is responsible for the upkeep of their property? Does this not apply to the government? I feel that Transport Canada is purposely, quietly destroying our heritage and homes so that when and if they decide to put an airport in there is no one left on the land to fight. But fear not, whether we live on the land or not, we will fight, as my mother before me fought. I challenge anyone to take a drive along the side roads of North Pickering. I am sure you will feel the same outrage that I do. ****************************** Claudio Cipriani I just wanted to commend you for your work on this cause. I truly believe that an airport is not the best solution for this area. It makes me sad when I look at the historical farm homes on Reesor road that are boarded up by the MTO…. ****************************** Barbara Pleva As an historian, I am devastated by the destruction of our Canadian heritage in North Pickering. This area was a major centre in the early development of Upper Canada, and a hotbed during the Rebellion of 1837. Many of us have watched helplessly as historic homes have been demolished in the name of an unnecessary airport and for bogus reasons. I am struck by the fact that the property of Peter Matthews, a hero of the rebellion who was hanged for treason, is now obliterated. It took galvanized citizens many years to obtain permission to put up a plaque in Brougham stating that he even existed. By contrast, when his son fled to Michigan, he built a replica of the family home that is now on the National Register of Historic Places. How ironic: the Matthews family is more celebrated in the USA than in Canada. Meanwhile, families (some of them descendants of the original settlers) continue to fight to keep their homes and these communities strive to stay alive. Surely this is a true statement: those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. How much longer will we have before this cycle is stopped? ****************************** Margaret McFayden I knew they were going to revive this some day. Now more than ever we must protect this area for agriculture. It is insanity to pave over prime farmland when we are seeking to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Trucking (or worse flying) produce in is not only environmentally detrimental, it means less nutritious food for us. Climate change means gearing down on airports and flights - not expanding capacity!. ****************************** Keith Powell In a world that is growing increasingly smaller, a world where oil shortages will produce ominous results, in our country which has become totally reliant on imported food, and extremely vulnerable as a result, it only makes sense to preserve these 18,600 acres of federal land as green space. This land contains much of Canada's best farmland soil. This space, by being green, serves as lungs to a growing and increasingly congested GTA. What a blessing this green space could be to the current citizens of South Pickering whose health and quality of life will only be negatively impacted by urban sprawl and industrial development. ****************************** Sandy Manuel I have but started to scratch the surface of this website and I am totally impressed. It speaks of passion, commitment, education, creativity and most importantly, making a difference etc. Well done everyone involved. I am committing to pursuing every nook and corner of this awesome site so I can become more informed and do my part in protecting our land. ****************************** John Sabean A report on heritage buildings in the federal lands of Pickering, written as early as 1973 for the federal government, stated that: "The variation [of architecture] is extensive enough to be considered rich; combined with workmanlike handling of consistent quality, and a landscape setting of unusual beauty, the resulting impression of the architectural traditions in this area must be that they are both distinctive and distinguished—a physical resource, an architectural heritage, and a cultural legacy to be cherished and protected." As a cultural historian I believe this comment should have been enough to stop planning for an airport on the site dead in its tracks. I for one do not want to see historical plaques flooding the land reminding us what a great place we once were. I much prefer to see real houses standing where they were built, with beautiful farmland surrounding, proclaiming to the world that we are now and will continue to be a great place to live. I believe it is in the best interest of both the federal government and the local municipality to see that this prime farmland and historic area is left in good state for future generations. ****************************** Scott Sommers I am very sorry I could not make the protest. I would have loved to have been there to lend my support to the cause. It is my sincere hope that I will be there to assist where I can in the next months and years to ensure an airport will not be built on pristine farm land in and around Durham/York regions.Keep up the good work and let me know what I can do to help. ****************************** Gord McGregor As a North Pickering resident of 42 years I have always been concerned about land use, clean air and safe drinking water. My wife and I have lived in the hamlet of Brougham for all those years. We have always had a large vegetable garden and our four children learned the importance of raising our own food and being aware of treating nature with respect. When our property was expropriated to build the Pickering Airport we were in the forefront of protest against such a travesty. It made no sense to build an airport on such a rich, fertile and beautiful piece of Number One farmland (18,600 acres). People Or Planes fought the good fight and three years later the project was scrapped. As a teacher when I talk to students about the possibility of paving over and destroying this treasured jewel, they are appalled. Many schools have become ‘green schools’ whose purpose is reduce waste, improve energy conservation and ecological literacy. This is an important step towards making the adults of tomorrow realize the importance of saving this beleaguered planet. ****************************** Angela Steyn Having lived on the airport lands in North Pickering for over 37 years in two homes, we see ourselves as protectors of the land and buildings. Sadly we were expropriated and our first house, a fine old Victorian brick with accompanying barn and paddocks went to the wrecker’s ball in 1975, as did our neighbours’ farm and barn. The house with barn we hurriedly moved to is a charming old home. According to a descendant of the original settlers who occupied it until 1970, the central core of the house was built in 1835! If we had not been living here, this example of a typical farmhouse would be long gone. We have watched the once vibrant rural community slowly turn into a rural slum with over half the homes demolished. Recently we became Canadian Citizens and how exciting it was to vote. How ironic that two foreign-born people care so deeply for the heritage of North Pickering! One wonders why an airport is needed, particularly on some of the last fertile acreage in the golden horseshoe. When green space and care of the environment are becoming increasingly important, the looming prospect of an airport and its attendant development causes my heart to ache. The loss of fresh water creeks, stands of trees, rolling farmland, heritage buildings and local history is too big a price to pay for an unwanted and unnecessary airport. ****************************** Gabrielle Untermann Yesterday I had to go to Markham for the first time in several months. I was totally appalled to see how suburban sprawl is fast approaching the borders of Durham. Even though I had seen those dreaded white signs in the middle of fields some time ago, to see the bulldozers where crops were growing only this spring was like a punch in the gut. Acres of wonderful Class 1 agricultural land which should be growing food for the GTA are being gobbled up by the developers. Once they are built on, those acres will never grow food again. The expropriation by the federal government 36 years ago of these pristine lands in North Pickering has given us today a wonderful opportunity to offset the toxicity of urban sprawl that is happening all around. I believe that this is a national issue; that these fields should be growing food; that sprawl stops here. ******************************
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