Milton's Diverse Wildlife: The Common Road Kill

This week I'd like to talk about the environment in town. Particularly the toll that urban sprawl has been taking on it. It seems that I am seeing more animals lying dead on the side of the road than roaming in the fields. This is a sympton of careless planning.

For a town that is surrounded by one of the province's most majestic natural formations, Milton seems to have a lack of green space. Parks are going up, this is true. Unfortunately the contractor who is doing them is a little behind scheduel. Drumquin Park was over a year behind for a one month job. Most of the new parks are going into the new part of town, even then they are small with little to attract people there. As for the old part, the Town seems to care little. Last year there was an outrageous proposal to turn Bronte Meadows park into another housing development! This is the only major park for people on the south side of town. Isn't it funny how they want to take away parks that people want but they build a hockey arena that nobody wanted. I would also like to mention the close calls that the BMX track and the Oakville Model Flying Club suffered when the town threatend to turn their venues at Drumquin into a nature trail. Anybody who's been to Drumquin knows that the only nature in that park is tall thorny weeds and a muddy creek. They also had proposed a bon fire area where the flying club is. The perfect place for teenagers to drink beer and smoke weed without being seen. Real smart. It's nice to know out town's planning committee is thinking. There where also numorous popular events cancelled at Drumquin in 2004 due to the builder's excuses.

There is another issue that stuck a nerve with me. My parents moved to our current location in 1983. One of the things they liked most about the house was the view of the Escarpment. When they moved in, they where told by the Town that there would be no new building south of the CN tracks. This was due to the environmental sensitivity of the Escarpment. We where recently shocked to find out that the Town was backing down on the promise they made over 20 years ago. A housing development has been planned going from the tracks to Tramaine road. Can you say Oakridges children? I wonder where what Mr. McGuinty has to say about this. Probably nothing, as he did nothing about Oakridges. I am a supporter of business but not bad business. The Town is in bed with the developers, probably receiveing kickbacks. They've just handed the town over to them. Soon the green space will be gone, we will live in a sea of houses. Perhaps we should rename ourselves South Brampton because that's where we're heading. There is plenty of space to build to the east and north of town so why ruin on of our greatest natural wonders?