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The GRCA currently holds 291 hectares of land in that area of Waterloo and has determined three per cent of the land area to be surplus to its objectives of proâ€" tecting the Grand River and its watershed. One parcel would be made surplus due to the realignâ€" ment of Westmount Road as part of the Region of Waterloo‘s official plan, and transformed into a comâ€" mercial development that would fit in with the neigbourhood. The other one has neighbours more worried because it would Residents are concerned that if council goes ahead with the GRCA‘s application, 8.492 hectares of land that was once protected will be rezoned commercial or resâ€" idential, further encroaching on the natural area under siege by development on all sides. Just say no. That‘s what residents bordering the Laurel Creek Conservation Area are asking Waterloo city councillors to do next Monday as it considers a rezoning application by the Grand River Conservation Authority regarding some remnant parcels of land in the nature Residents call on council to halt GRCA land sale looking For a New or Preâ€"owned BMW | Let‘s go to the par : A twoâ€"year project to replace the playâ€" ie t ‘ ground at Empire public school was a hit | _ last week. Enjoying the new $35,000 equipâ€" gt. ment were Alexander Handy and David * fff â€" Cole, left, and Colin Mickie and his daugh Y s ter Grace, one, below. §08 Vreanet BadIOn S a yA es P P % *7 m e ; 4 / L hk , ue h R r‘é*‘?"%‘ ‘ e ‘ big ' «egl'l*‘ xk %‘v- CE ¢ e 4 o salf i ' Ti ‘ L f F i X“L.L.L * f | es m A R f ’ 0 j www.bâ€"kmotors.com By Bos VrBanac Chronicle Staff "Many of those lands are wetâ€" lands, moraine lands or environâ€" mentally sensitive lands, and we don‘t have any money to purchase them." However, the conservation body was recently able to secure some environmentally sensitive lands in the head waters of the Grand River and needs the funds to finance the sale. A sale of the remnant lands in Waterloo, estiâ€" mated to be worth over $1 million, will help fund that purchase. "As a matter of principle, both I and the board would prefer not to sell land," said Krause, now in his fourth year as chair of the conserâ€" vation body. "But our primary mandate is the protection of water and water sources as part of our water manâ€" agement activities. rezone 5.992 hectares of land located west of Beaver Creek Road overlooking the Nature Centre. Proceeds from a potential sale of these remnant properties would be used to further fund the purâ€" chase of more watershed lands, said GRCA chairman Peter Krause. With provincial funding conâ€" straints, the GRCA hasn‘t been able to add to its protected land reserves for the past eight years. WE DON‘T MAKE DECKS. WE MAKE DECKS LAST. While local municipalities have Summer is here and there‘s never been a better time to enjoy your deck! Harmful UV rays can damage unprotected wood, but by applying Sikkens Cetol SRD, you can protect all of you exterior wood surfaces with a durable, long lasting finish. _ With it‘s one coat application and easy maintenance, you can spend more time slkkens enjoying your deck this summer! 2 CC AH % ow A twoâ€"year project to replace the playâ€" ground at Empire public school was a hit last week. Enjoying the new $35,000 equipâ€" ment were Alexander Handy and David PAGE 3 "Those lands have a greater impact on the watershed, and a greater impact on the citizens in that water shed in terms of water nificant in order to purchase land that needs environmental protecâ€" tion. The trade off has come down to selling off land that is deemed surâ€" plus, and not environmentally sigâ€" stepped up their support for the GRCA, helping to fund the authoriâ€" ty‘s dayâ€"toâ€"day operations, a lack of provincial government investâ€" ment leaves it unable to secure more environmentally sensitive lands as part of the mandate. help fund the purchase of wetlands." local residents‘ perception that since we are a conservation agency we should not be selling land. But we don‘t have anybody coming to the table to "I fully appreciate the GRCA chairman â€"Peter Krause www ailkkens com With Ontario Deputy Premier Elizaâ€" beth Witmer serving as St. Peter, the clean air group announced its latest goal to get 1,000 junkers past the pearly gates in a program called "Car Heaven" "That leads to measurable reducâ€" tions," he said. "Let‘s look at ways where your car can have a positive legaâ€" cy when its time is up." the executive director for the notâ€"forâ€" profit group dedicated to developing and implementing strategies that lead to measurable improvements in air quality. th bad air already circulating Whroughout the region, the Clean _ Air â€" Foundation launched a program last week to clear up the congestion by reducing the chief culpritâ€" car emissions. And the best way to reduce car emisâ€" sions is to get the toxicâ€"spewing old clunkers off the roads, said lan Morton, "How can they say in principle that they‘re against selling land, and in the next breath tell you why they‘re going to sell this land. Is that what principle is all about?" "I think it‘s almost blasphemy for the GRCA to choose this method to raise their funds," said Loscerbo. "There has to be a more environmentally friendly way of raising money. But that‘s not good enough for local residents like Carl Loscerbo, who moved his family to the area from Toronto more than two years ago because of the close proximity to protected greenspaces. Loscerbo has been to some of the public meetings concerning the potential saie, and while he understands the differing views regarding the environmental impact of a future sale, he said the main issue remains the principles involved. supply and quality," said Krause. "I fully appreciate the local residents‘ perception that since we are a conâ€" servation agency we should not be selling land. But we don‘t have anybody coming to the table to help fund the purchase of wetâ€" "We would be going a different route." Loscerbo is hoping Waterloo By Bos Vrranac Chronicle Staff â€" 677 Belmont Ave. W., Kitchener 330 Gage Avenue, Kitchener 1120 Victoria St. N , Kitchener 245 Edinburgh Road, Gueiph 583 King Slreet?ortln. Waterloo Phone: (519) 772â€"1127 HEERS â€"â€" & DESIGN CENTRES â€"â€" As an added bonus, those denated vehicles have also generated more than $100,000 in donations that has gone to charities affiliated with the organizaâ€" Incentives include a free tow, a chariâ€" table receipt worth a minimum of $60, and a chance to win a brand new lowâ€" emission Ford Focus, or one of 15 Minelli Adventure bikes. Since the program was first launched in Toronto in July 2000, Car Heaven has sent more than 5,800 vehiâ€" cles to meet their maker, generating emission reductions of over 52 tons of nitrous oxides, 33 tons of volatile organâ€" ic compounds and 676 tons of carbon monoxide. Car Heaven is the foundation‘s accelâ€" erated vehicle retirement program that gets highâ€"pollution older vehicles off the road and properly recycled with incentive‘s from the group‘s private and public partners. "The conservation authority would be able to get along just fine by leaving those lands as is, and selling the part that, in my view, is of less environmental and conserâ€" "I don‘t support the selling of the land adjacent to the nature centre for redevelopment," said Strickland. "I think there is some debate about the environmentally sensitivity of it, and it has some environmental significance in my Waterloo regional Coun. Sean Strickland, who sits on the GRCA board, opposes selling the nature centre‘s land for residential develâ€" opment. He‘ll be expressing that reservation at a board meeting this "Just say no to converting conâ€" servation land to residential space." "Give me some reasons why you as a councillor would want to convert lands from open space to housing," he said. "There‘s all sorts of land out there, why are you picking conservation land to develop? councillors exercise some of their principles and support the enviâ€" ronmental policies the city claims to support. Continued on page 4 Continued on page 4 (519) 578â€"5330 (519) 576â€"8200 (519) 576â€"7576 ($19) 836â€"4731