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8+ WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, July 18. 2007 Bob VRBANAC EDITOR eat 229 editorial@ waterfoochromcle ca sports@ w aterloochromele ca Perer WINKLER PUBLISHER EDITORIAL Jenniter ORMSTON REPORTER ext. 203 jormston@ waterfoochromule.ca Gerry MATTICE ext. 230 RETAIL SALES MANAC sales@ w aterloochronicle.ca SALES REPRESENTATIVES Norma CYCA ext. 223 neyca@ waterloochronicte ca Bill PIHURA ext. 228 bpihura @ waterloochronicle ca Carly GIBBS exi. 222 cgibbs@ waterloochronicle.ca Alicia DE BOER ext. 202 adeboer@ waterloochronicle.ca CLASSIFIED 519â€"895â€"5230 CIRCULATION 519â€"886â€"2830 ext. 213 Canadian Publications Mail Sales Publication Agreement Number 40050478 International Standard Serial Num ber ASSN 0832â€"3410 The Waterloo Chronicle is published each Wednesday by Metroland Media Group Ltd ONTARIO PRESS COUNCIL The Watertoo Chronicle is a member of The Ontanio Press Council, which considers complaints against memâ€" ber newspapers. Any complaint about news, opinions advertising or conduct should first be taken to the newspaper. Unresolved complaints can be brought to: Ontario Press Council, 2 Carlton Street, Suite ADVERTISING COPYRIGHT The contents of this newspaper are protected by copyright and may be used only for personal nonâ€"commerâ€" cial purposes. All other rights are reserved and commercial use is proâ€" hibited. To make any use of this material you must first obtain the permission of the owner of the copyâ€" right. For further information conâ€" tact Bob Vrbanac, Editar, Waterloo Chronicle, 279 Weber St. N., Suite 20, Waterloo. Ontario N2J 3H8 Audited Circulation 1706, Toronto, ON.. MSB 133 LETTERS POLICY Letters to‘the editor must contain the writer‘s full name, signature. address and telephone number. Addresses and telephone numbers are used only for verification purposes and will not be published Names will not be withâ€" held. We reserve the right to edit, conâ€" dense or reject any contribution for brevity or legal purposes. Letters may be submitted hy fax to 519â€"886â€"9381 or by email to editonal@waterâ€" loochronicle.ca or by mail or delivâ€" ered to Waterloo Chronicle, 279 Weber St. N., Suite 20, Waterl00, Ontanio N2J 3H8 WATERLOO CHRONICLE 279 Weber St. N.. Suite 20 Waterloo. Ontano N2J 3H3 $19â€"886â€"2830 Fax: 519â€"886â€"9383 w w. waterloochromcle ca EMAIL editorial@ waterloochronicle.ca FAX 519â€"886â€"9383 3].292 HER r ] j‘h« W W Wat e heat wave continues this summer in Waterloo l with the June 23 council meeting concerning the westâ€"side development sure to add some hot air. Waterloo council will once again be asked to address the controversial westâ€"side development that could add more than 1,600 new homes in three subdivisions to be built on top of the Waterloo moraine. Council will once again hear from local environmentalâ€" ists and concerned citizens about the pptential impact on local groundwater and sensitive species located near the development site. Théy will hear impassioned pleas to live up to their election promises, and stop a development that might have turned the tide in the last municipal vote. And when the last delegation finally vents their spleen, in what promises to be a marathon meeting, council will take the information under consideration. They will then pass on any pertinent concerns to Waterloo Region‘s planâ€" ning commissioner Rob Horne for his final approval. Wait a second. They won‘t vote on whether they supâ€" port or oppose the findings of a regional report on the development? e â€" Then what‘s the point? That‘s the question some peoâ€" ple are asking, including Waterlao Coun. Mark Whaley. _ He can‘t even find a seconder to reopen the debate, as he continues to be the lone councillor of record to appose the development That will go against the mandate that some of the curâ€" rent council received during the last municipal election campaign. The Waterloo moraine was a central plank in some of those campaigns, and the changing face of counâ€" cil was thought to bring a different approach to the west â€" side proposal. There is a tradition that most new councils don‘t reverse decisions made by the previous one. And even if this present council decides not to based on information they‘ve received, shouldn‘t they at least vote? Isn‘t that why the public voted for them in the first place? Council should vote VIEWPOINT arthroots began canâ€" Evassing with the Waterâ€" locians.ca in early July of this year to highlight local environmental issues among the public. When we first visited Waterloo, many of the resiâ€" dents we spoke to were curiâ€" ous as to why a Torontoâ€" based environmental organiâ€" zation was coming all the way to Waterloo to talk about development in the Waterloo region and moare specifically, the Waterloo moraine. "Why should we care," they asked us. While it‘s true that Waterâ€" loo is quite a distance from Toronto, we at Earthroots felt we couldn‘t stay away. Since the creation of the Greenbelt, Waterloo Region, Simcoe and Wellington Counties have emerged as areas of concern among environmentalists. The creâ€" ation of the Greenbelt has resulted in a phenomenon known as leapfrog developâ€" ment, whereby suburban growth is booming in regions outlying the protection of the new provincial legislaâ€" tion. We at Earthroots, have long been urging for the inclusion of the above menâ€" tioned areas into the Greenâ€" belt to help ensure that growth occurs in a responsiâ€" ble way throughout Ontario. What benefit will the Greenâ€" belt have if all the outlying regions are a mass of road networks, monotonous subâ€" urbs and smog causing, cliâ€" mateâ€"changing gasses? The more we learned about the proposed developâ€" ment on the westâ€"side lands of the Waterloo moraine, the more we wanted to become involved â€" to help spread awareness about why this development might not be socially or environmentally responsible. More importantly, there is a general feeling from enviâ€" ronmentalists and citizens alike that without a thorough analysis of the scientific, ecoâ€" nomic and public bealth concerns, no approval for this project should be grantâ€" Paving over this sensitive section of the moraine will block significant amounts of water from percolating through to the aquifers endangering future water supplies. With the looming threat of climate change, rainfal} will surely become less preâ€" dictable, putting our water resources in jeopardy. Historically, this area also contains many important wildlife species such as the Jefferson salamander, which is a threatened species and is protected by provincial and federal law due to its rarity in Canada. It has also been conâ€" firmed that the subdivision will displace the Vesper sparâ€" row, a regionally significant bird species, due to habitat loss. Experts have stated that a breeding bird and amphibâ€" ian survey is necessary but to date have not been completâ€" ed at the appropriate time of year to study amphibians or breeding birds. We have reviewed the Provincial Policy Statement and Planning Act and this proposed subdivision goes against many of the provinâ€" cial guidelines for developâ€" ment. Clearty, more work needs to be done before this development can proceed. It‘s time that we slow down and consider the longâ€" term implications of our decisions and the impact our development choices will have in the coming decades. We urge Waterloo‘s politiâ€" cians and the provincial govâ€" ernment to ensure that each and every concern of the community is addressed and that the development on the westâ€"side lands does not proceed unless it is deemed socially and environmentally responsible to do so. Citizens can voice their concerns and ask.questions about the development of the westâ€"side lands on July 23 at 6:30 p.m. at city hall.