Editor: With regards to your editorial of Jan. 19, I would like to share some things with you and your faithful readers.
You speak of burnout and disrespect for our municipal leaders; that’s sad. What about those in the Larch neighbourhood who are frustrated and fed up with the railroading that is happening with this proposed housing development? They have better things to do as well.
Many of my neighbours are withdrawing from the discussions since they feel their points of view have been dismissed or belittled without acknowledgement by Council.
What railroading you ask? How about the motion passed just before Christmas by the Canmore Community Housing Corporation to offer $1.3 million to purchase the “old day care lands” in Larch park for housing development? What about the permanent survey markers and piezometers installed to delineate the proposed subdivision, all before the public hearing and their subsequent vote for rezoning the subdivision?
Should we congratulate them for their efficient process management? Did they just forget to communicate and include the neighbours and larger community in these activities? Did you think this information was not newsworthy? Hmmm?
With regards to the disturbance of elk, I noted at the previous public hearing on this that the EIS wildlife conclusions done for Larch park relative to elk use was wrongly guided.
In my opinion, the Calgary “experts” hired mistook the many fire sites left from the Larch islands Fire Smart program as recreational campsites, thereby wrongly concluding that elk are obviously fully acclimated to humans and so more development shouldn’t matter.
I disagree. I have often witnessed mothers with their calves enjoying the early grass growth and warm rays of the sun there in spring and herds lingering to graze year round. This will be lost if the development proceeds. There will be little to no natural grass left for them, which is in short supply in and around the Larch neighbourhood and may lead them to graze on our manicured lawns. That is unmitigated negative impact.
I could go on and on, but ... I don’t want to further stress my councillor friends.
I do hope some folks are seeing the upcoming election as an opportunity. We need well balanced individuals that listen and hear the valid concerns of neighbours and are motivated to act independently.
Affordable housing is a concern in many parts of Canada. I hope Canmore will heed the words of Joni Mitchell and not “pave paradise and put up a parking lot.” It appears that other centres with affordable housing challenges haven’t yet succumbed to developing their neighbourhood parks.
Please note, it’s not NIMBY but NIMP (Not In My Park).
Oh, look time to walk the dog. Gus is the only one I know that really gives a S%#Ą in Larch park (usually in the old daycare lands area) which I diligently pick up.
Kim Johnson,
Canmore
