Aerial Photos of the Environmentally Sensitive Area that was Gutted In Halton Region in 2003
This was a 23 acre Carolinian Canada Forest
Photos taken April 2003 (by Councillor Allan Elgar)

This once beautiful environmentally sensitive forest was the home of many rare and threatened species of plants and animals.  The owner claimed he was preparing the land to farm.   What is happening across the GTA is that farmers are clearing forests for other purposes (under the guise of "farming") and then selling the land for various kinds of development.

Staff and council were told that  this land was also being cleared for farming until Councillor Elgar took these aerial photos.  The land is clearly being prepared to be a golf course.  As a result of this, the land owner is facing fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

We must work to ensure that this kind of thing does not happen again.  We need to close the "farming" loophole in countryside near urban areas.  We need a strong tree cutting by-law - one with teeth.

Several other Oakville by-laws are outdated or inappropriate.  Council and staff in the coming term must update and tighten our by-laws.

Protection of environment is a joke
By Liz Benneian - Editorial Oakville Today
Thursday, April 17, 2003

This picture demonstrates how well we here in Halton take care of officially designated Environmentally Sensitive Areas and how well the province takes care of a Life Science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI).

The land pictured below, which is located north of the 407, east of Neyagawa and north of the 16 Mile Creek, has been clearcut over the past few weeks, apparently without the owners bothering to seek permission to make any changes. The Region of Halton is currently investigating.

Oakville has no tree protection law. Halton has a useless tree protection law. The province has entirely abdicated its responsibility to tree protection.

If you think clear cuts in designated environmentally sensitive areas are okay, do nothing. If you don’t, call every politician you know and start yelling.