14 Comments, have your say.

1. Beatrice Peters makes this comment

   Monday, 10 August 2009

   I am a senior who has lived in Burlington for over 40 years and love this city because of its trees and greenspace. However, I have witnessed the gradual diminishment of the parklands to walk to, seeing them replaced by small parkettes with rarely used playground equipment.I want my taxdollars to support the preservation of parklands as a priority over more developments, fancy piers, a performing arts centre or now a new stadium at Sherwood Park. You can always build with more bricks and mortar but you onlyhave one chance to save cherished parks. I hope our city's leaders will start recognizing the interests of the citizens and the future - invest in parkland please!

2. Bob Hicks makes this comment

   Tuesday, 11 August 2009

   Franklin D. Roosevelt said "The fundamental idea behind the parks...is that the country belongs to the people." – very well said. We all know that parks do a great deal to enhance the quality of life, health and well-being of people, their communities, and their environments throughout Ontario. Parks are not civic frills but urban necessities. General Brock Park needs to be saved. I think everyone understands that and I hope everyone will be wise enough to ensure that it is. All levels of government (and the school boards) have been taking taxpayer money, and land, for years. It is time they gave something back….and saw the wisdom in doing so.

3. Cathryn Ainslie makes this comment

   Wednesday, 12 August 2009

   My sons grew up playing in Burlington’s parklands, river ravines, empty lots, and school fields. But Burlington in the last 30 years has been paving over and developing these natural places. In the last 9 school closings, 86% of their playing fields have been lost and houses are now built where these special places used to be. Meanwhile, Burlington’s city council is busy funding yet more bricks and mortar projects while school fields and parklands are being sold to developers.

4. Ken Woodruff makes this comment

   Wednesday, 12 August 2009

   The possibility of the loss of a community jewel like Brock/Gary Allen park is just too sad and frustrating. From what I have seen and from what I understand the city's own surveys tell them, people in Burlington want green spaces and community services - most of us live/moved here because we didn't want to live in a "mini Mississauga". I'm with Ms. Peter above - we need this and other parkland saved long before we devote community resources to stadiums and mega projects.

5. Brian Heagle makes this comment

   Wednesday, 12 August 2009

   The “lookout” off Kerns Road (across from Kerncliff Park) reflects how life is about balance. Buildings get lost amongst so many trees. I don’t want to stand there in 20 years, apologizing to grandchildren about the swaths of magnificent green space that disappeared.
   
   Another “look out!” proves helpful: south of Dundas St between 8th and 9th Lines in Oakville. Rooftops resemble mountain ranges. Hard to fathom what it looked like before, and what was lost.
   
   Burlington’s green space will also inevitably be sacrificed to pave the way for growth. Tough decisions, unfortunate casualties. While being mindful of this reality, we must also be willing to pursue ways today to better control the longer-term impact on tomorrow. Changes sought to Reg 444/98 are about creating real opportunities to preserve significant lands for communities seeking balance. All of us should weigh in about this vital issue.

6. Godfrey Owen makes this comment

   Wednesday, 12 August 2009

   General Brock Parkland is vital to our health and recreation
   All too many benefit from its availability and the City maintains it well for us. If any part must be developed, let it be the area on which the building stands and has been contaminated by use.

7. Ria Jackson makes this comment

   Wednesday, 12 August 2009

   I was born and raised in Burlington. We actually had family friends who lived on the road just off of Spruce Ave., which connects to the General Brock Park. I have many fond memories of playing in that park with my friends.
   
   It makes me very sad when I drive around our beautiful city - to see every minute piece of green space being developed into neighbourhoods or shopping plazas. Although I understand the necessity for growth, green space is what makes Burlington beautiful, and what attracts people - and when is enough, enough?
   
   Let's preserve what we have left, so that future generations can continue to play in their home town, instead of having to go somewhere else to enjoy the outdoors.
   
   I have to agree with Mr. Heagle - I don't think we want our city to become a sea of rooftops

8. Katie Brown makes this comment

   Wednesday, 12 August 2009

   All levels of government federal, provincial, and municipal
   must learn to work together to find a more equitable way in
   which to preserve school sites, which are increasing disappearing from our communities. With declining enrollment schools are being closed across the province and neighbourhoods are losing their greenspace.
   These sites are used by all citizens; seniors, sports groups, single adults and families and become an integral part of the community.

9. John Versluis makes this comment

   Saturday, 15 August 2009

   It’s egregious that citizens and citizen groups across the GTA are having to fight tooth and nail to protect our parks when it’s such a commonsensical thing to do. In the face of growing sprawl and density, there is no argument that can justify paving over what precious few acres of green space remain in our communities.

10. Tom Nagy makes this comment

    Saturday, 14 November 2009

    Green spaces are part of who we are, and directly influence our health and our outlook on our city. When I heard that the term "disposed of" was used in accordance with the planned distruction of General Brock, I was absoutely disgusted and appauled. How could someone use such a word to describe a place of such beauty that holds so many fond mememories for countless members of our city, and maybe others from surrounding areas who came to visit?
    
    General Brock, and the other green spaces in our city are being lost due to a plain disregard for what the people who are already living here require in a healthy, active lifestyle. Townhouses could be built anywhere else, but the trees that are growing on those acres are priceless and irreplaceable to our community. The sucessfulness of a community should be measured in units of hapiness and healthy, not cookie-cutter houses, concrete and money.

11. Pat Adolph makes this comment

    Tuesday, 01 December 2009

    I am distraught with the concept of how our world will appear in the next few years. I receive newsletters from conservation groups asking the same, encouraging the notion of preserving trees, areas of old growth and rare plants which are home to unseen (diminishing) fauna, telling us of the importance of such things as grassy wetlands (ie. as being natural filters of our water) and then having our politicians pass a building permit that allows the cash throwing developers to fill in these wetlands, remove the top layer of soil to which ancient plants and animal habitats have lived for hundreds of years undisturbed, churn it all up, and heap foreign soils on top, burying garbage and seeding in uniform grass. This form of monoculture is actually promoting illness.

12. Ian Baines makes this comment

    Wednesday, 02 December 2009

    Benign maintenance of Roseland Creek required an environmental study (ESR). The impact of losing a large block of green space does not. To suggest that one has impact, while the other does not is ridiculous. Under current environmental screening regulations, the disposal of General Brock parkland would not be permitted without considerable study regarding the wildlife, social, economic, noise and land use impact. This is the law for just about every other project in Ontario of similar, or smaller scope. To allow disposal with no regard to our existing environmental study requirements is counter to logic, good planning and common sense. Of course, an environmental impact study would show quite clearly that there has not been sufficient study to justify the decision. Hence, it is not likely something that City staff would wish. If you have to do an EA on the creek, then do one on the park as well. Much greater area, much bigger impact.

13. Acton Councillors sleeping makes this comment

    Tuesday, 08 December 2009

    Nice to see your success so far as Haltonhills sells us out !
    
    http://www.topix.net/forum/ca/halton-hills-on-acton

14. Amy Collard makes this comment

    Tuesday, 15 December 2009

    I am so pleased to know that the Brock Parklands have been saved from development and preserved for future generations to enjoy. The councillors and mayor that voted to save this land have demonstrated true leadership by placing the interests of the community ahead of financial gain. I applaud them for their foresight.