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Friday, May 23, 2008

Letter: Solution to l'Anse-a-l'Orme woods in the works: mayor

posted by BOFarrell at 12h16

Will polar bears wander l'Anse-à-l'Orme?

Responding to the Apostles of the Green like Ryan Young (who is,
incidentally, my colleague on the Ste. Anne de Bellevue environment
committee) ("It's time to save l'Anse-à-l'Orme woodlands, West
Island Gazette, May 15) is not unlike dealing with religious
enthusiasts at the door: they've seen the light and they are
determined to shine it blindingly in your unbelieving face. If you
engage them in a discussion, it's a sign you're a potential convert
for the green world and you'll never get rid of them. If you slam
the door in their face, you're a bad-mannered, lost soul with no
salvage possible. May your dreams be haunted by polar bears and
their forlorn cubs wandering along urban boulevards.

All rational argument is drowned in emotion. It's believers versus
unbelievers. All trees have to be preserved, development is evil,
the suburban way of life is noxious. "Sustainable development" is
reduced uniquely to its environmental component: what else matters
after Al Gore?

Facts are fudged. You can't even rely on the information.

For example, Young, whose Merger-Demerger documentary film is being
shown this week, should know that Ste. Anne de Bellevue was not a
"borough council" in 2007: the duly elected town council of Ste.
Anne de Bellevue passed its detailed planning document in 2007,
modified after public consultation with the town's taxpayers. The
plan was the work of the town council's planning committee.

In the world of the green, the complex interplay of environmental,
economic, political, social and cultural components that make up our
real life of accommodation and compromise is dismissed as
irrelevant. We are on the brink of an enviro-Apocalypse. The
glaciers are in meltdown. We should all hold hands and above all we
should not build houses, industries and offices. It is too late!

But salvation may be on hand!

I would like to assure Young and the green community, as I did
recently our town environment committee, that the three levels of
government - municipal, Montreal agglomeration and provincial - are
negotiating to find a win-win-win solution to the development issues
on our territory. And Geoffrey Kelley, our MNA, has been very active
in this matter.

Fifty-two per cent of Ste. Anne de Bellevue's territory is already
protected and we are working to see what else can be done.

These are complex issues with competing interests at stake and they
will not be resolved by a blinding green flash or the sighting of
polar bears on l'Anse-à-l'Orme. It's a lot more complicated than
that.

Bill Tierney,

Mayor,

Ste. Anne de Bellevue