By Faisal Moola,
Director General, Ontario and Northern Canada
In early September, some of Canada’s leading writers, conservationists and scientists, including some from the David Suzuki Foundation, met near Wells Gray Provincial Park two hours north of Kamloops, B.C., to discuss whether it’s time for Canada to enshrine a land ethic in Canadian laws and policies.
The conference, Speak to the Wild, was co-hosted by Thompson Rivers University and the Wells Gray World Heritage Committee. Those attending included notable writers Robert Bringhurst, Sharon Butala, Ted Chamberlin, Lorna Crozier, Trevor Herriot, Patrick Lane, Tim Lilburn, Candace Savage, and former Canadian Poet Laureate John Steffler, as well as ethnobotanist Nancy Turner and philosopher Jan Zwicky.
Participants considered two questions.
The first concerned the possibility of legal reform around the rights of wilderness: Is it time to move Canada’s Constitution toward a formalized land ethic, and if so, what would that look like?
The second question pertained to our personal connection to wild places: How can we strengthen this connection in ourselves and encourage it in others? In particular, what is the role of narrative and the poetic experience in developing a meaningful relationship with wild Canada?
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The official justification for the annual deer hunt in Dundas Valley Conservation Area (DVCA) has been eliminated and compromised. The alleged deer overpopulation no longer exists and the so called “Nanfan Treaty” turned out to be a historical and legal hoax. But the hunt continues. Unacceptable changes are happening all around us – in the protection of our conservation areas and wildlife, in public access and use of recreational areas, and in the city.
On Monday, we released our 7th annual Parks Report assessing Canada’s progress towards its international commitment to protect at least 17% of our land and fresh water by 2020, and to improve the quality of our protected areas. This is an important next step towards CPAWS’ long term goal of protecting at least half of our public land and water. The bottom line is that Canada is falling behind most other countries, and urgently needs a plan to catch up!
It’s July 2nd and I have not yet received any meaningful replies from my MPP Ted McMeekin, Mayor of Hamilton Fred Eisenberger, or Ward 13 Councillor Arlene VanderBeek regarding construction projects in environmentally sensitive areas of Dundas Valley, violation of construction permit limits, lack of law enforcement, and possible corruption in issuing and implementing building permits. These issues should be investigated and taken care of but, unfortunately, officials responsible for enforcing rules and policies are not willing to help. Why? Are they part of the corrupted system?
KML and GPX files with a selection of Dundas Valley Trails, Single Tracks and bike rides around Dundas, for Google Earth and suitable GPS devices can now be downloaded through this blog.
Links, instructions, and a disclaimer are included on the Downloads page.
(Updated: April 19, 2015)
