Protection of Dundas Valley Deer and Ecosystem Neglected by Officials

Posted on April 17, 2015 by

Deer1F-1200
Dundas Valley Deer in the Spring. Pixel bending technique. Photo: Lech Biegalski
(Click on the picture to see the 1200 x 800 pixels version. Click  HERE to see the 2400 x 1600 pixels version.)

The white-tailed deer, a unique feature of Dundas Valley, deserve our help, consideration, and compassion. The peak in their population has been recorded in 2009-2011. After 2011, their numbers have been consistently declining. Today, you can hardly spot them. They are not present in places, where they could be seen every night, just a few years ago.

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Posted in Ancaster, Conservation, Deer Hunt, Dundas, Dundas Valley, Dundas Valley Conservation Area, Environment, Government of Ontario, Hamilton Conservation Authority, Nanfan "Treaty"

Paris to Ancaster Bike Race – coming soon…

Posted on April 10, 2015 by

P2A-2L
2014 P2A race (Sharps Lane) – (Click to enlarge) – Photo: L.B.

“For over a century the roads of northern Europe have been home to the toughest bicycle races in the world. The most famous of these, Paris to Roubaix, takes place each spring over brutal cobblestone roads that have been preserved in their historic condition for over 100 years. Inspired by this classic race, the Paris to Ancaster has taken place for the past twenty two years over the roughest farm lanes, trails and gravel roads we can find. Combined with unpredictable spring weather and the largest field of riders assembled in Canada, it has become a classic race experience for everyone from average riders to Canadian Olympians. Join us on April 26, 2015 to become part of the history of this unique race.”  /…/

“We are pleased to confirm that Sue Palmer Komar, 1996 and 2004 Olympian has confirmed for the VIP. Jeremy Powers (Rapha Focus) reigning and 3x USA National Cyclocross champion is back. 2014 P2A winner, Anthony Clark (JAM Fund) is also back for the 2015 race.”  – [P2A Website: http://parisancaster.com]

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Posted in Ancaster, P2A, Paris, Paris to Ancaster Bike Race

Good Friday Road Race, Ancaster, April 3, 2015

Posted on April 10, 2015 by

Short iPhone video taken by Lech B. near the Ancaster Fairgrounds
PM Races (Master 2 Men, Elite 1-2 Women, and Elite 3 & Junior Men):

Video taken from the bicycle by Sebastian Zdyb, Midweek Cycling Club
AM Race (Master 3 Men):

Posted in Uncategorized

Beautiful Dundas on a cold December morning…

Posted on January 5, 2015 by

Dundas-640
Photo: Lech Biegalski

You are welcome to keep and use this picture:

Posted in Dundas

Thinkers, writers, conservationists meet to discuss formalized land ethic for Canada at Speak to the Wild

Posted on November 27, 2014 by

Faisal MoolaBy 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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Posted in Conservation, Policy | Tagged ,

Christie Lake Conservation Area must retain its character

Posted on October 29, 2014 by

Commercialization

“We have to pay our bills”, is the answer. Last summer, a poster was placed near the entrance to the Christie Lake Conservation Area informing the users that access to the area surrounding the beach and beach pavilions was to be temporarily limited due to a commercial show. White exhibition tents were erected, a fence was erected, the event has run its course. The tents were not removed in a timely manner, they stayed there for weeks. The fence is to stay there permanently.

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Posted in Christie Lake Conservation Area, Commercialization, Hamilton Conservation Authority, Recreation | Tagged , ,

The “Nanfan Treaty” – legal considerations

Posted on October 16, 2014 by

Part 3 – (Last updated on October 18, 2014)

Justice 1Is the “Nanfan Treaty” legally valid? Does the 1701 “Conveyance of lands by the Native American Chiefs of the Five Nations” constitute a valid treaty between the Crown and the Indians? Do the Haudenosaunee have a valid case to claim hunting rights in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area? Does the Hamilton Conservation Authority have the right to enter into relevant Protocol Agreements with the Haudenosaunee, based on alleged “treaty rights”? Were the Ontario learned justices in R. v. Ireland and Jamieson [1990] and R. v. Barberstock [2003] wrong? Is the Ontario government wrong?

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Posted in Deer Hunt, Dundas Valley, Dundas Valley Conservation Area, Government of Ontario, Hamilton, Hamilton Conservation Authority, Nanfan "Treaty", Ontario Courts, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , ,

Gas Prices around Dundas, Ontario

Posted on October 16, 2014 by

gas1“As of this morning, gas prices around Dundas have dropped by an average of 12%. This is a result of a drop in global oil prices to a 47-month low. The global price of oil now stands at $84 per barrel, about $31 cheaper than its highest price this year. This comes as the global price of oil was relatively stable for nearly four years, averaging about $110 per barrel.”

“Experts say the sudden drop is partly tied to production enhancement in the United States, Canada, and Iraq. A drop in demand caused by a weak global economy is also thought to be another reason for the plunge.” – [Source]

I personally think that the real reason behind this surprise is purely political and is part of unofficial sanctions targeting the economy of Russia, which largely depends on exports of crude oil and natural gas. If this is true, this trend will last for a while. Whatever the case might be, here are the real numbers around Dundas, at 8:00 a.m. this morning:

  • Petro Canada on Cootes:  117.9
  • Pioneer on Cootes:  117.6
  • Esso on Main:  117.9
  • Shell on Main:  115.9

The winner is:
shell-sign

As we can see, the global oil prices decreased by 23.6 percent. The average prices at gas stations around Dundas decreased by about 12 percent. Even considering the cost of gas station operations, we can still expect further reduction.

Moreover, as food prices began to rise in the fall of 2006, we were told that this was caused by the increase in gas prices. Consequently, we can now expect a reduction in food prices in our monopolized supermarkets. Then, all other prices should be reduced, as all of them depend on energy-consuming production, transportation, and warehousing.

Oh, really?

Posted in Cost of living, Economy | Tagged

Blood Moon in Dundas Valley

Posted on October 8, 2014 by

Lunar Eclipse, October 8, 2014, around 5:30 a.m.:

Moon-Oct-8-12
Picture taken from the hill near the main entrance to the DVCA at 650 Governor’s Road
(Photo: L. Biegalski)

Posted in Uncategorized

In Defence of Life – Standing Up Against The Lust for Culling Wildlife

Posted on September 16, 2014 by

By Lesley Docksey

Early in 2013 I thought I had reached a low point as I reacted to the way the animal-loving British elite happily slaughtered anything that got in its way. The most visible sign of its lust for ‘controlling’ wildlife by culling has been the project to kill badgers on the poor excuse that they are responsible for all the bovine TB in cattle. So the start of the second year of badger culling coinciding with Medway Council trying again to destroy a protected site where nightingales breed forced me to revisit the war we wage on nature.

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Posted in Conservation, Deer Hunt

No Treaty with Six Nations Shown on Map to be Used in All Ontario Schools: A Can of Worms Opened?

Posted on May 30, 2014 by

EnglishMapVisualBy: Deyoyonwatheh (DeYo)
Six Nations – Haldimand Tract – Beliefs versus Facts

Issues Concerning the Publication of a Map of Indian Land Treaties in Ontario: In “Turtle Island News” (TIN), May 14, 2014, p.4 is an article entitled, Feds Ontario treaty map released to schools ….. but no Six Nations. The content here concerns a map entitled, “First Nations and Treaties” which is to be used in schools across Ontario, and is based on information from the Federal Government’s Ministry of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada (see here). Thus the document represents the distillation of what is in the Federal records relating to treaties signed by various First Nations peoples throughout the years (see here).

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Posted in Deer Hunt, Dundas Valley Conservation Area, Nanfan "Treaty" | Tagged , , ,

Hamilton Conservation Authority destroys Dundas Valley trails

Posted on May 30, 2014 by

Trails-1200-1B
(Click on picture to enlarge)

In my letter to the editor, “Why the change to Dundas Valley trails?“, published in the Hamilton Spectator on May 28, 2014, I wrote:

Up until last year, the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) was able to maintain a friendly and accessible character to Dundas Valley Conservation Area (DVCA) trails. They looked natural; they were easy to walk, run and bike on, even to push a baby stroller or a wheelchair. The water damage, frequently caused by rain and melting snow, was repaired in a timely manner, garbage was promptly removed, the area was clean and user friendly.

Since last fall, the HCA has been implementing a new idea — our beautiful and natural-looking trails are now being covered with large, coarse gravel and crushed rock, often the size of table tennis balls. The trails are beginning to look like rough farm lanes and the rare Carolinian forest like a construction site. The new surface is difficult to walk or run on, dangerous to bike on and impossible to access with a baby stroller or a wheelchair.

It destroys shoes and bike tires. It hurts the legs of dogs and other animals. It makes it impossible to remove the ever-increasing amount of horse manure. It looks plain ugly and creates a safety hazard.

A better solution is badly needed. It could be a layer of fine gravel or sand on top of the sharp and rolling rocks or a removal of the new surface and restoration of its natural state. For years, it was possible to maintain natural and accessible trails. Why is it not being done now?

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Posted in Dundas Valley Conservation Area, Hamilton Conservation Authority

Paris to Ancaster Bike Race 2014

Posted on May 1, 2014 by

On Sunday April 27, Dundas Valley hosted the final stretches of the Paris to Ancaster Bike Race. The main event, Paris to Ancaster, was 63.2 km long. It included sections of rail trails, farm lanes, gravel and paved roads, double track, and mudchutes. Parallel event, the St. George to Ancaster race, covered the last 40 km of the main event.

Congratulations to all winners, especially to Anthony Clark and Maghalie Rochette who won the main event in male/overall and female categories.

Maghalie and Anthony
Maghalie and Anthony
Maghalie (Slote Road mudchute)
Maghalie (Slote Road mudchute)
Anthony (Sharps Lane)
Anthony (Sharps Lane)
Posted in Paris to Ancaster bicycle race

You cannot give a better title than the one you have

Posted on December 7, 2013 by

The Nanfan “Treaty” of 1701 Does NOT Give Six Nations People Special Hunting, Fishing and Consultation Rights in Ontario

By: Deyoyonwatheh (DeYo)
Six Nations – Haldimand Tract – Beliefs versus Facts

If one believes in the maxim that one cannot give away or sell that which does not belong to you, then the provisions of the treaty negotiated between Governor John Nanfan and the Six Nations in 1701 can have no validity – despite beliefs to the contrary.  The principle is enshrined in law under the term, Nemo dat quod non habet.  See here for details.  This principle is derived from English Common Law and is expressed succinctly here.

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Posted in Nanfan "Treaty"

“Conveyance of lands by the Native American Chiefs of the Five Nations”

Posted on October 15, 2013 by

Part 2

nanfan_smallThe original “Nanfan Treaty” document, the “Conveyance of  lands by the Native American Chiefs of the Five Nations” – (The Albany Deed of 19 July  1701), is held at the National Archives in Kew, Surrey, England. The back (reverse) of this document has never been photographed, until yesterday. I have purchased official copies of both front and back of this document and I now, it seems, have the first official copy of the reverse of the original.

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Posted in Deer Hunt, Dundas Valley, Nanfan "Treaty" | Tagged , , , ,