FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 17, 2011 Forced provincial growth and leap-frog development over the Toronto Greenbelt continues to deteriorate the Waterloo Moraine’s natural capital and natural history. Waterloo Region has been overwhelmed by urban sprawl. Kitchener and Waterloo Region Councils are being asked to spend over $65,000,0000 on the River Road extension where endangered species have been confirmed to occur. Waterlooians.ca does not support the River Road Extension from King St. to Manitou Drive as presented in the City of Kitchener’s: Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (2006 Preferred Alternative 4C). Furthermore, it would be imprudent for local Councils to support this road alignment and trigger an Environmental Assessment, due to insufficient data and biased public consultation process. Waterlooians.ca is still awaiting a response from Consultants and the Region based on questions submitted to them in 2007. This is alarming as it indicates a lack of transparency and accountability. A few examples of outstanding issues: - In the past, citizens provided the names of other endangered species thought to reside in Hidden Valley. Have there been studies conducted to confirm/deny the presence of these species? If no studies were done, why were these public comments disregarded?
- Endangered species have been confirmed to occur along the proposed preferred road route. Why does the current preferred road route continue to follow this path? The Official Plan for the City of Kitchener and Region of Waterloo, both state development should avoid the destruction or harm of land that supports endangered species.
- Why have lost water volumes have not been addressed. Any attempt to address this matter after approving the road alignment would be putting the cart ahead of the horse.
After asking if residents support spending $65,000,000+ to build a road that will adversely affect a significant urban paradise like Hidden Valley, Waterlooians.ca encourages our Councillors to vote NO to the proposal as presented. Save it, don’t pave it, Hidden Valley! Respectfully yours, Waterlooians.ca | :: Posted By: @ 10:42pm | 620 comments :: |  |
Friends of Hidden Valley are asking residents to support Hidden Valley. Hidden Valley is one of the last remaining natural gems in our rapidly sprawling Waterloo Region. There is a public meeting this Tuesday to build a road over sensitive areas of threatened species habitats in order to open up more of Hidden Valley to urban sprawl. The City of Kitchener and consultants in support of developing Hidden Valley will be holding an open house and Friends of Hidden Valley want you to go and tell them to SAVE HIDDEN VALLEY, DON’T PAVE IT! RIVER ROAD EXTENSION: From King Street to Manitou Drive - City of Kitchener
MUNICIPAL CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT - PUBLIC CONSULTATION
May 17, 2011
Drop-In 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Presentation 7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Question & Answer Period 7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Knights of Columbus Hall, 110 Manitou Drive, Kitchener Hidden Valley needs your support. Please consider sending the following message of support to Kitchener and Waterloo Region Councillors to save Hidden Valley. For more information on the importance of Hidden Valley and how to get involved in saving it visit: http://sites.google.com/site/hiddenvalleyorg/Home or email friends.hidden_valley@sympatico.ca . Respectfully yours, David Wellhauser Waterlooians.ca carl.zehr@kitchener.ca, scott.davey@kitchener.ca, berryv@kitchener.ca, john.gazzola@kitchener.ca, yvonne.fernandes@kitchener.ca, kelly.galloway@kitchener.ca, paul.singh@kitchener.ca, bil.ioannidis@kitchener.ca, zyg.janecki@kitchener.ca, frank.etherington@kitchener.ca, dan.glenn-graham@kitchener.ca, sken@region.waterloo.on.ca, craigd@cambridge.ca, JBrewer@regionofwaterloo.ca, CMillar@regionofwaterloo.ca, carl.zehr@kitchener.ca, TGalloway@regionofwaterloo.ca, JHaalboom@regionofwaterloo.ca, GLorentz@regionofwaterloo.ca, JWideman@regionofwaterloo.ca, brenda.halloran@waterloo.ca, JMItchell@regionofwaterloo.ca, SStrickland@regionofwaterloo.ca, RDeutschmann@regionofwaterloo.ca, RKelterborn@regionofwaterloo.ca, LArmstrong@regionofwaterloo.ca, TCowan@regionofwaterloo.ca SUBJECTLINE: Save Hidden Valley – say no to River Road Extension Dear Kitchener and Waterloo Region Councillors, Save Hidden Valley don’t pave it. Please listen to the Friends of Hidden Valley and protect Hidden Valley from urban sprawl. Please do not approve RIVER ROAD EXTENSION: From King Street to Manitou Drive as the planning process has been flawed and it is not in the best interests of the community to destroy this natural wonder. Please support protecting Hidden Valley and making it either a protected area from development. Respectfully yours, Your name here | :: Posted By: @ 3:28pm | 14 comments :: | |
Hello all environmentalists, hikers, and people who care about clean air, clean water, nesting and migratory birds, diverse trees and wildflowers, beavers, wetlands, species at risk, and beautiful ESPAs:
As the population of the Region grows at a never-before-experienced rate, it would be wonderful if we could guarantee that Hidden Valley, Kitchener, could be protected from development and saved as aKitchener landmark Natural Area Park. Located near the Grand River and highway 8, Hidden Valley is a unique, exceptionally beautiful, 200 acre area, designated by the Region as Environmentally Sensitive Policy Area #27. What better time to save this area to become a significant Kitchener Park, than as the city celebrates it Centennial, next year!
Jefferson salamanders, a species at risk, were found in Hidden Valley two years ago: since then, planners have been researching these rare salamanders. Jeffersons indicate that Hidden Valley is currently a very healthy area. The Species at Risk Act, unfortunately, does not guarantee that these salamanders, or their habitat, will be protected. The River Rd. extension may cut into their vernal breeding pools. Heavy and Light Industrial "parks," a business "park" and subdivision could pollute the 3 Provincially Significant Wetlands and impact 25% of the Region's drinking water. Nesting and migratory birds could lose their homes and sanctuaries. Wildflowers and resident animals would also loose their habitats, if development proceeds.
Some places are just too special to develop, and the Friends of Hidden Valley think Hidden Valley is one such area. Turning the area into a large natural-area park near the centre of the Region would be a wonderful gift for generations to come!
The River Rd. Extension Public Consultation Centre (PCC) event is described below. Please note the Planning and Works committee date, and the Q&A period on Tuesday May 17 from 7-8. If River Rd. is extended around Hidden Valley, it will open the area to development, permitted due to out-dated Kitchener zoning.
Please save the date and come to the PCC ... and bring your friends and families who are concerned about inappropriate development close to the Regions' reservoirs for 25% of our drinking water. Hope to see you there. Please share this information!
The Friends of Hidden Valley website is http://sites.google.com/site/hiddenvalleyorg/Home
Sincerely,
Daphne Nicholls
Friends of Hidden Valley | :: Posted By: @ 10:41pm | 19 comments :: | |
Celebrate Earth Day and flood King St. in costume on Sat. April 23rd 2011. Flaunt your favourite species or natural element, the sky is just the beginning! We start at Uptown Waterloo Square and head down King St. over to Victoria Park in Kitchener. Species start gathering at 11:30am at Uptown Waterloo Square with Bellydance performance by DownHips Dance Studio and Drumming with Nii Addico. We are looking for musicians, groups and bands so spread the word! Anyone can participate and it is all FREE! Check out website for rules and details! FREE Workshops are going on now to prepare us in dance, drama, drumming, costume design and field study. We had over 300 species in the parade our first year (2010) lets make it 1000 this year! www.kwprocession.caCrystal Bradford and Liam Kijewski
Procession of the Species Project Coordinators
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Chrystal and Liam, the hosts of CKMS 100.3 FM’s Non-Toxic Airwaves, will be interviewing members of Waterloo Region who have been following monitoring urban sprawl. Non-Toxic Airwaves will be interviewing citizens involved in the conservation and preservation of agricultural lands, important source water and natural heritage areas, as well as threatened species habitat. Debbie Vitez, editor of the Cambridge Advocate, will be discussing the Region’s legacy of industrial pollution through her experience with the TCE contamination in Preston, Cambridge. Friends of Hidden Valley member Daphne Nichol will be providing an update on the plans to destroy and develop Hidden Valley in south Kitchener. Louisette "Lulu" Lanteigne, member of the Grand River Environmental Network (GREN), will be giving an update on urban sprawl on the West Side Lands. Waterlooians.ca spokesperson, David Wellhauser, will be addressing the apparent market and political failures surrounding planning policy throughout the Region, specifically as they relate to boondoogle Lake Erie Pipeline proposal, expansion of the Region’s urban sprawl onto important agricultural, source water, natural heritage areas. Special DJ sets by DJ Save the Moraine, DJ Shay Buddha, and DJ Crop Circles! Listen on line: http://soundfm.ca/listen For more information on guests: http://waterloomoraineact.com/ http://cambridgeadvocate.com/ www.waterlooians.ca | :: Posted By: @ 7:29pm | 21 comments :: | |
Cambridge Election Results Challenged, new court date March 3rd/2011 From the http://cambridgeadvocate.com/ “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” Cambridge Election Results Challenged, new court date March 3rd 2011 at 2.30 p.m Superior Court House - 20 Weber St, Kitchener - Cambridge ON, February 15TH 2011 Two citizens of Cambridge, Thomas Vann and Deborah Vitez have applied to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, challenging the validity of their 2010 election results due to what they allege was a process so fraught with irregularities that it hampered with the right to a free and unencumbered vote for many, particularly the elderly and those physically challenged. The two had originally filed their Application and set a hearing date for January 13, 2011, but the Application was struck down on a technicality, as they neglected to notify the Court that they would be appearing. Despite all being present on the noted day, the judge opted to strike their Application off the list. The two have once again re-filed their Application today, undeterred by City solicitor, Steve Matheson’s latest public statement that he and city staff were having difficulty deciphering the arguments and facts of the case. As motivated as ever, the two have stated they are driven by the voices of those elderly citizens who came to them after Election Day, lamenting the fact that they had lost their chance to cast their ballot because they were not strong enough to endure the long lineups and over crowded conditions at polling stations. It was not until after Election Day when many citizens of Cambridge came to realize that the City had approved drastic polling station cuts. In the 2006 Elections there were 70 polling locations housing a total of 283 polls and the recent Cambridge Election process saw 42 polling locations throughout the city, which only housed a total of 50 polls. The pair also sight reports of malfunctioning Voting machines on Election Night, a claim the City Clerk has yet to respond too. # # # Debbie Vitez email: debbievitez@hotmail.com | :: Posted By: @ 5:32pm | 36 comments :: | |
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Waterlooians.ca information booth @ Non-Violence Festival Victoria Park - Sat. noon - 9:00pm For more information visit http://www.nonviolencefestival.com/
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Movin' & Groovin' once again for the legendary, semi-paved, Waterloo Moraine. Let's get grooving to some free range music.
Saturday, May 29, 2010 @ the Huether Hotel Kent Room in uptown Waterloo. Family friendly from 5:00pm - 8:00pm. 19+ 8:00pm till close.
Featuring DJ OrganiX (formerly known as All You Can Eat Pete), DJ Crop Circles, DJ Sheabudda, DJ Sirens On The Moraine, and surprise DJs with live music by special quests. Come out and experience free range music for the Waterloo Moraine.
There is increasing concern in the Grand River Cities about the health of the Waterloo Moraine.
Our Moraine provides groundwater for hundreds of thousands of residents, is the habitat for threatened species, is some of the richest farmland in the world, and has tremendous natural heritage value. Unfortunately it continues to be degraded by urban sprawl and a legacy of industrial pollution. | :: Posted By: @ 12:10pm | 1 comments :: | |
All You Can Eat Pete and his crew of DJ’s and musicians will be spinning peace and love tunes to ensure resource security for future generations.
There is increasing concern in the Grand River Cities about the health of the Waterloo Moraine.
Our Moraine provides groundwater for hundreds of thousands of residents, is the habitat for threatened species, is some of the richest farmland in the world, and has tremendous natural heritage value. Unfortunately it continues to be degraded by urban sprawl and a legacy of industrial pollution.
Local scholar Thomas Homer-Dixon has outlined the threat of resource scarcity leading to violence. Minority groups in the watershed have outlined concerns regarding fear of hatred and violence.
For more information or questions please contact Pete Bechtel @ waterlooians@yahoo.ca. All You Can
Eat Pete’s last educational video to protect the Waterloo Moraine can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxNOYanvHRw
For more information on the historic Huether Hotel please visit http://www.huetherhotel.com/huetherhotel/. For more information on protecting the Waterloo Moraine please visit: http://waterlooians.ca , http://mypsace.com/waterloomoraine , http://waterloomoraineact.com/, or the Save the Moraine Facebook Group.
It’s a municipal election year, let’s ensure the Waterloo Moraine remains a stable, safe, and secure place to raise a family and make a living for everyone. Save it, don’t pave it, the Waterloo Moraine!
Respectfully yours,
David Wellhauser Peter Bechtel
Waterlooians.ca Spokesperson “Love- In 4 the Waterloo Moraine” Liaison | :: Posted By: @ 4:03pm | 3 comments :: | |
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