The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PAGE 6. WHITYFRPM PUBS, WEDNESDAY, "ACH 6, 1991 VOICE 0F THE COUNTY TOWN The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. Published evory Wednesday By 677209 Ontario inc.x Phono: 668-611il Toronto Lino 427-1834 Doug Anderson F Publishor 131 Brook Street North, Maurice Pif her Edito'r Alexandra Martin 'ro.duction Maniager e Regisiralon 505351 Whftby councîllors have thus far expressed support for an environmental management plan praposed for Lynde Shores that could, as one councillor has suggested, be a model for ather communities. Next to a resîdiential developmnent, there would be a protected marsh area and walkway. Vistors would park at Iroquois Park and the harbaur area and walk ta th e marsh area on interconnecting paths. It's the kind 'Of plan that pernilts public access ta an enviranmentaily Impartant area whlle aliowlng houslng to accommodate Up ta 6,70 0 people. Vet counclilors have hardly shown the same enthu- Inconsistent siasm for designating as public property a section of naturai open space along Lynde Creek. On Monday, planning commlttee decided that the Lynde Creek valiey' lands ln an estate lot subdivision proposed for Brawiey Rd. E., between Ashbum Rd. andDuff's Rd., remain ln private ownershlp. The provision of -open space and public access that makes the Lynde Shores plan- attractive would also apply ta the north Whftby development. Both the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Autharity, (CLOCA> and, Minlstry af Natural Resources .appose development wlthln the vailey lands, which should be protected. as natural space. Councillors appear to embrace the concepts sugges- ted ln the Lynde Shores plan, and shouid extend that attitude taward other Important apen areas,» such as Lynde. Creek valiey. Otherwise, someday, a, future council and residents wiil lament the- loss of such public, natural areas within their municipaiity. LIttle consid ceration.-given t'o" our -natural spa-ces Br Bephsm C. LmmIw According te, the Town, of WVhitby's officiai plan* roview isued. this past Decembor, the. current 198.4-hectares (490 acres) cf land devoted te parka c f al kinds wil ho reduced te 151.4 hectares (374 acres) by 1996. The population in Whitby la expected te reach .76,000 by that, year. Thus parklandla toe reduoed by almSct 25 per cent while the poulton cf the town increases bovor 30 per cent during the same period cf turne. By 1996 nearly ail the land area in Whitby wil ho coverod by housing deveopments and industrial areas. A few amal parka wil ho shoehorned ,in for our children te play. Any large parka wil ho very busy with officiai. recreation ovents such as basebail and soccor. While there will ho the '~Islands cf wilderness' like the Lynde Shores and Hehor Down conservation are, neither is largo enough te, support a large variety of animais, plants and bfirds. There most certainly will not be enough open spaoe gnd natural aroas left for animals that currontly reside in Whitby' like deer,' coyotes, skunks, porcupines, foxes, jackrabbits and others. Nor will there ho enough room for the diversity of plants and birdlife that we now have. Heaithy populations ofplant, bircis and animais roquire interconnected open aro as and natural areas. These lands are aise essential for the citizens of Whitby to erjoy a walk in heaithy woodlands and crook valleys filled with a variety cf species other than ourselves. A definition of 'commiunity' is those things that live in the saine area under -'similar circumstances. Animais, birds, or plants live in Whiltby and under sirnilar circuinstances of weather, gecgraphy, air and water quality. They are bora , give birth to young cf their own, sufer from diseases , die and return to the sol --Just like we do. One sinficant différence isthat we hve & rnuch greater impact on their lives. As pai community.we needt native animais', h planté' needs into consi Our community care and o n spaces mi -eYdthe next fiscal bottom Une. That la lands should ho ebe community. It is a rare who will not develop property becauge it is a part of an animal's hon asubstantial part community should , 1held, natural spaces. want our children to1 .opportunity to exp)erien areas without travelling of mles? Apparently the cour, mayr0f Wityarent; ab Utur cidBsOP] in experiencing nature. aren't too concerned welfare of our town' either. For example, th recent debate c developer Neal application, to build 30g on 80 acres (32 hectareE Don't turn against our warric To the Editor: It sooma te, me thore is a segment cf our aociety that tries te idd itself that it ia free-thinking, unbiased and non-violent. I refer particularly te some cf. the -young-middle-aged "thikers" among us Who consider it to ho immoral for our Canadian Armed Services mon and women te, do what their country requires of thein in the Gulf. I trust that these misty-headed- pacfits wiil mark and digest the kid cf indignities and atrccities that happen in a weak country during enemy occupation. When push cornes te, shove, would these people roally turn the other cheek and slavishly lot a holligerent neiglibour corne in and take over their country, their fainilies, their everythingli Have they learned ncthing frcm history? Our armed forces are maintained constantly te protect our sovereignty and our cultures, no matter what shadeocf poitical govorament is elected te power. If the government cf' the day commuta cur forces te a task that the mnilquetoasts feel la distasteful they should protest te the goverament. that they themselves elected. It is hopad that, if cnly for the well-being cf their own niserableakIdns,' the niisguided armchair philosophera will flot turn against cur returning warrnors - who do the dirty work cf 'War for thein, but find it in their hearta te show some gratitude, ldndness and respect. There may corne another day...! Bernard iL it of Our Whitby. The Town planning to talce the departinont had 'recommended âid' and that land on both aides cf the ideration. Lynde (Jreek, which rune through eq cf naturai the middle cf the proport, b.1 ust. extend. designated as public open space. 1quarter -or And, the land was te lie h ave why these given' te the Tw at ne extra -Id by the cost.- 1 e individual ' This open, spaco would have has or her givn ilresidenta cf 'Whitby an essential pleasant mix cf grassland, cedar ne range. A trees and a- relativoly unpoilutod cf any 'creek te walk along. Nor is this »0 publicly land urnimpotat teail the birds Don't we and animaisthat live thereoruse have some as a corridor te other wooded rice naturai areas. Indeed, the Ministry c f ghundreda Natural Resources states that the upper 'Lynde Creek. is "a icillors and significant coldi water fishery. For t concorned mny, the spring and fail runs cof 'portunities rainbow trout and, salmon on the eAnd they Lynde are one cf nature'a annual about the wonders. 's, wildlife ' But there la te ho no natur-al here was a space given back te the concerning cOmmunity. The develejper Grandys rejected- the idea, saying. that estate lots future owners cf these ostate lots a) in north would ho unhappy living next te ::.:~~:public lands. Therefore the 80 acres, including the Lynde Creek vailey, are te holong te the 30 individuâls with enough cash te pay for these estate lots. Our rscouncillora went along- withth developer and voted against the planning department's recmmedatonclearly makng Greng the point that'individual land Whitby ownership is more important than public ownership. When ail was Ioat, councillor Marcel Bruneile comos . to the rescue. Councillor Bruneile protested againat .this, Ios of public open space and was juat able -te urge others te send, the matter for. review once more hby the, planning, conimittee. This ayonly delay, the- approval umiesa residents make their viewa known te their councillors. Phono or wrte te them -,ýri'h wy Contact our planning departnâent (668-5803), -to. get more infomation -and, te ~nak.ou views kncpown.; And- .give counc lor Bruneile -a cal and urge himýnot togcveUp. »rýù >he Grandy developrnent proposai is juat one- example,'cf how littie cinsideration ,la given te the ýalue. cf quahity. natural ;pCes toe eontire community-'of, Whtby. Anothor example, isthe Coocan develcpment cf, Port Whitby. Our 'Town coumdil in cortainly pro-devéopment - many have* said that someare pro-developers. Developers are not necessarily the bad ju'ys. The vast mgimoity cf the turne they onfly de what ourTown, council lias ailowed them .te do. The real question is: do our councillora and mayor do. what the residenta cf Whitby want them te do? Thore are municipal e lections this November. Remembor who voted te keep Whitby frein beconung a sea cf houaing, roads and plazas. 4'- Backtothe drawiuiZ'" 2nd Cas Posta LETTERS ee Whitby Free Press welcomes letters to the Editor on any subject of concern to our readers. Letters should be brief a.nd sto the point - rarely more than 300 words.. Ail letters rnust -be accompanied by the name, address and phone nu.rber of the writer; however, on request, your name may be withheld from publication if we agree that there is a valid reason. The paper reserves the right to reject or edit ail letters. Send to: The Editor, Whitby Free Press, Box 20à, Whitby, Ontario UN5Ior drap through our mailslot at 131 Brock St. N. 1