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n view of land conservationDo Profits Trump Nature?By Bob BarnettNature is defencelessagainst bulldozers,chainsaws andindustrial fishing.Our capitalist system rewardsthose who make the greatestuse of natural resources andspew pollutants like CO2 intothe air. There is a fundamentalbattle in our politics betweenpeople who believe lessregulation is better and otherswho think business andindustry ought to be regulatedto provide both a highstandard of living for peopleand the least harm to nature.As a charity trying toprotect nature for futuregenerations, we walk afine line by depending onboth generous donors andgovernment regulation. Lawsand bylaws prevent lossof important natural areasbefore we have a chance toprotect them. Sometimesdevelopers give us the edges ofproperties they can’t develop.Many of us blanchedwhen we heard about oilexploration in the Alaskanwildlife refuge or openingIndigenous lands in theAmazon to developmentwithout the residents’ consent.Conservation ChangesHere in Ontario, thelatest budget took awaythe regulatory powers ofconservation authorities (CAs)including their capacity tostop unauthorized work and topresent evidence at Ontario’senvironmental tribunal. It alsodenies municipal membersof the CAs’ boards the rightto evaluate applicationsaccording to the CA’s missionand instead ONLY allowsthem to represent the interestsof their municipality. This isfar from the powers grantedthe CAs after HurricaneHazel in 1954 killed 82 peopleby sweeping away housesbuilt in flood plains. Everyspring we read of flooding inManitoba and Quebec. Havingan authority to regulate landuse in Ontario’s watershedsand flood plains has beenrecognized as a world-leadingapproach. Yet developersdislike such regulation whichreduces profits from wetlands.As David Crombie, chair ofthe Greenbelt Council beforehe resigned, and former mayorof Toronto says, “This is notpolicy and institutional reform.This is high-level bombingand needs to be resisted.”The provincial governmenthas decided to trumpwatershed, municipalor provincial land userestrictions by issuingmunicipal zoning orders(MZOs) to sweep asideobjections, cut red tape, givedevelopment priority overnature and, I would argue,common sense. This reducesthe role of citizens in theestablished procedures forevaluating environmentalimpacts. These MZOs, nowin frequent use, have beenused to approve a hugecasino and housing projectin the previously protectedwetland where DuffinsCreek joins Lake Ontariosouth of the 401 and Ajax.Projects turned down yearsago are re-emerging. Thequarry Sarah Harmer foughton the Escarpment at MountNemo, the housing on SilverCreek in Collingwood andthe GTA West expresswaythrough the Greenbelt inCaledon and Halton have allbeen brought back to life.To start this chain ofderegulation, the presentgovernment fired theenvironmental commissioner,supposedly an independentofficer of the legislature.The commissioner’sreports have helped keep44 Niagara Escarpment Views • spring 2021three governments ontrack for 25 years.Save NatureAt another scale, GreyCounty’s draft climateadaptation strategyhighlighted reduction offossil fuel use, but ignoredthe fact that Grey Countyhouses a huge forest whichcould contribute substantiallyto the absorption of carboninto trees and ultimately thesoil. Conventionally harvestedforests absorb three tonnesof CO2 per acre annuallywhile mature, unharvestedforests absorb more than fivetonnes. Escarpment BiosphereConservancy (EBC) aloneabsorbs 63,000 tonnes a year,much of it in Grey. GreyCounty and Grey SaubleConservation Authoritycould easily absorb 200,000tonnes every year. That wouldoffset a lot of gasoline, fueloil and natural gas. But thecounty is keen to cut and sellits trees rather than collectcarbon offset revenue.We must not ignore reductionof fossil fuels, but we shouldbe using all the tools at ourdisposal and encouraginglandowners to keep theirtrees, not flush them as toiletpaper, use them for heatingor heave them into landfillas old furniture. That’s where85 per cent of our harvestedwood goes. I’ve suggestedGrey County should addforests to the climateactionplan and start sellingcarbon offsets like EBC.Nature needs help! Weneed to save important naturalfeatures from development notonly for safety from floods, butOnly some of the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Hazel in 1954.These ruins were along Humber River east of Woodbridge.PHOTO BY JAMES VICTOR SALMON, COURTESY WIKIMEDIA.also to protect biodiversity, toprovide the oxygen we breathe,help us fight climate changeand provide landscapesfor relief from stress.Saving nature needsrules. Free enterprise won’tdo it alone. We need to electpoliticians who make soundrules and enforce them.We can’t just let businessdo what comes “naturally.”Until economists includeexternalities like nature andhuman health in their models,we will have to keep firmreins on what they suggestwe do to make more money.Bob Barnett of EscarpmentBiosphere Conservancycan be reached throughwww.escarpment.ca,rbarnett@escarpment.caor 888.815.9575.
community market nHEADWATERSErinHeathcoteOrangevilleERIN ▼RobeRt H. Routliffe LLBCORPORATE & COMMERCIALENVIRONMENTALLABOUR & EMPLOYMENTREAL ESTATEWILLS & ESTATESOFFICE: 519.833.9626FAX: 519.833.268555 Main Street, PO Box 295, Erin, ONrob@routliffelaw.ca | www.routliffelaw.caHEATHCOTE ▼OPENING FEBRUARYIN NEW LOCATION!236768 GREY RD. 13,HEATHCOTE www.blackbirdpie.ca| 519.599.6573www.blackbirdpie.caORANGEVILLE ▼ENHANCEELECTRICAL SERVICESResidential Commercial IndustrialLOCATED IN MONO, ON519-942-6246 | Cell: 905-586-0027Email: info@theoutsideguy.cawww.theoutsideguy.ca78 First St. Orangeville, ON L9W 2E4519-942-8113519-942-5282enhanceelectricalservices@gmail.comECRA/ESA #7012650LANDSCAPE DIV.: Landscape Design& Build and Interlock and Patio SpecialistsCONSTRUCTION DIV.: Decks, Fences,Kitchens & BathroomsNEW!Giclée PrintsHigh quality giclée prints ready for framingTaken by award-winning photographer Mike Davis.Georgian Bay, Bruce PeninsulaHorse in Mist, Halton, in SummerPLEASE PRINT CLEARLYNAME .................................................................STREET ADDRESS .............................................................................................................................TOWN/CITY .........................................................PROVINCE ...........................................................POSTAL CODE .......................................................PHONE ................................................................EMAIL .................................................................Ball’s Falls in Autumn4 EASY WAYS TO ORDER:• Mail completed form and chequepayable to: Niagara Escarpment Views50 Ann St., Georgetown ON L7G 2V2Caledon Badlands in Winter• Interac/eTransfer to: ads@NEViews.ca• PayPal available athttps://NEViews.ca/shop/• By credit card by phone: 905.866.7888CHARGES: Prints are 11” x 16” and cost $75 ea$__________ Georgian Bay$__________ Horse in Mist$__________ Ball’s Falls$__________ Caledon Badlands$__________ OTHER (Call 905.866.7888)_______________________$__________ TOTALPRICE IS FOR A CANADIAN ADDRESS AND INCLUDES THEENLARGEMENT GICLÉE PRINT, HST AND MAILING COSTS.spring 2021 • Niagara Escarpment Views 45
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Page 5 and 6: View From the Editor’s Desk nWhat
Page 7 and 8: Find out how to claim your25% Rebat
Page 9 and 10: n readers & viewersThere are organi
Page 11 and 12: CALEDON TRAILWAYThe Caledon Trailwa
Page 13 and 14: The distinctivelooking gates atroad
Page 15 and 16: TWOLOCATIONSTOSERVE YOU!Apples are
Page 17 and 18: The largest green space on the sout
Page 19 and 20: The “Marsh Master” was critical
Page 21 and 22: HOTO BY KEVIN MCLAUGHLIN.Come and E
Page 23 and 24: The Grimsby Wetlands,638 Winston Rd
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Page 27 and 28: Doug Sloan climbs down a ladderfrom
Page 29 and 30: Cin Johnston loves all the moss and
Page 31 and 32: Jen Van Tiggelen’sGolden Retrieve
Page 33 and 34: Stone Edge EstateBed & Breakfast, G
Page 35 and 36: The Sunken Garden hasbeen created w
Page 37 and 38: A close look at the Weeping Purple
Page 39 and 40: Soul Metal created this installatio
Page 41 and 42: acton, georgetown community market
Page 43: community market nHALTON,HAMILTON,N
Page 47 and 48: lemon poppy seed loafPrep Time: 10

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