Coming Up On Royal City Rag… Doug Larson, The Guelph Guitar and Guelph’s Tree Protection Bylaw

There will be a musical start to Royal City Rag on June 5; University of Guelph Emeritus Professor, musician, creator of the Guelph Guitar Doug Larson, will be joining us in the first hour (8-9 a.m.) with Thomas Aldridge, owner of Manhattans to talk about M.A.S.H. Mondays, a new collaboration between Manhattans Music Club and the Hillside Festival. Doug will also be playing the Guelph Guitar live for us in the studio.

M.A.S.H. (Music, Art, Science, & History) Mondays will feature interviews and performance from special guests while in conversation with Professor Larson about their many interests.

The shows will be held at Manhattans, 951 Gordon St., Guelph and run from 8.30 – 10.30 p.m. The shows start on Sept. 13, 2010 to be followed on the first Monday of every month (Oct.4, Nov.1, Dec.6, Jan.10, Feb.7, Mar.7, Apr.4).

Guests lined up for the series include:

• Craig Norris(host of CBC R3-30, lead singer of the Kramdens)
• Mike Ford:(musical historian, Canada in Song / Moxy Früvous)
• Bob McDonald:(host CBC’s Quirks and Quarks)
• Samir Baijal:(artistic director, Hillside Festival / musician)
• Alan Wildeman: (President, University of Windsor)
• Jay Ingram: (host, Daily Planet, best selling author)
• Mark Stutman & Matty Cooper: (instrument builder and teacher)

Large Elm Tree

In the second hour, Judy Martin from the Sierra Club Canada and Norah Chaloner from Guelph Urban Forest Friends will join us to talk about the City of Guelph’s proposed new tree bylaw as well provide some follow-up on the city’s Natural Heritage Strategy and Official Plan deliberations.

Guelph Urban Forest Friends have been advocating for our urban trees, including a stronger protective tree bylaw and a separate urban forestry department with a certified forester to more effectively manage tree maintenance and coordinate public education on the value of our mature trees.

Guelph citizens have now been waiting for a new stronger protective tree bylaw for more than 19 years. In the meantime we continue to lose canopy. Guelph’s urban forest canopy sits at 25%, while the desired level  is 40%.

Unfortunately the 1986 tree bylaw (view) said it was an offence to injure or destroy any living tree in the City of Guelph but did very little to actually protect them.

The new draft bylaw (view the draft) still needs public input to make sure that it is truly protective.

The City of Guelph has held one workshop  (June 3) and has another planned (June 8) to provide input on proposed changes.

The June 8 workshop take place at City Hall, 1 Carden St. in Meeting Room C from 7–9 p.m. Following a presentation, participants will have an opportunity to discuss issues and provide feedback.

About the draft Tree Bylaw
In addition to regulating trees 10 centimetres at breast height on lots larger than 0.2 hectares (0.5 acres), the updated draft bylaw proposes to regulate damage or removal of larger trees on smaller properties; trees 20 centimetres in diameter at breast height on lots less than 0.2 hectares (0.5 acres). The updated draft also includes a permit process, a list of exemptions, entry and inspection powers, enforcement measures and increased fines.

View the draft Tree By-law

Even if you can’t attend the sessions, you can still comment. Comments will be received until June 18.

Suzanne Young, Environmental Planner
519-837-5616 x 2356
suzanne.young@guelph.ca

Jessica McEachren, Environmental Planner
519-837-5616 x 2563
jessica.mceachren@guelph.ca

For more on Guelph Urban Forest Friends, please visit www.guffguelph.ca.

As always we’ll wrap the whole thing up with some great music. Should be fun. You won’t want to miss it!

Royal City Rag, Saturdays 8-10 a.m. on CFRU93.3fm in Guelph. Remember if you don’t catch Royal City Rag live , you can always pick it up later that day via the CFRU archive or here, on the blog, a day or so later.

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Weird Numbers Part 2: The Natural Heritage Strategy Tree Replacement Equation or ‘Two Tens for a Five Anybody?’

Bob Gordon

Weird Numbers Part 2: The Natural Heritage Strategy Tree Replacement Equation or ‘Two Tens for a Five Anybody?’
Bob Gordon, Freelance Journalist/Royal City Rag Contributor

The Draft Natural Heritage Strategy includes a tree replacement policy that contains two components. The first compenent establishes that any trees removed must be replaced and introduces an equation to calculate the replacement value of a given tree. The second, introduces the concept of cash in lieu of trees.

Unfortunately, the first component is nonsensical while the second is meaningless.

The current draft policies require that if a tree is removed trees totaling an equal diameter must replace it. The example below will demonstrate the absurdity of this mathematical reasoning.

Consider first the removal of a tree of 40 centimeters diameter at breast height. The current policy would permit this tree to be considered replaced if 8 saplings of 5 centimeters diameter at breast height were to be planted.

Briefly consider the area of the tree removed (40 centimeters diameter at breast height). Area = πr2 = 3.14 x (20×20) = 1256 square centimeters.
The area of the 5cm diameter saplings replacing it will be πr2 x 8 = 3.14 x (2.5×2.5) x 8 = 157 square centimeters.

Thus, removal of one tree of 40 centimeters diameter at breast height can be compensated with its replacement by 8 saplings (of 5cm diameter) but only 12.5% of its area.

Now consider replacement of the tree by 16 saplings of 2.5 centimeters diameter at breast height.

The area of these trees will be πr2 x 16 = 3.14 x (1.25×1.25) x 16 = 78.5 square centimeters.

Half Dead Oak Sapling - Now you see me, now you don't!

Thus, removal of one tree of 40 centimeters diameter at breast height can be compensated with its replacement by 16 saplings (of 2.5cm diameter) but only 6.25% of its area.

Clearly, the proposed policy is inadequate.

Comparison of the areas of the crowns of the trees would reveal an even greater imbalance. Leaf Area Index or Canopy Cover is a much more accurate measure. Using this type of measure would significantly increase the number of replacement trees required.

At the very least basal area (area at ground level) should be employed as the replacement standard.

The draft Natural Heritage states, “Where planting either on or off site is not feasible, cash-in-lieu will be required equal to the value of the replacement trees and shrubs and including the cost of planting and maintaining the trees for a period of two years.”

While this proposal may sound wonderfully ‘green’ and hard on developers it is not, nor is it hard on the city. It is hard, only on the urban forest.

Consider, the cash value of a tree will be calculated based on the value of replacement trees. However, in light of the above noted formula the developer is receiving a kiss. Consider that the removal of a single tree may create a whole new building lot at the cost of only a handful of saplings. That is a great deal for a developer but hard on the urban forest.

As far as the city is concerned a cut down tree is a bargain at any price. No where does the policy hold the city to any commitment to spend the cash-in-lieu received on trees. It can go to anything from snow clearing at city hall to trips for councilors or catered meals before meetings. There is simply no guarantee that the money received in lieu of trees will be used for trees and not simply disappear into general revenue.

That is good for the city but not the urban forest.

Bob Gordon
bob34g@gmail.com

Guelph Urban Forest Friends have been advocating for our urban trees, including a stronger protective tree bylaw and a separate urban forestry department with a certified forester to more effectively manage tree maintenance and coordinate public education on the value of our mature trees.

If you feel strongly about this issue, please contact Mayor and Council.

Tell them to get the Strategic Urban Forestry Management Plan completed and a strong protective bylaw passed. Let them know that the protection and management of our urban forest will be an election issue this October.

Contacting Guelph City Council

Mayor Farbridge: mayor@guelph.ca

Ward 1: Bob Bell bob.bell@guelph.ca, Kathleen Farrelly kathleen.farrelly@guelph.ca
Ward 2: Vicki Beard vicki.beard@guelph.ca, Ian Findlay ian.findlay@guelph.ca
Ward 3: Maggie Laidlaw maggie.laidlaw@guelph.ca, June Hofland june.hofland@guelph.ca
Ward 4: Gloria Kovach gloria.kovach@guelph.ca, Mike Salisbury mike.salisbury@guelph.ca
Ward 5: Lise Burcher lise.burcher@guelph.ca, Leanne Piper leanne.piper@guelph.ca
Ward 6: Christine Billings christine.billings@guelph.ca, Karl Wettstein karl.wettstein@guelph.ca

Don’t know your ward? Click here to see the map

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Natural Heritage Strategy – Why What Happens At Hanlon Creek Still Matters

Bob Gordon

Natural Heritage Strategy – Why What Happens At Hanlon Creek Still Matters
Bob Gordon, Freelance Journalist/Royal City Rag Contributor

As we approach spring, the civic administration continues to offer reassurances that the proposed Hanlon Creek Business Park is environmentally safe, even cutting-edge, and a model of green development for other municipalities to follow. While doing so, and apparently without realizing it they also undermine their own case as fast as they make it.

If the proposed business park is ‘green’ someone needs to put a muzzle on hydrogeologist and City of Guelph water supply program manager Dave Belanger. On February 4, 2010 he admitted to the Lake Erie Source Protection Committee, “The Hanlon Creek Business Park may represent future potential significant threats [to water quality].”

Come on Dave, get with the program, the plan is ‘green’. Didn’t you mean to say that the proposed Hanlon Creek Business Park may represent significant improvements to water quality. And if that isn’t what you meant to say couldn’t you at least take one for the team and keep quiet. After all you can retire and move away before the shit hits the fan anyway.

Hanlon Creek Downstream In The Spring (Photo: Bob Gordon)

The Draft Natural Heritage Strategy recently workshopped to the public also raises concerns about developments in and around the Provincially Significant Wetlands in the Hanlon Creek Wetland Complex.

Simply put, the draft Natural Heritage Strategy offer greater protection to Provincially Significant Wetlands than does the draft plan for the Hanlon Creek Wetland Complex.

The city’s legalistic argument is that the draft plan of subdivision for the land in and around the Provincially Significant Wetlands in the Hanlon Creek Wetland Complex has already been approved and that the proposed Natural Heritage Strategy is not applicable to it.

In a purely legal sense that claim is justified. It also entirely undermines the claim that the Hanlon Creek Business Plan is innovative or a model for other communities.

Implicitly, it is an argument that excuses the inadequacies of the protection for the land in and around the Provincially Significant Wetlands in the Hanlon Creek Wetland Complex. It is an argument predicated on the claim that the Hanlon Creek Business Park draft plan of subdivision is an old plan and cannot possibly be held to current standards.

Overall, that’s two strikes against the proposed Hanlon Creek Business Park.

It may represent future significant threats to water quality according to the city’s own hydrogeologist and it offers less protection to the Hanlon Creek Wetland complex than do the draft Natural Heritage Policies.

Bob Gordon
bob34g@gmail.com 

Missed Bob Gordon’s other articles on the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy? Follow the links below to get caught up.

Part 1: The Devil Is In The Details And The Big Bits Too

Part 2: Conflict Of Interest Unmasked

Part 3: Will The York District Lands Be Guelph’s Next Developmental Debacle?

Written comments on the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy should be submitted to michelle.mercier@guelph.ca by February 24, 2010 .

Don’t forget to make your voice heard. City Council needs to know we care about how much and how well our natural green space is protected.

Download Draft Natural Heritage Strategy Phase 3 (pdf, 831 kb) 

Download Recommended Natural Heritage Systen Map Jan 2010 (pdf, 560 kb) 

For more on this and other community issues, tune into Royal City Rag, Saturdays 7-9 a.m. on CFRU 93.3fm.

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Natural Heritage Strategy – Will The York District Lands Be Guelph’s Next Developmental Debacle?

Bob Gordon

Natural Heritage Strategy, Part 3: Will The York District Lands Be Guelph’s Next Developmental Debacle?
Bob Gordon, Freelance Journalist/Royal City Rag Contributor

The York District Lands will be the litmus test for the City of Guelph’s Natural Heritage Strategy. The 1000 acre plus property in the eastern edge of the municipality is larger than the disputed land in the Hanlon Creek Wetland Complex in the southwest corner of Guelph. Formerly home to a provincial penal institution it is a haven for cultural and achitectural heritage as well as natural heritage.

The property extends south from York Road to the city limits south of Stone Road and east from Victoria Road South. The eastern boundary of the property is formed by Watson Parkway South. This slightly irregular block of land roughly two kilometers by two kilometers encompasses the dialectic of development.

The Eramosa River enters the property 400 meters south of York Road and 750 meters into the property turns right 90 degrees and flows southeast through the heart of the property.

According to the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy approximately half of the York Development Lands are Significant Natural Areas (absolutely and irrevocably saved), slated for restoration or ecological linkages.

The largest portion of this protected land is located along the Eramosa River, widest at the north and south boundaries of the property. In the centre ofthe block the protected area declines to a width of approximately 300 meters. To the east, the land along Watson Parkway South is slated for protection or restoration with the exception of a small portion at he corner of York Rd and Watson Parkway South.

Additionally, all of these lands should (according to the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy) be protected by adequate buffers and undisturbed, vacant adjacent lands. It is this category of land that is swamped with ‘unless-es’ in the current draft document. The interpretation of the “unless-es” will ultimately determine the value of the Natural Heritage Strategy and the York Development Lands will present a significant case study.

Citizen groups involved in the protection of the Hanlon Creek Wetland Complex have been frequently faulted for entering the debate too late and neglecting to utilize ‘proper’ channels and avenues for citizen input.

Action on the York Development Lands now, will prevent that label being applied to those who support protection of the Eramosa River as it flows through these lands. The effectiveness of intervention at this time may also be greater than at a later date.

The questions of appearance of conflict of interest will only be answered as the various consultants and professionals are hired to justify the ‘unless-es’. They will only be answered when city hall addresses the issue of the permeable membrane between city hall and consultants.

Most importantly, the ‘precautionary principle’ must be applied, applied rigorously throughout the entire process. Any exceptions to the Natural Heritage Policy can only be justified if their safety can be categorically proven, exceptions must ‘prove their innocence’, as the precautionary principle holds applicants for exceptions to the highest standard of proof.

The city, enforcing the Natural Heritage Strategy, does not have to prove that an exception will be harmful, rather the applicant for the exception must prove that their request will not be harmful. The burden of proof lies with the applicants for exceptions.

Only if the utilization of the York Development Lands procedes in this manner will the Natural Heritage Strategy be of any value. Only if the integration of the York Development Lands into the community procedes in this manner will the natural value and cultural heritage of this site be preserved.

Bob Gordon
bob34g@gmail.com 

Missed Bob Gordon’s other articles on the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy? Follow the links below to get caught up.

Part 1: The Devil Is In The Details And The Big Bits Too

Part 2: Conflict Of Interest Unmasked

Part 3: Will The York District Lands Be Guelph’s Next Developmental Debacle?

Written comments on the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy should be submitted to michelle.mercier@guelph.ca by February 24, 2010 .

Don’t forget to make your voice heard. City Council needs to know we care about how much and how well our natural green space is protected.

Download Draft Natural Heritage Strategy Phase 3 (pdf, 831 kb) 

Download Recommended Natural Heritage Systen Map Jan 2010 (pdf, 560 kb) 

For more on this and other community issues, tune into Royal City Rag, Saturdays 7-9 a.m. on CFRU 93.3fm.

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Natural Heritage Strategy – Conflict Of Interest Unmasked

Bob Gordon

Natural Heritage Strategy, Part 2: Conflict Of Interest Unmasked
Bob Gordon, Freelance Journalist/Royal City Rag Contributor 

The Draft Natural Heritage Strategy (NHS), the City of Guelph presented for discussion on February 4 raises the potential for a serious conflict of interest. 

In significant areas, exceptions to the NHS policy are determined by city staff and council based on documents produced by the consultants employed by landowners and developers to buttress their case. 

One wonders what happens when the city is both the landowner as well as the regulating agency? 

Do they rely on the documents produced by their own consultants to make their decision? 

Also, what happens when a city staffer moves to an environmental consulting firm, or a consulting firm employee joins the city administration? 

Former city staff are known to act as consultants and staff have joined the city from consulting firms. 

One wonders whether this potential conflict has arisen in the past or if, indeed, it could exist at the current time? 

Shouldn’t there be a cooling off period before an employee can make the switch to the city, or vice-versa? 

Or, perhaps, they should recuse themselves from working on development projects that involve their former company? 

Imagine a former employee of ABC Environmental Consulting moving to the city and finding themselves immediately assessing an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) prepared by their former colleagues at ABC Environmental Consulting. 

Unfortunately, potential conflicts of interest are something the Draft Natural Heritage Policy neglects to consider. 

The Draft Natural Heritage Policy also never mentions the precautionary principle, a fundamental tenet of environmental law, embedded in international law and accepted by the Supreme Court of Canada. 

The precautionary principle holds that in environmental disputes, where there is the potential for damage to habitat or species, the concerned parties should always err on the side of caution. 

However there is no emphasis on the importance of protecting the natural environment when the scientific data is incomplete or inconclusive. 

More than one of the participants in last week’s public meeting noted that when nature’s rights confront owners’ and developers’ rights the latter’s rights triumph more often than not. 

This imbalance in power and inherent bias violates the precautionary principle. 

Unfortunately the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy is inadequate policy. It is far too weak to be really protective… and there are too many exceptions that can be ‘unless-ed’ with an EIS.  

The fact that conflict of interest is blithely overlooked and the precautionary principle ignored only makes things a whole lot worse. 

Regrettably, it is policy without princple. 

In the final part of this review of the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy we will discuss the glaring absence of the basic principles of environmental law in Canada. 

Bob Gordon
bob34g@gmail.com 

Missed Bob Gordon’s other articles on the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy? Follow the links below to get caught up.

Part 1: The Devil Is In The Details And The Big Bits Too

Part 2: Conflict Of Interest Unmasked

Part 3 – Will The York District Lands Be Guelph’s Next Developmental Debacle?

Written comments on the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy should be submitted to michelle.mercier@guelph.ca by February 24, 2010 .

Don’t forget to make your voice heard. City Council needs to know we care about how much and how well our natural green space is protected.

Download Draft Natural Heritage Strategy Phase 3 (pdf, 831 kb) 

Download Recommended Natural Heritage Systen Map Jan 2010 (pdf, 560 kb) 

For more on this and other community issues, tune into Royal City Rag, Saturdays 7-9 a.m. on CFRU 93.3fm.

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Natural Heritage Strategy – The Devil Is In The Details And The Big Bits Too!

Bob Gordon

Natural Heritage Strategy, Part 1: The Devil Is In The Details And The Big Bits Too
Bob Gordon, Freelance Journalist/Royal City Rag Contributor

There is good news and bad news contained in the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy, the City of Guelph presented for discussion on February 4.

First, the good news. The dark green areas on the Recommended Natural Heritage System Map (below) are all safe in perpetuity. The dark green areas will remain dark green, forever and ever, Amen.

The bad news is what’s green on the maps is not what’s green now. There is no map that shows you what is green now.

Try a nice big Google Earth image of Guelph, set the Recommended Natural Heritage System Map beside it and see the green turn white as you glance from Goggle Earth to Guelph.

Everything other than the dark green is fair game for development.

Unfortunately Buffers and Adjacent Lands are carefully delineated, but then casually dismissed.

The single most common phrase in the document is “unless it has been demonstrated through an Environmental Impact Study (EIS), Environmental Assessment (EA) or subwatershed study, there will be no negative impact.” (!)

Reassuringly, the glossary contains a long and detailed itemization of three types of negative impacts in impeccable ‘greenspeak’; associated with degradation to the quality and quantity of surface and groundwater, alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat and degradation that threatens the health and integrity of the natural features or ecological functions for which the area is identified. (!)

However, it then leaves their identification to consultants hired and paid for by the landowner to justify encroachment. Needles to say, this raises the potential for a serious conflict of interest.

In the second part of the series we’ll explore the devilish details, and in the final part, the glaring absence of basic principles of environmental law in Canada, the big bits, will be considered.

Bob Gordon
bob34g@gmail.com

Missed Bob Gordon’s other articles on the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy? Follow the links below to get caught up.

Part 1: The Devil Is In The Details And The Big Bits Too

Part 2: Conflict Of Interest Unmasked

Part 3: Will The York District Lands Be Guelph’s Next Developmental Debacle?

Written comments on the Draft Natural Heritage Strategy should be submitted to michelle.mercier@guelph.ca by February 24, 2010 .

Don’t forget to make your voice heard. City Council needs to know we care about how much and how well our natural green space is protected.

Download Draft Natural Heritage Strategy Phase 3 (pdf, 831 kb)

Download Recommended Natural Heritage Systen Map Jan 2010 (pdf, 560 kb)

For more on this and other community issues, tune into Royal City Rag, Saturdays 7-9 a.m. on CFRU 93.3fm.

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Royal City Rag, January 30 – Helping Haiti, Natural Heritage And Hillside

It was yet another hectic Royal City Rag on January 30. This week we focused on local efforts to Help Haiti, the City of Guelph Natural Heritage Strategy deliberations and Hillside Inside.

We started off the show with a three song set dedicated to my mother on her birthday. First up, it was Kate and Anna McGarrigle with Rufus Wainright, Emmylou Harris and Karen Masterson from the outstanding BBC Transatlantic Sessions and their version of Stephen C Foster’s gorgeous civil war song “Hard Times Come Around No More”.

Durham miners at the coalface in the 1940s

We followed that with Alex Glasgow, a singer-songwriter from the North-East of England, and “I Shall Cry Again”; a beautiful song about the decline of the British coal mining industry and the communities that they sustained. Alex Glasgow is probably most well known as the composer of the songs for the musical play Close The Coalhouse Door and the theme tune for the BBC TV North-East drama set between the wars, When The Boat Comes In. Alex passed away in 2001. He spent the last twenty years in Australia where he contined to be held in great affection. One of my (many) claims to fame is that Alex Glasgow while working for BBC Radio Newcastle came to my school when I was eight to interview several of us about things we’d done but never told our parents. Well, needless to say I didn’t have too much to say…

We finished the set with Joan Baez and her version of Steve Earle’s “I Am Wanderer” from her most recent and highly recommended album, Day After Tomorrow. Happy 28th birthday, Mum!

Later in the first hour we talked to Bruce Leeming from the The Friends of Ile a Vache about their on-going efforts to develop a sustainable community on the island of Ile La Vache on the south coast of the country. Friends of Ile a Vache have been operating in Haiti for more than a decade. They have been working to improve the island’s standard of living and economy ever since. Friends of Ile a Vache have developed a rainwater cistern collection plan and strategically placed 30 cisterns around the island. They have also started a sustainable fish farm with land donated by the local mayor. They hope that these projects will help break the continuous aid cycle. Once Ile a Vache is self-sustaining they aim to develop similar projects elsewhere in Haiti.

Bruce Leeming will be giving a presentation on the Ile a Vache projects at Guelph Place on February 4 at 7 p.m. and at the Guelph Legion on February 11 at 7.00 p.m. Every cent donated to the Friends of Ile a Vache makes it way to the Haitian population, not one cent goes to overhead. For more information on Friends of Ile a Vache visit their website at friendsofileavachehaiti.com.

Later in the hour we continued the Helping Haiti theme when we talked to local musician and activist Sam Turton about the Help Haiti benefit show taking place in Guelph at the River Run Centre on February 7. The event features Kevin Breit, Scott Merritt, Jane Bunnett, Dionne Brand, the University of Guelph choirs and The Guelph Music Revue, an ensemble featuring some of Guelph’s renowned musicians and singer-songwriters.

Tickets are $30 and available from the River Run Box Office: 519-763-3000 or online. All proceeds go to the Canadian Red Cross. All of those involved, including the River Run Centre facilities, are donating their services for the event.

Listen to Hour 1:

In the second hour, Judy Martin from the Sierra Club Canada joined us to talk about the City of Guelph’s Natural Heritage Strategy. The Natural Heritage Strategy aims to identify Guelph’s significant natural areas to ensure their long-term protection and enhancement. Guelph is expected to grow dramatically over the next 25 years.  The unprecedented growth will put great pressure on our natural areas within the city. These areas may simply be swallowed up by development if they are not adequately protected.

A public forum to view the current draft for the Natural Heritage Strategy takes place on February 4 from 6.30 – 9.30 p.m. at City Hall in meeting room C. Please consider attending and making your voice heard.

Martin Sexton

Finally, to wrap up the show, Royal City Rag’s culture vulture, Marie Zimmerman,  the executive director of the Hillside Festival, joined us to talk about some of the artists at this year’s Hillside Inside taking place on February 6 at the Sleeman Centre. Tickets for the festival which runs from 4-11 p.m. are $75. For details of all the artists on the bill and to purchase tickets visit the Hillside Festival website.

Listen to Hour 2:

Music:
Kate And Anna McGarrigle, Karen Masterson, Mary Black and Rufus Wainright, Hard Times Come Around No More from The Transatlantic Sessions (Youtube)
Alex Glasgow, And I Shall Cry Again from Now And Then
Joan Baez, I Am A Wanderer from Day After Tomorrow
Eddie Vedder, My City Of Ruins (single) Benefiting Artists For Peace And Justice Haiti Relief
Hawksley Workman, The Ground We Stand On from Meat
Basia Bulat, The Shore from Heart Of My Own
Owen Pallett, Lewis Takes Action from Heartland
Bahamas, Whole Wide World from Pink Strat
Martin Sexton, Wild Angels from Seeds

 

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Coming Up On Royal City Rag… Help 4 Haiti, Protecting Our Natural Heritage And How To Hillside Inside!

Royal City Rag on January 30 will focus on local efforts to Help Haiti, the City of Guelph Natural Heritage Strategy deliberations and Hillside Inside.

KaKoch Beach, Ile a Vache

In the first hour we’ll talk to Bruce Leeming from the The Friends of Ile a Vache about their on-going efforts to develop a sustainable community on the island of Ile La Vache on the south coast of the country.

Friends of Ile a Vache have been operating in Haiti for more than a decade. The organisation was originally formed by a group of friends searching for the wreck of the celebrated Canadian racing schooner, Bluenose that foundered off the coast of Ile La Vache in 1946. They fell in love with the island and its population and have been working to improve the island’s standard of living and economy ever since.

Finding and maintaining sources of clean water is a common problem in Haiti. Friends of Ile a Vache have developed a rainwater cistern collection plan and strategically placed 30 cisterns around the island. They have also started a sustainable fish farm with land donated by the local mayor. They hope that these projects will help break the continuous aid cycle. Once Ile a Vache is self-sustaining they aim to develop similar projects elsewhere in Haiti.

Bruce Leeming will be giving a presentation on the Ile a Vache projects at Guelph Place on February 4 at 7 p.m. and at the Guelph Legion on February 11 at 7.00 p.m.

Every cent donated to the Friends of Ile a Vache makes it way to the Haitian population, not one cent goes to overhead. For more information on Friends of Ile a Vache visit their website at friendsofileavachehaiti.com.

Later in the hour we’ll continue the Helping Haiti theme when we talk to local musician and activist Sam Turton about the Help Haiti benefit show taking place in Guelph at the River Run Centre on February 7. The event features Kevin Breit, Scott Merritt, Jane Bunnett, Dionne Brand, the University of Guelph choirs and The Guelph music revue, an ensemble featuring some of Guelph’s renowned musicians and singer-songwriters.

Tickets are $30 and available from the River Run Box Office: 519-763-3000 or online. All proceeds go to the Canadian Red Cross. All of those involved, including the River Run Centre facilities, are donating their services for the event.

In the second hour, Judy Martin from the Sierra Club Canada will join us to talk about the City of Guelph’s Natural Heritage Strategy. The Natural Heritage Strategy aims to identify Guelph’s significant natural areas to ensure their long-term protection and enhancement.

Gueph is expected to grow dramatically over the next 25 years.  As Guelph’s city limits are (in theory) fixed, the unprecedented growth will put great pressure on our natural areas including parks and green spaces. These areas may simply be swallowed up by development if they are not adequately protected.

There is a public forum on the Natural Heritage Strategy at City Hall on February 4 from 6.30 – 9.30 p.m. in meeting room C.

Finally, to wrap up the show, Royal City Rag’s culture vulture, Marie Zimmerman (who is also currently the executive director of the Hillside Festival) will join us to discuss some of the highlights of this year’s Hillside Inside taking place on February 6 at the Sleeman Centre.

Phew! Sounds like a fun show. Don’t miss it!

Royal City Rag, Saturdays from 7-9 a.m. on CFRU 93.3 fm, Guelph’s Campus and Community Radio Station. Listen live on CFRU 93.3fm, or, after the fact, via the website. If it happens in Guelph you’ll hear about it on Royal City Rag!

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Public Forum: Natural Heritage Strategy, City Hall – February 4

There is a very important public forum taking place on the Natural Heritage Strategy at City Hall on February 4 from 6.30 – 9.30 p.m.

Guelph will be hit by a huge wave of growth over the next 25 years under the provincial plan Places to Grow.

Unfortunately the city seems powerless to do anything about this “planned” (!) growth.

Guelph is expected to grow by 75,000 people.

Some (myself included) would say that is an absurd amount of growth bearing in mind we will also be dealing with the twin threats of climate change and peak oil as well as uncertain economic times.

All these new people coming to Guelph will need somewhere to live and places to work.

As Guelph’s city limits are “in theory” fixed, the unprecedented growth will put great pressure on our green infrastructure… trees, parks and green spaces. Areas that we now know as green space may simply be swallowed up if they are not adequately protected.

Please make an effort to  review the draft document and provide feedback where appropriate.

Our children and grandchildren will thank us for it.

Public Forum: Natural Heritage Strategy

You are invited to participate in a public forum to provide input into Guelph’s draft Natural Heritage policies.

Thursday, February 4
6:30–9:30 p.m.
City Hall, 1 Carden St, Meeting Room C

Draft policies will be presented at 6:30 p.m. followed by an opportunity for public input. Please RSVP to michelle.mercier@guelph.ca

About the Natural Heritage Strategy
The Natural Heritage mapping and policies aim to identify Guelph’s significant natural areas to ensure their long-term protection and enhancement.

Following the input from Phase Two, the City is moving into the third and final phase of the Natural Heritage Strategy where the Natural Heritage policies will be integrated into the current Official Plan Update.

As of January 27, the draft Natural Heritage policies will be available at guelph.ca, or can be viewed at City Hall, Community Design and Development Services, third floor.

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