Letters

Jeff Green | May 03, 2007

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Letters to the Editor

Global warming works for me

Having celebrated yet another birthday recently, I couldn't help but compare the weather with that of past birthdays. When I was a little girl, my birthday parties always got rained on. We were forced inside by cold rain and chilling winds, most unkind to little bare legs. I used to wish for warm sunny days on my birthday, but never got one single sunny birthday for over 40 years, no matter where I was, Ontario or elsewhere. So you can blame me for global warming ’cause now my wish has come true. For the past two years, in fact, I have had lovely warm sunny days to celebrate the milestone of another year on Planet Earth.

But seriously, with all the talk, do we really know what is causing global warming or climate change? The arguments have raged for years but only now are in the limelight, a frequent topic in the news or talk shows after the recent release of the UN International Panel on Climate Change report.

There seem to be two main camps in the debate: one side says it is yet another cycle in the many cycles of Mother Nature; others say it is a man-made phenomenon, caused by our careless, extravagant consumption of fossil fuels and other toxic substances. Some people say it is some combination of both which may or may not involve divine retribution for our ways. A fourth point of view, seldom considered, is that at least some of this unusual weather is man-made, not accidentally but deliberately in order to control the weather and use it as a weapon. Search terms such as "weather modification" and "weather warfare" on the Internet and you will find ample articles and compelling evidence.

It is beyond the scope of this letter to even begin to get into the physics and politics of such a concept. It is so repugnant and far-fetched to most people that just the suggestion that such a thing is real is too much.

If you know how to use Google and other search engines, the Internet can be a very useful library. Here are a few more terms to get you started: HAARP; ionospheric heaters; Professor Gordon J. F. MacDonald; Thomas Bearden.

Jennifer Tsun

Re: “Frontenac County to buy K&P Trail in Central Frontenac” April 26 2007.

Members of Central Frontenac council need to be reminded they are elected to represent all the constituents of this township and not a select few. I find it ridiculous to accept the statement that a surprise phone call was placed to Central Frontenac Township with the offer of funding from grant monies, to proceed with the purchase of the lands from Bell Canada from Piccadilly to Tichborne. Was the mayor of this township asleep at the county meetings when this particular line of strategy was being formulated or does she simply suffer from lapses of memory? Now it appears the strings are pulled a different way, in that the county will now purchase. At any rate, considering the motion put forth by council and duly approved, I suggest the mayor and council now tender their resignations as they are not fulfilling their duties as representatives of the entire township.

The saga of the purchase of this corridor has taken as many turns as the route of the line itself. Mr. Knapp and company had it all signed, sealed and delivered a number of years ago after making so called well-documented presentations to the Interministerial Committee (IMC) of the Ontario Government. After the IMC became aware of the problems existing on this corridor and acting on the advice given by their researchers, the entire project was dropped. The Cataraqui Conservation Authority was an eager participant in the previous attempt. It appears they are jumping in with both feet again. I assume the Cataraqui Trail is still in debt and I further ask the question “Who actually owns the Cataraqui Trail (Trans Canada Trail)?" The Trans Canada Trail has relinquished all titles to the corridors they so earnestly coveted in the Prairie Provinces, the reason being they were too expensive to maintain.

However, this is not the bone of my contention at this point in time. Council only heard one presentation and therefore one side of the story. I strongly object to a mayor and council who did not have the courage, the courtesy nor the decency to give the people of this township the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to voice their concerns before accepting in principle something that could prove detrimental to many.

- Frances Thurlow, secretary, Frontenac Landowners

Re: Frontenac County to buy K&P Trail in Central Frontenac, April 26, 2007

Here we go again. It seems that the dirt-bike and ATV lobby found a friendly ear somewhere else. After their unworkable plan came off the rails in Central Frontenac, they have obviously hoped to do an end-run through the County. As landowners adjacent to the former K&P, our family had hoped to enjoy the coming summer like all other citizens. It looks like we’ve got work ahead.

Let’s be clear on the issue. Plans to run a year-round, around the clock, motorized gravel strip within yards of our homes, past our farms, livestock, and cottages is completely unacceptable to adjacent landowners. This is not about a “multi-use” trail. Snowmobilers already have access to hundreds of kilometres of negotiated trail in the area. Hikers have two provincial parks and three conservation areas. Bicyclists have endless back-country roads and cross-country skiers cannot ski on a snowmobile track. Who really wants this? A handful of dirt-bike and ATV riders.

Some elected officials seem to have fallen prey to absurd, and unsubstantiated, claims of economic spin-off arising from a motorized track. Even if this was true and it is not it would be robbing Peter to pay Paul. How does devaluating millions of dollars of property, ruining people’s homes, cottages and farms, and subjecting citizens to endless trespass, noise and environmental pollution lead to economic development? It’s worse in this scenario. Peter loses his shirt, Paul gets the bill.

I hope Frontenac County did their homework. Pushing ahead with a motorized track means that they will become caught in challenges to an illegal transfer of un-surveyed land, be on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars in fencing costs, face environmental assessments to remediate creosote-soaked lands, pay enormous liability and insurance bills, be subject to lawsuits for property loss-of-use, face zoning challenges at the Ontario Municipal Board and be called to account for inappropriate use of infrastructure funding.

A $289,000 grant was received to improve infrastructure. Are there not roads, bridges, waste management systems, community centres and parks that could use the money? Hope you enjoy your summer. We simply cannot, too much is at stake.

Bill Murnighan