The fight continues to preserve Wetland 80 in The Willows neighbourhood.
A group of about 30 people gathered for the photograph that will be used to continue to draw attention to the issue that arose after Madlee Developments proposed to destroy it in the next phase of The Willows. Several people bought homes in the area in part based upon the promise that the wetland would be preserved indefinitely.
Residents packed the council chambers for a May public hearing on a proposed land-use amendment that would replace the wetland with man-made park space, including a skating pond, to complement the new phase of housing in The Willows.
Madlee presented a second option to town council on Sept. 16 based on the negative feedback received at that public hearing. It would allow for the retention of Wetland 80 by transferring the land to the town as an environmental reserve. Such reserves do come with restrictions and would ban skating on the pond and eliminate the possibility of developing any public recreational space nearby.
The recording of that September session in town council archives is currently unavailable for people to review.
Neither proposal is acceptable to Joel and Leta Taylor, whose property is adjacent to the wetland. They were among the people participating in the demonstration.
"We feel that it's a bit misleading because we clearly spoke for what we wanted," says Joel Taylor. "We'd rather the developer just present what they intend to do. I feel that it's taking a bit of wind out of our sails by sort of dividing our attention and presenting it as if we do have an option when in reality we don't."
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A new online petition was launched by Joel Taylor earlier this month on change.org to restate the community's support for this wetland. So far, 151 people have signed.
It calls it an essential habitat for diverse wildlife, including the endangered tiger salamander.
"If Wetland 80 is lost, Cochrane’s residents, wildlife, and future generations will lose a valuable green space and a vital link to the area’s natural heritage," it states.
He believes it's also an opportunity to put the wetland at the top of the agenda of the Natural Environment Protection Task Force being established by the town. By protecting Wetland 80 he sees the opportunity to establish an important standard and is encouraging people to write letters to town councillors.
"This wetland in particular sets a precedent for future wetland development. We already know about an application to fill in another wetland in Southbow Landing and I know that one has some complexity around it as far as the highway and everything, but to us, it emphasized the importance of this wetland because, in the province's assessment for the relative value of wetlands, part of their consideration is how many wetlands surround it. The fact that they might be forced into filling in that wetland tells us that this one is even more important than it might have been before."
