| Date: |
Sunday, September 28, 2008
|
| Time: |
11:00am – 1:00pm
|
| Location: |
Connaught Park – next to Kitsilano Farmers Market
|
| Street: |
Larch Street & 12th Avenue
|
| City/Town: |
Vancouver, BC
|
fabulous speakers, displays by leading groups and a giant petition to the premier.
Mr. Karlsen –
I have not had the courtesy of a reply to my request regarding Garden City Lands, but I receive notice that the Commission is once again railroading through public hearings without fair notice to the public.
This is unacceptable, and we demand that the public hearing be postponed to allow us more than one day to advise the broader community that has very clearly expressed concerns about the agricultural impacts of the South Fraser Perimeter Road. The most recent alignment will cut a vast swath through Delta farmland, including dissecting the largest active dairy farm in the community.
This is unacceptable at a time when the world is facing a global food security crisis that all indicators tell us will only worsen.
We ask that the public hearing be rescheduled.
Donna Passmore
Farmland Defence League of BC
Fraser Valley Conservation Coalition &
Gateway 40 Citizens Network.
Copy: Gateway 40 Citizens Network
Farmland Defence League network
Agricultural Land Reserve Protection & Enhancement Committee
Farm Folk/City Folk
BC Agriculture Council
Organic Growers of BC
Multifaith Action Society
Boundary Bay Conservation Society
Fraser River Coalition
Sunbury Neighbourhood Association
Council of Seniors of BC
Livable Region Coalition
Surrey Environmental Partners
Fraser Valley Conservation Coalition
Bolivar Heights Community Association
Bridgeview Community Association
East Ladner Residents
Against Port Expansion
Sierra Club
City Farmer
White Rock South Surrey Naturalists
Smart Growth BC
Save Our Rivers Society
Federation of BC Naturalists
BC Environmental Network
West Coast Environmental Law Association
University of Victoria Environmental Law Centre
University of British Columbia Student Environment Centre
University of British Columbia Land and Food Systems Faculty
Students Active for the Enviroment (SAFE), Kwantlen University College
Ecojustice
Greenpeace, Agriculture Campaign
100 Mile Diet
BC Food and Restaurant Association
Members, BC Legislature
British Columbia Members of Parliament
Union of BC Municipalities
We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to John Cummins for his pre-emptive strike that “de-railed” <wink> what should have been an announcement by the feds about SFPR this morning.
John understands as few people do that it is easier to stop something before it happens than to get it undone, and in this instance the speed and dexterity – and, I suspect, forcefulness – bought us some much-needed time. Thank you, John, for this and all the incredible leadership you have been providing on Gateway for the past 4 or 5 years.
In addition to nipping the announcement in the bud, John’s actions led to an important revelation. The fact that the feds told him they were just delaying the announcement until after the election clearly tell us they know this project is wrong and doesn’t have public support.
I hope that all of our campaigners in Delta and Richmond are telling their neighbours to get out and support John. He’s one of a very few politicians who’s in that game for the right reasons and who truly represents his constituency. When someone has been so strongly, fearlessly honest about the environment it doesn’t matter what party he stands for. If we give him the largest electoral mandate in the country, it’ll be hard for the Ottawa powerbrokers to ignore him, and his appeals on Delta’s and Richmond’s behalf.
Donna Passmore
Gateway 40 Citizens Network
