Dear Mayor Boddy & City Councillors:

I am writing this letter in response to the request before Council regarding the potential sale of a ‘small piece of parkland’ on the north side of 23rd Street East.

As a citizen of Owen Sound, born and raised in Owen Sound, I have resided on the East Hill in close proximity to Stoney Orchard & Timber McArthur Parks for over 40 years. My family has used the trails along the east edge of the escarpment and Stoney Orchard Park for many years.

This ‘small piece of this parkland’ located in Stoney Orchard, that a developer wishes to purchase, is part of a contiguous urban forest. It is not ‘waste’ property. This ‘small piece of this parkland’ is an essential part of that forest and an essential part of that environment. Dividing that forest will totally alter the habitat, and reduce or eliminate the wildlife that is attracted to that area. Many, many families use the Stoney Orchard trail system for walking, hiking, biking, and to enjoy the flora and fauna found there on a daily basis, year round.

Please also take into consideration the residential density already in this area. With the addition of Owen Sound Housing’s new Adawa complex, and the addition of a 5 storey apartment building, this area will be at capacity (not forgetting the potential for a 68 lot Ridgecrest Subdivision to be built in close proximity). This area, with its residential density, MUST contain significant natural parkland green spaces.

Trashing a natural parkland, for the sake of a few building lots, is beyond belief. Selling off even ‘a small piece of parkland’ sets a terribly poor thought out precedent by the City of Owen Sound.

We need to preserve the unique aspects of our ‘home’, that make our ‘home’, Owen Sound, so special.

Respectfully,
Kathy Strutt, Owen Sound