The South March Highlands (SMH) is one of the most bio-diverse areas in Canada. There is currently a motion before Ottawa City Council to expropriate a portion of the SMH known as Beaver Pond Forest. If this motion is not approved, this area will be clear-cut and blasted by Urbandale for a housing development north of the Beaver Pond.

We must encourage Ottawa City Council members to vote to protect this area. By voting to expropriate this part of the forest, development plans will be stalled long enough for us to engage the support of the National Capital Commission to provide long-term protection for the balance of the area.

Will you help us?

Using the form below, you can write to City Council, encouraging them to vote in support of the motion on October 5th to expropriate the Beaver Pond Forest area of the SMH. We’ve provided a sample letter, but we encourage you to personalize your message for maximum effectiveness (please note that since this e-mail will be sent to all City Council members, we ask that you leave the greeting generic i.e. “Dear Councillor”). Once you have completed your message, please scroll to the bottom of the page to submit it.

Be sure to forward this call to action to others!

To learn more about the South March Highlands, check out: http://southmarch.wordpress.com/

Go here: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5654/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY...

To send the letter below automatically to all the decision makers above, or write your own letter!

Dear Councillor,

I urge you to vote in support of the motion to expropriate the portion of the South March Highlands (SMH) known as the Beaver Pond Forest. I want you to know that how you vote on this motion will influence who I vote for in the upcoming election. I support the motion for the following reasons:

- The South March Highlands is one of the most bio-diverse and ecologically important areas of the City that has long been recognized by the City as worthy of preservation. It is green infrastructure that provides valuable services to this city in helping combat both air pollution and invasive species, improve water quality, control flooding, and as a wildlife refuge including 19 species-at-risk.

- The South March Highlands contains Provincially Significant, stone-age, cultural resources that are twice the age of Stonehenge and are considered sacred by the aboriginal people of this area. This enriches and uniquely differentiates our City as a desirable place to live and visit.

- Expropriation is the right thing to do and the only way this City can correct the horrible mistake made by the RMOC when it allowed the area to be included in the Campeau development plans back in the 1980s. Every politician of that day now recognizes that it was a mistake and, given what we know now, would never have allowed it to happen had they known more facts.

- The cost of expropriation is reasonable. KNL’s assessed value on the land is less than $55 K /acre. Staff is likely to come up with a valuation of $200 K /acre or higher, which will certainly be generous and fair to the landowner.

- The funds for expropriation are available. The city currently has a surplus of $31 M in unspent infrastructure funds. I’m tired of seeing my tax dollars being used to support only non-green development projects. Last year the city had over 115 infrastructure development projects and no green infrastructure at all.

- The electorate is increasingly attuned to green issues as a result of climate change, oil spills, soaring energy costs, etc. A survey of Ottawa residents by the NCC as part of their Greenbelt planning study found that Ottawa residents overwhelmingly place a high value on green space and want it expanded.

- Protecting the South March Highlands creates immense value for the City that, properly managed, can be used to attract tourism. No other city in the world has an old-growth forest teaming with species-at-risk and other interesting wildlife, stone-age archaeological sites, ancient vortexes/energy sites, and unique geological features that showcase how the ice age transformed Canada.

- The city may be able to make some money on the deal if the NCC moves to expand the greenbelt in 2 – 3 years since land values are likely to appreciate.

Therefore, I ask that you vote FOR Marianne Wilkinson and Clive Doucet’s motion to expropriate the Beaver Pond Forest in the South March Highlands of Kanata.

Sincerely,

Georges Bédard
Ward 12 - Rideau-Vanier Councillor
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Michel Bellemare
Ward 11 - Beacon Hill-Cyrville
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Rainer Bloess
Ward 2 - Innes
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Glenn Brooks
Ward 21 – Rideau-Goulbourn
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Rick Chiarelli
Ward 8 - College
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Alex Cullen
Ward 7 - Bay
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Diane Deans
Ward 10 - Gloucester-Southgate
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Steve Desroches
Ward 22 - Gloucester-South Nepean
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Clive Doucet
Ward 17 - Capital
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Eli El-Chantiry
Ward 5 - West Carleton-March
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Peggy Feltmate
Ward 23 - Kanata South
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA
Jan Harder

Ward 3 - Barrhaven
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Diane Holmes
Ward 14 - Somerset
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Peter Hume
Ward 18 - Alta Vista
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Gord Hunter
Ward 9 - Knoxdale-Merivale
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Rob Jellett
Ward 19 - Cumberland
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Christine Leadman Leadman
Ward 15 - Kitchissippi
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Jacques Legendre
Ward 13 - Rideau-Rockcliffe
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Maria McRae
Ward 16 - River
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Bob Monette
Ward 1 - Orléans
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Shad Qadri
Ward 6 – Stittsville-Kanata West
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Doug Thompson
Ward 20 - Osgoode
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA

Marianne Wilkinson
Ward 4 - Kanata North
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
CA