US Government May Move To Protect Canadas' Polar Bears

WHILE CANADAS' GOVERNMENT SITS ON ITS' ASS, US GOVERNMENT PLANS PROTECTION FOR POLAR BEARS

The American Fish and Wildlife Service has plans to announce within days whether or not it will classify the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
This type of designation is one rung below endangered status, but similar beacuase it offers legislated protection for the animal and its' ecosystems.
Behind the US proposal are declines in polar bear populations, most importantly in the western Hudson Bay area, where Environment Canada and others have documented a 22-per-cent drop in polar bear numbers since the 1980s because of the earlier breakup of Arctic ice where the bears hunt for seals.

Environment Canda researcher Nick Lunn says that since he began tracking the animals in the 1980's that there has been a substantial decrease in population from more than 1200, to approximately 935 bears in Canadas' entire north.

"I feel sort of like a polar bear historian, that I'm sort of documenting a decline of a particular population, and that sort of makes me sad," Mr. Lunn said. "Back in the 1980s, bears would come ashore in really good condition. They had lots of fat on them, big bears, lots of cubs being produced.""Now they are in poor shape, not much fat, and rarely do we see cubs".

The decision by the US government is expected no later than January 9, 2008 and will have far reaching impacts on Canadas' environmental policies in the north.

A team of 14 researchers has spent the past year putting together a plan of action, and more than 600,000 people signed petitions asking the US government to take action.

The most vociferous objections, aside from those of the oil and gas industry, came from Canadians, including the government of Nunavut, the Inuvialuit Game Council, the president of an Ontario-based Arctic travel company and several other aboriginal agencies.

The government of Nunavut have opposed the plan saying their people will suffer income losses(the average american will pay $25,000.00 for a guided polar bear hunt)and that the US government has no right to place environmental restrictions pertaining to wildlife on their(Nunavut) territory.

"We oppose the listing of polar bears because it is currently unwarranted, highly speculative and will hurt Inuit and our economy," Nunavut Environment Minister Patterk Netser said.

"Polar bears have become a political tool for environmental groups trying to force a change in U.S. climate change policy."

One More Dead Canadian Soldier

LIKE I'VE SAID BEFORE...THIS IS A WAR OF ATTRITION

The possibility that Canada is winning the war in Afghanistan received another blow yesterday after another Canadian soldier was killed while driving past a roadside bomb that exploded near Kandahar.

A convoy of soliders headed back to Kandahar for New Years' eve celebrations at the Canadian forces Base was left mourning its' dead instead of partying in Afghanistan last night. Gunner Jonathan Dion died of shrapnel injuries after his convoy ran over the improvised bomb about 20 kilometres west of the city. Four other soldiers suffered minor injuries and are expected to make full recoveries.

Gunner Dion was a part of a group who were to be rotated in early March and returned home for some well needed rest. He was a native of Quebec.

Canadian Government Sends Assistance To Korea for Cleanup

ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER TEAM ON ITS WAY TO KOREA

The Canadian government has deployed several teams of environmental specialists to the west coast of Korea where an oil tanker was rammed by another cargo ship puncturing 4 oil tanks on the ship earlier this month.

The 147,000-tonne Hebei Spirit has leaked more than 10,000 tonnes of crude oil into the sea which has subsequently washed up on the west coast of Korea, threatening several eco preserves on the coastline. Hundreds of aqua farmers in the area have lost all of their potential for raising seafood products as a result of the collision.

More than 5,000 people including local residents are reported to be involved in the cleanup including hundreds of out of country persons, as well as the now present Canadians.

The Canadians will work under the auspices of the international environmental assessment team coordinated by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA).

The spill occurred in the first week of December and the request for assistance from the republic of Korea came to the Canadian government on December 23, 2007.

This is a really old news release

HOW DO YOU PROMISE SOMETHING THAT YOU DO NOT ALREADY OWN?????

PLEASE NOTE THE DATE THEY MADE THE POST.....

http://www.londonontariogolf.com/inthenews/viewtopic.php?t=1337

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New Woodstock Golf Course Under Construction

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Jeffrey ReedJoined: 06 May 2005Posts: 2311Location: London, Ontario CANADA
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:01 pm Post subject: New Woodstock Golf Course Under Construction

The Villages of Sally Creek, a new community from Claysam Homes, includes a new John Robinson-designed golf course. Official opening of 18 holes is slated for 2008. Construction is underway. The new neighbourhood, west of Vansittart Avenue, includes a variety of homes, a community centre, and an assisted-living residence. Visit http://www.sallycreek.com/ for more information.
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Invading Iran Could Lead To Oil Prices Of $200.00 a Barrel

IRANIAN INVASION COULD SEND WORLD OIL PRICES TO THE $200.00 MARK

According to Hugo Chavez, the elected dictator of Venezuala, any invasion of Iran would lead to oil prices hovering near the $200.00 a barrel mark for the first time in recorded history.

Chavez stated that as a result of any invasion, and the fact that Iran has no oil producing/processing friends, (aside from Venezuala)an invasion of that country would lead to the possibility that the oil industry in Iran would close down until the invasion/war was over, which according to Chavez, could last for years, and would drive oil prices through the roof and slow western economies down considerably unless the US government frees up its' strategic reserves which would put some downward pressure on crude oil prices, but would only be a stop gap measure.

If the United States attacked Iran, it would almost certainly be a messy campaign, with no quick outcome and the likelihood that Iran’s oil production would be disrupted - with an obvious upward impact on crude prices.

Irans' only oil-producing allies - are Venezuela and Venezuala has reiterated support for the government of Iran in this Us/Iran conflict of interests.

Any invasion would see Venezuala cut production and sale of peteroleum derivatives to the USA and its' sister markets.

Perhaps the US instead of invading Iraq for oil, should just invade Venezuala. Venezuala is sitting on the largest reserves of crude oil in the world, almost double that of the middle east.

The Orinoco tar sands are a source of massive wealth for the country, but nationalization efforts in Venezuala have dried up all sources of foreign funding and the country is having difficulty maintaining production as a result of this lack of foreign investment.

$200.00 a barrel oil?

We'll just have to wait and see, but in the meantime, it may not be a bad idea to start looking at those hybrid cars, and perhaps governments should begin the push for a new renewable enrgy force that is affordable and clean. Ethanol is looking kind of good.

Southern USA Drought Conditions Will Spur Waterless Urinals

WATERLESS URINALS ARE ON THE WAY

The drought facing several southern states like Florida and Georgia may help facilitate a change to water-free urinals.While the concept of waterless urinals has yet to catch on in most U.S. states, sales people have said that the existence of the lengthy drought has made the restroom items more attractive to citizens."We've started gaining a little ground," said Gary Rogers, who sells water-free urinals in North Carolina. "If nothing else, it's a conversation piece."Falcon Waterfree Technologies head Robert Turner said that while Florida and Georgia have warmed to the idea of waterless urinals, some states have remained resistant to implementing the unusual technology."In Florida and Atlanta and with the federal government, with them it's no longer a question about the technology," Turner said. "That's not the case in the Carolinas and Tennessee."Rather than using water, the advanced urinals use filters to trap the odor while allowing the liquid to easily flow through a special drain.

The concept is sure to spread across North America as we struggle to contain our water usage.

Feds Hand Out 32,000 Employment Insurance Cheques Accidently

32,000 Unemployed Western Canadians Given Bonus EI Cheques

Thousands of Canadians in the west mistakenly received an "extra" issue of their EI from the federal government over the last few weeks - and the government wants it back.
Nearly 32,000 people receiving EI benefits got back-to-back payments, as a result of a technical problem at the EI Computer Centre in Manitoba.
The government has requested repayment from those persons and wants its money returned three weeks into the new year.
One person said that "Some people might not have even noticed they were overpaid, then spent the money before Christmas and now have to pay it back along with their other bills." "That's a pretty big glitch."
People in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon either had a pair of cheques sent to them within just a few days, or had two payments directly deposited into their bank accounts.
Service Canada officials have confirmed the overpayment, stating the federal department has offered an apology in a letter dated Dec. 13 to clients for "any inconvenience this may have caused you."
They say the technical problem was corrected to ensure the situation wouldn't happen again, and it mentioned another letter would be on the way to explain how the money could be repaid.
Information provided by Service Canada indicated clients have a "three-week grace period" after the holidays before the department would begin collecting.
Service Canada said it would be "sensitive in working with clients to assist them in repaying this money in a reasonable timeframe."
One person figures the entire hassle will cost Canadian taxpayers a lot.
"What bothers me the most is that they've printed and sent out these extra cheques, so that's all this extra paper and postage wasted," she said. "Then they send us the first letter and tell us another letter is coming - more waste. You wonder if they have to hire someone to do the work to get the money back.
"How many thousands is this going to cost us?"

Merry Christmas Everyone...Watch Out For The Dreaded Harper Hangover!

IF YOU WISH A CARD FROM ME...YOU WILL HAVE TO CLICK THE LINK TO GET IT!

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=0212320003

Everyone Be good, And Stay Healthy.

Canadian Ambassador To Iran Expelled

Canadas' Ambassador To Iran Leaves Iran

Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said Canadas' ambassador to Iran had been ordered to leave the country yesterday after some disagreement with Iran over its' human rights record and its' nuclear energy program(most likely over the arrest and beating death of Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi for which Canadas' government has been highly critical)which leaves the diplomatic outpost under the care of a charge d'affaires until a resolution can be reached between Tehran and Ottawa.

Ottawa sent Gordon Venner to Iran in 2004 to take the place of Philip MacKinnon, who was recalled over the Kazemi affair. At the time the family of the slain photojournalist accused the government of not looking into the matter, and of not pushing the Ambassador(McKinnon)to seek answers from the Iranian government.

QUEEN STARTS YOU TUBE VIDEO CHANNEL

"The Royal Channel" now On You Tube

The Royal family has started it's own You Tube channel. Anyone iterested in the British monarchy will be interested in seeing the historical footage available here.

http://www.youtube.com/theroyalchannel

Okay, I have been as busy as hell, but there are a couple of important things to remember.

THINGS ARE INSANELY BUSY THIS WEEK

The week has passed very quickly for me. I can hardly believe that it is Saturday already and that we only have a couple of days left to go out and do a few errands before the holidays kick in. I've been busy packing boxes for people, and making delieveries to the post office. The couriers picked up their final pickups that were US bound yesterday. Now I'm hoping for some rest...

This year our business really turned into a major international business and we are certain that this growth will continue into the next year. We'll just see what happens on that front.

This week tons of people came in to both of my shops to vent their anger over the Burgess Park issue, many wondering how this council could have chosen to overirde the concerns of the community in favour of murdering our parklands. Many people expressed their thanks for the time investment we made, and many people made pledges to support us wherever it is we take this thing now.

And that is where we are headed....to the UTRCA and the provincial minister responsible for the environment. It is not in the communities best interests to see these wetlands and conservation areas destroyed for private profit. It is shameful that our local government would act with such blatant disregard for the concerns of thousands of taxpayers, but it is not out of the ordinary.

Yes, it is disturbing but nothing unusual.

These people will kiss your ass as long as they are trying to get elected, and they will make you all of the promises in the world. But in the end, it doesn't really matter as they are elected to serve themselves first, elected secondly to support the needs of the corporation of Woodstock, and finally, if we are lucky, they might support us, but highly unlikely that they will.

Most will just turn their backs knowing that for the next few years they are immune from your consternation.

To get rid of Harding we need to ensure there is only one or maybe 2 candidates running against him. The voter split ensured his win this last election because of the 4 candidates who ran.

If that would have been the case last year, he would have lost. He has negligible support in the community, much less than 30%..one of the lowest ratings a mayor could have. I have yet to find a person who says they voted for him...or perhaps those persons are ashamed or embarrassed to say they voted for him.

What we could hope for is Talbot to run against him, and her and Harding both lose to a third person. This would rid us of those two persons, and perhaps put a balance back to council that is well needed.

Anyways, have an awesome day in Woodstock.

This Burgess Park Thing....Again

Just A Thought On Burgess Park

One thing I would like to point out in this mess of a "deal" with Burgess and Standard tube Parks is that this half-wit council,(excluding two elected persons, Deb Tait and Jim Northcott) have tossed aside the desires of a large portion of the electorate(thousands upon thousands of persons) in order to appease one company owned by a very few persons(or even perhaps just one person) who wish to develope our conservation lands into a private for profit golf course. The numbers do not add up. Thousands of people "trumped" in order to satiate one companys' desires? I think it's wierd. Don't the rest of you? Woodstock will gain nothing. In fact, Woodstock will lose, and will lose big. We will be denied access and opportunity to our natural eco-heritage. The people of our community and the communities which surround Woodstock like Hickson, Embro,Tavistock, Beachville and the thousands of people who live in between,are who has lost. All of the people of Woodstock and the eco system will lose in the future. We have been robbed of recreational opportunities that could have included the entire community at very little cost, but instead our council in a frenzy gave a massive opportunity to one development company. And for that reason, we should all be asking ourselves, just what has happened, and why? If any of you wonder why voter turnout is so low in these municipal "elections", you need not look any further ; we have a shining example of such a phenomena that meets every couple of weeks in Woodstocks' council chambers. It's a travesty to see them sit there, all smug and content in the knowledge that they can stab you in the back while smiling at you for the next 3 or 4 years, and there is squat that you can do about it as a citizen. I'm quite happy that two persons understood the necessity of maintaining the parks that we have over a "long shot" at nothing in the future. Now all we need are 4 or 5 more of them, and Woodstock would be a fantastic city versus the mediocrity we are experiencing at present.

Syri-Con Corporation Fined $75,000.00 for workplace injuries

WOODSTOCK COMPANY CONVICTED OF WORKPLACE SAFETY VIOLATIONS

A Woodstock-based company was fined$75,000 following a trial in the Ontario Court of Justice, December 12, 2007,in connection with the injury of a worker in a forklift accident. The incident happened at the Syri-Con Corporation's concrete plant at48 Brentwood Dr., Princeton, Ontario, on June 22, 2006. Justice of the PeaceDan McDonald found that on the day of the incident a worker was working with acolleague to move 455 kilogram (1,000 lb.) concrete panels from the castingfloor to a flat bed truck for delivery. The overhead crane normally used tolift the panels was not working, and the workers varied the workplace's normalprocedure by modifying a forklift to lift the panels and load them on thetruck. When lifting a panel the chains that attached the panel to the modifiedforklift slipped, the forklift operator lowered the panel and the other workerattempted to secure it. The panel tipped, pinning the worker, resulting inmultiple broken bones. Justice of the Peace Dan McDonald found that the employer failed to havethe modifications to the forklift inspected by a competent person and failedto take every reasonable precaution in the circumstances for the protection ofa worker. McDonald registered convictions on three counts: breaches ofsections 51(1)(a) and 45(a) of Regulation 851 for Industrial Establishments,contrary to section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act; and abreach of section 25(2)(h) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The finelevied on each count was $25,000. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim finesurcharge on the total, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. Thesurcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assistvictims of crime.

Ontario Judical Appointments include Local Lawyer

GORD LEMON APPOINTED TO SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE IN AND AROUND ONTARIO

The Honourable Gordon D. Lemon , a lawyer with Innes, Lemon Barristers in Woodstock , is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario. He
replaces Mr. Justice J.R. Belleghem ( Brampton) who elected to become a supernumerary judge. Mr. Justice Lemon received a Bachelor of Laws in 1981 from the Osgoode Hall Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in 1978. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1983. Mr. Justice Lemon, a former counsel with Barenberg, McDonald is a present Partner with Innes, Lemon Barristers . Mr. Justice Lemon has developed an expertise in family, criminal and civil litigation, and mediation. Mr. Justice Lemon is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, Criminal Lawyer’s Association, ADR Institute of Canada, and the Advocates Society.

Congratulations Gordon. You will make a fine judge for Ontarios' Supreme Court!

Congratulations to Woodstock for producing such a fine lawyer.

And These Are The Faces Of The Anti-Environment Movement In Woodstock, Ontario

THESE 'CONCERNED" CONCILLORS VOTED TO KILL OUR CONSERVATION AREAS

I guess a good name for these folks would be the "Asses of Evil".

I am not impressed, but hey, what the heck. For your information, here are the faces of those who decided that green space is not necessary, trees are bad, and admissionless parks for people are just stupid. These same people feel that the people of Woodstock do not need outdoor recreation opportunities, and feel that having the citizens pay as you go for a park we already own is wise.

These same councillors will attempt to claim they have your interests at heart.

That is a lie. They have their interests at heart, and the interests of their political donors at heart, but not yours or mine.

Here is a statement from Myor Hardings' inaugural speech....

"During this new four year term, we will have 96 scheduled meetings as City Council and
again as many planning meetings. We will work together for more than 300 hours and
make thousands of decisions over the next almost 1,500 days. We will need the best each
of us has to offer and we will need to work together. For there can be no doubt that we
are here because we want to do what is right and in the broad public interest for the
people of Woodstock and that is what those that elected us expect."

I kind of like that statement...

Especially the big lie about "because we want to do what is right and in the broad public interest for the people of Woodstock and that is what those that elected us expect".....

kinda brings tears to your eyes, doesn't it?

Well, the reason it brings tears to my eyes is the fact that this mayor lied, and does not have the interests of thousands of Woodstonians at heart. He has blatantly ignored the will of the people, has consistently voted against the people, and is responsible for leading the city into an irresponsible mess of a situation in the deal with Burgess Park.

Or how about this statement....

"We have welcomed, and indeed encouraged more delegations to come forward to ensure
that Council’s decisions are made with consideration of community expectations."

What decisions have you recently made where you took the advice of the community that elected you? Certainly no community member advice(you can't call a development company a community member...they have no right to vote, have no rights under the law as a person, and are not considered persons under the law)was used to make the Burgess Park decision.

This is a really cool statement ...

"
Our Council meetings have indeed become our town hall meetings".

I'm not sure where Harding spend his council meetings, but Woodstock does not hold town hall meetings...if they did, plenty would bring pitchforks with them to deal with that council.

Here is a really good one as well...

"Council had the pleasure recently of acknowledging and celebrating the work of our
Advisory committees. Hundreds of our citizens over the last three years have volunteered
their time and effort to help our council make wise decisions. Their support is
appreciated."

Mr Harding, if you actually appreciated the toils of the poor peons that were "appointed" by you to run those committees, you might actually pay some heed to them, but otherwise, the "stringing" along of numerous people who were "appointed" to those committees is nasty.

In the case of WEAC, they issued a great report on the issue of Burgess Park, supported maintaining the lands as a park/conservation area, and the council of the city of Woodstock(except for 2 good people) just took that report, wiped their asses with it, and told you all to fuck off...because that is what you are worth to Mr Harding.

You were appointed to WEAC because the mayor is given a pile of committees that he can personally stack with whoever or whatever(look at Nelson Simard at the silly community in blooms programs that should be cancelled as we are a community in ruins)and he knows full well that he only does this for political reasons, and not for any other reason. The mayor knows that he will never have to take anything seriously from any committees, and that those committees are used to appease a few people here and there.

And this curious statement at the end...

"For the road before us tonight is not about the destination, but about the journey"

That's right...who cares where you are headed...as long as you head somewhere.

Obviously, that is the only statement he can be trusted on...

He has no destination....he only wants to keep driving around the block until he runs out of gas.

Woodstock City Council(With 2 exceptions)Vote To Lease Our Parks Out To Local Developers.

WOODSTOCK CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO ALLOW THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR LOCAL CONSERVATION LANDS

Personally I think I couldn't have sat back and watched the proceedings from my TV, I had to act, but after 1 year of expending massive efforts I feel sad and dismayed that the council of the city of Woodstock voted to go against the will of the people,(thousands upon thousands of people signed petitions against this sell off/lease arrangement) and to allow for the developement of our local Burgess Park and Standard Tube Conservation areas.

There was some limited discussion of the matter, with several concillors adding to the discussion, but most notable was the almost vomit like statement that Councillor Talbot made alluding to how wonderful a neighbour a golf course makes, and how special she was to have lived on a property that "had the biggest back yard in Woodstock" because her back yard backed onto that "wonderful" place, a golf course, where her and her family walked and collected frogs from pinholes...according to her. Ms Talbot is a very special councillor that had a wonderful childhood growing up on a golf green.

Hmmm, I think if even one of us steps onto the Sally Creek course...we'll be arrested for trespassing. And contrary to Ms Talbots' statements, there will be no access to this golf course...unless you buy a ticket. And I guess a good neighbour is someone who uses council to exproporiate your community's parks for a private developement?

Sobeskis' assertion that he envisions a really nice park in 2040 is wierd at best.
The lease is for 25 years...so where does 2040 factor in? Todays date is 2007, add 25 years and you get, 2032, not 2040. Or is he saying they will give the guy 8 years to empty the place out?

So, out of this entire council, we have 2 persons who were on side who supported the ideals of keeping our green spaces green, and who believed they were their to do the work of the people who elected them, councillors Tait and Northcott. Those persons at least had the inner strength to stand up against those other buffooons on council.

And jesus, what happened to the CAW pick, Ross Gerrie? He sat on his hands, and wasted his opportunity to defend the persons who elcted him.

And our mayor? Where was he? He voted to initiate the Oxford Natural Heritage Study, and even waxed on eloquently in the preamble to the study about how we need to save these precious resources...well, it's amazing what people will say and do, and it's amazing how much they will say just to get their name in the news, or on a document, or just to hear their own name, period.

Here we are sending leaders across the globe to try and save the environment, and on the other hand, our local "leaders"(i tend to think they are followers, and only an election made them leaders, and before they were elected, they were just people with squat knowledge, now they lead us by the nose)are busy trying to kill the environment.

Lets' stop sending people around the globe and wasting money on trying to make other countries "green up'...we can't even get the fools in charge here in our country and community to stand up for the environment so what is the point of making China or India protect theirs, while we smash ours to bits?

So as an end note I would like to say that the fight is not over. We need to exert pressure on Mr McGuinty, and we need to exert pressure on the environment minister(John Gerretsen who I have some history with)and the board of the UTRCA.

We can leave Connie Lauder out...there is no point contacting her, as she has no idea what she is doing and it appears she is biding time until her time is up. A great benchwarmer...or they can use her to introduce motions that she doesn't read or study...that would be a great job for her because she has no idea what the heck she is doing.

October 23, 2007 she actually introduced a motion at the UTRCA board meeting that said they were not prepared to accept a golf course at this time, then she witheld that information from her fellow councillors on city council, only to have it blow up in her face when an ex-RCMP found the information buried in the Oct 23 minutes.

Even though she voted against the golf course at Upper Thames, she voted for the golf course at the city level. Connie Lauder is a HYPOCRITE.

This person needs to go, and she ought to resign. There should be a recall mechanism in place for the people to use to fight against this tyranny .

So, to the thousands of people who came out, who wrote letters, who attended council meetings and fought the honest fight to keep Woodstock green, thank you.

And special thanks to Jim Northcott, and to Deb Tait. it's good to know that someone on counciul actually cares for their community.

The rest of them, well, we won't go their. They are worthless to us... And are only worth something to big business.

Can't wait to see Talbot on that private golf course collecting frogs...can't wait to see her arrested for trespassing.

One Councillors' Stunned Idea..How To Destroy A Public Park...And Make Money For A Private Businessman at The Expense Of Taxpayers

Members of Woodstock City Council
City Hall
Woodstock, Ontario
N4S 7W5

Dear City Councillors
Reference: NORTHSIDE PARK (in the year 2040)
The development of the 148 acres area known as Burgess Park and Standard Tube Park is a planning exercise to determine the best use for the largest open space remaining within the boundaries of the City.
However, some background information may be of assistance in understanding that the objectives of the City with these lands 25 years ago match the same goals today.
Burgess Lands
The Burgess Park parcel acquisition in 1981 demonstrates a unique relationship between the City of Woodstock and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA). The Burgess Park lands are unlike other properties the UTRCA bought for flood control on their own along with ancillary surplus land which resulted from entire farm purchases.
In the case of Burgess land, there was financial participation from the City in the purchase. This "partnership" with the UTRCA led to ownership of the property in the name of the UTRCA. The UTRCA has their piece of land that was required for flood control purposes.
The land use became the responsibility of the City by this partnership agreement, subject only to the permission of the UTRCA under the obligations of the Conservation authorities Act. In other words, within the confines of the City of Woodstock’s zoning by-law and the Oxford County’s Official Plan, the City is acknowledged to be the first authority on land use. The City’s objective for the entire Burgess lands was for a wide range of recreational uses.
Standard Tube Lands
The majority of the Standard Tube lands would appear to have many natural attributes which would be ideal for active and passive recreational activities.
In 1994, discussions indicated any plans for the Standard Tube lands will attempt to maintain as much of the existing wood lots and natural vegetation areas as possible, many of which can be incorporated into passive leisure uses.
The City of Woodstock Land Use Policy states that within major open space classification of land, the predominant uses shall be those which provide for: all forms of outdoor and indoor recreation, including parks, conservation areas, golf courses and swimming pools. Another predominant use would be the enjoyment of an area in its natural state as well as the preservation of distinctive natural features.
Unfortunately, those worthy recreational and environmental goals received limited financial support. Clearly funding for the development of Burgess and Standard Tube lands was at the bottom of the annual priority list. As a result, little has been accomplished in 25 years on Burgess Park and for 15 years on the Standard Tube lands.
Population Growth Projections
Good planning requires determining anticipated population growth. Currently there are a limited number of residential properties north of Pittock Lake. However, the future for new residential subdivisions will be directed to the northern end of the City.
Over the next three decades, one can safely predict that all the lands north of Pittock Lake and south County Road 17 (Tollgate Road) will be residential neighbourhoods. Also the current residential parcels of land bounded by Highway #59 on the east, Tollgate Road on the north and the Eleventh Line on the west will be fully occupied.
One could easily speculate that by the year 2040, the City will have annexed in additional lands north of Tollgate Road and to the west of the Eleventh Line for residential expansion. Regardless, in 30 years, there will be more than sufficient population on the north side of the City to justify the creation of a large "city wide" park.
Proposal by Sally Creek Golf Course
This proposal by the Sally Creek Golf Course to lease 67 acres of Burgess Park / Standard Tube lands to construct nine golf holes.
I think people have overlooked the term lease. A sale is forever, a lease is temporary. Therefore, I view the proposal as a "temporary" golf course with a life expectancy of twenty-five years.
However, notwithstanding the term "temporary", there are important factors that will require specific conditions to be implemented before the approval of the golf course is granted by the City.
Oxford Natural Heritage Study
A major consideration is the Oxford Natural Heritage Study (ONHS). The ONHS was completed in 2006 and looked at a range of natural features and the challenges of preservation.
Although the ONHS is not the official policy of the County of Oxford, the report makes a number of recommendations that can not be ignored. Those recommendations must take precedence over any type of construction activity.
Condition (1):
The Golf Course proposal must promote the overall intention of the recommendations in the ONHS that require the maintenance and enhancement of the terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water) features and functions in the area.
Condition (2):
If a parcel of land meets at least one criteria for Significance of Terrestrial Habitats, then special conditions may be required by the UTRCA and the City to mitigate any potential damage before construction will be allowed.
ONHS Patch 89 and Patch 100
The Woodstock Natural Heritage Inventory outlined two forest cover Patches in the Area of Burgess Park and Standard Tube Properties.
Patch 89:
The majority of this patch is located in the River Valley and is not directly impacted by the proposed golf course. It will be important to establish appropriate buffers for protection of these forested areas.
There is a portion of Patch 89 that does extend in to the proposed golf course area. However, the initial site plans indicate that this portion of Patch 89 will be protected and will remain a woodlot.
Condition (3)
The portion of Patch 89 located on property that could be leased, must remain a woodlot.
Patch 100:
While the initial aerial mapping indicated this may be large forest covered areas, it has been noted, given the scale of the mapping used, that the site specific groundtruthing process is likely to lead to some refinement of the patch boundaries.
Patch 100 appears to be a plantation and may not meet the criteria to be included as part of the patch. While the rows are visible from the air photo, the UTRCA is exercising caution and will not say it is not a patch. They will have to hire an outside proponent to do the work.
Condition (4)
The UTRCA will have a third party complete a criteria review to determine the status of Patch 100.

Environmental Assessment
City staff recommended in November 2006, that an environmental assessment be conducted on these lands before opening up the required public process.
The conclusions indicated that constraints to development need to be identified in order to provide appropriate environmental management to the development of:
an environmentally sensitive golf course layout and design;
the course layout in relation to natural heritage features;
a plan outlining the provision of buffer zones; and
construction mitigation measures for the protection of natural heritage features.
It is a standard practice of the UTRCA to require environmental studies to be conducted. For example, it is common practice for the UTRCA to recommend a three season inventory to support a development proposal. It is not expected that this level of study will be necessary on fallow lands.
The UTRCA does not want any developer to incur significant costs for a number of reasons. The UTRCA prefers to identify logical milestones and determine at each of these milestones whether studies should be expanded. This approach is applicable to the Burgess Park process.
Condition (5):
Any future environmental assessment requirements should be under the control of the UTRCA and the City. While Sally Creek Golf Course has offered to pay for these reports if required, they must understand the study guidelines will be prepared by UTRCA and the City.
Archaeological Assessment
The City shall also complete an archaeological assessment of the Burgess Park and Standard Tube Park properties and document any significant archaeological resources found. No grading shall take place on the subject properties prior to the issuance of a clearance letter by the Ministry of Culture.
Condition (6):
Prior to the signing of the lease agreement, the owner shall submit an archaeological assessment of the subject property and mitigate, through preservation or resource removal and documentation, adverse impacts to any significant archaeological resources found. No grading or other soil disturbances shall take place on the subject property prior to the issuance of a clearance letter by the Ministry of Culture confirming that all archaeological resource concerns have met licensing and resource conservation requirements.
Water Self-Sufficient
It is important that any golf course proposal be self-sufficient in terms of water usage. The golf course can not source any water for irrigation purposes of the entire golf course and putting greens from Sally Creek, the Thames River or the City’s municipal water supply.
Condition (7):
The Sally Creek Golf Course will apply to the Ministry of the Environment for a Water taking Permit for irrigation purposes and this Water Taking Permit will provide irrigation for 18 holes, including the land located in Burgess Park and Standard Tube proposal. The golf course will be self-sufficient in terms of water usage.
Preservation of the Thames River Valley
The proposed lands to be considered for golf course purposes must be outside the Thames River Valley corridor; must not infringe on the lands presently used for the Millennium Trail hiking trails including the maintenance of a "buffer" area between existing trails and adjacent golf holes; or lands containing naturalized parkland.
Condition (8):
Buffer zones must be established to protect lands with natural heritage features; provide open space between development and natural areas and also to provide open space between existing trails and adjacent golf fairways.
Condition (9):
The Federal and Provincial Governments both stringently control the approval and application of pesticides in Canada and Sally Creek Golf Club will be committed to adhering to the policies of all governing bodies regarding the use of pesticides and herbicides.
Condition (10)
Sally Creek Golf Club is committed to the introduction of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which relies on scientifically –proven plant management techniques to grow healthy plants able to resist pest / disease pressures.
Role of the Upper Thames Conservation Authority
The important role the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) to be responsible to identify and enhance specific monitoring programs; improving the consistency of monitoring techniques; and provided coordinated comprehensive reports on monitoring progress in the area.
Every group participating in these proposals is in full support of the methodologies used by the UTRCA to enhance and protect natural habitats and recognize that any future projects proposed be carried out must be under the guidance and supervision of the UTRCA.
Condition (11)
That the scientific professionalism of senior staff at the UTRCA continue to play a major role in the planning, managing and controlling of all projects impacting on environmental features.

Revenue Generation
The Lease Revenue:
It is recommended that a flat annual lease rate be negotiated between the golf course and the City / UTRCA. The City and the UTRCA would then have to work out a revenue sharing agreement.
All lease income earned by the City will be reinvested into a Reserve for City Wide Parks with the specific objective of funding the conversion of the golf course lands in to a municipal park.
Condition (12):
The Sally Creek Golf Course will negotiate a lease agreement with the City of Woodstock and the UTRCA to lease the proposed lands for 25 year The lease will be for a fixed annual sum based on the market value of the property as determined by the UTRCA..
Condition (13):
City and UTRCA to negotiate the sharing of the lease revenue on a prorated split once a final golf course layout is determined. Also the Ministry of Natural Resources may provide conditions on the UTRCA as to how the lease revenue may be allocated between capital and operational expenses.
Condition (14):
All lease income earned by the City will be reinvested into a Reserve for City Wide Parks with the specific objective of funding the conversion of the golf course lands in to a municipal park.









The Environmental Surcharge
This revenue source would be provided by the golfing public players. The Golf Course would add a surcharge to each round of golf. A special agreement would be required to confirm the long term commitment of the golf course to collect the surcharge.
These funds would be transferred to the UTRCA. The UTRCA would control the allocation of these funds to projects that will enhance and improve the environmental goals to meet the requirements of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Funds could be allocated by the UTRCA on projects in the immediate area.
For example, if the initial surcharge was $1.00 and escalated at 6 cents per annum, over a period of twenty five years, about $1,400,000 in revenue would be generated. These funds will be available to further the objectives of the Upper Thames Conservation Authority. The long term planning for the allocation of these funds will be determined by the UTRCA.
Condition (15):
Sally Creek Ltd to consider introducing an environmental surcharge on each round of golf over the term of the lease with the proceeds to be transferred to the control of the UTRCA for projects to improve the environmental features: on the Sally Creek Golf Course, in Burgess Park and on Standard Tube lands, around Pittock Lake or throughout the UTRCA watershed.

Summary
In reviewing the development of the Thames Valley lands, it is necessary to look beyond a 25 year lease agreement.
I see in thirty years the need for a large city park on the north end of the city to service a large residential community that has grown and expanded over the next two to three decades. The golf course lease puts a "development hold" on those 67 acres. At the conclusion of the lease, the golf course portion on public property would be converted to "Northside Park. The revenue from the golf lease and golfer surcharge will provide an opportunity for the UTRCA to develop a long term showcase plan as to how to enhance the environmental features in the entire Thames Valley lands and maybe beyond.
The UTRCA’s prime interest in obtaining the Burgess property in 1981was the lands were deemed to be significant for flood control purposes. The City of Woodstock’s long term objective has always been to provide a park and recreational facilities, which is why the city’s participated in the acquisition of the Burgess property.
At the end of the next twenty-five years, this vision meets the long term requirements of the Ministry of Natural Resources that this proposal will further the objectives of the Upper Thames River Conservation Area.
Yours Truly
Pat Sobeski
Councillor Pat Sobeski

Harper Blames Liberal Appointees For Nuclear Isotope Dilemna

HARPER REFUSES TO ADDRESS NUCLEAR ISOTOPE SHORTAGE, INSTEAD BLAMES LIBERALS FOR SHORTFALLS

"There will be no nuclear accident," Prime Minister Stephen Harper asserted in the House of Commons, saying the government has received independent advice indicating there is no safety concern. Mr Harper, Canadas' lead nuclear scientist(personally, I thought he was an economist) has assured Canadians that there will be no Three Mile Island styled nuclear meltdown if they start the Chalk River facility back up...minus some very important safeguards...like emergency cooling pumps.
"On the contrary, what we do know is that the continuing actions of the Liberal-appointed Nuclear Safety Commission will jeopardize the health and safety and lives of tens of thousands of Canadians. We do have the responsibility to demand that Parliament step in and fix this situation before the health of more people is put in jeopardy."

Oh my gosh, now Harpo is blaming the Liberal party for his governments inept handling of the nuclear file.

Government House Leader Peter Van Loan attempted to introduce legislation that would see the reactor restarted without proper safeguards in place. "Both Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission must immediately commence working together to ensure that the AECL [reactor] which produces medical isotopes be restarted as quickly as possible, in a safe manner, in order to address the critical shortage of medical isotopes occasioned by the extended shutdown of this research reactor at Chalk River," said Van Loan.

Michael Ignatieff, deputy Liberal leader says that he has been in talks with Harper on the issue, and Ignatieff says he is not prepared to see the reactor started while it is unsafe. He said that Van Loans' motion does nothing with respect to nuclear-health issues or questions related to nuclear safety.

Health Minister Clement and Natural Resources Minister Lunn pointed out that technical experts at the CNSC acknowledge the unit operated safely for many decades and that, if it were restarted, it would be no more dangerous than it was before the shutdown.
AECL assured the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission last year that an emergency power system had been connected to the cooling pumps on the aging nuclear unit. But the CNSC discovered that the upgrades and repairs hadn't been made and as a result, shut down the reactor for repairs.
One of the two backup pump power systems was set to be installed last night or today and AECL has told the government the reactor could be operated safely when that had been done.
It will take weeks to get the reactor back into the production of isotopes and in that time hundreds of thousands of people worldwide will be forced to consider alternative discovery methods for cancer detection if they are available.

The government was well aware last year that there were problems at the facility and one must wonder why they waited for a forced shutdown of the facility before acting on it.

It appears as though the CONservatives stuck their heads in the sand and were just waiting for things to pass, hoping the reactor would somehow repair itself before anyone noticed.

jim bender

woodstock

Australia Signs On To Kyoto, Canada Continues To Deny

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO ADDRESS GLOBAL WARMING

UN climate chief Yvo de Boer has called the Canadian delegation to Bali led by John Baird, "environmental hypocrites" for its' refusal to address global warming and for stating that Canada will not abide by any targets unless poor developing nations abide by the exact same targets.

John Baird says there is no point to ratifying Kyoto because big pollutters like China and the USA refuse to sign onto any treaty that would see global emissions reduced.

That's right John...just because our neighbours are rude and ignorant means that we should be too, right?

Wrong.

Although I can appreciate why he would consider not ratifying the accord, I do not understand why he hasn't moved to set firm targets...even for our own country. Canada is a major world polluter and as a result, must pay attention to the problems we are facing in our own country in terms of pollution.

Mr Baird has been on the road trying to sell his version of Kyoto, Kyoto really lite, but so far not many countries have agreeed to tag along. He is prepared to reject any future climate treaty unless it sets emissions targets for all major polluters .

Environment ministers from Canadas' provinces went on the record yesterday to blast the government for its' lack of effort in negotiations and they accused the federal conservative Environment minister of attempting to derail or sabotage the talks in Bali.

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion who has more credibility on the environment file than any other Canadian present has spoken out against the lack of negotiations from Baird stating, "It's certainly not enough to say, 'I will do something only if the others do something'," Dion told a meeting of municipal leaders. "The good philosophy is to say, 'I will do the most I can and I ask you to do the same.'"

And that sounds pretty good to me.

Pros and Cons of Filing a Complaint Against the Police

Pros
 Your complaint is on file and builds on the number of complaints already made. This
means that the police force cannot say that they are doing a good job because no
one is complaining against them.
 Steps may be taken. For example, the police officer may be reprimanded or
suspended.
 If the same officer later charges you just to pay you back for complaining or to
harass you, there will be a written record to support your defence.
Cons
 Because the police will know that you have made the complaint, you and/or your
friends and family may experience retaliation.
 The complaint will probably be investigated by officers in the same division as the
officer you are complaining about.
 You will probably be asked to go to mediation (you do not have to agree to this)
where you will face the police officer. The mediator is supposed to be neutral but
she/he is often another police officer.
 Most complaints do not get to a hearing.

Massive Landslide In BC Threatens Lake

FRASER VALLEY LANDSLIDE STRIPS MOUNTAIN AND FILLS LAKE WITH DEBRIS

A small earthquake near the town of Tofino, BC has triggered an immense landslide that may threaten the ecosystem of Chehalis Lake near Chilliwack after hundreds of thousands of trees and 2,000 feet of mountainside slid into the lake creating a small Tsunami that tore out bridges(3), roads and washed campgrounds away with its force.

The lake had previously been ringed by cedars and pines but now is ringed by rock after what appears to have been a tsunami ripped away most of the lakes surrounding trees.

B.C.'s Environment Minister Barry Penner who took an aerial tour of the area yesterday described the scene as "unbelievable" and that it is the worst landslide in BC that he has ever heard of or witnessed.

There were no reported injuries or missing persons, and the BC environment ministry will look at whether or not the logs will need to be removed from the lake in order to prevent the downstream flooding of a first nations reserve during the spring thaw.

Hundreds Of People Worldwide Protest Harpers Climate Change Proposal

HARPER ATTEMPTS TO DERAIL GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE TALKS

Protesters across the country and around the globe have asked PM Harper to soften his stance on global warming and to bring Canada to the table in an honest effort to curb the influence of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

The Harper government has taken a stance that there is no point in signing a deal when developing nations are not forced to adhere to the same targets that industrialized nations have been presented with under the Kyoto protocol, even though those industrialized nations are responsible for more than 200 years of growth based pollution.

Although there is very little global benefit to only Canada signing the deal, the benefit would be to show some leadership to the developing world in the area of global pollution reduction.

Canadas' reputation as a nation of environmentalists caring for pristine lakes and rivers is certain to fall by the wayside if the Harper government continues to thumb its' nose at making a deal that would actually set firm targets for pollution reduction.

The wealthy nations of the world must step up to the plate and offer something firm for the rest of the world to follow, and this must include sharing the economic costs of reducing global pollution with developing nations that cannot afford the infrastructure changes that are required to slow down the death of the planet.

jim bender,woodstock

South Korean Oil Spill Threatens To Destroy Eco-Reserve

THOUSANDS OF BIRDS AND FISH HAVE SUFFOCATED FROM OIL CONTAMINATION

The South Korean government has launched a massive cleanup effort of 15 km of beaches after a barge carrying a crane, rammed and punctured an oil tanker carrying 11,000 tonnes of crude oil. The oil tankers' hull was punctured in numerous places which led thousands of tonnes of oil to leak from the hull into the sea, approximately 100km from Seoul.

The slick extends about 20 kim from the Hong King registered freighter threatending oyster beds, and beaches along the western coast of Korea.

The government of Korea has sent more than 100 ships, 2000 troops and 6000 civilians to the theatened zone with buckets and absorbent clothes to clean rocks, wash birds and to scoop up oil from the beachfront.

They estimate a cleanup time of 4-6 weeks working day and night.

Chalk River Nuclear Facility Repairs Leads To Global Shortage Of Radioactive Isotopes

RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES USED FOR CANCER TREATMENT ARE IN EXTREME SHORTAGE

A Canadian nuclear reactor at Chalk River Ontario has been shut down for repairs leaving 10,000 Ontario patients and 80,000 Canadian patients without access to needed radioactive isotoes which are used to detect cancers, and to treat cancers.

The biggest problem with these isotopes is the limited shelf life they have after production. Some isotopes are effective for only 6 hours while others might have a shelf life of 2 weeks.

"There is only one reactor in the North American continent that actually supplies most of these agents," said Dr. Christopher O'Brien, president of the Ontario Association of Nuclear Medicine, referring to the facility in Chalk River. "When this reactor goes down there is a significant impact."

Dr O'Brien stated that what Ontario is doing now is rationing these treatments or simply not offering them at all for the time being. Some patients may have an opportunity to go for MRI's instead, but the wait list for those diagnostic treatments is months.

The shortage could last for as little as two weeks, but the company in charge of distribution says that wait could extend well into January causing tremendous stress on an already over-taxed system.

Health Minister George Smitherman said they are monitoring the situation .
"We are certainly in a circumstance within a number of days where there will be shortages and that this will force our front-line health care to make sure they're using available resource in a way that best supports priority patients. In the next three or four days the implications for us are going to become clearer."