Responsible Land Use and Water Management
Author: anne | Date: April 17, 2007 | Please Comment!I was very pleased to see so many people come out to the rally last Friday at the McDougall Centre to demonstrate to the government that the citizens of Alberta demand responsible use of our land and water resources. There was lots of media coverage, and I hope that the message got across to the government and reinforced the resounding calls for a stop to the clear cutting plans in Kananaskis, a stop to the plans for resource development in the Marie Lake area, a reassessment of the proposed water transfer from Red Deer to Balzac and a closer look at all of the other pressing land-use and water management issues we’re facing in this province. Thank you very much to everyone who came, and to all those who wanted to come but couldn’t!
Read about it in an article from the Calgary Herald: Environmental Policy Should Put Land First
Canmore Leader reports: Call comes for better land and water management
Also, City Council just passed the curbside recycling program for Calgary about an hour ago!
9:23 am on May 2nd, 2007
A study on land use, the government has been told what we want!!
2027, I wish you could of seen Marie Lake 20 years ago
I love that the government is listening to the people
of Alberta. We have been telling them we do not want
to leave a wasteland as our legacy. To hear Ted
Morton say “Our goal is that in 20 years we don’t want
say to our grandchildren, ‘I wish you could of seen
Alberta 20 years ago.’†was music to my ears.
Unfortunately it was followed by we will hold a public
review. Right after, the government submitted into
the house, royalty documents that had parts blacked
out. Open honest and transparent? or slanted to the
wishes of the government.
Edmonton Journal columnist Jason Markusoff (May 2, 2007) presented
a very balance view of what the opposition thinks on
this issue in his article “Albertans asked to weigh in
on land-use plans.†I think he was kind to the
government. They already have a phase one document on
oil sands consultations that has seen recommendation
after recommendation for environmental protection,
moratorium on oil sands development, and revamping of
the royalties. But this is a government process and
has gone into phase two. None of these issues are
being acted on so sorry, I do not believe a new wider
study on diverse environmental issues will come to a
consensus. It is a delaying action by the government
to get the heat off of protests and disapproval over
their acts.
They have heard from the public on the proposed
seismic testing and drilling for heavy oil under one
of five pristine lakes in Alberta (Marie Lake). Do
they listen? No! Did they ask the users of the lake
before selling the mineral rights? No! Are they
listening to the petition not to build mega landfills?
As Jason Markusoff stated, Ed Stelmach has already
stated he will not touch the brake, because it would
harm the economy. The economy is already damaged,
housing and rental prices are skyrocketing out of
control and out of reach of the young workers with
families. Worker shortages are all over. Inflation
and gas prices are still rising. Who are we making
rich? Is it the workers from other parts of the
country that will go home when the bust comes and
leave us to pick up the pieces? Perhaps it’s the
workers that are living in the camps with no intention
of buying land in Alberta. The oil companies are not
even paying a fair royalty to the people of Alberta,
and shipping their profits abroad. 5 US states get
higher royalties than Alberta. Why do Albertans get
less? Is it because the PC government will not say no?
Are they bowing to threats from the oil companies? We
should at least get our fair share if they are going
to destroy the environment!
I might not be an economist but would not a better
plan be to pace our development, to avoid the
disasters of the Gold Rush mentality (ghost towns,
environmental devastation, lawlessness). Price
gouging, soaring inflation, tent cities, rents
soaring, house prices skyrocketing are all signs of a
boom economy; not a sustainable one. Why not build a
plan that gives long-term jobs to Albertans, over an
extended period instead of boom jobs to outsiders?
Key the development projects so workers can go from
one job to the next. Gold Rush policy does not work!
Is that our legacy to our kids? Ted Morton, act now
if you do not want to tell your grandchildren “‘I wish
you could of seen Alberta 20 years ago.†6 months, a
year, or more for a public consultation is too long,
and even then the government might ignore the report.
Our government has to step past the threats of the oil
companies and do Albertans bidding. The oil is not
going anywhere, the need is not going anywhere, and if
it does, then a small boom is easier to recover from
than a super boom that is out of control. Diversify,
get the most out of the resources we sell, control the
economy, and save our province for our grandchildren.
Destroying Marie Lake, diverting water from
agricultural lands, overheating the economy, creating
garbage dumps on agricultural lands, more, more, more,
is not going to give us a province we are proud of,
but a wasteland. So public review is great but we
have already spoken on the oil sands consultation with
petitions and letters to the government. Do we get
positive action? No we get a wide-ranging review that
will stall out in diverse issues and wants.
Chris Goss