Town Unanimously Approves Funding for Hospital Expansion

Last night Town of Halton Hills Council finally gave an answer to Halton Health Care regarding their request for $ 4.546 million to support the renovation and expansion of Georgetown Hospital. Subsequent to this request, that was made on January 10th 2011, Mayor Bonnette made many attempts to coax the Province to fund this necessary project. However, we have not had a response as yet. Therefore, since we are at the deadline for placing a special hospital levy on the tax bill, we needed a decision from council. Last night we decided to go half way in last attempt to get the Province to the table. Below is text of my comments last night.

Hospital Funding




First I would like to thank Mayor Bonnette for his leadership for his report recommending partial funding of the Hospital’s request. It calls for a grant of $2.682 Million. (representing a 1.1% tax increase as a special levy)



Councillor Hurst, as a member of the Hospital Board has made a compelling case for the need for the Georgetown Hospital Expansion to house the CT scanner and to make improvements to the ER and diagnostic imaging department.



The hospital and medical care in general are extremely important services that are vital to the livability and general prosperity of our town. When these services have been found to be either threatened or insufficient in the past then our town council has rallied support and resources to address the situation. Although heath care is not one of the services that is the purview of the local municipality, we are the hub of local activism and the place where people expect leadership when there is an important local issue needing local action.



When we had a shortage of local doctors, we started a physician recruitment committee. When Acton had a problem with a lack of medical facilities we helped with the construction of the new Acton Medical building. We as a town subsidize the Acton Nurse practitioner. And of course when obstetrics was slated for closure there was a magnificent response from our community and local municipal leadership to win that battle. All of this has been done in the interest of ensuring that our residents get the medical attention that they need within their own communities.



We now face a situation that is common throughout the province of Ontario. We all know that the greatest challenge the provincial government is facing is the escalating cost of providing health services, and it is just going to get worse as we face the ageing baby boomers and the demands we are going to place on the system.



Although we all pay hefty income taxes and in turn expect that the health care system will be provided to meet our needs it is obvious that the province is struggling and when every community is demanding its fair share, we need to have a strong voice making those expectations known at the provincial level. I commend our MPP Ted Arnott for his efforts in putting forth our needs to the Health Minister, and I have read what Ted had to say in Hansard. I also commend our mayor for his efforts via meetings and letters. These initiatives are essential if we want to receive our fair share of the health care dollars.



When the hospital representatives came before us and asked for help, it was also at the time when we were considering our budget and in particular the arena debate was about to begin. The public provided a considerable amount of input via email and letters. Although this was never framed as an ‘either or’ debate, many people did weigh the relative importance of arenas verses hospitals. People generally either did not understand that municipalities look after arenas and provinces look after hospitals or they simply did not care. The vast majority said that the hospital was their number one priority and they wanted us to make it our priority.



Although Hospitals are primarily the province’s responsibility they have always been to some extent a local responsibility. The question is really about the ratio. We would like it to be 90% province and 10% local municipality but we can see that that is not going to fly unless we are willing to wait for some indefinite amount of time - maybe 8 years. Our community does not want to wait 8 years. And so we must act. We need to step up, as so many other municipalities are doing all around us.



We have waited as long as we can to get an answer from the province before we need to make a decision on funding. I am therefore seconding the motion to support the expansion of the Georgetown Hospital. At least our tax payers will know that their tax dollars are going to be spent in their own community for their direct benefit.

Hopefully the province see fit to share the responsibility and make a modest investment of $1.864 million to bring the Georgetown Hospital up to modern standards.

Memorial Arena Site for Sale? Opportunity knocks

  http://www.insidehalton.com/community/haltonhills/article/964875

Above is the link to the story in the Independent/Free Press regarding the potential sale of the Memorial Arena Site in order to pay for the new arena approved for Acton.

I raised this issue in Council because I felt that Council had not actually decided to sell the site as had been stated by the Mayor at our Special Council Meeting on February 28th. My goal had been to get this clarified for the public. I was astonished to learn that in the opinion of many members of Council a decision had been made to sell the property. Staff however, were of a different opinion. Staff read the recommendation and it clearly stated that there was no decision. At the meeting where this was discussed, staff were directed to explore options for selling 3 properties in Georgetown and to report back.

I was not at the meeting where this was discussed by Council but I had made my point of view known to Council on previous occasions when the subject came up.

My point of view is based on the understanding that the neighbourhood around the arena is underserviced for parkland right now. This area has been rezoned to encourage intensification. That means that the parkland needs will increase not decrease. Furthermore when one looks at the options available to meet these needs it is obvious that this area was built out long ago and so there are few opportunities. Yet we own this land now.

It would seem prudent to me to have a plan to meet the parkland needs of this neighbourhood prior to selling the parkland that we already own.

Although the options were never discussed I would present one option that could allow the town to achieve both goals.

The one opportunity that does exist is for the Town to acquire the Silver Creek Valleylands starting at Fred's Towing and going up stream to Ontario Street. It would be possible to create a linear park that would connect to Cedarvale Park and on through the existing trail system to Norval. If the new parkland that I am proposing had a paved multi use path then people would have access to a roller blade park, a cycling park, a dog walking park and an off road route to a community park at Cedarvale.

Linear parks of this nature are popular with all ages and offer great opportunities for people to relax and get some exercise at the same time. They allow people to escape the traffic and noise of the urbanized areas and to appreciate nature close to their homes. In addition it provides an alternate transportation route free from the hassles and safety issues associated with traveling along side cars and trucks. The benefit to the adjacent neighbourhood would also be felt elsewhere as people would be able to extend their walks from further downstream. The more robust the trail system, the more attractive it is to people.

I would be interested in your views on the potential sale of the Memorial Arena site.

Georgetown Hospital Tax Levy

On Monday night at our Halton Hills Town Council Meeting a delegation from Halton Health Care made a presentation asking us to consider making a contribution of $4.546million towards an addition to the Georgetown Hospital.
Pictured here are the front entrance and the ambulance entrance to the Georgetown Hospital. The hospital dates back to 1961 and the Bennett wing was added in 1985.

The expansion that is proposed is to create space for the CT Scanner and expand the emergency and imaging departments.
This request raises many questions, some of which can be answered here and others that are more complex but should be considered.
The first question is why would a municipal government be asked to finance a medical facility when it is clearly not part of the municipal mandate? The answer is that this has become part of the new landscape in Ontario where growth is rampant and the province simply does not have a business plan that deals witht his issue. I participated in a forum hosted by Halton Region 3 years ago where municipal and provincial political leaders tried to figure out some of the financial issues that were causing us so many headaches. It was clearly pointed out by Mayor Hazel McCallion that the province needs a business plan. Unfortunately the provincial government continues to work in silos called ministries and they do not have a consolidated plan. Health care costs are out of control but we are continuing doing the same thing expecting a different result.

Unfortunately a place like Milton that is the fastest growing municipality in Canada can't get their hospital expansion. Therefore the chances of Georgetown getting anyone's attention is pretty slim. In other words, we can wait it out or we can pay for it ourselves. The choice is ours. It was estimated that we might wait 8 to 10 years.

The next question is, do we really need it? The CT Scanner is considered today to be an essential tool in diagnosis. In the past year 1500 patients were transferred from Georgetown Hospital to other hospitals to get CT Scans. Over 500 of those were emergency patients. There would of course be a large number of other scans done for patients who were referred by their family doctors or specialists. Undoubtedly we could use the scanner but on the other hand, people are accessing scans by travelling to other hospitals.

It is interesting to note however that most of the other hospitals that we Georgetowners use have capital campaigns and have secured funding from their home municipalities. So their residents are paying for something that we are using. That is an important consideration when we gripe that out of towners are using our ER. Our hospital is not a full service hospital so we are quite dependent on the other hospitals in the system. The City of Burlington has committed $60 million to their hospital and the Town of Oakville has committed $170 million to the new Oakville hospital. Milton will commit funds but we don't know how much yet. In that context you can see that $4.5 is not an outrageous amount in order to get ready access to a CT Scanner and a much improved ER. But it is a lot to us since we are small and not growing much at this time.

I would be interested in your opinion on this matter. It will be debated by council at our meeting on Monday January 24th at 6:30pm. I have also asked that information be posted on the town's website and hopefully there will also be a place on the website where you can leave your comments.

New Acton Library Tour

On Thursday, members of Council were given an opportunity to tour the construction site also known as the New Acton Library.

The tour began in the current library that was built in the 1960's. One could immediately see the problems inherent in the design of the existing facility. The stairs are the biggest problem. Parents with strollers are really challenged and anyone with mobility issues would find access to any part of the library very difficult. The cramped space is also clearly a problem.

In contrast, the new library pictured above is on one level and is airy and welcoming. Although there is lots of finishing work to be done, it already looks terrific. The natural wood ceiling, stone accent walls, gas fireplace and natural light flooding the entire space combine to give a warm ambiance throughout.

It is expected that the new library will be open to the public at the end of February. I expect that this will become a new cherished focal point for the people of Acton. The only problem I see is that more people will want to come and just stay by the fireplace. I bet that applications to work there will also skyrocket.

Magic on Main Street

Congratulations to the Georgetown BIA for organizing a great Christmas event in Downtown Georgetown. Throngs of children swarmed Santa who was wearing his very best suit for the occasion. As you can see, Santa had a castle created and donated by Blake Smith of Lasting Impressions. Blake is super creative with his balloon art and is now an international award winner. I am always delighted to see what he comes up with for occasions such as this. Santa himself was absolutely charming with the children.

Mr. Nutcracker roamed the streets and chatted with anyone who was willing to look up, look way up.

Another huge hit was the horse drawn wagon ride which attracted a steady line up of eager families. Even Santa couldn't resist the opportunity and was given the special privilege of sitting up front.

There were lots of activities for children in the stores and treats for everyone outside. The bells at Knox church set the tone and later the Georgetown Choral Society enlivened the street with their rendition of favourite songs of the season. Kids, old and young were roasting marshmellows over hot coals and elves were dashing about handing out candy.

This was the third espisode of Holiday Magic on Main and it was by far the most successful in terms of attracting participants and keeping them entertained for several hours. It was blessed with perfect weather - invigorating would be a good description. I recall the first year as bone numbing and challenging. This was a great beginning to the Christmas season downtown. Thanks to the BIA for providing such a great family event for the enjoyment of the community.

Quarry Expansion Public Meeting

Last night I attended the second public meeting for the Dufferin Aggregates application to expand their licenced extraction area at the Acton Quarry. Dufferin submitted their application in March 2009 and are expecting to have a decision made by next summer.

There were only about 25 members of the public in attendance which was surprisingly few given the huge public response to applications in Caledon and Burlington. Perhaps there are significant differences amongst the 3 applications that make them unique.

Public comments last night centred on vibration and private well disturbances from the existing quarry. There were virtually no comments about the affects from an expansion of the operation. In fact the term expansion is misleading as what is being requested does not boost the daily operation but rather, it extends the life of the quarry by expanding the area that can be extracted.

Haul routes are always an issue but in this case there are no new haul routes proposed. The routes that are currently in use are certainly troublesome to those who own houses along the routes. The route along Maple Avenue to River Drive runs right through the middle of residential Georgetown and we would dearly love to eliminate that. This could be done if there was a reasonable alternative available. Unfortunately we don't have one at this time.

For me there are 2 important issues in considering the Dufferin application - perpetual water pumping and the World Biosphere.

The first issue came to light last night via a casual comment. It would seem that part of the plan may involve a need to perpetually pump water in order to balance the water in the 2 watersheds the quarry sits atop. The quarry is on the great divide between the Credit River (Black Creek) and the 16 Mile Creek watersheds. Once the excavation goes deep enough it disturbs the distribution of water so that it is thought that too much water will go to Black Creek and not enough to 16 Mile Creek. The solution is to pump the water back to where it naturally goes now. The catch is that this is no temporary measure. If it is required then it will need to continue forever.

In my opinion forever is something that is hard to contemplate. When we think back in history, the Romans had an empire 2000 years ago and the world has been in constant turmoil ever since. That amount of time is a flash in the pan compared to "forever". Think of what can happen in a 1000 year time span - things that can disrupt economies and nations such as world wars and the plagues. If our part of the world experiences a major disruption will the pumping continue on?

Should we be concerned about how this is going to work so far into the future? I think the answer is yes and so this possibility of requiring perpetual pumping concerns me. The need for perpetual pumping is being studied and I will certainly be watching for the recommendation.

My second concern is about the World Biosphere known as the Niagara Escarpment. It strikes me as strange that we, as a province, take the Niagara Escarpment seriously enough to have it protected through the Niagara Escarpment Plan and yet there is absolutely no limit to the amount of quarrying that can take place there. Incrementally it is being eaten away. Is the plan to let it all disappear except for the face? Or will there ever be a limit to the extraction at which point we say 'enough is enough'?

We use aggregate to support growth and the case is always made that this aggregate is close to market making it the cheapest source. Also, it is noted that the shorter the distance to market, the less fumes go into the atmosphere from the trucks. However, not every growth centre has a convenient escarpment in its back yard and yet they seem to overcome the economics of longer haulage routes. It is all really just a question of priorities.

I don't know when this question will be dealt with but at some point I believe we, the people of Ontario, will say enough is enough. The government will never act on its own. It will be up to the people to express their will.

If you have comments about the Dufferin application they should be addressed via email to nancy.mott-allen@ontario.ca She is the planner leading the joint agency review team (JART). The report is available on the Niagara Escarpment website. http://www.escarpment.org/applications/amendments/proposed/index.php#acton quarry

Your comments or questions are always welcome via this blog.

Sustainability??? The Natural Step?

Sustainability is a buzz word that pops up in many conversations but is very poorly understood. The fact that people are talking about it indicates that it is important but some people are actually making fun of it because they don't understand it.

On the other hand, if you ask people if they think that the forests are disappearing faster than they are being replaced or if they are worried about farmland disappearing, then they intuitively say yes. There is an obvious link between their worries and the concept of sustainability.

Two people who have done a great deal of thinking about sustainability were at Sheridan College today for the kick off of Sheridan's Sustainability Week and appear in the photo. On the left is Mayor Ken Melamed of Whistler, B.C. and beside him, the founder of The Natural Step, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert. Dr. Robert was the guest speaker to a full house of students, faculty and community leaders.

Dr. Robert is a very engaging speaker who attempts to explain this very complex topic in a manner that can be understood by lay people such as myself. The Natural Step was founded in 1989 in Sweden and was first used to help businesses analyse their business model in terms that would sustain them over the long haul. The principles have now been applied more broadly and have been embraced by communities such as Whistler.

I attended the lecture because I am one of those people who worry about running out of farmland. I see the population going up and up and up whereas I understand that resources are limited. To me, when there is an apparent endless abundance of resources then we use them with abandon. However, when resources are perceived as limited then an entirely different mindset kicks in. We have only to look at the cod fishery to see what happens when we think only of today and fail to manage our resources with the future in mind. To me, sustainability is simply about good management with a long term vision of what we want the world to be like in the future. The actions we take today must match the vision we have for the future.

Dr. Robert has provided the world with a framework to help us to think about the future and to help us figure out how to manage our resources so that we can both prosper today and improve our environment for the future. In the coming term of council this will be a theme that will be heard regularly as we attempt to manage our piece of the planet, the Town of Halton Hills.

Old Seed House Garden Fall Planting

Volunteers, pictured to the left, spent the Saturday Oct 16th sprucing up The Old Seed House Garden. Regular volunteers with The Friends of the Old Seed House Garden were augmented with community volunteers and students from Christ the King High School. This was the autumn blitz to get the Garden ready for winter and spring.

The formal garden had the lavender tidied up and squared off. The beds were cleaned out and replanted with tulips for the spring. The fish pond was winterized and perennials were thinned.

In the foreground of the top picture you can see one of two delightful bronze sculptures donated by Fred Helson. The stone pillars were donated by local stonemasons, Gerry and Ryan Inglis and the installation was courtesy of Artcast.

I am a regular volunteer with The Friends and help out every Tuesday morning during the growing season. We have a small group who faithfully weed and keep the Garden looking attractive. I really enjoy my time in the Garden. It is such a pleasant change from my regular job that usually involves either sitting in meetings or reading reports. Chatting with friends while making a public space more attractive is most gratifying.

We would be very happy to have more help and anyone who is interested in lending a hand can either just show up on a Tuesday morning or contact me for more information.

Councillors Support Rotary But Who Pays?

The photo shows several members of Halton Hills Council at the Georgetown Rotary Club annual fundraising dinner last night. Pictured seated are Councillors Joan Robson, Bob Inglis and Jon Hurst, and standing Moya Johnson, Dave Kentner and myself, Jane Fogal.

Councillors attend many fundraising functions throughout the year but I am sure that many people wonder who is really paying. The answer is that councillors pay their own way. We do not have expense accounts to draw upon at the Town.

There is the odd time when we are invited by the organization and are given free tickets by the organization. But that usually happens when they want us to play a role in the event, ie they want us to be a speaker.

The expense accounts of Toronto City Councillors is a topic in the Toronto election but there is no comparison between their situation and ours, even though we do the same job. For example, when constituents call me they often apologize for calling me at home. I tell them that is okay because they have reached my home office. We do not have town offices or administrative assistants. We are given laptops and blackberries by the Town and then we are on our own. We schedule our own appointments, pay for our own paper and internet costs, and do our own filing. This is not the case in larger municipalities such as Oakville and Burlington. We run a very lean operation in Halton Hills.

There are some expenses that the Town covers such as mileage and expenses associated with conferences if the Town has approved our attendance.

I was amused a few years ago when the Harris government advocated that municipal governments should be cutting back the number of councillors as a great cost cutting measure. The cost to the municipality for a local councillor is very minimal in the overall budget and any cut would hardly be noticable on your tax bill.

Local Councillors in Halton Hills are considered part-time and are paid $22,330 per year. Regional Councillors are full time employees who act as both Regional and Local Councillors and are paid $65,134.

I hope this helps to clarify the councillor's expenses in the Town of Halton Hills.

My Racquet Club Celebrates 35 Years of Fun

Last Saturday the Georgetown Racquet Club celebrated 35 years of fun, fitness and friendship. I have personally been an active member of the club for 32 of those years.

The Club is off the beaten track so you have to be looking for it to find it. It is located on Armstrong Avenue, in our Georgetown industrial area, and is just east of the Sinclair intersection. This doesn't sound like an appealing area but the surprising thing is that as soon as you turn into the driveway you are transported to an entirely different landscape. You instantly find yourself in a wooded paradise nestled in the Credit River Valley.

The first picture illustrates the point. It shows the 2 lighted tennis courts carved out of the wooded valley. I have personally watched deer wander by as I was playing tennis. It is an idyllic place to relax and enjoy a spirited game of tennis with friends.

The second picture shows a visitor to the open house as he tries one of the skills tests that were set up for anyone to try. There are 2 American courts and 2 International courts at the club. They have different dimensions but it is still the same game and players use both courts depending on what is available. The club also has an exercise room and saunas in the locker rooms.

I can honestly say that the club has played a very important role in my life. I have developed some of my best friendships at the club. We have celebrated together and supported each other throughout the years. I certainly had no such expectations when I joined all those years ago.

Of course playing squash is also important to me as part of my fitness program. I find that I can totally lose myself in the game and forget how hard I have to work to get to the ball. It is a fun way to work up a sweat while having a lot of fun. I feel really fortunate to still be playing this game at my age.
There are opportunities at the club for all skill levels and all ages. It is indicative of a great club when there are young players who develop into great players and that has happened here. Melanie Jans and Andrew Jones both started in the junior program went on to great national and international prominence. Melanie is our first Olympic star. Andrew came back to the club for the 35th anniversary and played an exhibition match to show all of us just how the game is supposed to be played.

If you are interested in more information about the club, just call 905 877 0333 or email me if you prefer.

United Way President's Ball

This photo was taken Saturday night at the United Way 12th Annual President's Ball. As you can see the Campaign Goal is $325,000 which is the highest ever.
Surrounding the campaign sign from left to right is MP Michael Chong, Councillor Joan Robson, Mayor Rick Bonnette, Chris Cooke, Chair of the Campaign Committee, Councillor Moya Johnson, Councillor Dave Kentner, Janet Foster United Way Manager, and Councillors Bryan Lewis and Jane Fogal

The Event was held at The Club at North Halton and was well attended. Congratulations to the organizers who put together a very enjoyable evening. There was an extensive Silent Auction all to help the cause. Bidding was fairly brisk so it appears that the United Way of Halton Hills is off to a great start.
The United Way is also very well supported by Town staff. There are many events at the Civic Centre and satellite locations throughout the year in support of the United Way. You will notice on Fridays that staff who participate in the payroll deduction plan can participate in Casual Fridays.
The United Way funds a long list of agencies in Halton Hills and I hope everyone will remember to "Give Where You Live."

Creativity Melds Agriculture and Energy

As part of the 2010 Halton Farm Tour we visited Brandelle Industries in Milton. This is the outside of their manufacturing operation. It looks more like a chalet than a creative engineering start up business. Brandelle Biomass Systems is the subsidiary company and the principals are Mike Brouwers, Gary Bot and Curtis VanderMarel.

The middle picture show the owners explaining to our group how this boiler works and why it is unique.

Although the developers of this boiler searched the world for a boiler that would use biomass for feedstock they were unable to find anything that would do the job. In the end they decided that they had to build something from the ground up.

The result is a heavy duty, industrial strength boiler that can custom burn a variety of materials including corn, switch grass pellets, wheat shorts, etc.
It was explained that each type of fuel requires different settings in order to avoid residues and off-gasing. However, they have met this challenge and the resulting boiler is highly mechanized and can even be computer controlled remotely.

The fuel pictured below is pelletized switch grass.

It was interesting to learn that there are farmers in Halton who are experimenting with switch grass as a crop specifically for the biomass market.
As part of the tour we were able to see one of these boilers operating. It is very quiet and produced a very small amount of ash.

This is brand new technology created without the benefit of government assistance.
It will be interesting to see where it takes us as these creative people move forward with their product.

Queen Street Reconstruction

Pictured to the right is Queen Street in Georgetown, illustrating the reconstruction project. The photo was taken on August 23rd.

Residents are feeling a little frustrated with the progress as sometimes they don't see anything going on, which was the case this week.

In fact things are progressing as expected but sometimes that progress is not apparent to the casual observer. Although it looks as if it a road project, in reality it is also an "under the road"project. The underground work is a Regional project and involves replacing the water and wastewater pipes. Other services such as hydro, gas, and cable are likewise effected. The road itself is a Town project and all of the work must be coordinated by the Town Supervisor.

Printed below is the Town's Construction Supervisor's response to questions about the progress this week.

The reason very little work is being done this week is that the water main has been installed and after that the next step is to flush it, chlorinate and then flush it again and to remove the chlorine and then test the water in the water main to ensure there is no bacteria in it prior to connecting the houses with new services. This process takes approximately 1 week, the samples were sent in Tuesday and the results should be back today or next Tuesday and all going well if the tests pass the contractor can begin installing the new services to the main. Until this is done nothing further can be done on the stretch between McNabb and Guelph. The stretch between McNabb to King is almost at the paving stage, I was informed that they were going to place the final gravel next week and pave shortly after. The contractor is basically on schedule for the first week of October barring any rain days.

Kevin Chalmers CST, CET
Supervisor of Construction
Town of Halton Hills

We are near the end of the project but nerves always seem to get frayed at this stage after months of hot dusty days, rough roads, restricted access and numerous other inconveniences. In the end the road will be vastly improved and the underground water and wastewater services will all be upgraded.

Georgetown Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade

Pictured is a photo taken this week showing progress on a new Digester at the Georgetown Wastewater Treatment Plant. The size of the people illustrates the magnitude of the project.

This plant is located in Hungry Hollow east of Mountainview Road and is a Halton Regional facility.

Most Georgetown residents will not be aware of its location since it is hidden from view but those living near the edge of the valley, particularly on the south side are occasionally reminded of its existence.

This is the treatment facility for all of the sewage generated in Georgetown and was originally constructed in 1959. There are currently 2 digesters at the plant but they do not provide enough capacity to match the rest of the processes at the plant. This upgrade is necessary to meet the demand of Georgetown within our current urban boundaries. It is not sufficient for an expanded Georgetown that is theoretically planned to begin in 2021.

In addition to this third digester there will also be a new service building that is expected to reduce odour impacts on the neighbours as it will enclose part of the operation.

Residents are asked to report odour complaints by calling 311.

Wildwood Rail Trail

These two pictures are taken from the same spot on Wildwood Road. The top picture shows the much loved Wildwood to John Street Rail Trail. Every time the issue of trails is raised the same question always pops up: why does the trail not connect to the wonderful Terra Cotta Trail?
When the council of the day decided to not acquire the rail lands from Wildwood road to Terra Cotta, they did so primarily because they didn't want the liability. Also the adjoining neighbours protested as they felt their properties would be vandalized and they would lose their privacy. Clearly not enough people came out on the other side of the argument, although many did.
As soon as the decision was made to sell off the rail lands to adjacent landowners, those owners took steps to stake their claim. As you can see in the lower picture, this property owner brought in fill to even out the grade in his back yard and then planted many trees that now completely disguise the route.

Another owner, on the 10th line has used the former railbed as his entrance laneway and has recently added stone gates. It looks lovely but also very permanent.

For those of us who appreciate trails for the wonderful recreational opportunities they provide, the decision of Town Council was one of the worst yet best remembered of all time. However, it would be very difficult to go back and change history. It would require either a series of easements to be negotiated or expropriation. Although some property owners may have had a change of heart, I expect the majority will still see a trail as an intrusion and threat.

My own experience has been that wooded areas with no formal public trails attract bush parties and destructive behaviour such, setting fires, vandalism and littering. Once trails are added to these same areas the problems decrease or disappear altogether. Furthermore, once trails are established in a neighbourhood, the trail is often advertised as a selling feature by realtors. It is really a classic case of fear of the unknown or simply fear of change.
I can't help wondering how much value would have been added to the house in the lower photo if there was a trail leading all the way from Georgetown to Terra Cotta, Inglewood, and over the awesome highway 10 pedestrian bridge to Palgrave. How much might the neighbourhood families have enjoyed such a tremendous recreational opportunity literally outside their doors?
This opportunity was lost but other opportunities exist. Fortunately the Hungry Hollow Trail is being developed and it is phenomenal. Check out the Trail Guide on the Town's website for other trails throughout Halton Hills.
As a member of the Town Trails Advisory Committee I am always interested in the public's opinion on our recent trail developments and encourage you to send a comment.