It's not easy losing green

New rulings from the Metro Vancouver board will make it easier to remove greenspace, whether it's park land, golf courses or pieces of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).

The picture above is now a big box development. It used to be a green space that doubled as a recreational facility for the community: 9-hole golf course, driving range and family-oriented mini-golf.

Migrating birds stopped by on their flights. Ducks raised their families in the several ponds. Native species, such as huckleberries and salmonberries, abounded in the various mini-systems that comprised the land there.

Despite public protest, the powers-that-be managed to get the rezoning they wanted, and yes, like the Joni Mitchell song says, now it's mostly a parking lot.

Solsticey thoughts

That double-sun image is what I get to see every Solstice when first light streams into our living room. The effect results from sunlight coming through a lovely stained-glass window. Still, the way the image straddles the centre of our front door, it's a pretty magical way to mark the start of the day that is Solstice.

This Solstice sees me worrying about land use -- yet again. And once again, it's Surrey that seems enmeshed in the plans. If previous recent decisions are any indication, we're probably looking at the loss of more greenspace. Still, I am hoping that reason will prevail.

The area in question is Barnston Island, a delightful little treasure that can only be accessed (for now, at least)by a very small (and free!) ferry. Because the island is nice and flat, it's a perfect place for biking. But more than just a place for recreation, it's farmland, hosting a number of pure food ventures, such as the organic farm run by Avalon Dairy (you know, the folks who still put the milk into glass bottles).

Land on the island has been protected, as it's in the put to better use if it was home to an industrial park (there's an oxymoron if ever there was one).

Of course, there are a number of us who feel that Barnston Island should stay unindustrialized and remain in the ALR.

In Canada, today is not only Solstice, it's also National Aboriginal Day. There's more than a bit of irony in this fact when considering the fate of Barnston Island. The Katzie First Nations Reserve is also on the island. This morning's Vancouver Sun, besides reporting on last night's public meeting about the island's fate, also announced the death of former Katzie chief, Peter James. Chief James was well known for his strong voice in calling for protection of the land. We can only hope that his voice will echo long enough to see to it that no rash decisions are made.

As today's Sun reported, and Surrey resident Al Cleaver put so well, "When we lose farmland, we lose it forever."

Especially with Vancouver hosting the World Urban Forum, we need to be thinking long-term. If the costs of transportation continue to rise (and that seems much more likely than not), how good will produce from California or Chile seem? Don't we want to start planning for growing our own food? Especially where we already have the farmland, why indeed would we even consider paving it?

Starting to sound more and more like it oughta be Sorry

My name is Heidi and I'm a Surreyite. Yep, I live in that place that so long has been the butt of so many feeble jokes.

I used to live in White Rock, less than a klick from where I live now. The joke then used to be a parody of the adage from Love Story, 'Living in White Rock is never having to say you're Surrey.'

Today I had occasion to visit a part of Surrey I hadn't seen for a while. It's an older neighbourhood, one that's been settled for over a generation. I think of it as a place with ravines and tall trees.

But like so much of the rest of Surrey, even that area has lost much of its greenery.

Driving home, I passed many sites where trees were still in the process of being ripped out. Many of these had bark that was torn and hanging, as if some giant Godzilla had gnashed at them.

It's hard to imagine what this city is going to look like in even another two years. What was once perhaps known best as the butt of bad jokes is likely going to become Canada's answer to the worst of New Jersey.

What was once maybe a place for 'hicks' who lived in semi-rural bliss is fast becoming nothing more than a sea of pavement crammed with thousands of identical homes.

Character? Greenspace? Respect for the future?

Like I said, 'Sorry.'