Dear Centre Wellington Council,
Proposed development of the Haldimand Tract in Elora and Fergus is not only against the moratorium from Six Nations, now backed by the Supreme Court, it is destructive of local communities, our shared biosphere and the Grand River itself. An elitist private gated community that goes against multiple bylaws and provincial plans, blocks First Nations and local community access to the River, destroys local heritage and sets a precedent for greedy developers along the whole heritage River, is intolerable. Post pandemic we need accessible housing for seniors and low income families, not destruction of what makes our villages unique. We need geothermal and solar energy systems not drains on current resources.. community gardens to grow food rather that cement river walks to ensure that locals are kept out of the development and shared resources rather than a glass bridge across the River solely for condo owners to reach the spa! Hold community meetings. Get creative input that will meet everyone's needs. Ensure Elora South residents are welcome rather than a blight on the landscape.
Why is this important?
This grotesque, untimely and out of scale development might be have been possible 20 years ago, but now it is clearly destructive to the River and landscape which makes the area unique. It is disrespectful of First Nations eons of care for the land and waters. It disregards local settler communities and their heritage village. And it sets a precedent for development and pollution along the banks of the Grand to Lake Erie.
