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Referendum on ATVs in county forests?

September 3, 2014   ·   0 Comments

A recent copy of the Orangeville Citizen (August 7) tells us about plans to permit motorized bikes and vehicles to use trails in the area forests; presumably for reforestation. These forests belong to the people.

The articles imply that American groups have researched these activities. Could we be informed about this research? Perhaps Canadians would be less liable to generate noise and pollution.

The writers refer to Ontario Federation of Trail Riders as promoting these activities and refer to “incredible knowledge” about forest trail driving. The matter was referred to at one point as “stuff.”

As a user, owner, forester and local trail marker I find it being suggested that we actually pay the OPP who may have to visit (break up?) any conflict between drivers and walkers. Note is made of current trends to raise the fees for such OPP intervention. Perhaps we may have to bring luncheon for such officers.

Motorized vehicles, small or large, produce noise, exhaust, trail damage and disturbance.

Surely we should have a referendum and put this to a vote: locals and residents especially?

M. Wiley

Mono

 

Toronto transit and taxes 

 

A Toronto-based journalist stated (8 August) that, in regard to Toronto’s badly maintained and undernourished public transit system, “Toronto is in far greater need [than the rest of the province], but will have to watch as smaller communities think up ways to spend billions of dollars that could have been put to much more effective use in the narrow crescent along Lake Ontario…where gridlock threatens to strangle progress.”

Toronto spends a huge sum on pink umbrellas and Quebec rocks, approves high-rise condos that attract a large increase in a population that locks up the street and public transit systems, charges half the property tax per dollar of property value paid by rural Ontarians and enjoys all the modern benefits of a great city.  Snow is cleared; drinking water flows; sewage is quietly disposed of; street cars, subway cars and buses pass by every few minutes, all day long.

Rural Ontarians pay huge property taxes, manage without public transit of any kind, maintain the many highways handed down by Mike Harris, provide their own water and sewage systems at great personal expense, fund their own infrastructures with generally balanced budgets and submit reluctantly to the growing restrictions imposed by government.

Now tell me why we farmers should fund Toronto’s and Ms Wynne’s demands.

Charles Hooker

East Garafraxa

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