Update on The Green Bullies in Rural Goulbourn

In December 2017, Marlene Black wrote about attempts by urban dwellers to impose their views on private property in Goulbourn. http://www.ontariolandowners.ca/news/green-bullies-environmentalists-set-sights-private-property-marlene-black/

In short, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) Board has been pressured to pass a motion to have the RVCA regulate provincially significant wetlands as described in the City of Ottawa’s 2009 mapping.

In October 2017, the board voted to NOT apply the regulations. However, some board members were not content with this result and called for another vote to be taken in January 2018.  This time the Board voted FOR enforcing regulations on the Goulbourn properties.

This happened:

• despite the property owners bringing to the attention of the Board members a 2010 report from Carleton University which clearly states that the properties in question are not wetlands,
• despite repeated calls from property owners for the City to first fix the drainage problems before any further designations go through.
• even though 2017 mappings differ from the 2009 maps, causing some areas to now be designated although they would not be according to the 2017 maps; for example, a property might be almost 50% designated under the 2009 map but only have a small corner designated under the 2017 map.

About 40 property owners attended the meeting. One asked “Why are they doing this”? Why indeed!