Charlottetown resident Tim Banks, pictured here with Kirsten Connor of the Upton Farm Preservation Network, shows his support for keeping Upton Farm green.
The Guardian 29.05.07
Working to preserve Upton Farm
Editor:
As congratulations pour in to the Upton Farm Network, please allow me space to share credit for the accomplishments to date with all our network supporters and with the visionary politicians who are working with us to accomplish the goal of keeping the Upton Farm public and green.
It is also time to inform all the thousands of supporters across the Island, that although the start of development has been delayed, there is no firm commitment that it has been cancelled.
City council has requested that Canada Lands withdraw its development application, but an official reply to that has not yet been received.
The legislature of P.E.I. voted unanimously for a resolution to ask the federal government for an 18-month moratorium on any development. Premier Binns has taken personal action, as has Mayor Clifford Lee, by writing letters to Lawrence Cannon, minister responsible for Canada Lands Corporation.
It is most gratifying that the awareness of the pending loss of Upton Farm has created such a large network committed to work to leave the lands public and green. It is particularly appreciated that esteemed organizations such as the P.E.I. Shell Fishers Association and the Women’s Institute, among others, have lent their support.
Under the mandate of Canada Lands Corporation there are opportunities to spearhead and create projects that the community asks for and supports. The challenge now is to work with Canada Lands Corporation to create green infrastructure that would leave all of Upton Farm as an environmental asset in the form of an urban forest and green space for public recreational use and enjoyment for generations to come.
We ask all Islanders to join in the effort to save Upton Farm by lending support to our elected officials as they continue to engage the federal government and Canada Lands Corporation in talks and solutions.
Visit our webpage www.saveuptonfarm.com to find out how you can lend a personal hand. Let’s not rest until we reach our goal.
Kirsten Connor,
Charlottetown
for the Upton Farm Preservation Network
June 11, 2007 at 1:12 pm |
Congratulations on your efforts to save Upton Farm.
We are involved in a similar effort to keep the Garden City Lands in Richmond BC “public and green”. The Canada Lands corporation is attempting to develop 48 acres of high density housing on virgin agricultural land. Their first attempt was thwarted by the BC Agriculturqal Land Commission last year. The Commission turned the CLC application down to remove the land from the BC Agricultural Land Reserve. However, the CLC is applying again.
Like the Upton Farm, our proposal is for urban agriculture and ” public recreational use and enjoyment for generations to come”.
Unfortunately the CLC has a single purpose mandate to use development of farmland and open space to sell assets at a profit regardless of the needs of Canadians at either end of the country.
January 15, 2008 at 9:26 pm |
Woodwynn Valley is currently under attack to rezone 192acre A1 ALR as insitutional to house a 90 bed plus staff rehab/trade school homeless population with 120 seat restaurant, industrial kitchens, gymnasium class and consulting rooms and offices. Advertised as an organic farm experience this land would need 5/7 years to recover to an organic status and is part of a complicated alliance of pre olympic funding & Royal Roads Univ. Real Estate offer is accepted pending zoning change
What route did you follow toward community purchase? We would like it to be a working heritage farm with linear parkspace on the perimeter as other valley 100acre farms will soon be available to consolidate. Advice?
Located near Brentwood Bay, Central Saanich, Vancouver Island, B.C. the funding available to clean up downtown Victoria for the Olympics makes funding possible for a homeless project we don’t want. We as a community have raised pledges of $400,000.00 in one week which gives us hope to counter the real estate offer which is tied up in 17 subject to clauses. Time is tight, any advice appreciated.
July 21, 2009 at 2:14 pm |
Going to Upton Farm is such an enjoyable time for me and my two Yorkies. I cannot think of another place that I can take the dogs and let them run off leash and feel confident about their safety.
I enjoy the socialization with the other dog owners and also seeing the different breeds of dogs, big and small, all getting along together.
I really hope we as dog owners get to use the farm for our walks for many years to come.