Today I share a story that is familiar to many. Yet as common as you will find it, there is an opportunity in it for our growth.

I live in an idyllic spot, as far as urban settings go it could hardly get any better.  On the east side of our yard we have a wildlife sanctuary, a part of Vernon’s park system.  On the north side of our property we have a year round creek.  The creek has a wildlife habitat buffer of ten to thirty meters on each side, this means that no one can cut down trees or build next to the creek ‘hypothetically’. 

When I did finally go out I was greeted by a severe shock.  Loggers were clearing out the trees almost to the creek banks.  I went across the creek and was greeted by a cleared swath.  The developers had apparently received council permission to clear to the minimum older provincial standards of seven and a half meters.  This is just twenty four and a half feet, or less than the distance across a medium living room.  To put this into greater perspective, to remove a tree eight meters from a creek you have effectively removed the growth that provides shade to the creek, essential to a healthy fish habitat.  This is why the province extended the creek-side protective buffer.

I was left to do the only thing I can do. I said my prayers, in that moment I chose a prayer called the Serenity Prayer.  “Grant me the courage to change what I can change, the patience to accept what cannot be changed and the wisdom to know the difference.

I felt saddened by the loss of the little piece of wilderness removed that harbored its microcosm of birds and other wildlife, a half dozen large cottonwoods and all the underbrush worth.  I couldn’t change that or my immediate feelings. 

I couldn’t really blame any particular person; certainly not the developer, apparently some person living in California with a company based out of Edmonton.  He had no vested interest in the ecology of our community and was simply doing what most developers do; he was exploiting an opportunity taking advantage of weakened codes in order to make a little more money.

I couldn’t blame the City council; their mandate is to protect the minimum amount of nature to meet the demands of the greatest amount of people while raising the capital to build the city infrastructure.  They are not mandated to be particularly environmentally sensitive; their duties are primarily diplomatic, make changes while keeping their neighbours as friends.  That has got to be a hard position for anyone to be in and not one I would wish on anyone.