Dear Mayor of Your city and/or CEO of Cadillac-Fairview and/or Minister of the Environment
Name: Your full name
Address:
As a resident of Pointe-Claire, I am troubled and dismayed by the proposed plan to clearcut most of the 50 acre forest to create an “urban city centre” in the West island. Referred to simply as “Fairview forest”, it is located west of Fairview Avenue, between the North service road and Brunswick boulevard. What makes this forest special is that it is one of the last untouched spaces in Pointe-Claire. It is a sanctuary.
Over the years, many trees and plants have been planted by the city of Pointe-Claire. This is to be congratulated. However, this cannot and will not make up for destroying a forest to build a massive development. Adding a park will make up for the loss. A park could never replace the intricate and complex biodiversity that is found in an ecosystem like Fairview forest.
The city of Pointe-Claire has, itself, called Fairview forest an “Ecological Mosaic” in many of its documents and stated that it should be protected because of its uniqueness and environmental value.
By allowing the forest to be razed for development, the city of Pointe-Claire is wilfully ignoring its own statements. Cutting down the forest will cause:
- the stored carbon in the trees to escape and be released into the atmosphere, thus causing more greenhouse gas emissions;
- the brown snake, a species only found on the island of Montreal and is considered at risk, to lose its habitat;
- consider also the loss of habitats for the red-bellied snake, a close cousin to the brown snake, the salamanders, the foxes and the birds;
- the loss of 22 acres of trees over ONE HUNDRED years old, along with beech, hemlock and sugar maple groves.
- an increase in air and noise pollution;
- the loss of the cooling effects a forest provides and we will likely see an increase in temperatures as Fairview forest acts as a heat island.
There hasn’t been enough public consultations, nor enough ecological assessments and impact studies. I expect more transparency with a project of this size. It will change Pointe-Claire FOREVER.
I moved to Pointe-Claire over twenty years ago for the city’s commitment to preserving natural spaces. Since 2017, it’s clear that this is no longer a priority to city officials. As 2021 is an election year, I will use my vote to reflect your position on this matter.
For all of these reasons and more, I demand that the city of Pointe-Claire stop this development from ever happening and preserve the forest in its entirety.
Thank you for your attention and I look forward to your reply.
Name