Kitchener’s city council has given the green light for a subdivision that will pave the way for an industrial park next to the Huron Natural Area, despite strong objections from local residents.
This lot, found at 1700 Strasbourg Rd. and Mc Brine Drive, is right beside the Huron Natural Area and was acquired from the city back in 2022.
Before the council meeting on Monday, a petition with over 5,100 signatures circulated online, and many delegates voiced their concerns to councillors about constructing an industrial lot adjacent to this important green space.
“Huron Natural Area is a unique and vital conservation area that was once zoned for industrial use,” reads the petition on change. org. “Thanks to strong community advocacy, the official plans were changed, and it was re-zoned and preserved as the thriving natural area it is today. This shows that when we come together, we can protect ecosystems under threat.”
The Huron Natural Area covers more than 250 acres of protected wetland and forest, providing habitat for numerous plant and animal species while also holding historical significance for Indigenous Peoples.
“Destroying what makes Kitchener unique, its connection to green space, isn’t growth at a reasonable pace; it’s growth at an irreversible cost,” said Florence Grunfelder, a delegate at Monday’s meeting. “We’re not asking to save trees; we’re asking the city to protect one of the last living systems that sustains Kitchener.”
Photo from an online petition showing some of the proposed developments around the Huron Natural Area (Change. org)
Delegates urged city officials to buy back the land from developers. However, Councillor Paul Singh pointed out that doing so would take away funds from other environmental projects in the city, likely costing them more than they originally sold it for.
If developers hadn’t sought a subdivision approval for this lot, they would only need a building permit without needing council involvement. The council and city staff managed to create a buffer zone between the industrial park and natural area along with a 30-metre-wide wildlife corridor to assist wildlife movement between these spaces.
Still, residents were dissatisfied with how things turned out.
“This is how we lose habitat,” said Alex Latta, another delegate at Monday’s meeting. “Very rarely do we lose habitat in one fell swoop. We lose habitat in a million tiny cuts.”
Councillors Debbie Chapman and Ayo Owodunni voted against staff recommendations in support of community concerns; however, most councillors present during Monday’s meeting voted in favor of moving forward with development plans.
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