[GREN-Exec] Fw: Camping along the Grand River

[Theo Negoita]

FYI, please read below.

     
----- Forwarded Message -----
 From: Lindsay Reed <lindsayreedzat at gmail.com>
 To: info at gren.ca 
 Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2018 4:03 PM
 Subject: Camping along the Grand River
   

Hello,

I am a very active outdoors enthusiast who happens to live in Hespeler and makes daily use of the trails along the Grand in various areas throughout Cambridge. I was wondering whether your environmental activist group is aware of , and/ or concerned by the illegal dumping and camping going on all along the grand river and throughout the various city owned as well as GRCA owned forests and pathways.

I have endlessly tried to communicate my concerns with police, fire, the city trails department and manager and the GRCA. I have also communicated with the Chillago Conservation Area. I found your group whilst searching for more environmental protection groups that aim to keep the Grand River safe, and clean. The camping that goes on along the Grand River here in Cambridge and specifically more recently in Hespeler directly on the conservation lands has been going on for several weeks undisturbed. The campers have moved several times and they continue to leave garbage, human waste, set fires, cut down trees and flatten fields with their comings and goings and building of shelters. Why do I care about this? I see the problem escalating as it has even on the RARE conservation lands in Galt. When campers are allowed to utilize protected lands and rivers, they abuse it and more come. The detrimental impact on the ecosystem and environment by the Grand River is enormous. Fires can get out of hand and burn large areas like the fire that was out of control in Preston last year due to campers in the forested areas by the 401. The garbage and pollution left behind by campers can seep into the river directly beside the trail and impacts the ecosystem around it. I could go on and on.

The Mill Run Trail where these campers have been for weeks, (and there are more campers along the river elsewhere) is city land as well as Chillago Conservation Area. I am trying to determine exactly who can take responsibility and go to evict the illegal campers. Whoever the authority is should also rectify the damage done and de assemble the structures. I have photos and video to show the camps.

I am truly hoping that my family and I can enjoy these trails and areas around the river that I grew up on. The trails and areas around the grand river have been created for a beautiful purpose for generations to enjoy. If we don’t work to evict illegal campers then I feel we are giving up on protection this river and all that it supports.

If your organization can help to follow up on this, I would be very happy that at least someone else is on board with saving the trails and leisure areas near the Grand.

Thank you,

Lindsay 



Sent from my iPhone

   
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/executive_gren.ca/attachments/20180719/36f0bfa9/attachment.html>