Eviction notice to the Defenders of the Land at the HCBP site

Your decision to issue an eviction notice to the Defenders of the Land at the proposed Hanlon Creek Business Park site is unwise. You need to take another look at what you are doing and how it will negatively impact all of your political careers. I’m sure that is of major importance to you all. Voters will never forget this fiasco you have created and you will not ever be able to whitewash or greenwash it away. You need to be honest with the citizens of Guelph and rethink the HCBP project. No one believes what you are saying about needing to proceed in order to create jobs. People are saying how corrupt you are and I agree with them.

You should be the ones defending this land as representatives of the citizenry of Guelph. You were not elected to destroy this city land and now you are threatening the very people who are doing what you should be doing–protecting it. If you make arrests you will destroy your final shred of credibility as leaders of the city. You are too hasty in pushing this project through before the MNR has made the recommendations that you should be following. You act as if protected species are not your concern but you will be acting unlawfully to continue as you have been with no regard for them. In 2009, evidence of the Jefferson Salamander was discovered at the HCBP and this discovery changes the outcome of all those studies done in prior years. It renders them as outdated and in need of revision because of new evidence. To not proceed more cautiously when you know this, would be unlawful on your parts.

My advice to you all would be to sit down with the various groups who want to protect this land and reach an amicable plan of action which would be beneficial and agreeable to everyone. You may have to make concessions but the other side will have to also. This would be a far more desirable outcome than being harsh to people who are most likely far more correct in their motives than you are.BK