As part of a community effort to preserve David Dunlap Observatory — a 190-acre park in the middle of Richmond Hill, a freedom of information request was issued to the Ontario Ministry of Culture. The FOI office released a 3-page letter from Lincoln Alexander to the Honorable Aileen Carroll, Ontario’s Minister of Culture. Lincoln Alexander is Chair of the Ontario Heritage Trust, a provincial agency that is charged with advising the Ministry on heritage matters.
Unfortunately, the Conservation Review Board decided they would not accept this letter as evidence, even though it clearly shows what thousands of citizens have been saying for months: the David Dunlap Observatory park has broad heritage value. It has local, provincial and national significance and should be preserved. As the letter states:
“No matter the outcome of the CRB ’s deliberations and its advice back to Council on this matter, we are of the opinion that in relation to this site the Province should demonstrate proactively its leadership in the conservation of Ontario’s heritage for the benefit of the people of Ontario. This is not simply a local issue.”
Alexander further advises that the Minister of Culture, Aileen Carroll can establish the “immediate protection of the entire site through designation by you as Minister,under Section 34.5 ofthe Ontario Heritage Act”.
You can download the entire “Ministry of Culture 08-022-responsive-record”
The question is: why has the Ontario Government been sitting on this file for months, despite the direct pleas of thousands of residents and the advice of the Ontario Heritage Trust? If you would like to help, please support the Richmond Hill Naturalists’ letter campaign. Over the course of the Conservation Review Board Hearings hundreds of people have submitted personal letters calling for the complete preservation of the Dunlap property. In addition to the above letter campaign, you can also show support by adding to our original online petition and joining the Save Dunlap Observatory Facebook Group .
If you live in the Toronto area, Dunlap Observatory is a green space you will want to protect.
Dugg!
This being the International Year of Astronomy, 2009, why is it that once again we are doing the exact opposite, of the right thing to do?
The Dunlap Observatory and Parkland should be conserved as the last bastion of Greenspace in the already overbuilt Town of Richmond Hill.
The manner in which this entire matter has been handled, and continues to handled, boggles the mind.
Sadly, the answer appears to lie, as always, in the money trail………………….