Unbridled growth in Welland not necessarily good

Re: Housing boom hits Welland, Feb. 11

As I read the above article, a feeling of discomfort arose. The tone was so upbeat, almost jubilant. And why not? Adding 18,640 new residents to Welland is a good thing! It means growth, jobs. It means a bigger city budget. Good for everyone! Really?

I awoke this morning to the sound of a neighbour snowblowing not just his driveway, but our communal roadway, as well. We live in a cul-de-sac and we are always the last to be plowed.

Understandably, the city needs to take care of main roads and bus routes first. So, our neighbourhood takes it on themselves to clear the roadway.

Add another 18,000 residents. I am sure city councillors have taken the need for more infrastructure, busing, hospital rooms, schools, hydro and gas lines, etc., into consideration.

But has anyone assessed the imbalance being caused to our environment by replacing carbon neutralizing habitat with carbon producing housing?

I am a conservationist, but am not opposed to development. However, if history has taught us anything, it is “unbridled” anything is not good.

What happens when our natural habitat is gobbled up? Creation will adjust and balance itself in time but cannot do this at the alarming rate at which we are destroying it. Has anyone thought that, instead of rejuvenating the John Deere site with housing, it could be rejuvenated by planting trees? That, instead of building 112 new homes at Central Village, we build half as many and reforest the rest of the property?

I lived through Welland’s industrial heyday and through its decline. I don’t mean to dampen the enthusiasm.

Let’s be sure we understand what we are losing in our leap to obtain.

Kim Wright

Welland