Angell Woods landowners have rights

A letter from an Angell Woods landowner to the people of Beaconsfield.

For 25 years, I lived in a town that included within its borders a beautiful piece of greenspace. We hiked, walked our dogs, and skated on the pond. I fully understand that the residents of Beaconsfield want to preserve the woods.

The city’s current proposal allows, if only in principle, for some development, and that has inspired anger among some. It should not. Much of Angell Woods rests in private hands. Taking possession of the woods entails taking possession of them legally.

I would venture to say that not one among you would even consider walking into someone’s home and taking something. And yet, we repeatedly hear, from citizens and leaders alike, a sense of entitlement to these lands. It is no wonder. The city has completely refused to protect our private property from trespassers as they would protect yours. They have systematically fostered the sense that the woods are already public.

Their current proposal is the first time they have even attempted to educate people that the only way for Beaconsfield to afford ownership of that land is to allow some of it to be developed. Landowners need to be compensated for relinquishing their land. This is the ethical course.

Up till now, every effort we have made to the mayor and council to work toward a solution has been rebuffed. Today, I am addressing the citizens. The interim control bylaw cannot legally continue indefinitely. One way or another, a resolution will have to be achieved. The safeguarding of the woods need to uphold many values — the esthetic, the environmental, the spiritual, and also the ethical.

Diana Shahmoon, President, Seda Holdings Ltd.

Read an indepth version of Diana Shahmoon’s views as one of the owners of property included in interim control bylaw that prohibits development of parts of Angell Woods online at westislandgazette.com.