FRIEND OF THE FOREST
City resident to talk to police board about Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Activist Julia Adamson is a champion of the little-known Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area southwest of the Montgomery Place neighbourhood. She’s upset it’s being used for illegal dumping and is pushing for better enforcement.
Saskatoon resident and activist Julia Adamson believes education will help protect a unique wooded area southwest of the city’s Montgomery Place neighbourhood.
She also wants more effective policing of the area.
Adamson is scheduled to appear before the board of police commissioners on Thursday to discuss concerns about the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area.
The concerns relate mainly to illegal access by motor vehicles at the west end of the wooded area, but dumping of garbage and even hazardous materials in the park is also a problem, she said.
“The police are definitely becoming more involved,” Adamson said in an interview on Tuesday.
“The problem is that it’s off people’s radar.”
When she tells most people about the area, most have never heard of it and have no idea where it is, she said.
The City of Saskatoon bought the lands in 1960 for use as a tree nursery and eventually annexed the land in 2005, according to Adamson. The area is separated from the city by the CN Rail yards management area and is bordered to the south by the Rural Municipality (RM) of Corman Park.
The RM of Corman Park’s Cedar Villa Estates community borders the afforestation area on the south. The wooded area, which extends about 3.2 kilometres, is located just west of Saskatoon’s new civic operations centre.
Its remote location appeals to people who see it as an undiscovered jewel for walks and cycling, but also to those who want to engage in illegal activities such as dumping trash or partying.
In an email to the police board, Adamson noted city police, RM of Corman Park police and regional RCMP all receive calls about illegal activity in the area, which lies within the city’s jurisdiction.
A meeting on March 29 brought together a diverse group of stakeholders — including the Saskatoon Nature Society, the Meewasin Valley Authority and the RM of Corman Park — to try to address concerns about the area.
The city and concerned residents pooled resources to erect barriers on the east side of the area last fall, but were prevented from doing the same on the west side due to wet weather, Adamson said, adding the barriers appear to have done some good.
“The problems went away for all intents and purposes on the east side,” she said.
Ward 2 Coun. Hilary Gough attended the March 29 meeting and calls residents’ efforts to protect the area and raise awareness “spectacular.”
Three cleanup efforts over the last two years collected about 13,100 kilograms of trash from the site, including 85 tires, Adamson said.
Evidence suggests it’s not just lone residents dumping small loads, but construction contractors trying to avoid landfill fees, she said.
Clear signage and vehicle barriers on the west side of the area, which are expected to be erected this spring, will help reduce the dumping, she said.
Gough said barriers will help, but acknowledged the area represents a challenge due to its remote location, unusual history and limited civic resources.
“There isn’t an expectation on anyone’s part that (vehicle barriers) will completely solve the problem,” Gough said.