Paradise site occupied
Group camping on site of proposed development to protest threat to ecosystem
A group of concerned residents are camping out at the proposed Paradise development at Thundering Waters to protest the $1.5 billion project they say could destroy a rich ecosystem.
“Niagara region has already lost more than 90 per cent of its wetlands and forests to development,” said organizer Owen Bjorgan. “Why are we messing around with the remaining 10?”
The group, which set up camp along a trail on Dorchester Road near the Chippawa Parkway on Sunday night, wants the province to acquire the private land to prevent it from present and future development.
GR (CAN) Investment Co. Ltd. bought 484 acres of property west of Marineland and adjacent to Thundering Waters Golf Club two years ago, and is planning a mixture of residential, commercial, retail and entertainment uses as part of a development known as Paradise.
The development has been bogged down by provincially significant wetlands that cover about half of the property
“The issue here is complicated as to what’s going to happen to this land because there are many stakeholders, which we can all appreciate and empathize with,” Bjorgan said.
“The investors got the green light prematurely to throw money down on this property. Now some of the investors, and local politicians, are back-pedalling to an extent because the local people and science have raised concerns over the economic significance of this property.”
Biodiversity offsetting was suggested as a way to deal with the issue, which would see the wetlands moved, or recreated somewhere else.
Bjorgan said that idea simply won’t work.
“Developing around significant wetlands isn’t necessarily protecting them,” he said. “That’s kind of misleading in the sense that you end up boxing in species of plants and animals that make this property as biodiverse as it is. There will be species inbreeding, the ecosystem will run out of resources and the water quality becomes contaminated.”
Several people were at the camp site Monday afternoon.
“We encourage people to stop by and ask questions,” Bjorgan said, adding the group plans to occupy the site for the next six days. “We’re off to a good start and I hope it snowballs.”
A Niagara Regional Police spokesperson said late Monday afternoon they were aware of the protest but “have no involvement at this point.”
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati was also aware of the occupation.
“I’m really not too sure what I can say about protesters illegally trespassing on private property,” he said.