Kincardine resident upset with clear-cutting of trees by developers

To the Editor:

Kincardine mayor Gerry Glover tells the citizens of this municipality that it is a "balancing act between development and protecting our natural heritage."

While he is saying this, the forests and intact ecosystems in north Kincardine are getting bulldozed by money-blind developers. Fifteen acres gone in about a year. They simply don’t care about the natural world. They won’t to give up a foot of green space for free.

Our municipality has no tree protection bylaws for private property development. Our Official Plan, updated in 2021, ignored a 2009 Natural Heritage Study, paid for with taxpayers money. It should have included the recommendations. That would have saved some of the wild spaces now gone.

On the Easter weekend, clear-cutting continued as an owl screamed out for its baby and the returned migratory birds, protected by federal law, left their nests and flew away as their trees were crushed into the mud.

There were reports of foxes in people's yards, looking for food. Upset north Kincardine residents saying it's time to move away. The videos of the clear-cutting and of the owl screaming left everyone upset. The tree-cutter told residents to talk to the municipal council if they were upset.

There is no consideration for the current residents. There is no consideration for climate change or saving some wild spaces for our grandchildren. Greed is ruling this municipality.

Doug McCallum
Kincardine