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October
13, 1999
ROBERT BATEMAN SUPPORTS EFFORT TO SAVE RED HILL VALLEY
Canadian
artist and environmentalist Robert Bateman and his wife
Birgit have donated $5000.00 to Friends of Red Hill Valley
to assist the community group's efforts to prevent the construction
of an expressway inside Hamilton's largest park and natural
area.
The
Red Hill Creek Expressway, a project of the Regional Municipality
of Hamilton-Wentworth, is currently undergoing a federal
environmental assessment which began in June 1998. In May
1999 this assessment was bumped-up to a full Panel Review.
In
a note accompanying the donation, Robert Bateman recalled
the time in the 1960s and 1970s when he lived in the Hamilton
area.
"As
a member of the Niagara Escarpment Commission for a decade,
I heard the Red Hill Valley expressway proposal rear its
head a few times. It was carefully considered and always
turned down because it was too destructive, too expensive
to the taxpayer, and not needed. For this reason, I was
shocked to learn that this disreputable fossil of an idea
has again reared its head. ... In the 1990s, the motto
is to cut spending and respect taxpayers' pockets. What
is not usually mentioned is that far too much public spending
has gone into massive and expensive projects which destroy
nature. I think the word for this expensive project is
'boondoggle'. It must not be allowed to happen."
Friends
of Red Hill Valley expects to use the monies to further
its participation in the federal environmental assessment
of the expressway project. "We expect to need it for research
efforts and expert advice to present to the Panel Review"
said Friends' vice-chair Joe Minor. The final decision
on the allocation of the donation will be made by the Friends'
Board of Directors and its 10-person Panel Review Advisory
Board set up recently to oversee the group's participation
in the federal assessment process.
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