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Wednesday,
November 26, 2003
WALKING THE WALK
Red Hill Walkers meet barricades, police and bad weather
at legislature.
By Randy Kay
 As
the five-day walk from Red Hill Valley to Queen’s Park
came to a halt at the steps of the legislature, the warm
air that had accompanied the walkers began to chill, the
sunny skies to cloud over, and then, as if to dowse all
hope, came the rain. In literature it might be called a
"pathetic fallacy."
In
contrast to the warm welcome the walkers received as their
trek that took them through the communities of Burlington,
Oakville, Mississauga and Toronto, the arrival at the seat
of Provincial power was as cold as the November rain.
Steel
barricades barred the entrance to the legislature, police
stood at attention, and despite having asked for a meeting
with the premier, despite all the literal steps taken to
gain an audience with the new Liberal government, McGuinty
and his ministers would not send even a representative to
meet with the steel-town pro-valley contingent.
 So
they waited, 150 people drumming, chanting, singing, and
as the temperature dropped, the rain falling harder, the
Liberal Government proved it would wait them out.
The
marchers attempted to meet with their individual Provincial
representatives, a fall-back plan if the premier and the
ministers decided to snub the Hamiltonians.
Not
being able to access the building, small groups arranged
themselves by ward to approach the barricades and ask for
the opportunity to meet with local MPPs. Judy Marsales,
Jennifer Mossop, Ted McMeekin, Dominic Agostino, to no avail.
The
sop offered to the walkers was to have three representatives
of the walkers walk even further, to Agostino’s office
at St. Clair and Avenue Road, for a half-hour meeting.
The
walkers figured they had walked far enough. All they wanted
at this point was someone, anyone, from the Premier’s
office to show up and receive their message: save the valley,
and save money by examining alternatives to putting a road
through Red Hill.
McGuinty,
who makes much of the deficit legacy of the Tories, and
of his "Greenbelt" and anti-sprawl ideas, paid
no heed to the presence, mere steps away from the legislature,
of a $122 million cheque, a gift from the Red Hill walkers,
the province's share in the destruction of the valley.
 The
20 or so people who perambulated to Toronto, including Mike
Hampson in his electric wheelchair accompanied by his dog
"Freeway," were joined at the legislature building
by two full school-bus loads of Valley supporters who brought
banners, signs and costumes including a flying squirrel,
a tree and the oversize "expressway monster."
The
first demonstration at the legislature since the Liberals
came to power was a spirited and diverse affair with several
speakers including Don McLean, Friends of Red Hill Valley,
Marilyn Churley-NDP, NDP environment critic, and Roger LaForme,
a first nations elder.
After
having made the distance on foot, several of the political
pedestrians vowed to continue their journey for ecological
justice in the valley. Their journey had given them the
opportunity to meet with activists at public events in other
cities, and to show videos from Red Hill.
Environment
Hamilton’s Lynda Lukasik was there holding a home-made
plaque mounted on a small tree stump with two photographs
of an area at Mount Albion pre and post-cutting.
The
group sang a song to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry
Gentleman:"
"God
rest you Premier Dalton M.
Keep
smiling all the day,
Good
fortune and good ti-i-dings
There’s
once less bill to pay,
And
you can strike right off your list
the
Red Hill Express Way!
O-oh
tidings of comfort and joy,
A
winning ploy,
O-oh
tidings of comfort and joy..."
As
the group waited and the hours passed, the corporate media
began to melt away, until it was down to the citizens, the
police, and the nasty weather.
As
the buses returned and the valley supporters filed aboard
it was clear that while McGuinty may talk about "green"
initiatives, to those who have walked the walk it is cold
and empty rhetoric.
McGuinty,
who makes much of the deficit legacy of the Tories,
and of his "Greenbelt" and anti-sprawl ideas,
paid no heed to the presence, mere steps away from
the legislature, of a $122 million cheque, a gift
from the Red Hill walkers, the province's share in
the destruction of the valley.
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