Development at What Cost

[cakadu]

Recently, in the Red Deer area on the highway 2 corridor, talks started between several of the counties on how to develop the area from- I think it is -from Ponoka to Olds.

My wish is that they bring this to the public as much as possible because dialogue will see the policies that we need in order to maintain balance. Farmland is disappearing at an alarming rate - especially around cities like Red Deer because people can get more for subdivisions and acreages than they will ever see from farming. I can't blame them for wanting to make money, but at what price will the money come?

For those of you that live in other urban/rural type settings like the Niagara region in Ontario for example, what developments have arisen - problems/solutions to the quest for trying to find balance in development?

Another area that is going to see some changes is down by Calgary, particularly in the Balzac area, as that seems to be the way the city is spreading out.

How are we going to keep up with the increased demands for water? What will be the balance? How will we arrive at a solution or solutions that will make people feel that they are in a win/win situation?

These and other questions just keep cropping up.

[dalek]

There doesn't seem to be any interest here on the part of municipalities to find any balance, even though they've all done studies showing that every new house built in the municipality costs more in services than they bring in in taxes. Those are new voters, who don't know why they shouldn't vote for the existing politicians.

The big trick here has always been to buy a farm, let it go to weeds for 10 years, then it's easy to convince the politicians that it isn't good farmland that should be protected.

[cowman]

Well the people have to live somewhere, right? And we do live in a free market economy(or so they say).
It's all very well to "protect" farmland but at whose expense? Pass a law and rip off that old farmer!
The fact of the matter is no one can stop progress. You can pass all the laws you want but they are just delaying actions. Ten years down the road(after the farmer has sold out because he couldn't afford to keep farming) they repeal the law and the doctor/lawyer/businessman who bought it for a hobby reaps the big bucks!
It is pretty obvious that the people of Canada don't care about food production or farmland. If they did we could get a decent return for our production...either through the marketplace or through a European form of subsidy program.
The water thing is a big concern, not only for acreages and subdivisions but for the cities in the Calgary/Edmonton corrider. But I guess it can't be too bad as the oil companies just got another approval to pump about a zillion more gallons down a mile or so. Water gone forever!

[cakadu]

With respect to the water rights just handed out, there are many groups that are appealing that decision, especially given the current drought conditions.

I cannot see using a non-renewable resource to produce yet another non-renewable resource. Once the water and the oil are gone, they are gone and we will be long on the other side of the dirt before they could ever possibly renew.

[cowman]

Cakadu, I sure wasn't supporting the practice! I think it is one of the stupidest things the government has ever allowed! It isn't really about producing more of a resource either...usually it's done to cook the books; looks better so the compay can sell out for a bigger profit! And too hell with the eco system! I will confess I am a closet environmentalist. Please don't say hypocrite because I'm in bed with the oil companies!