The president of Aurora College, Dr. Angela James, says with the second phase of the environmental assessment on Tin Can Hill completed, one of the major impediments to the construction of a new polytechnic there is obtaining $400 million in funding.
Not actually. One of the greatest obstacles is the opposition to a build of any kind on Tin Can Hill, which comes from many, many voices in the general public petitioning to have that green space left alone.
This doesn't seem to be of interest to both the Aurora College board and the post-secondary arm of the GNWT's Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE). So determined are they to build, despite the opposition, that they say the high levels of arsenic found on the hill could be managed or would not pose a significant threat if a student residence or a daycare was not located at the site.
This kind of thinking is baffling at best. At worst, it shows a board of governors and a department who care so little about the well-being of people in the community and their mental health. It shows a board and government department who care so little about the opinions of the grassroots people that they are willing to move ahead no matter what is wanted by the people who pay their wages.
We need to remember that almost 2,000 people signed a petition calling for the preservation of the hill. People across this country are sporting T-shirts and hoodies supporting leaving the hill as it currently exists and more orders are coming in regularly to the conservation society.
This failure to listen borders on irresponsible.
The people leading this file need to understand that this decision should not be based on a self-serving approach alone since we do live in a democracy SA国际影视传媒� therefore the voices of everyone impacted need to be heard.
The citizens of Yellowknife have said repeatedly that the hill is their little area of respite within walking distance to the central core, where they can go to recover from those bits of craziness that we all accumulate through our busy days and lives. It restores our balance, our connection with nature, regains our sense of wholeness and well-being, enhances our love of the outdoors, our physical pursuits and reminds us of why we live in the North. Finally, it is a favourite spot of tourists who get the best photos ever.
We all crave healing at some point, and, as we know, the best healing comes from nature, which is gifted to us by this special gift from the creator SA国际影视传媒� something that ECE and the Aurora board of governors seem anxious to destroy.
This is surprising during this time of severe climatic change when people who should be encouraging a stronger relationship with nature are bent on destroying Her.
They say that the next major hurdle is $400 million in construction. We know that with labour shortages, increasing costs of materials and unexpected costs, money will disappear in no time. It will barely cover the surface. Further, the $400 million doesn't take into account the student residences that will be required, roadwork, revamped transit routes and schedules, and other services that will be needed nearby. The cited $400 million will never cover the required expenses, nor does it take into account how this build will affect the entire atmosphere of the neighbourhood.
Why would anyone follow through on this idea when there are so many other spaces that would lend themselves well to this project? We are so determined to bulldoze ahead on this project that we are willing to contribute to a dying inner-city and annihilate one of the only readily accessible natural areas of the city. We are hell bent on its destruction.
Where are the dream-makers in this town?
It needs to be repeated that people are not opposed to a polytechnic... they just want to save Tin Can Hill.
During this time when democracy is threatened, it's time for decision-makers to listen to ordinary people. It is now during this time when nature is so threatened that we need to learn to live within our environmental means.
Save the hill. She may be our last kick at conserving the natural world locally.
