Windsor's Mayor Eddie Francis seems to be a quick study. He figured out and learned very quickly how to further delay the deployment of the Windsor-Essex Parkway. Three weeks ago he learned like the rest of us how a spirited slip-streamer named Nancy Pancheshan fronting for the environmentalist group "Friends of Ojibway" managed to pull out and delay a big box store development near the Ojibway prairie in the city's west end.
Her group bought their cause "six to eight months due to deficiencies in the species-at-risk studies conducted for the developer, Coco Development Group." The center of the groups focus is the Butler's garter snake which is deemed "threatened".
"In a Dec. 22 letter from the Ministry of Natural Resources to the developer's lawyers, the MNR mentioned "information and data gaps" in the developer's species-at-risk report, and said an adjournment of the hearing will allow further study and consultation. Coco's species-at-risk study was conducted by Dillon Consulting."
Windsor's Mayor must have been paying attention because two weeks later he used the same snake and approach to make his environmental claim against the Provincial Government. He must find that six to eight month delay to be very appealing and potentially rewarding even though he is toying with thousands of much needed jobs.
John Fairley recently asked the mayor when the "Greenlink" banner in city council chamber was going to come down and it is apparent from the mayor's answer that he wants to keep flogging it. Watch the interview over on Chriss Schnurr's site:
http://chrisschnurr.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/disagreeing-without-being-disagreeable-and-the-butlers-garter-snake/
Be sure to read the entire post becasue Schnurr makes some very valid points. He says and he is right; “The true irony – the city was willing to plough through protected parts of the preserve; but are now crying foul over an unprotected area.” The road paths for both the DRIC Road and "Greenlink" cover the exact footprint. How can the mayor lay blame on the DRIC when "Greenlink" will impact the area in the exact same way or worse? Tunneling you say! Well that's what the Mayor wants you to believe and... if you do not stop to think about it for a while, you will. Chris Schnurr also makes this point: “I’ve underscored “cut-and-cover” because to build a cut-and-cover tunnel, you have to dig and dig deep – not only disrupting – but destroying any natural habitat the Butler Garter calls home.” "Cut-and cover" is the contruction method for building this particular tunnel. We are essentially on alluvial silt around here so the earth will be scraped away with massive earth movers. Deep enough to assemble the tunnel in open air and wide enough to accommodate the breadth of the tunnel plus all of the space required to move dirt and equipment in and out. The tunnel forms will be built in place and once complete, earth will be moved in to bury the sides and top surface of the tunnel. It will be "sheep footed" and voila...a tunnel.
The amount of earth that will be violated for this kind of build will be far greater than a simple swath of below grade pavement. Vander Doelen doesn't seem to get this but then again that is not his real mission. His is to unwrap the mayor's legal threat. He wrote: “I don't think a delay is likely -- at least not for long. But some kind of deal to protect the so-called endangered species is going to have to be struck or the jobs could end up in legal limbo.” That message was for his readership. He went on to scribe this: “But that doesn't matter in the legal world, and Windsor's legal threat could hold serious consequences for the province.” That message is for the provincial government.
Over on LOS you can read this: “And we’re now told by Chris Vander Do-little that a possible environmental issue being raised by Edgar’s lawyer from 400-500 km’s away, David Estrin, regarding a garter snake dwelling along the planned route could hold up the commencement of construction. One snake in the grass, and one at city hall. But I digress. Edgar is going to hold out for more tunneling because it's just the right thing to do, damn it. The resident's health is paramount and cannot be compromised.” Be sure to read the entire post while you are there.
http://lineosight.blogspot.com/2010/01/eddies-used-car-dealership-part-2.html
The mayor and his out of town hired gun have put their play into motion regardless of how irrelevant, and environmentally dangerous his "save face" tactic is. Worse yet it may render more collateral damage in it's wake. Nancy Pancheshan and her group now have to live like fingered inmates until this snake business is finished. Someone has to rule on the mayor and his snake friends claim. If that body rules in favour of the mayors environmental cause he/they may sacrifice another, genuine and valid claim like Ms. Pancheshan's, to keep the "greater political peace". That is what is known in the prison world as being shanked. How does that old fable go about crossing the river on the back of a snake? Anybody?
Background:
http://www.windsorstar.com/technology/development+hearing+delayed/2384394/story.html
http://www.windsorstar.com/technology/developer+forced+redo+species+risk+study/2385026/story.html
5 comments:
Eddie as the Scorpion? His delaying tactics will surely force him to go down with the ship...unless he doesn't intend on running in November.
A little tongue and cheek there Mom.
I think Eddie is an excellent mayor. If you don't like it, run for mayor of the city instead of mayor of a street.
M.O.M. would make an excellent mayor. Monmouth owes it's transformation to him. It's not unusual to see him cleaning the street and shoveling snow for our elders. He paid for and installed our hanging street baskets and on more than one occasion he has paid for new roofs for those who could not afford it. We gave him his name (M.O.M.). and he went with it. He always has our back.
Yeah, right.
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