The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The Canadian Champion, Friday, August 12, 2005 - A Some can't wait to get awayi others flot budging By MELANIE HENNESSEY The Champion 1 ong-time Milton fariner Cecil Patterson remembers when agricultural land domninated the area around his family farin on Fourth Line. It was a time when only a bandful of cars trav- eled by bis home on an average day. and if be looked out tbe window be could see clear across the fields to Derry Road. Now wben Mr. Patterson casts bis eyes soutb, be sees the backs of dozens of new bornes tbat've popped up over the past few years in the Hawthomne Village subdivision, abutting tbe farmnland wbere be tends to bis cash crops. And tbese days wben be takes to the moad witb some bis farrn macbinery, be now bas 10 watcb out for tbe many pedestrians and cyclists that use the once-rural route. -The biggest cbange is listening to the (ice crearn) truck - it's sometbing I'm not used to," be said. Wbile be said about 30 or 40 developers, builders and speculators bave approacbed tbemn over the past 20 years look ing to, buy Up the large farim, be said tbey bave no foreseeable plans to, selI tbe land tbat's been in the Patterson naine since 1840. "The mots go pretty deep bere," hi said, not- ing it's for personal and farnily reasons that the farm basn't been sold. But at the time wben developruent started to boom in Milton, Mr. Patterson said be didn't try to, fight it. "'e (farmers) thougbî we can't fight this - we're outnumbered," be said. explaining many local farmers sold their properties in the '60s and '70s, leaving few family faris in tbe area. "We bad to go along witb it. We couldn't stand up as a united farmers' front." Wbile be didn't want to namne who bas stopped Photo by GRAHAM PAI Cecil Patterson of Fouirth Une, who's held off selling hie family farm, ays he's gettit used ta ail the reeldential developmient that surrounds hlm. by to, try to buy bis land, be did say tbat most of the major developers in town have appmoacbed bim. "It's almost amusing ai limes because of their (developers') great anticipation," be said. explaining developers will corne witb big offers - exceeding wbat farmers usually eamn - and they expect be'll be impressed. "Afier awbile, you don't gel too impressed anyrnore," be said. Despite tbe fact Mr. Patterson said it was a "big sbock" ait first to bave a residential subdivi- sion as part of bis scenery, be said it's sornetbing hi doesn't mmnd so mucb now. 1I juat tend to focus rny attention on tbe other direction," be said. lmonically, one of the streets in tbe new subdi- vision carnies bis farnily naine, Patterson Drive. Or Sven -BacchusN 'ertified Orthodontké Specialisi Smiles B r that last a -n H-e noted tbat the new residents have bc very respectful of the pmoperty line and most tbern stay on tbeir aide of the fence. "Sorte actually make an effort to corne o) and say hello and introduce tbemselves."' .said. He added tbat bis new neigbbours are "abat coming around to the fat-mer style, (wbi means) if you're driving by and you tee a fat-n on a tractor and he waves, you sbould wa back." Wbile the Pattersons bave stayed put tbroug out the massive growtb tbat's bit Milton, so- other Fourth Line residents can't wait to away frurn the new developruent. Steve Goncalves and bis parents. who lived tbe west aide of Fourtb Line just soutb of Der Road, moved this week in an effort to escape t row accepting iew patients! ices for Childrcn & Aduits Ibe payment plans -free consultations referral necessary * caîl to book yu consultz tor on duty on Ft-idays & Mondays ce open Monday to Ft-iday heavy residential developruent that's taken over the land ail around them. "We moved here seven years ago frorn Mississauga because of the quietness," the 22- year-old said. But subdivisions have since popped up beside their home and across the road. 'It's brutal - there's lots of extra traftic," be said. "h seerus like the infrastructure isn't there yet to handle it." Now, they've gone to a propery at the Third Line and Britannia Road to get back to the coun- try living that originally attracted thern to Milton. Moving away froru the recently developed area of town is sometbing Fourth Line resident John Moreel - who lives just north of Derry Road on the west side - is also boping to do. 1I like my privacy," he said, looking across the road at what was once a horse faimn but bas now been replaced by a wall of houses. He told The Champion that since the new bouses went up, he's seen a jump in the amount of garbage on the side of the road near his bouse ~"and bas bad bis mail stolen. "I've also bad an increase in the wildlife that comes bere." be said, noting be thinks bis prop- S erty bais become one of the few places for these animaIs to go now. But one day. tbe pmoperty Mr. Moreel bas lived on for eigbt years could very well be developed. He said be's actually renting the bouse be's in V~and a developer owns the property, but be wouldn't say if it was a private developer or a corporation or give a name. H-aving their property bought by a developer is NE sometbing many people wouldn't want to see, ng but Mr. Moreel's neigbbour, Danny Figliola, said in a sense he wisbes that would bappen for ýen hiru and bis wife. of "We want to get out of here, be said. noting bis bouse is up for sale. "We just kind of feel /er everyîing's been catered to the subdivision peo- he pIe and we're being kicked out." He said he's lived on the Fourtb Line for about ily tbree-and-a-balf years now and was aware of the ch developruent before he bougbt the bouse. But, ier he said be wasn't told about the road be lives on ve being closed permnanently, wbicb bas also con- tributed to bis decision to move. bh- Now, be said tbey're looking for a bouse that's ne in a more rural area - something tbey once bad ,et at their Fourtb Line borne. *We like Milton, we want to stay close, just c)n out of the subdivision." ,ry Melanie Henpiesse v <*ajp he reached ut mhen- he nessev@ 'aniltonc-anodionc(haoîipion.c-om. 311 Commercial Street-Suite 209.Miiton TcI.905875.2995 TiX ition G P - s DDS, MSc., RSe., FRCD(C)