2 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 13, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com dy-datejust gold Oops -- Town backtracking on paving Petro Canada trail Returning trail to natural state will cost Town $110,000 By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The proposed construction of a formal trail along the Petro Canada pipeline corridor received a thumbs down from Oakville's Community Services Committee during a Tuesday meeting that saw nearly 10 delegations speak out against the idea. The lead up to this event dates back to June of last year when, following discussions with Petro Canada, the Town began the construction of a 2.4 metre wide asphalt trail, which was intended to stretch from Rebecca Street to South Shell Park. The idea was to provide the community with an accessible trail capable of supporting cyclists, inline skaters and pedes- trians. Despite the good intentions, the project provoked a massive outpouring of resident complaints when the developer began excavating the trail, cutting down numerous trees in the process. In the end, so many complaints were received, construction was stopped and a decision was made by the Town to examine the trail concept more closely and hear what residents had to say. During Tuesday night's meeting, area residents were more than happy to oblige. Oakvillegreen Director Enver Domingo said his group had deep concerns about the impact the construction would have on the local environment, particularly migratory songbirds, "Crossing Lake Ontario is an exhausting journey for the small warblers and other songbirds, who use this migration route. When they reach Oakville's shore, they are exhausted and starving. To survive, they must land in a safe, undisturbed place to feed and rest. Remove the grass and encourage human activity in one of their last remaining sanctuaries in this community and they will die." Oakvillegreen Director Enver Domingo wherefore art thou Romeo? O Romeo, Romeo! Fabulous February New! Gorgeous rich red Tim Cotterill limited edition, bronze frog is about to sell out. Give your Valentine a memorable gift of your love... Exclusively at Modular Sectional VISIT US THIS SATURDAY FEB.14TH LIVE MUSIC IN-STORE. Proudly supporting Canadian Manufacturers 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm for 162 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville 217 Lakeshore Road East Downtown Oakville Since 1953 www.bronzefroggallery.com 905.849.6338 www.swissinteriors.com 905.844.3530 who, he said, depend greatly on some of the parkland areas the path would cut through. "This tiny area of grass and woods has become increasingly important as so many other areas of grass and woods near the lake, on this migratory flyway, have been developed leaving the birds really with no where else to go," said Domingo. "Crossing Lake Ontario is an exhausting journey for the small warblers and other songbirds, who use this migration route. When they reach Oakville's shore, they are exhausted and starving. To survive, they must land in a safe, undisturbed place to feed and rest. Remove the grass and encourage human activity in one of their last remaining sanctuaries in this community and they will die." Ward 5 Councillor Marc Grant said the Town had contacted Conservation Halton for its opinion on how an asphalt trail would affect the birds. Conservation Halton said that because there was already an existing trail in the area (worn into the ground by human traffic) placing a formal trail in the area would have no significant impact on birdlife. Domingo disputed this position, pointing out that a formal trail would mean more people, which would mean more of an impact on the birds. Domingo also voiced concerns about the trail's impact on tree life as the contractor had already removed numerous trees to make way for the path. "Having taken pictures of the damage, you wonder how the town's own tree protection bylaws seem not to apply to this con- struction," he said. Laurie McGinn, vice president of the Bronte Village Residents Association also called for the trail to be returned to its natural state and chastised the Town for not having a public meeting about the trail sooner. McGinn noted the Town's decision to mail out notification of the path construction was insufficient given the potential impact to local property owners and the environment. Mayor Rob Burton would later point out that staff are in the process of creating a better notification process. Other residents also voiced concerns about the project's impact on birds and the environment with some also raising questions about how the Town would stop unauthorized vehicle use on such a path and how drainage issues along the Petro Canada pipeline corridor would be solved. In the end the Town voted to put the trail back the way it was. Ward 1 Councillor Ralph Robinson spoke to the decision as he introduced the motion. "I respect and appreciate the comments of Conservation Halton, but I also respect and appreciate the real experience of those people who have lived there and walked that route for years," he said. "They are the ones who know about the birds. It's touched their lives and their hearts day in and day out. It's too bad this happened the way it did, but it's going to be fixed." The statement brought applause from the audience of around 30 people attending the meeting. Amendments to the motion, brought forward by Burton, asked Town staff to look into opportunities for creating more environmentally-friendly trails and noted that funds earmarked for asphalt treatment would be utilized for planting along the Petro Canada pipeline corridor and to the rear of private residence lots in the area to replace the vegetation lost during the development. A further amendment directed staff to look into the issue of drainage in the area. Town staff estimates the cost of returning the trail to its original state, which will involve removing granular material that was installed, importing topsoil into the excavated area and seeding, is around $110,000. This item will come before council for final approval on Tuesday, Feb. 17.