If you live in Greater Sudbury, it’s a given that you’ve got some favourite places to go to be in nature. It’s one of the great things about living here. But the odds are also high that a piece of bush you loved has made way for development. This tension was one of the reasons behind the formation of the Green Space Advisory Panel in 2007. The vision of the Panel is that everyone has access to green spaces, that every person can walk to a park in their neighourhood, and that special and unique natural places in our community are protected.
If you love parks, green spaces, and trails, you might want to be at Tom Davies this Monday, November 18, when the Panel will update Councillors on their work. They present at the 6:00 p.m. Community Services Committee meeting, in room C-11. The meeting is open to the public.
In their first term, the Panel took stock of what green spaces we have in Greater Sudbury and which should be protected as part of the parks system. Their work culminated in the Final Report of the Green Space Advisory Panel 2010, which included a parks classification system, a surplus parkland disposal policy, an inventory of green spaces and green space opportunities, acquisition strategies and recommendations moving forward.
The second term of the Panel began in 2011. On Monday, they present the results of their work so far. There is plenty of good news. Many sites, mostly natural parks, have been added to the parks inventory, and are now protected for future generations.
More important to moving forward however, is the wealth of information the Panel hopes will be acted upon by Council. A gap analysis provides detailed information on which areas are lacking in parkland, as well as opportunities to fill those gaps. A short list of priority sites highlights the most worthwhile opportunities, given the gap analysis, further community input, and site-specific circumstances. There are opportunities to champion in every ward. It is hoped that both citizens and Councillors step up to make these opportunities a reality, to the benefit of the community.
For more information, or to share information about a green space, contact Naomi Grant, grant_naomi@hotmail.com.
To let your Councillor know that green spaces are important to you, find their contact info here.
To receive updates on this and other related issues, ask to receive the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury newsletter – contact clsudbury@live.com.
Naomi Grant is a member of the Green Space Advisory Panel, and chairs Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury.
