BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following open letter to members of city council is from Barrie resident and former councillor Alfred W. J. Dick regarding an artificial turf field being built along the city's south shore for youth sports and the local Sea Cadets.
Dear Mayor Alex Nuttall and councillors of Barrie city council;
I am immensely proud of our dynamic City of Barrie with its beautiful waterfront and parks.
I have been a resident of Barrie for 62 years, having arrived here fresh out of law school in 1962.
As someone who has been extensively engaged in our city over the years, including as a former Barrie city councillor and also longtime member of the Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia, I have continually strived to serve and enhance our community.
One thing I learned early on was how important it is that decision makers listen and be transparent in order to serve the broadest public interest.
While I know that being on city council is not always easy, I wanted to flag that I feel something is amiss in a recent decision.
You propose to both relocate the Barrie Sea Cadets and build an artificial turf sports field. I wholeheartedly support both proposals.
But, with one decision, namely, to locate the sports field in the old-growth forest parkland on the waterfront, you have created a divided city.
From the public rejection of the proposal to build a baseball stadium on these same lands just a few years ago, you must have known that there would be opposition to this plan.
Thousands of our citizens simply want you to amend your current proposal by relocating the sports field elsewhere, and leave the forest and meadow in its current beautiful, tranquil state.
Why is locating a sports field in waterfront old-growth forest so important to you? Why can’t it be located elsewhere in our expanding city?
I understand that you have tried to link the sports field and the Sea Cadets by referring to the field as a “parade ground” for the cadets.
Really? The field would be hundreds of metres from the Southshore building (and the cadets would have to compete with sports groups for usage), where the current paved parking lot at the Southshore could easily be reconfigured for parades as needed.
Therefore, there really is no linkage and you should not try to include the Sea Cadets in the field location issue.
As I have said, I like the idea of a sports field (as I know many Barrie citizens do), just not in that location. It will destroy unique and priceless parkland that should be preserved in accordance with the waterfront strategic plan that you approved last year.
The best politicians are able to listen and adapt. I know that it is difficult at times, and it is difficult to please everyone. But, what is most important is transparency and building public trust by seeking broad input and listening to everyone, not just special-interest groups.
You have the legislative power to do what you want, but at what cost? A simple vote to relocate the proposed sports field is easy and it would reunite our divided community.
I trust that you will reflect on the deep concerns that you heard from our community, and reconsider the current proposal. It is easy to "go with the flow," close ranks and say that that decision has been made. It takes courage to step back.
I hope and trust that you will have the courage to do just that – step back and listen to what the broad constituency within our community is asking you to do.
You can achieve both objectives — absolutely support our youth, but also protect our one of a kind waterfront and old growth forest that once is removed is literally gone forever.
If there is anything I can do to be of help in getting this reconsidered and back to a vote, I will do it. As a longtime Barrie resident, former city councillor and continued active community member, I want to help.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to your response.
Alfred W. J. Dick
Barrie
