Part of my social fabric

I grew up in Guelph and aside from a few years overseas and in university, I have stayed in this beautiful city and raised my own children here. As a child, I spent most of my evenings and weekends biking around the city with friends and playing sports. The former OR was a favourite spot with many many children. There were baseball diamonds at one point where we played and then we would bike over to Rocky's for a hotdog. Biking around the grounds was not only beautiful but safe and we would often see couples getting their wedding pictures taken on the grounds. The landscaping was extraordinary and I regret that I didn't truly appreciate all the work that had gone into it. I assumed that these lands would remain as they were indefinitely; they were part of my social fabric. I still walk the trails at Yorklands every week, usually with my dog but also with visiting family. I am disheartened that the government is placing financial profit ahead of social and environmental needs. Guelph needs more green space and many organizations are trying hard to plant trees and fight climate change as best they can and here we have a ready made park that with some TLC could be returned to its former glory and provide the necessary environmental and educational site needed to prepare future generations. Once again, I fear the message will fall on deaf ears. Perhaps when it is politicians' own backyards that are threatened they may start to act responsibly..