Today is the last day for…

Today is the last day for comment and it is the day of the public meeting. It is also a Saturday. The comment period needs to be extended.

The meeting did not have an official question period. The audience compelled a question period but this was ad hoc and hard to hear because of all the talking at the back of the room. The answers brushed off the questions with "talk to me later." The answers were short shrift at best. HIRE A FACILITATOR.

The team was not available up until the time I had to leave at 2:30. S0 I don't feel I was consulted. This form is a partial comment at best.

There was some reference to more direct information about the conservation issues. I think the park is not going to compromise park representation, but strangely the team did not speak to this. Likely because most issues were about roads. Since I could not speak to anyone, I did not get the reference material that was mentioned during the meeting.

The focus of the team appears to be on "linkages". But this is largely all continuous forest. "Linkages" apply in more disturbed landscapes. Frequent mention of linkages made it seem no one has looked at the Gap analysis? (Site district 5e8 completed circa 2006, updated circa?) I was not able to ask that question.

So, have someone looked at the landform/veg gaps? Since you are developing in the centre of a Park which currently contributes to representation, are you replacing the represented landform/veg types that are being developed? The park extension is a different forest type. Nice to have, but does it make up for lost representation? This is a slippery slope.

The one assistant I spoke with was not certain the gap analysis that is the centre of Living Legacy and the parks system had been considered in the representation.

Regarding recreation and tourism goals. They are admirable and the vision and goal (which seem sort of similar to me) downplay job ONE of parks; protecting a core area of landforms and vegetation types is the goal/ vision/ mission/ objective. Recreation can be purchased elsewhere.

I generally support recreation in parks - Parks Ont does a good job. But please place conservation first.

An audience member said the area would be logged before hand. The team was slow to disabuse the audience of this. This disinformation gets fostered in messy meetings like this one. Again, HIRE A FACILITATOR. This is a once in 40 years project - no shame in hiring people with experience running meetings.

I have more questions (post meeting) but sadly the deadline is upon us.