1.7 C
Niagara Falls
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Letter: It’s a nature trail, not a landscaped walkway

Dear editor:

With reference to the letter last week “We’re quite happy with changes made to the heritage trail,” I would suggest that the writers’ lauding of the widening, resurfacing, tree cutting – essentially the urbanizing of the trail – is wildly out of touch with the landscape of the original trail and has a naïve take on what constitutes progress.

In their minds it appears that these “improvements” were absolutely necessary, although they concede that the cutting and disappearance of healthy trees in the interests of this so-called progress is “unfortunate” (but not to worry, the town will be “planting new trees, shrubs and evergreens” so that in 20 years the periphery of the trail will look just as it did before these unnecessary disruptions).

But, oh the horror – imagine, it was “badly rutted, with puddles and uneven terrain.” There was even, wait for it, “mud.”  This is a heritage trail – get it? – appears not.

Their hope is the travesty that is the widened, resurfaced trail to this point (which is so flawless that the town has put a temporary hold on its continuation) will continue unabated to its conclusion because, after all, what they want is a trail wide enough, flat enough and devoid of pesky vegetation that the hordes of visitors who this summer overflowed the town’s parks and other green spaces will find their way there.

Let’s see how the wildlife that the writers imply has been undisturbed so far respond then to this new, improved heritage trail.  

To the letter writers and all those who believe this nature trail needed improvement I would refer them to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words “adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” 

Michael Howe
NOTL

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