[getsmart-l] Time running out: Save the DunlapObservatory & Park-write letters
Gloria Boxen
gboxen at rogers.com
Sun Dec 2 13:16:26 EST 2007
http://yorkregion.com/News/Richmond%20Hill/article/62325
The battle to save the David Dunlap Observatory is in full swing.
The University of Toronto is accepting bids for the lands since declaring the observatory facilities surplus last month. U of T requires submissions by Feb. 15, hopes to select a purchaser by March and close the sale by July 1, 2008.
http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/save-the-observatory/
http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/save-the-observatory/links.php
http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/save-the-observatory/action.php
http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/blog/
Take Action: what you can do to save the David Dunlap Observatory and Park Write a letter to your local and provincial politicians. Please download this letter and address it to any or all of the politicians listed below. You can adapt the text of the letter to include additional comments. We have included email addresses, but we have found that letters sent by post or fax are usually taken more seriously by our elected officials.
Richmond Hill Contacts
University of Toronto Contacts
Dave Barrow
Mayor of Richmond Hill
Town of Richmond Hill
225 East Beaver Creek Road
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Canada L4B 3P4
Telephone: (905) 771-8800, ext. 3123
Fax: (905) 771-2500
E-mail: officemayor at richmondhill.ca
Marianne Yake,
President,
Richmond Hill Naturalists,
P.O. Box 32217
Harding Postal Outlet
Richmond Hill, ON L4C 9S3
president at rhnaturalists.ca
---------------------------------
Provincial Contacts
Reza Moridi
Richmond Hill MPP
Phone: 905-508 6349
e-mail: Reza.moridi at rogers.com
Dalton McGuinty,
MPP (Ottawa South)
Premier and Minister of Research and Innovation
Room 281, Main Legislative Building
Toronto ON M7A 1A4
Tel: 416-325-1941
Fax: 416-325-3745
dmcguinty.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org
The Honourable Jim Watson
Minister Municipal Affairs and Housing
777 Bay Street, 17th Floor
Toronto, ON M5G 2E5
Tel (416) 585-7000
Fax (416) 585-6470
Email: jwatson.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org
John Gerretsen
MPP (Etobicoke--Lakeshore)
Minister of the Environment
135 St. Clair Ave W, 12th Floor
Toronto ON M4V 1P5
Tel: 416-314-6790
Fax: 416-314-6748
E-mail
Christopher Bentley
MPP (London West)
Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities
900 Bay St, 3rd Floor, Mowat Block
Toronto ON M7A 1L2
Tel: 416-326-1600
Fax: 416-326-1656
cbentley.mpp at liberal.ola.org\u003cbr /\>John Gerretsen, MPP (Kingston and the Islands)\u003cbr /\>Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing\u003cbr /\>777 Bay St, 17th Flr\u003cbr /\>Toronto ON M5G 2E5\u003cbr /\>Tel\u003cbr /\>416-585-7000\u003cbr /\>Fax\u003cbr /\>416-585-6470\u003cbr /\>\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"mailto:jgerretsen.mpp at liberal.ola.org\"\>jgerretsen.mpp at liberal.ola.org\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>Mayor of Richmond Hill\u003cbr /\>Dave Barrow\u003cbr /\>Town of Richmond Hill\u003cbr /\>225 East Beaver Creek Road\u003cbr /\>Richmond Hill, Ontario\u003cbr /\>Canada L4B 3P4\u003cbr /\>Telephone: (905) 771-8800, ext. 3123\u003cbr /\>Fax: (905) 771-2500\u003cbr /\>E-mail: \u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"mailto:officemayor at richmondhill.ca\"\>officemayor at richmondhill.ca\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>Website: \u003ca onclick\u003d\"return
top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www.dcbarrow.com\" target\u003d_blank\>www.dcbarrow.com\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>\u003c/div\>",1] ); //-->
Professor David Naylor
Office of the President
University of Toronto
27 King's College Circle, Room 206
Toronto ON Canada
M5S 1A1
Phone: 416-978-4163
Email: president at utoronto.ca
Pekka K. Sinervo
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science
Sidney Smith Hall
100 St. George Street,
Room 2005
Toronto, ON, Canada
Telephone: 416-978-3383
Fax: 416-978-3887
E-mail: officeofthedean(at)artsci.utoronto.ca
---------------------------------
Federal Contacts Prime Minister Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2
Fax 613-941-6900
Email: pm at pm.gc.ca
The Honourable James M. Flaherty
Minister of Finance
140 O’Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G5
Tel 905-665-8182
Fax 905-665-8124
Email: flaherty.j at parl.gc.ca
---------------------------------
Other Ministers: http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E
The Honourable Josée Verner Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 996-4151 Fax: (613) 954-2269 EMail: VerneJ at parl.gc.ca Web Site:* www.joseeverner.ca/ Preferred Language: French
http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/min/verner/contact/index_e.cfm
The Honourable Gary Lunn
Minister of Natural Resources
House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 996-1119 Fax: (613) 996-0850 EMail: LunnG at parl.gc.ca Web Site:* www.garylunn.com/
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_current.do?locale=en&list_type=ministers&go=go
Hon John Milloy
Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities
900 Bay St, 3rd Flr, Mowat Block
Toronto ON M7A 1L2
Tel 416-326-1600
Fax 416-326-1656
jmilloy.mpp at liberal.ola.org
Hon Donna H. Cansfield Minister of Natural Resources
6630 - 99 Wellesley St W, 6th Flr, Whitney Block
Toronto ON M7A 1W3
Tel 416-314-2301
Fax 416-325-5316
dcansfield.mpp at liberal.ola.org
Hon James J. Bradley
Ministry of Transportation
77 Wellesley St W, 3rd Flr, Ferguson Block
Toronto ON M7A 1Z8
Tel 416-327-9200
Fax 416-327-9188
jbradley.mpp at liberal.ola.org
Tell your friends and neighbours
Help us distribute flyers
Attend council meetings
Check the Richmond Hill Naturalists calendar for future walks and other events related to the DDO.
http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/events/
Annual bird count is being held this year on Dec 15
http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/blog/
......................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Why have the necessities of life, such as clean air, safe and dependable water supplies, local agricultural, and accessibility to nature become luxuries and expendable, while consumer goods, at one time superfluous, have become necessities?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7FD-NW_NNs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7FD-NW_NNs&eurl=http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/save-the-observatory/rhn_articles.php
The David Dunlap Observatory and Park sits on part of the Oak Ridges Moraine. (but outside of the politically determined boundary) It provides a much needed green oasis in southern York Region. The 189 acres provide habitat to many bird species, deer, and other animals. Towards the southern part of the property, the water table is high - here one can see the roots of yellow birch sprawling above ground.
The DDO is making significant contributions to astronomy and astrophysics. Local and visiting international scientists conduct research at the DDO that cannot be carried out at observatories in Chile and Hawaii. At these latter institutes observation time is limited to a few nights a year and expensive. Here at the DDO continuous observations can be made over time and changes observed.
"There are current projects with NASA underway at DDO and the scope is often booked by local and foreign visiting astronomers."
Alternatives to development http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/blog/2007/10/28/help-us-save-the-david-dunlap-observatory/
"This DDO property could become a small satellite northern campus, much like Mississauga and Scarborough. ... Graduate students in particular are said to be the focus of U of T’s growth plans and this location would be ideal for a small graduate research ‘think-tank’ campus. ... reducing the need to travel to downtown Toronto should be considered by U of T planners." Southern York Region has grown tremendously in the last 20 years and many residents are now at the post secondary level. Centrally located in the GTA, the DDO would be ideal for specialized astronomy and natural science studies.
The more one investigates, the more its rich heritage is uncovered. The Marsh house on the property, Elm Lea, was a staging point for the Mackenzie Uprising of 1837. David Dunlap, a lawyer, made his fortune in mining. He was one of the founders of Hollinger Gold Mines. On later acquisition by Conrad Black it was to to become Hollinger Argus and then Hollinger Inc.
http://www.halloffame.mining.ca/halloffame/english/bios/timmins-n.html
http://www.hollinger.com/corporate.htm
We all have to move quickly to prevent this special and unique observatory and wildlife park, with important historical links, into just another development.
For more information visit the Richmond Hill Naturalists' website.
http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/save-the-observatory/links.php
Gloria Boxen
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.web.net/archives/getsmart-l/attachments/20071202/c2d7cc74/attachment.htm
More information about the getsmart-l
mailing list