Yesterday morning I went out to the McNally lands with Dave for an interview with CKCO. The city may be planning to develop the lands and the issue is going to the OMB.

Dave had a piece in the newspaper too Waterloo should protect its natural water sources The Rec 4 Jan 2007

The decision to allow development on important ground and surface water recharge areas in the northwest corner of Waterloo was made by the Ontario Municipal Board in 1992. This decision came before the completion of the Laurel Creek Watershed Study, the 1995 failure of Elmira’s local water supply and the more recent failure of the Greenbrook wells.

[...]

On Jan. 11, an Ontario Municipal Board pre-hearing has been scheduled to discuss, in part, an appeal to expand the designated environmentally sensitive landscape boundaries to include two properties known as the Owens and McNally lands. [...]

The McNally properties were sold to the city for environmental protection, stewardship, and as an exercise resource. According to McNally’s contract and wishes, the land was to remain undeveloped. Doug McNally passed away on Sept. 15, but before his death, I had the opportunity to speak with him at a Waterloo city council meeting, at his home, and while he was in the hospital. [...]

I took some photos. This one shows the hilly terrain on the land. Where the land dips water collects and seeps into the ground. Some of that water likely ends up as our groundwater that then would come out of a well as our drinking water. Water also can come out of springs that are located on the other side of the hills where the water table meets the surface.

I hear that I made it onto the news as well. They filmed me taking photos and us when we were talking about the land.